Chapter 14 #2
What happened next shocked me even more than Trouble’s off color remark. My youngest son dropped down on one knee and took Corinne’s hand in his. With calm conviction, he looked her deep in the eyes and said, “I’d be happier if we were getting married, too. Would you?”
“What?” Corinne stared at him, stunned. “Seriously?”
Her scrunched up face and straightened posture made me worry he’d sprung it on her too soon. Trevor didn’t waver though .
“Seriously,” he said, his voice trembling as much as his hand as he threaded his fingers through hers. “Nothing would make me happier. Will you be my wife?”
I held my breath, hoping my son hadn’t just made a big mistake.
Corinne didn’t make us suffer long. Her expression softened, a smile spreading on her lips.“Of course I will,” she said, her voice quivering. “Nothing would make me happier either.”
I flicked my eyes up towards the sky, wondering if Ellie would’ve been as surprised as I was that our youngest, wildest, most challenging child would be the first to get married and give us a grandchild.
“That’s incredible news, son,” I said, swelling with pride. “We are going to have so much to celebrate tonight.” A calmness washed over me and I swear it must’ve been Ellie speaking to me from heaven when I thought to ask: “Do you have a ring picked out?”
Trevor shook his head. “To be honest, no. I was planning to get one and propose at New Years, but it seemed like the perfect moment just now.”
“I’ll be right back,” I said, holding up a finger.
Teary eyed, I went to the bathroom and liftedEllie’s conch pearl ring from the dish.
“I’m listening, Ellie,” I whispered to myself in the mirror.
I returned to the living room with the ring wrapped in my fist. “You may want to get a diamond for your engagement ring,” I told my son.
“But since you’re the first to make a family, I think your mother would want you to have this.
” I held out my hand and uncurled my fingers, the ring lying flat on my palm .
“Mom’s ring?” Trouble leaned forward, his eyes wide. He picked it up, and turned to Corinne. “It would make me so proud for you to wear this ring.” He slipped it on the ring finger of her left hand.
She kept her hand out, admiring the ring, the other hand over her mouth. She blinked up through tears, first at Trevor, then at me. “Are you sure? This must be so special for you.”
“You have no idea how special you would be to Ellie. She would want you to have it.” I knew it in my bones. “Welcome to the family.”
A happy tear slipped down her cheek, and before we could all dissolve in tears, she quipped, “I would never have believed I’d be marrying into a fishing family,” giggling under her breath.
Since she was a marine biologist who’d been very vocal against the fishing industry, we were all surprised that the enemies had found true love.
“We’re lucky to have you,” I told her sincerely. “Trouble needs a strong woman to keep him in line.”
Corinne giggled. “That might be a tall order, but I’ll do my best,” she said with the sweetest smile. “All jokes aside, I’m truly honored to be part of the Rodman clan. And to have such a special heirloom. Thank you so much.”
I ached for Ellie but kept a brave face as we mulled over potential dates and plans.
“Ho ho ho!” The twins, Reef and Kai came in, booming voices accompanied by barking dogs, their usual rough and tumble, bouncing selves.
Reef’s golden lab, and Kai’s brown one chased each other around, the living room erupting into a chaos reminiscent of their childhood.
The house was finally starting to feel like a home again .
“Finally,” I said, taking the brown paper sack from Reef. “The meal has arrived. Good thing the dogs didn’t get our prime rib.”
Kai and I unloaded the bags in the kitchen. “Home cooked at The Green Turtle still counts as home cooked, right?” I asked him.
“Absolutely. Even mom would approve,” Kai said, patting my back. While I doubted the validity of his claim, I appreciated the sentiment.
“Have you guys heard from your sister?” I asked after Coulter sauntered in, his brown hair falling in his eyes, looking unusually dapper in nice clothes.
“I talked to her,” Kai piped up. “She said she’s flying some rich guy into Ocean Reef and will be here as soon as she can.”
“What about your biggest brother?”
“Who, me?” My firstborn strode in. Tall, calm, collected, Spence was the one who always kept the rest in line. He was holding a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label, a red bow tied around the neck. “Let’s get this party started!”
“Good to see you, son.” I stood and hugged him, taking the bottle into the kitchen to pour us a glass.
He followed behind with a Key Lime Pie, as if he’d anticipated me ruining the cake.
Spence was the responsible one, the level headed and reliable rock his siblings always knew they could turn to.
And the one who took charge of the business after Ellie passed.
“You too, Dad. What can I do?”
“Just stick that pie in the fridge, everything else is ready to go. ”
Corinne declined wine, which Kai chided. I nearly spilled the beans about the bun in the oven but I caught myself. They would share the news themselves after Ava arrived.
