Chapter 25 #2
Shutting off the engine, he was still second-guessing himself. He and Constance didn’t have conversations. They had altercations.
He was sure they would have another one tonight. He was only doing this because his girlfriend urged him to.
He got out of the car and grabbed his suitcase from the back seat. He had on his Harvard sweatshirt and a pair of khakis,
not much protection against the cold night air. The quaint bed-and-breakfast was still decked out for fall, with plenty of
pumpkins, cornstalks, and scarecrows. Strings of amber lights, along with landscape lamps, lit up the property, which contained
four cottages and a main house. His was number three, Constance’s was number four, although he hadn’t planned on them being
next door to each other.
After he checked in at the front desk and put his suitcase in his cottage, he took a deep breath and went next door. Another deep breath and then he knocked.
Her voice sounded from the other side of the door. “Who is it?”
“Leo—” His name got caught in his throat. He tried again. “Leo.”
The door opened. He couldn’t remember ever seeing his mother shocked before, but she definitely was now. “Leonardo. What are
you doing here?”
“I . . . came to talk.”
She let him in, crossing the room and turning off the TV. She was dressed in a cream cashmere sweater, loose-fitting, wide-legged
pants, and fur-lined slippers—all Hermès. This was as casual as Constance Smith-Brewster ever got. She faced him, her chin
lifted, her expression . . . blank.
Not a good start, and his inclination was to forget it and move on. But Via was right—he had to begin somewhere with her.
She looked at the two chairs flanking a small table and gestured to them. After they sat down, she said, “Did Via tell you
about Second Chapter?”
“She said you were selling the building to her for a dollar. Is that still true?”
“Yes. Mr. Pipkin is almost finished with the paperwork.”
An awkward silence stretched between them. Forget trying to talk to his mother. He didn’t know how to. Might as well start with the obvious question. “How long are you staying in
Pecan Corner?”
“I’m leaving tomorrow. I need to get back to Manhattan.” She folded her hands in her lap. He noticed she still had on her
large diamond wedding ring. “What are your plans?”
“I’m moving here. I’ll do some consulting with my firm, but I’m going to be taking over Second Chapter. I’m also moving into
Uncle Earl’s apartment.”
“I’ll give you the storage information then. Unless you don’t want his things.”
“I do.”
“He certainly had a lot of collections. I didn’t realize he was such a reader.”
Leo leaned forward. “Why didn’t you tell me about him?”
She fiddled with the ring, not looking at him. “I shut off that part of my life a long time ago. I didn’t think it was necessary.”
His fingers clenched. “I never knew my grandparents, my uncle . . . You robbed me of my family.”
“I know.” She lifted her head, and he was stunned to see regret there. “I wasn’t thinking about you—”
“Obviously,” he muttered.
“Your father and his family were everything I ever wanted. Sophisticated. Moneyed. Successful. To his credit, he would encourage
me to reach out to my parents and brother. But I refused. I had no room for them in the new life I’d built.”
“No room for me either.” He tried to keep the bitterness out of his tone, but he couldn’t.
“And that was my mistake. I wanted to see Earl because I realized that, although I’d gotten everything I wanted, it wasn’t
enough. I had the money and prestige, the seat on the board I’d always harassed Elliot to give me. But I ended up alone and
lonely.” Her hands started to shake and she tightened her fingers together. “I was going to apologize to him. I waited too
long.”
A lump appeared in Leo’s throat. He didn’t want to feel sympathy for her. Fought it, actually. It didn’t work. Somehow, and
despite everything, there was a tiny opening for . . . something.
“Leonardo, I don’t want it to be too late for us. Can we . . . try?”
He was tempted to say no. Too much time had passed and too much had happened between them. It served her right for him to keep shutting her out. She didn’t deserve to be a part of his life. She hadn’t earned it.
Then it hit him—he would be doing exactly what she did to her own family. The motivations were different, but the result would
be the same. Considering how upset he was that he never got to know her side of the family, cutting her off was hypocritical.
And wrong, because he was already thinking about his future with Via. Marriage. Children. He wanted the family with her that
he never had. His mother should be a part of it.
“Yes, Con— Mother. We can try.”
For the first time, he saw his mother genuinely smile at him, and the opening widened a tiny fraction. It’s a start.
Via gazed at the fading sunset above Lake Erie’s horizon as Leo slipped his arm around her shoulders and drew her close. This
was the first time they’d had a chance to talk since he’d seen his mother last night. He’d spent the day going through Earl’s
stuff in the storage room so he wouldn’t have to move it all back into the apartment, and she’d had a busy day at the café.
As soon as she closed at three, they took off in his Turismo and headed for the lake. But instead of talking, they watched
in silence as the sun faded in the distance, painting the sky with breathtaking streaks of gold, orange, and coral.
“You were right,” he said, kissing her temple. “It was worth it.”
She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. She was dying to hear how his conversation with Constance went, but he’d given
no indication one way or the other. She knew he’d tell her when he was ready. She just hoped it would be soon . . .
“Constance wants to try,” he said, staring at the last fade of the sun.
Via squeezed the warm, strong hand resting on her shoulder. He didn’t have to explain any further. “That’s good, right?”
“I don’t know.” He held her hand tighter. “This is new territory. But it didn’t seem right not to meet her halfway.” He turned
to Via, his expression unguarded and open. It was also tense. “I have zero idea how to act with her. Or what to do. She’s
already on her way back to New York. Am I supposed to visit her? Do we do the phone call thing? I don’t even remember her
birthday. She never celebrated it—”
Via touched his cheek. “Don’t overthink it. You’ll know what to do.”
“You sound so sure,” he said, sounding anything but.
“Whatever happens with you and Constance, I’ll be here. So will my family.” She’d already filled in Dora, who was thrilled
and so close to saying “I told you so” until Via had shut her down with a warning look. Birdie was also happy, and Via considered her part of the family too. Her
parents and Fergus would know everything tomorrow when she and Leo came to church, then at Sunday lunch afterward. It all
felt so right. So good. And she didn’t want the man she loved to worry about something that might or might not happen. Not
when they had a few minutes of the sunset to enjoy. “It’s going to be all right, Leo.”
His face relaxed. “With you here beside me, I know it will.” He rolled his eyes, chuckling. “When did I get so corny?”
Via straightened. “Hey, that wasn’t corny. It was—”
He drew her into his arms and kissed her as the final ray of sun disappeared.
Perfect.