by Marie Force
“I know you were surprised when you met Caro, but I hope you can see what I see in her and give her a chance.”
“’Tis clear to me that the two of you are mad for each other. I fully intend to give her every chance to show me she’s worthy of my son.”
“Mum…”
“Don’t take that tone with me, Seamus Padric O’Grady. I’m still your mum, and don’t you ever forget it.”
“As if I ever could.” Seamus kissed her cheek. “Behave today. I mean it. If you do anything to drive her away from me…”
“If you think that’s my goal here, you don’t know me at all. Now don’t you have a boat to drive?”
“Indeed I do. I’ll be back for dinner.”
She crooked her finger to bring him down close enough for her to kiss his cheek. “Fair winds and following seas, my love.”
“Thanks, Mum. And thanks for taking care of Caro. She’s acting brave, but she’s hurt real bad.”
“I can see that, and I’ll take very good care of her for you.”
She followed him to the driveway, which reminded him of the many times she’d walked him to the car, lecturing about safety all the way, when he’d first begun driving. He hadn’t thought of that in years. Standing before the company truck Joe had given him right after he started, Seamus had never felt so torn between what he needed to do and what he wanted to do. He turned to his mother.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the age difference.”
“So am I, and only because I think your Caro was embarrassed when she discovered I didn’t know.”
“Yes.” Seamus ran both hands through his hair roughly. “You could say that.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I wanted you to meet her and know her and see me with her before you decided she was all wrong for me.”
“You don’t give me enough credit.”
“Probably not.”
“I’m not going to deny I’m disappointed that you’re giving up your chance to be a father. I think you would’ve been a wonderful father, so that causes me a bit of grief for what’ll never be. But I know true love when I see it, Seamus. And I see it here.”
“You do, really?”
“I really do. So lose the pinched and pickled look to your face, and let’s enjoy our visit, shall we?”
Laughing, Seamus hugged her. “I’d like that.”
“If you catch sight of your cousin in town, send him home.”
“Will do. He hasn’t changed a bit since last I saw him.”
Her grimace told the true story. “He’s never gotten over poor Fiona. I’m not sure he ever will. So he runs around chasing everything in skirts, thinking that’ll somehow soothe the ache inside him.”
“It’s how he survives,” Seamus said simply.
“Yes, I suppose it is, but I wonder all the time how long he can keep it up.”
Seamus kissed her cheek. “He’ll keep it up until he finds something—or someone—who can soothe the ache. I’ll see you tonight, Mum.”
“I’ll be here.”
And that, Seamus thought as he drove away, was comforting.
Chapter 12
Carolina heard the low rumble of their voices but couldn’t make out what was being said. Wondering if they were talking about her only made her more uncomfortable than she already was. She shifted in the bed, trying to sit up and find a better position, but with deep cuts on the front and back of both legs, there was no such thing as a good position. The pain brought tears to her eyes as she resettled her aching limbs.
“Ah, love,” Nora said when she came into the room. “Now why are you moving all about? You’ll reopen those cuts if you do that.”
“I can’t find a comfortable spot. Everything hurts, and I’m so sorry this happened as soon as you got here. I had all kinds of plans and things I wanted to show you on the island and…” The tears that rolled down her cheeks made her feel even more pathetic than she already did. She wiped them from her face. “Sorry for the pity party. That’s not like me.”
“Now, now. I can tell you’re not the simpering sort of gal. From what I’m told, you raised a fine son more or less on your own. Seamus thinks the world of him, you know.”
“Yes,” Carolina said tentatively, not at all sure where this conversation was heading. “I know.”
“Seamus doesn’t give his respect to people who haven’t earned it.”
“I’m sorry he didn’t tell you…the truth…about me…before you came.”
Nora folded a T-shirt of Seamus’s that he’d left in a heap on the floor and then sat on the corner of the mattress. “He told me about you.”
“He told you half the story.”
“Indeed.”
“And you were shocked to realize the woman he’d fallen for is closer to your age than to his.”
“A tad bit surprised.”
Carolina waited for her to say something else, but she maintained her silence long enough that Carolina was tempted to squirm. If only it didn’t hurt so much to move. “Are you angry?”
“No, but I won’t deny I’m sad that he won’t be a father.”
“I am, too. In fact, I tried for months to talk him out of…this…for that very reason.”
“And if I know my son, the more you tried to talk him out of it, the harder he dug in.”
“You know him well.”
“Aye, I do, which is why I’m also able to say that I’ve never seen him look at a woman the way he does you. He appears completely smitten.”
Carolina wished she could control the flush of heat that stole over her cheeks at Nora’s frank assessment.
“Is the feeling mutual?”
“Completely.”
“Well, that brings me a measure of comfort. As a mother yourself, you’d understand how much knowing that means to me.”
“I do.” She ventured a glance at Nora. “I’m due to be a grandmother this summer.”
“So I heard.”
“He told me you lost your other sons. I’m so sorry.”
