Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 73107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
He throws me an incredulous look as I plead with my eyes.
When he nods, I head toward the crowd and listen in as one of the surfers explains how Cain’s board washed up soon after he arrived. “I looked for him before alerting the lifeguard station.”
I can see one of the rescue workers in the water, swimming out near the first buoy with a life preserver. Watching for a while, I feel restless, wishing I could do something to help. I can’t imagine what June is feeling.
My stomach bottoms out and my legs eat up the sand as I back away, not wanting to call attention to myself. I need to do something with all this pent-up energy, or I’ll implode. Besides, they don’t need more hands or worried expressions.
I move farther down the beach, my gaze on the waves, looking for any signs of him. I’m sure it’s futile, but I don’t know what else to do. Whatever I might say to the family won’t be good enough anyway. Not in a time like this. I can see why Beth’s words fall on deaf ears.
My feet keep moving on the same trajectory as they had this morning when Jack and I walked along the coast. I spot a sand dollar, but my focus doesn’t stray too long from the water. When I hit a certain point, I’ll double back.
Before I know it, I’ve walked too far away from the family. Over my shoulder, they look like little dots. This far away from all the uneasiness and flurry of activity, no one would suspect they are a family in distress. I try to picture what that one day might’ve been like for Jack, but the bitterness on my tongue and the pang in my gut pale in comparison to how much of a physical and emotional toll it must’ve taken. I don’t really know Cain, but that doesn’t matter. It’s about family and heartbreak and suffering. Something the McCoys have had plenty of already.
I stop to catch my breath and reluctantly turn around, hoping that when I get back there, he’ll have been found.
But then something catches my eye farther up the beach, between kids and families playing in the surf. It’s a lone figure wearing a bright-blue wetsuit I recognize from this morning. He’s moving slowly, his hair plastered to his head, and I think to shout for Jack, but he won’t hear me. So, instead, I sprint toward Cain.
“Cain!” I shout as I get near.
His eyes widen as if I’ve startled him.
“Are you all right?” I ask when I get to him. He looks exhausted.
“Yeah, sure. The current was strong and took me farther south than I anticipated, so I took some time to catch my breath before heading back to look for my board. No doubt it’s washed up along the shore somewhere.”
I stare at him in disbelief. “I…you…”
“What are you doing out here?”
That jolts me out of it. “Your family is looking for you.”
“My family?” His eyes snap to mine. “Why?”
“Your surfer buddies got concerned when your board showed up without you.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. I haven’t been gone that long, have I?”
“Longer than you think.” I grip his arm. “Come on, your mom is worried sick.”
“Ah fuck. That’s all I need.”
He picks up his pace as we haul it toward Jack and his family. But he’s struggling to keep up with me. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
“No, I…just swallowed a boatload of water.” Suddenly, he stops with his hands on his knees and pukes mostly water on the sand.
“Ah shit, you might be dehydrated. How about this?” I glance down the beach. “You sit right here and don’t move. I’ll alert them you’ve been found.”
“Okay.” He doesn’t put up a fight, just plants his butt in the sand.
I jog until I can see Cain’s family and friends near his towel. “I found him!”
June’s hand clamps over her mouth, tears springing to her eyes.
“He’s all right. Just exhausted and maybe dehydrated. I told him to stay put on the sand and we’d come to him.”
“Oh God, thank you.” June grabs me and hugs me tight.
“He said the current took him farther than he thought.”
“I need to see my baby boy.” She starts toward her son.
Two lifeguards and Cain’s surfer buddies follow her.
Jack approaches me and squeezes my arm. “What made you walk that way?”
I wince. “Nervous energy?”
“Thank you.” His intense gaze penetrates mine. “We owe you.”
“You don’t owe me anything. Just glad I could help.”
He nods, then heads toward the others.
I plop down on the sand next to Beth and Rocco.
“Maybe you have a sixth sense of your own,” Beth says with tears in her eyes. “I’m so glad he was found.” She gets up, dusts the sand from her dress, then hesitantly heads toward the others, no doubt to help in any way she can.