Tudor Redemption (Tudor Dynasty Book 4) (6 page)

Chapter
Eight

Things
were moving right along. Angus was waiting for a slip at the yacht club our
father had belonged to. He’d joined and was waiting for the new docks to be
finished. He jumped at the chance to buy Andiamo, telling me that he’d gotten
overwhelmed looking. She was the perfect starter boat for him and his family.

In
the meantime, I sailed her over to Amadeus’s place. Angus wanted Amadeus to go
out with him a few times even though he’d taken several sailing and boating
classes on his own. Amadeus was only too glad to help.

I’d
begun preparing for my trip, piling things in a corner of the dining room.
Departure was in two days. This evening Courtney, Britt, and I were having
dinner. Spending the evening together. No boyfriends, no texting, no phones.
The girls were great whenever I had to be out of town. Angus and his wife
Ashley kept an eye on them, just in case. This would be a little different. I’d
be out in the islands. Cell service wasn’t always good, so I mapped out an
itinerary and printed it for everyone.

I
had other reasons besides the trip for spending time with my girls. I wanted to
see what they had planned for the upcoming school year. Both in college, going
in different directions. Sometimes, I felt lost.

“Hey,
Daddy,” I heard Britt yell from the front door as she closed it. “I got the
crab.”

“Great.
Where’s your sister?”

“She’s
on her way. She stopped to get some sourdough and a salad.”

A
pounding on the front door meant that Court was there, hands full. I walked
past Brittney and opened it. Grabbing one of the sacks from her, I headed
toward the dining room table.

Court
and I spread everything out. Britt came in carrying salad bowls and forks.
Finally, we sat down and began eating. I purposely waited until we were about
halfway through before I revealed the real reason for our family time.

“I
thought since we were together you girls could give me a rundown on your plans
for the upcoming school year. Britt? You’re a senior this year. Anything
special?”

“I
get a choice. A bunch of boring academics or an internship as credit. I got an
internship at Microsoft,” She proudly announced.

“That’s
awesome, Britt. Do you know what department yet?”

“They
had two open. I applied for marketing.”

“I’m
proud of you. That’s a great company to get in with.”

“Yeah,
and they have offices in the U.K.,” she added.

“Yes,
they do.” I looked at my youngest. “Court? What have you got planned?”

“I
applied to Julliard.”

The
room suddenly got quiet.

“And?”

“I
didn’t get accepted. Something about not having formal training.”

“I’m
sorry. So, what’s your plan?”

“I’m
not going to be stupid and quit college. I need to have a backup plan. Granny
Grace put me in touch with a piano instructor here. Neither she nor Uncle
Amadeus have the time to teach me theory and stuff. She said this lady is with
the symphony and quite well-known. I’m supposed to play for her next week.”

“Then
she’ll decide if she’ll take you on as a student?”

“Yep.
Is it okay, Daddy? She’ll be kind of expensive.”

“Do
it. Don’t worry about the money. Neither of you. Just follow your dreams. Let
Dad take care of the rest.”

“Thanks,
Daddy,” Court replied. “You’re the best.”

“Yeah,
thanks. We’re not the easiest brats, but we do love you and are grateful for
everything you do for us.”

“What
about you? When do you leave?”

“I’m
leaving Monday. My plan is to go out for two weeks. After that, I’ll play it by
ear, and the weather.”

“Are
you seeing anyone yet?” Britt asked, slyly looking over at her sister.

“No.
Stop trying to play matchmaker.”

“We
just want to see you happy, Daddy. Court and I hate that you had to go through
that with Alana.”

“I
am happy. Happy to be here with you two. Let’s just call Alana a learning curve
and leave it at that.”

Britt
picked up a copy of my itinerary and studied it.

“You’re
going to Bainbridge the first day? That’s not that far. Sort of off the beaten
path from the rest of your route.”

“It’s
closest. I probably won’t get out of here until noon, so I thought that would
be a good starting point. I can get a feel for the boat, get things set up the
way I want them.”

“True,
she is a bigger boat. New too.”

“Exactly,
Britt.”

Chapter
Nine

Courtney
was in an unusually good mood two mornings later as we walked toward the boat.
She ran on ahead of me.

I
climbed on board, glancing at my daughter, who was readying the boat for
departure. She certainly was excited to make this part of the trip with us. To
meet her cousin. I hoped it wasn’t a warning sign that she couldn’t wait for me
to be gone so she could have the house to herself.

When
we reached Bainbridge, I anchored the boat next to a marina. I helped Court
into the inflatable, and we motored toward shore. Destiny was standing at the
fence, waving as we walked up the dock.

Having
not had breakfast, finding a restaurant was Court’s main objective. We found a
cafe we all liked and sat in their outside dining area. The two girls were
thick as thieves, always had been. It had been cute when they were younger, but
now it concerned me.

“Isn’t
that Ethan Maverick, Court?” Destiny asked, squeezing her cousin’s arm.

“It
is!” my daughter squealed. “Oh My God! It’s true, he really does live here.”

