Trouble After Dark: (A Gansett Island Novel)

by Marie Force

  “Hey, what’s up?” Leaving the door open, Julia went back to tossing sunscreen, a hat, sweatshirt and hotel towel into a beach bag. “I thought you’d be off honeymooning.”

  Katie came in and closed the door. “We’re not leaving until tomorrow.”

  They were going to Ireland, which was another reason to be envious of her twin. Julia had always wanted to go to Ireland. “You must be excited for the trip.”

  “We are. But I’m worried about you.”

  Julia glanced at Katie over her shoulder. “How come?”

  “You left in the middle of my wedding without saying a word to anyone, for one thing.”

  “I’m sorry about that. I just needed to get some air.”

  “Because my wedding was so stifling?”

  Julia closed her eyes, counted silently to five and then turned to face her sister. “Not at all. I was just feeling emotional and took a breather.”

  “Why were you feeling emotional?”

  “Other than the fact that my twin sister and lifelong best friend was getting married?”

  “Yeah, other than that.”

  Here was the one person Julia couldn’t dodge, couldn’t fool and couldn’t escape. She sat on her bed, exhaling. “Things have been kind of complicated at home since you left.”

  Katie sat on the other bed. “How so?”

  Julia bit her bottom lip as she tried to think about how to say it without making Katie feel bad for leaving. “It’s just different.”

  “Stop hedging and tell me what you mean.”

  “I miss you, okay? Nothing is the same without you there, and I didn’t want to say that because I don’t want you to feel bad about leaving. I totally get why you stayed here after Owen’s wedding. And look at you now. An old married lady.”

  Katie moved from her bed to Julia’s and put her arm around her sister, leaning her head on Julia’s shoulder. “Just because I’m married now doesn’t mean I’m not still your sister, your bestie, your twin. I’m right here, Jule. Right where I’ve always been.”

  That wasn’t true, but Julia wasn’t about to say so, not when her sister was so happy in her new life. She would never want to say or do anything to detract from Katie’s happiness. “I know.”

  “You didn’t eat anything this morning.”

  “I wasn’t hungry. Too much champagne yesterday.”

  “You didn’t eat anything at the wedding either.”

  “I did, too.”

  “No, you didn’t.”

  “Weren’t you too busy being married to watch me all day?”

  “What’s going on? And don’t say it’s nothing. I know the signs by now.”

  Not only did Katie know her better than anyone, she was a family nurse practitioner and had been aware of Julia’s eating disorders from the beginning. In fact, Katie had been the one to sound the alarm the first time Julia ended up in the hospital.

  “I’ve had a rough couple of months. Nothing to worry about, but there’s been some stress. I’m managing it.”

  “By not eating?”

  “I’ve been eating. I promise.”

  “When? When was the last time you had something substantial to eat?”

  Julia had to think about that and knew there was no sense in trying to hide the truth from her twin. “Yesterday before the wedding.”

  “That’s almost twenty-four hours ago, Julia. You know full well that’s too long.” From her purse, Katie withdrew a banana and handed it to Julia.

  Julia took it from her, reminded of the many times Katie had convinced her in the past to eat by giving her a banana, knowing how Julia had always loved them. She peeled the banana and took a bite, forcing herself to chew and swallow. “It was one bad day. I promise to get back on track today. You should go be with your husband. He’s probably wondering where you are.”

  “He knows where I am.”

  “Did you tell him your crazy sister was off the rails again and you had to perform an intervention?” Julia immediately regretted the harsh words, but it was too late to take them back.

  “Not at all. I told him I wanted to spend some time with you before you have to leave.”

  “I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that. I swear I’m fine. There’s nothing to worry about. Also, I’m not leaving right away. I was thinking I might stick around for the summer.”

  Katie’s pretty face lit up with a huge smile. “Really? That’s great news!” Then she sobered once again. “However… I don’t believe you when you say you’re fine. I’ve seen fine, and I’ve seen not fine. This looks more like the latter to me. Maybe Shane and I should postpone our trip—”

  “No! Absolutely not!”

  “Then I’m going to need you to do something for me.”

  “What?” Julia would do just about anything to not be the reason they postponed their honeymoon.

  “Two things, actually. One, I want you to agree to see David or Victoria at the clinic for a full workup in the next few days, including blood work. And two, if you’re going to be here for the summer, I want you to start seeing Shane’s uncle Kevin. He’s a brilliant psychiatrist with an office right here on the island.”

  Julia didn’t want to do either of those things, but if it meant that Katie wouldn’t postpone her trip because of her, she’d do it. “Fine.”

  “Swear to God?”

  Julia fully understood the importance of Katie asking her to swear to God. In their family, there was no greater measure of assurance. “I swear to God.”

  “Good, because I’m going to check when I get back to make sure you were seen at the clinic.”

  “Are you allowed to do that?”

  “To check on a patient? Absolutely.”

  “Go on your trip. Don’t worry about me. I promise I’m okay.”

  “Don’t fall down this rabbit hole again, Julia. You’ve worked so hard to get off the merry-go-round. Please, if not for yourself, then for everyone who loves you, please take care of yourself before it gets out of control again.”

