Kisses After Dark

by Marie Force

  Shane took the time to have a coffee and a couple of doughnuts before he and his father left to meet the ferry. On the way there, Shane glanced over at his dad in the passenger seat. “So I talked to Mac the other day about the off-season, and I’ve decided to stay.”

  “That’s great news, son.”

  “He says there’s plenty of work to keep me busy, so no sense leaving when everything and everyone I care about is here.”

  “Good thinking.”

  “It’s that baby’s fault. He’s got me totally hooked. I can’t imagine not seeing him every day.”

  “Babies do that to the best of us. I’ve got a bad case over him myself, and two more coming soon. Lots to look forward to.”

  “Yeah, there is. For the first time in a long time, that’s very true.”

  “So just a few babies keeping you here?” Frank asked, trying to affect a casual tone that Shane saw right through.

  “Why don’t you say what you really mean?”

  “Which is?”

  Shane laughed. “Same tricks, different decade. You’re still trying to pry personal info out of me.”

  “That’s my job.”

  “Am I staying because of Katie? Is that what you’re asking?”

  “I’m wondering if she factored into the decision.”

  After last night, she definitely factored into the decision, but he kept that thought to himself. “She’s part of it. I haven’t known her long, but we’re having fun together. But it’s more than that. I feel at home here. You’re here, Laura’s here, the rest of the family… It’s a good fit.”

  “I’m glad you feel that way. I do, too.”

  “What about Betsy? Is she staying for the off-season?”

  “She hasn’t decided anything yet. I hope she’ll stay.”

  “Are you going to be okay if she doesn’t?”

  “Sure I will. I’ve been through worse. But I’ll sure as hell miss her if she goes.”

  “Are you doing everything you can to get her to stay?”

  “Um…”

  “Does she know you love her?”

  “Oh, well,” Frank said, sputtering, “I don’t think it’s come to that.”

  “Hasn’t it?”

  Frank was quiet for a long moment. “Yeah, it has.”

  “Then tell her.”

  “I’m not sure she’s ready to hear it.”

  “Don’t let her get away, Dad. I’d hate to see you have regrets later. Put your cards on the table.”

  “What if she doesn’t feel the same way?”

  “Then at least you’ll know, but I don’t think she’s going to be unhappy to hear it. She seems really into you for some strange reason.”

  “Ha-ha, very funny. I could say the same about Katie.”

  “Don’t try to turn this around on me. We’re talking about you.”

  “Now we’re talking about you.”

  “I walked right into that, didn’t I?” Shane asked, amused by his dad.

  “She’s a nice girl.”

  “She’s a nice woman.”

  “That, too.”

  “I nearly screwed it up this morning.”

  “This morning, huh?”

  “Pay attention, Dad.”

  “Oh, I am. What’d you do?”

  “I got a little bossy with her, which was totally Laura’s fault, but Katie didn’t like it and let me know that. It’s a touchy issue for her after everything with her dad.”

  “That family’s been through the wringer. I know Owen has his demons where his father is concerned. It’s only natural that Katie would, too. Owen, Katie and her twin, Julia, are the oldest. They witnessed the worst of it.”

  “Despite everything, she’s very sweet and sincere. She’s cautious but willing to take some risks, too. I like her. A lot.”

  “Thrills me to hear you say that. For a long time, I feared you’d never date again, let alone anything else.”

  “Who says ‘anything else’ is going on?”

  “A father knows these things.”

  “Oh Jesus…” As skeptical as he sounded, Shane was all too familiar with how tuned in to both his kids Frank was. It had driven them nuts as teenagers, and now was no different. “Do me a favor and keep the speculating to yourself. She’s special, and I’m trying not to screw it up before it even starts.”

  “My lips are sealed.” After a long pause, Frank said, “Just one more thing, and then I’ll shut up.”

  “Promise?”

  Laughing, Frank said, “Yeah, I promise. I only wanted to say that I hope you won’t let what happened with what’s her name keep you from going all in again with someone else, maybe even Katie.”

  Shane thought about that. “A few months ago, I would’ve said no way to going all in again. It’s just not worth the aggravation. But now… I might be open to changing my mind on that.”

  “Which is the best news I’ve heard in weeks.”

  “I don’t want you to worry about me. I have absolutely no desire to ever again be where I was when she left me. I’m being careful.”

  “Good. I never want to see you in that place again. Ever.”

  “You won’t. Don’t worry.”

  “Of course I’ll worry. That’s my job.”

  Chapter 21

  Shane and Frank arrived at the cargo area at the ferry landing, which was bustling with forklifts moving freight around with a precision that made sense only to them. Emerging from the truck, Shane waved to Seamus, who was directing traffic with a clipboard in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

  “Big load for you today, Shane.” Seamus tucked the clipboard under his arm to shake hands with Shane and Frank. “You need some help? I might be able to spare a couple of guys for an hour or two.”

  “I’ll take you up on that.”

  “Hey,” Frank said. “You’ve got me.”

  Shane pointed to the huge refrigerator box.

  “On second thought,” Frank said, “we’ll gladly take you up on that.”

