Mine After Dark: Gansett Island Book Series, Book 19

by Marie Force

  For a long moment, she was so still that he wondered if she was breathing.

  “Katie?”

  “You know I love you more than anything, right?”

  His heart sank as he said, “I think so.”

  “I do. I love you and our life together. It’s more than I ever dreamed of for myself.”

  “Are you afraid to marry me, Katie? Do you think things will change between us after we exchange vows?”

  “No,” she said, but less emphatically than before.

  “That’s what happened to your mom, right? Your dad was wonderful until after the wedding?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “That’s not going to happen to you or us. I swear to you, Katie. You’re perfectly safe with me. If you marry me, my only goal will be to make sure you never, ever regret it. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy. You will never be unsafe with me.” With his hand on her cheek, he turned her to face him and kissed her gently. “We got a tough reminder this week about how we never know what’s around the next corner. Time is so precious, and it’s time for us to take the next step together. Marry me, Katie. Please, marry me.”

  She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and let it go before opening her eyes. “Okay.”

  “You’re sure?”

  Nodding, she said, “I’m sure.” She kissed him. “Thank you for understanding how difficult it is for me…”

  “No need to thank me. I get it.”

  “I love you, Shane.”

  “I love you, too, and I can’t wait to marry you. What’re you doing Memorial Day weekend?”

  “No plans that I know of.”

  “How do you feel about a sunset wedding on the same beach where we found each other?”

  “I think that’d be lovely.”

  He kissed her and then hugged her tightly. “It’s a date.”

  * * *

  Adam went looking for Abby and found her in the attic, wearing only a thin cotton nightgown as she sorted through boxes. “Babe, what’re you doing up here? It’s freezing.” His breath came out as puffy clouds in the frigid air.

  “I’m looking for the baby clothes I bought ages ago, before we found out it might never happen.”

  “Sweetheart, we can do that tomorrow. We have all day, and it’s too cold to be up here without a coat.”

  “I want to do it now. It’ll only take a few minutes. They’re in one of these boxes. I just have to figure out which one.”

  Resigned to no one sleeping until she found what she was looking for, he went downstairs to get coats for both of them and joined in the search. In the sixth box he opened, he found tiny little shirts, blankets, sleepers and socks so small, they would fit on his finger. All at once, the enormity of what was happening hit him in a tidal wave of thoughts and emotions.

  He was going to be a father.

  Abby was going to be a mother.

  They were going to be parents.

  They had a son.

  Dear God. We have a son!

  “Abby,” he said softly. “Here it is.” He held up a onesie that said “I Love Mommy” on it.

  “Yes! That’s it.” Her brown eyes glowed with the kind of excitement that reminded him of how she’d been before the sky caved in on them with the devastating polycystic ovary syndrome diagnosis stealing her joy, her zest, her optimism. She’d been overjoyed since they received the text from the agency, followed soon after by a photo of the baby who would be their son. Having his Abby back was the greatest gift he’d ever received, even better than the news about the baby.

  “Can we please take this downstairs?” he asked, shivering.

  “I’ll follow you.”

  Adam lifted the heavy box and carried it down the stairs, setting it on the foot of their bed.

  Abby closed the door to the attic and came into the bedroom, shivering from the cold. “Brrr.” She took off the coat he’d made her put on and tossed it on a chair.

  He put his arms around her and drew her into a tight hug. “This is really happening.”

  “I still can’t believe it,” she said, clinging to him. “The agency said it could take years.”

  “We have a son, Abs.” He withdrew from her only enough to place his hands on her face before he kissed her.

  “A son. We have a son. Maybe if we keep saying it, we’ll believe it by the time we get to meet him.”

  “When did you get all this stuff?”

  “I’ve been collecting it for years, since I first opened Abby’s Attic. Any time something came in that I’d want for myself, I added it to my collection.”

  He’d had no idea she’d been making preparations for a baby for years. “What’re we going to name him?” They hadn’t had these sorts of discussions before now out of fear of further jinxing themselves.

  Besides, what was the point of talking baby names when every doctor they consulted had said pregnancy was unlikely for her due to the PCOS. They had continued to seek out treatments, and she’d undergone a number of grueling procedures, but so far, their efforts hadn’t yielded the desired results. Each month, her period arrived with frustrating regularity, when one of the hallmarks of PCOS was erratic periods. The irony hadn’t been lost on them.

  “What do you like for names?” she asked, sitting on the bed to go through the items in the box. “All of this will need to be washed in special laundry detergent.”

  “Why does it have to be special?”

  “Because the regular stuff is too harsh for babies’ sensitive skin.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, laughing. “I just do.”

  “Are there books I should read? I don’t know anything. What if I break him or do something wrong or—”

  “Adam,” she said, laughing as she pulled on his arm, urging him to sit next to her. “Calm down. We’ll figure it out the same way everyone else does.”

  “Everyone else has nine months to prepare for this. We have two days.” He placed his hand on his chest. “I think I might be hyperventilating. Am I hyperventilating?”

  She dissolved into helpless laughter, the kind that engaged every inch of her body in convulsions as she fell back onto the bed.