“Aye, it was a terrible thing. Both times. It’s true what they say that no mother should have to bury her children.”
“Seamus is your only living son…”
“I know what you’re thinking, but we have Shannon and other nephews. The family will carry on just fine.”
“Do you know that when this started with Seamus, I thought of you.”
“Of me? How so?”
“I thought about it as a mother, about how I’d feel if my son had taken up with a woman who could never give him children.”
“How would you feel?”
“I’d be sad to never have grandchildren. From what I hear, they’re the best thing since ice cream.”
“I can attest that ’tis true, and while I wish Seamus would have that experience in his life, I have other children whereas you do not. I imagine my perspective is slightly different from yours for that reason.”
Carolina hadn’t considered that.
“Do you love him as much as he obviously loves you?”
“I do. I love him very much.”
“No mother could ever ask for anything more than that for her children.”
Seamus’s mother knew about them, and while she had her reservations, she apparently had no plans to get in the way of their happiness. Nothing was now in the way of them living their lives happily together. For the first time since the roguish Irishman had stormed into her life, Carolina felt a measure of peace come over her.
Although her skin burned like the devil, and she hurt everywhere, she finally believed her relationship with Seamus might just work out after all.
Daisy woke up groggy and disoriented, worried that she’d slept through her alarm. But a quick glance at the clock told her she had an hour before she had to be at work. Her entire body ached, and her eyes felt gritty as she recalled the disaster the night with David had become after her panic attack.
Even though she had no d
esire to relive what’d happened, she forced herself to go back in time to last night, when everything had gone from fine to not fine in the fraction of an instant. The press of his erection against her had triggered a flashback to the night that Truck had tried to force himself on her. Luckily, he’d failed to penetrate her, but his repeated efforts had left her bruised and battered in her most sensitive area.
Daisy cringed when she recalled David examining her there after the attack. Did he think of that when he looked at her or touched her there? She scrubbed her hands over her face. God, she hoped not. As she turned on her side, she saw a note from him propped against the lamp on the bedside table.
Good morning!
I had to leave for work and wanted to let you sleep. I loved sleeping next to you last night, and I hope we can do it again tonight and tomorrow night and the night after… Call me when you wake up—if you have time. If not, I’ll see you tonight.
David
He was so sweet and kind, and he’d traveled such a difficult path after the breakup with Janey. He deserved a woman who could give him everything he deserved, not one who freaked out when he tried to make love to her. As much as she enjoyed every minute she’d spent with him, she couldn’t be responsible for keeping him from the chance to be happy with someone else.
Daisy dragged herself out of bed and into the shower, where the water washed away the tears that fell from her sore eyes at the thought of him with someone else.
Sarah, she thought. I need Sarah. She rushed through her morning routine, left her hair to air dry and headed out twenty minutes earlier than usual, making a beeline for the Sand & Surf Hotel.
Please let her be there, and please let her be available, Daisy thought as she walked briskly through town. She’d covered her eyes with oversized sunglasses so no one would see her raw-looking eyes or the dark circles under them. As she approached the Surf, she was shocked to see an ambulance out front and a crowd gathered on the deck.
Concerned for her friend, she approached the weather-beaten hotel. “What’s going on?” she asked a woman who wore a Surf polo shirt.
“Laura has been so sick from the pregnancy that Owen called the rescue to take her to the clinic. He’s worried she’s dehydrated.”
The EMTs emerged from the hotel with a very pale Laura strapped on a gurney and an almost equally pale Owen right behind them. Sarah appeared at the door holding Laura’s infant son Holden, and the minute the ambulance drove off, Daisy took the stairs two at a time, anxious to get to Sarah. “Is she okay?”
“I hope so. She’s so weak. Owen couldn’t take it any longer and called the ambulance, even though she told him not to. I usually agree with her when they butt heads, but this time, I’m on his side.”
Holden reached out his chubby hand and grabbed a handful of Daisy’s hair. Before he could pull on it and hurt her, Sarah extricated the hair from his grip.
“What can I do to help?” Daisy asked.
“Not a thing. Mr. Holden and I are in charge while they’re gone.” She took a closer look at Daisy. “What brings you by? Aren’t you usually in an all-fired rush to get to work this time of day?”
“Yes, but…” Daisy shook her head. “Never mind. You have other things to contend with today. You don’t need me dumping on you.”
As only the mother of seven could do, Sarah deftly secured Holden to her right hip and took hold of Daisy’s arm with her left hand. “Inside. Now.”
Daisy followed her into the hotel where Sarah put a “Be Right Back” sign up at the main desk and continued on to the kitchen in the back of the hotel. She put Holden in his high chair and sprinkled dry cereal on the tray. He dove into the snack with enthusiastic squeals that made Daisy smile, despite the torment that plagued her.
Sarah brewed coffee, put two steaming mugs on the counter and gestured for Daisy to take one of the stools. “Take off the glasses.”
Daisy reluctantly pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head.
