Colton spends the afternoon on the phone with the producers scheduling the repairs while I help Levi check the pulleys for wear. Dad is checking the nets and commenting on each and every repair, when I hear a familiar voice.

“Permission to board, Captain Wanker.”

I look over the side to see Oliver, smiling up at me.

“Holy shit,” I say. I wave him up and around the boat, watching as he climbs on board. “What the hell are you doing here?” My first reaction is joy, elation at seeing my friend, that he came all this way to see me.

A second, more physical emotion is fear. I came and left without giving him any reason, and never bothered to check in once I arrived back home. And now I’ve made a pretty monumental decision about our family business and still haven’t told my two best friends anything. “Is something wrong? Ansel? Harlow?”

He’s already shaking his head. “They’re fine,” he says. “I just wanted to talk to you.” He pulls me into a hug before stepping back, taking a minute to look around. “Never thought I’d step foot on one of these again,” he says. “Smells like fucking fish.”

“Well, I’ll be damned.”

We both turn to see a grinning Colton making his way toward us.

“Colton,” Oliver says, shaking my brother’s hand. Oliver glances from me to Colton and back again. “Looks like you’re going to be as ugly as this one here, you poor bastard. How are you?”

“Good. Great, actually. Did you hear about the show?”

Fuck.

“The... show.”

“Yeah, the Adventure Channel show,” Colton barrels on obliviously. “Two fucking seasons, Olls. Can you believe—”

“Colt,” I interrupt him, holding up a hand. “I was hoping to tell Oliver about this myself.”

Oliver turns his smile on me and I’ve known him long enough to know that this is not an I’m-so-happy-for-you smile. This is the condescending smile he gives to someone who confuses Star Trek with Buck Rogers, or doesn’t understand the dynamic behind the Wolverine-Jean Grey-Cyclops love triangle. “Good plan, Finn. I like hearing things directly from the source.”

I reach up to scratch the back of my neck, waiting while Colton and Oliver catch up. I only tune back in when I hear Colton ask how long he’ll be here.

“Heading back tomorrow morning.”

Colton groans. “Why such a short trip? We could use your help next week when the mechanics descend and Finn is banned from the boats.”

“Very funny.”

“Listen, I gotta get back to the engine room; make time for a beer tonight, yeah?” Colton asks, walking backward.

Oliver nods. “Definitely.”

“Cool. Good to see you, man, we’ll talk tonight.”

We watch Colton round the corner and disappear out of sight. Oliver is the first to speak. “I like your brothers,” he says.

“They’re good guys. Really held things together while I was gone.”