Sheldon looked away. She was right. He did want to contact his brother to try to make amends.
“I don’t think I can just apologize and our past antagonism will up and disappear. There’s a lifetime of bad blood between us, which I caused.”
Audrey took his arm. Her fingers moved down until she reached his hand, which she caught and held. “Nothing is ever that absolute. Even if you don’t make amends with your brother, you’ll be better for trying. It’s up to you. If attempting to explain your actions because not doing it is holding your stomach in knots, then they will never go away until you do something about it.”
Sheldon pulled her arm through his and the two continued walking. Instead of him taking her to her porch, he passed it and continued to the bungalow where he’d lived for the past eight months.
The place was only three rooms and a bath. Sheldon kept it neat, he didn’t have much. He swept daily, cleaned his dishes and made his bed.
“Have a seat,” he said when she came inside. “I have iced tea or I can make coffee or there’s bottled water.” Sheldon didn’t have any alcohol. He’d given it up for a lot of good reasons. “What can I get you?”
“Iced tea would be good,” she said.
Sheldon poured two glasses of tea and set them on the small table in the kitchen. While Audrey drank hers, he retrieved the envelope with Jason’s name on it. Both of them looked at the letter. Audrey said nothing. The only sound in the room was their breathing. Outside, Sheldon heard the marina water lapping against the pier and the gentle bobbing of boats as they rose and fell with the ever shifting bay.
Sheldon slid his finger under the flap and opened the envelope. Inside was a single sheet of paper. He pulled it out and read it, then passed it to Audrey who read it, too.
Sheldon moved to the window and looked out on the marina.
I’m back. I live at the Kendall. Why are you looking for me?
One line, three sentences. That was all he said. The words gave him no indication of anything about Jason.
“He doesn’t say much,” Audrey said.
“That’s the way it was with us. If we weren’t arguing, we weren’t saying anything at all.”
“Are you going to answer his question?” Audrey asked.
“I don’t know. I wrote the note to the Kendall, but to be truthful I thought it was a waste of time. I didn’t expect an answer. When the reply came, I thought Jason would say something other than he was living at the farm.”
“I know you need to think on this and you need to make a decision,” Audrey said. “I have to check on Christian.”
Sheldon knew she had a sitter and a promised return time. “I’ll walk you home.” Sheldon escorted her to her house in silence. His mind was on Jason and the glory days of his past. It hurt to think of them now. Not because of his circumstances, but because he wished he’d been the man he was today back then.
Outside Audrey’s door, she said, “Have you thought of returning? Looking your brother in the face and telling him how you feel?”
Sheldon stared at her. “I’ve thought of it,” he said. Then he said good-night and turned to walk back.
He knew the decision he needed to make. He had to confront Jason and work out whatever was necessary, if Jason would even allow it. If he didn’t, Sheldon would accept that.
But it was a task that had to be done.
* * *
THE DAY BEFORE the first wedding ever to be held at the Kendall was filled with activity. Kelly didn’t have time to think of her feelings much. She was too busy directing the preparations—the placement of tables and chairs, making sure everything was in order. Kelly had been lucky enough to find a hotel selling its old tables, chairs and parquet dance flooring. She could handle parties up to three hundred, which is what the ballroom would hold. The wedding consultant arrived and with the small army of temps Kelly had on hand, they transformed the ballroom into a reception hall. All the tables and chairs were covered in white. The chairs had huge bows on their backs. The color scheme for the napkins was blush and hot pink. Tomorrow the florist would deliver the centerpieces and bouquets for the wedding party.
The bride wanted to use the main staircase for the procession and photos. The baker would arrive with the cake and the caterers would take over the kitchen right after breakfast. When everything was done and Kelly was finally alone, she put her feet up to rest her ankle, which had swollen again.
Now that her mind had a chance to slow down, her thoughts returned to Jace and Ari. Despite the pain in her leg, she grabbed her cane and went to the horse barn. The horses always made her feel closer to them. She went to the mare Jace had ridden and rubbed his nose.