  It had been, he realized, a very long time since he’d heard her laugh like that. Even if she was laughing at him, it was the best sound he’d ever heard. She finally got herself under control, for the most part, but remained stretched out on the bed, the I Love Mommy onesie clutched in her hand.

  “What do you think of Callahan?” she asked, referring to her maiden name.

  “Callahan McCarthy has a nice ring to it.” But then another thought occurred to him. “People will call him Cal, which is your ex-fiancé’s name, so that’s a no-go.”

  “How come? Cal doesn’t mean anything to us.”

  Scowling, he said, “You really want to name your son after your ex?”

  “I wouldn’t be naming him after my ex. I’d be joining my family name to yours. I like it.”

  “I don’t know if I could handle that name in our lives every day…”

  “Awww, are you still jealous over a guy I was done with before we ever got together?”

  “Yes.”

  She lost it laughing again.

  God, he loved her.

  “What if we made Callahan his middle name, so Cal wouldn’t be his nickname?” she suggested.

  “I could live with that, but we’re left with the need for a first name.”

  “Let me think about it.”

  Adam put the baby clothes she’d taken out back in the box, and they got in bed, turning on their sides to face each other. “Are you going to be able to sleep between now and Saturday?”

  “Probably not. Are you?”

  “I doubt it. The only time I’ve ever been more amped was the day I came back to Gansett after selling my company in New York. I was beyond excited because I was going to finally be able to see you again.”

  “A baby is more exciting th
an I’ll ever be.”

  He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Nothing will ever be more exciting than you are, but this comes pretty damned close.”

  Smiling, she said, “Should we give him an A name like we both have?”

  Adam curled his lip with distaste. “Do we really want to be that family?”

  “What’s wrong with all of us having names that begin with A?”

  “So many things. My brothers would be merciless.”

  She rolled her eyes. “What about Adam McCarthy Junior?”

  “That’s an A name, in case you think I’m not paying attention here. And I’d rather give him his own name.”

  “Well, we definitely can’t have another Mac.”

  “Hell no. There’re already far too many Mac McCarthys in this world.”

  “What about Liam? I’ve always loved that name.”

  Adam thought about that for a second. “I like it. Liam Callahan McCarthy? His initials would be LCM.”

  She took a deep breath and let it out, tears flooding her eyes and spilling down her cheeks. “Liam Callahan McCarthy,” she whispered. “Our son’s name is Liam Callahan McCarthy.”

  Adam moved closer to her, brought her into his arms and kissed away her tears. “No more tears. We’ve had enough of them to last a lifetime.”

  “These are happy tears.”

  “Well, those are certainly allowed.”

  “I just want to say…”

  “What do you want to say, sweetheart?”

  “I’ll never have the words to tell you what it’s meant to me that you’ve treated my problem as if it were our problem.”

  “It was—and is—our problem. You are not alone, Abby Callahan McCarthy. You will never be alone again. You will always have me—and Liam.”

  “That’s all I need.”

  * * *

  Riley went straight from the ferry to Nikki’s. Twelve hours off the island away from her felt like an eternity, and he couldn’t wait to see her. He’d skipped going home to change out of the dress pants and button-down he’d worn to the funeral, because he was so eager to get to her.

  He came to a skidding stop in the driveway and was out of the truck a second later, warmed by the light she’d left on for him. Inside, he called for her, but she didn’t reply. He went upstairs and heard the shower running. Not wanting to scare her, he was about to knock on the bathroom door when her cell phone rang.

  Checking the screen, he saw the name Davy and experienced the harsh sting of jealousy for the first time in his life. He felt ridiculous, knowing he didn’t need to be jealous of anyone. The phone stopped ringing and then immediately started up again with another call from Davy.

  Riley took the phone with him, knocked loudly on the bathroom door and walked into the steam-filled room. “Just me. Not an ax murderer.”

  She lit up with pleasure, while every cell in his body responded to the delicious sight of her naked body surrounded by steam. “Thank goodness it’s only you.”

  Forcing himself to focus on something other than her sexy body, he said, “Somebody named Davy wants to talk to you. He called twice in the last ten seconds.”

  Her face lost all expression.

  “Who is he?”

  “Zane’s manager.” She turned off the shower and took the towel he held for her, wrapping it around her.

  Riley handed her the phone and noticed that her hands trembled ever so slightly as she returned Davy’s call.

  “Hey, what’s up?” she said when he answered.

  Riley thought about stepping out of the room to give her privacy, but something about the rigid way she held herself made him stay.

  Nikki sat on the closed lid of the toilet when her legs seemed to go out from under her. “How bad?” she asked, followed by, “When?” She dropped her head into her hand as she listened to what he was saying. “I don’t have any way to get there. I’m on a freaking island, Davy.” Looking up at Riley, she said, “What time is it?”

  “Seven thirty.”

