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“I just want to understand more about it. And I want to hear his stories about my mom. I want to know what 1979 was like for him. But his wife, his children... all of that was going on at the same time. It’s obvious that it wasn’t a very happy time for him. Decisions were made that impacted all of our lives and continue to impact our lives,” Elise continued.
Wayne nodded. “I always knew Mandy.”
“Mandy?”
“His wife,” Wayne said.
“Oh.”
“She was kind. Genuine. Considerate. I don’t know. Maybe they weren’t perfectly compatible, but is anyone?” Wayne said.
Elise continued to stare down at her beer. “What happened to her?”
“She died from a stroke about two years ago,” Wayne said. “I remember it because Anna and I had just ended whatever it was we had, and I saw her at the funeral, and she wouldn’t talk to me. Her son, Alex, did the eulogy, and she was buried in the Mackinac cemetery. Dean invited me to their house afterward. I remember watching him, seated at his piano, staring out the window. When I went up to say goodbye, because I wanted to go, he said, ‘You’re probably the only person I know who understands this right now. This feeling like a part of your body has been ripped out of you, and there’s no way you can take it back.’”
Wayne bit hard on his lower lip.
Was Wayne a widower?
Was this why Wayne had become such a playboy for those years?
Because he was grieving, and he didn’t know how to handle his own emotions?
“We met a few times after that,” Wayne continued, without explaining further. “He wanted that kind of support. We went hiking, played with his dog, went sailing. Alex was a little bit jealous of it all, but I think he was also just grateful that somebody else managed to handle his father’s mental health while he continued to manage the properties.”
Elise pressed hard on her forehead. “That was kind of you. I’m sure he really needed a friend.”
Wayne shrugged. “I needed one, too.”
Elise turned to face him. The tension between them was insane.
Kiss him.
Right after he half-confessed, he’s a widower?
Who cares! Kiss him!
But she couldn’t. The night had gotten too heavy.
“Thank you again for letting me stay here,” Elise said. “Apparently, Dean has booked me a new room in a bed and breakfast, but he forgot to give me the key. I’m sure I’ll be out of your hair tomorrow.”
Wayne lost a bit of the light from his eyes. “It’s been a pleasure to host you. Even if you eat rabbit food almost exclusively.”
Elise chuckled and sipped her beer. Silence fell over them. Wayne reached for the remote and flicked through the channels until he found an old movie Elise hadn’t seen in over twenty years. Princess Bride.
“My ex-husband loved this movie,” Elise said. “We used to watch it when we were in college, in that stupid rickety bunk bed.”
Wayne turned back to face her. His eyes were difficult to read.
“I don’t know what he did to you, but whatever it was, you definitely didn’t deserve it,” he said.
The words were so heavy.
Elise was completely awestruck.
But before she could answer, Wayne lifted his bandaged hand and said, “Shoot. I need to change this out.” He hustled toward the bathroom, placing his beer on the coffee table as he went.
Elise sat in stunned silence, while Wayne puttered around in the bathroom, looking for more bandages.
