Gansett Island Boxed Set Books 1-16 (Gansett Island Series)

by Marie Force

  “He’s a great guy,” Shane said of Charlie Grandchamp.

  Julia eyed him skeptically. “Oh yeah? Do tell.”

  Shane decided Charlie’s story was one that Charlie should tell Sarah’s children himself, if he chose to. It wasn’t Shane’s place to tell them that Charlie had spent fourteen years in prison for a crime he hadn’t committed, or that his stepdaughter, Stephanie, had devoted herself to getting him released. “He’s first class. I’ll let you figure out the rest for yourselves.”

  “So there’s more,” Julia said with a sigh. “Isn’t there always more?”

  “It’s not always bad,” Shane said, even though in his experience it often was. For some reason, he wanted Sarah’s kids to give Charlie a chance. “Trust me when I tell you that you have nothing at all to worry about where he’s concerned.”

  “You’ll have to excuse us if we’re a little cynical,” Cindy said in a soft Southern accent that was in sharp contrast to the steel behind her words.

  “I understand.” How could he not understand when he’d lived with Owen and Sarah as they prepared for the trial? He knew far more than he wanted to about the way the Lawry children had been raised and empathized with their desire to protect their mother from any more harm.

  A waitress came to take drink orders, and since he was off baby duty, Shane ordered a Bloody Mary.

  “That sounds good,” Katie said. “Make it two.”

  Charlie’s stepdaughter, Stephanie Logan, came out to welcome them all to Stephanie’s Bistro and to hug and kiss the newlyweds. She’d been one of Laura’s bridesmaids and would marry Shane’s cousin Grant on Labor Day.

  She listed the brunch specials for them and then left the party to her capable waitstaff.

  “Does everyone know about us?” Katie asked him softly as he perused the menu and tried to decide between eggs Benedict and the French toast special.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Does everyone on the island know about our family? About our father and what he did?”

  “I wouldn’t say everyone knows, but some people do.”

  “Do you know?”

  “Some of it,” he said tentatively. Both Laura and Owen had talked to him about the trial, the charges and the horror of Owen’s upbringing, but Shane didn’t see the need to tell Katie that, not when she seemed ashamed that people knew.

  Katie gazed over the heads of her siblings to the ocean that stretched endlessly before them.

  “Hey,” he whispered. When she looked over at him, he said, “It’s no reflection on you—any of you. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “Intellectually, we know that. Emotionally… That’s a whole other can of worms.”

  What could he say to that? He’d been born into a loving home with two parents who’d worshiped each other and their children. He had no way at all to relate to what she’d been through. Except Laura had been raised the same way and had found a way to relate to what Owen had endured at the hands of his father.

  Still, he felt he should say something, so he went with the most innocuous thing he could think of. “Everybody’s got something, you know?”

  “Even you?”

  His laugh was sharper than he intended. “Ah, yeah, you could say that.”

  “Something bad?”

  “Yeah, it was pretty bad, and people know about it, which is tough. So I understand better than you might think.”

  “I’m sorry you had to go through something bad.”

  “Me, too. I mean, I’m sorry you did, too.”

  Baskets of muffins and croissants and delicate pastries were brought to the table, which gave them something else to focus on other than the increasingly intense—and intimate—conversation.

  The more he talked to her, the more he wanted to talk to her. And then he remembered she’d rejected his offer of dinner and told himself to keep the desire to talk to her in check. She wasn’t interested in him, and he had no business being interested in her or anyone when he was still so messed up over Courtney.

  When the waitress came to take his order, he went with the eggs Benedict and then smiled when Katie ordered the same thing.

  “Copycat,” he said in the same soft tone they’d been using.

  She laughed, which caused a curious feeling to unfurl inside him as he watched the way laughter lit up her face and eyes. It totally transformed her.

  “Eggs Benedict are my favorite,” she said, “but I never order them because they’re so fattening. Special occasion. So I’m not a copycat.”

