After All

by McLaughlin, Heidi

  People lingered on the steps, waiting for the receiving line to open. Once it had, the Bs and Simone shook hands and hugged folks they knew as well as some complete strangers. A lot of guys from the docks showed up, some still dressed in their fishing gear, but that was to be expected, and it hadn’t really shocked anyone. It also hadn’t surprised Bowie to see that his friends were there—apart from Grady, who, according to Graham, hadn’t been seen for a couple of days.

  During the service Bowie’s brave teenage daughter stood up in front of everyone in a black knee-length dress, poised and in control of her emotions, and delivered an eloquent eulogy. She told stories about her grandmother, about her summers in Cape Harbor, and about how her nonnie was her best friend. Bowie was so proud of her. What he planned to say to her played over and over in his mind. He didn’t want her to stop loving Carly, or even Austin. The last thing he wanted was for her to resent him, to feel as if he were trying to take away the life she knew. That wasn’t his plan. All he wanted was to be her father moving forward. He wasn’t stupid—he knew he had an uphill battle—but also knew he had the support of Brooklyn, and together they would tell their daughter and both of their parents.

  Before the service concluded, Brooklyn stood in front of everyone and invited them to the Whale Spout to help celebrate Carly’s life. Brystol was rather excited about being able to go into a bar. She giggled every time it was brought up. No one had the heart to tell her that she could enter if she was with someone over the age of twenty-one . . . a little tidbit Bowie wanted to keep quiet for as long as possible.

  They arrived at the Whale Spout, and as soon as Brooklyn stepped inside, she inhaled sharply.

  “What’s wrong?” Bowie asked.

  She covered her mouth, shaking her head. “Your mom . . . I don’t know how I’ll ever thank her.” Bowie took in the area in front of him. All the flowers from the church were placed strategically around the pub, and trays of food filled the bar top. Graham was behind the bar, already serving. “She did all this.”

  “I know she has a lot of guilt when it comes to Carly; she’s only trying to help.”

  Brooklyn’s lip was caught between her teeth, and Bowie gently tugged it free. “Hey, she loves you, and she’s going to love Brystol. Everything’s going to be amazing,” he said, pulling her to his side. “And I love you too.”

  Brooklyn turned to him. “I love you,” she said. He desperately wanted to kiss her but held off out of respect for Carly.

  They parted ways while Brooklyn and Brystol made their rounds, thanking people for coming. The one person who was missing was Simone. She wanted time to grieve alone, which made sense. She had been with Carly, working for the inn, for a long time.

  Brooklyn had yet to decide what she was going to do about her business and tossed a few ideas around. Bowie hadn’t wanted to pressure her because he was simply going to follow her wherever she went. She had a career to think about, one that would have to take a back seat if they stayed. He joked and called it an early retirement. There was something in her eyes after he said it that made him think she might agree with him.

  Bowie took a seat at one of the tables and watched people mingle. These were locals he saw almost every day and yet had trouble recalling some of their names. Peggy, the waitress from the diner, sat down next to him.

  “She’s much better than that wife of yours.” She motioned toward Brooklyn.

  Bowie smiled. “Yeah, she is.”

  “When I heard she was back in town, I started a pool at the diner. We bet on how long it was going to take for the two of you to finally come to your senses.” Bowie turned sharply toward Peggy. She shrugged and lifted her pint of beer to her lips.

  “So rude,” he mumbled.

  “Eh,” she said. “The other one was never good enough for you, but this one”—she pointed at Brooklyn—“she’s the one for you.”

  “I know,” he said to her. “I know.”

  “So, are you together?”

  Bowie sighed. “We’re not apart. We have a few things to work through, but I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Is she?”

  He knew that for at least four years she wasn’t. They were going to make a home in Cape Harbor. “If she does, I’ll follow. I’m not making the same mistakes I did fifteen years ago. There’s nothing standing in the way of us being together.”

  “Well, if it’s any consolation, we’d like to see you stick around. And we want to get to know that girl of hers.”

