What Tomorrow Brings (Florida Keys Series) by Cyndi Raye Page A

were right, we did agree we would see what tomorrow brings.”
    “I’m pretty sure that I should be the one apologizing. My Mother seems to bring out the worst in me at times. She’s rather a bit pushy,” Maggie admitted. She turned to look at him and saw such a sad look deep in his eyes, she reached over and touched his cheek. “This isn’t about earlier Jake, is it?”
    He turned his head slightly and brushed his lips across Maggie’s hand. “No.”
    “Talk to me Jake.”
    He pulled her off the chair she was sitting on and practically fell onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and curled up against him. “Maggie, I care a lot about you. I do, and I trust you. I’ve just never talked about this before with anyone, not even my Dad.”
    She brushed light kisses on his chest and gave him a hug. “Then perhaps it’s time to get it out, Jake.”
    “It’s been a long time since my Mom died and yet I can see it in my mind just like it was yesterday.”
    “How old were you Jake?”
    “Eleven. I was outside playing. It was the weekend and Jon was bugging me to go fishing with him so he could catch some fish and dissect them. He said he wanted to be a fish doctor. I thought it was gross but wanted to watch him anyway. So, I ran inside to tell Mom we were going and she was sitting at the kitchen table looking kind of weird. You know, like she was about to throw up.” He wrapped his arms around Maggie and she snuggled even closer.
    “I really didn’t think much about it at the time, but I told her we were going to the docks and she said OK, but go down to the workshop and tell Dad to come to the house.” I ran out of the house and then Jon was already down by the dock waving at me to hurry up. So I forgot to go to Dad’s workshop and give him Mom’s message. I ran to the dock and it was almost twenty minutes later until I remembered. I raced to the workshop to tell Dad, but it was too late. When he got to the house, my Mom was already on the floor.”
    Jake lowered his face into Maggie’s hair. She could feel him tremble. He was a man of integrity and he wouldn’t break down. He just needed a moment to pull himself together. “Mom was still alive when the ambulance came, but she had a brain aneurysm. They put her on life support and I went in to her every day for two weeks. I told her I was sorry. If I would’ve told Dad when she asked me to, she may still be alive.”
    Maggie hugged Jake. “I think you’ve carried this far too long, Jake. There was probably nothing you nor your Dad could’ve done.”
    “I’m thirty two years old, Maggie, and I’ve never told a soul that until now. Until you. That’s twenty one years of silence. It was what drove me to become a multi-million dollar real estate investor. I’ve put everything, every feeling, every piece of guilt into driving myself to become something my Mom would’ve been proud of. You’d be surprised at what I own here in the keys. I’m not bragging, I’m just saying my guilt drove me. I know she’d be proud of me if she were alive and I worked hard to make sure of it. But, I can’t even stand there tonight along side of my Dad and watch as they dedicate this hotel to her. Do you know why? Because of my guilt. I am the sole person who could have saved her. But I got distracted by going fishing with Jon. It haunts me every single day of my life.”
    “Son.” Maggie could feel it the moment Jake realized that his Father was right behind him. His body stiffened, his muscles became taut and she heard his deep breath go in but not out. “Jake, it’s time we talked.”
    Maggie jumped up off of Jake so he could stand up. She wanted to reach out to him, but just stood there in case he needed her. How much had his Dad heard of their conversation? She looked at the older version of Jake. He was a handsome man. His eyes were lined with a few wrinkles but he had the same dark familiar eyes of a Hatfield. His hair, dark brown, was sprinkled