Barefoot Beach

by Debbie Mason

  This time she was the one who let the silence between them grow. For no other reason than she realized she’d actually believed there was a chance she’d have a true romance in her life.

  Caine broke the silence. “If your mind is set on coming home, text me when you log your flight plan. I’ll take you out to dinner or we’ll order in. I don’t want you to be alone.”

  She saw it clearly. The two of them sitting on the couch in her apartment. They were old, their gray hair blending in with the color scheme of not only her apartment but of her life for the past few years. The only pop of color in the vision was in the crocheted afghans they each wore around their shoulders while they watched television and ate takeout because neither of them liked to cook.

  It wasn’t a new vision. She’d had it many times before. It used to make her happy…content at least, she corrected, now aware of what happy felt like. At that moment, the vison depressed her and made her sad. And it had nothing to do with Caine.

  * * *

  Sneaking in and out of the manor the next morning had been disappointingly easy and somewhat concerning. She’d mentioned it to Jasper in the note she’d left behind for him and Kitty to find. Theia hadn’t been sure at first if she should address it to them both. But if she had a grandfather, she’d want him to be like Jasper.

  Other than maybe Sophie and Liam, she didn’t know anyone else in the family as well as she knew him. As she wrote the letter of apology to Kitty and Jasper, she realized out of everyone, it was his forgiveness she most wanted. She hadn’t left a note for her father or sisters. She’d call Daphne and Penelope and explain herself then. Eventually she’d talk to Daniel. She’d promised Marco she would, after all.

  As she trudged along the dirt road to the airport, she glanced at the two shopping bags she carried. All she had left of her time with Marco were her memories: the starfish he found for her the day they spent at the beach, some sea glass, and his sweatshirt. She’d left the blankets on the end of the bed with a note asking that they please be returned to him.

  A tear dripped off her chin. She wiped her cheek on her shoulder, annoyed with herself. It brought back uncomfortable memories of her mother crying in bed over Daniel whenever something or someone reminded her of Ireland or of him. She’d cried a lot.

  Theia had grown impatient with her as she got older but never reached the point of telling her to her face. Instead the anger and resentment grew inside her, ensuring she’d wallowed in guilt for years after her mother died. Later, when the information could no longer help her or her mother, Theia’s aunt confessed that Aislinn had suffered from depression since her early teens and that it had only gotten worse when Theia was born.

  Her aunt never said anything more about it. Theia suspected she’d been monitoring her mental health since they’d adopted her. Or maybe it had been her aunt’s way of feeling her out. Letting her know she could come to her if ever she felt overwhelmed with emotion. There’d been only the one time Theia had felt that way.

  Days after the accident, she’d gone to them looking for support, and maybe absolution. She hadn’t gotten it and took off for Ireland first thing the next morning. She’d drowned her guilt and sorrow in Guinness as she’d traveled the back roads of Ireland in search of her father. And then she’d met Caine. He’d tossed her a lifeline and a job.

  Theia wished she’d been able to do the same for her mother. Aislinn had given up on finding Daniel the last summer they’d gone to Ireland. She’d come down with pneumonia a week after they’d returned home. She didn’t take her medicine. She didn’t fight. She was done with this world, done with being a mother. She’d convinced herself Daniel had died, and they’d be reunited on the other side.

  Theia wiped her wet cheek on her forearm. She wouldn’t become her mother. It was a thought she’d had many times in the past, though not in this context. But instead of the anger that usually accompanied the thought, there was a small measure of understanding, especially given Aislinn’s predisposition to depression. Her mother had known Daniel for months and she’d had his child. Theia had known Marco for a little less than two weeks.

  At the sound of an approaching car, she readjusted the bags in her hands and stared straight ahead. The black limo slowed and then pulled onto the shoulder in front of her.

  Jasper got out. “There’s no need for you to walk. I’ll drive you.”