  “Yes,” she said to Davy. “I can be ready by then. I’ll meet the plane at the airport.” After another pause, she said, “You’re not the one who needs to apologize—for a lot of things. I’ll see you soon.” She ended the call and sat perfectly still for a full minute before she looked up at Riley. “Jordan and Zane had an altercation in a hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina, where his band was performing. She’s in the hospital with a concussion and a broken arm. He’s in jail.”

  “Oh my God, Nik. I’m so sorry.”

  “She’s hysterical and asking for me, so Davy’s sending Zane’s plane for me. They’ll be here by ten.”

  “I’ll go with you.”

  “You’re sweet to say so, but that’s okay. I know you have work, and your dad is getting married. I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

  “Tomorrow’s Friday, so no big deal, and the wedding isn’t for two weeks yet. I’ll go with you, and I’ll worry about getting myself back here in time for work on Monday.”

  “She won’t want you to see her if she’s a mess.”

  He met her gaze straight on. “I’m not going for her.”

  Closing her eyes, she shook her head. “I never should’ve left her. If I had stayed…”

  “This still would’ve happened, Nikki. You said it yourself—they’re toxic together. Maybe this’ll be the time that she says enough.”

  She looked up at him, her despair obvious. “I thought the sex tape would do it, so I’ve learned not to get my hopes up.”

  Riley held out a hand to her. “Come on. Let’s get you dressed and packed, and then we’ll run by my place to grab some clothes. Everything will be okay. I promise.”

  She gave him a weak smile. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

  “I never do. We’ll get you to your sister, and that’ll make everything better for both of you.”

  Chapter 22

  Just after ten, Nikki boarded the private plane with Riley following right behind her. Though she felt bad about him missing a day of work on her behalf, she was thankful for his company and his support.

  “Are you sure Mac won’t be mad if you miss work tomorrow?”

  “I’m sure. I texted him, but he’s probably already asleep. It’ll be fine. Finn will let him know what’s going on, so don’t worry.” Riley took a good look around at the luxurious interior of the private plane. “So, this is how the other half lives, huh?”

  “Don’t be impressed. The person who owns this ostentatious plane is a flaming asshole.”

  “I already knew that, but the plane is kind of cool. I’ve never flown private before.”

  The pilot and flight attendant came into the cabin to say hello to Nikki.

  “Nice to see you, Jesse,” Nikki said to the pilot.

  “Wish the circumstances were better,” he said grimly. “We’ll get you to your sister as fast as we can.”

  “Thank you.”

  “This is Mel, our flight attendant. Let her know if you need anything.”

  “Thank you both.”

  “We’ll be airborne shortly.”

  Nikki and Riley strapped themselves into side-by-side white leather seats.

  “Zane likes his gold, huh?” The plane was finished with gold on every available surface.

  “He bought the plane after his first gold record,” Nikki said, clearly unimpressed.

  As they taxied for takeoff, Riley reached for her hand. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m strangely numb after all the crazy crap that’s happened since she met him. She’s going to tell me that this it, she’s done with him forever this time.” She shrugged. “I’ve heard it all before.”

  “Maybe this’ll be different.”

  “Maybe, but I’m not optimistic. He has some sort of weird hold over her that I’ve never understood. She has to be strong enough to break that bond, and so far, she hasn’t been.”

  “What about your grandmother? Should you call her and tell her what
’s going on?”

  “I’ll call her in the morning.”

  “She won’t see it online or on TV before then, will she?”

  “No, she goes to bed early and gets up early. I’ll catch her before she watches the news. I wonder if it’s already all over the internet.”

  “You want me to look?”

  She shook her head. “I’ll find out soon enough.”

  The plane flew down the runway and lifted smoothly into the air, leaving Gansett Island behind as they climbed through thick clouds that made for a bumpy few minutes. When they cleared the clouds, they found a sky sprinkled with stars.

  “I hope this flight is a metaphor for what happens next with Jordan,” Riley said. “A patch of bumpiness followed by clear skies.”

  “That would be nice.”

  At his suggestion, they snuggled into the same chair and watched a movie to make the time go by faster. Nikki couldn’t have said what movie it was or what it was about, but the mindless activity and his steady presence helped to pass the ninety minutes it took to fly from Rhode Island to North Carolina.

  Nikki moved into her own seat for the descent and landing. Davy was waiting on the tarmac when they came off the plane. In his mid-thirties, Davy was tall and blond with a wiry build and always seemed to be vibrating with nervous energy. Nikki had thought he was on something the first few times she met him, until she realized the nervous energy came from trying to manage the unmanageable Zane. “Davy, this is Riley. Riley, Davy.”

  The two men shook hands.

  “How is she?” Nikki asked.

  “In a lot of pain, but she didn’t want to take anything for it until you get there.”

  “Let’s go,” she said, climbing into the backseat with Riley. “Hurry.” The thought of her sister in pain because of the man she loved made Nikki feel murderous. If she had ten minutes alone with Zane, she’d be tempted to stab him in the throat. It was probably just as well that he was in jail. “Does he know you sent the plane for me?” Nikki asked.

  “Nope.”

  “Will he be pissed?”

  “Fuck him if he is.”

  Realizing that Zane’s own people were fed up with him, too, made Nikki feel slightly better.