“I will do what the doctor says. Thank you.”
He lowered his tray and nodded. She swallowed. Her throat burned with protest, but she got the pills down. She surveyed the room and laid her head back. Her family. “Before I fall into la-la land from the meds, I need to tell you all I love you. I should say it more. I’m sorry I haven’t,” she whispered.
“We know how ya feel, sunshine.” Joe cleared his throat. “We feel the same. But if you ever scare us like that again, we might…” He broke off as his voice cracked. She reached for his hand, sending fresh agony radiating along her side.
Joe grabbed it. “You know what I mean.”
“I do.”
She blinked up at her ma and Megan. “I’m sorry I worried you. I didn’t know he was there.”
“Enough of that. It isn’t anybody’s fault except his and that’s that.” Her mother rushed to the bed to brush the hair off her head. “We won’t talk about him right now.”
Meg winked. “You okay, Winslow?”
“I am now, Murphy.” She felt the tug of sleep pulling at her.
“Then we should get out of here and let you sleep.”
Bev yawned and searched the room. Where was he? “Where’s Finn?” she asked. At that moment, he walked into the room.
“I’m right here.”
“Good. I want to talk to you.” She felt fuzzy but less achy. He took her hand as her ma kissed her cheek and followed her family out the door. They were alone.
“There’s a lot I want to say, Finn.”
“Me too, but you go first.”
But she didn’t say anything. She drifted off to sleep, her hand still clasped in his.
When she next awoke, the shadows in the room were longer. The light was softer. Beyond that, she couldn’t tell the time at all or even what day it was. She felt groggy, but the pain was manageable. She shifted, winced as her ribs screamed. Finn sat, watching her sleep. His eyes shadowed by dark circles.
“How long was I out?”
“Three hours.”
“You’ve been sitting here that long?”
“You said you had a lot to say.” He shifted to the bed. “I’d like to hear it.”
“Before I do, can you tell me what’s happened to Len? How about my father and John Hamilton?” she reached for his hand.
“Len is fine. His injury will heal faster than your wrist. Your father is dead. He shot a local police officer in the leg, and that was it.”
“Oh, God. Is the cop going to be okay?”
“He’ll be fine.” He stroked her hand. “John Hamilton is recovering. The FBI isn’t sure what to charge him with, though. He’s been paying off your father’s blackmail demands for almost as long as you’ve been alive. He loves Serena and didn’t want it to touch her. Tracy was considering conspiracy to commit murder, but John denies knowing what Chuck Devon had planned.”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “The FBI will figure something out, but as an attorney, I’m not sure it will stick. He can claim coercion. If he feared for his life, that is what I would advise him to do if I were his attorney. Either way, I’m sorry all this happened to you. Watching you sleep helped me calm down. I wanted to kill him myself when I saw what he had done to you.”
His stared out the window of her room. Suddenly, he swiveled his head back to her and brightened. “But you’re here, and that’s what matters. He can’t hurt you or your mother again.”
She wanted to say so much but didn’t know where to start. A thought popped into her head. “What is happening with Serena. Any news there?”
“However difficult she is, she’s innocent of all this. According to Tracy, she hasn’t left John’s side either. She must really love him. What are you going to do about her?”
She thought for a moment, realized Serena didn’t bother her one bit anymore. “I’ll let my ma decide. She’s her sister. If Ma wants her around, she can make the call. I’m through trying to control everything. I thought I was going to die. Kind of snaps things into focus for a person. The things I worried about before seem stupid now.”
“Like what?”
“Like matching shoes to handbags or worrying if the board of directors think I’m an idiot.”
“I’m not going to pretend to understand the shoe and handbag thing, but you’ve been running Winslow Holdings for three months. If you were an idiot, the whole world would know it by now. The board would be stupid to question you. I’ve never seen anyone more suited for a job. Reginald’s methods are still questionable, but he knew what he was doing when he chose you.”
“Thanks. I believe that now, although it’s still nice to hear.”
