The yard was full of cars when they arrived at Mac’s. Grant scanned the vehicles for Abby’s car and saw it tucked between Joe’s company truck and his mother’s yellow VW bug. “She’s here.”
“You knew she would be as one of Janey’s bridesmaids. Who was the other one? I never did get her name.”
“Our cousin Laura. She just got married herself a couple of months ago.”
“So what’s the plan, Stan?”
“How should I know? Just play it cool, I guess.”
“Cool. Okay. Does that mean play it like we’re together, play it like we’re hanging out, play it like we’re burning up the sheets? What’s your pleasure?”
Grant swallowed hard as her words had a predictable effect on him. Why was it that even the sound of her snarky voice could turn him on? Something was wrong with him. There was no other possible explanation for the way he kept reacting to someone who grated on his nerves the way she did.
“I guess the second one. Hanging out.”
“Does that entail touching or subtle flirting or innuendo?”
“I can’t even see your face, and I can tell you’re enjoying this.”
“I am not! I just want to understand my assignment.”
Filled with exasperation, Grant sighed. He’d been more exasperated since he met her than in his entire life before her. “
Subtle
touching and
subtle
flirting. Nothing too over the top. No mention of what happened last night.”
Stephanie opened the passenger door, flooding the cab with light. “Don’t worry. I’m not about to go in there and start spewing off to your parents and family that you rocked my world or anything.”
He grabbed her arm to stop her from getting out. “Did I?”
Her brows furrowed over those expressive eyes. “Did you what?”
“Rock your world?”
She dissolved into laughter. “I wouldn’t go that far, but it didn’t
suck
.”
Wincing, he said, “Gee, thanks for that ringing endorsement. I was a little drunk, you know. I can do better.”
Something akin to panic skirted across her face as she tugged her arm free and got out of the truck.
Grant got out, too, and met her at the front of the truck. “I just want to say…”
“What?”
“If I took advantage last night or acted, you know, less than…honorably, I’m sorry. I haven’t been myself lately, and the last thing I want is to drag anyone else down with me.”
“It takes two to tango, sport, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Like I said, it didn’t suck.”
Why was it that this little sprite of a woman could make him so hot one minute and so damned mad the next? That was something he continued to ponder as they took the back steps to the deck. The house glowed with the soft light produced by candles, creating a warm, cozy atmosphere for a tropical-storm party.
Grant slid the deck door open and gestured for her to go in ahead of him. Since they were among the last to arrive, everyone turned to greet them, including Abby. He took a certain bit of pleasure in realizing she’d noticed he hadn’t come alone. Good. Let her see what it was like for a change. Grant pressed a hand to the small of Stephanie’s back, which earned him a quizzical look over her shoulder that he ignored as he greeted his brothers and sister.
Ned was there, as were Maddie’s mother Francine, her sister Tiffany and niece Ashleigh. Mac’s friend Blaine Taylor, the Gansett Island Police chief, still in uniform from what had no doubt been a long day, was talking to Joe and Janey. Grant’s cousin Laura was helping Abby organize the big pile of wedding gifts while Owen Lawry tuned his guitar to sync with Evan’s.
Stephanie stayed close to Grant’s side as he talked to his parents and visited with Maddie, who was settled on the sofa in the middle of the big great room.
“How’re you feeling?” Grant asked his sister-in-law as he bent to kiss her cheek.
“Fat and cooped up and cranky.”
“Yikes. That doesn’t sound like much fun.”
“Your brother is driving me nuts,” she added in a conspiratorial whisper, her gaze settling on Mac, who was across the room tending to their son Thomas.
“What’s he doing now?”
“He’s been freaked out all day about the storm and the ferry service being shut down. He hates being stuck here when I’m pregnant. He worries about something going wrong.”
Grant exchanged glances with Stephanie.
“What?” Maddie asked.
“Oh, nothing,” Grant said.
His sister-in-law clutched his arm. “What do you know?”
