by Marie Force
“Mmm, seriously.”
Her lips moved softly on his chest, right above the heart that beat for her. “Quinn?”
“Hmm?”
“About that job you offered me.”
He hadn’t been expecting that, not now anyway. “What about it?”
“If the offer is still on the table—”
“It is.”
“Then I’d like to accept.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “I talked to my uncle Kevin about it, and he made a good point. If it doesn’t work out, I can go anywhere I want with the credentials I have. We’re both professionals, and we can separate our work life and our personal life.”
He held her tight, his heart full from knowing she was going to stay after the summer, that they would live and work together to make a go of the facility—and their relationship. “It’s going to be great, and you’re not going anywhere. I need you far too much here with me.”
She raised her head off his chest and gazed into his eyes. “So we’re really going to do this, huh?”
“We’re really going to do it.” Holding her tight, he rolled them over so he was on top. “Starting right now.”
Epilogue
Mr. & Mrs. Torrington
A Gansett Island Short Story
Kara hadn’t been kidding when she referred to her family as a shit show. The Ballards had descended en masse onto Gansett Island two days before the wedding, and now Dan was at the police station to retrieve three of her brothers who’d been arrested after the rehearsal dinner.
Blaine Taylor greeted him, a grim expression on his face. “Quite a crew.”
“How bad are we talking?”
“They busted up the Rusty Scupper,” Blaine said. “The owner is determined to press charges.”
“I’ll reach out and see if we can make it go away.”
“They’re leaving after the wedding, right?”
“First boat out on Sunday.”
“Excellent.”
“Sorry about the trouble.”
“Certainly not your fault.” Blaine led him into the hallway that housed the island’s single cellblock, where Kara’s brothers Keith, Kieran and Kyle had spent the night. Keith and Kyle had sleeve tattoos, earrings in both ears and chips on their shoulders a mile deep. Kieran was slightly more tolerable when he wasn’t under the influence of his older brothers.
“Gentlemen,” Dan said, using the term loosely. He often wondered how the oh-so-prim-and-proper-country-club maven Judith Ballard had managed to raise a bunch of hoodlums.
“Aren’t you supposed to be a hotshot lawyer?” Keith asked. “Get us out of here, will ya?”
“Happily, but there’re conditions. Chief?”
“Make restitution to the Scupper, or he’s going to press charges,” Blaine said. “Stay out of trouble, or I’ll put you on the next boat to the mainland, wedding or no wedding. Am I clear?”
Keith didn’t like being told what to do, that was obvious, but he nodded nonetheless. “We’ll take care of it.”
“I’ll expect to hear from Pat at the Scupper within the hour, or I’ll be rounding you up again.” Blaine unlocked the cell, and the three brothers filed out. “Good luck,” he said to Dan under his breath. “You’re going to need it.”
“Thanks for calling me and not Kara. I’d hate for anything to ruin this day for her.”
“No problem. See you at the wedding.”
Dan’s future brothers-in-law were in the parking lot when he emerged into the bright sunshine, dropping Ray-Ban Wayfarers from the top of his head to cover his eyes. “Let’s have a little chat, boys.”
“We’re all set,” Kyle said.
“Yes, I can see that by the way you spent the night before your sister’s wedding in jail,” Dan said.
“What’d you want?” Keith asked, hands on hips.
“Keep it together for Kara today and tonight, or you’ll deal with me, and I can be a royal pain in the ass when I want to be. We clear?”
“All good,” Keith said tersely. To his brothers, he said, “Let’s go.”
They headed toward the Sand & Surf Hotel, where they were staying. No doubt Laura and Owen would have a few stories to share after the weekend. “You’re welcome for getting your sorry asses out of jail,” Dan said to their retreating backs.
Dan got into his Porsche and drove home to the house he shared with Kara. She was at the Chesterfield, where the four-o’clock wedding would be held. He checked his watch. Right about now, Chloe would be doing her hair and makeup. She’d left that morning with everything she needed for the rest of the day, kissing him and telling him not to be late.
As if he’d be late for the most important event of his life. He’d almost done this once before. On the short drive home, he thought about catching his best man fucking his future wife the night before their wedding. What had once been one of the most traumatic things to ever happen to him, second only to losing his brother in Afghanistan, he now listed as one of the great blessings in his life.
If he’d married her, he never would’ve met Kara, and that would’ve been a tragedy of epic proportions. He wouldn’t have known how lacking his earlier relationship had been because he wouldn’t have had Kara to show him the way it should be.
Dan missed his brother, Dylan, today, but that was nothing new. He missed him every day. He ran his hand over the steering wheel of the car that had belonged to his brother. Having the car kept Dylan close, but on days like this, his absence was a physical pain that nothing could soothe.
He pulled into his driveway and parked beside his best man’s car. As Dan emerged from his car, Grant McCarthy came out to greet him.
“You got one hell of a day to tie the knot,” Grant said of the gorgeous sunshine.
“We sure did.” June weather on Gansett was a crapshoot, but it could be pouring rain for all he cared.