  Seamus laughed. “Thought you might.” He whistled to a couple of young guys who were chasing after one of the forklifts. “Help Mr. McCarthy load up his truck and then go with him to offload. Get your asses back here, pronto.” He handed over keys to the taller of the two young men. “Take my truck, too, so you can do it in one run.”

  “Yes, sir.” They ran off to get Seamus’s truck.

  “Thanks so much,” Shane said. “That’s a huge help.”

  “No problem. I heard what’s going on with Mac and Maddie. Happy to help him out where I can.”

  “I’ll let him know that. I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”

  As they loaded the freight into a couple of borrowed trucks with the borrowed guys helping them, Shane thought about the sense of community on Gansett Island. Everyone was willing to lend a hand to whomever needed help. He liked being part of that. From the house he was building for Lisa and her kids and the satisfaction he got from meaningful work to his adorable nephew to the burgeoning relationship with Katie, Shane had a lot to be thankful for these days.

  After everything he’d been through, he’d never take any sort of happiness for granted ever again.

  Between the four men, they managed to get the appliances into the house and in position in the kitchen before the ferry workers left to go back to work.

  “Thank goodness Seamus offered them up,” Frank said, wiping a bead of sweat from his face.

  “No kidding. We never could’ve done this on our own. I should’ve planned it better, but I thought Mac would be here to help.”

  Frank rubbed his throbbing biceps. “All’s well that ends well.”

  “Take some painkillers at bedtime.”

  “I believe I will. If I was looking for a reminder that I’m not as young as I used to be…”

  “Happy to be of assistance.”

  Frank took a good look around at the house his son had been working on all summer. “This place looks great. You’ve gotten a lot
done since I was here last.”

  “We’re almost there.”

  “Who’s getting this one?”

  “A woman named Lisa Chandler and her sons, Kyle and Jackson.”

  “Incredible thing you guys are doing for them and others here. I’m proud of you and Mac for taking this on.”

  “I give him and Maddie all the credit. It was their idea.”

  “And your hard work. You deserve part of the credit.”

  “It’s been fun. The boys are so excited about their new house. They were here yesterday.” Shane’s brows furrowed as he seemed to remember something unpleasant. “Lisa hasn’t been feeling so good lately. She’s got an awful cough. I asked if she’d been to the clinic, and she said she couldn’t afford it. Mac was going to ask David to stop by to see her. I wonder if he got around to that with everything else that happened yesterday. I’ll have to check on them later. Anyway… Let me give you a ride back to the marina so I can grab my bike.”

  “I hope you’re being careful on that contraption.”

  “I love that contraption.”

  “I hate it.”

  “You should take Betsy for a ride on it. Chicks dig guys with bikes.”

  “They also dig guys with all their limbs intact, so I think I’ll pass.”

  “Chickenshit.”

  “Yep.”

  Fortified by the quality time with his son, Frank parted company with him, promising to talk soon. He loved seeing Shane doing so much better and moving on with his life. If he ever ran into his ex-daughter-in-law, he’d have a few choice words for her after the way she’d treated Shane. Same could be said for the ex-son-in-law. Laura had gotten it right the second time around, and Frank could only hope the same would be true for Shane.

  He liked him with Katie, who was a total sweetheart. Anyone could see that after a few minutes in her presence. Despite everything she’d been through with her father, there was an aura of serenity about her that Frank respected. Anyone who could grow up the way she had and come out of it serene was a winner in his book.

  Leaving the marina, he thought about what Shane had said regarding Betsy. Once again he found himself heading for her house rather than his own. That had been happening more and more often lately, and she never seemed to mind his visits.

  Today he found her outside in the garden doing some weeding. Her face was flushed from the heat, and she wore a huge floppy hat that made her look about twelve. She was incredibly lovely no matter what she wore.

  She greeted him with a big smile as she got up and brushed dirt off her hands. “Hey.”

  “Hey yourself.” Without hesitation, he went right up to her and kissed her. Her arms encircled his neck and kept him there for a second kiss. “Nice to see you, too.”

  She smiled up at him, and all of a sudden he could no longer hold back the things he wanted to tell her.

  “What is it?” she asked, taking a closer look at him.

  “I need to tell you something.”

  “Bad news?”

  “No, sweetheart, the best kind of news. At least I think it is. I hope you will, too.”

  “Okay…”

  “It seems that at some point over this amazing summer we’ve spent together I’ve fallen hopelessly in love with you, and my son told me I ought to tell you that so you know.”

  “He said that, huh?”

  Frank nodded and then kissed her again. “I’m hoping that might make a difference when you’re thinking about whether to spend the winter here. And perhaps the spring, too. And maybe next summer as well.”

  Betsy laughed. “Are you making some plans, Your Honor?”

  “I don’t know. Am I?”

  “Sounds that way to me.”

  “Is that okay?”

  She took hold of his hand and led him inside, shedding the hat as she went. In the kitchen, she turned to him and put her arms around him at his waist. “It seems,” she said as she kissed him, “that I’ve fallen rather hopelessly in love, too, which was the last thing I expected to happen when I came here looking for answers about Steve’s accident.”