Surprised by her strong grip, he looked down to find big caramel-colored eyes staring back at him. “Cal left the island today. His mother had a stroke in Texas.”
“
Oh my God!
I wondered where he was when Abby came alone. You can’t tell Mac that Cal is gone, or he’s apt to have a stroke himself.” Her eyes took on a wild look that alarmed Grant. “Promise me you won’t tell him.”
“I won’t,” Grant said, “but someone else is apt to.”
“
OhmyGodohmyGod
.” Maddie’s eyes got even bigger, and her free hand landed on her extended abdomen.
“Maddie,” Grant said, alarmed by her sudden pallor. “What is it?”
“Just an odd twinge.” She took a deep breath. “It’s nothing.”
He glanced at Stephanie, who seemed equally alarmed.
“You can’t stress yourself out,” Grant said. “That’s how you ended up on bed rest in the first place.”
“When Mac finds out there’s no doctor on the island…” She swallowed hard. “I can’t even think about it. He’s been a total wreck all day.”
“The best thing you can do is relax and try not to worry.”
She nodded. “Yes, you’re right. But still… Maybe I should’ve listened to Mac and gone to the mainland for the rest of the pregnancy. If something happens to the baby…”
Grant squatted to put himself at her eye level. “Nothing’s going to happen. Take a deep breath and calm down.” He waited while she did as he asked. “Now take another one. Calm. That is the word of the day.”
Maddie released the second deep breath and gripped the hand he’d offered. “Thank you.”
“Any time.” He leaned in to kiss her forehead. “That’s my niece or nephew in there. We won’t let anything happen to either of you. I promise.”
She nodded, seeming reassured even if her eyes were still glassier than he preferred.
“Can I get you something to eat or drink?” he asked.
“Some water would be good.”
“Coming right up.”
Stephanie followed him into the kitchen and helped herself to a soda from the cooler while he got the water for Maddie. “You were good with her. Really good.”
Surprised by the unexpected compliment, Grant turned to look at her. “So maybe I’m not a complete dolt with women?”
“Oh, no, you are. But apparently you’re good with sisters-in-law.”
“A guy can’t catch a break with you,” he said, amused by her even when he didn’t want to be.
She shrugged. “Just calling it like I see it.”
Abby came into the room and stopped short when she saw them. “Oh. Hi.”
Stephanie took the water from him. “I’ll get this to Maddie for you.”
“Oh, um, thanks.” Even though the gathering was still visible from the kitchen, he and Abby had the room to themselves. “So I assume Cal made it to the mainland?”
“Yes,” she said, pouring a glass of white wine. Chardonnay, he recalled. Her favorite. She was petite and curvy with long dark hair. Her big brown eyes used to soften with love every time she looked his way. Realizing she no longer looked at him adoringly was yet another loss he was forced to absorb where she was concerned. “I guess it was quite a trip, though.”
“I imagine it would be on a day like this.”
“He rented a car and was in Pennsylvania the last I talked to him. He was hoping to catch a flight from there since the airports are closed from here to New York.”
Grant tried to focus on what she was saying, but his head was spinning. There was so much he wanted and needed to say to her. Where to begin? He cleared his throat. “Do me a favor and don’t let on to Mac that Cal is off-island. He’s been a mess over Maddie’s pregnancy with Cal here. It’d be better for all of us—especially Maddie—if he didn’t know Cal is gone.”
“Mum’s the word.” She took a sip from her glass of wine. “So you and Stephanie, huh?”
Grant felt like she’d sucker-punched him. “What? We’re friends.”
“Uh-huh.”
“It’s not what you think.”
“It’s certainly none of my business.”
“Of course it is!”
Her brows knitted in confusion. “How is it my business?”
“You and me… We’re—”
“Over, Grant.” She said it so softly, as if it pained her to have to say it out loud. Again. “I’m really happy to see you moving on. That’s what we both needed to do. In hindsight, I can see we should’ve done it a long time ago.”
“No.” He shook his head. “That’s not true.”
