by Marie Force
“Very big trouble.”
“I love you.”
Her eyes widened, and her lips parted ever so slightly, making him want to take full advantage of the invitation. “You do?”
On pins and needles waiting for her to say she loved him, too, he studied her expressive face, looking for a sign that she felt the same way he did. Any sign would do.
“Is that okay?” he finally asked after a very long pause.
“I think so.”
“You think so? What does that mean?”
“You haven’t met any of my sisters yet. There’re still a few single ones—”
He kissed her as hard as he’d ever kissed her before, pouring every ounce of love he felt for her into the meeting of lips and tongues and teeth. He kissed her until he had to stop because of the screaming pain in his side. “I don’t care if you have a hundred single, fetching sisters, you’re the one I want. The only one I want.”
“You say that now, but—”
Pinching her lips together, he said, “Kara, listen to me. Please listen. What your ex-boyfriend did with your sister was despicable. It was despicable on both their parts. But I’m not him. I’ve waited a long time to feel this way again, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to continue feeling this way for as long as I possibly can. I feel this way for you. I love you. Your single sisters can go straight to hell for all I care.”
She was smiling when she leaned in to kiss him, taking the lead this time and blowing him away with the force of her desire. “I love you, too, you knucklehead. I was just testing you.”
Her words filled him with overwhelming relief and satisfaction and a tad bit of annoyance. “That was not nice.”
“I know, but it was funny listening to you send my poor sisters straight to hell when you haven’t even met them yet.”
“That wasn’t my fault. You set me up.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you talk way too much?” she asked, kissing him again.
“I’ve heard that a time or two in my life.” Thrilled with her, he lost himself in the kiss, forgetting all about the pain in his ribs and the pain in his heart he’d carried for so long after his ex-fiancée cheated on him.
A throat was cleared behind him. “Ah, excuse me, Kara?”
She broke the kiss and pulled back from Dan.
He turned—carefully—to find one of her drivers standing behind him, looking embarrassed to have caught the boss making out on the dock. For her part, Kara didn’t look the slightest bit embarrassed, which pleased Dan tremendously. Only a few weeks ago, she would’ve been mortified.
“Oh, hey, Tim, is it six already?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Let me get my stuff off the boat, and then it’s all yours.”
Dan never took his eyes off her as she gathered her belongings and went over a few things with Tim. When she was done, she got off the boat and came over to him. “Ready to go?” She held out a hand to help him up.
He took hold of her hand and got up, grimacing at the pain in his ribs.
“We need to get some meds into you.”
“I won’t say no to that.”
They went up the ramp to the main dock, where Dan dropped her hand and put his good arm around her, hugging her as close to him as he could get her. He kissed the top of her head and was delighted when he felt her arm curl around his waist, her fingers hooking into one of the belt loops on his jeans.
His body ached like a bastard, but his heart… His heart had never felt better.
Chapter 18
Abby dashed across the street to the Sand & Surf a little after seven. Inside Stephanie’s Bistro, she spotted the table full of women across the big dining room and headed over to join them, relieved that Janey had saved a seat for her. She was the one Abby knew best and felt most comfortable with. Since she planned to stay put on the island from now on, she was looking forward to getting to know the other women better.
In addition to Janey, the group consisted of Maddie, Tiffany, Sydney, Grace and Laura, as well as a blonde woman Abby hadn’t met before.
“Do you know everyone?” Janey asked after greeting Abby with a hug and kiss.
“Almost everyone,” Abby said glancing at the blonde.
“Jenny, I don’t think you’ve met my friend Abby Callahan. Abby, Jenny Wilks, our esteemed lighthouse keeper. We’ve got her to thank for organizing this girls’ night out.”
“Nice to meet you,” Abby said as she shook Jenny’s hand across the table. “Any excuse for a night out with the girls is fine by me.” When the waitress approached the table, Abby ordered a glass of chardonnay. She was eager to see if she liked it better than the pinot grigio.
“It’s nice to meet you, too, Abby. I’ve heard great things about the store you used to have.”
“She’s opening a new store right here in the Surf,” Laura said proudly.
“That’s great,” Maddie said. “Thomas misses the Attic something awful. Will the new store be like the old one?”
“Laura and I are still working out the details.”
“I told you to do whatever you want with the space,” Laura said.
“In that case,” Abby said, “it’ll be Abby’s Attic at The Surf, only a little smaller than its predecessor.”
“I love that!” Laura said.
“Thomas won’t care if it’s smaller, as long as there’re toys,” Maddie.
“I’ll be sure to consult with him before I place the order,” Abby said.
“So there was a method to my madness in organizing a girls’ night,” Jenny said, “and I’m afraid if I don’t put it out there right away, I’ll chicken out. And I promised myself I wouldn’t chicken out.”
Jenny had the full attention of every woman at the table.
“What is it, Jenny?” Sydney asked. “Is everything all right?”
“Everything is better,” Jenny said tentatively. To Abby, she said, “I lost my fiancé in the World Trade Center on 9-11.”
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry.” Abby felt like she’d been punched. And she thought she had problems?
