He loved the boats, the people, the smell of diesel fuel mixing with sand and seaweed. He loved the seagulls that stalked the docks looking for anything edible. He adored the kids who dropped their crabbers into the water off his floating docks, using hot dogs for bait, until they filled a bucket with the slimy creatures. He enjoyed the “crab races” down the ramp off the main dock where the captured crustaceans escaped back into the water unharmed, but leaving behind priceless childhood memories.

Big Mac needed to invite his grandson Thomas down to do some crabbing one of these days. Thomas was old enough this summer to appreciate something his father had once loved. They’d invite Ashleigh, Thomas’s cousin and constant companion, too.

Ned came out to the table and dropped a box of doughnuts in the middle as he took a seat.

“What’s got you so cranky this morning?”

“I ain’t cranky.”

“Tell that to someone who hasn’t seen you every morning for going on forty years.” Ned had been Big Mac’s first friend on the island. Their bond had been immediate and enduring. Now that Big Mac’s other lifelong best friend, his brother Frank, was on the island, Big Mac had gone out of his way to make sure he still had plenty of time for Ned. “What gives?”

“Seamus and Carolina,” Ned said, taking a drink of his coffee.

“What about them?”

“They stole our idea.”

“What idea?”

“Have a cookout and git married.”

“Oh! When was this going to happen?”

“Coupla weeks. After Laura’s. You got any idea how hard it is to find a time around here to git married without steppin’ on someone else’s toes these days? Now I don’t know when we’re gonna do it.”

“Do what?” Big Mac’s son Mac asked as he joined them.

“Git married.”

“Who’s getting married?” Mac asked.

“Everyone but me,” Ned replied glumly. “Waited a long time fer this. I’m ready. She’s ready. Now we gotta come up with another idea cuz Seamus and Caro stole ours.”

“So wait,” Mac said, “you guys were going to do a surprise wedding, too?”

“Was gonna. Didn’t want all the fuss and bother. Now? Who knows?”

“As the son-in-law of the future Mrs. Saunders, I’d be happy to offer up my house, my yard, anything you need to make it happen,” Mac said. “You just say the word, and we’ll get it done.”

At that, Ned visibly brightened, and Big Mac looked upon his oldest son with an unreasonable amount of pride. He knew it wasn’t always cool for a man to love his kids the way Big Mac loved his, but when you had five kids as amazing as his, it was damned hard not to be talking all the time about how great they were. At times like this, they did the talking for him.