  Bowie couldn’t help but smile as he looked at Brystol. She was owning the room, chatting with people she was just meeting for the first time. A few people had brought their kids and were introducing them. She was making friends, and he loved it. “She’s pretty amazing.”

  “You look at her like she’s yours,” Peggy stated.

  Bowie glanced back at Peggy. “Someday,” was all he said.

  Brooklyn, Brystol, and Bowie only stayed for an hour. They had something very important to do. He hadn’t taken his family’s boat out in a while but wasn’t going to let Carly down, especially since the rain had finally stopped. This was what she had wanted. He made sure Brystol wore a life jacket, and Brooklyn put on one as a safety precaution. He knew she could swim; however, after the recent storm, the water was choppy, and there was a sizable riptide lingering.

  “Can we sleep on this boat?” Brystol asked.

  “We can. Your mom can show you everything downstairs once we get out onto the water.” Bowie winked at Brooklyn. He was looking forward to spending ample time with her on this boat, sailing off into the sunset.

  When they drifted by Carly’s, everyone waved, knowing Simone was in there, somewhere. They hoped she could see them. Once past the house, he plugged in the coordinates that Carly had left and set sail. He hadn’t been out that way since the search for Austin was called off, and he was feeling a bit queasy about it now. He couldn’t let this dampen his mood, though, and it wouldn’t as long as he kept his eyes on his Bs. Brystol and her excitement were making everything better.

  “Everything is so beautiful from out here,” Brystol said, staring back at the town.

  “Cape Harbor is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever been,” Brooklyn added. Bowie only nodded along, watching as his navigation equipment showed them growing closer to where they would spread Carly’s ashes.

  He shut the engine off and let the waves move them forward the last couple of yards. He dropped the anchor without saying anything, and without looking at Brooklyn. He didn’t want to see her face, see the remembrance in her eyes, and he didn’t want her to see it in his. Being out here, knowing this was where their lives had changed and being so close to shore, it ate him up on the inside. There were so many boats that could’ve easily come out to save Austin, but they hadn’t. There hadn’t been a Mayday call until it was too late.

  Bowie motioned for his Bs to move to the stern, where the diving platform was located. It was going to be easier to access the water from here, and he didn’t want Brystol leaning over the side.

  “Can we swim off this boat?” she asked Bowie.

  “Of course. Maybe we’ll spend the night on the water.”

  Brystol looked excited. “Have you done that before, Mom?”

  “I have. It can be fun.”

  Bowie unscrewed the lid of the urn and handed it to Brystol. With Brooklyn’s help, they shook the contents into the ocean. Bowie hadn’t planned to say anything, but the words came out of their own volition.

  “You’re with Austin now, Carly.”

  “That’s all she ever wanted,” Brooklyn added.

  They left Brystol standing there, giving her a moment to say goodbye in private. When she climbed the ladder back to the main deck, Bowie and Brooklyn were sitting there on the semicircular white leather couch, waiting.

  “Come sit with us for a second,” Brooklyn said, patting the cushion between them.

  “If you’re going to tell me you’re getting married, save it.
I’m not stupid. I see you making googly eyes at Mom all the time,” Brystol said.

  “I do want to marry your mom someday. Right now, though, we have something really important to tell you.”

  Her mouth dropped open, and she gaped at her mom. “Are you pregnant? Am I going to be a big sister?”

  Brooklyn pursed her lips and shook her head slowly. “Sorry, you’re still going to be my baby.” She leaned over and pinched her daughter’s cheeks. “But what we do have to say is going to be a shock, your feelings might be hurt, and you’re going to have a lot of questions. Before we say what we need to say, I want you to remember that I love you more than anything in this world. Grandma and Grandpa love you. Nonnie loved you. Simone loves you. Okay?”

  Brystol seemed like she was on the verge of tears. Brooklyn inhaled deeply. Bowie wanted to be next to her, but they had agreed to put Brystol in the middle of them.

  “All your life I believed with my whole heart that Austin was your father. It wasn’t until I came here that I learned otherwise.”

  “Austin isn’t my dad?” Her voice cracked.