“Where you been?”
“Getting Kara’s brothers out of lockup.”
Grant’s mouth fell open. “Seriously?”
“Serious as a heart attack.”
“What’d they do?”
“Busted up the Scupper.”
Grant wrinkled his nose. “Why are they hanging out in that dive?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. What’re you hearing from Stephanie?”
“Everything is going well and right on schedule.”
“Excellent. I’m going to grab a shower, and then we can head over there.”
“A little eager, much?” Grant teased.
“You have no idea.”
Kara stood before the mirror, taking a critical look at herself in the casual yet elegant dress she’d chosen for her big day. The ivory silk hugged her curves in a way that Dan would appreciate, but it wasn’t so sexy that she’d be uncomfortable in it. Tiffany had helped her pick it out, and as usual, her friend had been spot-on in her suggestions.
She wore her long auburn hair in an elaborate updo that left her shoulders bare, and had gone with just enough makeup to appear dressed up and to ensure that Dan would actually recognize her when he saw her. She couldn’t wait to see him in the navy sport coat and khakis they’d chosen for him and Grant to wear.
At the thought of him waiting for her downstairs, the tension and strain of the last few weeks slipped away. Kara had followed his advice and kept her contact with her mother to a bare minimum, which had infuriated her mother. Not that Kara cared. She refused to be sucked into her family’s never-ending drama on this of all days.
No, today was about her and Dan, and she was determined to make it the best day of her life.
Stephanie came into the room, wearing a navy blue, tea-length dress that showed off her spectacular legs. The two women had become even closer friends during the winter they’d spent together in LA, and having Grant and Stephanie as their only attendants had been an easy choice for her and Dan.
“You look amazing.” Stephanie had brought Kara’s bouquet of white hydrangeas, and
Stephanie would carry the same bouquet in blue.
“Thank you. I feel pretty amazing today.”
“Your handsome groom has arrived along with mine, and the guests are taking their seats.”
“Glad to hear he actually showed up,” Kara said with a smile.
“Wild horses couldn’t have kept that man away from you today. Your dad is in the hallway, and Lizzie says we’re ready whenever you are.”
Kara took a deep breath to calm the butterflies in her belly. She never had liked being the center of attention, but even that couldn’t detract from her joy at marrying Dan, the absolute love of her life. “You can send him in, and Steph? Thank you so much for being my matron of honor.”
Stephanie squeezed her hand. “My pleasure. See you downstairs.”
Kara’s dad, Chuck Ballard, came in dressed in the same blue blazer and khaki pants that Dan and Grant were wearing.
“Sweetheart,” he said, “you look lovely.”
“Thank you, Dad.” She had debated whether she wanted him to give her away. After her family had acted like it was no big deal that Kelly had basically stolen her boyfriend, Kara had been fed up with the lot of them, including her parents, who threw an elaborate wedding for Kelly and Matt. But she had only one father and would have only one wedding, so she’d asked him despite her reservations.
“I want you to know how thrilled your mother and I are that you’ve found someone who makes you so happy. We’re very proud of you, and we love your Dan.” He hesitated, as if considering whether he should say more. “We handled things badly with Kelly, and you were hurt by it. I’m sorry for that.”
Stunned to hear him admit to being wrong about anything, Kara had no idea what to say.
“What she did was wrong, and I’ve told her so. I’ve also told her she’s to stay far, far away from this island today. This is your day, and she doesn’t belong here.”
Overwhelmed, Kara hugged him. “Thank you.”
“Now, let’s forget all that nonsense and get you married.” He extended his arm.
She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow.
He covered her hand with his. “I love you, Kara, and I wish you and your new husband the very best of everything.”
“Thank you, Dad. I love you, too.”
Dan thought he was prepared for whatever she might have in store for him. He was dead wrong. She blew him away with her simple elegance, her embarrassment at being the center of attention and the way she kept her gaze firmly fixed on him while she made her way to him on the arm of her father.
The ceremony was being held on the lawn of the former Chesterfield estate that Jared and Lizzie James had turned into a wedding venue.
Dan’s heart felt like it might explode from the emotional overload of this moment. With his parents and sisters seated in the front row and Grant standing by his side, Dan took a step forward to meet his bride.
Chuck shook Dan’s hand and kissed Kara’s cheek before taking a seat next to his wife and family on the other side of the aisle.
Dan kissed Kara. “You’re beautiful.”
“You don’t look too bad yourself.”
He smiled at the predictably saucy reply. He couldn’t wait for a lifetime of her particular brand of sauciness.
Grant’s uncle Frank, a retired Superior Court judge, presided over the brief ceremony in which Dan and Kara exchanged traditional vows and rings. Knowing his bride hated the spotlight, he’d agreed to keep it short and sweet.
Ten minutes later, Frank gave him permission to kiss his bride.
Dan was careful not to embarrass her too much when he kissed her.
“It’s my great pleasure,” Frank said, “to introduce for the first time as Mister and Missus… Dan and Kara Torrington.”
