Page 98 of The Pilot

His mom had come. She’d found him.

Kash could’ve sworn Linc jumped out of the Coast Guard boat before it even stopped at the dinky little dock. Then he was in his arms. The embrace hurt, but Kash didn’t care. Having Linc’s arms around him was the best feeling he’d ever experienced.

Then his mom joined them, wrapping her arms around him from the back. He was sandwiched between them, and their warmth seeped into his soul. Strangely, no one said a word, they didn’t need to. The love they had for each other, and the relief they all felt, was so large it didn’t need to be expressed.

Eventually, Linc relaxed his grip and lowered Kash to his feet. He hadn’t even realized he’d picked him up. He put his hands on Kash’s shoulders and stared into his eyes. “You okay, Bud?”

“Yeah.”

“Not hurt?”

“Not really. Hungry, cold, and tired, but okay,” Kash said honestly.

He heard his mom sniff next to him but didn’t take his gaze from Linc’s. There were so many things he wanted to say, but the only thing he could get out was “I love you.”

The change in Linc was immediate. Kash thought he might cry. “I love you too, Bud. So much. I’m so proud of you for staying strong.”

Hearing this man say he was proud of him was one of the most amazing moments in Kash’s life. For years, he’d felt . . . less than. He was the skinny nerd. The guy people liked to pick on. People always wanted him to be different from how he was . . . his grandfather, girls, teachers. And yet here Linc stood, a man who was larger than life in Kash’s eyes, saying he was proud of him. Not even winning the crate race could top this moment.

“I love you, Kash. We were so worried!”

Kash turned to hug his mom, loving how soft she was against him. How she smelled. How tight she held him. She’d always been his safe space, and this moment was no different. He’d longed to feel one of her amazing hugs again, and his wishes had come true.

But as grateful as he was to be in his mother’s arms, the confidence he also felt was overwhelming. If people had taken bets on whether he’d be able to survive being left on a deserted island for more than a day, they probably would’ve lost a lot of money for betting against him. Kash felt as if he understood Linc a little better now. Of course, their situations weren’t even close to being the same, but he’d kept going one minute at a time, just as Linc had done when he’d been hiking across North Korea. Neither of them had given up.

Ginger sobbed loudly then, and turning, Kash saw Knox patting her on the back as she buried her head in his chest.

Kash’s mom let go of him and pulled Ginger into her embrace, holding her the same way she had him. And Kash wasn’t jealous or resentful. He felt bad that Ginger’s parents weren’t there, wondered why. But ultimately he was too overjoyed that he’d been able to be reunited with both Linc and his mom.

It was only a few minutes before they heard another motor. There were two more boats heading their way, just as fast as the Coast Guard boat had come in. They all backed up a little, onto the walkway leading to the tiny little pier, making room for the newcomers, and as Kash stood between his mom and Linc, he watched as Ginger was reunited with her parents.

She and her mom were crying hysterically, as her dad stood with his arms around them both. It was touching and a little dramatic. But Kash hadn’t really expected anything different. After all, he’d just spent three days with Ginger and was well aware of how much of a drama queen she could be.

“We have a lot to talk about,” Linc said quietly.

“It was Donny. And Owen and Scott,” Kash blurted, needing them to know.

“We know. The police are talking with Donny now, and I’m sure they’ll go pick up the other two as well. You and Ginger will need to tell your side of things. About what happened.”

“Okay,” Kash said, having no problem with that. He was eager to let everyone know exactly what Donny had done. What he’d said. What an asshole he truly was.

“But not today,” his mom said firmly. “I need to get you home. Fed. Clean.”

All those things sounded awesome. “I don’t suppose there’s any food on the boat? I could eat a cow right about now.”

Linc chuckled, but his mom simply frowned. “I don’t know. But we’re about to find out. Come on. I don’t know about you, but I want to get off this island.”

Kash nodded. But after two steps toward the pier, he stopped. “Linc? Mom?”

“Yeah, baby?”

He didn’t even protest the baby thing. It felt good to hear the familiar term of endearment. “I broke a window or two. And we used their stuff. I want to replace it.”

Linc ruffled his hair. “I’ll make sure it’s done.”

“I want to do it,” Kash insisted. “I messed things up, and I want to make it right.”

“You don’t mind coming back out here?” Linc asked.