Chapter 39
FLYNN
Flynn tilted his face toward the sun, relishing the wind and salty spray as Mira sailed across the frosty-tipped water. He breathed in the invigorating, tangy scent of the sea that also smelled deliciously sweet, like hope and second chances.
By his side, Cap stuck his snout into the air, his tongue flopping to one side as the wind ruffled his golden mane.
“What d’ya think, bud? You like the seafaring life?”
Cap barked his approval, and Flynn laughed.
It had been years since he’d sailed, but it all came rushing back in a flurry—exhilarating and freeing, as if the great blue expanse went on forever.
He glanced at Sage standing near the bow. With her honey-colored curls fluttering around her slender neck and shoulders, and her long, gauzy dress billowing around her perfect frame, she looked like a sea nymph or siren—stunning, ethereal, and almost too alluring. In her presence, he found it difficult to concentrate. Thankfully, the sailing conditions couldn’t be smoother, and Mackensie had custom-built Mira to require as few hands on deck as possible.
Plus, just like old times, Sage proved to be an excellent first mate, further solidifying in his heart that, together, there wasn’t anything they couldn’t accomplish.
They followed the coastline, heading north toward the Tanti Islands, daydreaming about bookish sailing tours and what the future held. For a moment in time, they existed in a perfect bubble of bliss, unmarred by heartache and loss.
He was tempted to keep sailing and never look back.
The mirthful mood shifted as they rounded a craggy sea stack and Coyote Cave came into view. Goose bumps pricked his arms.
Sage met his gaze, her eyes troubled and questioning. Almost immediately, her expression softened, as if she understood, at least on some level, that he needed to do this—he needed to face the past.
The cave, carved into a rocky promontory, garnered its name from the prolific coyote mint plant that covered the cliffside in fragrant, lavender-hued blooms. It used to be a favorite local haunt until Kevin’s accident. Now, a battered chain-link fence guarded the entrance.
As if in reverence of that fateful day, the sun dipped behind a cloud, casting shadows on the headland. His stomach clenched as they drew closer.
Speaking only when needed, they worked in tandem, anchoring Mira offshore.
While they completed the necessary tasks, trepidation built in Flynn’s chest. He hadn’t been back to the cave since the night of Kevin’s memorial service. He could still feel the heat of a hundred or more votive candles illuminating the beach, flickering across the inky-black water. His parents had wanted him to speak that night, to say something in remembrance of his brother. But he hadn’t been able to form a single word past the guilt and regret strangling his throat.
Wordlessly, Flynn helped Sage and Cap into the inflatable kayak. They paddled in silence, both lost in their thoughts.
Before they made it all the way to shore, Cap bounded into the shallow waves, prancing in the surf, oblivious to the significance of their excursion.
They beached the kayak, and Flynn hopped onto the wet sand. Sage followed. Together, they dragged the kayak onto the berm, safe from the rising tide.
The wind echoed ominously in the small cove, and frothy waves thrashed against the rocks surrounding the cave. An eerie feeling crept over him. Was coming here a mistake?
“Are you okay?” Sage touched his arm gently, yanking him from his thoughts.
“Are you?” He realized bringing her here conjured her own ghosts and painful memories.
“Honestly? I never expected to come back here.”
“Me, neither,” he admitted, noticing neither of them had actually answered the question. “But there’s something I need to do.” He twisted the bracelet around his wrist. “Right before graduation, Kev got this crazy idea to make a time capsule. One of his business gurus recommended it. He said to include a letter to our future selves and an item that represented something important in our lives. The plan was to open it in ten years, after we’d become roaring successes, to remind us what really matters.”
“That sounds like Kevin.” Sage smiled wistfully. “And you buried it here?”
“Kev did. In the cave.” His throat went dry.
Her eyes widened. “You’re going inside?”
“Assuming it’s still there, it’ll only take me a minute to find it.” He knew exactly where Kev hid it—in a crescent-shaped crevice near the back of the cave, to the left of a chipped stalactite.
“I’m coming with you.” Her words carried conviction, but he caught the glint of dismay in her eyes.
He appreciated her willingness, but this was something he needed to do alone. “Keep an eye on Cap. If he keeps rolling around in the wet sand like that, we’ll wind up taking half the beach back with us.”
She reached for his hand, gripping tightly as she held his gaze. How did she communicate so much love and support in a single glance?
He kissed her softly, sinking into her lips, savoring their sweetness and assurance.
The sun slid from behind the clouds, momentarily lending its comforting light.
Before he pulled away, he pressed his forehead to hers for a fraction of a second, gathering strength from her presence. He straightened, forcing a smile. “I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
“I’ll be here.”
He felt her concerned gaze on his back as he ambled across the sandy shore, up the rocky embankment, and over the rickety fence, weatherbeaten by the wind and waves. The rusty chain links clanged as he hoisted himself over the side. He landed with a splash in ankle-deep water, grateful his deck shoes could handle getting wet.
The frigid water rose to his calves, then up to his thighs as he made his way farther into the cave. Dank, gloomy walls held in the darkness, save for faint shafts of light streaming through the narrow entrance, softening the shadows.
Flynn kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, fighting a barrage of unwelcome images—images of his brother that haunted his nightmares.
His foot slipped, and he dunked waist-deep into the water. Shocked by the cold, he inhaled sharply, filling his lungs with the scent of salt and sediment. The oppressive air crowded around him, covering him like a damp cloak, forcing him deeper into the murky depths.
He squinted into the blackness up ahead, barely making out the half-moon outline. The crevice. He was almost there. You can do this.
His breaths came in shallow gasps as he pressed onward, the silty ground giving way, forcing him to swim. After what felt like two lifetimes—but probably lasted only two minutes—he reached the far end of the cave. He ran his hands along the slippery surface, searching for a place to grab hold. Locating a groove that would give him the necessary leverage, he hauled himself far enough out of the water to reach a hand into the crescent-shaped slit in the slab of earth.
One by one, he removed the stones Kevin had used as a protective barrier, scraping and scooping out sand and pebbles until his fingertips met something slick and smooth.
The trinket box! It was still there. Relief surged through him. Kev would be pleased the box had lived up to the advertising hype—and the hefty price tag.
Okay, time to go .
He tried to withdraw his hand, but it didn’t budge. The friendship bracelet snagged on something sharp, pinning his arm in place. In the span of a single ragged breath, fear and adrenaline pumped into his bloodstream. His pulse pounded in his eardrums, drowning out the cacophonous crash of ocean waves.
Suddenly, all the visions he’d kept at bay came barreling into his thoughts.
Visions of Kevin trapped and alone, the tide rising, flooding the cave as he called for help that never came.
Called for him….
His chest constricted with a piercing stab of pain.
As he yanked and twisted in a blind panic, the bracelet dislodged, along with the box, and the unexpected shift sent him backward, plunging into the dark pool. Fully submerged, the icy surface closed over him like a frosted blanket, biting and abrasive. Clutching the box, he resurfaced, choking on salt water and a sob buried deep in his throat—deep in his soul, where it clawed to get out.
By the time he made it back to the beach, he couldn’t contain his tears.
He collapsed in the sand and let them fall, blurring Sage’s outline as she knelt beside him, gathering him in her arms.