Captiva Ever After (Captiva Island Series #7)

With Jack gone, Kathleen leaned on Millie and, in an instant, Millie went from a carefree young woman to a caretaker.

Russell and Millie married and her new husband didn’t mind living with her mother. It was the only way Kathleen would survive, and even though Russell seemed okay with the situation, it pained him to have so little control over his marriage and his life. Already someone who didn’t know when to stop drinking, his addiction was fast becoming a major issue in their marriage.

Eventually, Millie’s life revolved around work and caring for two people who couldn’t take care of themselves.

One day, Millie found several pictures of her mother on Captiva Island with an older, distinguished-looking man. His arms around her, Kathleen looked happy and in love. Whoever the man was, Millie was certain he must have been her father.

Over the years, Millie would ask her mother who her father was but Kathleen didn’t want to talk about it. Eventually, she gave in and finally admitted that the man in the photo was indeed Millie’s father.

“What happened to him? Where is he now?” Millie asked.

“He’s dead. There’s no point in trying to find him because you won’t have any luck there. Even if he was still alive, it wouldn’t matter.”

“What are you talking about? Of course it matters. It matters to me. I’ve always wanted to know who my father was.”

Kathleen looked into Millie’s eyes and told her the truth. “That man never cared one bit about you. Why in the world would you care about him? If he were alive today, and you went to see him, he would have nothing to do with you. He would turn you away. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about because that’s exactly what happened to me.”

“You mean he knew you were pregnant and he didn’t want anything to do with you … or me?”

“That’s right. I was just a kid but technically an adult. I should have known better.”

Millie couldn’t believe the man in the photo could be so cruel.

“How could he do that? Who was this awful person?”

“Robert Lane, the owner of the Key Lime Garden Inn on Captiva Island, where I worked when I was nineteen.”

“You mean that place you said you’d never go back to?”

Kathleen nodded. “And now you know why.”

“But Mom, why didn’t you tell anyone? I mean, this man probably took advantage of you.”

“No, he didn’t. I was in love with him. I thought he was in love with me. He said he was, that is, until I told him that I was pregnant with you.”

Millie already knew the answer but asked it anyway. “Was he married at the time?”

Kathleen nodded. “Yes, I couldn’t tell anyone. He had lots of power and I was just a young girl who slept with a married man. Things might be different today, but in those days that was something a woman was ostracized for. It’s not something that I’m proud of, except out of that mistake, I got you. You were not a mistake. I just wish I had done better by you.”

Millie was angry. Her mother did the best that she could under the circumstances but she still couldn’t understand how anyone could be so cruel. After all these years, Millicent O’Hara Brenner was the daughter of Robert Lane of Connecticut and Captiva Island, and someone was going to have to pay for that.

Now, years after this life-changing discovery, and her mother buried in her grave, Millie had a decision to make. She knew the big event held at the Key Lime Garden Inn was to take place in two days and she was required to be there to assist in any way that was needed.

It made little sense to disturb such an event. Two of Maggie Moretti’s children were getting married. It was hardly the time to confront her with the details of her birth.

She’d wait until the wedding was over and everyone had gone home. Then, quietly and privately, Millie would explain everything to Maggie Moretti and hope that something could be done. She was tired of counting pennies, and figured she must be due something for all that her mother had endured. Whatever recompense they would agree on, Millie needed to be recognized for her connection to the Key Lime Garden Inn and its future.

* * *

Thomas, James and Julia Walker and their daughter Willow were the first to arrive on Captiva Island. They had already checked in to the Sanibel Marriott and drove to the venue to meet Maggie and Paolo.

“Welcome! Gabriel and Beth just called and told me to tell you that they’ve landed and will be here shortly. Please enjoy the grounds and if you walk down that path, you’ll get to the beach.”

“Thank you so much, Mrs. Moretti,” Thomas said.

“No formal names this weekend. It’s Maggie.”

“Nice to finally meet Beth’s mother. I’m Thomas, Gabriel’s father. This is my other son, James and this is my granddaughter and the flower girl, Willow.”