by Marie Force
Her eyes went wide. “What accident?”
“You didn’t hear about the sailboat in Race Week that got hit by the freighter? All three of my brothers and Grant’s friend Dan were on the boat.”
“Oh my God! Are they all right?”
“They will be. Grant and Dan got the worst of it, but Mac and Evan were fine.”
Abby looked like she might be sick again, so he nudged her closer to the rail. “Take some deep breaths.”
She did as he directed while blinking rapidly. “It’s been over between Grant and me for a while now, but to hear he could’ve died…” The hand she rested over her heart said it all.
“Believe me, I’ve had some rough moments of my own since I got that news from my parents. It was a very close call. All three of my brothers.” He shuddered just thinking about what could’ve happened.
The next thing he knew, she was hugging him, tightly, and it felt really good to have the arms of an old friend around him. And then he felt her breasts pressed against his chest, and his mind went blank. She was no longer an old friend—or his brother’s ex-girlfriend—offering comfort. Rather, she was a sexy, curvy woman who fit perfectly in his arms and had awfully nice breasts, too. Had he ever noticed that before? Not that he could recall. She’d always been Grant’s girl, so he hadn’t looked too closely.
Adam released her and stepped back, noticing how shiny her dark hair was. He wondered if it was as soft and silky as it looked.
Surprised by his abrupt retreat, Abby stumbled, forcing him to reach out and steady her. With his hands on her shoulders and her gaze once again focused on him, Adam had to remind himself that this was Abby. She’d nearly been his brother’s wife. He withdrew his hands from her shoulders and was thankful when the ferry passed through the breakwater into South Harbor.
They stood side by side at the rail as the ferry backed up to the pier and the cars began to drive onto the island.
“You won’t tell anyone, will you?” she asked in a small voice after a long period of awkward silence.
“Of course not. You won’t either, right?”
She shook her head. “If you need to talk to someone who knows what’s going on, I’ll be at the Beachcomber.”
“Not at your folks’ place?”
“No way. My mother told me I was a fool to give up a successful business to chase after yet another man. The last thing I need right now is her reminding me every day that I can’t trust my own judgment when it comes to men.”
“Well, I’ll be at my parents’ place for a day or two while I figure out what’s next if you need someone to talk to.”
“That’s nice of you. Thanks, Adam. Thanks for everything. You’ve been really…nice.”
“I know everything seems awful right now—for both of us—but this has got to be the worst of it, right?”
“If you say so,” she said with a weary sigh as they took the stairs single file to the lower deck.
Since he had only a backpack, he helped her with two of her three suitcases, dragging them up the hill from the ferry landing and across the street to the Beachcomber Hotel. A bellman came down the stairs to assist with her luggage.
“You’ll be okay?” Adam asked.
“Sure. I’m a survivor. It’s how I roll.”
If only she didn’t look so devastated, he might’ve bought that line. He cuffed her chin playfully. “Hang in there.”
“You, too.”
Adam walked away, heading in the direction of his parents’ North Harbor home. At the corner, he glanced back to find Abby exactly where he’d left her, looking up the steep staircase to the Beachcomber, as if seeking the fortitude to move forward.
Chapter 2
On the way through town, Adam noted the Sand & Surf Hotel was back open for business with flags flying and the deck full of guests enjoying rocking chairs that overlooked South Harbor. The sight of the iconic hotel open again made him smile. He couldn’t wait to see his cousin Laura and hear all about the renovations his brother Mac had overseen with his business partner, Luke Harris.
A second sign announced Stephanie’s Bistro, which was also now open inside the hotel. Adam had heard rave reviews about the grand opening of Grant’s fiancée’s restaurant and looked forward to eating there while he was home.
He took a small detour to his sister Janey’s house to see if she was around. He knocked on the door, waited a long time and was about to move on when he heard feet shuffling inside.
His hugely pregnant younger sister let out a squeal of delight when she saw him on her front porch. “What’re you doing here? Come in!”
Adam dropped his backpack on the porch and pulled open the screen door. “I’d give you a hug, brat, but I don’t think I could get my arms around you.”
“Please try,” she said, her eyes filling as she reached for him.
As he’d already had more than his share of emotional women for one day, he did his best to hug his sister around the enormously pregnant belly. Her menagerie of special-needs dogs and cats circled around their feet, sniffing him thoroughly. Over Janey’s shoulder, he noticed her German shepherd, Riley, who sat apart from the others, eyeing him suspiciously—as usual. “No one told me you were having quadruplets,” he said, glancing at her extremely swollen abdomen.
“Shut up. It’s not funny.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Maybe a little funny,” she conceded. “So what’re you doing home?”
“I needed to see the boys, and you and Mom and Dad. Is everyone okay?”
“They will be, but what an awful day that was. I can’t even tell you…”
He put his arm around her and planted a kiss on the top of her blonde head. “I know what you mean. That was one of the worst phone calls of my entire life.”
“What would we have done—”
“Don’t, Janey. Please. Don’t even go there.”
“You’re right. Nothing good will come of that.” She subtly swept away a tear. “Sorry, I’m an emotional disaster area lately.”
