Island of Second Chances

by Cara Lockwood

  “Ah,” Laura said, nodding, as she shaded her eyes from the sun.

  “You’ve got be careful about Ciao Bella,” Garrett warned. “They cut corners when they sail and are always looking for a way in. They hit a boat last year, in one of the few collisions in race history. They had to be rescued by another competitor.”

  “That doesn’t sound good.” Laura squinted.

  “You sure you want to do this?” Mark asked her. She was so sullen, he wondered if her heart was really in this. A race was no place to be if her mind was elsewhere. “I mean, race. It’s hard work, and...these guys take it seriously. It could be dangerous and you’ll need to focus.”

  Laura raised her chin, defiant. “I’m sure,” she said.

  “Well, then, let’s get to work,” Gretchen said and grinned, as Mark assigned her to work on the rigging. Mark looked over and saw Dave’s boat, emblazoned with the name Tanner across the back. It was a majestic boat, slightly bigger than the Timothy.

  Dave looked the part of the impressive captain, but Mark would always bet on himself over Dave. Dave always stuck to sailing by the book. The man never took risks, never put himself out there. That meant that if he got the lead early, he was likely to hold it. His motto was always steady wins the race. It explained another reason why Dave picked racing the Tanner over racing Timothy, Mark realized. Dave always played it safe. He should’ve known.

  Mark, on the other hand, took risks. Sometimes, they didn’t always pay off. More times than he’d like to admit, he’d been too aggressive at the starting line and got pushed over early—watching the fleet sail away from him while he turned back to do his penalty maneuver.

  “You think we got an icicle’s chance in hell?” Garrett asked him in a low murmur as Mark checked the boat’s engine, preparing to take them out to the race starting point.

  “Maybe slightly better than that,” Mark said. “Who knows? How lucky is your brother feeling today?”

  “With his wife?” Garrett rolled his eyes. “I think she picked out his underwear this morning. I’m sure she picked the lucky ones.”

  At that, Mark threw back his head and laughed and the tightness in his chest lifted. Laura might be angry with him for a reason he didn’t understand, but he was about to sail, and he couldn’t feel bad about that. The horn sounded, announcing for all racers to take their marks.

  Soon after that, they were underway, headed out to sea to the buoy marker for the starting line. They joined the dozens of boats lined up in a row, ready to take on the rest. White sails dotted the horizon, each stretching to different heights. They’d have at least two hours of racing before the winner crossed the finish line.

  Laura looked nervous. Mark gave her a thumbs-up sign and she returned it with an uneasy smile as she put on her sports sunglasses. Mark was proud of the boat they’d restored. The Timothy looked ready to compete. It was all he could hope for. He only wished Laura was in a mood to celebrate this with him. He still wished Laura would sail with him, actually, for the year. It hurt him that she didn’t want to go.

  As the boats began to leave the marina, he took in the majestic sight of all the differently colored hulls surrounding them.

  The race committee sounded the horn for their starting sequence. Five minutes before the gun, he felt his chest swell with excitement. They were going to do this!

  He glanced at Laura and felt so very grateful for her. She made him a better person. For the last year, he hadn’t been able to imagine a future, and now he could actually imagine living past tomorrow, past the race, past sailing off into the sunset. He could actually imagine a future life. It was just too bad Laura didn’t want to share that future with him.

  As he watched her look out to the horizon, he realized he wanted her in his life. That when he thought of future, he thought of her. It was that simple. Why didn’t she want that as well?

  Mark managed to take his place between Tanner and Ciao Bella with St. Claire on the other side. His boat, on the leeward side of Ciao Bella meant he had the right of way, but the boat with the black-and-blue spinnaker didn’t move to the start, effectively blocking Timothy’s right of way.

  “Head up! Head up!” Garret shouted at the crew, though they didn’t hear him over the wind. “We have the right to head-to-wind!”

  Mark frowned. He knew Ciao Bella played dirty, and it was already starting with cutting in at the starting line. Tim and Gretchen had noticed, too.

