Colin squeezed Shay’s hand before releasing it; much longer and he’d lose permanent circulation in his fingers. “Sounds like one determined individual.”
“Stubborn.” She laughed some more before taking a sip of her wine. “And a romantic. It was a whirlwind romance. I’d found a job at a flower shop right after we arrived and Finn was working construction with Mickey. But every night he’d arrive with a single wildflower and take me for a walk. We’d talk about everything. Our families—his dad had died during World War II—our dreams for the future, politics, especially the Vietnam conflict.”
Her voice broke. A single tear slid down her cheek, then another, and another.
A moment later she pulled herself together and smiled. “Sorry, you’ll have to forgive a sentimental old woman. We still argue over that damn war. Or we did. Anyway, the situation over there was escalating and more and more troops were being sent to Asia daily. Finn wanted to do his part, like his dad. I told him to wait until they called his number, to give us more time.”
“He didn’t wait, did he, Gram?” Shay reached over and took her grandmother’s hands.
“It was Sunday and we both had the day off. He said he wanted to take me someplace special. So, he picked me up in Mickey’s car and drove over the old wooden bridge to a beach on Marco Island. He laid out a blanket with the perfect picnic lunch and when we finished eating, he knelt in front of me and asked me to marry him. Said he couldn’t live his life without me in it, couldn’t go on another day without knowing he’d get to spend forever with me.”
She released Shay’s hands to hold up her left hand where she still wore her wedding band and the engagement ring with a single diamond. “Of course, I said yes and being young and in love, I didn’t think twice about fully loving him that day. As we lay there after, glowing in our happiness, he told me we’d get married as soon as he got back from boot camp. He shipped out the next day.”
“He tricked you?” Colin asked, shocked that she could love a man who would do such a thing.
“No. They sent him straight from basic to Vietnam. He wrote and promised the first chance he could get home we’d get married. Two months later he was killed in action. He never even knew he was going to be a father.”
“Wait, Gram. Do I have an uncle…or an aunt?”
“No, sweetheart. Finn is John’s father, your grandfather.”
Shay sat up, her back stiff as a board, face devoid of all emotion. This couldn’t be easy on either woman. The grandmother waiting for either the beloved granddaughter’s acceptance or a recrimination of her past and the secret she’d kept. Shay had to be reeling from what she’d probably see as a huge betrayal, because the woman hated secrets and lies with a passion. He knew all too well from their break-up years ago.
“I’ve got to go.” Shay stood up and smoothed the front of her dress. “I really need to leave. Now. We’ll talk later. I can’t, I just can’t.”
Before Colin could move, she was out the front door and he was left alone with her grandmother. He stood up and Mrs. O’Malley put a hand out.
“No, give her a minute. She’ll need it to pull herself together.”
Colin sat down, his mind and attention on the woman outside. He wanted to be with her, to wrap her in his arms and take the shock and pain away. To make her laugh and watch her eyes turn dark with passion as she stuck to her guns in waiting, even though he could tell it was the last thing she wanted to do.
“Times were different back then. Unmarried pregnant women were still pariahs in polite company. Mickey didn’t have to marry me, but he did it for Finn, for me and for the baby. We had a good marriage, thirty-three years, and we loved each other.”
“But he’s not the love of your life? Not the spirit who’s been keeping you company?”
“No, that’s my dear sweet, stubborn Finn.” Mrs. O’Malley glanced at the front door, where they could see Shay’s outline through the screen. “John knows the truth. He also knows Mickey loved him like he was his own, just like he loved that girl out there. Tell her that for me and that when she’d ready to forgive me, I’ll be here.”
Colin rose and hesitated. “She doesn’t blame you for loving Finn.”
“Oh, I know, dear.” Mrs. O’Malley took a sip of her wine. “If you love her, Colin, don’t lie to her. And keep that manstick of yours put away until you make her an honest woman.”
Colin choked over his reply. He’d barely made it out the front door before his laughter erupted, only to be cut off short at the sight of Shay crying.
She couldn’t believe he was laughing. What happened to the compassionate man who fought back tears over the mistreatment of wild animals? “I’m so glad you find this situation funny. Maybe you can explain it to me, because I’m having a hard time grasping the humor here.”
On second thought, she didn’t want to know and instead of waiting for his lame reply she walked off to the Jeep.
Forgive.
“Stuff it, Finnegan O’Malley.”
“What?” Colin asked from behind her.
“Nothing. I wasn’t talking to you.” Shay climbed into the Jeep and closed her eyes. “Just take me home, please.”
“Manstick.”
Shay opened one eye. What kind of answer was that? “Excuse me?”
Colin leaned into her space, brushing the pad of his thumb across her cheek. “You asked what was so funny. Manstick. Your grammy told me to keep mine put away. How do you women come up with these names?”
“We sit around in bars and play Name That Euphemism. Here you guys thought all we did was talk about you.”
“Not us, just our equipment.” Colin kissed her and climbed into the driver’s seat.
He let the sound of the wind fill the void as they zipped down the road from her gram’s small house until they came to the sign for the Osprey Inn. “Do you want to talk about what happened back there?”
“No, not really.” She wanted to lose herself. To stroll on the sandy shore and dip her toes in the blue waters of Long Island Sound while gazing at the pink clouds and magnificent sunset of violet, red, and tangerine. If only her mind would let her. “I can’t believe she lied to me all these years.”
Colin parked the Jeep and they walked in silence to her cottage. He took her hand and pulled her down onto the top step next to him, wrapping his other arm around her shoulders. “Don’t be too hard on her. Life was different back then, practically the dark ages for women.”
Shay sighed, knew Colin was right, but it was so much more than how it started or even why. “I don’t care about the whole unwed and pregnant thing. She loved Finn, enough to want to marry him, and even had it been an affair of a different kind, I wouldn’t hold it against her. I’m not exactly a virgin myself.”
“A fact I am very aware of and happy about.” Colin chuckled.
Shay bumped into him to keep him on track. “I get why she’d lie when she and Mickey first got married, especially given the times and her parents’ views. Does my father know? Has he been lying to me all this time too?”