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

by Marie Force

  After everything he’d been through, he’d never take any sort of happiness for granted ever again.

  Between the four men, they managed to get the appliances into the house and in position in the kitchen before the ferry workers left to go back to work.

  “Thank goodness Seamus offered them up,” Frank said, wiping a bead of sweat from his face.

  “No kidding. We never could’ve done this on our own. I should’ve planned it better, but I thought Mac would be here to help.”

  Frank rubbed his throbbing biceps. “All’s well that ends well.”

  “Take some painkillers at bedtime.”

  “I believe I will. If I was looking for a reminder that I’m not as young as I used to be…”

  “Happy to be of assistance.”

  Frank took a good look around at the house his son had been working on all summer. “This place looks great. You’ve gotten a lot done since I was here last.”

  “We’re almost there.”

  “Who’s getting this one?”

  “A woman named Lisa Chandler and her sons, Kyle and Jackson.”

  “Incredible thing you guys are doing for them and others here. I’m proud of you and Mac for taking this on.”

  “I give him and Maddie all the credit. It was their idea.”

  “And your hard work. You deserve part of the credit.”

  “It’s been fun. The boys are so excited about their new house. They were here yesterday.” Shane’s brows furrowed as he seemed to remember something unpleasant. “Lisa hasn’t been feeling so good lately. She’s got an awful cough. I asked if she’d been to the clinic, and she said she couldn’t afford it. Mac was going to ask David to stop by to see her. I wonder if he got around to that with everything else that happened yesterday. I’ll have to check on them later. Anyway… Let me give you a ride back to the marina so I can grab my bike.”

  “I hope you’re being careful on that contraption.”

  “I love that contraption.”

  “I hate it.”

  “You should take Betsy for a ride on it. Chicks dig guys with bikes.”

  “They also dig guys with all their limbs intact, so I think I’ll pass.”

  “Chickenshit.”

  “Yep.”

  Fortified by the quality time with his son, Frank parted company with him, promising to talk soon. He loved seeing Shane doing so much better and moving on with his life. If he ever ran into his ex-daughter-in-law, he’d have a few choice words for her after the way she’d treated Shane. Same could be said for the ex-son-in-law. Laura had gotten it right the second time around, and Frank could only hope the same would be true for Shane.

  He liked him with Katie, who was a total sweetheart. Anyone could see that after a few minutes in her presence. Despite everything she’d been through with her father, there was an aura of serenity about her that Frank respected. Anyone who could grow up the way she had and come out of it serene was a winner in his book.

  Leaving the marina, he thought about what Shane had said regarding Betsy. Once again he found himself heading for her house rather than his own. That had been happening more and more often lately, and she never seemed to mind his visits.

  Today he found her outside in the garden doing some weeding. Her face was flushed from the heat, and she wore a huge floppy hat that made her look about twelve. She was incredibly lovely no matter what she wore.

  She greeted him with a big smile as she got up and brushed dirt off her hands. “Hey.”

  “Hey yourself.” Without hesitation, he went right up to her and kissed her. Her arms encircled his neck and kept him there for a second kiss. “Nice to see you, too.”

  She smiled up at him, and all of a sudden he could no longer hold back the things he wanted to tell her.

  “What is it?” she asked, taking a closer look at him.

  “I need to tell you something.”

  “Bad news?”

  “No, sweetheart, the best kind of news. At least I think it is. I hope you will, too.”

  “Okay…”

  “It seems that at some point over this amazing summer we’ve spent together I’ve fallen hopelessly in love with you, and my son told me I ought to tell you that so you know.”

  “He said that, huh?”

  Frank nodded and then kissed her again. “I’m hoping that might make a difference when you’re thinking about whether to spend the winter here. And perhaps the spring, too. And maybe next summer as well.”

  Betsy laughed. “Are you making some plans, Your Honor?”

  “I don’t know. Am I?”

  “Sounds that way to me.”

  “Is that okay?”

  She took hold of his hand and led him inside, shedding the hat as she went. In the kitchen, she turned to him and put her arms around him at his waist. “It seems,” she said as she kissed him, “that I’ve fallen rather hopelessly in love, too, which was the last thing I expected to happen when I came here looking for answers about Steve’s accident.”

  Frank experienced a profound sense of relief at hearing she shared his feelings. “And does this development make you happy?”

  “Very happy. Happier than I’ve been in a long time, which also makes me feel guilty in some ways.”

  “Because of Steve.”

  She nodded. “Like, what right do I have to be falling in love when his life is over?”

  “Would he want you to feel that way?”

  “Oh God, no. He was the ultimate optimist. ‘Everything will work out,’ he’d say, no matter the situation.”

  “Then perhaps it might be okay for you to follow his lead and allow yourself to be happy if that’s what he would’ve wanted for you.”

  “It is. He was always after me to start dating since he was grown and out of the house.” She looked up at him with the soft brown eyes that had slain him from the first time he saw her. “He’d like you.”

