question. “Meaning?”
“Meaning, that with the lawyers they could afford, the outcome may have been worse for Jesse. He had huge medical bills for years, and he was able to get the finest procedures available at that time. He may not have had that if they had gone to court.”
“I see what you mean.” Angela nodded.
“Even better than that, Senator Perry—at the urging of his son, Travis—threatened the boys with a lawsuit for all the pain and suffering they had caused.” Willow smiled as Angela’s mouth hung open. “Well, the fathers knew that would mean all the details of that night would come out, including what they had done to protect their sons from punishment.”
“What happened?” Angela was transfixed.
Willow answered, a big smile on her face. “Senator Perry sued them, on behalf of Jesse, for five million dollars.”
“Oh, my, gosh!” Angela’s eyes bulged. “Five million dollars.”
“Not quite the end of the story.” Willow Held up her index finger while she chewed. “They settled out of court for two point three million.”
“Yes.” Angela gave Willow a high five. She wished Ryan were here. He was not going to believe this. “Justice shall be done.”
“It was well deserved.” Willow gazed at the water thinking back. “Jesse wanted to buy Mama a new house or build her one where hers stands now to help make up for all she’d been through. He wanted to make her life better. But she wouldn’t have it. She told him in no uncertain terms to just do all the repairs, but don’t change a thing. ‘This is where I keep all my memories, the good and the bad. Life is made up of both, you know. If there were no bad memories, how could we truly appreciate the good? This is our home. It doesn’t get any better than that’. Mama Grace always did have a way with words.”
After their moment of jubilation, Angela laid her fork down while she tried to digest this new information. Jesse was a successful statesman? Then why live and work at her house? She mentally shook the confusion from her brain. “And Jesse works for me. He has for years. Why?”
“Why does he work as a caretaker?” Willow finished for her.
“Exactly.”
“That was my question.” Willow took a sip of her water maneuvering around a fresh lemon wedge. “Here’s Jesse’s answer in a nutshell, #1. It’s a quiet place to work, #2. As groundskeeper it requires him to get plenty of fresh air and exercise, instead of sitting at his desk, #3. The ocean water is good therapy for his leg, and #4. He gets paid for being there. It’s a win-win!”
“But still, he doesn’t have a wife, or anyone,” Angela pushed her agenda ahead, “to share his life with.”
“He’s dated quite a bit, off and on.” Willow shrugged. “He says he hasn’t found the right one. Back in the day, he was married to his work.” Her brow furrowed in thought. “I didn’t know he was still pining over Olivia. I just assumed after forty years he’d managed to put that behind him.”
“He hasn’t.” Angela sipped her drink.
“Wow.” Willow sighed aloud. “Maybe he does need to face it, bury it once and for all.”
“Soooo, should I tell him what I’m doing, or wait until I’ve talked to Olivia?”
Willow gave her a long, thoughtful, look. “I don’t know Angela. But, whatever you decide, you have my blessings.”
Angela had been watching Jesse through the window while he’d rested under the banyan tree at the edge of her property. It stood watch over Wishing Beach, the glorious stretch of coastline that never seemed to gather seaweed—even in the violent storms that raged during hurricane season. Wishing Beach stayed pristine.
Beneath the branches of the massive banyan, Jesse folded his hands. Angela straightened. Almost a prayer posture on the jean clad caretaker who’d become one of her dearest friends. Was Jesse wishing? What would he wish for?
Angela knew what she’d wish for right now. Answers about Olivia. Why had Olivia gone without a word? Had she been forced? The answers were for Angela, but they were also for Jesse whom she knew had never really made peace with the disappearance of the girl he’d loved.
She’d be crazy to believe that traveling around the globe to get answers from a woman he’d known for one summer could somehow change the world for him, but in her heart of hearts, that’s what Angela believed she’d be doing.
A secondary voice assured her she was setting them all up for a