“Thank you. It was a long time ago, but I’ve been kind of… stuck ever since. Then I came here last year, met some lovely new friends and began a wonderful new chapter in my life. And now… This is the part I don’t want to chicken out of, so don’t let me, okay?”
“You got it,” Grace said. “We’re all behind you one hundred percent.”
Sydney slipped an arm around Jenny’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze.
“I’m counting on that,” Jenny continued as she leaned into Syd’s embrace, “because I’ve decided I might be ready to date again. I’m not looking for anything serious, but I’m getting tired of my own company and… And, well, that’s it. If you all know of anyone who might be fun to go out with, keep me in mind.”
Laura whipped out a notebook and pen.
“Hold on a minute…” Jenny said, gazing at the notebook with trepidation.
“We’ve been waiting a long time for this moment,” Sydney said. “If you think we won’t take this job seriously, you don’t know us at all.”
Jenny moaned and dropped her head into her hands as the others laughed at her dismay.
“How about Mason, the fire chief?” Tiffany asked. “He’s very cute if you like the big, burly type.”
“Excellent,” Laura said, making a note. “Who knows him well enough to feel him up?”
Maddie choked on a mouthful of wine. “I think you mean feel him out.”
“What did I say?” Laura asked.
They spoke as one, loudly, “Feel him up.”
Their hysterical laughter had heads turning in the dining room.
“Pipe down, you guys, or Stephanie will have us tossed out of here,” Janey said.
“Where is she anyway?” Grace asked. “I thought we’d see her if we came here.”
“Apparently,” Maddie said, “Grant had a really rough day. I…I don’t think it’s my place to sa
y what happened.”
“Is he okay?” Janey asked the question that Abby was dying to ask, but she didn’t dare.
“He will be. Eventually. Stephanie is with him.”
Abby wanted to know more about what’d happened, but the question couldn’t come from her. Maybe Adam would know. She’d have to think of some way to ask him without seeming too interested in Grant.
“So who knows Mason?”
“Blaine does,” Tiffany said. “He’s also friends with the Coast Guard officer who runs the Gansett Island installation. Linc Mercier.”
“Putting him on the list,” Laura said.
“You really think Blaine will be willing to play matchmaker on behalf of someone he barely knows?” Jenny asked.
Tiffany smiled sweetly. “He’ll do it if I ask him to.”
Maddie let out a low whistle that inspired cat calling among the other women.
Tiffany’s smile only widened. “What can I say? I’ve got the power.”
“And she knows how to use it,” Maddie added.
“You said it, sis.”
“What about your brother, Laura?” Sydney said. “He’s not seeing anyone, is he?”
Laura chewed on the end of her pen. “No, but I’m not sure he wants to. I’ll feel that situation out myself. Let’s put him in the maybe column.”
“We’re all relieved that you’re not planning to feel up your own brother,” Janey said.
“Har-har,” Laura replied. “Speaking of brothers, how about yours?”
“Which one?”
“The single one.”
“Adam? Hmm.” Janey seemed to think it over while Abby held back the urge to tell them he wasn’t available. He was hers.
The instant she had the thought, she wanted to hit rewind and un-have it. He wasn’t hers. They were hanging out, having fun. It would be foolish of her to put her eggs in his basket when things were so unsettled for both of them. He lived and worked in New York. While his business might be lost to him, all his contacts were there. Even though she knew his departure was probably inevitable, the thought of him leaving filled her with irrational sadness.
Laura looked directly at Abby. “I heard Adam might be seeing someone.”
Abby squirmed as all eyes landed on her.
Janey’s mouth dropped open. “Shut. The. Front. Door. You and Adam?”
“Maybe. A little.”
“Oh my God! You said I might know the guy you’ve been seeing, but you never said it was my brother!”
“I’m sorry.” The other women hung on her every word. “We’ve spent some time together. It’s no big deal, so don’t make it into one.”
“So you’d be okay if we fixed him up with Jenny then, right?” Laura asked with a conniving smile.
“Well, um…”
“Don’t answer that, Abby,” Jenny said. “He’s all yours.”
“He’s not mine. I never said he was.”
“Mac said he’s going back to the city,” Maddie said. “Something to do with his business.”
Maddie’s words struck Abby like a punch to the belly. She’d been living a fantasy with him, picturing a life on the island with her running the shop and him working as the island’s resident computer guru, solving everyone’s problems. All along he’d been planning to go back to the city, while she’d been putting down new roots that she couldn’t pull up a third time. Not even for him.
She’d come back to the island determined to move forward with her life, and that was what she was going to do. The interlude with Adam was never meant to be more than just that—an interlude. If she was determined to learn from her past mistakes, she needed to keep in mind that there was a world of difference between a pleasurable fling and a bona fide relationship.
“We’ll strike Adam from the list for now since he seems to be otherwise occupied,” Laura said. “Tiffany and I have our assignments. The rest of you keep your eyes open for other possibilities.”
“What about David?” Janey said of her ex-fiancé.
“I hear he might be seeing someone, too,” Maddie said with a mysterious smile.
“Who?” Janey asked.
“My friend Daisy from the hotel.”
“That’s an odd pairing,” Tiffany said.