  “I will. I am. It’s under control.”

  Katie gave her a skeptical look that Julia knew she deserved. How many times in the past had she sworn to her sister that things were under control when they weren’t? And they weren’t now, but there was no way she was going to let her issues ruin this happy time for Katie.

  Her sister withdrew her phone and started tapping away.

  “What’re you doing?”

  “Logging into the appointment system to get you scheduled. You want David or Vic?”

  Realizing there was no point in objecting, Julia sighed. “Vic, I guess.”

  After some more tapping, Katie said, “Tomorrow at three?”

  “Okay.”

  She continued to tap away.

  “What’re you doing now?”

  “Telling Vic that I made an appointment for you and to let me know if you don’t show.”

  Julia bit back a stinging retort. “I said I’ll go, and I will.” She made an effort to keep from snapping at Katie.

  “I just texted Shane’s uncle Kevin about scheduling you. I sent him your number, and he’ll get in touch when he gets a minute. He and his wife just had a baby, so it might be a couple of days. I expect you to respond to him, do you hear me?”

  “Anything else?”

  “You may as well know that I’m going to tell Owen to keep an eye on you.”

  “Come on, Katie! I don’t need anyone keeping an eye on me.”

  Katie raised a brow. “No? Do you honestly think I’m going to stand by and allow this to happen again? If you want us out of your business, take care of yourself. That’s nonnegotiable.”

  Owen and Katie had saved her life once before, and Julia knew there was no point in arguing with Katie. If Julia wanted her sister to leave on her honeymoon as scheduled—and she did—then she had to go along with Katie’s demands. “Fine. Whatever. Go on your trip and don’t worry about me.”

  Katie put her arm around Julia and leaned her
forehead against Julia’s. “I will always worry about you, and I’ll always love you, and I’ll always, always want you to be my very best friend, even now that I’m married.”

  The heartfelt words triggered a groundswell of emotion that Julia was powerless to contain.

  “Please don’t tell me you ever doubted that,” Katie said softly as she held Julia while she wept.

  “No, not really. It’s just that everything is different now.”

  “Everything that matters is exactly as it has always been, exactly as it will always be.”

  Julia clung to her sister and her assurances. Did Katie have any idea how much Julia needed to hear that?

  Katie pulled back from their embrace and wiped the tears from Julia’s face. “So what’s up with Blaine’s smoking-hot brother?”

  “Is he smoking hot? I hadn’t noticed.”

  Katie laughed and nudged her with her shoulder. “Sure you haven’t. What gives?”

  “Nothing. I just met him yesterday. We had some fun at the wedding, which he crashed, by the way.”

  “I wondered where he’d come from. From what I hear, he and his brother don’t get along.”

  “Yeah, he said that. But they’re going to be working together this summer, so that ought to be interesting.”

  “Do you, you know… like him?”

  “As anything more than a friend? Nope.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’m on a man diet.”

  “Huh? A man diet?”

  “Also known as a dick diet.”

  Katie cracked up laughing. “That’s not really a thing, is it?”

  “It is, and you’d know that if you’d ever dated anyone other than your husband.”

  “I was holding out for perfection.”

  Julia rolled her eyes. “For the rest of us mere mortals, there’s nothing but frogs in the swamp, and I, for one, have had enough frogs to last me a lifetime. So I’m on a diet. No men, no dicks, no headaches, no heartaches.”

  “For how long?”

  Julia shrugged. “Four months so far.” Since the day she’d learned the full extent of Mike’s betrayal. “Maybe forever.”

  “That’s silly. What if Deacon turns out to be the one you’re meant to be with and your so-called dick diet keeps you from something that could be really great?”

  “None of them are really great, Katie.”

  “Shane is. Owen is. Charlie is. David is. I know lots of men who’re amazing husbands, boyfriends, partners. Ask Mom how great Blaine was to her when she first arrived on the island, devastated and hurt from the last run-in with Dad. Mom adores Blaine, and I’m sure his brother shares a lot of the same qualities.”

  “He could be the best man in the whole world, and it wouldn’t matter. All men are radioactive.”

  “Does he know that? Because judging by the way he was staring at you during brunch, he’s not aware that he’s off-limits.”

  Julia wasn’t sure how she felt about hearing Deacon had been staring at her. “He knows because I told him.”

  “You came right out and told him you’re on a dick diet?”

  “Yep. I also said I’m not dating at the moment, so if he’s hanging around hoping I’ll put out, there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell of that happening.”

  “Huh.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It’s just that I’m surprised. You love men—and dick. I never thought you’d actually give up either.”

  “I’m fed up with it all. Men are nothing but trouble, and since dicks are attached to men, I’m giving up both.”

  “Won’t you miss it? The dick part, that is.”

  “Eh, not really. I’ve spent my entire adult life proving Dad right about me. It’s time to prove there’s more to me than how I look.”

  Katie went very still. “Proving Dad right about what?”

  “You know. What he said about me.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Yes, you do.” Julia’s brain raced as she tried to recall telling Katie. “I’m sure I told you.”

  “I’m sure you didn’t, so how about you tell me now?”

  Julia didn’t want to. She didn’t want to say the hateful words out loud and give them new power over her—or Katie.