  “I’m sorry, baby girl. Austin and I hadn’t been getting along for a while, and one night we had a big fight and he said some things, ending our relationship. I turned to Bowie for comfort . . .”

  “Brystol, while your mom, Austin, and I were growing up, we were always together. Your mom and I were best friends, and from the first day I met her, I was in love with her. The problem was, Austin saw her first, and she fell head over heels for him. As we grew older, your mom and I started working together . . .” Bowie paused. “Man, this is hard.”

  “Look, baby. I’m not proud of the way I acted, but for a long time I loved two men, and when one broke my heart, the other one was there to mend it.”

  “You’re my dad?” she asked through tears. “How do you know?”

  Bowie and Brooklyn shared a look. They had agreed they would keep Carly’s name out of it; they didn’t want to ruin Brystol’s memory of her grandma. Bowie cleared his throat. “When I first saw you, I wondered, so I had a DNA test run to be sure.”

  “How long have you known?”

  “Not long.”

  “Did you know when you took me fishing?”

  He nodded.

  “I thought something was up when you referred to Austin . . . well, as Austin and not my dad. When we were at the party thing, you called him my dad.”

  “You’re very perceptive. I have something for you.” He dug through his pocket and pulled out the velvet box and handed it to Brystol. He had opted to leave the bear at home, for a different day.

  She gasped after she opened the box. “This is beautiful.”

  “It was my great-grandmother’s. She gave it to my grandma, who gave it to my mom. I don’t have a sister, so it goes to you.”

  “To keep?”

  “Yep, until you have a daughter, and if you don’t, you give it to someone who means the world to you.”

  “Will you help me put it on?” Brystol asked Bowie. He checked with Brooklyn first, who had tears in her eyes. He held the delicate necklace in his hands and waited for Brystol to move her hair. He fumbled with the clasp a few times until he was finally able to secure it around her neck.

  “It’s been a long time since this necklace had a home.”

  “I love it; thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “So now what?” Brystol asked.

  “Now, we sail back and go have dinner with your grandparents and Bowie’s parents.”

  “Who are my grandparents as well.”

  Bowie and Brooklyn nodded.

  “Do your parents want a grandchild?”

  “Very much so,” he told her. “I haven’t told them yet. We wanted to tell you first.”

  As the boat rocked back and forth, Brystol looked out over the water and fiddled with her necklace. “Mom, can we stay? Please?”

  Brooklyn nodded again.

  “We’re staying?” Brystol stood, and instinctively Bowie moved closer, ready to catch her if she wobbled.

  “Nonnie left everything to you, Brystol. Technically, when you turn eighteen, the inn is yours.”

  Her eyes went wide. “Does that mean I can paint it hot pink?”

  Both Bowie and Brooklyn yelled out, “No!” and Brystol laughed. Her smile quickly diminished though, her mood changing.

  “I’m going to need some time to process all of this, especially the dad part, but I think things are going to be good.”

  “Understood,” Bowie said. “I’m still trying to process it all myself. One day, I’m just a guy, and the next day I have a teenage daughter who likes my dog more than she likes me,” he said, shrugging.

  Brystol laughed a bit. “Do you think we could go back? I sort of miss him.”

  “Me too, kiddo. Me too.”

  THIRTY-SIX

  After they pulled into port, Brooklyn showed Brystol how to tie the boat to the dock. She was surprised she still remembered after all these years. While they waited for Bowie, she played with her daughter’s necklace.

  “This is beautiful.”

  “Thanks.” Brystol looked into her mother’s eyes. “Are you sad?”

  “Yeah, I am. I’m sad for you and Bowie. You’ve lost a lot of time together. It’s not fair to either of you. That’s time you’ll never get back.”

  “But we can make new memories, right?”

  “I know Bowie would love that. He wants to be a part of your life, any way you want him to.”

  “And yours?”

  Brooklyn smiled softly. “I’m going to ask Bowie to move in with us. I’m in love with him. I have been for a long time.”

  “Then why did it take us so long to come back here?”

