1. THE CANOE #2
“Can’t have you boys missing the sights in this paradise.” He gestured toward a crooked wooden bar. “Like that one there.”
“Wow.” Dyson leaned forward. “That really is something else.” We stared at the wonky wooden bar, which seemed like it had survived more than its fair share of natural disasters.
“My Uncle Rick’s,” Mitch added proudly, launching into his Uncle’s long and detailed backstory. “Tell him Mitch sent ya, he’ll shout you a drink.”
Dyson pretended to be unconscious beside me.
“That’s very generous, thanks Mitch,” I said, glancing at Dyson as he slumped deeper into his seat.
“Don’t mind him,” I said, grinning in Dyson’s direction, “he’s just dreaming about how many freebies he can get out of your Uncle—”
Mitch slammed on the brakes.
I stared through the window as an enormous horned creature—half ostrich, half dinosaur—sauntered across the road. “Whoa. Is that a bird?”
“That thing looks like it weighs more than I do.” Dyson straightened up, fully alert now.
“Cassowary,” Mitch drawled. “Gotta give way to ’em. They won’t give way to us.” He let out a throaty laugh. “Buggers can grow bigger than a full-grown man and run like hell—usually to get away from ya… if you’re lucky.”
“Right,” Dyson muttered as he eyeballed the bird. “Good to know.”
The cassowary plodded away as the car started up the road, I leaned back in my seat. Welcome to Australia. No rules. Just countless things that could take you out if you weren’t paying attention.
By the time we reached the marina, we were more than ready to get out. The second the car stopped, we flung open the doors, stepping out into the heat.
“Thanks, Mitch,” Dyson said. “That was… an experience,” he added with a straight face.
I clamped my lips together and grabbed our bags, shoving them on the sidewalk before handing Mitch a generous tip through the window.
“Enjoy Harro, boys!” he called as he zoomed off at twice the speed he’d driven us.
“Guess he wants to find the next tourist to take on his tour,” Dyson said as we stared at each other in confusion.
I looked up the street, taking in the luminescent turquoise ocean that stretched out beyond as palm trees swayed overhead. This place was something else.
We hauled our packs up the path and through the marina gate. Weaving through a maze of docks, we passed row after row of sleek cruisers and massive yachts.
And then I spotted her.
Glossy. White. Perfect.
A fifty-foot power catamaran… all mine.
My father had delivered on his graduation promise. I’d waited years for this. For once, he hadn’t let me down. As it rocked softly, I took in the gentle curves, pausing on the name on the front of the hull.
The Canoe.
A smile spread across my face.
“The Canoe?” Dyson chuckled. “Yeah, nah… more like The Cruise Ship.”
I chuckled, a rush of adrenaline hitting me as I took it in. I crossed the gap from dock to deck and landed with a thud.
My passport to the world.
One day, I’ll take her everywhere—to places far beyond my father’s reach.
Dyson cleared the gap, landing awkwardly on one foot. “Ahoy!” he said in a tragic pirate accent, rubbing his foot. “Welcome aboard, lad.”
“Good thing you’re not in the theater.” I laughed. “You’d be out of work. You alright?”
“Yeah, I was trying to make you look good. Think it worked too.”
I laughed as we stepped inside and eyed the gleaming interior—all clean lines, soft upholstery, and impossibly shiny navigation equipment.
Dyson let out a slow whistle. “Mate… this is next level.”
My smile widened as I explored the instrument panel.
“You lucky bastard.” Dyson dived onto the sofa. “I didn’t even get a graduation card from my old man, and you get this boat on steroids.”
“Maybe the card’s in the mail.” I laughed. “But yeah, I am lucky.” Even if it does come with strings attached.
“This almost makes up for your father never being around.” He grinned, leaning back, his hands behind his head.
“Please,” I scoffed. “Your parents were ghosts most of the time, bro. You were practically raised by those bloody thoroughbreds you’re so fond of showing me up on.”
“It’s easy to look good when you’re on the ground instead of in the saddle. Anyway, play nice,” he warned, “or you’ll be sailing this beast back to Sydney solo.”
“Nah, you love me too much, man.”
“Deeply,” he deadpanned. “Against my will.” He stood and stretched.
“Bro, grab us some drinks? And while you’re up, can you crank up the A/C before we melt?” I asked.
“On it.” He disappeared.
After a few minutes, I wandered into the galley in search of my drink. Instead, I found Dyson, shoveling a spoonful of ice cream straight from the tub into his mouth.
“Seriously?” I shook my head as he loaded his spoon. “Did you forget your mission?”
He shrugged. “Got distracted.”
“You had one job.” I smirked, grabbing a drink from the fridge. It was bursting with enough food and snacks to feed a small army.
