Dodger

Well done, @kbois. This story captivated me, and I was hooked from the beginning. You tackled some serious issues very skilfully without allowing it to get bogged down or too dark. Shay’s dad is the hero throughout the story. I expected him to falter towards the end—and I wouldn’t have blamed him—but somehow, he kept going, and it’s difficult to imagine how he could have done any better. I understand his relief after his wife’s passing—a difficult ten years is putting it mildly. He deserves some good fortune and, eventually, perhaps happiness with a new partner. Thank you for this compelling and well-written story. You have another fan.

The weather people on TV prefer to procrastinate and prevaricate than prognosticate.

Don't worry @Carlos Hazday. They leave the best to last.

Gay Authors is older than Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube! Twenty years online is a magnificent achievement, and I’m proud to have been a part of this vibrant community for over half of this time. Gay Authors helped me discover a passion I never knew existed, then provided a platform for me to package and showcase this tripe to unsuspecting people all over the world. It has introduced me to some truly talented authors and has been a constant source of information, encouragement, and advice. Happy Anniversary!

I like cars, enjoy reading stories based in the UK, and have a fascination with recent history, so this story was always going to get my attention. I'm glad the car managed to avoid the scrap yard, but poor John and Steve died way too young. I enjoyed reading this story. Thank you.

Ah, the polar bear. According to scientists these animals were going to be extinct by 2020, but there are now record numbers of them.

Not to be confused with bevvy : an alcoholic beverage. Does a beer store contain a bevy of bevvies?

A great story. On both occasions, Sawyer made it easy for Josh, but there’s still plenty of nervous uncertainty and apprehension from both boys. Maybe this time they’ll find a way to keep in touch.

I hope you're better and back soon, @CassieQ. Italian and French at the same time. That's impressive. I know how difficult it is to learn a language or maybe it's just me. I've been butchering the French language for ten years now.

Good news. Congratulations, @northie.

We shall see what happens, but if the Captain does file a report then he's likely to face the brunt of any criticism. He was supposedly in charge of the boat and he should have returned to the harbour instead of listening to the pastor and ignoring warnings from the coast guard. The pastor acts like it's his boat and he seems to have full control, but he says it belongs to the church. I think we can assume it's used for more than the once a week sailing lessons.

Thank you, @BoyLove. I think we can rely on Sue to come out boxing. Rory is a dark horse. He's been adamant throughout the story that he's straight, but his behaviour and comments often say the opposite. Robbie tries to make excuses for this, but there's always an element of doubt in the back of his mind.

I think Sue will definitely have something to say but the parents of the other kids may be reluctant to criticize the pastor. There should certainly be an investigation of some kind, although it seems like these things only happen following a disaster.

More secrets revealed soon!

Thank you @Gary L. Definitely expect some drama.

The pastor likes to play games and control people for his own benefit and he uses his position to get away with it. Even Don seems to bow to his wishes, but Sue, like many other people outside of his church, aren't so easily swayed and think his hardline views are unacceptable.

Then just when you think you're safe in walks Don!

We all know it was the pastor who put everyone in danger. He's a control freak, and a bully with an over-inflated ego. However, it's the skipper who is ultimately responsible for the safety of everyone onboard not the pastor. The church may own the boat, pay the skipper's wages, and even plot the course, but if the skipper decides it too dangerous to set sail or they need to return early, then his word is final. Even if he's doing it for nothing he's still the person in charge. The pastor knew this, but he still used his position in the church and his reputation to lean on the skipper and tell him what to do. If things had gone terribly wrong then it would have been mostly Joseph's fault, and the crafty pastor would probably have got away with it. Whether Sue takes this view remains to be seen.

By the time the skipper cut the engines, Cobourg was nothing more than a grey smudge on the horizon, and everywhere else was water. It looked like we really did have the lake to ourselves, but the dark rolling waves that pushed us in every direction weren’t friendly, and the conditions were slowly worsening. Despite an ever-decreasing window of opportunity for sailing, the pastor doggedly refused to admit defeat, and the lesson went ahead as scheduled. After steering us into the wind, the s

This is a very good comment. Don re-naming the boat has embezzled 'Elizabeth's Legacy' after embezzling from the estate to pay for it would not only be a despicable thing to do, but it would also suggest he has a sense of humour. Unfortunately, I've not seen any evidence of the latter.

It doesn't offend me. I have no time for religious bigots like the pastor either, and you shouldn't be sorry for disliking Don. After all, there's not much to like about him.

Not sure if Robbie would be happy if Don beat him up and left bloody marks, but I get your point, and if it did happen, the more witnesses the better. However, looking back at all their arguments, it's fair to say that Don has never been violent or even threatened to be violent. He's a big man who can be very loud and intimidating, and say some very nasty things, but he's not the type to throw punches. We all know the moment Don resorts to violence, it's over for him. Jo would drag his sorry ass through every court in the land, and Sue would file for divorce. Everyone would feel a lot better, but if he was that sort, we probably would have noticed it by now. His kids aren't scared of him, and there has been no mention of him ever hitting them. Sue doesn't suffer from the occasional black eye, and the worst thing he does when he gets drunk is annoy everyone with his singing. If anything, I think this makes Don even more dislikeable, because people want him to be violent, even I want him to be violent because it fits his character, but I need to stay true and I'm sorry to say, it's just not him. He has other ways to hurt people, but fear not. He won't get away with it!

The pastor calls it 'a knack for getting under people's skin,' and Robbie has turned it into a fine art. He's not scared of asking awkward questions, even when it invites confrontation and the inevitable upset that follows. On this occasion, it seemed like Don was looking for a reason to shout at him, and Robbie's response was predictable, but he's also very accomplished at playing the victim.

Robbie knows Jo will be there if or when he needs her.

Unless, of course, the local police chief happens to be part of the congregation. You're right, Don was in a bad mood when he got into the car. He may have been looking for an excuse to shout at Robbie.