GansettAfterDarkKobo

by Marie Force

  To her sister-in-law Janey, Maddie said, “Did you guys know about it?”

  “We found out an hour before you all did.”

  “Such a cool way to do it,” Grant McCarthy said, glancing at his fiancée, Stephanie. “Don’t you think, hon? No muss, no fuss. Just get married.”

  Stephanie shrugged. “I guess.”

  “There’s a lot to be said for no muss or fuss,” Laura said.

  “Funny,” Owen said, “I was thinking the same thing, although ours will be pretty low fuss.”

  “That’s all I’m capable of at the moment,” Laura said with a wry grin for him as she rested a hand on her belly. She was relieved to see him making an effort to engage with their friends.

  “Still sick every day?” Abby Callahan asked.

  “Every single day without fail,” Laura replied. “It took five full months with Holden, so three months to go.”

  “Ugh,” Laura’s cousin Adam McCarthy said. “That’s gotta be awful.”

  “It’s not the most fun I’ve ever had. That’s for sure.”

  “So I guess our destination wedding is the exact opposite of no muss, no fuss,” Evan McCarthy said.

  “Your destination wedding is going to get us all out of here in the dead of winter,” Blaine Taylor said. “I’m all for it.”

  “Absolutely,” his wife, Tiffany, said. “Bring it on.”

  “Until today, you guys had the record for the lowest-fuss wedding,” Evan’s fiancée, Grace Ryan, said. “I think Seamus and Caro have your three-day engagement beat, though.”

  “Wouldn’t change a thing about the way we got married,” Blaine said with a smile for his wife. “It was just what we wanted.”

  “I’m all for eloping and skipping the whole production,” Grant said.

  “Mom would kill you if you did that,” his brother Evan replied. “Like she did when you forgot to tell her you were engaged.”

  Grant winced. “She was pretty pissed.”

  “Mom believes she has an inalienable right to see us all get married,” Mac said. “As the oldest and wisest, I firmly recommend against elopement.”

  His comment led to paper napkins from his three unmarried brothers flying through the air, hitting him squarely in the face. Laughing, Mac batted them away.

  “You’re such a windbag,” Adam said.

  “He does get a little windy at times,” Maddie said of her husband, who glowered at her playfully. “What? You do! It’s Mac’s way or the highway.”

  Sydney Donovan and her husband, Luke Harris, carried their plates to the table.

  “Push over and let us in,” Syd said.

  “You’re just in time to join the conversation about what a windbag Mac is,” Grant said to Luke.

  “Oh, I’m in,” Luke said. “What’s he pontificating about now?”

  “The perils of eloping when Linda McCarthy is your mother,” Maddie said.

  “Yikes, I hate to ever agree with Mac,” Luke said. “However, in this case, I’m afraid I might have to.”

  “Gee, thanks,” Mac said to his longtime friend and business partner. “How painful was that for you?”

  “Excruciating,” Luke said with an engaging grin. “So who’s eloping?”

  “I’d love to,” Grant said. “How great would that be? Just me and Steph and an Elvis impersonator in Vegas?”

  “I’m going to get another glass of wine,” Stephanie said as she got up from the table. “Anyone need anything?”

  The others declined, and she walked away.

  “Was it something I said?” Grant asked.

  “Call me crazy,” Abby said, smiling at the man she’d spent ten years with before realizing her true love was his brother Adam, “but most women don’t grow up dreaming about the day they say ‘I do’ in front of an Elvis impersonator.”

  “Call me crazy,” Grant said, his gaze firmly locked on Stephanie, “but I may be the only one in this twosome who actually wants to get married.”

  “That’s not true,” Grace said gently. “She’s totally in love with you. Everyone can see that.”

  “Maybe so, but she’s in absolutely no rush to get married.”

  “Have you talked to her about it?” Laura asked her cousin.

  “I’ve tried to bring it up a few times to no avail.” Grant pushed his plate aside, apparently no longer interested in his lobster. “Anyway, I shouldn’t be airing the dirty laundry in public.”

