by Marie Force
“Why are you jealous?” Francine asked.
“The kids like her better than me.”
“They like her better than everyone,” Francine said, laughing. “She’s got the magic touch.”
“I should be taking care of my own kids.”
“You are.” Francine laid a hand over the massive baby bump that seemed to grow exponentially by the day. “You’re taking care of these two while you have the very qualified Kelsey taking care of the other three.”
“How will I stand to be away from Thomas for a whole month?” Tears sprang to Maddie’s eyes at the thought of it. They’d been inseparable since his birth, when she’d been a single mother struggling to get by.
“He’ll be just fine with Blaine and Tiffany, and you know we’ll help and so will Linda and Mac. He’ll be very well loved, and you can FaceTime with him every day.”
“I know.” Maddie swiped at a tear that made her feel silly for being so emotional. “I love living on this island. You know I do, but sometimes…”
“Trust me, honey. We all feel that way sometimes, when we want something we can’t get right now the way people who live on the mainland can.”
“Or when we have to move to the mainland for a month to get ready to give birth while leaving one of our babies behind.” Earlier in the summer, their lawyer friend Dan Torrington had drafted a document giving Tiffany and Blaine full authority to act as Thomas’s parents in an emergency. That they needed such a document had given Maddie nightmares as she counted down to D-Day, as she referred to their departure. “Mac and I debated this a thousand different ways, and we were going to bring him with us until we told him he’d miss the first month of school. He was despondent. More so than he was about not seeing us for a month.”
Francine huffed out a laugh. “Welcome to the years when other people start to become more important to your kids than you are. It’s hard to take at first.”
“Sure is. I remember the first time we were out to dinner, and an adult said hello to him, and I was like, Who is that? It was the PE teacher at school, who I’d never met.”
“They don’t stay little for long,” Francine said, “and they start to get lives of their own separate from us.”
“I’m so not ready for that.” Maddie dabbed at her eyes as more tears leaked from the corners. She was on emotional overload all the time lately. “You don’t have to babysit me if you have other stuff to do.”
“Ned’s going to pop by to pick me up shortly. I wanted to see you and the kids.”
“Thank you for bringing dinner. I’m getting so spoiled with everyone bringing food. I’m never going to be able to go back to normal after this.”
“Everyone is happy to help out. Being on bed rest is a drag, especially in this heat. Why isn’t your AC on anyway?”
“The power is out. Has been for an hour now.”
“Oh Lord, I hope it’s not like the last time when it was out for days. We’ll roast to death if that happens.”
“I can’t imagine being any hotter than I already am. These girls are roasting me from the inside.”
“Dad to the rescue,” Mac said as he came through the slider that Kelsey had opened to let in some air. “I come bearing a generator.”
“For the fridge, right?” Maddie asked, happy to see him as usual. Everything was better when he was around, and it had been that way from the day they met.
“I’m going to rig it up so we get some AC down here, too.”
“God bless you. My hero.”
Mac came over to the sofa and bent to kiss her. “I can’t have my baby mama roasting to death.”
“Any word from Adam?”
Mac shook his head. “Not yet.”
“Are you worried?”
“A little.”
After what they’d gone through losing their son Connor in utero, the thought of that pain befalling his beloved brother and sister-in-law was unbearable, especially since Abby’s pregnancy was such a miracle to begin with.
“Are they still due back for the party?” Maddie asked.
“I haven’t heard otherwise.”
She took a deep breath and released it, saying a silent prayer for her sweet sister-in-law, who’d already been through enough. If anyone deserved a smooth, easy pregnancy, it was Abby.
For her part, Maddie couldn’t wait to never be pregnant again. Mac was getting a vasectomy as soon as possible. She was never having sex with him again unless he got that taken care of. “Is the party still on?”
“As far as I know. I helped Laura with their generator earlier, and she said Owen was bringing coolers of ice from the Surf to his mom’s.”
“Poor Sarah. Of all the things to happen on her big day.”
“It’ll be fine. Islanders are hardy folks.” In a matter of minutes, he had the generator running from the deck, the fridge back on and the low hum of AC filling the room with cool air once again.
“You’re the absolute best, Mac.”
“I know, right?” he said with the irrepressible grin she loved so much. “How’re you feeling?”
“Huge.”
“You’re glowing.”
“I’m sure I’m quite a sight.”
“Best sight I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”
“If this is the best sight you’ve ever seen, your eyes need—”
He kissed the insult right off her lips. “Enough. You’re beautiful, and that’s all there is to it.”
“And that’s my cue to get out of here,” Francine said when she heard the toot-toot of Ned’s horn from the driveway. “He must be busy if he’s not coming in to see the kids.” She bent to accept hugs and kisses from Thomas and Hailey. “Thanks for all you’re doing, Kelsey. You’re the best.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Saunders. This is the most fun job I’ve ever had.”
“We’re hoping she still says that when there’re five of them,” Mac said.
