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He is a man now, and with each day he grows more and more like his father in not only his appearance, but in his mannerisms, his kind heart, and his love of adventure. Shane is the greatest gift given to me by your son before his untimely passing, and now I hope I can share that gift with you.
As my days near their end, I can’t help but to reflect on the past and question so many choices, conversations, everything really. I’m sorry I couldn’t have gotten to know you. I honestly think we would have gotten along. Maybe even liked each other. If only things were different. If only Shane didn’t leave us so soon.
I can’t do anything about the past, but I can do something about the future. Which is why I beg you… Don’t leave my son without a family.
Truly Yours,
Aurora Sanchez
Tears pressed at the back of his eyes; heat filled his lungs and clogged his throat. Even on her deathbed she worried about him. By the date at the top of the letter, she’d written this less than a week before she died. She knew she didn’t have much longer to live, yet she took that precious time and did what she always did. She tried to make sure he wasn’t alone in life.
His lip quivered, and he dropped the letter on the table. His eyes met Grandfather’s, and he spun away from him and headed to the door. He stopped midway and turned back to the man that denied him for so long. “All she ever wanted from you was for you to believe her. For you to reach beyond the blackness in your heart and accept me. It’s no wonder my father left. I wouldn’t want to be around a miserable, selfish prick either.”
Grandfather glared at him, hard lines cutting deep into the sides of his mouth, showing his deteriorating age. “How dare you speak to me like that in my own home.”
“And that’s your problem. You’re up so high and mighty on your goddamn thrown that no one can say or do anything. Everyone tiptoes around here, so they don’t upset you. Well, thanks to you I’m not a McConnell, so I don’t give a shit what you say or do to me. I’ve already lost everything. I have nothing left.”
“You’re just like your father,” he barked.
The corner of Shane’s mouth tilted. “I know you mean that as an insult, but it’s the only nice thing you’ve ever said to me. I’ll be out of the house tomorrow.”
Shane stormed out of the dining room, unable to look at that man for another second.
Chapter 20
Olivia shifted awkwardly in her chair before jumping up to go after Shane. He was so upset, but on top of that, she had questions of her own.Hospital. Health.
She stopped and faced Mimi. “Thank you for a lovely dinner.”
“Oh sweetie, who are you fooling? This was a goddamn shitshow.” Mimi downed the rest of her martini and slammed her glass down on the table.
“I still appreciate the invitation.” Despite everything, Olivia still couldn’t believe she’d finally stepped foot in the elusive Bayview Estate.
Mimi pushed up from her chair, glared at her husband and stormed out of the room. Olivia smiled to the rest of the table and saw herself out. To think all this time, she considered these people the ultimate dream. In reality, they were filled with secrets and without even realizing it, or maybe they did, they were slowly destroying their family.
Olivia might not have grown up in the big house on the bay, and they might not have owned more than half the town, but her family—as intrusive as they were—would never act toward one another as the McConnells did. They didn’t keep secrets from each other. Her father never spoke about Shane’s father, but only because it pained him too much. The minute Olivia asked him, he told her everything. Despite his own reservations, he told her.
Olivia headed for the door in a hurry to get to Shane and make sure he was okay. Grady McConnell met her at the door.
“Don’t let him leave,” he said. “I just got my nephew back, and I don’t want to lose him.”
Olivia squared her shoulders. “Maybe you should have thought about that years ago. If he leaves that’s his decision, not mine.”
“Do you not want him to stay?”
What kind of question was that? She’d fallen in love with Shane, but she didn’t want him to feel obligated to stay. She already allowed one man to stay in her life out of an obligation. Though it wasn’t as much for her as it was for his career, it still was an obligation no less. If Shane was to stay in Morgan’s Bay that had to be his decision.
“Of course I do. But I also know what it was like to stay in a situation because I was convinced it was the only way to be happy. Because on the surface that was exactly what it seemed, but if I'd just opened my damn eyes for two seconds, I would've realized I wasn't happy. Not at all. And I don’t want that for Shane. I want him to make his own choices. I don’t want to guilt him in to staying. I want him to stay because he simply wants to stay. I can’t make that choice for him and neither can you.”
He rested his hand on her shoulder, an empathetic sadness in his green eyes. “I understand. Still, he needs you right now. Go to him.”
Olivia had every intention of doing just that. She gave Mayor McConnell a nod and hurried out of the house.
She found Shane sitting on the bumper of his car. She went to him, and he looked up at her with such pain in his eyes. “I’m sorry I left you in there.” His voice cracked, and his head bowed, pressing against her stomach. She held him, hugging his head to her and assured him it was okay.
“Hey.” She rested her hand on his chin. “Look at me.”
He glanced up, brownish green eyes locking on hers.
