by Marie Force
David’s words struck at Grant’s deepest fear. That someday he might have to tell people… He might have to tell his family what really happened out there.
“Grant? What is it?”
“Nothing.” He shook off the unsettling thoughts.
“I’ll give you one of our samples for tonight since the pharmacy is already closed. You can fill the script in the morning. I want to see you back here a week from today. I’ll have the secretary call you in the morning to make an appointment.”
Grant extended a hand that David shook. “Thank you for this. I know things have been weird between you and our family since… Well, anyway. I appreciate it.”
“Happy to help. Do yourself a favor and unload on someone before it eats you alive.”
Startled by David’s insight, Grant nodded and left the room, clutching the sample box David had given him like the lifeline it was. Tonight, he would sleep. Tonight, he would finally get some peace. Tonight, he could forget for a little while anyway. If he got some sleep, maybe tomorrow wouldn’t be so agonizing.
The McCarthys were lingering over dessert when Stephanie came in, looking flustered and frazzled. “Grant isn’t here?” she asked after taking a quick visual inventory of the family gathered around the dining room table.
“No, honey,” Linda said. “We assumed he was with you.”
“I haven’t seen him since this morning. I tried to call him to see if he was here, but he didn’t answer his phone. I don’t know where he is.”
Grace got up and went to Stephanie, putting an arm around her and bringing her to sit at the table. “I’m sure he’s fine,” she said.
“He’s not fine. He’d never miss being with you guys if he was fine.”
“Neither would Evan,” Grace said. “But at least he called to say he was tied up at the studio.”
“What’s Grant’s excuse?” Stephanie said. “He hasn’t worked since the accident.”
Adam watched the goings-on with an increasing sense of dismay. He glanced across the table to catch Maddie reaching for Mac’s hand.
All eyes seemed to land on Mac, as if the rest of the family was silently asking him what they should do.
Maddie squeezed his hand.
Mac stared at their joined hands, seeming to draw strength from his wife. “It was tough out there,” he said so softly it was almost a whisper. “We all went through our own personal hell, but we also had hours to wonder what’d become of each other. It’s going to take some time. That’s all I can say.”
Linda nodded and brushed away a tear.
“We have to let them do this their own way, as hard as it may be for us,” Mac said.
“You’re not running away or burying yourself in work, and you went through the same thing they did,” Janey said.
“That doesn’t mean it hasn’t been hard on me, too.”
Janey seemed taken aback by her brother’s unusually sharp tone. “I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.”
“Sorry, brat,” Mac said. “I shouldn’t snap at you, but it doesn’t help to have everyone watching our every move, waiting for us to need you. If we need you, we’ll tell you.”
“So I’m supposed to be fine with not knowing where he is?” Stephanie asked.
“I’ll go see if I can find him,” Adam said.
“Thanks, Adam,” Stephanie said.
“How about some dinner?” Linda asked Stephanie.
She shook her head. “Thanks, but I’m not hungry.”
“Try not to worry,” Grace said. “He probably forgot about dinner and went for a walk or something.”
“Yeah,” Steph said, “I’m sure that’s all it is.”
She said what she thought the family wanted to hear, but Adam could tell she didn’t believe it. He wondered if his parents could tell, too.
The others left a short time later, and Adam helped his mom clean up while his dad went down to check on the marina. Adam couldn’t help but notice she was unusually quiet.
“He’s fine, Mom.”
“No, he isn’t. And neither is Evan. Mac is trying to be strong for everyone else, but he’s not himself either. It’s difficult to pretend like everything is fine when it isn’t.”
“It’s like Mac said. It’ll take some time.”
“I’m wondering if we need to get a shrink over here to talk to them.”
“I’m sure they’d be all for that,” Adam said with a laugh.
“I called Uncle Kevin,” she said of Big Mac’s younger brother.
“Mom!”
“What? He’s gotten a lot of attention for his work with posttraumatic stress. I wanted his advice.”
Adam leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. “What did he say?”
“Why should I tell you? You think it’s a stupid idea.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“I had to do something! I can’t sit idly by and watch my kids suffer while they go on pretending nothing is wrong.”
“Tell me what he said.”
She seemed to sag as she, too, leaned against the counter. “Some of the same stuff Mac did. That we need to give them time and space to come to terms with what happened and how they feel about it. We need to let them go through it in their own way.”
“At what point do we intervene?”
“That was my question, too. He said to give it a few weeks, and if they don’t seem better, he’ll come out for a visit.”
“Did you tell Dad you called him?”
“It was his idea. He asked me to make the call because he can’t talk about it without crying.”
“He might need Kevin, too.”
“I thought the same thing.”
Adam reached for his mom and hugged her. “I know it’s very upsetting, but they’re strong guys with tons of support around them. I have to believe they’ll be okay. Eventually.”
“I hope you’re right. I’m worried about all of them, but Grant in particular.”
“I’m going to see if I can find him.”
“Thank you, honey. It would make me feel so much better to know where he is.”