“I will be!” Kelsey said with her usual too-good-to-be-true enthusiasm. “I think I hear Mac waking up from his nap. Who wants to help me get him up?”
“Me!” Thomas and Hailey said as one.
“When I ask them that, they don’t even answer,” Maddie said when the three of them had gone upstairs to get baby Mac. She looked up at her mom. “Thanks again for the visit and the dinner.”
Francine kissed her daughter’s forehead. “Hang in there, honey. This too shall pass.”
“I’ve got to go, too,” Mac said. “I’m meeting my dad in fifteen minutes. You need anything before I go?”
“No, I’m good,” Maddie said with a sigh. She was bored out of her mind but would never tell him that when he was so busy running two businesses.
“I’ll be back in plenty of time to help you get ready for the party, and we’ll have some good fun with everyone.”
“That’ll be nice.”
He kissed her and tucked her hair behind her ear. “We’re in the home stretch, sweetheart. Almost to the finish line.”
“Keep reminding me.”
“Any time you need to hear it.” He kissed her again, got up and went upstairs to give the kids some love before he left, promising to be back in a couple of hours.
Maddie watched him go, envious of his ability to move around freely while she was forced to do nothing at home. She laid her hand over her belly, which was alive with activity at all times from two babies who never seemed to rest. “You girls are going to be holy terrors, aren’t you?”
Putting her head back on a pillow, she once again counted her many blessings, which included the twin girls who would soon take over their lives.
As Mac drove away from the house, he was worried about Maddie and how low she seemed as life swirled around her while she couldn’t do anything other than use the bathroom and take a quick shower every day. The poor girl was stretched to the limit of her patience with sitting still, even if she understood it was necessary to protect herself and the babies. Bed rest sucked. No way around it, especially with
three other kiddos underfoot.
Thank God for Kelsey, who’d been a lifesaver this summer. Hiring her had been the best thing they’d ever done, and he was hoping they could convince her to stay for the winter to help out after the twins arrived. He worked like a madman so his family could have what they needed. Right now, they needed Kelsey.
Not to mention, Thomas, Hailey and Mac adored her, which was a bonus.
Mac drove to the island’s northwest corner and pulled into a dirt driveway that took him on a winding path to what had once been an alpaca farm. The place was in shambles, with the roof crumbling, rusted farm equipment scattered about the property and a general aura of neglect clinging to the buildings.
But the potential… That was all he could see after stumbling onto the property the previous winter while out plowing snow. He couldn’t get the idea out of his mind, and he’d learned to run with things that interested him as much as this place did.
Big Mac arrived a few minutes later, parking his pickup next to Mac’s and greeting his son with the usual big smile, as if they hadn’t seen each other in days rather than hours.
“Haven’t been out here in years,” Big Mac said. “Remember coming for the petting zoo the Conways used to do around Halloween every year?”
“I remember.”
With his hands on his hips, Big Mac took a look around. “It’s fallen on hard times since they died.”
“That it has.”
“What’re we doing here, son?”
“I’m having a thought…”
Big Mac propped aviator sunglasses on top of his wiry gray hair. “What thought is that?”
“Take a walk with me.” Mac led his father through the split-rail fence that was mostly rotted and covered in a thick layer of moss. The grass hadn’t been mowed in years and had become a meadow of wildflowers and weeds that led straight down to the water’s edge. A gigantic barn made of stone and wood was covered with colorful ivy, and the pervasive stink of alpaca urine filled the air.
“It sure is fragrant,” Big Mac said, pulling a face.
Mac laughed. “Indeed. So, you know how we have high-end wedding elegance at the Chesterfield and beach weddings at the Wayfarer?”
“Uh-huh.”
“What if we were to renovate this place to offer shabby chic, rustic farm weddings with a million-dollar view of the ocean?”
“What the hell is shabby chic?”
“Rusty farm implements in the wedding pictures, repurposed wood and hay bales.” He led his father through a broken door into the vast barn. “Look at this place.”
Big Mac pulled a bandanna from his back pocket and put it over his nose and mouth. “It fucking reeks.”
Mac laughed at the blunt assessment of the foul odor. “We could do something about that. Imagine the potential. We could turn the far side of the barn into an industrial-quality kitchen and the loft into a wedding-night suite for the happy couples. There could be a stage for bands, and the outbuildings could be used for wedding-party prep. We could put a bar over there and string lights in the trees and set up long, wooden, family-style tables for outdoor dining. I think it could be really cool.”
“You’ve given this a lot of thought, son.”
“I was out here to plow last winter and have been thinking about it ever since. We were too busy with the Wayfarer to take on anything new initially, but with that up and running and producing outstanding results, I thought maybe the family might want to take on another challenge.” They walked outside and down to where the land met the coast. “Imagine the wedding photos that could be taken here.” He gestured to a rusty tractor that had been nearly consumed by weeds.
“Just what every bride wants is a rusty tractor in her wedding photos.”
