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“How do you know?” Grandfather asked, voice steady and unwavering, but Shane could see the flicker of shock in his eyes.
“I heard you two the day she showed up on the doorstep. Mom was at one of her luncheons. It was raining, and you were waiting for a call from your investor. I came by to talk about the bar, but when I had seen the mood you were in, I thought better of it. I ran upstairs to grab something out of my old room. I don’t even remember what anymore, but that’s not important anyway. When I was coming back down, I saw you at the door with her. She was drenched, hair hanging down, dripping on the threshold. You wouldn’t even let her in out of the rain. She told you who she was, and you denied her—told her to get off the property and never come back. I was curious, so I went after her.”
Olivia’s hand landed on Shane’s thigh, and he gripped her hand like a lifeline as his uncle continued.
“You didn’t believe her, but there was something in my gut that told me I needed to find out myself. She didn’t have a car—must’ve had a cab drop her off—so it was easy to catch up to her. I convinced her to let me give her a ride, and she told me everything. And I believed her. She knew things about my brother that no one else would.”
“So, you just let her go?” Shane didn’t even attempt to hide the anger and frustration in his tone. His hand came free of Olivia’s, and he shot up from his chair.
“No.” Uncle Grady met his eyes. “She was desperate to get back to you, but she was wet and tired. I could see the exhaustion consuming her. She’d been going on adrenaline, and she was crashing, so I took her to the rental. It was vacant at the time. I told her to get some sleep, and I’d send car service to pick her up early in the morning before the neighbors would be up and snooping out their windows. She must’ve dropped the ring then. I’m surprised in all these years, no one had found it.”
“It was wedged in a crack between floorboards.”
Uncle Grady nodded.
“So, you gave her a place to crash, and then you dismissed her, too?” Shane asked. It was a shame he was starting to like Uncle Grady.
Uncle Grady shook his head. “No. I wrote her a check for ten thousand dollars and gave her my personal phone number in case she ever needed anything else. I told her never hesitate to call.”
Shane remembered that trip. Remembered when Mom returned and how she suddenly didn’t seem like the entire world was pressing in on her. She had a softness to her smile, a lighter demeanor overall. The money helped but… “You gave her hush money.”
“It wasn’t like that,” Uncle Grady said.
“No? Then why is it that I didn’t know you existed until a few months ago? Why didn’t you go to him?” Shane flung his hand out and pointed a stern finger at Grandfather. “Convince him that I was his grandson. If you believed it then why keep me secret?”
“I was young,” Uncle Grady said. “Just about your age now. I hadn’t come into all the money in my trust, and I was afraid to lose it. Thinking back, I realize how selfish that was, but I didn’t think then the way I do now. But I kept in touch with your mother.
She never accepted money from me after that, but I still sent her things. Gift cards mostly. After she died… I had no way of knowing where you were or if you were still healthy. Which is why last month I had hired a private investigator to find you. You showed up here before he found you.”
Shane stared at Uncle Grady in disbelief. All this time, he believed he had no family other than his mother. And all along he had an extended family. His uncle had looked out for him just as family was supposed to.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me this?” Mimi demanded from Grandfather.
Grandfather sighed and dropped his fork. “She came here that one time. Took me by surprise. I have a temper; we all know that. By the time I calmed down and could think rationally, she was long gone. I had no address, no contact information. There was nothing I could do.”
“But she sent you a letter. I saw it in your office,” Connor said, tossing his napkin on the table.
Uncle Grady looked at his son. “Wait a second, you knew?”
“I didn’t know if it was true. Thought maybe it was someone trying to swindle money out of Grandfather. Until Shane showed up. Look at him. There’s no denying he’s a McConnell. That he’s Uncle Shane’s son. I’ve seen pictures. His complexion is darker, but come on… same eyes.”
“What letter?” Mimi asked. The confusion in her brow told Shane she knew as little about the letter as he did.
Even after being cast aside by this man, Mom reached out again. Shane knew the strength and desperation she must have felt in order to do so.
“Where’s the letter?” Shane asked. Grandfather didn’t budge, his stature rigid as ever, eyes cast forward, blank and emotionless as usual. “I want to see it.” When he didn’t respond, anger surged through Shane, and he slammed his fist down on the table. Plates jumped and clattered, glasses nearly tipped over, and Olivia beside him diverted her gaze to her lap. He should have given her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, but he was too angry right now.
Mimi leaned in her chair, arms crossed over her chest. “I’d like to see this letter, too.”
“Oh, all right,” Grandfather growled and stormed out of the dining room.
Tension filled the large space, making it impossible to breathe comfortably, but Shane didn’t care. He’d gone his whole life not knowing these people even existed, yet they knew he did. His mother reached out more than once, and they didn’t care. At least Grandfather. Uncle Grady did the best he could, and for that, Shane would forever be indebted to him.
“Here.” Grandfather handed him a folded piece of paper.
Shane reluctantly took the letter in hand and unfolded it. The familiar handwriting punched at his heart, and he held back a stinging sadness that burned his throat.
I write to you now as a mother about to leave her only child in the world with little to no family. Other than my uncle in Portugal, Shane has no family to speak of—except that he does. He has an entire family he doesn’t know exists…an entire family who doesn’t know he exists. It is my dying wish that you push aside whatever malice you have in your heart toward me and open your arms to your grandson. Give him the family he could have only dreamed of, a chance to get to know you, the mother of the father he never met. Share with him stories I couldn’t because I simply didn’t know. Share your love because he will share it right back.
