“I don’t believe you,” her mother said, her voice icy.
“The night Josh died—our anniversary, by the way—I was talking about having a baby and he told me he wanted a divorce, that there’d been somebody else in his life for a long time. Does that give you some idea of what a great guy he was?” she asked, bitterness rising to the surface and spilling out.
LeeAnn gasped. She stood up and enveloped Liz in a fierce hug. “That son of a...” She glanced at their mother and edited herself. “That stupid son of a gun.”
Liz almost smiled. Even at a moment like this, they were still fighting for their mother’s often-withheld approval.
“I am so sorry, Liz,” Danielle said, looking genuinely shaken. “You should have told us.”
“Really? When? At the funeral home when everyone was extolling his virtues? Maybe at the cemetery, when I thought for sure his mother was going to throw herself into the grave? Or back at the house when everyone was speaking in low, reverent whispers?”
Danielle flushed with guilt. “No, not then, of course, but after that, or when we were alone together, just the three of us, you, me and LeeAnn. We’re your sisters. We could have listened and given you the kind of support you really needed.”
Liz sighed. “I’m sorry. I guess on some level I was trying to protect Josh’s memory for the people who loved him. Just because I was disillusioned, I didn’t think everyone else needed to be. Besides, I didn’t really have time to come to grips with any of it. Everything happened so fast. He made his big announcement, I tossed him out of the house, and then he died, all within a couple of hours. I was in shock on way too many levels.”
She turned to her mother then to see what her reaction to all of this was. Doris was sitting at the table clutching a cup of coffee with a white-knuckled grip, her complexion pale.
“I knew,” she said, her voice shaking.
Liz stared at her blankly. “Knew what?”
“About Josh seeing someone else. I saw them, more than once. I didn’t want to believe it. Your father was so sure I was imagining things. He had a dozen perfectly reasonable explanations for what I’d seen.” She drew in a deep breath. “Since you seemed so content, I told myself I had to be wrong, that I didn’t have enough proof of anything to risk stirring up trouble for you.”
“You were protecting Josh, not me,” Liz said, her tone flat.
“Absolutely not. I kept quiet because I didn’t have proof. I did it for the sake of your marriage. I was sure if there were problems you’d work them out. You never said a word about any trouble, so I blindly let myself believe there wasn’t any that you couldn’t overcome.”
“If you thought he might be cheating, how could you go on acting as if he were such a saint?” Liz demanded.
“Because I wanted so badly to believe I’d been wrong. I know it doesn’t make sense but I wanted to believe you were truly happy. That’s how you were acting.”
“Then be happy for me now,” Liz pleaded. “Aidan could be the one who can help me to move on. I don’t know that for sure, and you’d better believe I’m going to take my time until I do know, but I want you to give him a chance, too.” She gave her mother a hard look. “I think we can agree that you owe me that much.”
Her mother sighed. “You’re probably right. I will try. We certainly heard nothing but good things about him at the party last night.” She smiled. “Your friends had quite a lot to say about what a fine man he is. Mick O’Brien certainly sang his praises.”
Liz could just imagine. “Will you stay a little longer, then? Maybe go to Sally’s for breakfast? Aidan’s usually around. So are a few of the other people you met last night.” Then she added the lure most likely to appeal to them. “There are waffles and French toast on the menu with genuine Vermont maple syrup.”
“Count me in,” Danielle said eagerly.
LeeAnn regarded her with amusement. “So much for dieting.”
“Oh, to heck with it,” Danielle said. “I had a baby. My husband needs to get over it.”
Liz looked around at her sisters and her mom, all of them suddenly sporting new attitudes.
“Wow, it’s a whole new day for the Benson women!” she said.
A surprising spirit of camaraderie filled the room. Even her mom seemed to have been infected.
“Power to us!” her mom said with real spirit.
Liz stood up and pulled her into a hug. “I love you, Mom.”
Danielle and LeeAnn joined them. “Us, too,” LeeAnn said.
Once again, her mom blinked back tears. “You know you were telling us about the magic that seems to happen in Chesapeake Shores. I have to admit I thought you were crazy, but I’m starting to believe you. I haven’t felt this close to you girls in years.”
Liz shrugged. “What can I say? This town is all about family. Apparently that affects even those who aren’t O’Briens.”
17
Aidan was just coming back from his run with Archie on Sunday morning when the dog spotted Liz and her family crossing the town green. Though he held tightly to the dog’s leash, he was no match for Archie’s determination to break free.
As the Aussie shot off in their direction, all he could do was shout a warning. “Archie, get back here,” he commanded, then added, “Liz, watch out!”
She was already laughing when the dog jumped up and began exuberantly licking her face as if he hadn’t seen her in weeks. Her mom and sisters took several careful steps back and watched the scene warily.
“It seems as if you’re awfully well acquainted with Aidan’s dog,” LeeAnn said, already reaching out to scratch Archie’s head.