  Laura glanced back from her post, worry wrinkling her forehead. “They’re going to regret that,” Mark said.

  As the boats jockeyed to get into the best positions on the line possible, the race committee sounded the gun, announcing the start. Mark, Garrett, Tim, Gretchen and Laura jumped into action as they trimmed the sails and caught the wind, taking off from the start ahead of Ciao Bella.

  But St. Claire, a boat made up of an all-woman crew, matched them nearly gust for gust as the boats took the lead, with Ciao Bella and Tanner close behind.

  They continued to sail close-hauled, the fastest point of sail, keeping their eyes on the windward mark in the distance. The wind showed no signs of letting up as the Timothy cut through the water, sending up cool sea spray into Mark’s face. This was where he was born to be, he thought.

  Yet as they caught sight of the first mark rounding, the Tanner gained on them as Dave expertly steered their boat up wind. His crew, including Edward, worked furiously on the lines to keep the sail full.

  “Dammit,” Mark cursed, as the Tanner pulled ahead, as did the St. Claire and the Jetstream. The Ciao Bella slashed windward at a sharp angle to try to beat Tanner to the inside position on the turn, but that put the Ciao Bella right in their path.

  “Helms a lee!” he cried to Garrett and Laura, who worked furiously to trim the sail as Mark tacked the boat. Now the Timothy might end up wrecked, too. They caught the wind and lurched hard, sending Laura somehow off her feet. For a heart-stopping second, he couldn’t see where she went. Please, God, he sent up a prayer, let it not be overboard.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  LAURA FELT HERSELF free-falling. All she knew was that one second, it looked like they might hit the Ciao Bella, and the next, she’d lost her grip as the boat lurched. In a harried moment, she didn’t know where she’d land, the deck or the sea.

  Then suddenly, she hit the wood floorboards, skidding on her side and belly toward the bow. She curled up, instinctively trying to protect herself as she fought against physics and clung to the boat. The baby, was her first thought as she curled inward, everything in her wanting to protect her midsection.

  Please, don’t let this hurt the baby.

  Then she slid into the bow, her head knocking into the interior, making her see stars and stunning her for a second.

  “Laura!” she heard someone shout. Mark?

  Her head rang but she shook off her dizziness. It was all she could do to hold on and not let go.

  Then came another thought. Do not fall overboard. In the middle of a sea of racing sailboats that won’t be able to stop. She remembered the story Mark had told her about the sailor who’d fallen overboard and gotten knocked unconscious by the other boats nearby.

  Hang on, she willed herself as she clutched to the small metal loop on the bow. Then slowly, as the boat settled down, moving less at an angle, she managed to right herself, letting out a long slow breath of relief.

  “Laura!” Mark was suddenly at her side, lifting her up. But who was steering? In a panic, she glanced at the boat’s wheel and saw Garret there, a determined look on his face.

  Her ears still rang a bit as she glanced at Mark.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, his face twisted in concern.

  “I am. I’m fine.” She rubbed the back of her head where she could feel a goose egg rising. “At least I don’t see two of you.”

  “Want to stop?”

&
nbsp; “No.” She stood up. Her knees felt slightly wobbly, even as she fought against the boat’s deck, but she still didn’t want to stop. She wouldn’t be the reason Mark quit the race. “I’m okay. Really.”

  “Mark!” Garrett shouted, glancing backward. Two other sailboats raced past them, as the Timothy dropped in the standings. The Ciao Bella’s rash move had put it in second place. Dave was fighting her off but not doing a great job of it. The St. Claire and the Jetstream battled it out for the lead ahead of even the Tanner. Soon, the Ciao Bella would catch them.

  “Let’s do this,” Laura said.

  Mark nodded. “Okay.” He directed her back to her post and then he took the wheel from Garrett. He nodded at Gretchen and Tim.

  “Let’s get the spinnaker up!” he said. And the five of them worked furiously to get the boat back on course, as they focused on gaining on the Tanner. The St. Claire fell back two boat-lengths as the Tanner passed it and then the Timothy did, too. Laura could see the female sailors on that boat furiously working together to keep the boat competitive.

