But his schedule was two days on, two days off, with every other weekend free. Suddenly that felt like a lot of time to keep his mind occupied.

Now he stood in line at a new coffee shop on Washington Street. He figured if he only visited places that weren’t here twelve years ago, he was safe. He didn’t need his memories accosting him in public.

The place was busy. Maybe he should get out of the Coast Guard and open a coffee shop. Maybe the civilian life was the way to go.

But no. He’d joined to save people. To do something. And every day there was more to do. Every day, more people to save.

Five people lost. Six if he counted his dad. He always counted his dad.

Six he couldn’t save. How did he make amends for those?

“Hey, you’re that guy.” A woman sitting at a nearby table spoke loudly and, to Cody’s horror, pointed at him.

He glanced around as if to indicate he didn’t know what guy she was referring to.

She stood. “You’re the guy who rescued that woman from drowning the other day.”

Oh, so he was that guy. Heat rushed up the back of his neck and he wished he could turn invisible.

“You’re a hero,” she said with a wide grin.

“No, ma’am. Just doing my job.”

A young boy with blond curls at the back of his neck clung to the woman’s leg, arms wrapped around her waist. She knelt down and put an arm around him. “See that man, Carson? That man is a hero. He saved a woman’s life.”

The boy’s eyes widened, and for a brief moment Cody felt like Captain America. But then the onlookers in the little coffee shop began to look at him, and that feeling got awkward in a hurry.

He tried not to notice the chorus of “That was you?” and “Wow! A real-life hero!” but within seconds, everyone in the coffee shop stood and began applauding him.

Cody did his best to wave them off, reminding himself that these people were simply being kind and appreciative. Never mind that his “act of heroism” had done nothing to fill the void he’d been working so hard to fill since that awful night twelve years ago.

The young woman behind the counter flashed a grin. It was his turn to order, but all he wanted to do was walk out. He reminded himself of the reason he was on Nantucket—to make the Coast Guard look good. How would it look if he bolted in the middle of his impromptu appreciation applause?