sea hadn’t changed just because the type of vessel had.
He also discovered that Greg was a remarkable man, whose accomplishments and whose positive outlook on the hand he’d been dealt quickly became an inspiration to Michael. In no time at all, he felt as if he’d found a new life that was worth living. There was just one thing missing—Kelly.
He finally worked up the nerve to call her, only to be told that she was away on an extended vacation. An hour later, Bryan called him back.
“What the hell were you thinking calling here?” he demanded. “You’re the one who made the decision to end things with my sister. Leave her in peace.”
“Is she at peace?” Michael dared to ask. If she was, maybe he didn’t have any right to try to stir things up again. Maybe the love he felt for her, but hadn’t acknowledged in time would never be enough to make things right.
“She’s getting there,” Bryan said.
“Look, I know I made a lot of mistakes,” Michael told him. “I just want a chance to fix things.”
“Fix them how?” Bryan asked skeptically.
The truth was that Michael wanted what they’d once had back. He wanted to marry her, but he was not saying that to Bryan before he had a chance to say it to Kelly. Her reaction was the only one that mattered.
“That’s between Kelly and me.”
“No,” Bryan said flatly. “You’ve done enough to mess up her life. I’m telling you to stay away from her. If our friendship ever meant anything to you, you’ll listen to me and do as I ask.”
“Sorry, man. You know I respect you, but I don’t think I can do that.”
“Dammit, Michael, having you walk out on her devastated her. Isn’t that enough?”
“I want to make it right,” he said again.
“I don’t think that’s possible,” his friend said bluntly. “This vacation she’s on, she went with someone.”
Michael’s heart began to thud dully. “The preppy doctor?”
“I don’t think that’s any of your business. Just stay away from Kelly, or I’ll make you regret it.”
Michael might have laughed, if Bryan hadn’t sounded so deadly serious. The fact that he was willing to resort to violence to protect his sister told Michael volumes about how badly Kelly had been hurt. Heartsick, he sighed heavily.
“I’ll stay away,” he promised at last.
Michael kept his promise to Bryan for weeks, going to work seven days a week, hiding out in his apartment during his little bit of free time. He was getting exactly what he deserved for being such a first-class jerk. Kelly had offered him the sun and the moon, to say nothing of her heart, and he’d thrown it all back in her face.
It was a visit from Ryan and Sean that finally pulled him out of his latest bout with self-pity.
“Okay, bro, we’ve had it,” Sean said. “We’re tired of waiting for you to come to us, so here we are.”
To forestall the pep talk they so clearly intended, Michael offered them beers and some of the large pepperoni pizza that had arrived just ahead of them.
“You’re not getting off the hook that easily,” Ryan said, as he polished off the last piece of pizza. “We came here, in part at least, because we think it’s time to go to Maine and meet Patrick.”
The announcement took him by surprise. “Why now?”
“Because of you,” Sean said.
“Me? What the hell do I have to do with it?” He looked at Sean. “I thought you wanted to put this meeting off till doomsday, if at all possible.”
Sean nodded. “I did till I started seeing how the past is affecting you.”
“Nothing in my life has anything whatsoever to do with the past,” Michael said emphatically.
“I think you’re wrong about that,” Ryan said, just as fiercely. “Unless I’m very much mistaken, you’ve just abandoned a woman you love the same way our parents left us. Maybe it’s not even the first time. Don’t you think, for your own sake, you need answers so you can break the pattern before you spend the rest of your life alone? I certainly needed a wake-up call to get my life on track. So did Sean. Otherwise, we both might have turned our backs on Maggie and Deanna.”
Michael wasn’t interested in their version of pop psychology. “Are you crazy?” he demanded. “Breaking up with Kelly had absolutely nothing to do with the past. If anything, it had to do with the future. It took me a while but I finally got over that. Unfortunately,