Summer Secrets - Barbara Freethy [122]
"I understand," Tyler said. Which was only partially true. What he really understood was that Duncan was getting more drunk and more agitated by the minute, his mood turning as dark as the storm surrounding them. "We've got to get back to shore. We can talk about this later." He stepped out from under Duncan's grip and grabbed the tiller as the boat began to spin. "Help me here. I don't know what I'm doing."
"K.C. knows," Duncan said, ignoring him. "Everyone says he doesn't remember, but somewhere in his brain, he knows. And someday he'll tell. I hate the waiting. But it's part of the plan. I still think you're a part of it, too. Admit it."
"I don't have anything to do with K.C."
"You're a liar. I can see it in your eyes."
He was lying, but not about that. Before he could say so, it suddenly occurred to him that his feet were wet. He looked down and realized he was standing in three inches of water.
"Duncan. What's happening?"
"I don't know anymore. I don't know which way to turn. I'm tired, Tyler, tired of living with this awful guilt."
"I'm talking about all this water," Tyler said sharply.
Duncan's gaze finally focused long enough to understand what Tyler was saying. "Sweet Jesus," he said. "The pump must be broken."
"What does that mean?"
"It means if we don't get this water out of here fast, we're going to sink to the bottom of the Sound."
Caroline stared the empty boat slip. Why wasn't her father back? It was almost six o'clock, and the wind was growing wilder. The distant thunder and lightning over the water was getting closer by the minute. Something bad was coming; something bad was already out on the water -- the water where her father was. The storm had come in much more quickly than anyone had anticipated.
Just like the last time -- eight years ago.
The weather reports coming in over the radio that awful day had gotten worse as the morning turned into afternoon. There had been some concern from race officials and the other boats that perhaps they should turn back or change course. Her father had refused to listen. It was a beautiful day for racing, and he wanted to race. They were on a roll. He didn't want to lose their momentum. Kate had voiced some concern, but that was typical. Kate was always more conservative than Duncan. Caroline had taken pleasure in siding with their father and gained approval from him at the same time. Ashley had gone back and forth as she always did. In the end they'd continued on with the race.
The other boats had also agreed to continue. If the McKenna "girls," as they were called, were willing to stay the course, so were they.
Five men had lost their lives that night. Five men.
Caroline shuddered at the memory. She still held herself somewhat responsible for those five men, especially for one man. If she hadn't supported her father, if she'd sided with Kate, maybe together they could have convinced him to wait or at least postpone the start. But aside from wanting to see approval in her father's eyes, she had also wanted to get it all done and over with. It had gone on far too long, and she was yearning for home, desperate to get there, in fact.
"Caroline?" At the sound of her name, she turned to see Kate approaching, a worried look on her face. "Dad's not back yet?"
Caroline shook her head. "I'm sure he's fine. It's not even raining yet."
"It is out on the Sound. And, even if it weren't, where the hell are they? This was supposed to be a little cruise around the island, not an all-day trip."
Caroline heard panic in Kate's voice, and her own tension increased. Kate was always the calm one. She was reasonable, rational, and in control. But not this time. "We can try him on his radio."
"I just did that. I stopped by the harbormaster's office on the way over here. There's no answer. And I don't even know if his radio works. He rarely takes his boat out past