  Her breath hitched. It might have turned into a sob if she hadn’t swallowed it first. Jasper didn’t even suggest she stay and they’d work it out. He made everything right for the Gallagher family, but this job was too big for even him. Maybe he was so disgusted with what she had done that he didn’t want to try. He probably wanted to yell at her in the privacy of the car.

  “Thanks, but I can walk,” she said as she went to move past him.

  “You’re scheduled to take off in twenty minutes. You won’t make it in time to do your preboarding check. I promise, I’ll get you there on time if you still decide you wish to leave.”

  Her head came up. “Why would I want to stay? Better yet, why would you want me to? You know who I am. What I’ve done.”

  “I do. I know all about you, Theia. I began looking into you as a result of my investigation into…” He cleared his throat, looking like he’d said something he hadn’t intended to. “Kitty’s suspicions about your parentage.”

  Just then things began to click into place. Like how Jasper knew she’d left the manor and the exact time her flight was scheduled to leave. “You’re him, aren’t you? You’re Caine’s source.”

  His lips twitched. “I told him you’d eventually figure it out.”

  She’d never been more disappointed in her life. “How could you? How could you do that to Kitty, to her children and grandchildren? You’ve been with them forever. They think of you as family.”

  He looked down his narrow nose at her. “I thought you’d understand. Clearly, you don’t know me very well if you believe I would do such a thing.”

  “What am I supposed to think? You’re working for Caine!”

  “As were you.”

  “That’s different. I barely knew any of you, and I sure as heck didn’t know I was a Gallagher. Besides, I tried to—”

  “I’m well aware you were trying to do good to make up for your involvement with Wicklow Developments. I saw your whiteboard in Madam’s closet.”

  “You were snooping in my room?”

  “Yes. And your taking offense is rather hypocritical when you’ve been snooping too.”

  “That’s not the point. You owe the Gallaghers your loyalty. I don’t. Well, I didn’t.”

  He sighed. “Theia, have you ever heard the phrase ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies—’”

  “Closer,” she finished for him with a smile. “I can’t tell you how relieved I am to hear you’re not a bad guy, Jasper.” The smile she gave him faded. But now she had to lie to Caine. She would have made a horrible spy. “Caine isn’t either, you know. A bad guy,” she clarified. “He’s let his loyalty to his grandmother and the company color his perception of what’s right and wrong. He’d never hurt anyone.”

  “I’m well aware what drives Master Caine and plan to use it to my advantage. Although, as I’ve learned, he’s a canny lad. I worry that he’s one step ahead of me in this game of chess we’re playing. Emily is another story. But I believe once the truth comes out…” He gave his head a small shake. “Come, we have much to do today.”

  “Wait. What truth are you talking about?”

  “We’ll save that for another time. Right now we need to find you a job at the manor so you can fulfill the stipulation in Madam’s will.”

  “I already am. I’m flying guests to and from the manor.”

  “I checked with the family’s attorney, and he says it doesn’t meet the criteria as stipulated in the will. I thought perhaps you can help the wedding planner. As a matter of fact, I think we’ll move Daphne back to wedding planning from guest services.” He smiled. �
�With your experience in the military and as the oldest sister, I have every faith you can keep both girls in line.”

  “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

  He chuckled. “Quite.”

  “Okay, now that we’ve settled that, tell me what truth you were talking about. What are you keeping from me?”

  “Nothing to be concerned about,” he said as he opened the car door.

  But as she went to get in the passenger side, she was almost certain she heard him murmur, “Everything will come out whether we want it to or not.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  There was a lot to be said for living in a big city where no one knew your name or your business, Theia thought as she walked through the dining room with her head down. She was almost certain that the wedding planner had a hidden agenda when she’d asked her to talk to the chef about the menu for Saturday’s wedding. The woman made it obvious she wasn’t Theia’s number one fan.