  “Tell me.”

  With the genie out of the bottle, there’d be no stuffing it back in. “When I told him I wanted to go to college, he said there was no point. He said I’d spend my life on my back because when men look at me, they see I’m good for only one thing. You know how he was always commenting about my body and how I look.”

  Katie stared at her.

  “I told you that.”

  “You most certainly did not.” Katie blinked back tears. “I hate him so much, for so many things, but that…” Tears rolled down her cheeks.

  Julia couldn’t bear to see Katie cry.

  “This is why,” Katie said softly.

  “Why what?”

  “It’s why you starved yourself.”

  “No, it isn’t.”

  “Of course it is, Julia. You did it so you’d have control over something that mattered to him. He was so proud of how beautiful you are, and you did it so you wouldn’t be beautiful to him anymore.”

  “That’s not true. He had nothing to do with it.”

  Katie wrapped her arms around Julia and held on tight. “He had everything to do with it.” After a long period of quiet, Katie released Julia to wipe tears from her face. “You know, when he called Owen after the trial and told O how he’d been abused as a child by his father and that’s why he treated us the way he did, part of me wanted to forgive him. I mean, we all know what kind of damage abuse does to a child. But it’s stuff like this, what he said to you, that I’ll never forgive him for.”

  “It was a long time ago, and it doesn’t matter anymore.” Julia refused to give him any more power over her than he’d already exerted. Even with him in prison, locked away for years to come, the thought of him could still make her skin crawl.

  Desperate to shake off thoughts of a man she’d much sooner forget than ever think about again, she pulled free of Katie’s embrace. “I need to get going. Deacon probably thinks I got lost.” Julia stood to run a brush through her hair and finish packing her bag.

  Katie came up behind her and put her hands on Julia’s shoulders, compelling her to turn and face her twin. “Will you do one more thing for me while I’m gone?”

  “If I must…”

  “Don’t write Deacon off before you have a chance to get to know him. If he’s anything at all like his big brother, he’s one of the good ones.”

  Julia had already seen indications of him being a good guy but was wary enough to keep him firmly classified in the friend category. The last thing she needed with her entire life in an uproar was any sort of romantic complications.

  Katie gave her an adorably imploring look. “Do it for me?”

  “Ugh, why you gotta say it that way?”

  “Because I know it’ll matter to you.”

  Katie was well aware that there was almost nothing Julia wouldn’t do for her or any of their siblings. “Fine. Whatever. Go away and have sex with your husband.”

  Katie waggled her brows. “Already did that this morning.”

  “Now you’re just being a cocky bitch.”

  Katie’s laughter sparked Julia’s. It felt good to share a laugh with her sister after the tears.

  Julia hugged her tightly. “Go on ahead. I promise I’ll be fine. Enjoy every minute of your trip and the time with Shane. You deserve every happiness.”

  “So do you.”

  “If you say so.”

  “I say so, and I’m in charge.”

  “Easy, killer.” Katie had been the leader and Julia the follower, and that dynamic had worked well for them. But now Katie had a whole new life with Shane, and Julia needed to figure out her own crap, without Katie leading the way.

  The sisters walked downstairs together, where they fou
nd Deacon sitting on the front porch with Adele.

  She brightened at the sight of her granddaughters. “There she is,” Adele said, focusing on Julia.

  Deacon stood, and when her eyes met his golden-brown gaze, a tingle of awareness overtook her. What the hell was that about? It was Katie putting ideas in her head, that’s all. He was just another good-looking guy who was probably interested in one thing and one thing only. She’d be wise to keep their friendship strictly platonic. If she didn’t let him get to her, there was no way he could hurt her.

  “You ready?” Deacon asked.

  “I am if you are.”

  “Let’s do it, then.” He surprised Julia when he bent to kiss Adele’s cheek. “Thank you for the company.”

  Adele fanned her face dramatically. “It was entirely my pleasure.”

  Deacon laughed, and again the tingles electrified her, making Julia realize she needed to be very careful with this one.

  Chapter 9

  Every time he laid eyes on Julia, it was like he was seeing her again for the first time. When she came out the hotel’s main door with her equally attractive sister, he’d noticed only her. She’d brushed her long dark hair until it fell in soft, shiny waves down her back and had a smudge of sunscreen on her cute nose.

  She wore sunglasses, so he couldn’t see her always-expressive eyes. He’d have to be dead not to notice how her cutoff denim shorts hugged her sweet ass or the way her tank top showed off a spectacular pair of breasts. While her physical attributes were hard to miss, he was far more concerned about her emotional well-being after their conversation on the jetty. Especially knowing what he did about her father and her family’s history.

  “Everything okay?”

  She nodded. “Why do you ask?”

  “You were gone awhile.”

  “Katie came up to see me, and we got to talking—as we do. Sorry to make you wait.”

  “I didn’t mind waiting. Your grandmother found me, and we had the nicest chat. She was telling me stories about running the hotel for more than fifty summers.”

  “She’s seen it all, that’s for sure.”

  “She seems like a really great person.”

  “She’s the best. We never would’ve survived without her and my gramps growing up.”