  “Whatever you say.”

  After everyone had ordered, Adele stood at the head of the table and held up a glass of champagne. “I’d like to propose a toast to the newlyweds, Laura and Owen. On this first day of your married life, we wish you a lifetime of happiness and joy and love. To Owen and Laura.”

  Everyone toasted the newlyweds and drank champagne, except for Laura who settled for ice water.

  “Now I believe our friend Charlie has something he wishes to say. Charlie?”

  Looking extremely nervous, Charlie Grandchamp stood, holding a glass of champagne in his hand. “This day—and this weekend—belongs entirely to Laura and Owen, but since many of you are heading home this afternoon, Sarah and I wanted to take this opportunity to share some news with you. Yesterday, I spoke with Russ and received his blessing to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Last night,” he said, looking down at Sarah with a warm smile on his face, “Sarah agreed to be my wife. We’re very happy, and we hope all of you will be happy for us, too. I’m really looking forward to getting to know the children Sarah speaks of so often. I want you all to know that your mother will never know another minute of unhappiness or unrest or fear or anything other than the love and respect she deserves. That’s all I wanted to say, and well, to Sarah.”

  “To Sarah,” the others said.

  The Lawrys seemed shell-shocked by the news of their mother’s engagement, but each of them got up to hug and kiss her.

  When Katie returned to her seat, she glanced over at Shane. “Wow. Didn’t see that coming.”

  “They seem really happy.”

  “I’ve never seen my mother look happier than she does today. I thought it was because of the wedding. I guess we’re going to get to know Charlie better after all.”

  “I know him quite well, and I can assure you he’ll take very good care of your mom.”

  “That’s good to hear.”

  She said the right thing, but he could see and feel the hesitancy coming from her anyway. This was a woman who didn’t trust men. Even though she had good reason to feel that way, it was a daunting realization.

  “While I have your attention,” Adele said when the Lawrys had returned to their seats, “Owen, your grandfather and I thought long and hard about what to give you and your lovely bride for a gift, and we kept coming back to the same thing time and again. We hope you’ll accept this gift in the spirit in which it’s given and know that you have brought us so much pleasure with what you both have done here.” She handed over a cream-colored envelope to Owen. He glanced at Laura, who shrugged.

  Owen opened the envelope, pulled out the paper inside, shared it with Laura, and they gasped in stereo. “No way,” he said.

  “Oh my God.” Laura raised a hand to her mouth as her eyes filled with tears. “You can’t do this, Adele!”

  “It’s already done, my love.” To everyone else, she said, “Meet the new owners of the Sand & Surf Hotel!”

  A collective gasp preceded cheers and congratulations for Owen and Laura, who were visibly stunned by the extravagant gift from his grandparents.

  “I want all my other grandchildren to know you’ll receive a gift of equal value on the day you marry.”

  “What if we never get married?” Julia asked.

  Adele shrugged. “Then you’ll have to wait for us to kick the bucket, which we don’t plan to do for a long, long, long time. So it would be easier and quicker to fall madly in love and get married
.”

  “That’s right,” her husband, Russ, said. “We’re going to live to be really old and really crotchety, so you’re better off getting married than you are waiting us out.”

  “You’re already crotchety, my darling,” Adele said to laughter from her husband and the others. “While I have you all, I have one more thing I’d like to say. Something happened yesterday that I feel you should know about. There’s a hero among us, and we owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude.”

  Shane felt his stomach drop as Katie sucked in a sharp, deep breath next to him. Without thinking, he reached for her hand under the table.

  She held on to him almost as tightly as she had the day before when he’d saved her from drowning.

  “While everyone was getting ready for the wedding, our beautiful Katie took a swim and was pulled into a rip current that took her quite a ways from the shore.”

  “Oh my God,” Sarah said, her gaze shifting to Katie.

  “Fortunately,” Adele continued, “Shane was also on the beach, realized she was in trouble and swam out to rescue her. I saw the whole thing from up here on the deck. You saved her life, Shane, and we’ll always be grateful to you.”