“I don’t say things I don’t mean.” He ran a finger down her cheek.
“I believe that, too.”
“So it sounds like you’ve embraced being the Winslow heir. What does that mean for Atlantic Charters and your other life? I’d hate to think of you desk-bound for the rest of your life. You need the water. You said so yourself.”
“I do. I really do. But the minute my father told me he hated me and was going to kill me, I realized I wanted both lives—the one forced on me and the one I built for myself.” She cleared her throat and swallowed against the pain. “I’m going to have Winslow Holdings buy Atlantic Charters. It’s a good business decision. It will be my pet project. Every CEO should have one.” She winced from laughing.
“I’ll have Joe run the day-to-day, with help if he wants it. I’ll have my ma to help me with the Foundation. And I can take the boat out any time I want. So I’m choosing both.”
“It seems like you’ve done a lot of thinking on this. How long have you been toying with the idea?”
“Probably since I first found out I had to run the company. I’ve been looking for ways to make it work for me. I committed to Winslow Holdings for the year, but as time is passing, I realize I won’t be able to turn my back on it when the year is up. When I commit to something, I stick. It took my father trying to strangle me to death to make me realize I had to go for it.”
He shuddered. “Don’t joke about that. I was out of my mind. I didn’t think we’d get there fast enough,” he said. “I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost you.” He brushed a kiss on her forehead. He was so gentle. “I love you, Beverly.”
“I wanted to say I’m sorry about the other day, in your apartment, and then on the phone in my office. I was scared. It seems I’ve felt that way my whole life. I haven’t wanted anyone to be able to do to me what my father did to my mother.”
“I wasn’t trying to do anything like that.”
“I know, and that’s why I’m sorry I ever compared you to him and Reginald. In fact, I’m more like them than I’m comfortable.”
He moved closer to her. He brushed the hair away from her forehead. “You are nothing like Chuck Devon. Get that out of your head. How you treat your family, Megan, and even your employees shows how different you are from Chuck—and from Reginald, for that matter.”
“I get that now. Something Chuck said clicked for me. He never wanted to commit to anyone or anything. Like I said before, I have no problem committing to something I believe in or something I’m passionate about, like Atlantic Charters or making sure the Winslow legacy is upheld.” She took a breath. “Up until now, I haven’t let myself get close to another person—for obvious reasons.”
“And now?”
“Now I realize I believe in you and I’m passionate about you…so why am I holding back from committing to you?”
“Very logical. What did you come up with?”
“Right before I blacked out, I saw my family. I saw you there, as part of them. You were comforting my mother. I didn’t want any of you hurt or worried about me. I wouldn’t be able to bear it if anything happened to you and I never told you how I feel. My visions for the future include you.” She looked into his eyes. “I just needed to get my heart on board.”
He let out a breath. “What does that mean for us?”<
br />
“It means I love you. I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner.”
He leaned down, gently kissed her lips. “It was worth the wait,” he whispered. He pulled back. “Since you’ve had an epiphany about commitment, how do you feel about teaching me to sail? I hear it takes a long time to learn.”
Her stomach dropped, her nerves raw. She swallowed. She thought he was going to ask her to marry him. She looked into his hopeful eyes and realized he was asking for her to let him know when she was ready. She saw her future there in those tawny eyes.
“I’d say conditions are more than favorable.”
He winked. “In that case, Captain, you name the day, and I’ll be there.” His mouth closed over hers, and Bev let herself sink into the gentle kiss. When he pulled back, she grinned up at him.
“I’m ready, and for once, I’m not afraid. We deserve a chance at forever.”
“When you put it that way, I can’t argue. Forever sounds just right.”
A word about the author…
Jill has been a private investigator, a candle maker, and an opera singer. She doesn’t turn down opportunities to learn new things, which only helps her writing. Making lists ranks as one of her favorite hobbies along with travel with her family and cooking. She’s kind of a nerd and proud of it.
Though her jobs have been interesting and varied, her most rewarding occupation is being a mother. She lives in Florida with her son and husband.
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