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Watched his father patiently untangle fishing lines for his grandchildren. Watched his mother make the rounds, checking that every camper had what they needed. Watched his brothers mercilessly tease one another while repairing a broken dock.
And nobody called her out as the woman who had broken his heart.
She’d managed to remain just another guest.
That changed on her last day.
Millie’s bark alerted her to a visitor.
Felicity peered through the open van door, rubbing a towel over her damp hair. She’d made use of the campground shower — a large, gloriously no-water-limit shower — to wash her hair.
Ronan’s father crouched low, giving Millie a rub behind the ears.
“Mr. Murphy?”
The man straightened. “Afternoon, darlin’.
Felicity dropped the towel over her shoulder and descended the steps, the other two pugs waddled down their ramp to storm the visitor.
Her bill was settled, and she intended to get an early start in the morning.
So why was the man here?
He pointed to the bench facing the river. “You mind sittin’ with me a while?”
And Felicity knew.
He knew who she was.
Knew her connection to his son.
She swallowed. “What gave me away?”
His eyes crinkled as he nodded toward the dogs. “The ladies.”
Right.
“Bring a wrap. Nora always complains about the breeze off the water as the sun sets.” With that, he turned and strolled toward the wooden bench overlooking the river as though he’d already won.
Felicity bristled at the assumption that she would follow.
Just like his son.
Yet she joined him anyway, a lightweight jacket pulled over her.
Curiosity overrode irritation. “Who else knows? About me. Ronan.”
“Just me, darlin’.”
She sat, arms folded, watching him from the corner of her eye.
“He was here last month,” Duncan Murphy said. “For his birthday.”
“Oh.”
“Hmm.” He studied the river for a moment. “I could see somethin’ was troublin’ him. So, we sat and talked till late one night.” A small smile tugged at his mouth. “Now that I think about it, it was right here. On this very bench.” He turned his head to look at her. “That’s where my son poured out his heart about his Lissy-love.”
Oh.