I
glanced across the patio in the direction they were staring. Muscular guy with tats
all over his arms. He was seated with an older woman. I couldn’t get a handle
on his hair because of a ball cap he wore. The dude looked like he should be
one of those guys that fought in an octagon. I’d heard his name before, so I
had an idea who he was.

“Who’s
Ethan Maverick?” I innocently inquired.

“Daddy,
I can’t believe you’ve never heard of him. He’s one bad-ass singer.”

“Rumor
was that he bought his mom a house over here on Bainbridge.” Destiny said, unable
to keep her eyes off this creature. That’s what he looked like—the creature
from the black lagoon.

“Well,
he looks like every parent’s nightmare,” I quipped. “I mean, look at all that
ink. Makes one wonder where else he’s got tats. Probably pierced too.”

“He
is,” my daughter was quick to add, grinning. “I’ve heard he’s got his...”

“I
really don’t want to hear where this dude’s pierced himself. Come to think
about it, how would you know?”

“Internet,
Daddy.”

“Why
do I all of a sudden feel like a dinosaur?”

No
one answered. They were more interested in watching tattoo boy than their lunch
or me. I had to admit it was sort of humorous to see my daughter going gaga
over some so-called rock star. I mean, her grandmother was married to one of
the biggest names on the planet. She never acted this way over Peter.

“So,
this dude’s from Seattle?”

“Duh,
yeah, Daddy. He’s the biggest thing to come out of Seattle since Kurt Cobain.”

“Really?
That huge, huh? Well, we know how it ended for ol’ Kurt.”

That
got the look I was after. The eye roll.

“Daddy,
please.”

“What?”

Thinking
the guy was trying to keep a low profile, I was taken aback when he got out of
his chair and strolled over to our table. I did a double take and so did
Courtney. If Destiny caught it, she wasn’t letting on. The dude looked exactly
like a younger version of me.

Stepping
between Court and Destiny, he addressed my daughter. “Hey. Haven’t I seen you
at the club?”

Courtney
nodded her head, smiling like a star struck kid. Oh great. This was so not happening.
“Yes.”

“What’s
your name, doll?”

I
so wanted to answer for her. Doll?

“Courtney.”

“Ethan
Maverick, but I guess you already knew that.”

Smartly,
he shook hands with both the girls, then me. “You look familiar,” he remarked
looking at me.

Ah
ha! There might be hope for this putz yet. “Damien. Damien Tudor. Courtney
Tudor’s father and Destiny Tudor’s uncle. How old are you?” I blinked my eyes.

“Twenty-three,”
he replied, and then turned to Court. “Wow! Your dad used to really be a badass
rocker.”

I
caught him staring at me too.

“Used
to be?” I blurted out. “I didn’t realize I used to be anything.”

Court
was rolling her eyes, begging me not to embarrass her.

“Well,
ah...I know how it is. You dudes get to a certain age and you retire. Move on
to normal stuff.”

“Sorry,
someone forgot to tell that to me and my brothers. Retire, my ass.”

“Wow,”
Ethan replied. “I guess I need to get out more around here.”

My
daughter was looking as though she wanted to crawl under the table. Guess it
was time for me to leave.

 
“Nice to meet you, Ethan. I need to be heading
out.” I glanced at Courtney. “You and Destiny behave yourselves. I don’t want
to hear that Angus had to come looking to do some whoop ass.”

I
bent over and kissed her on the cheek. As I did, the woman who’d been seated
with this Ethan dude quietly walked up to the table.

Beth.
Beth Asher.

They
say that things happen for a reason, are pre-destined. Whatever the case, Beth
Asher and I had a history. A history that dated back before Julia.

“Damien?
Damien Tudor, is that really you?” she asked, half smiling. She hadn’t changed
much in the past twenty-four years. Evidently, neither had I.

“Yep,”
I replied, standing up. I walked over and hugged her. Her long, dark blond hair
was now shoulder length. Her eyes were still that intense dark blue they had
been so long ago.

I
introduced Courtney and Destiny and invited her to sit down. Ethan, by this
time, was seated in between the girls. Every now and then, I’d catch Court
looking from him to me.

“So,
you married?” Beth inquired.

“Past
tense. I was married to Julia Quinn. I’ve been single for a while now. You?”

“Once.
Tony passed away ten years ago. It’s just been Ethan and me.”

Beth
had vanished on me, and now I think I knew why. The reason was seated across
from me.

“I’m
sorry to hear that. Tony was Ethan’s father?”

“No,”
she replied quietly.

“Well,
I need to get going if I want to get any sailing in this afternoon. It was
really great to see you, Beth.”

“You
too, Dame.”

“Courtney
Marie, behave yourself. I’ll check in with you this evening.”

“Okay,
Daddy. Have fun.”

I
said my good-byes and started out the door. I needed to get away. Quick.

A
few minutes later, as I walked toward the marina and my inflatable, I heard a
familiar voice beside me.

“Dame,
wait. Please.”

I
stopped and turned to look at Beth. “I would ask you where you disappeared to
all those years ago, but I won’t. The answer is sitting at the table back
inside that cafe.”

“You’re
right. Ethan’s your son, Dame. Please hear me out.”

