Hoping for Love (McCarthys of Gansett Island, Book 5)

by Marie Force

  He’d been honest from the beginning about what she could—and couldn’t—expect from him. He didn’t owe her a damned thing. Just because the sex had been un-freaking-believable didn’t change who or what he was. He wouldn’t allow it to.

  Despite the early morning heat and humidity, he walked the long way home to North Harbor, avoiding downtown and any chance of running into Grace. She was leaving tomorrow, and he’d be steering clear of town between now and then. If that made him a coward, so be it. He had no intention of ever seeing her again.

  The second she awoke, Grace knew she was alone. That didn’t stop her from sending a hand to the other side of the bed just to be certain. The sheets were cool. He’d been gone awhile. Perhaps she’d dreamed the entire thing. Then she shifted from her side to her back, and every muscle screamed in protest. She definitely hadn’t dreamed it.

  Releasing a deep sigh of contentment, she relived the extraordinary night with Evan. Although she ached in some delicate places this morning, she wouldn’t change a thing about what had transpired between them.

  Wondering if he’d left her a note, she got up and pulled on a robe to look around the small but well-appointed room. Through the open window, she heard the horn for the nine o’clock boat from the ferry landing across the street and the squawk of seagulls. When she didn’t find a note or any sign that Evan had ever been there, she shrugged off the disappointment and stepped into the bathroom. Eyeing the claw-footed tub, Grace decided a good long soak in the hottest water she could tolerate was exactly what her aching muscles needed.

  Floating in the steaming water a few minutes later, Grace wondered if he would call to make plans for the day. She could always call him, of course, but she was old-fashioned that way and decided to wait for him to make the first move. As she thought about seeing him again, her emotions were all over the place—giddy and excited and anxious and nervous. Would their easy rapport disappear now that they’d been intimate? What would he say? What would she say? Would she even be able to look at him after what they’d done the night before?

  Grace decided she needed a sounding board to figure out what it all meant—and as much as it would embarrass her to admit it, she owed Stephanie fifty bucks. Laura was the closest, right across the street at the Sand & Surf. Hopefully, she was around this morning and available for a chat.

  Grace pulled the drain plug on the tub and reached for a towel. While she was reluctant to leave the hotel and possibly miss a call from Evan, who didn’t have her cell number, she needed someone to talk to. She also needed to meet with the Golds to discuss the purchase and sale agreement.

  In her suitcase, she found a dress she’d bought as part of her new post-weight-loss wardrobe. She’d never worn it before, but as the silky fabric molded to her new slimmer shape, Grace felt sexier than she ever had in her life. Evan had done that for her. Not only had he made her feel beautiful, he’d made her feel cherished and sexy, too.

  As she slid her feet into sandals, she couldn’t wait to see him again.

  Owen’s first thought when he woke up later than usual was that he wanted to kiss Laura again—badly. As he lay in bed staring up at a water stain on the ceiling, he went over all the reasons it couldn’t happen, but knowing why didn’t stop him from wanting more of her. During the long evening at the Tiki, he’d been forced to put aside his plan to stay far away from her and acknowledge the painful crush that had taken him over.

  The ten days she’d been gone to the mainland to unravel her marriage and pack up her old life had been ten of the longest days of Owen’s life. He’d been tormented by thoughts of what she must be going through and filled with the desire to do anything he could to make it better for her.

  Seeing her on the hotel porch yesterday, knowing that she’d finally come back, counted right up there among the best moments of his entire life, which scared the hell out of him. He had no business being so happy to see a woman who was technically still married to someone else, not to mention pregnant with that someone else’s kid. He certainly had no business wanting her naked and horizontal under him in his bed. That was for sure!

  “Ugh,” he groaned as he got up and shook off the cobwebs from a restless night. “Don’t even go there. It’s not gonna happen, dude.”