  Since the wedding planner also made it clear she didn’t like her sisters much either, Theia didn’t feel quite so bad. She might have felt better if she could commiserate with Daphne and Penelope, but they didn’t appear ready to welcome her into the fold. They were no longer ignoring her. She just didn’t get the warm fuzzies, especially from Daphne. Not surprising really.

  Theia had confessed everything. There’d been no sense holding anything back to protect Daniel. The exposé in the Harmony Harbor Gazette hadn’t only outed her, it had outed him. She’d tried to soften some of the harsher things Ryan had said in the article about Daniel and his motives.

  At the sound of several older women talking at a table to her left, one with a distinctly Italian accent, Theia kept her eye on the prize, the swinging door to the kitchen. Leave it to the wedding planner to decide five o’clock on Wednesday Wing Night was the perfect time to talk to the chef.

  “You should be ashamed of yourself for selling out your family,” a woman seated at the table with the Widows Club called out to her.

  “I don’t know what Kitty’s thinking, letting her stay on at the manor,” another woman clucked.

  Good to know her grandmother wasn’t there yet, Theia thought as she placed a hand on the kitchen door.

  “At least Marco found out what kind of woman she was before it was too late, Rosa. We—”

  “You,” a man bellowed, cutting off the older woman. Theia glanced to her right to see Daniel striding across the dining room toward her, red-faced and furious. There was no mistaking who he was talking about. His finger was pointed at her. This was not a discussion she wanted to have with the manor’s guests and the Widows Club looking on.

  She went to push open the door to the kitchen at the same time someone pushed from the other side. Clearly, she’d taken them by surprise. She heard the sounds of a tray, cutlery, and plates crashing to the floor. She wouldn’t be welcome in there now. As she turned to head for the patio door, a heavy hand landed on her shoulder.

  “Oh, no, you’ll not be getting away from me that easily. Not after what you’ve done to me. It’s your fault my family and my daughters have turned on me.”

  From under her lashes, Theia glanced around the room. She couldn’t believe he was doing this in the middle of the dining room. Everyone was staring at them. “I didn’t do anything to you, Daniel. It’s not my fault Ryan Wilson went to the—”

  “Aye, it is. You forced me to make a devil’s bargain with Caine Elliot and Wicklow Developments. Threatened me and my reputation unless I cooperated. If it weren’t for you, I never would have sold out my family.”

  Theia stared at him, her shock at his lies rendering her speechless. But they didn’t stun their audience into silence. Horrified gasps were accompanied by voices demanding she be held accountable for her sins.

  Voices that quieted when a woman said, “That’s enough.” It was Daphne. She crossed the dining room to Theia’s side. “You have no idea how she tried to protect you. How she painted you as a man who loved his family but got in over his head. All she’s tried to do since we got here is bring us together, and this is how you repay her? In case you’ve forgotten, she’s your daughter too. And my sister.” She took Theia’s hand. “Come on. Let’s get Pen and go for a drink.”

  * * *

  Marco sat on the porch at the manor’s spa, pretending he didn’t feel the weight of his mother’s stare. He should have agreed to take part in the group massage for the groomsmen even if it seemed a little girlie to him. But he’d been afraid his mother would be the masseuse. He should just get it over with and talk to her. That’s what Theia would tell him to do. He’d promised her he would.

  He bowed his head as images of his night at the cove with Theia came to life behind his eyes. It was, bar none, the most fun he’d ever had on a date. It had been perfect until it wasn’t. And maybe that’s why the memories of that night on the beach were causing his head to ache. Not his heart. Never his heart. He hadn’t fallen in love with her. He just, well, he’d really, really liked her. Dammit. He rubbed his eyes.

  “Do you have a headache?” his mother asked quietly from behind him.

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. Here goes nothing, he thought, glancing over his shoulder. “Yeah. Do you have some aspirin?”

  Tina looked shocked that he’d spoken to her. He was about to call her out on the over-the-top reaction. It wasn’t like he hadn’t spoken to her since she’d moved back to town. But when he tried to recall the last time he’d said more than hi or bye, he couldn’t.

