Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 1-16

by Force, Marie

  Daisy scrambled up the hill under the umbrella, thinking about her chat with Ned and more concerned now about whatever it was that David had to tell her.

  She tried to push those worries aside as she got busy preparing the schedule for the next week and organizing the supply order that was due by noon so the delivery could make the Friday ferry.

  At nine-thirty, she met with “her” team of housekeepers, which still made her feel like an imposter. What was she doing overseeing Sylvia, Betty, Sarah and Maude, who, along with Maddie, had taught her everything she knew about hotel housekeeping? When their old boss Ethel retired, Maddie had been promoted. After Hailey was born, she’d decided to stay home with her kids and had recommended Daisy for the job, which Daisy still couldn’t believe.

  She’d cried like a baby when Maddie first told her that she’d encouraged Mrs. McCarthy to put her in charge. And she’d totally understood when Mrs. McCarthy asked for a summer-long probationary period so they could make sure it was a good fit for both of them before they made it permanent. Daisy had never had a job with benefits or paid vacation or the kind of salary she was earning. Even with the increased salary, however, the cost of living on the island was rising all the time, and she was constantly short on cash.

  However, she had health insurance for the first time since she left home ten years ago at eighteen, and she was going to do this job brilliantly even if it killed her. Some days she wondered if it would actually kill her, because she was working as hard as she ever had, even if the labor wasn’t as physical as it used to be. As the manager, she still ran up and down three flights of stairs all day long and was wiped out at the end of every shift—more so since she’d been injured.

  She didn’t want Mrs. McCarthy to think she couldn’t handle the job, so she’d been pushing herself since she’d come back to work. As she returned to her office at noon, her entire body ached, and she was anxious to take a painkiller to get through the afternoon. Two pills would be ideal, but the second one would put her to sleep. One pill would take the edge off the pain radiating from her ribs.

  Daisy popped the pill and chased it with a drink of water.

  Maddie came to the door, looking a little bleary-eyed, which was to be expected after her big night out.

  “Hungover?” Daisy asked with a cheeky grin for her friend.

  “Maybe a little.”

  “I’m surprised you can move today,” Daisy said, inviting her into the office.

  Maddie slid into the visitor chair and took a closer look at Daisy. “Are you okay? You’re pale.”

  “Little bit of pain, so I just took a pill. It’ll be better soon.”

  “I hope you’re not pushing yourself too hard, Daisy. You were seriously injured, and you only took a week off.”

  “I’m fine. I promise. I love the job, and I want to be here.”

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”

  “I hired two new girls for the summer. They’ll be here next weekend. My first hires. Fingers crossed.”

  “Look forward to meeting them.”

  “I can’t thank you enough for giving me this opportunity. You have no idea what it means to me.”

  “Yes, I do. It wasn’t that long ago that I was living on a shoestring. I understand how new opportunities can change a life. And you don’t have to keep thanking me, Daisy. I recommended the person who I thought would be best for the job.”

  “It feels weird sometimes, being the boss of Betty, Sarah, Maude and the others. They’ve been here forever.”

  “And they don’t want to be the boss. I had the same concerns, but Linda told me they didn’t want the job. They were nothing but supportive of me when I was in charge.”

  “They’ve been great to me, too. They kept me in food while I was recovering.”

  “It’s a nice group, and they’ll take good care of you.”

  “Keep the assurances coming. I need as many as I can get.”

  “You won’t believe what happened last night after you left.”

  “What?”

  “Thomas caught us… you know…”

  “No way.” Daisy laughed at the tortured look on Maddie’s face. “What did he say? What did you say?”

  “It was awful. He wanted to know why Daddy was hurting me.”

  Daisy laughed so hard tears ran down her cheeks.

  Maddie balled up a tissue from the box on Daisy’s desk and threw it at her. “It’s not funny!”

  “Yes, it is.” Daisy wiped her face with the tissue. “You must’ve been dying.”

  “I still am. He doesn’t understand why mommies and daddies like to snuggle without their clothes.”

  That set Daisy off all over again.

  Even Linda McCarthy’s appearance at the door couldn’t stop the laughter.

  “What’s so funny?” Linda asked, bending to kiss her daughter-in-law’s cheek.

  “I can’t tell you,” Maddie said. “It’s too embarrassing.”

  “Can I tell her?” Daisy asked, wiping her face again.

  Maddie put her hands over her ears. “If you must.”

  “Thomas caught them…” Daisy rolled her hand, encouraging Linda to fill in the blanks.

  “Daisy’s right. That is funny.”

  “Glad you think so,” Maddie grumbled.

  “Tell her the part about mommies and daddies snuggling without their clothes,” Daisy said, losing it all over again.

  Linda joined in the laughter, clearly enjoying Maddie’s dismay.

  “Mac caught us once when he was about Thomas’s age,” Linda said. “We were on the sofa getting busy, and then there he was. I let out an ungodly scream that scared the heck out of him and my husband.”

  “He didn’t mention it last night, so I don’t think he remembers.”

  “Let’s not remind him,” Linda said.

  Maddie grimaced, which made Daisy laugh some more. “I’d like to forget the whole thing happened, so quit laughing.”

  Daisy dabbed at her tears with the tissue. “Can’t help it.”

  “I’m never drinking champagne again,” Maddie said.

  “Can we get that in writing?” Linda squeezed Maddie’s shoulder affectionately. “I’ve got to run to a hair appointment in town. See you girls later.”

  “Thanks for the laughs,” Daisy said to Maddie when they were alone.

  “Happy to entertain you with my mortification, but that’s not the reason I stopped by.”

  “What’s up?”

  “I wanted to talk to you about David.”

  “What about him?”

