Vivian inhaled, feeling her chest ache a little as she thought again about Frank's betrayal and the way he had tried to fix it.“You remember that Frank left a lot of gambling debts when he passed, right?”
Terrence nodded, his frown of concern deepening. “Are there more debts that you didn't know about?”
“No.” She shook her head, realizing that the situation could indeed be much worse. “Thankfully, it's actually the opposite. I found a shoe box absolutely stuffed with money. There are thousands of dollars in it. There was also a note from Frank, making it clear that he had been storing the money, hoping to pay off all of his debts at once.”
Terrence’s jaw dropped for one moment before he quickly clicked it shut again. He was silent for a few moments, and then he simply said, “Well.”
Vivian found herself chuckling over his reaction. “It is a lot to take in,” she agreed. “And I know it’s not a bad thing, not ultimately—it’s good that he was trying to fix what he’d done. And of course, suddenly finding out you have a lot of money isn’t exactly a bad thing either, although I have no idea what to do with it. It’s just that I have such conflicted emotions about the whole thing. It’s another thing he didn’t tell me. I wish he’d trusted me, I wish he’d –”
She stopped speaking, feeling tears spring into her eyes. She quickly blinked them back, but Terrence noticed them. He reached across the table and took her hand, stroking her thumb gently.
“It’s okay,” he assured her. “Your feelings are valid, even if you aren’t sure what they are yet.”
She laughed, feeling grateful for him and realizing that was exactly what she’d needed to hear. “I appreciate that he tried to get the money, and that he worked so hard to repair the damage he’d done. That means a lot to me. But I also feel angry that he never told me about any of it—finding out about his secrets was bad enough, but we almost lost the pub. All the while the moneywe needed was sitting up there in the attic, but I didn’t know that it was there because he never told me.” She inhaled and let out a long sigh, releasing some of her frustration along with it.
“That’s a lot for you to process.” Terrence’s expression was compassionate. “I never met Frank, but it’s clear from the way the children talk about him that he was a good man who loved you all very much. I know he failed you, and I’m sorry things happened the way they did, but I don’t want you to feel as though this erases everything good that he was in your life.”
“You’re right.” She smiled gratefully at him. “I just want to remember Frank as the loving father of my children, but –” Her emotions swelled up again, uncontrollable. “But finding out that he’d been gambling behind my back was challenging enough—and now knowing that we could have been saved so much worry if he’d simply shared his money-saving plan with me—” She shook her head, biting her lip. “That just drove the knife in deeper, in spite of the fact that he was trying to do good.”
“The shock and the pain of all this will fade with time. And you don’t have to experience this alone,” he reminded her. “The first thing you need to do is share this news with your children. They deserve to know, even though it will be difficult for them too, and they can help you process the news.”
“You’re right. I feel nervous about it, but I also think it’s the right thing to do. Can—can I ask a favor of you?”
“Of course.” He leaned forward, her knight in cotton armor ready to protect her.
“Would you be there with me while I tell them?”
He squeezed her hand, nodding. “Of course I will be, if you want me to be.”
“I would definitely appreciate it.” She smiled at him, wondering how to express to him how much his steady, reassuring presence meant to her.
“Here’s your eggs benedict!” Their waitress appeared, holding two steaming plates of food. “Is there anything else I can get for you?”
“No, that should be everything,” Terrence said politely, after glancing at the napkin holder and noting that there were plenty of napkins left in it. “Thank you very much.”
“Sure thing.” The waitress smiled and departed, and Vivian felt as if a cloud had been lifted from their conversation. They ate their first few bites of the delicious food, and then their talk turned to other, more cheerful subjects, such as baby Quinn.
I know I’ll have to tell my children soon,she thought,but I’m so thankful that I’ll have this faithful man by my side.
She and Terrence continued to enjoy their meal together, and her heart felt significantly lighter than it had before.
CHAPTER FOUR
Faith half-closed her eyes as she felt a delicious gust of wind brush against her face. She was strolling along the sidewalks of Rosewood Beach, on her way to the McCormick Brewery to meet her boyfriend Ryan there.
She felt lighthearted and excited to see him, but at the back of her mind she felt a slight twinge of trepidation. She could always sense a slight tension from Ryan’s family whenever she was at the brewery because of her connection to the Owens family. The McCormicks had a troubled history with the Owens and The Lighthouse Grill, and the fact that Judd McCormick was responsible for the trouble didn’t seem to make them any less prickly whenever the Owens were mentioned. They acted as though the Owens family owed them something, probably because Judd had once been determined to buy The Lighthouse Grill, and he’d never gotten over the fact that he’d been unable to. He’d tried to put them out of business, but he was still the one with a chip on his shoulder.
Faith sighed as she tucked her hands into the deep pockets of her floral dress. At least Ryan wasn’t the way the rest of his family was—he was open-hearted and generous, and quick to emphasize with the needs of others. And she could see thatthe McCormicks had been letting go of their resentment of the Owens family—admittedly slowly, but it was happening. It had been a long time since Judd had tried to undermine the Owens in any way, and Faith felt confident that the days of him doing so were over.
She smiled, knowing that her relationship with Ryan was a major part of that shift. Now that Ryan was associated with the Owens family, Judd seemed to have let go of his feud with the Owens, even if he hadn’t entirely let go of his resentment yet.
They’re all kind to me, though,she thought, reminding herself to stay optimistic.They like me, and I know they’d like the rest of my family, too, if they ever spent any real time with them. I’m sure things will continue to get better and better.
She arrived at McCormick Brewery a few moments later. There were about a dozen cars in the parking lot, which wasn't all that many, considering the size of the indoor eating area where food and beverages were served. In addition to the indoor seating area, there was also a modern but charming patio adjoining the parking lot which was nearly empty of customers. Faith bit her lip, thinking to herself that perhaps the reason why Judd McCormick had been so set on bringing down the Owens family was because his own business was struggling.
She pushed open the front doors and took a deep breath of the cool, savory-smelling air. It was clear that cheeseburgers were roasting on a grill in the kitchen and her stomach growled when she sniffed the greasy, flavorful scent of the cooking beef. The customers sitting at tables in the restaurant area were talking and laughing quietly. She looked around for Ryan, since he had promised to meet her at the entrance when she arrived, but she didn't see him anywhere.
I wonder what held him up?she thought to herself. She pulled out her phone, but there wasn't a text message from him or a missed call.