  Seeming stunned by the news, Laura looked at him with tears in her eyes.

  Everyone began talking at once, asking Katie if she was all right and telling Shane how thankful they were for what he’d done. All the while, Katie clung to his hand like a lifeline.

  “Why didn’t you say anything?” Owen asked them.

  Shane cleared his throat. “We didn’t want to put a damper on your special day.”

  “God,” Owen said, unable to take his eyes off his sister, “I can’t even imagine…”

  “Neither can I,” Julia said tearfully, reaching across the table to grasp her twin’s free hand. “Thank goodness you’re all right.”

  “I’m fine,” Katie assured them. “Thanks to Shane.”

  “Proud of you, son,” Frank said gruffly. “And I’m glad you’re both okay.”

  “We’re fine,” Shane said for both of them as he squeezed Katie’s hand under the table.

  “I’m sorry.” Laura handed Holden to Owen and got up to come to where Shane was sitting. “But I really need a hug right now.”

  Shane had no choice but to release Katie’s hand to get up and hug his sister.

  “Thank you so much,” Laura said for his ears only. “Owen never would’ve gotten over losing her.”

  “It was no big deal.” He was grateful that Adele had left out the part about Katie panicking and nearly taking him down with her.

  “It’s a huge big deal, and we’re so thankful you’re both all right.”

  “Couldn’t let anything ruin your big day,” Shane said.

  “That would’ve ruined a lot more than our wedding.”

  She released her brother and hugged Katie, too. And then Laura wiped up her tears and went back to her seat. “I’m better now.”

  Shane sat and was stunned when Katie reached for his hand, smiling as she gave him a squeeze that caused his heart to contract. Before he could begin to contemplate the meaning of her sweet gesture, she released his hand to accept the breadbasket from Julia.

  For the rest of the meal, Shane was acutely aware of Katie next to him, her leg occasionally brushing against his, the flowery scent of her hair blowing in the morning breeze, her quiet laughter and her easy rapport with her siblings. More than once he found himself leaning closer so he wouldn’t miss a word of what she said.

  Over the course of brunch at the Surf, Shane felt like he was waking up from a long slumber, his senses suddenly more alert than they’d been in years and all of them focused on the woman sitting next to him. Since she’d already turned him down, he knew it was stupid to be so fixated on her. But knowing that didn’t stop him from wanting to try again. Soon.

  Chapter 5

  After brunch, Katie went with Julia to their room on the third floor. As her sister began tossing clothes into the suitcase she’d never bothered to completely unpack, Katie sat on her bed and thought about holding hands with Shane McCarthy. She’d never done anything quite so forward as reaching for his hand under the table. She could tell she’d caught him by surprise, and she’d liked that.

  She’d liked the way he looked at her and listened to her and paid attention to her. She liked him. She couldn’t deny that as much as she wanted to. Knowing Owen thought highly of Shane mattered greatly to Katie. Owen had been much more than an older brother to his siblings. He’d been a surrogate father, a protector and a friend to them all their lives. If he liked and trusted Shane, maybe she could, too.

  “Why aren’t you packing?” Julia asked. “The ferry leaves in an hour, and we can’t miss it if we’re going to make the flight.”

  Here was the moment Katie had been dreading all weekend, telling her sister she wasn’t going back to Texas. Not right away anyway. “Um, so I’m not going back.”

  Julia stopped what she was doing to stare at Katie. “What?”

  “I quit my job.”

  “When? Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “It happened Thursday, and I didn’t say anything because of the wedding.”

  Julia plopped down on the bed next to her. “Did something happen with Doctor Strangelove?”

  Katie loved her sister’s nickname for the lecherous doctor. “You could say that.”

  Julia stared at her. “He didn’t…”

  Katie shook her head. “I didn’t let him, but I think he would have. Owen’s self-defense classes got me out of a jam, but I can’t go back there. Not when I told him I had evidence of his harassment and I’d be going to the police if he dared to press charges against me.”

