Free Dancing Tides by Vickie McKeehan

ki n g time bomb. T r y i n g to c ommit sui c ide w oke me up. He ll, I didn ’ t e v e n k now he h a d a g un. I kn e w he wa s m e s s e d up, but... W h a t if Kee g a n h a dn ’ t b ee n a r ound to pull him ou t ? ”
    “D on ’ t think like th a t. Ke e g a n w a s p r a c ti ca l l y ra i s e d out on Smug g l er’ s B a y . W h a t is the lik e lihood sh e’ d be r i g ht th er e w h e n C o r d we nt in a nd n ee d e d h e lp ? ”
    “ I don ’ t e v e n know how she g ot the g u y to sh o re . She must be a h e lluva s w imm er .”
    “ I don ’ t know th a t mu c h a bout h e r r ea l l y . She wa s still in c oll e g e w h e n S c o tt f i r st b r ou g ht me b ac k h e re . T h e n w h e n S c ott l ef t f or I r a q, I wa n d ere d ar ound t o w n one d a y a nd f ound m y s e lf inside the ce nt e r . M a r y F a nning g a ve me a tou r . B ut l e t ’ s f a c e it, bo t h Ke e g a n ’ s g r a ndp a r e nts h a d th e ir h a nds f ull w ith so mu c h to do. E v e n th e n, th e y w e r e we ll into th e ir s e v e nti e s so I ’ m c er t a in t h e y we r e p re p ar i n g to h a nd o f f the re ins to h e r to r un the pl ace . T he on l y oth e r time I wa s inside the ce n t er , H utton wa s a bout a y e a r old. I took h e r to s e e a c ouple of b a b y s ea ls th e y h a d a t the tim e . N oi s y thi n g s, but H utton lov e d wa t c hi n g th e m pl a y . ”
    N i c k g r inn e d a t th a t. “ I f o r g e t th a t c h e c king out a c ouple of s e a ls p a ss e s f or e nt er t a inm e nt in P e li ca n Point e .”
    J o r d a n l a u g h e d. “D on ’ t k no c k it. W h e n it ’ s g r a y a nd c hil l y a nd y ou n ee d s om e thing to p a ss the time just to k ee p fr om g oi n g cra z y , y ou ’ ll g e t cr e a tiv e . D o y ou think Co r d ’ s cra z y , N i c k ? ”
    “ I hon e st l y don ’ t kno w . T h e y s a y P T SD ca n do a numb e r on a p e r son. I k n ow it did on m e . B ut th a t wa s b e f o r e I m e t y ou.” H e g a v e h e r a qui c k kiss a nd we nt on, “ W h a t if h e’ d done som e thing like th a t ov e r a t the far m, J o r d a n? W h a t if y ou or I h a d g one in t o the b ar n or the hou s e a nd f ound him…like th a t ? ”
    N i c k shook his h ea d a t t h e thou g ht a nd c ouldn ’ t f i nish. “ I ’ ll h a ve to c a ll B e n L a t h a m a nd le t him kno w . M a y be h e ca n m a ke a t r ip to S a nta C r uz w hile Co r d ’ s lo c k e d up, t a lk some s e nse into him. G od kno w s, I ’ v e t r i e d— a nd f a il e d.”
    She l a id a h a nd on his h e ar t. “ I t ’ s o k a y , y ou ’ r e u p s e t a nd y o u ’r e af r a id f or y o ur fr i e nd. B ut r e a l l y , N i c k, I doubt Co r d w ill be lo c k e d up th a t lon g . I think E th a n ’ s d e t er min e d to g e t him some h e lp. E th a n mi g ht wa nt to be a f a mous a ut h or one d a y , but he t a k e s his duti e s h er e a s d e pu t y v e r y s e r ious l y . H e ca r e s f or t h e to w n.”
    “Tr u e , but I ’ ve a lso g ot a re sponsibili t y to y ou, to m y fa mi l y . I don ’ t think Co r d w ould hu r t a n y o ne but th e n I d i dn ’ t think h e’ d g e t d e sp e ra te e no u g h to t r y a nd kill hims e lf e ith er .”
    H e l ea n e d ov e r kiss e d h e r c h ee k. “ B e sid e s, thinking a bout o u r kids g r o w i n g up, th e y ’ ll be p erf e c t a nd not g ive us a d a y o f dist re ss.”
    J o r d a n w h ee z e d out a l a u g h. “ Y ou just k ee p thinking like th a t, d a d d y . L e t ’ s not sp e nd time d we lling on the t e r r ible t w os or w h a t w e h a ve to look f o rwar d to du r i n g th e ir t e e n y e ar s do w n the r o a d. W ith kids, y ou do y our b e st a nd h o pe it ’ s e no u g h f or the r ight out c om e . T he s a me h a s to be t r ue f or C o r d B e n n e tt. D o y ou think h e’ ll g e t out tomo rr o w ? ”
    “ P r ob a b l y . I think E th a n hop e s sp e nding t h