  He took a quick shower, finger-combed his unruly hair, and threw on shorts and a T-shirt. As he took the stairs to Laura’s third-floor apartment, he told himself he was only going up to check on her and to make sure they were still friends after he’d crossed the line by kissing her.

  All the way up, Grant’s words from the day before about not missing out on the most important thing in life filtered through Owen’s mind, making his legs feel like they were made of lead.

  On the third-floor landing, he stopped short when he heard telltale retching sounds. Goddamned morning sickness! She was plagued by it.

  This morning, however, in addition to the usual retching, Owen heard sobs, too. “Poor baby,” he whispered as he realized her pain had become his, too. How and when that had happened was anyone’s guess. “No one should have to go through that alone.”

  Knowing how she hated for him to see her when she was sick, he stood outside the door for a long time, long enough to make a decision he’d probably live to regret. He withdrew the cell phone from his pocket and found the number for the manager of the bar in Boston that had booked him for two nights during the week as well as weekends from Columbus Day to Christmas. It was a good gig and one he usually looked forward to.

  “Hey, Jerry, it’s Owen Lawry.”

  “Owen! What’s going on?”

  “Listen, something’s come up, and I’m going to have to bail out this fall. I’m really sorry for the short notice.” Owen had no doubt Jerry had a long list of available performers who’d be happy to fill the opening.

  “Aw, shit! That’s too bad. Our customers love you. Nothing serious, I hope.”

  As he thought of his fair-haired Princess and the dark circles under her eyes that had so concerned him the night before, he realized he was sunk. “I’m afraid it might be.”

  “I’m real sorry to hear that. If anything changes, you know where we are. You’re always welcome here, Owen.”

  “Thanks for understanding. I appreciate it.”

  “Take care.”

  Owen had no sooner ended the call and stashed the phone in his pocket when panic set in. What the hell had he just done?

  Laura couldn’t take much more of the morning sickness that hit her at the exact same time every day. Sometimes it was nothing more than a bout of nausea that a few crackers took care of, but on most days, like this one, the vomiting went on for an hour or more. By the time she reached the dry-heave stage, she was so wrung out that she had no choice but to curl up in a ball on the bathroom floor to ride it out.

  That was where Owen found her.

  Laura suppressed a moan when she realized he was hovering in the doorway. She hated that he’d already witnessed her daily puke fest once before. That was more than enough.

  “Is it over?” he asked.

  “For now.”

  He bent to scoop her up off the floor. “Come on, honey.”

  Like the ragdoll she was, her head flopped onto his shoulder as he carried her to bed.

  When he had her settled under the covers, he returned to the bathroom for a washcloth that he dampened and brought back to the bed to run over her face.

  Keeping her eyes closed, she said, “You don’t have to do this.”

  “Hush. I don’t do anything I don’t want to do.”

  A tear slipped from her closed eye and was wiped away by the gentle sweep of the cloth over her cheek. Laura took hold of his free hand. While she knew she shouldn’t be relying on him this way, especially after what’d happened last night, at some point he’d become her rock. She couldn’t imagine not holding on to him.

  “How about some tea? I’ll make it nice and weak.”

  Laura opened her eyes and found him watching her with una
bashed concern etched into his handsome face. “That’d be nice. Thank you.”

  “Sure thing.”

  She watched him go—tall, broad-shouldered and handsome in the sloppy way she used to disdain when she was busy looking for a clean-cut preppy to marry. Look at how that had turned out. Back then, before Justin, she never would’ve given a man like Owen a second look. His hair was too long, and he was often in need of a shave, not to mention he was proud of the fact that he lived out of his van and had no permanent job or address.

  And yet he was ten times the man her law-school graduate husband had been. No, that wasn’t giving Owen enough credit. He was a hundred times the man Justin was.

  Owen’s phone rang, and he took the call while he waited for the water to boil.

  Laura couldn’t hear what he was saying, but the rumble of his deep voice was comforting. Her eyes grew heavy, so she let them close. When she felt Owen’s weight land next to her on the mattress, she startled awake to find him holding the mug of tea.