  Frank experienced a profound sense of relief at hearing she shared his feelings. “And does this development make you happy?”

  “Very happy. Happier than I’ve been in a long time, which also makes me feel guilty in some ways.”

  “Because of Steve.”

  She nodded. “Like, what right do I have to be falling in love when his life is over?”

  “Would he want you to feel that way?”

  “Oh God, no. He was the ultimate optimist. ‘Everything will work out,’ he’d say, no matter the situation.”

  “Then perhaps it might be okay for you to follow his lead and allow yourself to be happy if that’s what he would’ve wanted for you.”

  “It is. He was always after me to start dating since he was grown and out of the house.” She looked up at him with the soft brown eyes that had slain him from the first time he saw her. “He’d like you.”

  “Would he? That’s nice to hear.”

  She nodded. “He liked honorable men who did the right thing as a matter of course and not just when it suited them.”

  “That’s a very nice thing to say.”

  “It’s true.”

  “So…”

  “So…”

  “Where do we go from here?” he asked.

  “How does bed sound?”

  Frank hadn’t expected her to say that and laughed at her audaciousness. “It sounds like an exceptional idea. Except… I was working with Shane all morning. Once again, I could use a shower.”

  “I’m kind of dirty myself after gardening.”

  She took off toward the bathroom, and Frank followed her, feeling like a teenager caught in the throes of first love.

  Katie hitched a ride to the clinic with her mother, who’d spent the morning working with Laura in the hotel office and was on her way to the hair salon. “I’ll pick you up after my appointment,” Sarah said when she pulled up to the main doors of the Gansett Island Clinic.

  “Take your time. I have no idea if David will be able to see me today.”

  “I’ll text you when I’m leaving the salon.”

  Katie smothered a laugh.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You and your texting. We all think it’s funny.”

  “Why? You can teach an old dog new tricks. I’m proof of that.”

  “Yes, but we had to tell you that LOL means ‘laugh out loud’ not ‘lots of love.’”

  “Why can’t it be both?”

  Katie leaned over to kiss her mother’s cheek. “I suppose it can be.”

  “Do you need help with the crutches?”

  “Nope. I got it. See you in a while.” As Katie hobbled inside, she thought about her mom and the texting. Her father had refused to allow Sarah to have a phone of her own when they were together. So when the seven Lawry kids received a text message with their mother’s new cell phone number, it had been cause for celebration, despite the teasing.

  When Katie thought about how far her mother had come in one short year, it was nothing short of miraculous. “And look how far you’ve come in one short week,” she said to herself, suppressing a laugh as she moved slowly toward the reception desk.

  “May I help you?” the older woman working the desk asked.

  “I wondered if Dr. Lawrence has a few minutes.”

  “Your name, please?”

  “Katie Lawry.”

  She eyed Katie’s crutches. “Do you have an appointment?”

  “No, I don’t. He asked me to stop by, though.”

  “I’ll check with him. Have a seat.”

  “Thank you.” Katie hobbled to the row of chairs and had just sat down when David emerged through double doors, escorting a patient to the reception desk. The woman was young but frail-looking, and he spoke softly to her.

  She nodded, thanked him and walked out the main door.

  David watched her go with a lo
ok of trepidation on his face.

  Katie wondered what that was about.

  Then David saw her, and his expression totally transformed as he walked over to her. “Tell me you’re here to solve all my problems.”

  Katie laughed. “I’m not sure I can solve all of them, but I’m here to talk.”

  “Come in.” He waited for her to get up and held the crutches for her.

  “Thank you.”

  “How’s the foot?”

  “Better than yesterday.”

  “That’s the goal. I’ll take a quick look while you’re here.” He escorted her into his office and told the medical tech working the floor that he’d be a few minutes. “Another day, another bout of insanity,” he said as he dropped into the chair behind his cluttered desk. It was only ten o’clock, and he already looked exhausted. “Tough case this morning. Thirty-one-year-old single mother of two. I suspect late-stage lung cancer.”

  “Oh my God. That’s awful. Was that her who just left?”

  He nodded and then grimaced. “She put off coming in because she couldn’t afford it.”

  “I hate hearing that.”

  “You and me both. Anyway…” He seemed to make an effort to shift gears. “Let’s talk about you and your plans.”

  “I don’t really have any plans at the moment, which is a first. I’m enjoying some unexpected time off.”

  “You said you worked for a family practice in Texas.”

  “Yes, for nearly seven years. I did two years in an emergency room before that.”

  “How do you feel about a small-town practice? No two days are ever the same.”

  “It sounds… challenging.”

  “It is, but it’s also very rewarding in its own way. You get to know your patients and their families really well, and with medical services so limited here, you feel like you’re making a big contribution to the community.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  “What I really need is someone to see to the routine appointments while I handle patients who are actually ill or injured.” He talked about salary and benefits and schedules for a few minutes. “If you’re interested, I’ll put it all in writing.”

  “How soon are you looking to fill the position?”

  “Yesterday?” he said with a grin that faltered when he glanced at his computer screen after a chime sounded. “Shit… I’d hoped I was wrong.” He turned the screen to show her the images that showed huge tumors on both lungs.