While their guests applauded enthusiastically, Dan escorted his wife down the aisle and ducked into the secret garden inside the hedges to steal a better kiss. Surrounded by fragrant flowers, Dan took her into his arms and kissed her passionately, thrilled to finally be married to the woman he loved more than life itself.
“Finally,” he whispered against her lips. “There’s no getting rid of me now.”
“Oh damn, really?”
“You knocked the cover off the ball with this dress, babe. I mean seriously—wow.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“I love it. I’ll never forget how you looked as you came toward me today. Best moment of my entire life.”
“Mine, too.”
He kissed her forehead and held her in his arms, hoping they wouldn’t be missed for a few more minutes. “You think anyone would notice if we split?”
“Probably. We are the hosts, after all.”
“We should’ve let your parents do it.”
She looked up at him with horror, and they lost it laughing.
He took hold of her hand. “Let’s get this over with so we can get to the good stuff—the wedding night and honeymoon.” He’d surprised her with two weeks in Ireland followed by a week in England. They were leaving the island on the noon boat tomorrow.
“I’m with you, Counselor.”
He tucked her hand into his elbow. “Yes, you are.”
They emerged from the garden to find Lizzie waiting for them, pretending to check her phone.
“Right this way.” She gestured for them to follow her to where their photographer waited to take the family photos Judith had insisted on.
They went through the motions, posing with both families as well as Grant and Stephanie, and then headed up the back stairs to the Chesterfield, where the reception would be held in the big rooms downstairs as well as on the back veranda.
“It looks amazing, Lizzie,” Kara said.
“Couldn’t agree more,” Dan added.
“I’m so glad you’re happy with it.”
A theme of navy blue and white had been carried throughout the big rooms full of friends and family who’d come to celebrate their new life together, including the entire McCarthy family, Alex and Jenny Martinez, Paul and Hope Martinez, Luke and Sydney Harris, David Lawrence and Daisy Babson, and even Slim Jackson and his fiancée, Erin Barton, had returned to the island for the wedding after spending the last few months in Florida.
“Is Mallory seeing Quinn James?” Dan asked Kara.
“From what I hear, they’ve moved right past the seeing-each-other phase and into the living-together-at-her-place phase.”
“Wow, good for them.”
Lizzie led them to the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Lizzie said into the portable microphone she carried along with her clipboard. “Please direct your attention to the dance floor! Dan and Kara have chosen their friend Evan McCarthy’s new single, ‘Can’t Stop,’ for their first dance as husband and wife. Here to perform his new hit is our own Evan McCarthy!”
As Evan played the first notes of the song they’d loved the first time they heard it, Dan took Kara into his arms and let the rest of the world slip away as he focused on the woman who was now his wife.
Look how far we've come
Look at all that we've become
Look how high we've flown
Your heart has always been my home
Listen to the rhythm of the rain
Wash away our tears and then we start again
Listen to a whisper in the wind
It's calling me, it's calling me
I can't stop wanting you for the rest of my life
Holding you in the middle of the night
Falling in love with you
All over and over again
I can't stop wanting you for the rest of my life
Holding you in the middle of the night
Falling in love with you
All over and over and over and over again
Found the beauty of
A timeless, endless love
So much left unknown
But my heart will always be your home
L
isten to the rhythm of our hearts
They beat as one no matter how far we're apart
Listen to the echo of a dream
It's calling me, it's calling me
I can't stop wanting you for the rest of my life
Holding you in the middle of the night
Falling in love with you
All over and over again
I can't stop wanting you for the rest of my life
Holding you in the middle of the night
Falling in love with you
All over and over and over and over again
The song ended with a rousing round of applause for Evan as well as Dan and Kara. Dan kissed Kara and took her by the hand to lead her from the dance floor.
Lizzie handed the microphone to Grant, who cleared his throat dramatically.
“Oh jeez,” Dan said, groaning. “Don’t give him a microphone.”
Lizzie ushered them to their seats at the table they would share with Grant and Stephanie as well as their parents. Thankfully, Chuck and Judith Ballard had hit it right off with Dave and Nancy Torrington, and the two couples were already like old friends after knowing each other a couple of days.
As he held the chair for his wife, Dan took note of his new brothers-in-law, who were hitting the open bar hard. He wouldn’t hesitate to shut them off if they started to get unruly, which was another benefit to being the host of this shindig.
“As Dan’s best man, it’s my job to thoroughly embarrass the bride and groom,” Grant said, drawing laughs from their guests. “But since Dan usually does a pretty good job of embarrassing himself—and Kara—I’ll leave that to him.”
Dan glanced at Kara to find her nodding in agreement. Traitor.
“From the first minute Dan met Kara, he had his heart set on her. It took some convincing and some cajoling and a bit of blackmail, but he finally won her over to his way of thinking.”
“A lot of blackmail,” Kara said, smiling at him.
“Raise your glasses to Dan and Kara,” Grant said. “We wish you a lifetime of love and happiness.”
