Page 42 of Coming Undone

“Come in,” she called, raising her voice as she hurried down the stairs to open the screen door.

An unseasonably warm breeze filtered into the living room as Jack’s fiancée Alicia let herself into the gatehouse. Fair-haired and beautiful, Alicia Le Blanc carried a small basket under one arm, a bright yellow tea towel covering whatever was inside. She wore jeans and an apricot-colored sweater that added to her healthy glow.

“Hi.” She passed the offering to Stephanie just as her eyes went to the bistro table where the plates of untouched eggs still sat. “I brought you some breakfast, but it doesn’t look like you need it with the spread you have here.”

Stephanie took the warm basket and peeked under the towel to find fresh blueberry muffins.

“Thank you,” Stephanie managed, too hurt inside to make small talk with someone she didn’t know very well, even though she recognized the thoughtfulness of the gesture. “Danny and I…” She didn’t know where to go from there, unsure where they stood or what had happened. “He left and -”

When her voice broke, she didn’t bother trying to finish the sentence.

“I’m sorry,” Alicia rushed into the silence, taking the muffin basket and setting it on a kitchen counter. “Maybe I shouldn’t have intruded. I just saw Danny moping around the big house and thought you could use a friend.”

She reached a tentative hand to clutch Stephanie’s arm. It was like the sympathetic pressure squeezed out the tears she’d been holding back and she had to wipe away the proof of her sadness.

“That’s thoughtful of you, but I’ll be okay. I was just packing my things.” And feeling sorry for herself.

“I don’t have any intention of prying, and I don’t know what happened,” Alicia started hesitantly, but her words picked up speed as she spoke. “But I wanted to share just a couple of insights about the guys in this family- things that might not sway your decision, but then again…”

Stephanie was touched by Alicia’s uncertainty. Her mother gave advice without asking all the time. It seemed kind of sweet for Alicia to want to weigh in on the situation, but to be respectful enough to couch her words in deference to Stephanie’s ultimate say in the decision.

A simple but refreshing twist on the way she was used to being approached.

“I’m listening.” She gestured to the chairs at the counter. “Have a seat. I could at least get us some coffee. It’s already made.”

“Let me.” Alicia waved her away from the coffeepot. “I’ll be less nervous if I have something to occupy my hands.” She smiled sheepishly. “I know it’s bold of me to march over here when we only just met yesterday. But I remember so well the way it hurt when Jack and I fought. Seeing Danny torn up this morning just made me want to run down here and give you a hug.”

Stephanie reached for a napkin as another tear spilled down her cheek. Could Danny be hurting as much as her? Far from soothing her, the notion only made her sadder since her independence was one area she couldn’t cave on.

Unless she really was just pushing him away? She hadn’t given much thought to his accusation yet, but because she didn’t want to believe that about herself.

“It just hurts so much because I was thinking about telling him how I feel this morning. Over breakfast, in fact.” She looked over toward the uneaten eggs and wished she could wind back the clock on their relationship. “I was ready to be vulnerable to love. Ready to work around his career that takes him away for so much of the year. But I won’t relegate control of my life to strong-arm tactics.”

Alicia passed her a mug of coffee along with a dish of sweetener packets and creamer.

“Of all the Murphys, Jack and Danny are most alike. That’s not just my observation, that’s generally accepted family wisdom.” Alicia stirred cream into her coffee as she spoke. “They’re less social. Quieter. Stubborn.”

“I know they’re close.” She hadn’t seen Danny in many social settings after having dominated his time and attention at the party where they’d met. But he’d intimated last night that his family didn’t expect him to socialize much. “Jack joined the Navy with Danny, right?”

“Yes.” Alicia slid into a seat at the counter beside her, her beaded necklace clacking against the granite. “In fact, Jack and I were dating at the time, and he dumped me unceremoniously to go into the service.”

“Really? I didn’t know the two of you had known each other that long.”

“Well, I was out of the picture for a long time. And I was hurt about what he’d done. I only found out last year that one of the reasons he’d entered the Navy was to support Danny, who was totally torn up and out of his mind with worry about you.”

Alicia’s brown eyes met hers. Stephanie set her mug back on the counter.

“Jack said that?” She should believe it. Danny had hinted at as much. But it was different hearing it from Alicia. From knowing that Danny’s concern for her had affected his whole family.

“Yes. I know how reticent Jack is about sharing his feelings with me, so I can only imagine that Danny might be the same. But it’s commonly acknowledged among the Murphys that you’re The One Who Got Away for Danny. You’re the reason he’s hardly dated the last few years. You’re the reason Kyle had a crooked nose for years after Danny’s fist connected with it in an argument over you.”

Stephanie knew those things peripherally, well except for the fact that he hadn’t dated much since her. It floored her to think his family all thought she’d played such an important role in his life. Still, was it because she meant so much to him? Or was it merely because she’d had a traumatic experience and he felt… sorry for her?

The thought caused a knot in her gut.

And yeah, it also made her question if she really was just pushing him away because she was still scared. Did she want to be the kind of person who cut and run when things were tough?

“I don’t know.” She shook her head, more confused than ever.

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