he knows the water like the back of his hand.”
“He’ll be fine.” Lucas climbed out, Autumn scrambling after him across the rocks toward a group of people standing at the beach. Somebody had set up a row of spot lights, enough for her to see the faces of the people standing there.
Jackson and Breck looked up at them as they walked across the sand. Lucas left her standing with them while he went to talk to a man wearing a blue uniform, his cap pulled down over his brow.
“You okay?” Jackson asked Autumn as she watched Lucas walk away.
She shook her head.
“Me either. When Lucas called I couldn’t stay at home and wait, you know? I needed to be here, see if I could help.”
She nodded, knowing exactly how they felt. Her jaw was tight, her teeth gritted together as she felt her body shiver. It was so cold out here tonight.
Lucas walked back, his face grim. “The Coast Guard is still patrolling the water. They’re gonna send a chopper out at first light.”
Jackson shook his head. “I feel so fucking lame waiting here. We should be out there, looking for him.”
“No you shouldn’t. You’ll just give the Coast Guard more people to search for.” Lucas checked his watch. “It’s only a couple of hours until the sun comes up. If we don’t find him before, we’ll form a search party then.”
“He was out with his old man’s friend, right?” Breck asked. “Sam Hawkins?”
“Yeah.” Lucas’s eyes were on the dark water. “That’s right.” One of the lieutenants from the fire department called his name, and Lucas walked over to talk to him.
“What the hell were they thinking, sailing a wreck like his boat at night?” Breck asked. “Anybody who looks at it could tell it’s an accident waiting to happen.”
“I heard Sam lost it in a poker game,” Jackson said, his eyes narrow. “He probably wanted to stash it before the winner got ahold of it.”
“Griff said they were taking it to the boatyard for repairs,” Autumn said. They all turned to look at her.
“You spoke to him?” Jackson asked. Three deep lines were furrowed in his brow.
“He texted me yesterday to say he was crewing for a friend.” Her lips tasted salty from the spray in the air. “He was supposed to be home by midnight.”
“So he was definitely on it,” Breck said, his voice low. “I was hoping he’d just fallen asleep somewhere.”
“His sweater was in the water,” Jackson said. “Do we need any more proof than that?”
Autumn turned her head so they couldn’t see her blinking back the tears. Was he out there in the darkness, his muscles battling to keep his body afloat? He had to be. The alternative didn’t bear thinking about.
“You okay?” Jackson asked, rubbing her shoulder. “You’re shivering.”
“I just had something in my eye,” Autumn said, lifting her hand to wipe away the tear escaping down her cheek.
“Yeah, I had that problem earlier,” Jackson said, his voice thick. “Must be a lot of sand in the air.”
A car door slammed and Aiden Black walked along the beach, lifting his hand to greet them. He was wearing a fitted blue suit, with no tie, his white shirt unbuttoned at the collar. “I came straight from the airport,” he told them, his dark hair lifting in the breeze. “Are there any updates?”
The director of the Silver Sands Resort, and Brooke’s husband-to-be, Autumn knew Aiden and Griff had become friends over the past couple of years.
Breck shook his head. “Just what we messaged. They found his sweater in the water just up there.” He pointed along the rocky coast. “No sign of Griff or Sam, though. The coasties are still looking, and the fire department, too.” He glanced over at the group Lucas had joined.
“I’ve got three helicopters waiting for first light,” Aiden told them. “And I’ve called in every staff member I can get. We’ll find them.”
He sounded so sure as Autumn looked around at the somber faces surrounding her. Every one of them was here for Griff. If her heart didn’t ache so much, it would have warmed at the thought.
Autumn curled her arms around herself, breathing in the salt air. The sun hadn’t risen, but a halo of hazy light peeped over the craggy peaks of the mountains to the east, giving her hope that the daylight would be here soon. How long had Griff been in the water? Seven hours? Eight? Could he survive that long?
She felt more than useless, standing there,