Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 1-16

by Force, Marie

  He bought what he needed to make the stew and his grandmother’s soda bread along with a couple of bottles of wine and some candles—just in case they lost power. It wouldn’t do to be unprepared for such an event, or so he told himself.

  By the time he got to the house where Carolina’s Jeep was parked in the driveway, Seamus was more nervous than a schoolboy before his first date. “Keep a handle on yourself, my man,” Seamus said as he got out of the company truck and headed into the house.

  The wind whipping through the trees made an eerie sound, and the rain was coming down in earnest now. He stepped into the mudroom, kicked off his boots and hung up his coat to dry. Grasping the bags of groceries, he stepped into the kitchen and got right to work on the stew. He popped open a beer and took several swallows, hoping to calm his nerves. His hands were so shaky he nearly lobbed off a fingertip while slicing a carrot.

  “Frickin’ insanity, I tell you,” he muttered. “Just cook the food and stop acting like a dunderheaded nitwit.”

  “Do you always talk to yourself in the kitchen?” Carolina asked.

  Seamus looked up quickly and found her leaning against the doorframe, holding a glass of wine. Her hair had been released from the braid and framed her face like wispy angel hair. A searing pain in his finger forced his gaze back to the cutting board, which was now covered in blood. Frickin’ fabulous!

  “Shit,” he said as he headed for the sink to run the cut under cold water, praying it wasn’t deep enough to require a hospital visit. He didn’t want to waste any of his precious time with the lovely Carolina getting stitches.

  “Let me see,” she said, appearing at his side. With the bump of her hip against his, she shifted him to the side in a move that turned him on so completely he nearly swallowed his tongue.

  She took hold of his hand and gave the cut a thorough examination.

  The feel of her soft skin against his had him mesmerized, wishing the interlude would never end.

  Sadly, she quickly completed her exam and held his finger under the cold water for another minute before releasing his hand. “I’m sure Joe has a first aid kit somewhere.”

  Seamus cleared his throat and batted his way through the cobwebs that had formed in his brain. While only a minute had passed, he felt as if he’d been under her spell for far longer than that. “Under the bathroom sink,” he said.

  “Be right back.”

  He watched her walk away because the sight of her fine rear in those faded jeans was a thing of beauty. The instant she was out of sight, Seamus released an unsteady breath and took a long look around the kitchen, as if he’d never before seen the modern appliances, intricate tile work and butcher block countertop. His entire world had been turned upside down in the scope of a minute, the first time Carolina Cantrell officially touched him.

  She returned with the first aid kit and directed him, with a hand to his arm, to take a seat on one of the bar stools. The heat of her hand branded the skin of his arm, leaving him forever marked by the sensation of her touch.

  All at once, it became vitally important to Seamus that she not touch him again. “It’s okay,” he said. “I can put a bandage on it.”

  “Oh, please, let me. It’s my fault it happened in the first place. I startled you.”

  Taking his silence as consent, she took hold of his hand and dabbed at the cut on the pad of his index finger with antibiotic ointment that stung like a bastard.

  He sucked in a sharp deep breath.

  “Sorry,” she said with a wince. “I know it hurts.”

  If she kissed it better, he would die on the spot. Of that much he was certain.

  Her scent surrounded him, a bewitching combination of earthy spiciness and sexy woman. Seamus wanted to lean in closer for a better whiff. When her hair brushed against his face as she bent over her task, he had to bite back a groan. It took every bit of willpower he possessed not to reach for a handful of silky blonde hair and bring it to his nose.

  The second she had the bandage in place, he jumped up from the barstool and managed to crack his head against hers.

  “Oh, God,” he said, stumbling through the words as he backpedaled away from her. “I’m so sorry. Are you hurt?”

  Sending him a wry grin, she rubbed the tender spot on her forehead where his big noggin had connected with hers. “I’ll survive.” She studied him intently with eyes that seemed to see all the way through him. He certainly hoped that wasn’t the case, for he’d be truly mortified if she were to have any inkling of his thoughts about her.

  “You seem rather jumpy,” she said. “Are you all right?”

  “Of course.” Heat infused his face in a blush so fierce he was reminded of his horrible teenage years when the sound of a girl’s voice—any girl’s voice—could make him blush and go hard, all in a fraction of an instant. That hadn’t happened again since then, until the first time he met his boss’s lovely mother—and every time since then.

  He got busy again with the knife, watching his digits more closely this time. “I’m fine. I just need a few more minutes to get the soup on and the bread in the oven.”

  “I’ll start a fire,” she said, wandering into the family room.

  “Frickin’ fabulous,” he muttered again as he imagined how she’d look in firelight.

  Chapter 11

  Joe waited until Janey got through a week of mid-term exams that had her stressed out and overwrought. When she arrived home from her last exam on Friday night, exhaustion clung to her. He met her at the door and took her coat.

  “I’m going straight to bed,” she said as she gave him a quick kiss and headed for the bedroom.

  The dogs circled around her legs. That she gave them only perfunctory pats on the head was a sure sign of how tired she really was.

