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Jace’s mouth fell open in shock. “Seriously?”
“Dead serious. Do you have any idea what it costs me to bring plumbers out from the mainland every time I need one?”
“Ah, no, but I have a feeling it’s not cheap, knowing the usual hourly rate.”
“Not cheap at all. It’ll be cheaper to have you on the payroll than to bring people out when needed. My company is booming. We’re booked two years out as well. Having my own plumber will be a lifesaver. If you’re interested, that is.”
“God, yes, I’m interested, but, um, you know I’m on parole, right?”
“I do.”
“And that doesn’t matter?”
“Not unless you plan to break the law. Then it would matter very much.”
“I’ll never go back to the life I was leading before I was locked up. You have my word on that.”
Mac extended his hand to Jace. “That’s all I need. Welcome to McCarthy Construction. You can stop by the office in town, and Julia will help with the paperwork.”
Jace had a massive lump in his throat when he shook Mac’s hand. “You’ll never know what this means to me.”
“I’m looking forward to working with you. I’d also be happy to support your efforts to get licensed. Just tell me what you need, and we’ll make it happen.”
“That would be…” Jace couldn’t speak for a second. “Getting licensed would be incredible, and I want you to know you can ask me to do anything you need, not just plumbing. I’ll do whatever.”
“I appreciate that attitude. You’ll fit right in with my close-knit group of cousins and longtime friends. We do what it takes to get the job done.”
“That sounds great. When do you want me to start?”
“Would Monday be too soon?”
“Ah, no, but I need to give some notice to the Beachcomber. They’ve been good to me.”
“You tell me when you’re free and clear, and we’ll make it work.”
“Thank you again, Mac. You’re changing my life with this opportunity.”
“And you’re saving mine. I’ve been needing a plumber for years.”
They walked back to the trucks and parted company with another handshake.
Jace drove home feeling stunned by the turn of events. He’d landed a full-time job that would pay the kind of money he needed to really get his life together. He couldn’t wait to text Darrell, his probation officer, with an update about the latest developments. Soon, he’d pick up his sons from school and spend the evening with them and Cindy and her family. If life had ever been better than this, he couldn’t recall a time.
As he approached the island cemetery, he glanced at the clock, saw he had an hour until pickup and hung a left into the entrance, following the path to Lisa’s grave he’d taken with Seamus. He put the truck in Park and shut off the engine, sitting for a minute before he got out to visit her resting place.
Since there was no one else in the cemetery, he felt comfortable taking a seat on the grass. He wrapped his arms around his knees. “Hey, Lisa, it’s me Jace. I bet you’re surprised to see me here on Gansett. I’ve got to admit… You didn’t make it easy to find you or the boys when I got out, but I suppose that was intentional. You didn’t want me to find you, and I don’t blame you for that. I hate what I put you through… I never intended to leave you alone to raise the boys.”
He brushed a hand across his face, stunned by the sudden flow of tears that talking to her unleashed. “I made such a mess of everything. When I got the divorce and custody papers in prison, I signed them without even reading them. I didn’t blame you for wanting to be free of me and my never-ending drama. You tried to tell me so many times that Jess and I were heading for big trouble, but I didn’t listen. I wish I’d listened to you. Jess would still be here, and none of this would’ve happened. You deserved so much better than what you got from me. When I heard about you getting sick and passing away… I was heartbroken for you and the boys. I’m so, so sorry you went through that alone. I should’ve been there for you, and I’m devastated that I wasn’t.”
Jace dropped his chin onto his folded arms, using his shirt sleeve to wipe away more tears. “The boys are doing great with Seamus and Carolina. They’re wonderful kids. You did the best job with them. And don’t worry, I’m not going to mess up the arrangement you made for them. We had to tell them who I am, and that went better than I expected. They had a lot of questions, but I was truthful with them about where I was and why I wasn’t around. I wish I hadn’t had to tell them those things, but I’ve learned to own my mistakes and to learn from them. I’m putting my life back together, Lisa, and I’m going to be there for our boys. Seamus and Carolina are their parents now, but I want to be a friend to them, and so far, that’s going well.”
He brushed some dirt off her stone and pulled a few weeds around the edges. “I’d give everything to be able to look you in the eyes and apologize for what I did. But since I can’t do that, I really hope that wherever you are, you can hear me, and you know how truly sorry I am. I never stopped loving you or the boys, Lisa. I’ll come by to see you once in a while and tell you how the boys are doing.”
As he stood to leave, he looked down at her stone for a long time before he walked back to the truck, feeling strangely cleansed by the one-sided conversation. It’d felt good to share his remorse with her, even if it had tempered some of the elation that came from landing a new job.
Back in the truck, he put through a call to Dan Torrington, who answered on the second ring. “Hi, this is Jace Carson. I was, um, married to Lisa Chandler.”
“Ah, okay. What can I do for you, Jace?”
