Page 55 of Love, Lies, and Celtic Knots

I thought my stomach was in knots when I got out of the car. Those knots are coiled even tighter in my belly now, and my brain is screamingwait! I’m not ready yet!I’ve been obsessing over the past and the way I left for so long, I was hoping I wouldn’t encounter anyone from my past just yet. I need that walk on the beach first.

I take in Emma’s appearance, noting the changes over the years. She’s still vibrant and beautiful with her fiery red hair and crystal blue eyes. There’s also an air of maturity and confidence about her now. When I learned through some online searches that she’d graduated from law school, I wasn’t surprised. She was always driven to succeed.

We stare at each other in silence for a few seconds, like we’re each daring the other to speak first. I make the first move, removing my sunglasses. She knows it’s me, so there’s no point in hiding behind them any longer. I step away from the doorway so others might pass through, and she follows suit. Finally, she breaks the uncomfortable silence.

“You look different.”

“Iamdifferent, in a lot of ways. I’ve had to be since I left here.”

“Left?Don’t you mean since you ran off without explanation? Or more accurately, since you broke my brother’s heart?”

I can’t help but wince at her harsh words. Even though I know I deserve every bit of it, it still hurts to hear it out loud. And she seems to not give a flying fuck about anyone listening in on the conversation.

She asks the question again. “Why are you here, Joselyn?”

“I’m here to find my father.” I take a deep breath before continuing, because it’s not as simple as that. Returning to Pelican Point is the first step toward healing and making amends. “Recently something happened that made me realize I need to make things right with him. I need to face the past and make things right witheveryone. If I can.”

“What makes you think you can do that now, after all these years? Why should we care? Why did you leave? Make me understand.”

“Honestly?”

“That’s the only way I roll.” Emma’s eyebrows lift as if that was the dumbest question in the world.

I squirm under her intense gaze, and sweat forms on my brow underneath my hat. I can visualize Emma perfectly, cross-examining a witness in court. “I’ve gone over it all in my head so many times. And it seems so silly and immature now. I know my father did something awful and hurt everyone I loved in the process. I thought you guys would hate me for it, and I felt so undeserving of your friendship and Brennen’s love. I left so I wouldn’t have to go through the pain of y’all telling me to go away. I thought, at the time, I was saving everyone from the hassle.”

I squeeze my eyes shut in an attempt to keep myself from crying, although I can’t control the single tear sliding down my cheek. I let it go, making no effort to wipe it away.

Emma’s tone softens, although her next words are still direct. “Look. I’m not going to pretend we were okay with what your father did. Hell, I wasn’t even here when it all went down. But Ido know both of our fathers did some shady shit back in the day, and we’ve all had to live with the fallout. Where do you get off thinking it was all about you? It wasn’t. It had nothing to do with you. We—you, me, and Brennen—we could have worked through that together if you’d just given us the chance. You were my best friend, Joselyn. And the love of my brother’s life.”

“But your father hated me.” I cringe. It sounds like a weak and whiny excuse, even to my ears.

“My father hated his own children. And we’ve all got baggage around that. If you’d stuck around long enough, you would have seen that what happened was just as muchmyfather’s fault. Actually, it was all on him. You should have trusted us. Trusted Brennen’s love for you.”

“I realize that now. And I’m sorry.”

She waves a hand as if to dismiss my words. “Save your apologies for my brother. And I sincerely hope your plan to make things right includes him.” She pauses and arches a brow. “Brennen needs to hear that from you directly. Does he know you’re back?”

The million dollar question. “No,” I answer meekly. I feel a headache coming on. I massage my temples for some relief. “Honestly, I don’t know.”

What I do know is I can’t do this alone. I need an ally. And that might just be Emma. “What does this mean for us? I need to know if we’re okay, if I have my friend back. I know it’ll take time to rebuild our relationship, but I’m hoping there’s at least a chance for that to happen.”

“What it means is that I’m willing to call a truce for now. Mostly for Brennen’s sake. But I’m making no promises. I’m not going to keep anything from my brother. The next time I talk to him, if he doesn’t know already, I’m telling him you’re here. And Jos, know this: if you hurt him again, you’ll have me to deal with.” She points to her chest for emphasis.

I have no doubt.

Chapter 2

Brennen

Hey, Mom. We’re almost there. So damn close. Everything I’ve been working toward to restore our family’s reputation and preserve your legacy is about to come to fruition. Just like the new wines we’ve been working on.

I take a deep, satisfying breath, inhaling the scents of the Florida soil and the intoxicating smell of flowers. This garden was her pride and joy and is as much a part of me as the blood that flows through my veins. To me, it symbolizes perseverance. The fact that it’s still standing and thriving instead of being overtaken by the weeds and ravages of lies, secrets, and betrayals that have been a part of my life as long as I can remember tells me I’m making the right choices. The choice to honor my mother and the Murphys who lived on this land before me producing Florida wine. The choice to put everything I have into this business for future generations of Murphys.

When I was a boy, I had this idyllic notion that I’d be a winemaker one day, creating the masterpieces that would make the Murphy name synonymous with the world’s best wines. My mother always encouraged me to follow my dreams and pursue my passions. I inherited her artist soul, and I saw winemakingas art, a blank canvas waiting for a masterpiece. I shouldn’t have had to deal with the business of running the winery, but here I am. The only Murphy who gives a shit about keeping it going.

Most people consider me a loner. I don’t let anyone get too close. That way I don’t feel the sting of rejection when relationships fail or people disappoint me. I wasn’t always like this, but after losing almost everyone I’ve ever loved, I’ve erected walls around me to protect my peace. And at this stage of my life, I’m not sure I can change who I am. People can think whatever the fuck they want about me. When I make a commitment, I stick to it, no matter how hard things get. And I don’t depend on anyone else to bail me out.

Unfortunately, the person I trusted the most did not share that same level of commitment when things got hard. When it all came crashing down around us, and just when I needed her most, Joselyn disappeared, taking her secrets and lies with her, along with my broken heart.

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