Julia stilled and looked up.
Trenton was on the radio, giving their location, but Dani froze and watched.
Nanery drew in a breath, grunting from the pain. “My husband loved your grandma, but you knew that. He snuck around on me for a while before he up and left, but he came back through town every so often. It’s why Sandy had three of them. It wasn’t ever told. I never told a soul, but your momma screwed that up. She started coming around—”
“We don’t have time for this!” Julia screamed.
Dani shot a hand out to quiet her sister. “Shut up and let her talk!”
Nanery was wheezing, grimacing. There was no blood left in her face. “My boy—I had to tell your momma about who her daddy was. She couldn’t take a liking to my Oscar. It wasn’t right.”
“That’s why she was the only one who visited her.”
“Sandy used to be my best friend, and even though I hated her, I knew she didn’t want her children knowing she was all sorts of crazy.”
“What are you talking about?” Julia cried out. “We’re going to die—”
Dani rounded on her, “Then I’m going to die knowing the truth!”
Julia shut up.
Nanery coughed before she managed, “I’ve got all sorts of guilt that eats at me. And one of the worst—your momma.”
“What do you mean?”
“Me and her got real tight. I was the only one she could talk to about her momma, but she had the same curse that Sandy did.”
“It was a married man.” Dani knew.
“He was married, but not happily. Daniella let that right her mind so she wasn’t guilt-ridden, but Kathryn stuck her hand into the mix, you see—”
“Kathryn loved him, too.”
“He didn’t have time for her. It was only Daniella he loved.”
“What are you saying?” Julia asked. Her voice was suddenly so calm against the chaos surrounding them.
“Your pop is here. He’s been around, but Daniella didn’t want you guys to know. She was ashamed. She didn’t want her kiddies knowing what a ‘screw-up’ she was.” Nanery coughed again and hissed from the pain. “She knew that Kathryn would take a liking to the two because they look like their daddy, but Daniella knew that Dani would be left in the cold. She didn’t know what to do when she found out she was dying.”
Julia and Dani stood and waited, hearing their secrets spew from a stranger’s mouth.
“I never done right by your momma. My boy took off. He disowned me for keeping that secret so many years. He said he couldn’t have a mother who knew he had three sisters and not tell him that. He couldn’t ever trust me again, so he took off. I’ve never seen him since. Suppose now, I won’t.”
Dani raised her chin. “If he comes back, I’ll tell him that you did right in the end.”
Nanery’s smile was quick. She grasped for her hand, giving it a good squeeze. “Thank you.” She slumped forward. Dani recognized the signs. The cracked ribs and the storm, Mrs. Bendsfield was going to die. Her will to hang on was slipping. Dani saw that, too. The exertion was too much, but Mrs. Bendsfield unwound the anchor’s rope from her leg.
It was now free from her.
She’d lived a tumultuous life, and she’d die in a tumultuous storm. The poetry wasn’t lost on Dani as she knelt beside this woman. “Who is our father?”
“You know him.” Nanery smiled. “You’ve talked to him. He’s with Mae all the time.”
That was enough. Dani stood back up. She knew.
He wore a white dolphin on his wedding ring. Dani had sat just in front of them with her back turned. She hadn’t been listening, but now Jeffries’ words came back to her. She heard it all—it’s the dolphin that stood for healing and loss.
Jeffries had told her mom about the dolphin.
“I know who he is.”
Mrs. Bendsfield continued, “I’ve run into him a bit, around town and such. He always knew that I knew his secret, and one time he talked to me about it. Your momma didn’t want her secret told—that she’d been with a married man.”
“He was older.”
“He still is old, but he watches you guys. He keeps updates on you, Dani, from Mae and from you, Julia, through Jake. Your fiancé stops in Mae’s Grill on a regular basis and talks a plenty of his girl.”
Dani was thrown across the boat as a wave rocked the boat.
“Dani!” Julia shouted and reached for her sister.
“I’m sorry!” Nanery shouted now as she stood up. “I could’ve saved your family. I knew all the secrets, but I chose not to. I’m sorry.”
“We have to go!” Jake had been watching the waves. He motioned for them now. “Now!”
“Dani!” Julia screamed into her ear, and Dani reacted instinctively as another wave crashed against them. She dove for something to hold on to, and Trenton gunned the engine. The boat shot across the small divide. The tree brushed against their helm.
They didn’t have time for any more deathside confessions.
Dani grabbed the anchor, her sister, and as her hand made contact—the boat was rocked, and this time—it capsized.
All of them plunged into the cold water.
Dani kicked upward, pulled her sister after her, and both gasped their last breath. Trenton and Jake were there. Nanery wasn’t.
“We don’t have long. I’m holding the anchor—just barely. We’re going to fall fast with the anchor—don’t fight it.” Dani said to the guys, “Everyone has to hold on. Your lungs will burn, but it’s the only way. You gotta trust me!” The guys would be fine. She looked at Julia. “You have to trust me.”