Chapter 11

Thomas

This was the last straw. First I'd spied Lizzie, Frankie, and that man down at the pier. That man looks damn familiar but I can't seem to place him. Next my daughter, Ashley had told me she had seen them at the ice cream shop. Looked like a happy little family, so she said. The killer was when my business partner, Roy, a right cheeky fellow, spotted them strolling together across the street from my restaurant. Roy, who looks for any opportunity to make my life miserable, arrogantly pointed Lizzie out saying, "Hey Thomas, can't you keep a tighter reign on your woman?" laughing at me as though I were a damn fool. Thomas Scheffield will not be made a fool of. I don't know who the hell this man thinks he is. Lizzie is my girlfriend.

Well, at least we've been seeing each for about a month now. Lizzie had said he was just a friend but I'd trust him about as far as I could throw him. There was definitely something about him. And I don't like the way he looks at her either. I think he's just using Frankie to get to her. Lizzie doesn't see it.

I knew from the moment I saw her at Parent-Teacher night that she was for me. I really care about this woman. And as far as Frankie goes…he doesn't even acknowledge me with a smile or even a nod but looks to that man as though he were some kind of idol.

Frankie will just have to learn to like me, that's all. I'm a good man, I make an honest living. I can provide them with the kind of life they both deserve.

I'm going to make her see it.


Patrick

Things were going well with Frankie, Lizzie, and I. I had taken Frankie out alone about three or four times before Lizzie started to "tag along" with us which was just fine with me. Frankie and I practiced catching the football and doing drills on the field. If it wasn't too late then Lizzie brought water and watched us.

A couple of times we ended up at Marie's for fish and chips. Except for Frankie, who of course just ate chips.

Just sitting there one day eating ice cream with Lizzie and Frankie confirmed for me that I had made the right decision about retiring from sailing. I'd already put in applications at a few places. There was one job in particular that I felt qualified for that I would be successful with. So until I get hired Marie was more than happy to employ me and I was happy to be close to Lizzie on a daily basis.

Thomas, I noticed was coming in more frequently. I didn't like the looks he was giving me either so for Lizzie's sake I just ignored him. I swear if he ever hurts her, he'll have me to answer to.


Lizzie

The more time Frankie and I spent with Patrick the more I found wrong with Thomas. His arrogance started becoming more apparent to me. From the way he snapped his fingers to summon the waitresses at various restaurants to the way he took for granted that I would be at his beck and call. It was getting old real quick.

As I replaced the fish in the warmer, Patrick swept the floor and entertained Marie and I with another of his sailor jokes.

I'm laughing and Marie shook her head as she inspected the legs on some chairs finding them to be particularly wobbly.

"Hey, Patty," Marie called out to him absently shaking the loose leg.

"Marie…" Patrick said with a warning standing there with his broom.

She looked up. "Okay, I'm sorry. Patrick, I need you to fix the legs on these..."

A red-faced Thomas stormed in, scoffing at Patrick and came straight to me.

"Lizzie!" he spat in an angry, hushed tone.

"Thomas? What's wrong?" I asked him curiously.

"Ashley told me she saw you and him..." he said pointing to Patrick, "and Frankie at the ice cream shop. And I saw you at the beach. And by my restaurant. What's this all about?"

Stay calm, Lizzie, you've done nothing wrong. Brilliant! Now Patrick and Marie are both watching us.

"We're just friends, Thomas," I told him incredulously.

"I want you to stay away from him," Thomas demanded a bit too loudly. Funny at that moment, he reminded me of a petulant child.

Who did he think he was telling me this? I shook my head, confused and noticed Patrick started to walk over.

Thomas's angry gaze shot over to Patrick. "Who is he, anyway?"

Taken aback, I replied, "He's my friend, Patrick and-"

"And he happens to be my brother," Marie who had walked over, cut in.

Thomas looked from Marie to Patrick then back to Marie again and finally back to me. A look of recognition came over his face. "I remember you," he told Patrick scornfully. "I knew you were familiar. You're Patrick Connelly." Thomas faced me again. His tone was making me nervous. "Lizzie, stay away from him. The man's a drug addict. He killed his grandmother, so he did. I read it in the paper years ago."

Marie's eyebrows shot up and her jaw dropped as well as mine. "Our grandmother had a weak heart, Thomas. She died from a heart attack," Marie hissed at him.

