I can’t seem to wrap my head around what my mother just said.
The man was like a second father to me.
How many times did I sit at his dinner table with Penn? How many nights did I spend out in his backyard around a fire? How many mornings out on the docks or helping on one of his boats? And while I haven’t seen him since I left seven years ago, I’ve never stopped considering him family.
“When?” I croak. “How?”
“Heart attack. About nine months ago.”
“Nine months?’ I openly gape at her. “And you’re just now telling me?”
“You were already having such a hard go of things. I didn’t want to add to that. Besides, you hadn’t seen him in years.”
“That doesn’t mean I didn’t want to know. I could have come to his funeral.”
“We both know you wouldn’t have,” she says, a hint of apology in her voice, like she knows the blow hits hard and true, even if I wish it didn’t.
I don’t respond, knowing she’s right. I wouldn’t have come home. I’m not entirely sure anything would have brought me back here when I still felt like I had other options.
“How is everyone? Mary? The boys?”
“They’re getting by. Walker is finishing up his last year at college. Alec took over as captain of one of his father’s fishing boats and he also helps Penn, who took over the company when Henry passed.”
“Wait, what?” I’m sure she can see the surprise that is no doubt written all over my face. “Penn Kade? Running his father’s business? The boy who only cared about his motorcycle and doing everything in his power to disappoint his father? That Penn Kade?”
“The very same.” She nods, eyeing my untouched stew, which prompts me to pick up my spoon and take a tentative bite.
It’s delicious, of course, but the wheels in my head are turning at such a rapid speed, I barely taste anything at all.
“You’ve been gone a long time, London.” She gently reminds me. “A lot has changed.”
“Clearly, if Alec is a fishing boat captain and Penn has taken over his father’s business. He hated everything to do with the fishing industry. In fact, he swore vehemently that he’d never follow in his father’s footsteps.”
“As I said, a lot has changed.”
“I would say so,” I grumble, forcing myself to take another bite, my hunger long since dissipating.
“Eat up.” My mother stands, touching my shoulder as she does. “Your father will be home soon, and there will be plenty of time to catch up on everything you’ve missed since you’ve been gone.” She makes her way back to the stove.
I force down the rest of the stew in silence, resisting the urge to ask my mother a million more questions where Penn Kade is concerned. I swore to myself that when I left, that was it. Penn Kade would no longer be in my life. I wouldn’t talk to him, about him, or even think of him if I could help it.
Not because we had a bad breakup; we didn’t. In fact, he was even more understanding than I thought he’d be. And I think that was the problem. He didn’t fight for me. Didn’t even try to change my mind. The sad thing is, if he had, I might have stayed, which is precisely why I left as abruptly as I did. Because if he had changed his mind and asked me to stay, I would have. I would have given up everything for him...
CHAPTER TWO
Penn
“Well, she took on more damage than I realized.” Randy scratches the back of his head, looking over the hull of The Mary Time, one of the older ships in rotation, named after my mother. She was one of my father’s first and while she’s been on her last leg for quite some time, I’ve been hesitant to scrap her. Though after last week’s storm, I might not have a choice.
“Don’t tell me what I already know, Rand. Tell me what it’ll cost.”
“More than you want to pay.”
“What’s your recommendation then?”
“If she were mine, I’d scrap her and sell her for parts. You’ve got more than enough ships to carry the load and this one...” He gestures around. “I’m afraid she’s going to cost more money than she’s worth.”
I squeeze my nape in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure building at the back of my skull, threatening to bloom into a full-blown headache.