  Then the wind kicked up and they sailed on, nudging forward, and Mark managed to inch the boat ahead, surfing on the waves as they headed downwind. Soon the inches grew into feet as the Timothy knocked out its first competitor. But they had one more lap to go. And the Tanner, Ciao Bella and Jetstream were still ahead of them.

  She told herself that she would just live in the moment and that she’d think about what happened to her and the baby later. That for now, she’d just focus on the time they had and on the wind in the sails. How she wished she could sail around the world with Mark. But when a baby arrived in seven months, then what? They couldn’t have a newborn on a boat. And even worse, Mark had made it clear he didn’t want children. Not in seven months, not ever.

  She focused on the other boats and all their colorful spinnakers, as they sailed down the race course together.

  “I’ll never get tired of this,” Mark shouted and Laura nodded. She could see why he loved racing so much—the thrill, the amazing expanse of water and being part of a floating city, the sea dotted with these majestic boats. The only blemishes on the day were the dark storm clouds hanging out to the west, out to sea. They were far enough away not to be a concern, and the weather report had said rain wasn’t supposed to hit until later that evening.

  Ahead, the Jetstream, the Ciao Bella and the Tanner jostled for positions. Mark inched closer to the Jetstream, alongside its huge red-and-blue spinnaker, looking tall and menacing as they tried to move forward. The Jetstream wouldn’t be an easy boat to catch, but they’d have to do it.

  Laura tried to focus on her task at hand, trimming the sail, but then she thought about her fall and the baby.

  Is the baby okay? She hoped so. But there was hardly any time to think about it. The race continued as the bow slashed through the water, the spray dotting her legs. The sun beamed down and Laura focused all her attention on the boat. The Timothy had to win.

  It seemed like just a few minutes, but Laura realized more than an hour had passed as they worked their way around the course. Soon came the last rounding, a big neon yellow buoy, and the homestretch. Right before the turn, they managed to inch past the Jetstream, the sail sinking a bit as it just narrowly lost wind.

  Now it was a race of just the top three: the Ciao Bella, Tanner and Timothy. But it looked as if there was no way the Timothy would ever catch either boat. They were too far ahead.

  Laura glanced at Mark, and his face told her everything. There wasn’t enough time to make up the difference. Not enough time, not enough wind. They were almost certainly going to come in third.

  They could see the finish line, and Laura felt her stomach tense. How could they ever make up that distance? It seemed impossible.

  Meanwhile, the Ciao Bella had spent the entire race using aggressive and risky tactics, and now as they barreled down on the Tanner, it looked like they had a serious chance to win.

  The crews had one more chance—the final tack to the finish line. As they headed into the tack, the two boats ahead of them clustered together, while the Timothy lagged behind half a boat length. Then, hoping to make their move, the Ciao Bella headed up hard, trying to inch out the Tanner, but it also put the Ciao Bella right in their path.

  Mark shouted, “Look out!”

  And Laura realized that they needed to maneuver away, or they’d hit the stern of the Ciao Bella.

  “Trim!” Garret called and they worked hard to take the boat up, barely making it away from the Ciao Bella, but with the Timothy out of the way, it meant that the Ciao Bella was heading on a collision course straight for the Tanner. And Laura noticed, Dave wasn’t going to get out of the way.

  “They’re going to hit,” Garrett shouted, and Laura realized he was right. The Ciao Bella wasn’t going to make that angle on the turn. They were going to ram right into the Tanner.

  Laura could see Dave struggling to avoid it, but there wasn’t going to be a way out.

  Laura watched helplessly as the boats converged, each one trying to steer clear of the other. Dave, smartly, whipped leeward, trying to get parallel to the Ciao Bella. For a second, it looked like he might make it. Then they heard the earsplitting crunch as the Ciao Bella slid into the Tanner, the boats scraping across each other’s hulls. The impact sent the boats slipping toward the Timothy.

