Page 58 of The Sailor

“It’s normal,” Linc reassured him. “It feels good to win.”

“I’ve never won anything. Except a science show when I was in the fourth grade, but that doesn’t count.”

“Why doesn’t it count?” Evelyn asked. “Seems to me a win is a win.”

Kash shrugged.

Marit straightened from where she’d been leaning against Zach, breaking body contact with him, but immediately reached for his hand, which Zach eagerly took. He used to think people who held hands all the time were . . . strange. But now he couldn’t get enough of touching this woman. Having some sort of connection with her all the time.

The line for contestants got shorter and shorter as people took their shot at running across the crates. There were a couple of other kids who did well but didn’t make it above a thousand crates.

It looked more and more like Kash really was going to be this year’s winner. Zach was thrilled for him.

When the last person stood on the platform, hamming it up for the excited crowd, Zach couldn’t stop smiling. Kash had done it. He’d won. The last contestant was in the heaviest weight category. There was no way he’d be able to cross more than a dozen or so crates before wiping out.

And Zach was right. The man did his best, but he fell into the harbor after only eight crates.

Linc picked up Kash and hugged him tightly. “You did it! You won!”

Kash was grinning when Linc put him down. The award ceremony would take place in half an hour. The minutes until then were spent with locals and tourists alike all crowding around, wanting to congratulate Kash on his extraordinary performance. The local TV station even did a short interview with the boy.

Throughout it all, Zach and Marit stood off to the side, taking in the excitement of the moment.

“I’m so happy for him,” Marit said at one point. “Look how proud he is. Overwhelmed, but I don’t think he’s ever been the center of attention like this before. Please tell me some of these kids are in his school. That they’re seeing he’s more than the nerd they probably believed him to be.”

“I’m sure they are. He’s gonna be the stud of his class now,” Zach teased.

Marit chuckled. “I’m not so sure about that. He’s still the same skinny, height-challenged, and nerdy kid he always was. But maybe, just maybe, this will gain him enough cool points to not be picked on as much.”

“How do you know he’s been picked on?” Zach asked. He wasn’t doubting her. He wasn’t an idiot, and he’d been Kash’s age once. He was well aware that the neighbor boy didn’t have the superficial attributes that were important to kids in middle school.

“Britt told me. She’s spent the most time with him, and he’s confided in her a lot.”

That made sense, and Zach couldn’t help but love that his family was embracing Marit as quickly as they had. They probably sensed the same thing he did . . . that she was different. Special.

“It’s time,” Linc said, turning to Kash. “You ready to get your medal?”

The boy nodded. Everyone headed over to the main stage, which was in the park where the heart of Lobster Fest was held.

Kash ended up winning with one thousand, eight hundred, and sixty-eight crates. He had an ear-to-ear grin, and the black eye from that last face-plant into the crate was only getting darker by the minute. But he was apparently feeling no pain as everyone applauded wildly when he stepped onto the stage.

Zach took the time after Kash rejoined them—once again fielding congratulations from locals and tourists alike—to check on The Lobster Buoy. Everything was good, and it looked as if they’d have just enough food to last until the close of festival that day. There was one more day to the fest, and Zach would need to get to work early in the morning to start cooking, but he was pleased with the revenue his little shack had brought in for its first few months of operation.

He wished he could stay at home with Marit all day tomorrow, since she had the day off, but the reality of owning a restaurant was that he almost never had a day off. He was always on call. There was always something to do, something to make.

“You ready to go?” he asked Marit, when he rejoined his family. Kash was finally looking as if he was feeling the effects of the adrenaline rush he’d been riding for the last couple of hours. Evelyn had already left with Chad and Britt, and Linc was going to bring Kash back to Victor’s.

“Yeah,” she said with a nod.

Zach held up his hand to Kash for a high five. “Good job again, Bud. You did all of us Youngs proud. And yourself too. I think now you’re an honorary Lobsterite. That’s what we call those of us who live and work at Lobster Cove. I think you qualify, since you’ve taken over Fort Bad Assery, and you’ve won the crate race just like some of us have done.”

“Cool!” Kash breathed, as he smacked his palm against Zach’s.

“I’m sure Britt has probably already sent the videos she took today to your mom. How about we head home so you can watch them with her?” Linc asked.

“Sweet! Thanks for coming to watch me today,” Kash told Marit and Zach.

“Wouldn’t have missed it,” she said.