  “This is hardly public,” Janey said to her brother.

  “Still. She wouldn’t appreciate it.”

  “Do you want us to talk to her?” Grace asked. “Laura and I could try to pin her down a bit. Maybe she’d talk to us about things she wouldn’t want to say to you.”

  “Well, shit,” Grant said, “if there’s stuff she doesn’t want to say to me, maybe we shouldn’t be talking about getting married.”

  “Don’t say that, man,” Evan said.

  “Making it an all-or-nothing proposition won’t get you anywhere,” Mac added.

  “I hate when he makes sense,” Adam said, “but I gotta agree with him. Don’t lay down ultimatums or anything you might later regret.”

  “If you guys want to talk to her,” Grant said to Grace, “that’s fine with me. At this point, I’m not really sure what to do. I don’t want to push her, but I’m sort of at a loss over how best to proceed.”

  “We’ll talk to her,” Laura said. “Try not to worry. She loves you.”

  “I know,” Grant said, but he didn’t seem entirely convinced.

  “When you asked me to be your date to a clambake, I had no idea I’d get to see you do your judge thing, too.”

  Frank McCarthy chuckled at Betsy Jacobson’s dry comment. They had brought plates laden with seafood to a table for two in the corner of Seamus and Carolina’s yard. “I’m full of surprises.”

  “Yes, you are. It was a lovely ceremony.” Tall and willowy, she had curly dark hair that usually fell to her shoulders. Today it was contained in a ponytail that showed off her strikingly pretty face.

  “Officiating at weddings has always been one of my favorite parts of the job.”

  “I can see why. So have you known for a while they were going to do this?”

  “They asked me two weeks ago.”

  “Good to know you’re so adept at keeping secrets.”

  Frank laughed. “Only when absolutely necessary. Otherwise, I’m a fairly open book.”

  “Retirement is looking good on you, Your Honor. You seem very relaxed.”

  “I love it. Laura told me I’m so tanned that my colleagues at the court wouldn’t recognize me. I guess I’ve been rather pasty-faced for the last thirty or so years.”

  “You’ve worked hard and have earned your free time.”

  “It still feels strange to have nothing much to do when I get up in the morning except go have coffee and doughnuts with my brother and the guys at the marina.”

  “I bet Mac loves having you there.”

  “He does, and it’s great to be able to see him every day. He’s helping me learn how to relax. Had me out fishing in the middle of the day on Tuesday like it was no big deal to run off for a few hours.”

  She leaned in a little closer to him and said in a conspiratorial whisper, “It is no big deal, Frank.”

  “Keep reminding me.”

  “Happy to.”

  “Have you decided yet what you’re going to do at the end of the summer?” he asked, hoping the question sounded casual when his feelings for her had become anything but during the time they’d spent together over the summer. So far that time had consisted of lots of dinners, days at the beach, cookouts with his family and babysitting his new grandson. He was hoping what had begun as a promising friendship might turn into something more, which was a first for him since he lost his wife so long ago.

  Betsy was still fragile after the tragic loss of her son in a boating accident earlier in the summer, so he was proceeding with caution where she was concerned.
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  “I’m still trying to decide my next move,” she said. “Ned has been very kind about allowing me to rent month-to-month, which has really helped. Being here has helped. All of you have helped.”

  “Good,” Frank said tentatively. He honestly didn’t want to hear that she was planning to leave. The time they’d spent together had been good for both of them, and he was hoping for much more of it.

  “At some point, I should probably go back to work.”

  “Do you have to work?” he asked before backtracking. “Not that it’s any of my business. Sorry.”

  “It is your business, Frank,” she said softly. “You’ve been such an amazing and supportive friend. I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through the last few months without you and your family. My friends at home are all so heartbroken over Steve, which was hard for me to be around. They’re wonderful. Don’t get me wrong. They all want to help, but they don’t know how. Here, most of you didn’t know him, so while you’re sad for me, it’s not nonstop grief everywhere I go. I’ve needed that.”

