Chapter 20 #2
As Brody strides towards us, I can totally see where he’s coming from. Big, brawny, eyes that take in everything, a serious look on his face as he approaches. Drew doesn’t tremble or pass out or cry for his mummy, which I admire.
‘Nice to meet you, Mr Quinn,’ Drew says, holding out his hand to shake.
Brody’s expression gives nothing away, and there’s a slight pause before he grasps his fingers, so firmly that I see Drew wince.
Shannon spoils her father’s image by whacking him on the shoulder, and saying: ‘Give it a break, Dad! I’ve already told him you’re a pussycat really! ’
‘For you, baby, yes – the rest of the world gets the mountain lion.’
I laugh out loud at that, and he glares at me. ‘Sorry!’ I hastily add. ‘It’s just funny, that’s all! Very visual!’
Shannon grins at me and says: ‘I see you’ve already got the size of him, Kate. It’s so lovely to meet you.’
She wraps me in a hug, and all my nerves evaporate.
I cling on to her for maybe a little too long, and then we all go inside, where Moira is holding court.
I spot Joanne, who is in the back staring at one of the photos of Robbie, away from the hubbub.
It’s impossible to figure out what she’s feeling.
‘He should be here,’ I say gently as I join her. ‘From everything I’ve heard, he should be here.’
‘Aye, hen, he should. She’s a stubborn old goat when she wants to be.
She’s been so low, for so long… I suppose we both have.
Too much loss, and not enough gain. She’s changed since you’ve been here though.
She wakes up with something to look forward to, and I cannae thank you enough.
That crazy scheme of theirs, the cards they sent out…
I thought it was stuff and nonsense. The strange thing is, the purpose of it was to give hope to others.
It ended up being the other way around.’
By Joanne’s standards, this is an emotional outpouring, and I place a hand on her bony shoulder. ‘It’s helped us too, it really has. So, back to Robbie…’
She looks at me, her eyes narrowed and sharp. ‘You sound like you have something in mind, Kate. Would I be wrong?’
‘No. I was thinking, though, should someone get in touch with him? Tell him what happened? She’s not feeling as bad now, after all.’
‘Aye. Maybe someone should. But that someone willnae be me. She’d have my guts for garters. But if someone else was to contact him…’
‘Someone who would be leaving, and didn’t have to live with her wrath?’
‘That kind of someone, yes. Well, they’d maybe figure out that the name of his company is on the shirt he’s wearing on the photos in the cottage. And they’d maybe guess that he still worked for them. Now, that’s all I’ll say on the subject…’
I accept the information, storing it away for when the time is right, and follow her back out into the shop.
Brody is on the till, looking harassed, and the place is bustling.
I think, not for the first time, that if circumstances were different, this could be even more of a gem – with a bit of rethinking, a bit of work on the other rooms, it could host events, author visits, even have a gallery for local artists.
Moira seems resigned to selling, though, and really it’s none of my business.
Just like Robbie. Although I’m not convinced I can leave that one alone. Maybe I’ll set the wheels in motion, then run away before Moira can kill me.
Shannon catches my eyes, and waves me over.
She’s so pretty, with her long blonde hair and dimpled smile.
Attractive as I find Brody, I’m glad she inherited her mother’s looks in every way apart from those piercing blue eyes.
It feels strange to think of Sandy, who was so important in both of their lives, and who I’ll never get to meet.
‘Walk with me?’ she asks. ‘I’ve heard so much about this place, I’d love to see it for myself.’
My eyes flicker to her dad, and she adds: ‘He’ll be fine. He’s better when he’s busy, as I’m sure you’ve figured out.’
We head onto the beach, and she takes her trainers off to walk barefoot in the sand. The sunlight bounces off the waves, and the little rocky islands in the distance look magical. The birds soar overhead, streaks of white against the blue, and it feels like Bonnie Bay is putting on a show for her.
‘Is it always like this?’ she asks, bending down to pick up a shell.
‘No! Since we’ve been here, there’s been wind, rain and glorious sun… often in the same day! But it’s always beautiful, no matter what the weather. Always special.’
She nods, and we stroll closer to the water’s edge. I’ve been a little more cautious about the sea since my close encounter with it, and I keep a careful eye on the roll and swell of the waves – Brody would never forgive me if anything happened to Shannon.
‘His back seems to be bothering him less,’ she says. ‘How’s it been?’
‘Um… better, I think? He’s moving around a lot, keeping active.’
‘I bet,’ she replies, giving me a sideways look that can only be described as ‘cheeky’. I obviously blush immediately, and she starts to laugh. Then those probing eyes settle on mine, and I know she has more to say.
‘Is this the part where you ask me if my intentions are honourable, Shannon?’
‘Basically, yes – he’s my dad, and I love him. He’s had a tough time, and I don’t want him to get hurt.’
Her gaze is intense, and I can feel her love for him radiating outwards. A protective urge that he shares.
‘Believe me, you don’t have anything to worry about. I would never do anything to hurt him. Besides, this is… this isn’t serious. We’ve been clear it’s a summer fling, nothing more.’
I’m starting to doubt that’s true from my perspective, but Brody and I have never promised each other more.
We’ve never discussed a future, or made plans beyond the next few days.
He made it clear he wasn’t ready for more than that, and I was perfectly willing to go along with our no-strings arrangement.
I’m trying very hard not to be a complete…
girl, for want of a better word, and spoil what time we have left together by thinking too hard.
I’m way too old to be doodling a man’s name on my pencil case, or imagining a happy ending.
This has been a happy beginning, and that needs to be enough.
‘I guess that’s what’s bothering me, Kate,’ she continues. ‘That it’s only a fling. He’s not a fling kind of guy. He’s been so much happier since he came here. Since he met you. Like his old self again. What happens when he gets home? I’m worried he’ll have some kind of relapse…’
I know he’d hate to hear her talking like this. He’d hate to think that his daughter was so concerned about him.
‘He’s been talking to his friend about starting a new job,’ I tell her, desperate to wipe away the anxiety in her words. ‘Miguel, I think?’
She brightens, and I can tell that was news to her.
‘Right. Okay. Well, that’s positive, and Miguel is cool.
He needs to work. He needs to have a purpose outside me, and his extended family.
They’re all great, really they are, but there are so many, and they’re all real loud, and it’s too easy for him to fade into the background…
he pretends he’s okay and none of them notice when he’s not. ’
I can’t imagine Brody fading into any background, but I know families are complicated. They all have their own dynamics and politics and hierarchies.
‘I’m sure he’ll be fine, Shannon. He’s so proud of you and everything you’re doing. He wouldn’t want to think you were so concerned about him.’
‘I know,’ she says, smiling sadly. ‘So don’t tell him, okay?’
‘It’s a deal.’
We chat about easier things as we walk back to the shop, and I pretend that everything is fine. That we are just two women, strolling on a summer’s day. Inside, my heart is suddenly heavy.
Talking to Shannon has made it real. Imagining his family, his new job, his world in Chicago.
He will be leaving, heading back to his actual life, and I will return to mine.
What will that even look like? I wonder.
Will we forget about each other, will we stay in touch?
Will this ever be more than a happy memory?
So much for not overthinking it…