She stepped toward him and rested a hand on his arm. “It is true. I figured it out a little sooner than you did, but you’ll get there, too.”
A sense of desperation unlike anything he’d ever known came over him. He cupped her face in his hand and forced her to look up at him. “How can you walk away like everything we had meant nothing to you?”
“Oh, Grant,” she said with a sigh, “that’s not at all how it happened. If only you knew how I suffered over you. But I found something better, and maybe you have, too. Don’t mess it up by wishing for what used to be. There’s no sense in that.”
Before Grant could think of a reply to that, Luke Harris came into the kitchen, still on crutches from the ankle injury he’d sustained at the marina. “Oh hey. Sorry to interrupt.”
“You’re not,” Abby said with a sad smile for Grant. “We were done.”
“Abby—”
She walked away like he hadn’t said a word, shoulders squared with determination.
“Son of a bitch,” Grant muttered.
“Sorry, man,” Luke said.
“Don’t sweat it.”
“No luck?”
Grant shook his head.
“What can I do?”
Grant shifted his gaze to find his old friend looking at him with concern. “Not a damned thing, apparently.”
“I hate to say it—”
“Don’t bother. I’m hearing it from every corner as it is.”
“Well, then, I won’t pile on. I sort of wondered…”
“What?”
“You and Stephanie were having a good time at the wedding. I thought there might be something brewing there.”
He wasn’t quite ready to talk about what might be brewing with Stephanie, even to one of his oldest friends. “Maybe.”
“She’s gorgeous.”
Surprised by Luke’s blunt assessment, Grant sought out Stephanie in the next room. She was talking and laughing with Janey and Maddie, and he had to admit she was rather cute when she was relaxed and her claws were sheathed. But gorgeous? “You think so?”
“I do. Seems like a really nice girl, too. I’ve thought so since she first came to work for us. She’s very sweet and accommodating.”
Grant stared at Luke as if he’d grown a second head. “Are we talking about the same woman? Stephanie who runs the marina restaurant?
Sweet and accommodating?
”
Luke laughed. “We all think so. She’s madly in love with your dad, in case you hadn’t noticed.” Luke tilted the beer bottle he’d opened to draw Grant’s attention to the hug his father was receiving from sweet, accommodating Stephanie.
“Well, if that doesn’t beat all. She’s mean and nasty to me.”
“Come on,” Luke said, scoffing. “She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.”
Grant watched Stephanie hug his mother. “You don’t know her like I do.”
Luke raised a brow mockingly. “Is that right?”
“What’re you still doing on crutches, anyway?” Grant asked, anxious to change the subject.
Luke’s smile became a scowl. “Damned if I know. I can’t put a freaking ounce of weight on it. Cal thinks I might’ve torn a ligament. I was going to the mainland for an MRI tomorrow, but that’s been scuttled because of the storm.”
“Oh, man, that’s a bummer. I hope it’s nothing serious.”
“You and me both. I’m sick of being a gimp.”
Luke’s girlfriend Sydney Donovan came into the kitchen looking for him. Her long red hair was captured in a high ponytail. “Hi, Grant.” She went up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “How are you?”
“Great,” he said, because let’s face it, who wanted to hear that he felt like crap after talking to Abby?
She slipped an arm around Luke’s waist. “Want me to get you something to eat?”
“I can do it,” he said with uncharacteristic shortness.
His crankiness seemed to roll right off her shoulders. “I know you can, but I can do it easier.”
Luke pressed a kiss to Syd’s temple. “Sorry, baby. I don’t mean to take it out on you.”
“It’s okay,” she said with a good-natured smile. “I can take it.”
Watching them, Grant was filled with longing. His gaze shifted to Stephanie, who chose that moment to toss her head back in laughter, exposing the sexy arch of her neck. A surge of lust fogged his brain, adding to his confusion. He’d thought he had it all figured out, but it was becoming rather clear to him that he had absolutely nothing figured out.
Watching her cousin and her new husband open their wedding gifts was pure torture for Laura. They were blissfully happy, and Joe was madly in love with his gorgeous new wife. Laura wondered if Janey had any idea how lucky she was to have such a devoted husband.
