Between the Stars

Chapter Eleven

It was late in the afternoon by the time they pulled back into the marina. Sam had gladly relinquished control of the wheel to Dan for their final approach, not willing to try to maneuver the boat back down the narrow channel. Instead, he'd resumed his position in front of the crank and lowered the main sail once they were safely inside the breaker walls.

"That was a lot of fun," Sam admitted quietly as he and Charlie stood on the edge of the boat.

The motor puttered behind them as they slowly slid towards the dock they'd left from.

"Well you're more than welcome to come with us again next year," she replied with a grin.

"Sure." A weird kind of anticipation settled over him. For the first time in a long time, he had plans for something more than two weeks away.

Charlie leapt from the boat to the dock and Sam tossed her the mooring lines. She tied them with practiced surety as the motor idled and shuddered to a halt. He unclipped his life vest and tucked it back under the seat, then helped Dan lift the cooler and set it on the dock.

He took a moment to catch his breath and pulled out his phone; his mom had sent him a text an hour ago to tell him she and his dad would be at Morris Park.

Charlie jumped back on board and helped Dan tidy up a few more things, then rejoined Sam on the dock. The two of them took the handles of the cooler and carried it back to Dan's truck parked outside the gate.

"I'm glad you came with us today," Dan told him as he held out a hand.

"Me too. Thanks for having me," Sam replied, shaking it.

"I'm going to drop this stuff at home, then come to the park. I'll see you two there." Dan slid on his sunglasses and got in his truck. "If you two see Abby, tell her I'm on my way. I don't think she has her phone with her."

"Will do," Charlie said as he pulled away.

***

They heard the park before they saw it. Charlie was right, it was crowded. They wound through the maze of cars on the street until they got to the shaded grassy area where he'd met her last week, though most of the ground was now hidden under the mass of people, chairs, and picnic blankets. Children ran gleefully through the trees, chasing each other while the adults gathered in their own small circles. Sam looked around for his parents, but he didn't see them among the chaos.

"Are you hungry?" Charlie asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, I could eat."

Charlie gestured for him to follow as she headed towards a giant wooden pavilion tucked away to the side. A large white banner hung across the front bearing the logo of a barbecue place and two long lines of people stretched out from underneath it. Despite the length, the lines moved quickly and once Sam got to the front he grabbed a pulled pork sandwich with a container of coleslaw and a bag of chips. He looked ahead to the cash register and reached for his wallet, only for his stomach to drop as his hand landed on his empty pocket. He'd completely forgotten that he'd left it at home so he wouldn't lose it on the boat.

He cursed in his head and started to put the food back.

"What are you doing?" Charlie asked.

"I forgot my wallet," he muttered back.

"Don't worry about it." She pulled a handful of crumpled bills out of her pocket.

"Charlie, I can't let you pay," he protested.

She cocked her head. "If you don't pick up your food, I'm going to."

He pursed his lips and retrieved his abandoned sandwich, then stepped forward in line. Charlie scooped up the coleslaw and the chips and silenced his protest with a look. Sam shut his mouth as she handed the money to the lady and dropped the change into the giant mason jar nearby.