Cody hadn’t been promoted to executive petty officer because he was impulsive. Quite the opposite. He was levelheaded. Calm in the face of danger. He prided himself on it.

Maybe it was Nantucket that had cast a spell on him, stealing away all the work he’d done these twelve years to overcome what the ocean had stolen from him. What other explanation could there be for his grabbing a pair of goggles and diving into the angry water, determined not to let this woman drown?

Determined not to let this ocean win.

He glided through the water, the strength of the storm doing little to slow him down. He’d trained for this. He lived for this. To keep the sea from stealing souls—that was the goal. And he didn’t like to lose.

The water wasn’t going to get this woman, no matter how remiss she’d been to go out without checking the forecast. Not today, ocean. If you want her, you’re gonna have to go through me.

He grabbed the floater that was attached to the ship as the woman bobbed up out of the water a few yards away—possibly thrown out by an angry wave. She didn’t appear to be swimming anymore. Cody barreled toward her, catching her under the arms as a wave pounded into both their bodies.

He held on to the life preserver as two seamen pulled them in. They reached the boat, and the men on the deck helped get them on board.

Quickly they sprang into action. Cody tore the goggles off his face and checked to see if she was breathing. Her body had gone limp and her pulse was faint.

“Let me help, sir,” one of the men said, and only then did Cody realize he was doing the job of the entire crew—something he’d likely have to answer for later.

He didn’t care. Maybe he had something to prove. Maybe it was this ocean and this island that needed to be reminded that it couldn’t beat him anymore.

One-two-three, he counted in his head as he administered rescue breaths. No response.

Not a great way to start out his sentence on Nantucket. Back after all these years only to lose one his first day out? That couldn’t happen.

He closed his mouth over hers again. One-two-three.

“We were too late,” one of the seamen said.

Cody shook his head, and just then the woman’s eyes opened, she coughed up a bucket of water, and he turned her over.

Another rescue boat pulled alongside theirs, and Cody’s entire body sighed in relief. Thank you, God.