  “Would he? That’s nice to hear.”

  She nodded. “He liked honorable men who did the right thing as a matter of course and not just when it suited them.”

  “That’s a very nice thing to say.”

  “It’s true.”

  “So…”

  “So…”

  “Where do we go from here?” he asked.

  “How does bed sound?”

  Frank hadn’t expected her to say that and laughed at her audaciousness. “It sounds like an exceptional idea. Except… I was working with Shane all morning. Once again, I could use a shower.”

  “I’m kind of dirty myself after gardening.”

  She took off toward the bathroom, and Frank followed her, feeling like a teenager caught in the throes of first love.

  Katie hitched a ride to the clinic with her mother, who’d spent the morning working with Laura in the hotel office and was on her way to the hair salon. “I’ll pick you up after my appointment,” Sarah said when she pulled up to the main doors of the Gansett Island Clinic.

  “Take your time. I have no idea if David will be able to see me today.”

  “I’ll text you when I’m leaving the salon.”

  Katie smothered a laugh.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You and your texting. We all think it’s funny.”

  “Why? You can teach an old dog new tricks. I’m proof of that.”

  “Yes, but we had to tell you that LOL means ‘laugh out loud’ not ‘lots of love.’”

  “Why can’t it be both?”

  Katie leaned over to kiss her mother’s cheek. “I suppose it can be.”

  “Do you need help with the crutches?”

  “Nope. I got it. See you in a while.” As Katie hobbled inside, she thought about her mom and the texting. Her father had refused to allow Sarah to have a phone of her own when they were together. So when the seven Lawry kids received a text message with their mother’s new cell phone number, it had been cause for celebration, despite the teasing.

  When Katie thought about how far her m
other had come in one short year, it was nothing short of miraculous. “And look how far you’ve come in one short week,” she said to herself, suppressing a laugh as she moved slowly toward the reception desk.

  “May I help you?” the older woman working the desk asked.

  “I wondered if Dr. Lawrence has a few minutes.”

  “Your name, please?”

  “Katie Lawry.”

  She eyed Katie’s crutches. “Do you have an appointment?”

  “No, I don’t. He asked me to stop by, though.”

  “I’ll check with him. Have a seat.”

  “Thank you.” Katie hobbled to the row of chairs and had just sat down when David emerged through double doors, escorting a patient to the reception desk. The woman was young but frail-looking, and he spoke softly to her.

  She nodded, thanked him and walked out the main door.

  David watched her go with a look of trepidation on his face.

  Katie wondered what that was about.

  Then David saw her, and his expression totally transformed as he walked over to her. “Tell me you’re here to solve all my problems.”

  Katie laughed. “I’m not sure I can solve all of them, but I’m here to talk.”

  “Come in.” He waited for her to get up and held the crutches for her.

  “Thank you.”

  “How’s the foot?”

  “Better than yesterday.”

  “That’s the goal. I’ll take a quick look while you’re here.” He escorted her into his office and told the medical tech working the floor that he’d be a few minutes. “Another day, another bout of insanity,” he said as he dropped into the chair behind his cluttered desk. It was only ten o’clock, and he already looked exhausted. “Tough case this morning. Thirty-one-year-old single mother of two. I suspect late-stage lung cancer.”

  “Oh my God. That’s awful. Was that her who just left?”

  He nodded and then grimaced. “She put off coming in because she couldn’t afford it.”

  “I hate hearing that.”

  “You and me both. Anyway…” He seemed to make an effort to shift gears. “Let’s talk about you and your plans.”

  “I don’t really have any plans at the moment, which is a first. I’m enjoying some unexpected time off.”

  “You said you worked for a family practice in Texas.”

  “Yes, for nearly seven years. I did two years in an emergency room before that.”

  “How do you feel about a small-town practice? No two days are ever the same.”

  “It sounds… challenging.”

  “It is, but it’s also very rewarding in its own way. You get to know your patients and their families really well, and with medical services so limited here, you feel like you’re making a big contribution to the community.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  “What I really need is someone to see to the routine appointments while I handle patients who are actually ill or injured.” He talked about salary and benefits and schedules for a few minutes. “If you’re interested, I’ll put it all in writing.”

  “How soon are you looking to fill the position?”

  “Yesterday?” he said with a grin that faltered when he glanced at his computer screen after a chime sounded. “Shit… I’d hoped I was wrong.” He turned the screen to show her the images that showed huge tumors on both lungs.

  “Oh wow.” Katie’s heart broke for the young mother and her children. “I have some hospice training, too, if that would help.”

  “Please say you’ll take the job,” he said quietly.

  “I’ll take the job with one condition.”

  “Name it.”

  “You’ll understand if I decide later that island life isn’t for me.”

  “Give me six months. You’ll get a taste for winter here in that time, so you’ll know what you’re in for.”

  “Done.”

  “Really? You don’t need to think about it?”

  “I’ve thought a lot about it since we first talked about it, and it’s time for something new. This feels like the right move at the right time.”