The nearly homemade dinner was delightful, and the anticipation of Trevor and Corinne dropping their bomb made it even more satisfying.
While we ate, the kids went around the table giving updateson their lives.
When Corinne’s turn came, Coulter asked her how the diving had been at the sanctuary, explaining to Ava she led the research project at the underwater Aquarius lab.
Corinne squirmed in her seat before answering.
“I haven’t been down there lately, but it’s always lovely. ”
“Sucks being the boss, eh?” Kai said. “Stuck behind a desk instead of doing what you love.”
Corinne had a deer in headlights look. She didn’t want to be the one to tell him that pregnant women aren’t allowed to scuba dive.
Trouble came to her rescue. “Corinne has a good reason for not diving,” he said, gazing adoringly at his fiancé. With all eyes on her, Corinne’s face turn pink as Trevor continued. “There’s going to be a spring wedding and a baby before the end of summer.”
Ava beamed, her hands flying up to cover her mouth. “Oh my god! That’s wonderful news.” She jumped up and ran around the table to hug Corinne.The twins stared at each other in shock. Spence smiled and shook his head like he would never have guessed it.
I let out a chuckle. “Now that your little brother is getting hitched and making me a grandpa, don’t think the rest of you are off the hook. ”
Ava rolled her eyes. “Don’t start with that, Dad.”
“I have to carry that torch for your mother now that she’s gone.”
Corinne spoke up, surprising me. “I’m happy we’re bringing the first Rodman grandchild into the world,” she said, turning to me.
“And I appreciate so very much that you gave Trevor his mother’s ring for our engagement.
It’s beautiful, and so, so special.” She stared at it for a moment, taking a deep breath.
“But that’s why I can’t accept it.” She slipped it off her finger and handed it back to me.
I stared at it for a second, confused before she continued.
“I think Ava should have it, don’t you?”
Feeling like a fool for not considering what my daughter might have thought, I looked to Ava apologetically.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Corinne’s probably right.
It was a spontaneous move I didn’t really think through.
” My voice quivered more by the second. “But it felt like a sign from your mother when Trevor popped the question just half an hour after I’d knocked that ring to the ground. ”
“That’s okay, Dad,” Ava said softly. “I’m not upset.”
“Tell you what,” I said, snickering, “I’ll keep it for you until you get engaged.”
“You might die from asphyxiation if you keep holding your breath for that,” Ava said with a cheeky grin.
Pushing up from my chair at the head of the table, I walked around to her chair.
Ava turned to me with a curious look. I stared deep into her blue eyes that reminded me so much of her mother.
“You’ve yet to meet a man who deserves you, and I’m in no rush for you to tie the knot.
But you should have this ring now. Your mother would want that. ”
She stood up wrapped her arms around my neck, delivering her specialty hug that always melted my heart. Blinking through tears, I slid the ring onto her right hand.
“Thank you,” Ava said, eyes also brimming. She smiled at Corinne. “And thank you. It means the world to me.”
You could hear a pin drop. All my sons were silent, but their faces were full of emotion. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
The feeling of deep calm returned, and I knew it had unfolded exactly as Ellie would have hoped, bringing us all closer in her memory. “Looks like it’s time for that expensive whiskey Spence brought to celebrate the engagement.”
I was pulling the ice bucket out of the freezer when Spence appeared, holding my cell phone. “Hey Dad,” he said softly, his face serious. “The sheriff just called. He won’t be able to make it for dessert.”
“Darn it,” I said. “Waylan always misses the fun.” My old friend had sacrificed a lot over the years to be the good sheriff that he was.
“He said he just got a call— a body was found floating in a canal in Venetian Shores.”
My heart dropped. “Oh, that’s awful on Christmas Eve.” The thought of another family grieving while mine was celebrating, was sobering. The guilt hit me hard, like a gut punch. And my own grief came flooding back.
“You okay, Dad?” Spence asked, taking the bottle of whiskey from my hands.
I drew in a deep breath, trying to pull myself together for my son’s sake. The truth was, I might never be completely okay. “I’m good, son. I’m good.”
It was a lie meant to placate my son, but the moment after I said it, a calm washed over me like a warm hug from heaven. Fractured and aching as it was, my heart was still full of love.
Unimaginable loss and unsurpassed joy can coexist in the same broken heart. For life, in all it’s treachery, is beautiful.
THE END (but only the beginning!)
The mystery unravels in the other Rodman Brothers’ stories, starting with Coulter in Off the Hook .
You can read Trevor and Corinne’s story in Trouble in Paradise . It’s book 4 in the Paradise Key series, but a standalone that can be read in any order.