“That’s why I’m here, Mom.” It wasn’t the only reason, but with all her other concerns, it was the only reason he was sharing with her. “Try not to worry, and don’t wait up.”
“Okay.”
He kissed her forehead and went to grab a jacket.
Long after Grant left the clinic, David hoped he’d done the right thing by giving him sleeping meds. Clearly something big was on Grant’s mind, and adding sleep deprivation to the mix wasn’t helping. He made a note to follow up with Grant in a few days to see if the medication had helped. Maybe by then he’d be looking for someone impartial to talk to about whatever was keeping him up at night.
Victoria, the clinic’s nurse practitioner, appeared at his office door. “Your not-so-secret admirer is here, bearing gifts.” This was said sotto voce with a teasing smile and a wink.
David would never admit to anyone, especially Victoria, who loved to tease him about it, that he’d begun to look forward to Daisy’s end-of-the-day visits to the clinic. Ever since he’d tended to her after her ex-boyfriend beat her up, she’d been extremely devoted to him. “I thought you left.”
“I met up with your friend in the parking lot and waited with her until you were done with Grant.”
“That was nice of you. Thanks.”
“You’re not leading her on, are you?” Victoria whispered.
“Of course not. We’re friends.”
“Just friends?”
Her questions were annoying him. “Yes.”
“Does she know that?” Victoria asked with an eyebrow raised in inquiry.
“Send her in.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Send her in, please.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do in the exam rooms.”
David felt his face heat like an embarrassed schoolboy. “Victoria!” he said in a low growl.
“I’m goin
g, I’m going!”
Rattled by Victoria’s insinuations—and how close to home they struck—he ran his fingers through his hair to straighten it after the long day at the clinic and stood to tuck in his shirttail. Why was he primping for her?
She came around the corner a minute later, her sweet smile leading the way as she proceeded hesitantly. Her long blonde hair was pulled back from her face, and her big blue eyes were luminous and bright with excitement. Even though her face still bore the yellowing bruises from Truck’s assault, she looked a little better every day.
He’d enjoyed watching her become less timid and more confident as she recovered from her injuries. After a few days of checking on her at home after work, David had stopped himself from going back again. She was on the mend and didn’t need to be checked every day.
Once he’d stopped going to her, however, she’d started coming to him. He told himself it didn’t mean anything. They’d struck up an unlikely friendship after the incident with her ex. That’s all it was. Except that he’d come to look forward to talking with her, to hearing her opinions and insightful thoughts on whatever was on his mind.
“David? Are you okay?”
He realized he was staring at her and blinked—twice—to clear his muddled brain. “Yes, sorry. Come in. Have a seat.” It had taken some doing to get her to call him by his first name, and he was pleased she’d taken that step.
“Am I bothering you?”
He sat in the chair behind his desk. “Not at all. I was just catching up on some paperwork.” Gesturing to the stack of charts on his desk, he said, “It never ends.”
“I brought you some of the pot roast one of my friends made for me.”
David’s mouth watered as the smell reached him at the same moment the words “pot roast” registered in his brain. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“If you keep forgetting to eat, you won’t be much good to your patients.”
“You sound like my mother.”
Her soft peal of laughter made David feel ten feet tall. “Something tells me that’s not a compliment.”
“She likes to fuss over me, too.”
“Is that what I’m doing? Fussing over you?”
“I’m not sure. Are you?”
“I…I probably shouldn’t have come.” She looked uncertain again, and David hated himself for messing with her hard-won confidence.
“Why did you come, Daisy?”
Her bottom lip disappeared between her teeth.
David fixated on her mouth, which was almost too lush for her small-boned face. It occurred to him that he’d thought about that mouth and those lips far more often than he should have over the last few days. What was wrong with him? She was a patient, a woman who’d been battered by the man she thought she loved. She didn’t need him thinking about her mouth, for crying out loud.
“David?”
“I’m sorry, what did you say?”
She stood. “I should go.”
He rushed to his feet. “No, don’t.”
“I, um…”
“Please stay. Tell me why you came.”
“Are you listening this time?”
Smiling, David went around the desk and leaned against it so he was closer to her as she settled back into the chair. “Yes.”
“I was saying that I enjoyed talking to you when you came to see me. I thought maybe you might’ve enjoyed it, too.”
“I did.” He glanced at the container she held. “That smells really good.”
She tipped her head and studied him, seeming amused. “Tell me the truth—did you forget to eat again?”
“Maybe. We’ve been slammed with the stomach flu that’s led to lots of dehydrated patients. I admitted several of them, in fact, so I’ll be staying here tonight.” He stopped himself when he realized he was rambling. “But you don’t care about that.”
“Yes, I do. I’m interested in your work.”
“Oh. You are?”
She nodded and handed him the container. “It needs about two minutes in the microwave.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate this.”
“It’s nothing,” she said with a shrug.
“It’s not nothing. It’s very thoughtful.”
Her smile lit up her sweet face, and David was astonished by the wave of tenderness and longing he experienced when he made her smile. “Are you in a rush?”
“Nope. Nowhere to be until next week when I go back to work.”
