“A very confused guest,” Cody said. He looked at his plate. His food was gone, so he picked up his iced tea and took a drink.

“Jackson Wirth and a few of the other boys were out surfing one night last fall,” Maggie said.

“In the dark,” Ally added.

“Yes, Alyssa, ‘one night’ implies that it was dark out.” The exasperated look on Maggie’s face made Cody smile inwardly. Her tone dripped with sarcasm.

Cody had to admit he still loved the old bird. Maggie’s no-nonsense approach to everything had always been refreshing.

“The boys got caught in some pretty choppy waves, something our girl here can relate to.”

Louisa rolled her eyes.

“The current carried them out pretty far, and Jackson wasn’t strong enough to swim against it.”

In a flash, Cody was eighteen again, in the water not far off the shore of Nantucket. He was lost, disoriented, destined for death—all because he’d been foolish and impulsive. He wouldn’t have survived if it weren’t for his father, who appeared as the waves pulled Cody under. His dad hauled Cody toward the shore, close enough to ensure his son’s safety. But the waves were fierce, and seconds later, the current captured his dad.

His father had said not to get in. “The winds are strong tonight,” he’d said. “Stay out of the water.”

But Cody was stubborn. And angry. And he had something to prove.

He’d proven nothing except that he was a stupid kid, same as every other cocky kid who couldn’t handle the sea.

“The Coast Guard was there in a flash,” Maggie said. “They tried to save Jackson, but he couldn’t grab on to the ring, so they had to move on to the next survivor.”

Cody winced. Nobody ever wanted to have to make the decision of whom to save first, but that was protocol.

“By the time they got Jackson out, he was unconscious. They aren’t sure how long he went without oxygen.”

“He’s in a coma,” Louisa said. “Has been ever since that day.”

“Sounds like an accident,” Cody said, aware that a lot of accidents could’ve been prevented. So many accidents were the result of one foolish decision.

“The winds are strong tonight. Stay out of the water.”

“It was, but Jackson’s parents were devastated, of course. They were angry he was the last one to be pulled from the water, especially because the other boys were all stronger swimmers,” Maggie said. “They fired off a few accusatory remarks aimed at the Coast Guard.”

“And the guardsman who’d saved Jackson fired back,” Louisa said.

Cody frowned. Didn’t sound like any of the Coasties he knew. They were trained to handle themselves. They were trained to rise above the criticism doled out by grieving loved ones.

“Who was the guardsman?”

“Aaron Jessup,” Alyssa said.