As the last gift was opened and exclaimed over, Laura had to get out of there. Fortunately, there were enough people in the room that she was able to slip out the sliding door to the deck without being detected. Once outside, she drew in deep breaths of cool air. While the rain had let up for the moment, the wind continued to whip and howl eerily in the big meadow that stood between the house and the shoreline in the distance.
She’d gotten through Janey’s wedding, done her duties as a bridesmaid and somehow managed to keep it together when she was falling apart on the inside. But seeing the newlyweds together just now… That’d been too much.
Laura was so happy for Janey, who deserved every bit of happiness with Joe. After Janey had spent thirteen years with the wrong man, Joe had swept her off her feet and finally let her see how much he’d loved her from afar for so long. And then he’d rearranged his entire life so he could go to Ohio with her when she realized her lifelong dream of getting into veterinary school. Her sweet cousin had landed herself one of the good guys, and Laura couldn’t be happier for her.
If only she could say the same for herself.
“Aren’t you cold out here?”
Startled by a deep voice, Laura spun around to find Owen Lawry removing his jacket and handing it to her. She was so numb she hadn’t even realized she was cold. Wrapping the jacket around her, she was engulfed in his warm, masculine scent. The thoughtful gesture brought a lump to her throat that Laura cleared away, determined to keep a tight lid on her despair in the midst of such happiness. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” Like he had earlier, he lowered himself to her height to meet her gaze. The light from inside the house cast a faint glow over the deck, making it possible for her to make out his features in the dimness. “Everything okay?”
“Never better.”
“Somehow I don’t believe you.”
Unprepared for his insight, Laura bundled deeper into the coat.
“I heard you’re a newlywed yourself.”
She winced at his casually inquisitive tone.
“I guess your husband couldn’t make it for the wedding.”
What the hell? They’d all find out eventually. “It was more that he couldn’t make it for the marriage.”
There was just enough light for her to see the shock register on his face. “You wanna run that by me one more time?”
“We were married in May,” she said, her heart aching as she recalled the happiest day of her life. “A big, beautiful wedding in Providence. In June, two of my bridesmaids came to me looking like they hadn’t slept for days. One of them had seen his picture on an online dating service and had queried his profile anonymously thinking he’d tell her he’s married now. Except that’s not what he did.”
“Oh, man.”
“Exactly. He made a date with her, and she went to the restaurant just to see if he’d actually show. There he was, my husband, waiting to meet her. She made sure he never saw her.” Laura couldn’t believe she was sharing her nightmare with a perfect stranger when she hadn’t even worked up the nerve to tell her aunt, uncle or cousins yet. No doubt it was easier telling him than it would be to tell them. “When they came to my house, I could tell something was terribly wrong, but I never thought…I never suspected…”
“Why would you?”
Shrugging, she rested a hand on the rail that framed the deck as the wind whipped at her shoulder-length hair. “Afterward, with hindsight, there were signs. I guess I chose to ignore them because I was so happy. We’d dated for three years, and I finally had everything I’d always wanted. Or at least I thought I did.”
His hand landed on her shoulder, offering comfort. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Princess. He was the fool who didn’t know how lucky he was to have you.”
“That’s nice of you to say, but you don’t even know me. How do you know I wasn’t a total shrew of a wife?”
Owen laughed softly. “I guess I don’t.” Raising a rakish eyebrow, he said, “Were you?”
“I might’ve been if we’d made it to the second month.”
“That’s usually when the trouble starts.”
“And you know this from experience?”
His face twisted with feigned horror. “Hell, no. I’ve heard rumors. That’s all.”
“Ahh,” Laura said, amused by his attempts to prop her up. He seemed like someone who’d make for a good friend. “I see. Rumors. Do you believe everything you hear?”
“Hardly. I’m sorry such a shitty thing happened to you. No one deserves to be treated that way.”
“You’re right about that.”