  “Baby, wait. I know you’re wiped out, but you need to eat. I made dinner. Why don’t you have something to eat before you crash?”

  He watched her eye the bedroom longingly before she turned her gaze toward him and nodded in agreement.

  “Right this way.” He held a chair for her at the table and served up the chicken piccata he’d made from scratch. One of the things Joe loved best about semi-retirement was having the time to try things he’d never done before, like cooking. That Janey praised his every effort as if it were fine French cuisine made it extra rewarding.

  “So good,” she said of the first taste of tender chicken.

  “Glad you like it.” He poured her a glass of the chocolate milk she loved and opened a beer for himself, needing some liquid courage for this conversation.

  “Where did you learn to make this?”

  “One of the women in my class made it for the art department pot luck.”

  “Did you actually ask her for the recipe?”

  Joe laughed at the face she made. “I actually did.”

  “I’m worried about what’s become of you since I dragged you to the heartland.”

  “They’ll never recognize me on the island.”

  “No, they won’t. I need to remember this for blackmail. All I’d have to do is tell my brothers about you swapping recipes with girls on campus. . .”

  “You wouldn’t dare.”

  Janey laughed. “We’ll see how you behave.”

  He shot her a playful scowl. “How’d the last exam go?”

  “Good, I think. I’m never really sure.”

  “And yet somehow you manage to score As in every class.”

  “Don’t jinx me.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it,” Joe said with a smile.

  As they ate, they chatted about his class, his painting, their dogs, the latest gossip from the island, including his mother’s plans to winter there.

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Janey asked. “Her place out there is just barely winterized.”

  “I tried to tell her that, but you know how she is when she makes up her mind about something. I sent Mac over to inspect the woodstove and the roof. He said everything looks fine,
and he left her a cord of wood.”

  “Aww,” Janey said with a warm smile. “My big brother is the best.”

  “Yes, he is. I felt better after he’d checked the place out. He also promised to keep in touch with her this winter. And you know your parents will, too.”

  “Absolutely. My mom will be thrilled to have her there.” Though they were different as two women could be, Linda and Carolina had been friends as long as Mac and Joe had. “We’ll see her when we go home for Christmas.”

  “Uh huh.” As Joe twirled spaghetti around his fork, he tried to think of a way to broach the pregnancy subject. It was so unusual to feel hesitant to talk to her about anything. He loved how they talked about everything and held nothing back.

  “Hey.” She nudged his leg with her foot. “Where’d you go?”

  Joe looked up at her, surprised to realize he’d zoned out. “Nowhere. I’m here.”

  She nodded to the spaghetti he’d twirled into a tight mass around his fork. “Are you going to play with that or eat it?”

  He pushed his plate away, too nervous to eat anymore. “I’m done.”

  “Do you mind if I finish it?”

  “Go for it.” Her increased appetite was just another in a growing list of puzzle pieces Joe never would’ve put together on his own without his mother’s insight. In addition to the sleepiness and appetite gain, her breasts were bigger and more sensitive, and she was often overly emotional, all of which, according to what he’d read, were indications of pregnancy.

  “What’re you thinking about?” she asked. “Is something wrong?”

  “No, honey. Nothing’s wrong. Finish eating, and then we’ll talk.”

  She put down her fork and pushed the plate aside. “I’m done.”

  “Come here.” He held out his hand to her and guided her onto his lap.

  “What’s going on, Joe? Are you mad about something? I know I’ve been a bit of a grouch during exams—”

  He kissed the words right off her lips. “You haven’t been a grouch. You’ve been busy and really, really tired.”

  “I know. It’s crazy. I don’t remember it being this bad last year.”

  Joe took a deep breath. “Is it possible, that this year might be different because you’re pregnant?” Since he was holding her so close he felt her go rigid in his arms.

  “I’m not pregnant. There’s no way I’m pregnant! We’ve been careful, and I’m on the pill.”

  “And you’ve never forgotten to take it for a day or two because you were busy or preoccupied with school?”

  He watched her closely as she thought back over the last few months.

  Her mouth fell open and then snapped closed the instant before two big tears slid down her cheeks. “That’s all it takes?” she whispered.

  “That and nonstop effort,” he said in a teasing tone.

  “I can’t be pregnant, Joe. I can’t be. I have two and a half years of school left. How will I have a baby and manage school?”

  Joe brushed away her tears and kissed her. “Easy—you’ll manage school, and I’ll manage the baby.”

  “How do you already have this all figured out?”

  “I’ve had a couple of days to process the possibility. I told my mom the other day that you’ve been really tired, and she suggested you might be pregnant.”

  “How is it that she knew and I didn’t?” Janey asked, piqued by the thought.

  Joe laughed at the face she made. How could he not? She was so damned cute.

  She scowled at him. “Hell of a vet I’m going to be when I can’t even figure out that I’m pregnant without the help of my mother-in-law who lives a thousand miles from me.”

  “You’re going to be the best vet ever, and I hate to tell you, we don’t know for sure that you’re pregnant.”

  “We need to get a test.”

  “I got three of them the other day. I was waiting for you to get through your exams before I mentioned it.”