  “I’m glad we were able to help.”

  “And no, I don’t need to work. I received a very generous settlement from my husband when our marriage ended, and I invested it wisely. The office where I work has held my job for me. I suppose I owe them the courtesy of letting them know if I’m not going to be back.”

  “You don’t have to decide anything right away.”

  “I can’t stay in limbo forever. At work or with you.”

  He was surprised by her unusually blunt assessment of their friendship. “Is that where we’ve been? In limbo?”

  She graced him with the shy smile that had been bowling him over all summer. “I’m aware of the fact that you would like to be more than friends.” She paused and then blushed. “Unless I’ve read this terribly wrong. In that case, I’m beyond embarrassed.”

  Frank reached across the table for her hand. “You haven’t read anything wrong. I’m very interested in you. And in us.”

  Eyeing him with equal parts interest and curiosity, she turned her hand up and linked their fingers. “Would you have told me that if I hadn’t brought it up?”

  “I was sort of hoping you might come around to being ready for something more in your own time. I didn’t want to rush you. I know how difficult the grief process can be, although I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose my only child. That’s a whole other level of heartbreak.”

  “It’s been so incredibly devastating, but I’ve decided I would rather have had the time I had with Steve and lost him too soon than never to have known him or loved him.”

  “That’s a very nice way of looking at it. I didn’t know him, and I’ll always be sorry for that, but I bet he’d be damned proud of the way you’ve handled yourself since he died. I know I am. For what it’s worth.”

  “It’s worth a lot. Thank you.”

  He squeezed her hand and winked at her, hoping to lighten the mood. “So does this mean you want to be my girlfriend?”

  “Aren’t I a little old to be considered someone’s girlfriend?”

  “You’re not even fifty yet, and probably far too young for an old dude like me.” He was fourteen years older than her forty-eight years, but the age difference had never been an issue between them.

  “You’re not old. You’re young and vital and…”

  “And what?” he asked, delighted by the flush that occupied her cheeks. Since they were sitting in the shade, it couldn’t be attributed to the warm sunshine.

  “You’re very handsome, which you already knew.”

  “No one has told me that in a very long time.”

  “Then all the women in Providence must be blind and dumb.”

  Her indignant reply made Frank laugh out loud, which drew the attention of his kids across the yard, both of whom seemed intrigued to see him holding Betsy’s hand. Not that they should be surprised. She’d spent a lot of time with him and his family during the summer, and they’d all become fond of her.

  “It’s been a long time since I was anyone’s girlfriend. I may not be very good at it anymore.”

  “Oh I think you’ll be great at it.” He rolled their joined hands back and forth in a cajoling manner. “What do you say?”

  “Your kids are looking at us.”

  “My kids are not kids anymore, and they like you almost as much as I do, so don’t worry about them.”

  “Are you sure they don’t mind me taking up so much of your time?”

  “I’m sure.”

  “Did you actually ask them?”

  “I don’t have to ask them. I know them well enough to state without hesitation if they had issues with me seeing you, they would’ve said so by now. All they’ve ever said, without reservation, is how much they enjoy your company. If they didn’t, we probably wouldn’t be sitting here having this conversation because, as you know by now, they’re my world. That doesn’t mean, however, there isn’t room in my world for other people, too.”

  “People plural?”

  She amused him. She challenged him. And at times like this, she delighted him. He’d been falling for her almost since the day they met, shortly after the tragedy that had claimed her son, and this conversation had been coming for a while now.

  “One person. Only you, sweetheart.”

  “Why, yes, Frank. I think I’d very much like to be your girlfriend.”

  His heart did a weird little happy dance that made him feel breathless over a woman for the first time since he lost his wife half a lifetime ago. “Does this mean you might be sticking around to see what autumn is like on our fair island?”

  “This means I might be very tempted to consider it.”

  “I’ll have to see what I can do to convince you.”