“That’s the thing. People who like the laid-back, relaxed vibe of this place would love to have the rusty tractor in their photos. It’s a whole other demographic than we see at the Wayfarer or what Lizzie gets for the Chesterfield. I think there’s a market for this kind of venue. I got with Nikki about some numbers the other day, and she told me that for every bride she books at the Wayfarer, she turns away ten others because we’re at capacity. Lizzie reports similar stats at the Chesterfield. People want to get married here, but there’re limits to what’s available.”
“It’s an interesting idea, I’ll give you that, and the view is phenomenal. That’d be a big selling point.”
“The rusty tractor would be, too,” Mac said, grinning at his dad.
“I’d have to take your word on that one.”
“Do you think the others would be interested in another project?”
“Based on the results at the Wayfarer this summer, I imagine they’d be intrigued. What’s it listing for?”
“One point eight million, but I think we could talk them down. The main building would need to be almost completely rebuilt, and some of the other buildings are in pretty rough shape, too.”
“And you’d want to take on the renovations, I presume.”
“Correct.”
“You guys are booked solid with the reno at the hotel this winter.”
“I was thinking we could tackle this after the hotel with a goal of opening the summer after next. I’m super excited about the possibilities here. Maybe in the fall, we do a harvest fair or something with pumpkins and apples, pony rides, hayrides and face painting. Just thinking out loud, but I think we could make it something fun and profitable.”
They walked back toward their vehicles, and Big Mac leaned against his. “I love the idea, and more than anything, I love that you love it. However… And don’t take this the wrong way, son, but you’re about to welcome twins who’ll make you a father of five. You’ve already got a lot on your plate, and this would add a whole other wrinkle.”
“I’ve thought of all that, and of course you’re right that a twin bomb is about to go off in our lives, but I can rely heavily on Luke, Shane, Riley and Finn. Any one of them can step in for me as needed. And not for nothing, I do need to keep them all employed year-round, and this would take care of that for another couple of years.”
“True.”
“If we don’t snatch this place up, someone else will, and they’ll build yet another fancy big house on the coast. We need something like this. Not only is it tied to the island’s history, it brings something we don’t have now.”
Big Mac scratched at the fine layer of stubble on his jaw. “I really like the idea a lot.”
“Yeah?”
“Hell yeah. How about we run it by the family and see what they think?”
“Sounds good to me.”
“I love your vision for what’s possible and how much thought you put into it. Reminds me of myself when I first saw the marina. I didn’t see the sagging roof or the broken windows. I just saw potential.”
“I hear I’m a chip off the old block,” Mac said.
“That you are, my friend. I couldn’t be prouder of the man, father, son and businessman you are.”
“Learned everything I know about all those things from you, Pop.”
“You learned good, son.”
“So tell me the truth about having five kids…”
Big Mac let out a big laugh. “That one you’re gonna have to learn for yourself.”
Chapter 10
“Give me another big push,” Victoria Stevens said to Jessie, the young woman laboring to bring her baby into the world. Though the clinic’s generator had kicked on to provide low-level lighting and monitors, the AC wasn’t much to speak of, and it was hot as hell in there.
“I can’t,” Jessie said, sobbing as tears spilled down her cheeks. “I’m so tired.”
Vic bathed Jessie’s face with a cool cloth. “You’ve got this, Jessie. A few more pushes, and you’ll be a mom.”
She shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Are you sure there’s no one I can call to come be with you?”
“There’s no one.”
Victoria rarely had a
mom deliver alone, but it had happened before. Who, she wondered, would support the young mom and baby when they went home from the clinic?
Jessie began to moan as another contraction started to peak.
“Come on, Jessie. Let’s get this baby out. On my count, give me the biggest push yet, and don’t let up.”
The young woman summoned the last of her strength and determination to give birth to a baby girl, who came out red-faced and squalling.
“You’ve got yourself a daughter,” Victoria said as she wrapped the baby in a blanket and handed her over to her mother. “Congratulations.”
“Is she… Is she healthy?”
“I counted ten fingers and ten toes, and she has a healthy set of lungs.” Victoria delivered the placenta, placed a couple of stitches and got Jessie cleaned up. “What’s her name?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“I’ll give you a minute to get acquainted while I get Dr. David to come in and check her out.” Victoria left the birthing room and went to find David, who was in his office, wolfing down a sandwich as he worked on charts and other paperwork that never ended. “Jessie Morgan had a baby girl.”
“Everything went well?”
“Textbook, except for the fact that she seems to be completely alone. I asked if she had anyone she wanted to call, and she said there isn’t anyone.”
“Huh. What do we know about her?”
“Not much. She arrived on the island about a month ago and came to me once for a prenatal check. I don’t think she’d had any care before then. I’m a little concerned about sending her home with a newborn and no support.”
“Let’s go take a look at the baby and see what we can find out.”
Victoria followed David back to the exam room. Before she went in, she caught a glimpse of her partner, Shannon O’Grady, coming in the clinic’s main doors. “I need a few minutes.”