  She chuckled. “Oh, sweetie. I’ve been asking myself the same question. I don’t know. I’ve carried a lot of guilt over your . . . Austin’s death and thought people in town wouldn’t want me.”

  “I’ll always want you,” Bowie said as he jumped onto the dock. “Both of you.”

  Brooklyn hadn’t expected Brystol to answer, and she suspected that Bowie felt the same. She made sure Bowie knew exactly what she wanted, though. “I was just telling Brystol here that I’m going to ask you to move in with us. That’s if you don’t mind living in Carly’s house.”

  “How do you feel?” He directed his question toward his daughter.

  “I mean, Mom loves you, and Luke would be there all the time, so it’s a win-win, plus you still have a lot of work to do on my inn.” She brought her hands up and shrugged. Her parents started laughing, and her mother put her arm around her shoulders, and they walked toward the parking lot. “If Bowie moves in, can Luke sleep with me?”

  “I have a feeling he will no matter where I tell him to sleep.”

  “Works for me,” she said.

  Bowie drove them back to the carriage house. They’d have one more day of rest before construction would pick back up on the inn. Minus the work vehicles, everything on the outside was shaping up nicely. New asphalt would be poured soon, and the landscaping had started before Carly passed away, but it was the inside that tied everything together. Between the two of them, they had taken Carly’s vision and brought it to life. Everything looked pristine, and the rooms felt like the perfect tranquil getaway. They would start advertising as soon as Simone committed to running the operation. Brooklyn could do it, but she wasn’t ready to give up her design company just yet.

  When they arrived back at the house, both sets of parents were there, inside and waiting. No one knew why they were called over, just that they were having dinner. Brooklyn was pleased to see the table set and the many casserole dishes spread out for them.

  “I’m starving,” Bowie said as he entered the kitchen. Brooklyn’s parents and his stared as he went by.

  “I think he lost his manners at sea,” Brooklyn muttered to them.

  “I’m not sure the boy ever had any,” Linda added.

  “I heard
that, Mom,” he said from the other room.

  “Well, you’re all here, so let’s eat. There’s a few things we need to discuss.” Brooklyn led everyone into the dining room, where they gathered around the small island, dishing various foods onto their plates.

  “I can’t thank you enough for all your help, Linda.”

  “Oh, Brooklyn, it was the least I could do. Gary and your father took the flowers over to the hospital and placed some at Austin and Skip’s marker.”

  “Will Nonnie have a stone like Grandpa’s?” Brystol asked.

  “She will,” Bowie spoke up. “We already made the appointment for the sculptor to come out and engrave her name.” This seemed to please his daughter.

  Everyone gathered around the table and engaged in small talk. It wasn’t until Linda gasped that they all went silent.

  “Brystol, dear, where did you get such an exquisite necklace?” Brystol picked it up and held it between her fingers with her eyes darting between her mom and dad.

  Bowie cleared his throat. “Mom, Dad, Bonnie, and David, we have something to tell you.”

  “You’re getting married?” Bonnie blurted out excitedly only to sag her shoulders when Brooklyn shook her head. Brooklyn reached for Bowie’s hand and held it. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he would ask her, and she’d say yes.

  “Look, there’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to say it because it’s really my fault, I guess.” Brooklyn inhaled deeply. “Brystol is Bowie’s daughter. There, I said it. She knows, which is why she’s wearing the necklace . . . and you’re all staring at me.”

  “How?” Bonnie asked.

  Brooklyn opened her mouth to answer but then closed it quickly. Bowie did the same.

  “Honey, I think you know how babies are made.” David patted his wife’s hand while Brystol giggled.

  “I had a suspicion, so we had a test done.” Bowie spoke nonchalantly, as if having a test done was no big deal. Let alone lying about one. He should be angry, livid. Deep down, Brooklyn was. Years had been lost. A father was denied the right to know his child, grandparents too. All because of what? The unknown bothered Brooklyn greatly. Carly and her deathbed confession had left more holes than answers, and Brooklyn was fairly sure they wouldn’t be hidden in her desk drawers anywhere.