Sarah gasped. “Did he hurt you?”
“God, no. Never. It’s nothing like that. This time it was me. We were, you know… Fooling around.”
“And?”
“And when he tried to…have sex with me…” Daisy looked down at her coffee as the misery resurfaced all over again. How could she have done that to him? How could she have made him feel like he was anything at all like Truck? How could she have hit him? “I totally lost it. Everything that happened came rushing back as if it were yesterday rather than weeks ago.”
“Weeks ago isn’t that long, Daisy, especially when you haven’t done that again since.”
“I know, and I really thought I was ready. I didn’t expect that to happen, or I never would’ve let it go so far. The sad part is, I really wanted to make love with him.”
“This may not be what you want to hear, but abuse survivors can have flashbacks for years after the abuse finally ends. At times, I wonder if I’ll ever be normal after what Mark put me through, but I’m determined to try. I refuse to let him get the better of me by denying myself the right to a happy future.”
“I like that. That’s how I want to be, too.”
“You need some more time, Daisy. Don’t rush things. Take it slow, and when it’s right, you’ll know it.”
“But will David still be there when I get there?”
“What did he say last night when you were upset?”
“All the right things, but still… It’s a lot to ask anyone to be patient with a situation like this.”
“I’ve come to know him quite well since I’ve been living here, and if he’s the kind of man I think he is, he means it. He cares about you. He’s not going to rush off at the first sign of trouble.”
“I’ve never known a guy like him. He’s so…”
“Normal?” Sarah asked with a glint of humor in her eye.
“Yes! Exactly!”
“In the time I’ve spent with Charlie, I’ve discovered there’s an awful lot to be said for normal. I’ve had enough drama to last me a lifetime.”
“How are things with you two?”
“Good. Normal. Slow… Like you, I have my issues. I’m not a big fan of being touched. I keep hoping that’ll change, and he’s been amazingly patient and supportive, despite the fact that I still haven’t told him the full story of what happened with Mark.”
“A wise person once told me that when the time is right, you’ll know it.”
Smiling, Sarah lifted her coffee mug. “Touché.”
“What a pair we are, huh?”
“We’re survivors, Daisy. Don’t ever forget that. We walked through the fire and came out on the other side better and stronger, but damaged, too. There’s nothing wrong with being damaged. We didn’t cause it, so there’s no shame in it.”
“You always make me think about things in a way I haven’t before, and you’re right. It’s not my fault. But it’s not David’s fault either. He deserves someone who can give him everything he needs.”
“Let him decide what he deserves. If it’s too much for him, you’ll know it soon enough. In the meantime, try to believe him when he tells you he’s willing to wait for you.”
“I’ll try. Thank you for always being there for me. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”
“It means just as much to me to have someone nearby who understands what I’m going through, too.”
“I’d better get to work.” Daisy got up and rinsed her mug in the sink, bent to give Holden a kiss on his chubby cheek and hugged Sarah on her way out of the kitchen.
“Hang in there, honey, and you know where I am if you ever need me.”
“Same to you.”
Sarah and Holden waved her off from the doorway of the Surf, and as Daisy walked to the hotel in North Harbor, she thought about what Sarah had said. She still wasn’t completely convinced that continuing her relationship with David was the best course of action, but every time she thought about sending him away, she felt sick.
Once she arri
ved at the hotel, the morning went by in a blur of paperwork, mini-crises, inventory, and running. Daisy must’ve been to the third floor no fewer than ten times, and it was only eleven. While her ribs were burning, the activity kept her from dwelling overly much on her personal dilemma, and she welcomed that relief.
Right before noon, Maddie appeared at the door, looking bright-eyed and excited. “Are you busy?”
“Always, but never too busy for you.” Daisy got up to remove the stack of towels that had landed on her visitor chair. “Come in.”
“I have so much news I don’t even know where to start.”
“Good news, I hope?”
“The best news. I just hope you agree.”
Something about the way Maddie said that set Daisy’s nerves on edge. “What does that mean?”
Maddie flashed a sheepish grin. “I did something…”
“What did you do?”
“Remember when the town council decided to use the land Mrs. Chesterfield left to the town for affordable housing?”
“I vaguely remember hearing something about that. What’s that got to do with me?”
“Mac and his cousin Shane have been working with an organization that builds houses for low-income individuals, and they’ve gotten the approval for the first house.”
“That’s wonderful. Everything around here is so expensive. It’ll be great for regular working people to have affordable housing, too.”
“We couldn’t agree more. It wasn’t that long ago that I was in dire straits financially, so I know how it feels to work all the time and never really get ahead. Which is why I filed an application for you to get one of the houses, and it was approved. One of the houses will be for you, Daisy.”
Daisy’s mind went blank. She heard the words that came out of Maddie’s mouth, but they refused to register.
“Say something. I’ve been so nervous about telling you because I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea about why I did it.”
“Why did you do it?” Daisy asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. “Do you see me as a charity case or something?”
