“Not quite the luxury yacht I had in mind, but it gets us around the lake. I go fishing with the lads regularly. The lake is teeming with trout and salmon. Ma loves bragging how her fish pie was made with fish I caught on my lake.” I thank God every day for blessing me with an amazing mother. There were times growing up I took her for granted, but never anymore. “Darcy comes sometimes, but she doesn’t quite have the patience required, and her constant chatter alerts the fish to our presence.”
“This is…it’s incredible. Truly, Callan.” She points to the right. “What is that place?”
“That’s Whispering Cottage. A guesthouse. Dara stays there when he visits sometimes.”
“You tore down the inventor’s house.” She stares across the lake at the site where the old house stood.
“I had no choice. It was a safety concern. Originally, I’d hoped I could renovate it and build on to it, but the surveyor exposed several areas of concern, and his recommendation was to tear it down. It’s our fruit, vegetable, herb, and flower garden now.”
“Wow. This is heavenly.” Wispy strands of her hair blow around her face in the soft nighttime breeze. “Darcy is a lucky girl to get to grow up here.”
“She loves it, and she spends every summer day in the water. She was swimming like a pro by the time she was four.” I shove my hands in my jeans pockets to avoid the urge to touch her. “She’s not here, by the way, so we can talk in private. I’m assuming that’s why you’re here.”
She nods. “Roni told me they were taking her to The Big Apple for the weekend with her usual level of subtlety.”
I burst out laughing. “That sounds about right.”
Astrid stares at me as if in a daze.
“What?” I rub at my mouth. “Do I have sauce on my face?”
“No.” She worries her lower lip between her teeth. “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard you laugh like that. I’d forgotten how your entire face lights up.”
“I don’t think I’ve laughed like that since then. For a long time, there weren’t many reasons to smile at all.”
“Not for me either,” she softly says.
“I’m sorry.” I grip my thighs through my pockets, barely resisting the urge to comfort her. She’s still wearing his ring, I have to remind myself, and she’s only here for the truth. “I hate how much you got hurt.”
She looks out across the lake, her eyes following the softly dappled water as it laps lazily at the shore. She turns and looks up at me. “Before we get into it, please tell me how you came to own this place.”
“There’s a bit of a story to it.” I jerk my head to the side, where I have a large patio with a few dining tables and chairs, and some sofas and tables. “How about a drink outside while I tell you? I have white wine or beer or?—”
“White wine is great, and I’m happy to sit outside.”
“Cool. Go take a seat, and I’ll be right out.”
I sprint inside and fix our drinks before walking the length of my downstairs and exiting onto the patio through the gamesroom. Astrid is seated on one of the sofas, facing the lake. “This is the perfect place to entertain,” she says.
“It really is. In the summer, I have family and friends over a lot. We were all here for the Fourth of July.” I offer the wineglass to her. Our fingers brush in the exchange, igniting a flurry of tremors across my hand. Her touch is literally electric.
“Thank you for the invite, but I was still not feeling great.”
I sink onto the couch alongside her. “It’s fine. I understood.” A teeny part of me had hoped she might come, but deep down, I knew she wouldn’t.
“I appreciated the food basket. It was thoughtful and totally delicious.”
We had tons of food, and I’d packaged up a bit of everything and had a guy Uber it to her. I’d have hand-delivered it myself, but she asked me to stay away, and I’m trying to honor her wishes. “I knew you were by yourself, and I wanted you to know we were thinking of you.” That prick didn’t even bother flying home for the holiday.
“It was very much appreciated.”
“How are you doing now?” I ask before lifting the beer bottle to my lips.
“Better.” She sips her wine and looks out over the lake. “Physically, at least. Emotionally, I’m still a little shook up.”
“That’s to be expected when you didn’t know.” Tears build in her eyes, and she looks so lost. I just want to bundle her up and love her with my whole heart so she never feels the things she’s feeling now. “You’ll be okay. Just give yourself time.”
Hearing the news that day in the hospital was a shock to me too. How I wish it had been my baby, and I was the one allowed to take care of her after the loss. I sure as fuck wouldn’t have abandoned her to handle it all alone.