  “Why would he press charges against you?”

  “I might’ve left him bleeding from his nose and clutching his boy parts.”

  Julia howled with laughter as she hugged her sister. “Good for you. He’s had that coming for years now.”

  “He scared me, Jule,” she said softly. “I think he would’ve raped me if I hadn’t put a stop to it.”

  “You should report him. He can’t get away with that.”

  “The thing is, he never actually touched me. I assaulted him, so I can just imagine how he would spin it.” Katie shuddered at the idea of having to face that creep in court, or anywhere else, for that matter. “I never want to see him again or hear his name.”

  “You could sue him. He’s been bothering you for years.”

  “And I never bothered to report it in all that time. No, I’m not going to sue him or have him charged. I’m satisfied with the way I left him bloody and moaning on the floor. That’s more than enough for me.”

  “What’re you going to do now?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m hoping to stay here for a while and try to figure it out. I’ve got money saved I can use to help with the rent, so don’t worry.”

  “I don’t care about that.” They both made good money and could easily handle the rent on their own, if need be. “I’m far more worried about you. First Doctor Strangelove attacks you and then you nearly drown.”

  “Not the best week of my life, although seeing Owen happy yesterday—and today—makes it all better.”

  “And how about Mom? She’s positively glowing with happiness. We’ve never seen her like that before.”

  “I know. Shane says Charlie is a great guy.”

  Julia raised a brow in inquiry. “Shane says, huh?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “You two were awfully cozy at brunch.”

  “We were just talking.”

  “From all reports, he’s a nice guy, too.”

  “I guess,” Katie said, shrugging. “He asked me out, but I said no.”

  “You said no. Of course you said no.” Julia got up from the bed and began moving around the room again, gathering belongings that were strewn all over the place in typical Julia style. She exploded into every room she occupied.

  “Why does that ma
ke you so mad?”

  “Because! You’re thirty-two and have never had so much as a date! How long are you going keep this up? You’ve got a perfectly nice guy who our brother thinks the world of asking you out, and you still can’t bend your rigid rules? Even for him?”

  “It’s not that simple, and you know it.”

  “I do know. I grew up exactly the same way you did, but I haven’t chosen to seal myself off from the world in a protective bubble where nothing bad can ever find me. Newsflash, bad stuff happens. Two bad things happened to you this week, and you lived to tell. Do you honestly think Laura’s brother is going to take Owen’s sister out and treat her badly? Do you really think that?”

  “No, I don’t, but still… You never know.”

  “No, you don’t. But one thing I do know is you’re wasting your entire life because of someone who doesn’t deserve that level of sacrifice.”

  “I’m not doing it for him,” Katie said distastefully. The idea that Julia could think Katie’s life was still run by Mark Lawry was disgusting to her.

  “You’re letting him win, Kate. Every time a nice guy asks you out and you say no, the general scores another point.”

  “That’s not true!”

  “It’s exactly true. Look at Mom. Who has more reason to hide out from men than she does, and she’s found a great guy who loves and respects her and wants nothing more than to make her happy.”

  “So he says now. How does she know that won’t change after he puts a ring on her finger?”

  Julia shook her head. “You’re hopeless. I give up. Do what you want, but I’m sticking to my story. When you say no to a guy like Shane McCarthy, the general wins. He wants you terrorized and afraid, and you’re playing right into his hand.”

  “No, I’m not! He’s going to jail. He’s out of our lives forever.”

  “Is he? Is he really? If that’s the case, then go out with Shane.”

  “I… I can’t.”

  “You can! You just won’t. There’s a huge difference.”

  She and Julia had had this fight many times before, but Julia had never framed the argument in such stark terms. The general wins. The thought of that made Katie feel sicker than the idea of actually going on a date with a man did. “Fine. I’ll go out with him. Will that make you happy?”