  “Thank you for waiting. This would’ve taken me right over the edge this week, which of course you knew.”

  “So,” he asked, his heart pounding with anticipation and excitement and more love than he’d ever felt in his life, “do you want to take one of the tests?”

  New tears flooded her eyes as she nodded. “Is this why I’ve been crying over everything lately?”

  He took her by the hand and led her into the bathroom. Under the sink, he retrieved one of the tests he’d stashed there. “Maybe so.”

  “I suppose it’s better to be pregnant than to be having a nervous breakdown over school.”

  “Much better,” he said, laughing. He took the test out of the box and handed it to her. “Pee goes here.” When he started to leave the room to give her some privacy, she called him back.

  “Stay. We did the rest of it together, why not this part, too?”

  He smiled at her logic and leaned against the wall while she took care of business.

  She placed the innocuous plastic stick on the sink, and they watched in stunned amazement as a blue plus sign appeared a few minutes later.

  “Well,” she said, “your mother was right.” She turned to him, looked up and met his gaze. “I’m sorry I wasn’t more careful.”

  “Please don’t say that. Everything happens for a reason, and when you think of it, this might be the perfect time for us to have a baby.”

  She raised a brow in the skeptical expression that was so Janey. “How do you figure?”

  “If we wait until you finish school, I’ll be almost forty. That’s getting sort of late if I want to have any energy left for Little League coaching and football playing and wrestling, not to mention tea parties and fashion shows and Girl Scouts.”

  Janey laughed through her tears and hugged him.

  “It’s all going to be just fine,” he whispered into the silky softness of her blonde hair. “I promise. It might not be how we planned it, but life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”

  “Or when you’re busy making love like sex-starved lunatics.”

  “That too,” he said with a laugh. He slid his hands down her back to cup her bottom, lifting her into his arms.

  She curled her arms and legs around him as he carried her to their bedroom. The menagerie collected around their feet, and Joe nearly tripped over them.

  “Goddamn it,” he said when he’d recovered his footing. “I’m carrying very precious cargo here, people.”

  “Don’t swear in front of the baby.”

  He was relieved she had taken the news better than he’d expected and so excited to be a father, a thought that suddenly filled him with fear.

  “What?” she asked. “Why did your brows just go all furrowy?”

  He deposited her on the bed and crawled in next to her.

  She snuggled up to him as she did every night.

  “I barely remember what it’s like to have a dad. What if I’m no good at it?”

  “Oh, Joe! You’ll be a great dad! This baby will be so lucky to have you. You’re already thinking about tea parties and football practice and we only just found out.”

  “You’re awfully sure I’ll be good at it.”

  “I’m positive.” She kissed his neck and then his jaw before finding his lips in a kiss that quickly spiraled into passionate need. Her arms tightened around him as her tongue flirted with his, making him crazy with desire.

  “Love me, Joe,” she whispered.

  “I love you love you more than anything, Janey Cantrell.” Joe added the second “love you” as they always did and peppered her face with kisses before taking her mouth again. Without breaking the kiss, he tugged at their clothes until all the important parts were revealed. He entered her carefully, without the usual abandon that marked their lovemaking.

  “Joe,” she moaned in protest. “Come on.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you—or the baby.” Everything was different now that he knew their child lay between them, precious and fragile.

/>   “You won’t.” She arched into his thrust and clutched his backside, keeping him buried deep inside her.

  He drew her nipple into his mouth, sucking and tugging, sending her into a powerful orgasm that finished him off in record time. “Sorry,” he said, panting in the aftermath of the explosive climax.

  Her hands were soothing on his back. “For what?”

  “For not lasting longer.”

  “You lasted just long enough. I can barely keep my eyes open, and what if I fell asleep in the middle of, you know. . .”

  “You’d better not fall asleep in the middle of that.”

  Janey chuckled and held him close enough that he could hear her heart beating fast beneath his ear.

  After a long moment of contented silence, he said, “I promised my mother I’d tell her as soon as we knew for sure.”

  “Can it be our little secret just for tonight? We can tell her and my parents tomorrow.”

  Joe closed his eyes against the rush of emotion. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d been happier. “Sure, baby. Whatever you want.”

  “I have everything I want.” She tightened her arms around him. “Everything I could ever want.”

  And that, Joe decided as he followed her into sleep, was all that mattered to him.

  Chapter 12

  Grant waited all day Friday, hoping he would hear from Stephanie before his friend Dan Torrington clued him in.

  “She’s not coming back,” Dan said.

  “How do you know that?” Grant asked Dan, who was visiting for the weekend and thinking about spending the winter on the island to pen the book he’d been planning to write for years. He’d fallen in love with the island on an earlier visit.

  “Grant, my friend, let me tell you something about women.”

  “I can’t wait to hear this,” Grant muttered.

  “They are sensitive, delicate creatures.”

  Grant didn’t want to be around when Stephanie heard herself described as a sensitive, delicate creature.

  “They require tremendous amounts of attention.”

  “I give her tremendous amounts of attention. Hell, she has practically all my attention.”