  He helped her to sit up and settled her against a pile of pillows that he arranged behind her.

  “You’re spoiling me.”

  He brushed a stray lock of hair back from her face. “You deserve a little spoiling.”

  “Owen… About what happened last night…”

  “We don’t have to talk about that, Princess. It’s all good. I promise.”

  “It’s just that…” Laura ran a finger around the edge of the mug as she tried to find the words she needed. “I wanted you to know…”

  “What, honey?”

  Everything inside her went soft and needy when he called her honey. He waited to hear what she had to say, as if nothing had ever been so important to him.

  Taking a deep, fortifying breath, she said, “I didn’t want you to think that I…didn’t like it. Kissing you.” She forced her gaze up to meet his and found him staring hotly at her. “That wasn’t the case.”

  “Oh. Really?”

  “If things were different—”

  “You know what the good news is?”

  “There’s good news?” she asked with a laugh.

  “There’s always good news, and in this case, it’s that your situation won’t always be what it is today. Who knows what’ll happen a month or two from now, six months, a year?”

  “True.” She could only hope things would get better. It couldn’t get any worse, could it?

  “That was Grant on the phone. They’re having a going-away party for Abby tonight. She’s going to Texas to join Cal since he can’t come back with his mother being so ill after her stroke.”

  “Grant is having the party for Abby?”

  “Along with Stephanie, apparently.”

  “Wow, that’s nice of them. What about Abby’s store?”

  “I heard Maddie’s sister Tiffany is taking over her lease and opening a new store next summer.”

  “So many changes for everyone.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Things change. You know that all too well. You’re going through a rough spot right now. No doubt about that, but it won’t always be this way. You’ve got so much to look forward to with a new job and a new baby on the way.”

  Laura rested her hand on top of his much bigger one. “And new friends.”

  His smile transformed his face. She wondered if he knew that. “That, too.” He cast his eyes down at their joined hands. “So, um, do you want to go to Abby’s party with me?” The question was asked with a hint of shyness and uncertainty that touched her.

  “Sure, that would be fun.”

  He seemed relieved that she’d agreed to go with him. “How’s the belly?”

  “Much better. It always is after I get good and sick. I wish it didn’t wipe me out the way it does, though.”

  “Why don’t you take a nap?”

  “I need to get to work around here. Your grandparents didn’t hire me to nap the day away.”

  “You’ve got all winter to get this place whipped into shape. Taking care of yourself and the baby is your top priority.”

  “You won’t tell them I’m slacking?” she asked with a teasing smile.

  He brought their linked hands to his lips and placed a tender kiss on the back of hers. “Your secret is safe with me.” Releasing her hand, he added, “Get some rest. The party is at six, so I’ll meet you downstairs a little before?”

  “Sounds good.”

  He got up and headed for the door.

  “Owen?”

  Turning back to her, he raised a brow.

  “Thanks.”

  “Any time, Princess.” Owen closed the door behind him. In the hallway, he leaned against the wall and let his head fall back as his eyes closed tight against the desire to rush back in there and take her in his arms, to show her how much he’d liked kissing her.

  But he couldn’t do that. No, he had to keep his distance. The irony wasn’t lost on him. He’d finally met a woman he could picture spending the rest of his life with, and she wasn’t available. It was comical, really. Mr. Footloose and Fancy-Free brought low by a woman he couldn’t have.

  If you’d told him a month ago that he’d be rearranging his life to accommodate a woman who was married to another guy and pregnant with his kid, Owen would’ve laughed his ass off. Now he couldn’t conceive of a day that didn’t include her. Funny, huh?

  “Freaking hilarious,” he muttered on his way downstairs.

  As he landed in the lobby, the hotel’s main door opened, and Grace poked her head in. “Oh, hi, Owen. I knocked, but no one answered.”

