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It had been mostly her own fault. She’d always had her father’s love. Her dad had adored her, cherished her, and showered her with love every day of his life. She’d never once doubted how much he’d cared, not even when he’d grounded her or taken away one of her many toys.
But her mom?
God, she felt as though that woman hated her very existence, and it had started before baby Gregory had been stillborn.
Trinity had done everything she could to please her mother, right down to trying to be a little version of Porsche Stevenson. She’d dressed like her mother, worn her hair like her mother, talked like her mom, and had even acted like her. It was that last one that had ostracized her from the community and from ever having a real friend in this town when she’d been a child.
Today, she knew people like Baily and even Audra were her friends. They showed it every day by their words and their actions. But to be part of the inner circle? No, that came from having strong bonds to the past.
That, Trinity would never have.
“It makes me wonder what else about Ken we don’tknow, especially with some of the cryptic things Trevor has said,” Dawson said softly. “I believed the slight distance in our friendship was because he’d had a wife and kids. I understood he had to put them first. I also respect why Julie doesn’t want to speak to any of us and why she blames us for what happened.”
Trinity swallowed. She knew the official story the Navy had given for Ken’s death. But she also knew that wasn’t the truth. She just didn’t know the actual facts and probably never would. But by the looks of torment on everyone’s faces, she suspected some really bad shit had gone down on that mission.
Baily looked away, wiping the tears. “She won’t even talk to me or let me talk to the boys.”
“That’s terrible,” Trinity found herself saying. “I’m so sorry. That has to be painful for you.” She reached out and took Baily’s hand, giving it a good squeeze.
“No offense, but I can understand why she struggles to talk to or see the guys. I did too for a long time. It’s hard not to place blame. When someone dies the way Ken did, those left behind need someone to inflict their pain on. But she’s being cruel. And not just to me, but to my nephews,” Baily said.
Fletcher pushed himself to a standing position and made his way across the pit. He knelt in front of Baily, kissed her temple, and took her hands. “In no way will this make you feel better, but Julie never liked any of us. She merely tolerated us. We believed, over time, we’d grow on her and become a family, because that’s what we do. Ken loved her. Therefore, she was part of us. However, it never happened.”
“You’re right. It doesn’t make me feel better. I was his sister. I was his blood.”
Fletcher wiped a tear that rolled down Baily’s cheek.
While Trinity knew these two were still madly in love with each other, she also knew Baily carried so much of the past bundled up inside that, until she set it free, they had no chance.
It was too bad because what they had was pure gold.
It’s what Trinity wanted. She wished she could have had it with Fenton. But he’d destroyed it when he’d shown her what kind of man he really was, and that had broken her heart.
“Once, when I was talking with Ken—more like arguing with him—I overheard her in the background telling him to force me to sell, that the marina was more his than mine. That he should flex his muscles and make it happen.”
“What did Ken say?” Fletcher asked softly.
“The only thing he could,” Baily said. “That it didn’t work that way because when he made it clear he was staying in the Navy and not coming back, Daddy changed the will, leaving it all to me. Now, if I did sell, I had to share with Ken, but I got to make the decisions. It wasn’t up to him. But he did tell her that he would continue to remind me of my place. I wanted to choke him.”
Fletcher looked at Trinity and jerked his head.
She jumped to her feet and moved to an open seat.
“We didn’t know any of this.” Fletcher moved his new chair closer. “If we had, we would’ve confronted Ken.”
“It wouldn’t have changed anything,” Baily said. “Certainly not what happened to Ken in the end.” She held up her hand. “And honestly, I don’t blame any of you for that. But I do still resent all of you for coming back and acting like I needed a savior.” She cocked her head. “And now we’re back to what is the difference between chivalry and misogyny.”
“I’d say, not much. At least not from the woman’s perspective.” Trinity chuckled. “Like, why is it always women and children first? It should just be children first. We’re not frail. We’re not incompetent or incapable.”
“Good Lord.” Hayes shook his head. “Not a single man here—or even Keaton—is saying that. We served with some badass women. Some of them could’ve taken us down. Literally. Doesn’t mean we wouldn’t open the door for them or call them ma’am out of respect.”
“Well, thank you, sir, for that.” Trinity lifted her beer.
“We can’t win this argument, so we might as well cut our losses.” Dawson leaned over and tapped his beer against Trinity’s.
“You could add that I’m right.” Trinity smiled.
“Never gonna happen.” Dawson took a big swig of his beer.