Topsail Island, NC
Seven years earlier
Seany O’Brien hadn’t dated all that much. Even so, at fifteen, he’d had a few lasses catch his eye. He’d even spent time with them, going to the cinema or meeting them in town for a burger. He’d kissed a few of them. Done more than kissed, actually. But none of them had ever stirred his heart as much as they’d stirred his loins. Lust was like breathing to a lad his age, but he’d never felt anything more than fondness for them, to be truthful. Not until now. Now, there was Moe. He’d spent the last weeks walking on sandy beaches, stealing kisses under the beach house or at the base of a sand dune. They’d talked about everything. He’d never talked so much to a girl in his life, other than family.
He had his group of friends at school, both male and female. His sister-in-law Caitlyn had two younger sisters that were in his tight circle of friends. Two pretty girls. Smart, too. But they’d never felt more than friendship for each other. It figures that the first time he’d ever felt a deep connection to a girl, both physical and emotional, she was a Yank. What was it with his brothers and American women? He saw the appeal, though. He’d been half in love with Branna, his new sister-in-law, when Michael had started the long and rocky path to his mate. And now Aidan with Alanna. He looked at Moe, with her Mona Lisa smile and her smart, serious eyes, and he finally understood. Mate. Could fate be that cruel? To gift him this wonderful love at this young age? Because it was love. He wouldn’t let anyone lecture him about hormones or teenage crushes. He’d fallen in love this summer. With a bloody Yank that lived an ocean away. Suddenly, he had to touch her. He palmed the back of her head and pulled her mouth to his. He moaned against her mouth. “I don’t want this to end. It can’t be over.”
He kissed her and felt the wetness of her tears. She whispered, “I don’t want it to end either. This is killing me, Seany. My heart…” her voice broke and he took her palm, placing it over his own heart.
“This is yours,” he said. Fighting his own tears. “We’ll make it work, a chuisle. And when we are older, I’ll come to you. Or you’ll come to me. Promise me. This can’t be the end.”
“I promise,” she said, kissing him hard. A rare treat, because she was the more timid one when it came to their physical passion. “I promise I won’t let you go.”
10 months later
Magnolia, Texas
“Of course you think that. You can’t possibly fathom that I might have real feelings. A real relationship. I’m a child, right? Unless you need me to be an adult. Need me to drive or cook dinner or tutor Emmie. Then I’m responsible and such a blessing to this family. But when it comes to something I want or need, you dismiss me. Dismiss anything that doesn’t fit into this household!”
Her words stung her mother, and she knew it. She couldn’t take them back. They were true. But she saw the bags under her mother’s eyes and the guilt in her father’s eyes, and suddenly she was ashamed. She burst into tears, which was a rare thing for her.
“I know that we ask a lot of you, Moe. Too much. And I’m so sorry for that. It’s the hand we all were dealt,” her mother said.
Her father spoke finally. “We don’t dismiss your feelings. I know how you feel about that boy. About Seany,” he amended, because she hated when they called him that boy. He had a name. “And I’m going to be very frank with you, for the first time since this all started.”
Moe folded her arms over her chest after a sweep under her eyes. “Please, enlighten me, Daddy. Tell me why it is so hard for you to see me grow up. To be happy. I’m sixteen years old. I’m creeping up on seventeen. Why is it that every other girl my age can date, can have boyfriends, and you can’t let me have this?”
“Because of the way you look at each other,” he said simply. “Because I don’t know if you are ready for everything that is in your eyes and in your heart. You are only sixteen. How do you think this is going to play out, Moe? I’m going to put you on a plane and let you spend unsupervised time in another country with him? That his parents are just going to let him fly here for the summer? He’s going to be here in this house with everything that’s going on? Because I’m ashamed to admit, we are struggling to keep everything afloat. Your mom can’t work because I’m a burden right now.” His voice was hoarse, and Moe suddenly didn’t want him to talk anymore. His pride was taking a hit even more than hers was. “Back and forth to the doctors and therapists while you spend the summer resenting that you can’t just go be with your boyfriend. That he’s going to feel as trapped in this house as you obviously do?”
“Daddy, don’t say that! I never said I felt trapped. I just…” she put her face in her hands. “I don’t know how to make you understand. I’m being torn in two.”
“I know, baby. And I wish I could spare you this, but I can’t. Your place is here. Right now, you’re feeling a lot for the first time, but it won’t be the last. I promise you. This tug of war has to end, and you’re the one who has to do it. One side has to let go. We are your family, so we can’t. He’ll have to do it. You’ll have to make him do it. Then, Moe, maybe you’ll have a shot at something real. Someone who is here. Someone who can take you to your prom and graduate with you and be a true, present friend to you. I know that you’ll grow up and leave us someday. Some man is going to steal your heart and that’ll be it. But it cannot be now. The kindest thing you can do for both of you is to let him go. Let him meet someone who can be there for him. Someone he can take to the movies and kiss goodnight. You both deserve it. It was a summer romance, my sweet girl, and that summer is long over.”
Moe looked at Seany’s pixelated face and wanted to die. How could she do it? But how could she not? “Moe, you don’t have to do this! It won’t be forever! Another year and a half and we’ll be eighteen. You can fly by yourself. I can come to you.”
“Seany, think about what you’re saying. I know you don’t want to hear it, but this can’t continue. It’s tearing me apart. You’ll find someone else, and someday you will thank me for this. Please, my mind is made up.”
“This is your parents…”
She put her hand up to stop him. “This was my decision, Seany. Mine alone. It’s over. I care for you. I really do. But this is not sustainable. I will always care for you, but it’s over. I’m so sorry.” Her voice trembled as the tears started up again. “Please, don’t make this any harder.”
“Don’t hang up, Moe. I love you. Don’t you know that?” There, he’d said it. Surely, she wouldn’t go through with it now. He’d said the words. “This is wrong. I can’t stand the thought of not talking to you again. Clean break be damned. Just sleep tonight and call me tomorrow. Please, Moe.”
But she didn’t call. She sent a letter. And that was the end of it.