“It would indeed,” Meany murmured, his voice trailing into a thoughtful hum. He glanced out at the gray sky. “Probably why that sweet lady and her young brother haven’t been around.”
Emil’s jaw tensed. He glanced at the tie line, now pinned beneath Meany’s hand like a leash. So much for a guilt-free conversation.
“Aha,” Meany said lightly. “So that’s the reason for the flagellation.”
Emil gave him a look, but didn’t answer. Instead, he let his gaze drift pointedly to the pale calves suspended over the water. “Aren’t you freezing?”
Meany grinned, but let him change the topic. “Course I am. But I found it helps me prepare for the plunge.”
Emil eyed the gently lapping water and shivered. “How the hell do you swim in weather like this?”
“Simple. If I don’t swim every day, I’ll never swim again.”
“I suppose that’s one way to see it.”
Meany shrugged. “Plenty of us thought that way back in Ireland. The sea is cold, even in summer. You either get in, or you don’t.”
“Do you miss Ireland?”
“Sometimes. Did I ever tell you why I left?”
“Come to think of it, no, you haven’t.”
Meany blew out a breath and stared into the distance. “Times were tough back home. Very tough. My da worked land he’d never own, no matter how many seasons he broke his back over it. And the landlord—greedy bastard—kept raising the rent, like we were made of coin.”
Emil grimaced in sympathy. He’d seen firsthand how much Olive struggled—no, no. He mustn’t think about Olive. This was about Seán. He dragged his attention back to the story.
“I went to Dublin to try and earn a few extra pounds. Thought I could help from there. But no matter how much I sent home, it was never enough. Every other day, there’d be a letter—cows sick, da’s cough was getting worse, mammy feeling worn down. Truth be told, I started dreading the sight of the post.
“Then there was my girl, Moira. Lord, she was beautiful. Eyes like Miss Becket’s, now that I think on it. She lived on the farm east of ours. All she wanted was to marry me and together raise a load of children. But how could I bring children into the world if I couldn’t feed them? If there was nothing in the cupboard but worry? I loved her, I did, but the weight of it all…the farm, the family, the future…it was too much. I started dreaming of ways I could live the way I wished. So I left. Got on a boat to America and didn’t look back.”
Emil’s breath was trapped in his chest. He didn’t like the story. Not because it was tragic—but because it felt too familiar. Too easy. What had happened to Moira? To Meany’s parents? Did they suffer? Survive? Was one person’s freedom worth the pain it caused others? How could Meany live with himself knowing he’d taken the easy way out?
How could he live with himself, knowing he’d done the same to Olive?
The silence stretched between them. Emil stared out at the gray chop of the lake, his stomach churning. Finally, he glanced at Meany. He had to know.
“You really left them all? No regrets?”
“No, you damned fool.” Meany rolled his eyes. “I packed them all up and put them on the ship with me. The captain himself married me and Moira. We never managed to have the children she wanted, but we were together seventeen years before she passed. Best decision I ever made.”
“You ass,” Emil muttered once he was able to speak.
Meany guffawed. “Go fix your life, my young friend. Me? I’m going for a swim.” He clambered to his feet, turned his back, and loosened his belt.
“Now Meany, wait a minute?—”
He was shocked into silence as the smallest, most wrinkly behind he’d ever seen disappeared into the lake. A moment later, Meany resurfaced with a loud whoopee!
“You could have had the decency to untie me first.”
“The sea waits for no man.” Meany ducked his head under, as graceful as a sea otter. “Join me. The water’s perfect.”
“Not on your life.” Shaking his head with a low chuckle, Emil grabbed hold of the deck and pulled himself up to the cleave. “You’ve inflicted enough damage for one morning.”
“Suit yourself.” With a salute, Meany doggy paddled his way around the deck.
“See you around, Seán.”