  “Come on in, Grace. What’s up?”

  “I was wondering if Laura might be around.”

  He glanced at the stairs. “She’s in her apartment on the third floor, but she’s not feeling too hot this morning.”

  “Is it the baby?” Grace asked, full of concern.

  Owen was surprised to realize Laura had told her new friends about the baby. He’d sort of liked that it was their little secret, which was ridiculous. It had nothing to do with him. “Morning sickness. She’s plagued with it.”

  Grace winced. “That’s awful. I can come back later.”

  “The worst of it’s over for today.” As if he were some sort of authority on the pattern of Laura McCarthy’s morning sickness. “She might welcome the company.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. I’m sure she’d want to see you.” Because, of course, he was also an expert on what she might want. “Third floor to the right.”

  “Thanks, Owen.”

  Sputtering to himself, Owen went off to find his surfboard. He needed to expend some of the energy zinging through his veins before he did something really stupid.

  Chapter 16

  Grace headed up the stairs, hoping she wouldn’t be bothering Laura with her visit. She tapped on the door bearing the word “Manager” engraved on a gold plaque.

  “Come in,” Laura called.

  Grace stepped into the cozy apartment, where Laura was snuggled into bed and chatting on her cell phone.

  Smiling, she waved Grace in and patted the bed in invitation.

  For someone who’d dreamed all her life of having girlfriends like Laura, the warm welcome was a balm on Grace’s lonely soul. She sat on the other side of the bed and listened to Laura’s end of the conversation.

  “How did you get talked into cohosting a party for Grant’s ex-girlfriend?”

  When Grace realized Laura was talking to Stephanie, her eyes widened. She and Grant were hosting a party for his ex? Oh, that would be interesting.

  “Grace just got here, and no, I don’t have any scoop yet.”

  “Tell her I owe her fifty bucks,” Grace said, her cheeks heating with embarrassment.

  With a shriek, Laura shared the news with Stephanie and put the phone on speaker so Grace could hear Stephanie’s answering shriek.

  Grace laughed at their reaction. “What can I say? You were right about the McCarthy powers of persuasion.” />
  “I told you!” Stephanie said.

  “Yes, you did.”

  “So,” Laura said, “was it fabulous? And spare me any gory details involving my cousin.”

  “Totally amazing.” That earned more shrieks. “But let me ask you… Is it weird that he was gone when I woke up?”

  Laura’s smile faded a bit at that news. “Did he at least leave a note?”

  “No, nothing.”

  “Oh my God,” Stephanie said. “I’ll kill him!”

  “Why?” Grace asked. “I’m sure he’ll call me later.”

  Laura sent her a sympathetic look.

  “He’s not going to call, Grace,” Stephanie said bluntly as she swore under her breath.

  The fruit Grace had for breakfast was suddenly sitting like a brick in her stomach. “Why do you say that? Maybe he had somewhere to be.”

  “He’s freaking out,” Stephanie said.

  “And he’s running away,” Laura added. “Typical.”

  Grace felt like she was watching a foreign language movie without the subtitles. “Would one of you please explain this to me? Because I don’t get it.”

  Laura reached for Grace’s hand. “Honey, you must’ve blown him away. That’s the only possible reason for him acting like such an ass.”

  “He hasn’t acted like an ass—yet,” Grace said.

  “He acted like an ass the minute he left your room without a word to you,” Stephanie said. “Must be the day for McCarthy men acting like asses. His brother has a bad case of asshole-itis, too.”

  Laura grimaced. “Uh-oh. What happened?”

  “First of all,” Stephanie said, blowing out a deep breath, “we had a huge fight about the screenplay last night. I mean, is it possible that I know better than him what actually happened when my stepfather was accused of kidnapping and molesting me? Was he there? Noooo. You’d think he’d been right there for the whole thing, since he’s such a freaking expert about it all.”

  “Yikes,” Laura said. “That sucks.”