He smiled faintly.
“That part was me.”
Serena turned toward him.
“Why hide?”
Marcus looked at water.
“After she died, everybody looked at me like they knew something about my grief.”
“They wanted statements.”
“Friends wanted me back in New York.”
“People from firm wanted capital.”
“Charities wanted relationship.”
“I wanted to disappear.”
“So I did.”
“And Compass?”
“Something useful to do with money I didn’t need.”
Serena shook her head.
“Eighty-seven million dollars is not ‘something useful.’”
“It is if it works.”
She looked down.
“Some of it didn't.”
Marcus’s jaw tightened.
“No.”
“I should have known.”
“You should have audited.”
“I trusted Grant.”
“I trusted reports.”
“That’s different.”
“Is it?”
Marcus looked at her.
“Yes.”
“You cannot personally inspect every roof.”
“You build systems.”
“People exploit systems.”
“Then you fix them.”
Serena smiled sadly.
“You say that because you fix things.”
“Yes.”
She stared at coffee.
Then:
“You let me flirt with you.”
Marcus nearly laughed.
“That is your objection?”
“Not only.”
“You knew who I was.”
“Yes.”
“I thought you were just…”
“Boat mechanic?”
“Don’t.”
He smiled.
She leaned closer.
“I told you I liked sitting beside you.”
“I remember.”
“You knew you were secretly funding sixty percent of my foundation.”
“Yes.”
“And you said nothing.”
“What was I supposed to say?”
He lowered his voice theatrically.
“By the way, I’m the anonymous donor keeping six shelters open. Want dinner?”
Serena laughed despite herself.
“Would have been efficient.”
“Would have been terrible.”
“Yes.”
“Also manipulative.”
That stopped her.
Marcus continued.
“I needed to know whether you wanted to sit beside me because I was me.”
“Not Compass.”
Serena looked at him.
“And?”
“And?”
“Do you know now?”
Marcus’s eyes held hers.
“Yes.”
The word carried more than either expected.
Serena’s hand moved between them.
Rested on bench.
Close to his.
“Good.”
Marcus looked down.
Their fingers nearly touched.
He did not move away.
Neither did she.
A voice interrupted.
“Dad!”
Nora ran down dock carrying a box of crayons.
Marcus stood.
His face changed instantly.
Softened.
“Nora.”
She slowed when she saw Serena.
Marcus said:
“This is Serena.”
Nora’s eyes widened.
“The shelter lady?”
Serena blinked.
Marcus looked guilty.
Nora continued:
“Dad talks about—”
Marcus coughed.
“Nora.”
Serena smiled slowly.