Page 55 of The Mistakes I've Made
“I could still take you to see the ponies tomorrow,” he offered.
A smile flashed across my face. “That wasn’t just a cheesy pick-up line?”
“Nope,” he answered. “It’s really a thing. Look it up.”
“I believe you. And the answer is maybe, depending on how my day goes.”
“I’ll take a maybe.”
I’d hoped he would, and the smile already stretched thin across my face grew even wider as we wandered down the street.
“So, tell me about Officer Macon,” I finally said, a cool breeze blowing through my hair. “It sounds like you know him. I mean, as more than just a local cop.”
“It’s actually my brother, Dean, who knows him best. They were in the same year in school.”
“So, they’re friends?”
He let out a small grunt of a laugh. “Not exactly.”
“Oh.” I got the feeling there was a plethora of stories to go along with that single sentence. “Is he normally so charming? Or did we catch him on an off day?
His head shook back and forth. “He’s not exactly known for his stellar personality around here,” Taylor explained. “The guy has been through a lot, though. His wife left him for his boss a few years ago.”
“Ouch.”
“I know,” he said. “And then there was, of course, the ferry accident. He took a lot of the blame for it when the police couldn’t find a cause for the explosion.”
My brows furrowed. “I don’t know anything about it really,” I confessed. “I’ve heard about the beautiful memorial. Some of the other guests at the inn were talking about it the other day at breakfast and suggested I go take a look.”
He agreed, “You really should. A friend of mine from school, Millie, her husband sculpted it. He’s in a league of his own.”
“Is it true that he’s blind?” I asked, remembering that little tidbit from breakfast as well.
“Not completely. He can still see a bit when you get up close and personal, but for the most part, yes.”
“Wow,” I breathed out. “That’s incredible.”
“We’re lucky to have him.”
“Did you know anyone who was…” I stumbled over my words. “I mean, were you close with anyone who—”
“My brother,” he answered, understanding my meaning.
My eyes widened. “Your brother? But he’s—”
“He survived, yes,” he answered. “But only because his best friend, Molly’s husband, was there to save him. Jake saved a lot of lives that night.”
“It must have been terrifying.”
“It was. I’ve never felt so scared or so guilty in my life.”
“Guilty?”
He nodded. “It was my day to run to the mainland for supplies, but Dean volunteered to take my place. He was antsy to get away for a while, and I was more than willing to give up the chore. Usually, we took one of the boats up the coast to gather supplies, but I guess, that night, Dean was in need of some extra alone time. That, or he just didn’t feel like navigating the waters. Either way, he took the truck and ferried in.”
“You couldn’t have known,” I said.
“I know that now, but that night, when I got the call that my big brother was in the hospital, at risk of losing his arm because of an explosion on a ferry that he wasn’t even supposed to be on…”