“I’m
listening.” I was angry. Yet, at the same time, I wanted to take this woman in
my arms.

“My
parents sent me off to live with relatives in Atlanta.”

“You
could have gotten word to me somehow.”

“No,
I couldn’t. You know how it was back then. My uncle was a preacher, and he took
his responsibility very seriously. I had no way to contact you. I was watched
like a prisoner. Finally, he introduced me to some old man. A parishioner, a
widower. I was supposed to marry him after Ethan was born, once I turned
eighteen. Instead, I took my son and fled.”

“Why
didn’t you try to contact me? Or someone in my family, Beth?”

“I
was afraid. Besides, I found out you and Julia had married. I didn’t want to
cause you any trouble.”

“Hell,
Beth, Julia and I have been divorced for a few years now. That’s no hidden
secret. It was all over the media and within the industry. You could have found
me. You knew where my folks lived. Angus may live there now, but he would have
remembered you, and acted as a go-between.”

She
had tears in her blue eyes. Instinctively, I wiped them away, and stared down
at her.

“Does
Ethan know?”

“That
you’re his father? Yes. I’ve never hidden it from him. When we moved to Seattle,
I knew it would just be a matter of time before the two of you met.”

“Damn.
So, where the hell have you been all these years?”

“We
finally ended up in Manhattan. I worked there as a backup singer and
photographer. I’ve even written for Rolling Stone. Ethan started playing,
singing, so I managed his career. When he turned twenty, he decided he wanted
to move to Seattle. I didn’t try to stop him.”

“He
never contacted me.”

“He
was afraid you’d reject him, think he was only after your money. Then, he got
discovered, and he bought me a house here.”

“Now
what, Bethie?”

“What
do you want to do, Dame?”

“No,
don’t lay it on me. I just found out I’ve got a twenty-three year old son I
didn’t know existed before today. I don’t know what to think, or what I’m
supposed to feel.” I said, looking down at her. “But there is one thing I do
know.”

“What’s
that?”

“I
sure can’t deny he’s mine. Even Court suspects. The boy looks exactly like I
did at that age.”

“I
know. He got all Tudor genes.”

“Oh
hell...”

“What?”

“Just
wait until my family finds out.”

 
She chuckled.

“Ethan,
huh? I can’t imagine where you came up with that name.” Ethan was my middle
name. That and William. My father had never wanted junior. Said it stunk of
aristocracy.

We
walked along in silence for a few minutes. My mind was running a hundred miles
an hour. As much as I wanted to be angry with Beth, I couldn’t be. I could
easily recall how her parents had been when we were seeing each other. I wasn’t
on their “top picks for son-in-law” list. No musician would ever be good
enough. Like I said, life has a funny way of using karma.

“Dame?
Do you have to leave? Why not stay the day? We could do a cook-out, talk. You
and Courtney could get to know Ethan. And me...”

“No,
I can’t. It’s not that easy. I need some time. Alone, Beth.” I stopped and
looked down at her.

“I
understand,” she replied quietly.

Crap.
Women. They never make things easy. I pulled my phone out of my pocket. “Give
me your number. I promise I’ll be in touch when I get back. Perhaps we can all
get together then. Right now, though? I need some time to myself. That was my
plan before running into you and Ethan.”

“I
understand. It’s a lot to take in.”

“You
have no idea.”

“Dame?
What about Courtney? What if she asks?”

“Tell
her nothing. I want to be the one to have that talk with her, and make sure
Ethan understands that.”

“I
will.”

“Okay
then. I need to be going.”

“Of
course. Enjoy your trip.”

I
nodded and turned. I had to get away before my head exploded.

Reaching
my vessel, I secured the inflatable before lifting the anchor. I motored out of
the harbor, into open water, the wind slapping me in the face. I pulled my cap
around so as not to lose it then hit the button to raise the main sail and jib.

The
problem with towing an inflatable is one can’t get the full beauty of the sail.
It caused a drag. But if you want to go ashore, especially on remote islands,
you needed one. I was sailing, and that’s all that mattered.

About
two hours into my sail, the weather began to change. Having planned for that
possibility, I decided to seek shelter in the harbor of one of the smaller,
uninhabited islands. Detours were always part of the adventure.

By
the time I was secure in the harbor, the rain was intensifying. Soaking wet, I
sought the dryness of the cabin. I stripped out of my clothes and put on dry
ones. I grabbed a brew out of the cooler I kept secured inside. Sitting at the
small table, I took a swig as I scrolled through my phone. Being I was at such
a remote location, I was pretty sure I might have no signal. Luckily, Courtney
understood that and wouldn’t freak out if she didn’t hear from me.

I
wondered if she’d put two and two together as far as Ethan went. If she hadn’t,
I was going to have to sit both her and Britt down and tell them the truth.

I
sent her a text telling her of the weather and the change of plans. If she got
it now, great. If not, she’d get it whenever I got a signal.

The
events of the day kept playing through my head. Finally, in order to make it
stop, I took out the guitar that I’d brought along. I had planned on trying to
work on some song ideas that had been running through my head. It proved to be
the perfect distraction.