“Carrying quads will do that to a girl.”
She play punched him in the belly, putting a little more muscle behind it than usual.
“Um, ow. That hurt.”
“Good. It was supposed to. I can’t believe you’re here right now when I was just about to call you.” She took him by the hand and dragged him to her desk where her laptop was open. “I’m trying to register for fall classes, and it’s not working. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Maybe it’s a sign.”
“Of what?” Adam asked as he let her push him into the desk chair.
“That I’m not meant to go back to school.”
“What the heck are you talking about?”
“Do you promise not to tell anyone? That means anyone.”
“Yes, I promise.”
She nibbled on her thumbnail. “I don’t want to go back to school.”
“Janey—”
“I want to be a mom. I want to take care of my baby. Joe has the business, so we don’t need the money.”
Adam took her hand and squeezed it. “Janey, stop. Stop.” He waited until he was sure he had her attention. “Do you remember the conversation we had after 9-11 when I told you I didn’t want to live in the city anymore?”
“Vaguely.”
“I remember it like it was yesterday. You told me I’d just been through a traumatic thing, and it wasn’t a good idea to make big decisions after something like that. Do you remember?”
“It’s starting to come back to me now.”
“What you said made a lot of sense, and it kept me from making an impulsive move based solely on emotion.”
“I’m glad I was able to help you, but what’s that got to do with me?”
He rested a hand on her huge belly and received a kick from his niece or nephew. “From what I’m told, this is a pretty traumatic thing for a woman. It wreaks havoc on you physically and emotionally. This might not be the ideal time to be making big decision
s.”
“Every time I think about leaving the baby for long days at school followed by longer nights of studying, I feel physically ill.”
“Who will take care of your baby while you’re doing all that?”
“Joe.”
“So he or she will have one parent available to him or her all the time, right?”
“I suppose so.”
“And what do babies remember about the first year or two of their lives?”
“Not much.”
“Don’t do anything rash, Janey. You’ve wanted to be a vet for so long, and you’re so close. Don’t quit now. At least wait until after the baby arrives and see how you feel then.”
She released a deep sigh that had Riley nudging at her hand. Patting his head, she said, “All right. You win. I’ll wait to decide anything.”
“I don’t want you to have regrets later.”
“The stupid website won’t let me do anything.”
Adam put fingers to keyboard to do what he did best. “Ah,” he said a couple of minutes later. “Here’s your problem. You need an s after the http because it’s a secure site.”
“A single letter cost me an hour of my life?”
“Welcome to my world.” With a few more keystrokes, he had her logged into the course selection area. “There you go.”
“You’re the best. Thank you. For this and the words of wisdom.”
“That’s what big brothers are for.”
“In my world, they’re usually good for little more than four huge pains in my ass.”
The comment made him laugh for the first time in days. “It’s good to see you, brat.”
“You, too. Mom and Dad will be thrilled to have you home. Oh, and I’m sure Mom will throw a welcome-home dinner, which means I won’t have to cook tonight. Yay.”
“Glad I could help you out. Hey, so guess who I saw on the ferry?”
“Who?”
“Abby.”
Janey’s eyes widened at the mention of her close friend. “Are she and Cal here for a visit? She never said a word to me about coming home.”
“Not exactly. Apparently, things with Cal are kaput.”
“Are you shitting me?”
“Nope. She was tipsy on the ferry and telling everyone she is done with men—permanently.”
“Oh my goodness! She hardly drinks at all, so things must be really bad if she’d drinking during the day. Where’s she staying?”
“At the Beachcomber until she finds a place.”
“I’d better get over there and check on her.”
“Might be a good idea. She’s in pretty rough shape.” Adam took a minute to scratch the ears of each of Janey’s pets, which he knew his sister would appreciate. “So where are Grant and Stephanie living these days?”
“On Shore Point Road. Number twenty-two. They bought the place from Ned. You might want to stop and see Grant on the way to Mom and Dad’s. We’re all a little worried about him. He’s not bouncing back as fast as the others from the accident.”
“What’s going on?”
“No one knows, not even Stephanie. He won’t talk about it.”
“I’ll go by there.” He kissed her forehead. “And I’ll see you later at dinner.”
She hugged him tightly. “I’m so happy you’re here.”
As Adam left his sister’s house, he realized he was happy to be home where everyone in his life was exactly what they appeared to be—loving, comical, often exasperating and, most important of all, loyal. He’d discovered in the past week there was a lot to be said for loyalty.
Grant’s new place was between Janey’s and their parents’ house but required a slight detour down Shore Point Road. The two-story saltbox sat at the end of a crushed-shell driveway that crunched beneath Adam’s feet. With no cars in the driveway, it was hard to tell if anyone was home, but Adam knocked on the door anyway. When no one answered, Adam tried the door and found it unlocked. He ducked his head inside. “Hey, Grant! Are you home?”
Still no answer.
Figuring to see his second-oldest brother at dinner, Adam pulled the door closed and headed back to the road.
“Adam?”