“If it had to happen, at least it was before kids were involved.”
“Yeah.” Laura stared into the darkness, feeling dead inside. “Thank goodness for that.”
“I have some news that might lift your spirits,” he said with that effortlessly charming grin he did so well.
“What’s that?”
“I talked to my grandmother this afternoon and told her about our tour earlier. She wondered if you might be interested in a job.”
Intrigued, Laura folded her arms to tighten the coat around her. “What kind of job?”
“Running the Sand & Surf.”
She gasped. “You’re not serious.”
“I’m very serious, and so is she. I told her how much you’ve always loved the place, how excited you were to see the inside, and she said you sounded like the answer to her prayers. That’s a direct quote, by the way.”
Astounded, Laura stared at him. “But I don’t know a thing about running a hotel! I majored in history.”
“I talked to Libby, who runs the Beachcomber. She said she’d be happy to lend a hand to get you started. Of course, the old girl needs some work after being closed up the last few years, but you’d have the winter to get her ready for next season.”
Laura was reeling. “You’re really serious.”
“As serious as I ever get about anything.”
“Wow. I just… Wow.”
Owen laughed and tugged on a strand of her hair. “You don’t have to decide anything tonight, Princess. Think about it for a couple of days.”
Laura wondered how she’d manage to think of anything else now that the possibility had been presented to her. “What’s in it for you if I agree to this?”
“Nothing more than knowing my grandparents have some peace of mind. They mean a lot to me.”
Evan stuck his head out the door. “Hey, O. You wanna play?”
“Be right there.”
“Cool.”
Owen returned his attention to her. “So you’ll think about it?”
“I will. Thank you for the offer.”
“Sure thing. You know where to find me when you decide.”
“Oh, your coat.”
He stopped her from removing the jacket. “You need it more than I do.”
“Um, don’t say anything. About what I told you. I haven’t gotten around to telling my family. Not only is it embarrassing and humiliating, I didn’t want to bring all my crap to Janey’s wedding.”
Owen surprised her when he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “They won’t hear it from me.”
Nodding, Laura bit her bottom lip to contain a sudden rush of emotion brought on by the kindness of a stranger.
“Any special requests?”
Confused, she looked up at him. “What do you mean?”
“A song,” he said with an indulgent smile.
Without hesitation, she said, “Anything by James Taylor.”
“You got it, Princess.”
He left her on the porch, and through the screen door, she heard him talking to Evan as they set up. A hush fell over the room as the two guitars found perfect harmony. When she heard the opening notes of “You’ve Got a Friend,” she couldn’t contain the smile that spread across her face.
Ned’s heart ached as he watched Francine play with her grandchildren on the other side of the big room. Owen and Evan were keeping the group entertained with their music, but Ned couldn’t seem to pull his gaze off her and the babies.
As if she sensed him watching her, Francine looked up all of a sudden and locked eyes with him.
Ned felt the impact in every cell of his body. Damned if he hadn’t reacted to her the exact same way from the first time those green eyes connected with his at the ferry landing the day she first arrived on Gansett. He knew he should look away but couldn’t seem to actually do it.
Normally, he’d be over there with her, playing with the babies, enjoying the party together. Normally, she’d be whispering pithy comments in his ear that made him laugh even when he didn’t mean to.
Little Ashleigh tugged on a lock of her grandmother’s hair, and Francine finally looked away from him.
A piece of him died at the loss of the brief contact. It took all he had to remain seated, to pretend he was engrossed in the music, that he cared about anything other than why she’d pushed him away when everything about them together worked. It worked just as well now as it had more than thirty years ago, before Bobby Chester showed up and ruined everything.
While he nursed a beer and pretended to keep his focus on Evan and Owen, Ned was keenly aware of Francine’s every move. That’s how he saw Mac scoop up Thomas and take him to kiss his mother on their way upstairs, presumably to put the little guy to bed. A minute later, Tiffany came to claim Ashleigh, who kissed her grandmother good night. They made a stop at the sofa so Ashleigh could hug and kiss her Aunt Maddie before they left to go home.