“Why?” Maddie asked, instantly on the defensive. “Because he’s a doctor and she’s a hotel maid?”
“I wasn’t even thinking of their professions,” Tiffany said.
“How did you find out they were seeing each other?” Grace asked.
“Daisy is babysitting for us tonight,” Maddie said. “She asked if it was okay to have a friend over after the kids go to bed. I told her she’s not fifteen. Of course it’s fine. Then I had to know who…”
“Naturally,” Tiffany said with a grin for her sister.
“She told me she and David have gotten to know each other since the latest episode with her nasty ex-boyfriend. Apparently, they came here for dinner last night, so they’ve gone public.”
“I really like the idea of them together,” Janey said. “She’s so sweet and kind. He needs someone like that.”
“I just hope…” Maddie shook her head, seeming to think twice about what she’d planned to say.
“What do you hope?” Janey asked.
“That he doesn’t do to her what he did to you,” Maddie said softly. “I don’t think she’s as strong as you are.”
“I can’t say for sure,” Janey said, “but if I had to guess, I’d bet he’s learned his lesson about fidelity. He’s not a bad guy. He made a mistake.” She shrugged. “Who among us hasn’t?”
“You’re awfully forgiving,” Tiffany said.
“What’s the point of holding a grudge? I’m happy with Joe, and what happened with David is ancient history. Besides, if David hadn’t done what he did, I never would’ve ended up with Joe, and that would’ve been truly tragic.”
“You won’t hear me say a bad word about him after he saved my daughter’s life,” Maddie said. “Mac and I are eternally grateful to him.”
“We all are,” Janey said.
“So first there was a Mac and Maddie, then a Joe and Janey and now a David and Daisy,” Tiffany said. “How cute are we?”
Very cute, Abby thought, not mentioning the possibility of an Adam and Abby.
“So I have some news,” Grace said with a big smile.
All eyes turned to her.
She placed her left hand on the table to show off an engagement ring. The table erupted into squeals and congratulations and calls for champagne as they demanded Grace tell them the whole story about the engagement. When everyone had been served a flute of bubbly, Janey raised her water glass in Grace’s direction. “Welcome to the McCarthy family, Grace. We’re so very happy to have you.”
“Thank you. We’re very excited, but I don’t think Evan has told your parents yet, so try to keep a lid on the news until he gets a chance to tell them.
“He’d better hurry up,” Janey said. “Voodoo Mama will be picking up a signal.”
Maddie let out a snort of laughter that set off the others.
Abby happened to glance at Laura as she pushed away her glass of champagne and closed her eyes. “Is Laura okay?” Abby whispered to Janey.
“Laura?” Janey said. “What’s wrong?”
Laura opened her eyes to meet her cousin’s gaze. “Just a little nauseated. Sorry.”
“Are you still feeling the effects of the stomach bug?” Grace asked. “It’s been more than a week. You should be feeling better by now.”
“Turns out,” Laura said with a sheepish grin, “it wasn’t the stomach bug after all, but rather a case of twins.”
“Oh my God!” Tiffany said. “You’re having twins?”
“Apparently.”
The news was greeted with more happy noise from the others.
“It’s a good thing we know the owner of this place,” Sydney said. “Otherwise, we’d be so kicked out of here.”
“No kidding,” Mad
die said.
“Is it my turn to share a bit of news?” Janey asked.
“The floor is all yours,” Sydney said.
“Joe and I have made a decision…”
“Which is?” Maddie asked.
“We’re staying here this year after the baby is born.”
“Oh, wow,” Maddie asked. “That’s big news indeed! What about vet school?”
“I’m taking this year off to be a mom, and then we’ll see.”
“Was this your idea or his?” Tiffany asked.
“Mine. He took some convincing. He wants me to finish school.”
“I want that for you, too,” Maddie said, “but if I’m being entirely selfish, I’m thrilled you’ll be here this year.”
“So am I. The closer I come to delivering, the more anxious I was getting about balancing school and motherhood. When I finally told Joe how conflicted I was feeling, he said we’ll take a year off from Ohio if that’s what I want.”
“Aww,” Grace said. “He’s so sweet.”
“He really is, especially after he’s gone to such lengths to make it possible for us to live in Ohio during the school year. So we’ll be looking for a bigger place on the island ASAP since we don’t have room for the baby at my house.”
“Talk to Ned,” Maddie said. “He’s got the inside line on real estate around here.”
“Joe was going to check with him about it at poker night.”
“What’ll you do with your place?” Abby asked.
“Rent it, I suppose.”
“Sold,” Abby said.
Janey’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Yep. I need a place, and yours is absolutely perfect.”
“Yay,” Janey said, clapping her hands. “I love it when everything falls into place.”
“My turn?” Sydney asked.
“I was wondering if you were going to spill your beans,” Maddie said with a warm, encouraging smile for her friend.
“Blame the champagne,” Syd said. “It’s loosening our lips.”
“Tell them,” Maddie said. “It’s very exciting news.”
Sydney took a deep breath. “I wasn’t going to say anything because it’s such a long shot, but Luke and I are going to the mainland next week so I can have surgery to reverse the tubal ligation I had after my daughter was born.”
