Summer on Kendall Farm(71)
Jace listened silently, forcing away any sympathy he had as unworthy of this man who looked so much like thier implacable father.
“Then, when I was in North Carolina, I met a guy who knew of a job,” Sheldon said. “I went to ask about it and I got it. I clean barnacles off the hulls of pleasure boats.”
Jace wasn’t sure he’d heard right. “You do what?”
“I take care of boats at a marina. Repair and repaint them if needed.”
Jace opened his mouth, but said nothing.
“I know. It’s menial work,” Sheldon said. “I live in a bungalow on the beach and I read a lot of library books.”
Jace’s eyes must have betrayed his feelings.
“Don’t feel sorry for me. I’m happy, probably for the first time in my life. Oh, I was happy with Laura, more so than I ever thought I would be, but we were caught up in material things, thought nothing could touch us. Not until she died and I moved away did I understand what both joy and sadness could be.”
“And you came to tell me this?”
Sheldon nodded. “Audrey, she’s a friend in North Carolina, teaches kindergarten, it was her suggestion that I contact you.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Nothing,” he said. “You’re the main reason I came, but there is another one. It’s for me. I couldn’t go on living with the way I had treated you.”
“So you’re absolved now?” Jason asked, leaning forward in his chair. “A four-hundred-mile trip and a few words negate the years of abuse I took from you and dad?”
Sheldon was shaking his head. “Nothing will absolve that. From me or from father. Neither you nor I can change it. What we can do is choose to understand it. Or not.”
“Suppose I choose not?” Jace asked.
“That’s your right. I hope you don’t. I’d like us to be friends or at least stay in touch with each other. But if that isn’t possible, I will, of course, accept that. Most of what happened to you was my fault. I’m willing to take the blame.”
“You’re going to play the martyr.” Jace chuckled. “That is what you do. You rode around on your horse as if you were king of all you surveyed.”
“And you raced through the countryside on horseback or in a car terrorizing all who came in contact with you.” Sheldon stopped and took a long breath. “I apologize. I’m not here to resurrect old wounds. I only wanted to tell you I’m sorry.”
Sheldon stood up. “I’ll leave now. It was good to see you. Ms. Ashton tells me you have a son. Congratulations.”
Emotions Jace had never known warred inside him. He watched his half brother head for the door. Why should he feel anything but contempt for him? Yet he felt sorry. He wanted to believe Sheldon. He’d always wanted him to change, to accept him. Now it seemed he was offering friendship and Jace was rejecting it. What should he do? What would Kelly think?
Sheldon had his hand on the doorknob when Jace asked, “Do you want to meet him?”
* * *
“THE CHANDELIER WAS brought over from Europe during the Victorian period,” Amy, the tour guide, spoke to her group as they looked up at the ballroom ceiling. “It’s made of both straight and a rare curved crystal.”
As soon as Ari saw Jace, he abandoned the tour guide and rushed to his father. Amy looked up and recognized his brother. Jace smiled and she nodded.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is a rare pleasure.” Amy turned and opened her arm to include the newcomers to the group. “This is Mr. Sheldon Kendall, the former owner of Kendall Farm.”
Jace heard the intake of breath from the group when Sheldon was introduced. “And this is my brother, Jason Kendall,” he said. The fact that Sheldon introduced him as his brother wasn’t lost on Jace. He’d always referred to Sheldon as his half brother.
“Do you guide any of the tours?” a woman in the audience asked.
Sheldon answered before Jace could say anything. “No, ma’am. I live in North Carolina now.”
Jace wondered if Sheldon was saving him from an awkward moment. Their talk earlier had alleviated some of their hostility. Jace no longer hated his brother, but he didn’t love him either, not with the unconditional love that families should have for one another. But a lot of the weight on his shoulders seemed to be gone.
“Go on with the tour,” Jace said. “We’ll take Ari.” Cupping the boy’s hand, the two men walked away from the group.
Jace led Ari through the kitchen where he picked up a small bottle of orange juice and a straw. He handed it to the boy. Then they went out on the back porch. He sat down on a wicker sofa and pulled Ari against him. Ari opened the orange juice and drank. Sheldon sat across from them.