  Were they next?

  “Come about!” Mark shouted, and they all worked furiously, trimming hard to tack the Timothy. Amazingly, they managed to avoid smashing into the other two boats, still tangled together in the water and veering off course. They’d never make it to the finish line now. Laura glanced backward. The next closest boat was at least ten boat lengths away.

  Mark flashed Laura a smile. “We’re going to win this,” he said as the Timothy soared past, the only leader now for a quarter mile. They churned on to the finishing line buoy, where one of the race administrative boats waited, officials’ cameras pointed at the water.

  Mark, Laura and the rest of the crew fell silent as they focused on making it the last few meters. Only when the bow slipped past the buoy did the whole boat erupt in cheers.

  “We did it!” Laura shouted, still not quite believing it was true. They had won! A hundred thousand dollars!

  Garrett took the wheel as they eased their sails to slow down. Mark scooped up Laura from behind and she giggled. When he set her down on the rocking deck of the boat, she whirled and kissed him and didn’t even care when her hat flew off, sailing over the deck and into the water.

  “Another one gone,” she breathed as she pulled away from him.

  “I’ll buy you a hundred more,” Mark promised. His face shone with happiness. “We did it,” he said, and he only had eyes for her as he held her close. Tears slid down her cheeks. She was so very happy—for him. But also she couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. He’ll be leaving me. Maybe these are pregnancy hormones at work, she thought as she swiped away her tears.

  “Hey, what about me?” Garrett shouted from the stern. “Do I get a hug?”

  Laura and Mark laughed and folded Garrett in. Gretchen and Tim joined in, shouting. Other sailboats whizzed past them, crossing the line in a parade of colored sails.

  A high-pitched whistle sounded, and Mark glanced up. Laura followed his gaze, and the team stopped celebrating long enough to glance at the two boats lagging behind them. Other boats passed right by.

  “That doesn’t look good,” Garrett said.

  The Tanner was listing badly. So was the Ciao Bella.

  “Are they okay?” Laura asked.

  Mark frowned. “I don’t know.” As the other boats finished the race and then sailed easily back toward shore, nobody seemed to pay the crash much mind.

  “Will someone help them?”

  “There’s supposed to be a crash boat.” Mark grabbed the radio near the ship’s wheel. Th
e radio crackled to life as he called in to the race committee.

  “The crash boat is dealing with another incident on the race course,” a voice told Mark over the CB. “Near the windward mark. Two boats got tangled up and it’s a huge mess.”

  Laura squinted but she couldn’t see the windward mark, as it was too far around the bend of the island. Mark shaded his eyes from the sun and glanced at the sailboats streaming in and then out at the Tanner, which was now listing even worse. Would the boat even stay afloat much longer? Even worse, the dark clouds rolling in from the west seemed to be moving faster than she first thought.

  The radio crackled to life again, this time, it instructed all boats to head back inland to avoid the storm sitting on the horizon.

  “With all the boats headed in, and the storm, there’s no way the Tanner gets help.” Mark slammed the radio back on its cradle.

  “We’ve got to go help them.” Garrett peered at the troubled boat as his brother struggled to keep the boat from sinking.

  Mark nodded. “We have to,” he agreed. “Let’s go.”

  He returned to the ship’s wheel and Garrett moved to adjust the jib. Laura steadied herself as they whipped the boat around, careful to avoid the incoming boats, the wind in their face as they tried to maneuver their boat.

  They managed to get alongside the Tanner, as the Jetstream circled back to the Ciao Bella to help that crew. They busied themselves hooking up the Ciao Bella for a tow.

  The Tanner wasn’t going to do so well. That boat was sinking and sinking fast. In fact, Dave and Edward and the third crewman jumped in the water, swimming for the Timothy. The boat was sinking so fast half the mast was underwater. The three swam for the Timothy.

  Garrett and Mark helped them climb up the back of the boat, and the three crew members sat, dripping.

  “Thanks, man,” Dave said and clearly meant it.