Page 50 of All Along The Watchtower

“They’re the best kind,” Ed insisted.

Peyton grinned, clearly delighted with him. “Mr. Ed knows everything about pirates!”

“That he does.” I nodded at the old man. “Thanks for entertaining her.”

“Entertaining nothing. This one’s got a proper appreciation for history.” Ed winked at Peyton. “You come back anytime you want to hear more stories.”

I caught sight of Bree behind the bar, juggling drink orders and looking harried. She gave me a quick wave before turning back to her customers. I lifted my hand in return, mouthing ‘thank you.’

“Ready to head home, kiddo?”

Peyton carefully folded up her map. “Can we come back tomorrow? Mr. Ed was going to tell me about the shipwrecks.”

“We’ll see.” I helped her gather her backpack. “Homework first.”

“It is homework! I’ve got a paper on piracy in the area.”

“Then I’m sure we can sort something out.”

I herded her out to the car and steered us toward home, my headlights cutting through the shadows that shrouded the road. If the silence felt not exactly comfortable, at least it wasn’t strained. Progress.

“So you had a good time with Bree while I was gone?”

“Yeah. She’s really cool.” Peyton fiddled with the edges of the folded map she’d tucked in an outside pocket of her backpack. “You should apologize for whatever dumb boy thing you did all those years ago to hurt her.”

I nearly swerved off the road. “What?”

“Whatever you did that made her not want to talk to you. You should apologize. Mom always said a proper apology is the first step to fixing anything.”

My throat tightened. “Your mom was really wise.” I glanced over. “Did Bree say something about all this?”

“No. But people talk.”

That was the damned truth. The island gossip mill was alive and well as ever.

She pinned me with a look that reminded me eerily of my mother. “Areyou sorry about whatever dumb boy thing you did?”

I couldn’t believe we were talking about this. But I could be honest without getting into specifics. “It’s my second biggest regret in life.”

She studied me for a long moment. “What’s the first?”

I sent her a long glance from the driver’s seat. “Missing out on the first thirteen years with you.”

The words hung between us as I pulled into our driveway. Peyton absorbed that, her fingers still tracing the edges of her map.

“I wish I’d known you then, too.”

We headed inside. Peyton immediately disappeared into her room. I heard the door click shut. Maybe she needed a little timeto process. I dumped my own bag in my room, then opened the fridge to figure out what was for dinner. I probably should’ve gotten takeout from the Brewhouse. A casserole dish sat on the top shelf, neatly wrapped, with a note on top from Mimi.

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo. So you don’t have to think about dinner when you get back.

God, my moms were awesome.

A few minutes later, Peyton’s footsteps padded back down the hall.

“There’s something you should probably see.”

I looked up from where I’d been setting the oven to preheat. “What is it?”

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