Page 53 of An Island Summer
Charlie dove into a wave, splashing around, overjoyed that she’d come home to let him out. As hot as he’d been, even he was completely content where he was. He ran along the surf, barking happily at the waves as they crashed around him.
“You’re in luck,” Toby said, coming over the dune. “I found you somewhere to stay for two weeks.”
As thrilling as the idea sounded, she knew that cottages in this area, during peak summer months, had a base price of $4,000 a week. While he’d offered to initially cover it, she’d still have to pay back a two-week stay on top of the repairs. She’d be working forever.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as he neared her.
“It’s…” She didn’t want to have this conversation. She was a grown woman. She should be able to pay her own bills. Unexpectedly, tears of frustration sprung into her eyes again. She blinked them away, looking over at Charlie. “It’s very kind of you,” she said instead. She’d figure out how to pay him back.
The compassion in his eyes told her that he could see through it, and she looked away again, focusing on the crash of the waves at Charlie’s paws instead. “Can I tell you something?” he said. “I know what you’re going through.”
She had no idea how he could possibly know about her life, but just the acknowledgment made her feel weak in the knees, so she sat down on the edge of the boardwalk.
“I’ve been where you are financially.” Toby sat down next to her, the coastal wind whipping between them and up the walk. “I was married,” he said, turning his head to look at her. “I worked in the finance department of a large corporation back in Boston, and I was completely unhappy in my job. Mary convinced me to quit. She said we could move to the Gulf Coast where it’s always warm, open an inn—that was her dream—serve cinnamon rolls and coffee in the mornings, and listen to people tell us their stories…” He took in a tense breath. “I quit. I had no job—nothing. We started to look for places, living on her wages and our savings. We were surviving, but we both knew we couldn’t do it forever.”
Meghan could definitely understand what it was like to leave a job—money or no money.
“And then, last year, Mary had the accident.” He swallowed, his lips tightening with his emotion.
Meghan could guess what he would say next, but she stayed quiet, her heart already breaking with the truth of what Rupert had said.
“We were skiing in the Rockies. I’d stayed back to look for a heavier coat in the ski shop. The one I’d brought was too light for the heavy snowfall.” He stared out at the Atlantic, but she knew his thoughts were on that fateful day. “An avalanche buried my wife and my parents.”
“Oh my god,” she said, unable to stay silent anymore.
Toby’s eyes glistened in the sunlight, the tension that she’d seen showing in his features before now completely explained. “We’d lost my parents but when they found her, Mary was still holding on. She was rushed to the hospital with severe head trauma and internal bleeding, and remained in intensive care on a ventilator.”
Meghan reached out and put her hand on his, speaking that silent language of loss. He turned his hand under hers, her palm now resting in his, and he looked down at it as if it were a rare relic he’d found.
“I’m so sorry,” was all she could say.
“Her insurance covered a lot of it, but without a job, her care wiped us right out. When she finally passed, I had nothing.” He gripped Meghan’s hand, and she let him.
“I can’t imagine what you went through,” she said, the sadness of losing Pappy and her parents right on the surface. For months, every time she’d thought about losing Pappy, she’d crumble. “How did you get to where you are now?”
“My grandfather gave me the money.” There was a finality in his tone that told her he was answering her concerns about where he got the money to fund the inn.
She didn’t want to consider it, but had Rupert actuallygivenhim the money? “I would think that would be a lot of money,” she said, unable to fathom how Rupert had enough to completely get Toby back on his feetandbuild the inn.
“We knew he had off-shore accounts, and inheritance from our family overseas, but we had no idea just how much until our legal team and advisors gave me full access to his books.” He shook his head and let out a sigh of relief. “Thank God for his savings. I can’t imagine what I would’ve done without them.” Then, he turned to Meghan. “But all that’s to say that sometimes, we do everything right and still, nothing seems to go our way.”
“Why are you offering me this?” she asked suddenly.
He allowed a small smile. “Two reasons, really. The first one is to thank you for bringing out something in my grandfather no one else could, and the second is because you’re the first person since the accident that believes there’s good in things. You make me think about life outside of my loss.”
She wanted so badly to believe the kindness that she’d seen in him today. Spending time with Rupert was the first thing she’d done in a long time that had felt good, and she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if Toby wasn’t being truthful.
“We’d better call your dog in and get you back to work,” he said, letting go of her hand and standing up. “We can let him stay in my office at the inn.”
“Thank you,” she said, rising and brushing off her bottom. No matter what his motives were, she was definitely grateful for the help, and while she’d always guessed there was more to Toby Meyers, she was certain she hadn’t even scratched the surface.
NINETEEN
“You missed the entire lunch shift,” Tess said as she untied her apron after work, tossing it onto Pappy’s kitchen table. “We were so busy…”
“Sorry,” Meghan said, pouring a bowl of water for Charlie. The dog was beat after spending the day in a new location, dropping onto the floor and closing his eyes. “But it was worth being shorthanded. I’ve got a lot to tell you. Follow me.” Meghan led Tess into Pappy’s bedroom, filling her best friend in on her time with Toby.
Tess sat on the bed and rubbed her feet, her eyes on the dressing table. “So, it’s all real…”