“Let’s check out the cabins.” He took off. “First one I claim is mine!”
“You’re dreaming,” I said, already on the move.
I leaned against the doorway of the better cabin across the hall from Dyson. He let out a shriek, pushed past me, launching himself across the room, before face-planting onto the center bed.
“Comfortable? Don’t hold back on my account.”
“Sleep,” he mumbled into the mattress. “I just traveled tens of thousands of miles.”
With a laugh, I moved toward the window, searching beyond the glass. I exhaled slowly. I needed this. Drake had been all pressure. With little release.
For years, kickboxing had given me somewhere to put the anger. Anger toward my father, but it wasn’t enough anymore. I needed something beyond uppercuts, jabs, and hooks.
This trip… is the start of that something.
When our trip was over, Dyson would head to San Francisco to step into the companies he’d built while the rest of us were just trying to survive high school.
And I’d step straight into my father’s business world… SolStar. No choice, no escape.
But not yet… right now, I’m free. And I’m going to make the most of it.
After kicking Dyson out of my cabin, I explored every square inch of the new boat. The controls, the engine room, the deck, and every hidden corner, until I knew it inside out.
When there was nothing left to discover, I stretched out on the bed and let the cool air wrap around me. Within minutes, I drifted into a deep, satisfied sleep.
***
“Karson, get your lazy ass out of bed. Let’s hit the go-kart track before it gets too hot.” Dyson yanked the blanket off me.
“All right, all right,” I muttered, dragging a hand over my face. “Can you make some coffee? I’ll be up in a minute.” I rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom.
A blast of cold water hit my face, yanking me into the day. I pulled on shorts and a T-shirt, tugged my cap low, shoving my sunglasses into my pocket before taking the stairs two at a time.
By the time I reached the galley, Dyson had coffee waiting.
We demolished breakfast, drained a second cup, before heading out to the car he’d organized for the island.
A few minutes later, we pulled up at the track, taking in the tropical surroundings as we walked into the office.
“Man, we gotta hit the beach after this. It’s paradise,” Dyson said after we went through the safety protocols.
I nodded in agreement as we suited up.
“Archie would be proud of us.” I grinned as we headed out to the track. “Who knows, maybe we’ll even manage to crack twenty-five miles an hour.”
Dyson laughed. “He was such a fanatic all through school. Should have known he’d end up in F1.” He pulled his gloves on before we strapped in.
“His dad probably bought McLaren just so he could drive for them.” I smirked and gripped the wheel. “Don’t stress, I’ll take it easy on you.” I slammed down on the throttle, the car leaping forward as I took the lead.
Dyson cut inside at the next corner, flying past me with a wave. We traded the lead a few times before grinding to a halt, climbing out and pulling off our helmets.
“You bastard,” he said, slapping my back.
“Sorry,” I laughed. “Couldn’t resist.”
“Let’s go again.” He was already back in the driver’s seat.
We spent the next hour tearing around the racetrack, pushing harder through every corner as we tried to outrun each other before finally heading back to the car.
“I found a cool spot online where we can go for a swim before lunch,” Dyson said, swinging himself into the seat before firing up the motor.
“What are we waiting for?” I cranked up the A/C to max.
A few minutes later, he pulled up under a cluster of palm trees. “Now this is what I’m talking about.”
“Nice. You struck gold.” My gaze followed the stretch of untouched white sand. “It’s like our own private beach.”
“Who knew sometimes the reviews are actually right?” He dropped onto his towel, tossed his cap over his face, stretching out beneath the sun. “I’m chilling.”
I threw my towel onto the sand and jogged toward the water, wading in before diving beneath the surface. The not-quite-cool water wrapped around me like silk, soothing my hot skin.
I lay back, staring up at the endless blue sky as the gentle waves carried me. I’ve got months of this ahead of me... This was the part I’d worked toward and counted down to.
No expectations. No schedule. Just freedom. After this, everything ramps up again.
I wondered who we’d meet. Who might become part of it all, and what life would look like for me beyond college… beyond working for my father.
After swimming back to shore, I crept up behind Dyson and shook my wet hair all over him.
He jumped up and tackled me to the sand. “You jerk!” We wrestled, laughing like complete idiots.
“Race you!” He broke free and bolted toward the water.
***
It’d been a hell of a week on the island…
Swimming and eating like kings. Sleeping whenever we felt like it and exploring every chance we got.
Now we stood on the deck of the scuba boat in wetsuits, tanks, masks, and fins, eager for our first reef dive.
“Good thing school insisted we get our diving certification, even if training with Mr. Faulkner was pure torture.” I cringed at the memory.