Page 96 of As a Last Resort
“Do you recognize it?”he asked.
I looked at him, then back at the branch.“It can’t be.”
“It is.We’re just at high tide.”
I was dumbstruck.“So, the whole beach, it’s under water now?All of it?”
“Almost.About half an hour ago it all was.Tide’s going back out now so we’ll start to see the tallest branches poking out here and there.”
The evidence was small, only a few of the tallest branches reached out from under the water.
“I figured you’d have more of an appreciation for it if you actually saw it in person,” he replied.
The water rocked the boat as we slowly made our way closer and around some of the branches.There was an entire world below us that absolutely no one would know about unless they saw it at a different time of day.It was amazing.
“I feel like there’s a very important lesson about things not being as they appear on the surface here.”
He steered the boat up close to one of the branches.
“I still can’t decide if it’s beautiful or sad,” I traced the warped branches crawling out of the water.
“I think it can be both.”
I took my camera out and started taking pictures, trying to document some of the scenery we were passing.I had a pretty good collection of photographs already from the island but no one would believe this unless they saw it.
“You going to include this in your research?”he asked.
I had originally planned to, but now I wasn’t so sure.After finding out Glenn’s plan this morning, which had zero care or concern about what the actual island needed, I was waffling.What would happen to this place?Would Glenn somehow pay off whoever he needed to on the city council, and they’d come in here with bulldozers and excavators and tear up whatever remained?There was something so special about this place.It felt like sending it to a certain death if I told anyone else about it.
“I haven’t decided yet.I don’t want to ruin it.”
“Amazing how people’s first impressions can be so off, huh?”
“Speaking of first impressions, Captain Harold is your uncle?”
“Married to Josie who owns the Starfish.”
“Why didn’t you tell me he was your uncle?”I asked.
“Never crossed my mind to give you the rundown of the family tree.They weren’t around when you grew up here.”
“The family connections never cease to amaze me on this island.”
“They moved here about five years ago from the Keys.Josie is my dad’s sister.She took over the Starfish and he transferred his charter business.Both started booming after about a year.They’re good people.Both a little quirky.”
“They’re perfect for each other.”
“They absolutely are.Soulmates.”He winked and my stomach swooped.
“Why won’t you take over his business?”I could tell he wanted to joke around but I wanted to know about this whole fishing thing.It would be the perfect out.I couldn’t shake the morning call with Glenn, and to my knowledge there were no plans whatsoever for any fishing charters in Glenn’s vision.If Austin really wanted to go that route, he wouldn’t be a target.
“I’m not sure if you noticed, but I’ve got my own business to run.”
“But isn’t fishing what you really want to do?”I asked as he navigated the boat around the largest branch that stuck out from the water.It reached over our heads by about a foot.
“I’m happy where I am.”
“But if you had to pick, what do you like to do more?Running fishing charters or running a tourist ferry?”