Sitting by herself, Francine’s hands twitching nervously in her lap as if she had no idea what to do with them. When Ned realized she’d gotten up and was walking toward him, his heart beat funny and his hands got all sweaty. He waited until she was standing right in front of him before he bothered to glance up at her.
“Something on yer mind, doll?” He was rather proud of the nonchalant tone, if he did say so himself.
“I, um, I wanted to, um, tell you…”
Ned reached up to link their fingers. “Whatever ya gotta say, just say it. Ya’ll feel better after.”
“I have some things…I need to take care of.”
“Anything I can help ya with?”
She bit her lip and shook her head.
Even though he wanted to drag her out of there and force her to tell him what had her so distressed, he squeezed her hand and released it. “Ya know where I am if there’s anything I can do for ya.”
“I’m sorry…for—”
“Don’t be sorry ’bout nothin’. Take care of what ya gotta take care of and then come find me. Don’t be a stubborn old cuss and think I won’t want ya because of whatcha said earlier. I’ll always want ya.”
Tears filled her eyes, and she looked away. “I never was good enough for you.”
“Now yer just trying to piss me off, doll.”
That drew a reluctant smile from her. “Thanks for understanding.”
He wanted to tell her he didn’t understand anything, but he kept the thought to himself. Rather, he nodded because he didn’t trust himself to speak. Maddie waved to get his attention and pointed to her mother. “Looks like yer girl wants to see ya.”
Francine turned to look at Maddie. “I guess I’d better go check on her.”
“Don’t let me keep ya.”
“I’ll be back, Ned.”
“I’ll be waiting, doll.”
His heart about stopped when she bent to press a kiss to his forehead. He watched her walk away, filled with hope that whatever had her all worked up wouldn’t be the end of them.
Maddie had tried to ignore it all night. Braxton-Hicks contractions, she’d told herself. Everyone had them in the last trimester. Except, as the night wore on, she could no longer deny the truth. The tightening in her abdomen, the regular waves of increasingly sharp pains, the growing urge to push… She was in labor, two months early, on an island that was currently cut off from the mainland by a slow-moving tropical storm and not a doctor to be had.
She wanted to weep with regret for being so mule-headed about staying on the island after the first early labor scare. How could she have been so foolish to risk her baby and herself this way? Why hadn’t she listened to Mac when he’d tried to convince her to move to the mainland and live at Joe’s place until the baby was born?
“None of that matters now, you fool,” she whispered to herself as a new pain stole her breath and caused her to break out in a cold sweat. Her eyes darted around the room, and she was relieved to see no sign of Mac, who was still upstairs with Thomas. She had to figure out a plan before he returned.
She tried to get Janey’s attention, but her sister-in-law was all wrapped up in Joe and talking to her cousin Laura. Her mother was having an intense conversation with Ned, and her sister Tiffany had left to take Ashleigh home to bed.
“Everything okay?”
Maddie looked up to find Stephanie standing beside the sofa.
“Ah, well…” Another sharp pain stole the words and the breath from her lungs.
Stephanie squatted next to the sofa. “What’s wrong? You’re pale as a ghost and sweating.”
“I think I’m in labor,” she whispered.
“Oh my God!”
Maddie clutched the other woman’s arm. “Please, before Mac gets back, go tell Abby to find Victoria. She’s the midwife who works for Cal. Abby might know where she is. Tell her to hurry.”
While Stephanie, wide-eyed and panicked, scurried off to find Abby, Maddie focused on the breathing exercises she’d been taught before she had Thomas. His birth had been easy and uncomplicated. This one would be the same. She was sure of it. The baby might be coming early, but he or she would be just fine.
Tears burned her eyes as a wave of overwhelming fear was upstaged by another strong contraction that had her biting back the need to push. As Abby came over to her, Maddie’s water broke in a gush of liquid that soaked the blanket she’d put under her, just in case.
“Oh my God,” she whispered. “
Oh my God
.”