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I used roup of people I’d been talking to, but instead of heading to the bar, I crossed the crowded roolass door that led to the back patio

The large deck wasn’t in use because it was early May Tables and chairs were huddled together under canvas covers, and the chilly evening wind tried to get at rabbed the lapels of hter around

The sun was setting, painting the horizon in yellows and oranges

Beloas the marina and its docks stretched out in perfect rows, decorated with boats and yachts tied at nearly every slip My father’s boat, Check vessel in our faaze The water seeht, but I are how looks could be deceiving

It was supposed to be cal with Sophia last year

He should probably sell it He hadn’t stepped foot on his boat since then

The fact it didn’t have a captain probably contributed as well He’d fired Lucas Ridley after the accident, which was bullshit Lucas didn’t come from money, but his father was the headmaster of Cape Hill Prep, and we’d beco club

I’d gone off to college and then law school, while he’d stayed in town and worked his way up to captain of Checkmate We didn’t see much of each other since he’d been relieved from my family’s staff, but that was to be expected I’d heard he’d started chartering his boat for luxury trips out beyond the cape A ant version of booze cruises

I hadn’t seen him at the service or at the reception, but there were a lot of people Surely he was inside somewhere He’d had more patience with Jillian than I did when she’d joined the sailing club

An odd sensation trickled down my spine

If Lucas were here, he would have soughthim, and his friends at this reception would be lih school, he’d ceased to exist for a lot of our mutual friends He was a townie, an ‘other’

The help, Richard Shaunessy called him behind his back

Lucas’s slip in the dock was empty