  “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. We’ll pay for you to get your license in Rhode Island, and I just need to check some references. A formality, of course.”

  Katie swallowed hard. “Um, about that… I left my job with the family practice under less-than-ideal circumstances.”

  “How do you mean?”

  Katie did not want to talk about this, but what choice did she have if she wanted the new job? “He… The doctor… He came on to me, and I, well… I think I broke his nose, among other things.”

  To his credit, David showed no reaction other than a raised eyebrow. “Other things?”

  “Testicles,” she said with a grimace.

  “Ouch. Sounds like he had it coming, though.”

  “He’d had it coming for years by the time it actually happened.”

  “Are there, perhaps, other people or doctors in the practice who could attest to your qualifications?”

  “I can give you a couple of names.”

  “Excellent.”

  “So the fact that I basically assaulted my former employer isn’t a problem?”

  “Not for me. Probably was for him, though.”

  Katie laughed. “I sure hope so.”

  A knock sounded at the door. “Come in,” David called.

  A dark-haired woman stuck her head in. “I need you.”

  “Come here for one second.”

  She came into the office.

  “Victoria Stevens, nurse practitioner-midwife, meet Katie Lawry, nurse practitioner, who’ll be joining our team…”

  “The Tuesday after Labor Day.” Katie decided she deserved some more time off after what she’d put up with from Doctor Strangelove.

  “You’re not screwing with me, are you?” Victoria asked David, who laughed.

  “Definitely not screwing with you.”

  “You’ll understand my need to hug you, right?” Victoria said to Katie as she proceeded to do just that while Katie laughed.

  “Thank you, Jesus,” Victoria said.

  “You can call me Katie.”

  “I like her,” Victoria said to David, who laughed. “I like her so much.”

  Katie decided she liked Victoria, too, and she was looking forward to her new job.

  Chapter 22

  Katie was leaving the downstairs kitchen with a tall glass of lemonade and a new magazine she’d bought at Abby’s store when Shane came in from work. She took one look at him—handsome, tanned and dirty from working all day—and she wanted him.

  Judging by the heated gaze he directed her way, he felt the same.

  “What happened to the crutches?” he asked.

  “I’ve discovered if I walk on my toes, I can get around without irritating the cut. And the crutches were killing my arms.” She looked up at him, drinking in the sight of his handsome face. “I have some big news.”

  “Do tell.”

  “I got a job at the clinic, starting next Tuesday.”

  His eyes went wide. “So you’re staying?”

  “Looks that way.”

  “That’s fantastic news. I’m staying, too. Mac told me the other day he wants me here for the winter.”

  “So we’re both going to be here all winter.”

  “And here I thought I was going to be so bored.”

  Katie smiled up at him. “You look hot and thirsty.” She offered him the glass of lemonade and watched him guzzle most of it down.

  “That was good. Thank you. I’ll get you a fresh glass.”

  “I’ll come with you.” Katie followed him into the kitchen, where he washed his hands before he poured her another glass of lemonade and one for himself. “Hard day?”

  “We brought in appliances today. Those suckers are heavy.”

  “You had help, I hope.”

  “My dad and a couple of guys Seamus loaned us from the ferries.
They saved the day, but I’m sore.”

  “You should go for a swim and cool off.”

  “That’s a great idea. Come with me?”

  “I can’t get my foot wet.”

  “We can work around that.” He went rifling through some drawers until he found a plastic bag and a roll of duct tape. “What do you say?”

  Katie eyed the supplies with trepidation. “Not sure I’m ready to go back in the water after what happened the other day.”

  “I’d be right there with you, and I’d keep you perfectly safe.”

  She stared at the plastic bag, trying to work up the courage she’d need to confront her fears. “I don’t want to be afraid of the water, but I am.”

  “We’ll take baby steps. Up to your knees this time.”

  “You won’t let go?”

  “I won’t let go. I promise.”

  “Okay.” She took a sip of the lemonade, the drink cool against her suddenly parched throat.

  “Want a lift upstairs?”

  “You just said you’re sore and tired.”

  “From carrying a refrigerator. You’d be like lifting a feather after that.”

  “As flattering as it is to be compared to a feather and a refrigerator, I can walk. But thanks for the offer.”

  “Damn. I was hoping to get my hands on you again, and that was the only way I could think of.”

  Flattered for real now, she smiled up at him. “That’s the only way you could think of? Are you suffering from a lack of imagination?”

  He moved toward her, placing his hands on the counter on either side of her hips. “Nothing wrong with my imagination. In fact, it was working overtime today.”

  “Was it?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “You could come a little closer if you wanted to.”

  “I really want to, but I’m filthy, and you look gorgeous.”

  “I do?” Her hair was caught up in a messy bun, and she wore an old tunic with a pair of denim shorts that had seen better days.

  “You do.” He leaned in to kiss her, and she discovered that the rough scrape of his late-day whiskers on her cheek was an instant turn-on. “Why did your eyes just light up like that?”