"He was the cause of it, no doubt. He killed her just the same as if he shot her," Thomas told her defiantly.

Patrick looked like he was going to take the broom and smash Thomas over the head with it.

I stood there gaping at him, not wanting to believe what he was saying.

Tears filled Marie's eyes. She marched over to Thomas with one finger pointed to his chest and told him, "I think you'd better leave here." Through clenched teeth she added, "And don't ya ever be settin' foot in my shop again."

Thomas looked at me again. "Lizzie?"

Patrick, shaking his head, threw his hands up letting the broom fall and withdrew to the back.

My eyes stayed trained on the register, unable to look at Thomas. I couldn't believe he would say such things.Yet Marie's angry look told me that maybe he was telling the truth. Marie's fiery eyes never left his face.

Thomas shook his head in response and looked deflated as he left. I watched him leave and glanced over to Marie who was wiping her eyes, hurrying to the back.

Confused and distraught, there was only one thing I knew for certain at that point. And that was that I needed to talk to Thomas.


Patrick

The days seemed to fly by working at Marie's. It was a joy just to be near Lizzie even if she couldn't be mine.

That afternoon, Marie was inspecting the legs on chairs. There was never a shortage of things for me to repair, stock, or lift.

Lizzie was replacing the fish in the warmer and I happily told one of Bob's favorite sailor jokes. Lizzie's laugh was like music to my ears.

"Hey Patty," Marie called out to me, jarring me from my happy mood. Obviously she missed the irritated look on my face. She knows I hate when she calls me that.

"Marie," I told her trying to look intimidating standing there with my broom.

She looked up at me finally, catching on to her error. "Okay, I'm sorry. Patrick, I need you to fix the legs on these ..."

Before she got the chance to finish her sentence, Thomas stormed in throwing me his customary dirty look and marched straight over to Lizzie.

I slowly swept my way toward Marie trying not to eavesdrop but Thomas was practically hissing at Lizzie.

"Thomas, what's wrong?" I heard Lizzie ask him, still trying not to eavesdrop, of course.

Something was not right, I could feel it.

Thomas was speaking in hushed tones. "...saw you and him." I looked up assuming correctly that I am him because he was pointing towards me while I slowly swept my way back toward them. "and Frankie over at the ice cream shop. And I saw you at the beach. And over by my restaurant. What's this all about?" he asked her accusingly.

I stopped my sweeping and observed because now I was involved and there's no way I'm going to let this bawbag lay a finger on her.

Lizzie's eyes darted over to Marie and I. "We're just friends!" she insisted, outraged.

I didn't like his tone one bit. And I didn't appreciate what he's implying. Lizzie hasn't been anything but friendly with me.

"I want you to stay away from him!" he told her red-faced and loud.

Okay, I'm going to pummel this asshole. I walked over to where he was standing, towering over him, staring him dead in his rosy red face.

Marie had also caught on to what was happening and joined me.

Thomas angrily faced me, addressing Lizzie, "Who is he, anyway?"

Quickly Lizzie told him, "He's my friend, Patrick and-"

"And he happens to be my brother," Marie cut in looking as though she might pummel him.

Thomas looked from Marie to me then to Marie again and finally back to Lizzie. You could practically hear the wheels turning in his head. His expression changed as though he'd figured something out.

He looked to me. "I remember you. You're Patrick Connelly."

I raised an eyebrow. He wasn't familiar to me.

He looked back to Lizzie. "Lizzie, stay away from him! This man is a drug addict," he told her pointing.

What the #!& ! That was more than 20 years ago but he didn't stop there.

"He killed his grandmother, so he did…"

The rest of what was said was a blur. All I could think about was taking the broom and wrapping it around Thomas; squeezing the life out of him. I resisted the urge when I saw Lizzie's mouth fall open. No matter what he said Lizzie would never forgive me if I gave him what he deserved.

My big sister protectively stepped in, pointing to Thomas. "I think you'd better leave here," she told him through clenched teeth. "And don't ya ever be settin' foot in my shop again."

Not happy with Marie's command, Thomas looked over to Lizzie. "Lizzie?"

I had to get out of there before I hurt him. I gave up. He won. I shook my head, threw my hands up in the air and retreated to the back room. I wanted to run; run far away.

More than 20 years ago, Bob had saved me by putting me on his uncle's ship. Now, Bob was gone. No more running away. I knew it would be time to face my past.