  Chapter 7

  Joe waited until everyone had eaten before he stood and let out a sharp whistle to get their attention. His mother and Seamus sat to his right. Janey, holding their son, was to his left. Sharing the day with them were all the other people they loved.

  “I was asked to be Seamus’s best man about five minutes before the wedding, so I didn’t have much time to prepare anything eloquent.”

  “Time wouldn’t have helped,” Mac said, which made Joe laugh.

  “True. I just wanted to say to my mom and Seamus that this was a really great surprise. And… Well, if I’m being honest, at first I didn’t know what to make of you guys together, but over time, I’ve come to see that the two of you make perfect sense. My mom and I were by ourselves for a long time. Now we’re part of a family of five, and it’s a pleasure to welcome Seamus today. You’ve been a great friend and colleague since I had the good sense to hire you to run our business. Of course I never pictured you married to my mother, but I’m glad it all worked out the way it did.” He raised his beer bottle in tribute to his mother and her new husband. “To Seamus and Carolina. May you have many, many happy years together, and if he does drive you to commit murder, Mom, I’ve got you covered with bail money and a shovel.”

  Everyone laughed and clapped as Carolina wiped away tears and kissed her husband.

  Janey reached out to him, and Joe took her hand as he sat back down.

  “I’m proud of you,” she whispered so only he would hear her.

  “Is that right?”

  “Uh-huh. This wasn’t easy for you at first, but you’ve put your mom’s happiness first, and that makes me proud.”

  “If you’d asked me growing up or even a couple of years ago if she was happy, I would’ve said definitely. But I realize now, after seeing her with Seamus, that she was content, which is an entirely different thing.”

  “Yes, it is, as we both know all too well.”

  Joe put his arm around his lovely wife and nuzzled her soft blonde hair. He gazed down at the baby asleep in her arms and knew a moment of pure happiness—and contentment. Bringing their son into the world had been a traumatic ordeal for both of them, one they were still recovering from in many ways. But the
only thing that mattered to Joe was that they were both healthy and safe.

  “Joe?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I think I might be ready to, you know, get back to normal.”

  For a second, Joe’s brain totally froze. “By normal, do you mean…”

  She nodded.

  They hadn’t made love since before the baby was born, although Janey’s doctor in Providence had cleared her to resume normal activity two weeks ago. Joe had sensed she wasn’t ready yet, so he had made a conscious effort not to push her or give her any indication he was dying for her, which he was. That was nothing new. Since they’d gotten together two years ago, he always wanted her.

  “How soon can we leave?” Joe asked.

  Janey laughed, and the sound of it warmed his heart. He was so damned grateful that she’d survived their baby’s traumatic arrival. As long as he lived, he’d never forget the overwhelming fear of that day. “It’s your mother’s wedding. We should be the last to go.”

  “Maybe P.J. will act up and get us out of here earlier.”

  “We can only hope.”

  “Janey, I want you to know… There’s no rush on my part. I don’t want you to feel obligated or—” He completely forgot what he was going to say when her hand landed on his thigh and traveled upward to cup him intimately under the table.

  “Any questions?” she asked with a coy, calculating smile that made his blood pump faster through his veins, all of it seeming to land in his groin.

  “Just one. When is he going to wake up and give us an excuse to escape?”

  “Soon. Very soon.”

  “Good.”

  Grace, Laura and Abby planned their attack stealthily. They waited until Charlie and Sarah walked away to get fresh drinks before they pounced on Stephanie, who’d been standing with her dad and Sarah for quite some time. Grace and Laura each linked an arm through Stephanie’s and walked away from the group as Abby followed.

  Laura had to talk Abby into joining them. Since she opened Abby’s Attic in the Sand & Surf Hotel where Stephanie’s Bistro was also located, the women had spent a lot of time together. They’d long ago gotten past the fact that Abby used to date Grant and had become close friends. Laura enjoyed their company around the hotel and had enjoyed watching the two of them get closer over the course of the busy summer season.