Page 137 of Homecoming

“How long are you here for?” Kyle asked Kara.

She glanced at Dan. “Depends on how long the court stuff takes.”

“We’re hoping to get it resolved soon,” Dan said.

“That’d be good. The charges are bogus.”

“We’re doing everything we can,” Dan said.

“Well, it was good of you guys to come. We all appreciate it.”

“You’ll be in court on Thursday?” Chuck asked his son.

Kyle nodded. “I got the text. I’ll be there.”

“See you then,” Kara said.

“It’s nice to see you, sis.”

“You, too.”

They continued their tour through the fiberglass department, where Kieran was in charge. He was the blondest of all the siblings, with sleeve tattoos that extended to his neck and black gauges affixed to his earlobes. He gave Dan a quick overview of how a design became a boat and discussed the various techniques they employed to make their boats distinctive.

“Every part of this is so interesting to me,” Dan said. “I’ve never given much thought to how boats are built.”

“They go from us to paint and then to wood with Kirby,” Kieran said. “Then it’s finish work on the interiors.”

“Thanks for taking the time to show me your corner of it,” Dan said.

“No problem.”

“How’s things at The Trap?” Kara asked of the bar her brother owned.

“Business is brisk, as always.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“Stop by for a drink anytime. Just give me a heads up so I can warn the natives that my sister is coming by.”

Kara patted her pregnant belly. “I’ll take you up on that after the baby is born.”

“Sounds good.” Kieran gave Kara a hug. “Don’t be a stranger around here. We miss you.”

“Miss you, too. Thanks for the tour.”

“Any time.”

Next, they checked out the fabric shop, where the distinctive maroon-and-white-striped cushions were made along with pillows, canopies and other accessories, before ending up atthe marina office, which was still doing brisk business in late September.

“This is our in-between season,” Chuck said. “We still have transients coming into the marina while others are starting to haul for the winter. By late October, we’ll be hauling twenty to thirty boats a day.”

“I couldn’t be more impressed by your operation,” Dan said.

“Thank you. We’re proud of what we’ve built. When I came into the business, it was a marina with a small sideline building one line of boats. We’ve grown it exponentially in the last forty-odd years. But like anything worth having, it hasn’t been without its challenges.”

“I can only imagine.”

“Let’s have some lunch, shall we? Mom is meeting us in town.”

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