“In that case, maybe you could stick around to keep me company while I eat?”
“I’d love to.”
Adam left his parents’ house and walked into town, checking all the usual haunts he and his brothers preferred along the way, but no one had seen Grant all day. In town, he thought about walking to the end of the breakwater to see if Grant had been foolish enough to venture out there alone—in the dark—but thought better of it. If he was out there, he was on his own. Adam didn’t see the point in risking his own safety on what was probably a fool’s errand anyway.
At the Sand & Surf, he ducked inside to see if Grant had turned up there. His cousin Laura was working the front desk and let out a happy squeal when she saw him. She got up fast and then sat back down just as quickly.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as he went around the reception desk to hug her.
“Bouncing back slowly from the stomach bug,” she said, grimacing. “Too slowly.”
On closer inspection, he discovered her face was unusually pale and drawn. “I heard it whipped through the island.”
She nodded. “I was one of the unlucky ones who got it, but I can’t seem to shake it off. It lasted twenty-four hours for everyone else. Figures, right? But you’re not here to listen to me complain. I was sorry I couldn’t make your dinner. Our front-desk person called in sick, so I’m covering for her.”
“You missed the grand unveiling of Gansett’s newest couple.”
“Who’s that?”
“Seamus O’Grady and Carolina Cantrell.”
Laura’s eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. “Get outta here. Really?”
“Yep. Although I think he’s a lot more relaxed about it than she is. She broke out in hives in the middle of dinner.”
“Holy cow! This is huge! Janey has been holding out on me.”
“On everyone, apparently. Besides Joe and Janey, who only recently found out, no one knew except for my mom, and she only heard about it today.”
“Very interesting. I’ll have to get the scoop from Janey. So what’re you doing home?”
“Came to check on the boys and see my folks. Crazy doings around here lately.”
“You know it,” Laura said, shaking her head and making her blonde ponytail swing side to side. Her blue eyes filled with tears. “That was one long-ass awful day.”
Adam hugged the cousin who’d been like a second sister to him.
“I cry every time I think about it,” Laura said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
“You haven’t seen Grant tonight, have you?”
“No, he hasn’t been in.”
“Does he usually come by?”
“If Steph is working, he stops in for a drink or dinner. I haven’t seen her tonight, though.”
Laura’s fiancé Owen Lawry came in from the porch, carrying his guitar like a backpack. “I finished my set, babe. Want to get something to eat? Oh, hey, Adam. What’s up, man?”
Adam greeted his old friend with a hug. “Just looking for my wayward brother.”
“Which one?”
“Grant.”
“Haven’t seen him today. Did you look at Sam’s? Or Celtica?”
Adam nodded. “Checked all the usual places. No one’s seen him, and he’s not answering his phone.”
Owen and Laura exchanged glances.
“What?” Adam asked, as a sinking feeling attacked his stomach.
“He’s been…kinda off since the accident,” Owen said. “Definitely not himself.”
“So I’ve heard and seen for myself. If you see him, give me a call, will you?”
“Sure,” Owen said. “Will do.”
“You don’t think he’s with Abby, do you?” Laura asked softly.
Thunderstruck, Adam stared at his cousin. The thought had never occurred to him. “As far as I know, he doesn’t even know she’s home.”
“Still,” Laura said, “might be worth checking.”
“I’ll do that.”
“While you’re home,” Laura said, “I could use your expertise with our reservation system. It’s giving us fits.”
“I’d be happy to take a look.”
“Thanks.” Laura covered her mouth and braced a hand on her desk.
Owen stepped closer to her, gripping her shoulder. “Babe? What’s wrong?”
“Nauseous. Again.”
“Ugh, that damned flu is hanging on. Let’s get you upstairs. I’ll get Holden from my mom, and she can come down to cover for you here.”
“She’s got a date with Charlie tonight.” For Adam’s benefit, she added, “She’s been seeing Stephanie’s stepdad.”
“Sounds like an outbreak of romance around here. Good for them.”
“We think so, too,” Owen said, as he held out a hand to Laura.
“I’ll watch the desk until Sarah comes down,” Adam said.
“Thank you.” Laura gave him another quick hug. “So nice to have you home, cousin.”
“Good to be here. Feel better.” As Adam watched Laura and Owen go up the stairs arm in arm, he experienced a pang of yearning. He’d had that—or so he’d thought. Watching his cousin and friend together, so obviously in love, made Adam long for what they had, to have what each of his siblings had found with their partners in the last few years.
Growing up in a family of five kids, surrounded by cousins and friends, there hadn’t been much opportunity to be lonely, and he’d been too damned busy building his business over the last fourteen years to have time for loneliness. But now, leaning against the reception desk at the Sand & Surf, Adam felt more alone than he had in a long time.
“Here I come, Adam!” Sarah Lawry called a few minutes later as she came down the stairs.
Adam snapped out of his funk as she approached the registration desk, out of breath from the sprint through the hotel.
Sarah gave Adam a peck on the cheek. “So nice to have you home, and thank you for covering the desk.”
