Page 9 of The Summer Inn on Plum Island
“Oh?” Dawn said. “Lila told me a bit about her mother on the way to Boston. Shelley, is it?”
“Sally,” Liam corrected Dawn. “She is a pilot in the United States Marine Corps, stationed in California. Based at Pendleton.”
“Oh, nice,” Dawn said. “Lila mentioned her mother moved away for her new position. She didn’t tell me it was right across the country.”
“That’s why Lila only goes to see her mother once or twice a year,” Liam explained. “They talk a lot over the phone and on video chat.’
“Sometimes technology comes in very handy,” Dawn said. “Is your ex-wife wanting Lila to visit her?”
“No.” Liam shook his head. “Lila was supposed to spend two weeks with Sally at the beginning of the summer vacation, but Sally had to cancel due to unexpected work commitments.”
“Oh, no!” Dawn’s face crinkled in despair. “Poor Lila. She must’ve been devastated.”
“Not really,” Liam said, his heart twinging with sadness. “Lila was never close to Sally as my ex-wife was hardly ever home, so I basically raised Lila on my own.”
“I see how close the two of you are,” Dawn noted. “It’s sad that Lila isn’t close to her own mother.”
“Lila is worried that Sally is trying to encourage her to join the military,” Liam told Dawn. “Sally’s entire family is military.”
“And Lila isn’t interested?” Dawn asked.
“No, not at all,” Liam said, feeling relieved. “Which I’m glad about. Having to worry about Sally when we were married was nerve-racking enough. I couldn’t stand the worry that would come from Lila being deployed.”
“I can understand that,” Dawn said. “I hope me taking Lila to Boston didn’t interrupt a mother-daughter call, though.”
“No, not all,” Liam assured her and ran a hand through his hair, his eyes darting to the slowly fading daylight outside before catching Dawn’s eyes. “Sally phoned to let me know that she’s getting married to her long-time boyfriend, Sean Jamison.”
“Oh, really?” Dawn’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry, Liam. That must’ve been upsetting for you.”
“It was a shock,” Liam admitted. “But more because of the unresolved issues between Sally and I, not because I still have romantic feelings for her. It’s more a case of unresolved anger and resentment toward her.”
Dawn’s brow furrowed in confusion. “I thought Lila told me that you and your ex-wife were on good terms?”
“We put on a good show for Lila,” Liam confessed. “We don’t want her to ever feel she has to take sides or get in the middle of any issues between Sally and me.”
“I admire what you two are trying to do,” Dawn said. “But don’t you think Lila’s going to be upset when she finds out the truth?” Her frown deepened. “May I ask why the two of you got divorced?” She held up her hands. “I’m sorry if that’s too personal. I tend to pry. It’s the writer in me always looking at the story. Lila told me that you and Sally split because of her job and that she had to move away.” She gave him a small smile. “Sorry for prying.”
“I don’t mind,” Liam said, meaning it. “It’s nice to have someone to talk to about it. The only other person who knows the truth about my divorce is Finn, who, as you know, is away on his familymoon.”
“I’m always here to lend an ear,” Dawn promised. “I’ve had my fair share of breakups. The last one was the most humiliating, and I was engaged to Brad Danes.”
“Caroline’s Brad?” Liam’s eyes widened in disbelief. “I thought the two of you were childhood besties.”
“We were… are.” Dawn smiled. “But for almost two years, we never spoke to each other. But when we did, we resolved the issues and were able to move past them.”
“But your friendship isn’t the same?” Liam guessed.
“It’s not as easy as it once was,” Dawn admitted. “But we’re getting there.”
“You, Harriet, Brad, Alex, and Ethan are a very close-knit friend group,” Liam noted.
“That’s because we’ve all known each other since we were babies; our friends were all best friends, and that friendship goes back a few generations as well,” Dawn told Liam. “You and Finn are close as well.”
“Yes, we grew up together here on Plum Island,” Liam confirmed. “While we change and grow, it’s nice to have a steady friendship beside you.” He glanced out the windows once again. “Finn was my rock when I caught Sally cheating on me. For a long time, I debated if it was the best or worst thing that could’ve happened.”
“Why do you say that?” Dawn looked at him, frowning curiously.
“I’d known for about a year that things between Sally and me had changed,” Liam admitted. “We were growing apart, and I don’t think it was even that she was away so much. I think we just fell out of love somewhere along the line.”
