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“Of course. To go is perfect, Heather, thank you,” I said.
Heather made our drinks and put them on the counter, accepted Stephanie’s payment, then gave me a reassuring smile as I followed the other woman out.
I wasn’t looking forwards to this all.
The coffee shop was on the end of the high street closest to the promenade, and Stephanie took a left towards the beach, and I fell into step alongside her.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” I said after a moment of silence.
Shit. I’d already said that, hadn’t I?
Bollocks.
Stephanie sighed, tucking her dark hair behind her ear. “Thank you. Although I admit, I sometimes wonder if I’m sorry myself.”
I didn’t know what to say to that.
“Sorry,” she said. “I’m not quite sure it’s sunk in yet.”
“It’s okay. Grief takes time. You don’t have to do it on anyone else’s schedule.”
She glanced at me. “Your grandfather recently passed, didn’t he? So, you understand. I’m sorry.”
I smiled. “Thank you. It’s not quite the same, but I suppose I do get it. Kind of.” I hesitated. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t understand why you’d like to speak to me.”
We approached the beach, and she sighed again, perching on the wall that separated the promenade from the beach. I followed suit, sitting down a foot or so away from her, and setting my coffee on the wall next to me.
“It’s weird, I know.” She glanced at me before looking out at the water. “He was found at your bed and breakfast, wasn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“By you.”
I nodded. “Unfortunately.”
“I want you to know that I don’t think you did it,” Stephanie said softly, her voice drifting almost as if the words were stringing themselves together. “You had no reason to do anything.”
I pressed my lips together.
“He went to your grandfather’s wake, didn’t he?”
“He made me an offer for the B&B,” I confirmed. “I told him I wasn’t interested, but he was pretty persistent, and it wasn’t the nicest conversation.”
She nodded, still looking out at the water. “I’m not surprised. He’s been after that place for a while, and your grandfather always refused to sell. I think he told Declan he’d report him for harassment if he didn’t stop.”
My lips twitched. That sounded like Grandpa.
“We spoke that day, and he said he hoped he’d get it now your grandpa wasn’t here. I told him not to bother you so soon after his death, but he was a stubborn bastard. I’m so sorry for any pain he might have caused you.”
I reached out to her and touched my fingertips to her knee. “Please don’t worry. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now.”
She looked down at my hand then up at me, a sad smile curving her lips. “I don’t know how to feel. I hated him so much and couldn’t wait to get the divorce over so I could live my life, but he was still my husband. I loved him once.”
“I heard you were divorcing. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You weren’t the one cheating on me and trying to swindle me out of my fair share.” She laughed, but it was hollow, and she finished it on a sigh. “Oh, gosh. I’m sorry, Charlotte. Here I am, a complete stranger, unloading my trauma on you.”
“It doesn’t sound like you’ve got anyone else to do that with,” I said kindly.
