If for Any Reason (Nantucket Love Story #1) - Courtney Walsh Page 0,127
she died—Jack came back. I guess they ran into each other, and he told her everything. Made us out to be the bad guys, of course.”
“That’s what you were arguing about that night.”
Eliza nodded. “She was so angry with us, and as usual, she wouldn’t listen to reason. I don’t know how much you remember, but your mother was hysterical. It was embarrassing, really.”
Embarrassing to whom?
“Grandma, her whole world came crashing down that night,” Emily said, putting the pieces together.
“But everything we did we did for you—for both of you. You must see that. You had a wonderful life because of us.”
“But she didn’t even get to make the choice for herself. You made it for her.”
“Oh, Emily, please. Someday when you have a child, you’ll understand. Kids don’t know what they want. They don’t know what’s best for them.”
Emily shifted. “Losing Jack broke my mom’s heart, Grandma. You broke her heart. I don’t think she ever recovered from that.”
“Well, she would’ve if she’d been alive long enough. Time passes and makes things so clear, Emily. She would’ve seen the woman you’ve grown into and she would’ve known that was because your grandfather and I were in your lives. You’ve never wanted for anything.”
But that didn’t mean she was happy. She’d had things. She’d had a hefty bank account and vacations and culture. She’d grown up in a house fit for a princess. And yet she had wanted for something. For someone. For love. She’d wanted to belong. She’d wanted what Hollis described—a simple life with kids and a dog and a little house that could only be described as “cozy.”
She wanted a family.
Sadness filled Emily’s heart, not only for the love her mother lost, but for the years she’d spent believing her father didn’t want her. And also—surprisingly—for her grandmother, a woman who had no idea that love was often far more important than things. To Grandma, life was about status and money and power and what everyone else thought of you.
It was as if the older woman had never considered there might be more to life than this.
Grandma pivoted in a circle and wrung her hands. “I stand by what we did. It was the best choice for you and your mother. Can you imagine being raised by Jack Walker?”
Maybe Mom would still be here today.
The thought entered Emily’s mind without permission, and she did her best to shove it aside, though the effects of it lingered. She didn’t want to blame anyone else for Mom’s death, but a case could be made that her grandparents’ actions had directly led to the events of that night.
How could she ever forgive them?
“I could just throttle your grandfather,” Grandma said.
“GrandPop? Why?”
The older woman groaned. “He’s the reason Jack Walker is here at all. Your grandfather, in all his wisdom, had a letter sent to the man after he died. Apologized for the way we treated him, as if we were the ones in the wrong. Apparently your grandfather grew soft in his old age.”
“I don’t understand.”
“He told Jack he was leaving the house to you, that if Jack was receiving the letter, Alan had passed away and he should pay attention to Nantucket because that’s where you’d be.”
“He wanted me to meet him . . . ,” Emily said, her voice barely a whisper.
“Yes,” Grandma said. “It would seem so. Never mind that I’m the one left to pick up the pieces of this disaster he set in motion.”
Emily watched as her grandmother walked over to a brand-new cabinet, pulled out a glass, filled it with water, and took a drink. It all seemed methodical, as if Grandma was waiting for Emily to magically understand her point of view. But that wasn’t going to happen. The woman had been lying to Emily her entire life, and now, looking back on the night her mother died, it was hard not to blame her.
Suddenly the air grew thin and Emily found it hard to breathe. The realizations in front of her were too many.
Everything she’d believed had been a lie. And she’d never felt more alone in her life.
CHAPTER 46
EMILY STOOD IN LINE, ferry ticket in her hand, refusing to look back at the island. Instead, she focused on the large boat in front of her as passengers spilled out into the street.
She told herself this wasn’t running. This was self-preservation. She told herself Hollis was all wrong about her, and it was time to start over and put Nantucket behind her