Will stood in his office at noon on Monday, cell phone to his ear, staring out the window toward Casco Bay. He paced a little as he waited for his call to be answered, and within moments, he heard his father’s deep voice.
“Fitzwilliam! How are you, son?”
“I’m good, Dad, how are you?”
“Busy. Always busy. How’s my grandson?”
Will leaned against his desk. “He’s great. He loves school. He’s getting taller, I think he’s going through a growth spurt or something. All of his clothes are suddenly too small.”
“He’ll be tall, like you.”
“I think so.”
Robert cleared his throat. “How’s business?”
Will didn’t miss the hesitancy in the question although he and his father had discussed Will’s new venture at length. They’d argued about it at first; Robert had been angry that his son was going into business for himself.
“Um, business is good so far,” Will answered. “Three clients. Nothing to throw a party over, but I expected to start slow.”
“Three clients in a few weeks isn’t bad. You’re working with a much smaller demographic now, remember that.”
“I know. Listen, um, I was wondering...” He took a deep breath. “How would you feel about visiting Maine?”
“Visiting Maine? Why would I want to do that?”
Will felt a spike of annoyance. “To see Jack.” He cleared his throat. “And me. And to meet Elizabeth.” His clarification was met with silence. “Dad?”
“My calendar is full, Fitzwilliam,” Robert replied brusquely. “I can’t just drop everything and travel to Maine on a whim.”
Will’s spike of annoyance grew to a surge. “I didn’t mean tomorrow, but that’s fine. Forget I asked.”
He was embarrassed and angry. He’d put it out there, put himself out there, and his father had shot him down without a second thought. An awkward, uncomfortable silence ensued.
“When were you thinking?” Robert asked quietly.
“Never. Forget it,” Will replied curtly, still smarting over his father’s rejection.
“I just didn’t expect the invitation, Fitzwilliam. Stop sulking.”
“I’m not sulking,” Will argued, knowing full well that he was. “What I’m doing is trying, Dad, don’t you see that?”
“But why? Why do you want me to go there and meet Elizabeth?”
Good question. “I want you to meet Elizabeth because I love her and she’s part of my life. And I want you to come here so we can talk. We need to talk.”
“We’re doing that now, aren’t we?” Robert said, a trace of sarcasm seeping into his voice. “Most people would call this a conversation.”
“And we’re doing a piss-poor job of it, as usual.” Will began pacing again, back and forth in front of the windows. “We don’t talk, we make polite conversation. That’s all we’re capable of, and I’m tired of it. Do you want to know why I’m trying? Because of Jack, that’s why.”
“Because of Jack?”
“Yes.” He refused to admit that he was trying for himself as well. “You are his only living grandparent.” And you are my only father. “I thought I would try to salvage something. But maybe I’m being stupid. God knows you haven’t earned a place in his life, not by a long shot. You’ve barely earned a place in mine.”
Even as the words shot out of his mouth, he felt a knot form in his chest. This is what he’d desperately wanted to avoid. He was tired of saying hurtful things just for the sheer satisfaction of knowing they’d struck their target, but neither of them could seem to help it.
A knock on the door distracted him, and he glanced away from the window to see Elizabeth poking her head in. She smiled brightly, and he couldn’t have imagined a more welcome sight.
Robert started to speak, but Will cut him off. “I have to go. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Fitzwilliam—”
“I’ll call you, or you can call me. Whatever.”
“Alright, son. We’ll talk soon.” Robert sounded resigned. “Take care, and say hi to Jack for me, okay?”
“Yeah, sure. Bye, Dad.” Will pressed the button on his phone to end the call. Sighing, he turned from the windows and offered Elizabeth a half-hearted smile. “Hi, you.”
“Hi,” she said, closing the door behind her. “Hungry? I brought some lunch.” She placed the small brown bag she carried on the desk.
He grunted.
“Is that a yes or a no?” He was staring at the floor, and she lowered her head to catch his eye. “Hello... Up here.”
He lifted his eyes to hers. “I’m really not hungry, sorry. I’m glad you came by, though.” He opened his arms and she walked into them, hugging him tightly.
“I don’t think I need to ask why you don’t have an appetite,” she said before kissing his neck. “I take it your call didn’t go well?”
“Nope. Short and shitty.” He sighed, then buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply. “I had the thought when I was on the phone with him—why am I even bothering? Why waste the energy?”
“Did you even manage to get around to inviting him?”
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
“He wanted to know why I thought he would want to visit...and then proceeded to tell me how busy he is.” He pulled himself out of her arms and turned to face the window again, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Lost cause.”
She wrapped her arms around his middle and rested her cheek against his back. “I’m sorry, Will.”
He shrugged, forcing nonchalance into his voice. “Don’t be. It’s not a big deal. Life goes on, right?”
“Maybe he just needs a little time to get used to the idea.”
“Well, he can take all the time he needs because that was the one and only time he’ll be invited.” He turned to face her and planted a quick kiss on the top of her head. “What did you bring for lunch?” He peeked into the bag. “Soup?”
“And a sandwich for us to share.”
He removed the containers from the bag and placed everything on his desk, then raised his eyes to hers and attempted a smile, though he was sure it probably looked more like a grimace.
She frowned. “Will—”
“Can we just eat? I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to beat it to death. It is what it is. I’m fine.”
“Okay,” she relented softly. She pulled a chair closer to his desk and smiled as she pulled napkins and spoons from the bag. “Chicken noodle or lobster bisque?”
* * *
About the Author
Cat Andrews has always been an avid reader, but didn’t discover Jane Austen until her love of a certain British actor led her to the BBC’s 1995 production of Pride and Prejudice, because she just had to know—why all the fuss over this Darcy guy? What followed her viewing of that glorious miniseries was an inhalation of and immediate fixation on all of Austen’s novels, though Pride and Prejudice remains her favorite (and that certain British actor will always be, to her, the quintessential Darcy).
Her discovery of Jane Austen Fan Fiction opened up a whole new world, and thus began her addiction, and months and months of sleep deprivation, as she immersed herself in JAFF. After reading a modern Pride and Prejudice variation that she fell in love with, she was inspired to begin a cautious but earnest foray into the world of writing.
In real life, Cat has spent thirty-plus years working in healthcare. She is a confirmed thalassophile and enjoys life on the shores of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where she grew up, fell in love with her own Mr. Darcy, and raised a family. More often than not, you can find her at the beach with a book in her hand and her toes in the sand.
Sanctuary is her debut novel.
Connect with Cat Andrews
Amazon Links (paid links)
Volume 1 is available now (eBook and paperback). Volume 2 is available for preorder now (eBook), and will be released September 9 (eBook and paperback). Volume 3 is available for preorder now (eBook), and will be released September 23 (eBook and paperback).
FTC Disclaimer: Link to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provided, I will receive a small commission. Thanks!
* * * GIVEAWAY * * *
It's giveaway time!! Cat Andrews is graciously giving away an Amazon e-copy of Sanctuary Vol. 2 to one of my lucky readers!
- One person will win an e-copy (U.S. Amazon Kindle only) of Sanctuary Vol 2.
- One winner will be randomly picked.
- To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below and include your e-mail with parentheses around (at) and (dot).
- Open to U.S. Amazon.com customers only.
- The last day to enter the giveaway is Sept. 15, 2020, by the end of the day.
Good luck!
Many thanks to Cat Andrews for visiting here today! And for offering one of my U.S. readers a chance to win an e-copy of her new book!
