Chapter Twenty

I stepped into the Chicago Yacht Club, feeling a nervous exhilaration rippling through my body. I was here. I was finally, actually here. Robbie guided me gently inside, the two of us heading for the pre-race skippers' meeting. We were to go over the sailing instructions one last time, any potential weather hazards, and any clarifications needed on the rules and regulations of the Invitational. I usually hated these boring meetings, but because this was the Champion of Champions Invitational, I was actually excited to attend.

Robbie pulled out a chair in front of a prettily decorated table near the windows. The meeting wasn't supposed to start for a few minutes yet, so I stared out through the glass at the view. Chicago's skyline rose in the distance, the gray and metallic buildings looking over the undulating waters of Lake Michigan. Yachts of all sizes bobbed gently in the early morning waters, the sun had started its journey into the day and turned the sky into a brilliant scarlet