He laughed in apparent agreement, and Margie went to fetch dessert. They ate in the living room, giving Lynn the chance to see the photo albums that lived there; Margie was more than happy to share. There was one from when they were growing up, then tons of others from over the years.
They spent two hours leafing through them, Lynn delighted by Mike’s history and family. Mike sat placidly, smiling at her and not complaining.
Before they left, Margie made plans to attend a gallery show with Lynn. It was lovely going with her. She wasn’t pretentious in the least, despite being a local celebrity. Mike always went, too, following her around like a puppy dog. It was really something to see.
That night, as Margie was tidying up, she found a picture that had been stuck to the back side of one of the albums. She pulled it away carefully, only damaging one corner.
What she saw made her heart swell. It was a picture of the house and the barn at Saltwater Cove years before she’d gotten them from Mike. Mike was standing there, leaning against the house, frowning, sunglasses blocking his eyes.
He was so young then! Margie showed the picture to Hank. “Look at this!”
Hank paused, studying the picture. “Mike wasn’t as fat as he is now.”
She tsked. “No, look how different the house looked!”
“Yes. You did something remarkable here, my love.”
Margie smiled, staring at the picture. “Nothing that a fresh coat of paint can’t fix, huh?”
“I don’t just mean the house,” he said, planting a kiss on her cheek and pulling her in. “Think about how different our lives were just five years ago. I mean – all of us.”
“I know,” she said with a sigh. “I think about that all the time. What life would’ve been like if Mike hadn’t given me this place. It’s all because of him. I should frame this picture for them to take on their trip.”
“It wasn’t just him, Margie.”
“I know, I know.” She squeezed him back. “But it was so generous of him.”
Hank nodded. “It was. And you took a huge risk moving out here. You left behind everyone and everything that you knew. Then you took in an angry young woman, who you had no obligation to, just because you were so generous.”
Margie laughed. “Morgan was quite angry back then, wasn’t she?”
“She was. And you took in an even grumpier Chief Deputy Sheriff, much to your detriment.”
Margie laughed and shook her head. “Not to my detriment at all. You are the love of my life.”
He rested his head on top of hers. “None of this would’ve happened without you. I would still be sulking around. Jade might’ve never left her husband and met Matthew. Heck, this double wedding certainly wouldn’t be happening!”
“You would like that, wouldn’t you? No wedding troubles.”
“No.” He shook his head. “Of course not. Look at how much love you’ve brought here. It’s a lot more than just a coat of paint.”
Margie stared at the picture as tears started clouding her vision. Yes, a lot had changed over the past few years – and all for the better. “I’ll forever be grateful that I moved to this island, and met you, and took a chance to be happy.”
“Me too.”
Margie looked up at him and smiled, brushing away a tear. “Should we go to bed? I didn’t tell Jade, but I’m meeting with the caterer tomorrow morning to add one more appetizer.”
“Here we go,” Hank said with a groan. “All right. Your secret is safe with me. Let’s get to bed, love.”
Margie set the picture on the table. She’d pick up a frame later that week. She also wanted to tell Mike how much the house had meant to her – how his gift had changed all of their lives.
It’d have to be in a letter, though, because she knew he couldn’t handle hearing it in person.
Margie smiled and shut off the light.