Halfway down the driveway, Adam turned to find Grant standing on the front porch. Even from a distance, Adam could see that his brother looked like hell. His hair was standing on end, he hadn’t shaved in days, and, most alarming of all, his blue eyes seemed sunken into the face his brothers had always teasingly called pretty-boy handsome.
Filled with trepidation, Adam returned to the house and dropped his backpack at the foot of the stairs.
“What’re you doing here?” Grant asked, scrubbing a hand over his sleepy-looking face. It was after one o’clock, and he’d still been sleeping?
“This,” Adam said as he took the stairs and hugged his brother. “It’s really good to see you.”
“Ah, yeah, you, too,” Grant said as he made a halfhearted effort to return Adam’s hug.
Adam was strangely unable to let go. “You guys scared the shit out of us.”
“We’re okay.” Grant hugged him tighter for a moment and then released him. “Come on in.”
Despite what Grant said, Adam could see that his brother was not okay. He looked anything but okay. “Where’s Stephanie?”
“At the restaurant, I guess. She was gone when I woke up.”
If Adam was guessing correctly, Grant had woken up about two minutes ago. “Nice place.” Adam took a look around the cozy living room that flowed into a decent-sized kitchen. Boxes were scattered about, some open and others taped closed.
“Thanks. We’re still getting unpacked.” He opened a cabinet and pulled out a can of coffee, dropping a bag of filters onto the floor, which he bent to retrieve. “Want some coffee?”
“No, thanks. I had the daily allotment hours ago.”
“Hmm, is that right? What time is it?”
“After one.”
Grant seemed genuinely surprised to hear that. “Really? Wow, that’s weird.”
“It’s not like you to sleep the day away,” Adam said tentatively.
Grant shrugged as he scooped coffee, dumped in water and turned on the coffeemaker. “Sleep has been hard to come by the past few days. I’m still trying to catch up.”
“It must’ve been pretty scary. The accident…”
“Yeah.”
The one-word answer was alarming to Adam, who knew how much his screenwriter brother loved to tell a good story. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.”
That, too, was odd. The Grant he knew and loved talked about everything—he talked everything to death, in fact.
“How long are you here?” Grant asked, leaning against the counter.
“Couple of days.”
“Does Mom know you’re home?”
“Not yet.”
“You’ll make her day. I suppose the rest of us will be required to attend your welcome-home dinner.”
“You don’t have to if you have other stuff to do.”
Grant shrugged again, filling Adam with uneasiness. Under normal circumstances, Grant would’ve had an insulting zinger waiting on the tip of his tongue. Adam debated whether he should mention that he’d seen Abby and decided not to say anything for now. If something was troubling his brother, he didn’t want to pile on by telling him his ex-girlfriend was back on the island—and single again.
“I guess I’d better get to Mom before someone else tells her I’m home.”
“Probably a good idea.”
“You’re sure you’re okay?”
“Never better.”
Grant said what he thought Adam wanted to hear, but there was something about his eyes, Adam decided. He was not fine, and one way or the other, Adam was determined to figure out what was troubling his older brother.
Abby stretched out on the bed in the third-floor room she’d managed to secure at the Beachcomber, only because someone had canceled their Race Week reservation at the last
minute. She’d been so determined to get home that she hadn’t even thought of Race Week, which was the unofficial start of the summer season on Gansett Island.
In her old life running Abby’s Attic, this would’ve been one of the busiest weeks of the year. Thinking about her adorable store and all the hard work she’d put into it had new tears running down her face. Right when she thought she’d run out of tears, she discovered there could be more.
She hated that she’d cried all over Adam McCarthy on the ferry. Mortifying! What he must think of her. What would everyone think of her now that she’d chased after two men only to end up alone?
Why had she come back here of all places? Everyone knew she’d failed to bring Grant McCarthy up to scratch—after ten years together, five of them in Los Angeles so he could pursue his screenwriting dream. Now she’d also failed to get Cal Maitland to the altar, despite following him home to Texas after his mother had a stroke. They’d postponed the wedding they’d planned to have on the island last fall and had never again talked about setting a new date. That was one of many reasons why she was back on the island.
She hadn’t known where else to go. For better or worse, Gansett Island was home, and if she was going to rebuild her life—again—she’d rather be surrounded by friends, even if some of them were nosy busybodies who’d take far too much pleasure in gossiping about her latest romantic failure.
“Oh, Cal, how did this happen?” she whispered, gazing up at the ceiling. They’d been so happy here on the island, but the minute they relocated to his hometown in Texas, it had fallen apart. Nothing was the same. Their easy relationship had become more complicated by the day until Abby had realized her choice was either to get out of there or spend the rest of her life playing second fiddle to all the other people in his life who got top billing. After years of taking a backseat to Grant’s illustrious career, she was unwilling to do that again.
Somewhere out there was a man who’d put her first, who’d treat her the way she deserved to be treated. And if that man didn’t exist, then so be it. She’d rather be alone than be treated like a piece of furniture by the man she loved, thus her decision to forgo men completely. That had to be easier than this.
A sob erupted from her chest, reminding her that she’d expected to be married by now—a long time ago, if she were being honest. She’d hoped to be a young mother, and now here she was at thirty-two with nothing more to show for those years than yet another failed relationship.