  “Yes. Yes, of course I do.” She beamed like he’d asked her for the moon and she was able to deliver. “I’ll get you an ice pack too. It helps when you put it on the back of your neck.” She gestured to the spot. “It shrinks the blood vessels.” She gave a flustered wave of her hand. “I don’t know why I’m telling you. You being a paramedic and all. You always were a smart boy. I used to read you a book every night before bed. It wasn’t long before you were reading them to me.”

  He remembered. It was their special time. No annoying big brother or little sister demanding her attention. His father or Rosa either. There was no denying she’d been a good mother when they were young. It might have been the reason it hurt so bad when years later she became someone he didn’t recognize.

  As though the conflicting emotions showed on his face, she said, “I’m sorry for the way I left, Marco. I should have at least tried to explain, but I wasn’t sure I could leave if I had to say goodbye to you.” She looked away, inhaling a noisy breath.

  The muscles in his chest tightened, and he wanted to hold up his hand and make her stop, but he’d promised Theia he’d talk to her. He didn’t think six words qualified as a conversation. Though he still wasn’t quite sure why he felt he had to keep his promise.

  “I had to leave. Things between your father and me had gotten so bad, all we ever did was fight. Rosa couldn’t stay out of it. She’d take his side, and they wouldn’t let up on me. I could never do anything right in their eyes. I was the mangia-cake, and they never let me forget it.”

  “That’s not true. You and Dad were happy. We all were. Until you…” He trailed off. He didn’t want to get into this now. The wedding was in a few hours.

  “Until I ruined everything? I know that’s what you believed, Marco. But it’s not true. We probably shouldn’t have worked so hard to make you think everything was good. But the one thing your father and I did agree on was giving you kids a happy home.”

  “So all the memories, all the good times we had, they were just a lie?”

  “No. We had good times. Lots of them. The last five years weren’t great though, and they got worse. I was going through things, and so was your father. But everyone’s good now.” She touched his shoulder. “I’ll get you that aspirin and ice pack. Your friends will be another twenty minutes.”

  Theia had been right about one thing: Talking to his mother had been enlightening. It helped put her leaving into perspective. But it wasn’t his past that was the problem. I
t was his future. A future without a woman he couldn’t stop thinking about.

  “Marco, I know you don’t think it’s my place anymore, but I am still your mother, and I know you almost as well as anyone. It’s why, even at the risk of alienating you again, I have to tell you you’re making a mistake.”

  He stiffened. “Is that right?”

  “Yes.” Her voice quavered, and then she stood a little taller. “Yes. Yes, you are. I saw you and Theia together. You were happy. You both were. She deserves a second chance, and so do you.” He went to stand up. “Please hear me out.”

  “I can’t take anything you say on the matter seriously. You’re dating her father.”

  “I’m not dating him anymore.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since I found out what he said to Theia. Any man who could be so cruel to his own flesh and blood…” She winced. “That’s a little like the pot calling the kettle black, isn’t it? Although if you heard what he said to her, knew what she’d tried to do for him, you’d understand there’s no comparison between him and me.”

  “What did he say to her?”

  “From what Jasper said…He’s how I heard about it. He stormed into the cottage.” She made a face. “Good thing we weren’t…well, you know.”

  He knew he’d regret asking. He regretted it even more when she told him what had happened in the dining room.

  “Anyway,” she continued, “I knew he had issues, but to out-and-out lie like that about his daughter?” She shook her head. “I have my own issues, and I was willing to turn a blind eye to some of his. He’s a charmer, you know. Handsome as the devil, and you wouldn’t believe what he—”

  “Stop.” He held up his hand before she said something he couldn’t scrub from his brain. “So, what you’re telling me is Daniel threw Theia to the wolves to save himself?”

  “Exactly. And if I hadn’t been about to dump the man, what Caine had to say to Daniel not five minutes after Jasper left would have decided it for me.”