  “Even in my tipsy state, I couldn’t help but notice we might’ve interrupted something when we came home last night.”

  “Maybe.”

  “I just hope you’re being careful where he’s concerned. There’re things about him that you should know—”

  Daisy held her hands up to stop her friend from going any further. “I’ve already heard that.”

  “What do you know?”

  “That there’re things he needs to tell me.”

  “And how do you know that?”

  “Because he told me, and I want to hear it from him.”

  “You know that Mac and I are thankful every day for what he did for us when Hailey was born.”

  “Yes, and I know there’re things in his past he’s not proud of. We’re going to talk about that when he gets back on Tuesday.”

  “Where is he?”

  “He had to go to Boston for a couple of days.”

  “What’s he doing there?”

  “He didn’t say, and I didn’t ask. Listen, Maddie, I appreciate you looking out for me. I really do, and I know I’ve given you and all my friends ample reason to worry about me. But I’m okay. And I’m enjoying whatever this is with David.”

  “I want you to be careful. You’ve been through so much, and I’d hate to see you hurt again.”

  Daisy got up and went around the desk to hug her friend. “You’re sweet for being worri
ed about me, but I’m fine and well aware that there are skeletons in his closet that he needs to tell me about.”

  Maddie, who had stood up to hug Daisy, patted her back. “Make sure he tells you soon. It’s something you’re going to want to know.”

  The warning made Daisy’s stomach drop with anxiety. She didn’t want to hear anything about David that would change the way she was beginning to feel about him. But she refused to ignore potential trouble signs. She’d done that too many times in the past, most recently with Truck, and nearly got herself killed. Never again.

  Maddie left to hit the grocery store while Mac was home with the kids, and Daisy went back to work, the warnings from Maddie and Ned weighed on her mind.

  David’s return couldn’t get here soon enough for her.

  * * *

  Janey sat on the exam table, wrapped in a paper robe that barely stretched around her hugely extended belly. Hoping to relax before her appointment, she flipped through a fashion magazine without noticing much of anything. Her focus had been shot to hell as her pregnancy progressed. At times she felt like she was sacrificing all her own brain cells to the baby.

  Joe paced from one end of the small exam room to the other. “How much longer do you think she’ll be?” He glanced at his watch. “I’m on the four o’clock boat.”

  “I know, babe. That’s why I made the appointment for two. You’ve got plenty of time, so stop stressing me out.”

  “Sorry.” He landed in a chair but tapped his fingers relentlessly on the countertop next to the sink.

  Janey looked at him, then at his fingers.

  “Sorry,” he muttered as he folded his arms. He lasted four whole minutes before he was up and pacing again.

  Janey gave up on the magazine and tried to find a comfortable position on the table. Her back was killing her, as always, and sitting without something to rest against made it worse.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, zeroing in on her. “Does something hurt?”

  “My back. As usual.”

  “You should’ve said something.” He came over to sit behind her, putting his arms around her so she could lean into his chest.

  The relief was immediate and intense. “Much better, and it keeps you from pacing, too.”

  “Sorry, baby. I feel like my nerves are stretched so tight they’re about to snap, and I’m not even the one having the baby.”

  “Joe—”

  “I’m scared every time I leave the island for even a couple of hours that you’re going to need me, and I’m not going to be here. I should have Seamus take me off the schedule—”

  “Joe! Stop! Listen to me. I’ve got eight weeks to go. Everything is fine. You heard what Victoria said at the last appointment—most first babies are late anyway. We’ll move to the house on the mainland in four weeks as we planned, and we’ll be right where we need to be when the baby comes. You have to calm down. You’re making me nuts.”

  She hated that they would miss her cousin Laura’s wedding to Owen Lawry in early August. However, there was no way she’d convince Joe to stay on the island past the end of July with the baby due on August 15, especially considering his phobias about train wreck deliveries. Because he’d been so wound up, she hadn’t even bothered to suggest they come out to the island for the day of the wedding and return to the mainland right after.

  His forehead landed on her shoulder, his breath warm against her back. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make you nuts. It’s just that I can’t stop thinking about the night Hailey was born and how many things could’ve gone wrong. And if David hadn’t been there—”

  She covered the hand he’d placed on her belly with hers. “He was there. Hailey was fine. I’ll be fine and so will our baby. Stop anticipating doom. You’re reminding me too much of Mac right now.”

  “But he was right, and if Maddie had listened to him—”

  Janey squished his lips together to shut him up. “Enough.”

  A knock on the door preceded Victoria into the room. “So sorry to keep you waiting. We’re straight-out crazy busy today, and David is on the mainland, and…and you don’t care where David is.”

  Janey smiled at the chagrined expression on Victoria’s face when she remembered she was speaking to David’s ex-fiancée. “Not to worry, Vic. Ancient history.” As she said the words, she clamped down harder on Joe’s hand to keep him from chiming in on the subject of David. He’d chilled out somewhat since David saved their baby niece’s life, but he’d never be one of Joe’s favorite people.

  “Anyway,” Victoria said, consulting Janey’s chart. “Here we are at thirty-two weeks. We’ll keep seeing you every other week until thirty-six, when we go to every week.”

  “That’s when we’ll be moving to the mainland,” Joe reminded her. “We’re having the baby at Women and Infants in Providence.”

  “That’s right,” Victoria said. “I see that noted on your chart. You’ve been to the childbirth preparation classes there?”

  “We did the one-day class last week,” Janey said. “It’s a beautiful facility.”

  “It sure is.” She pulled on gloves. “Let’s take a look and see how things are going.”

  Janey didn’t think she’d ever get used to putting her feet in the stirrups while her husband was in the room, but Maddie had told her to prepare for many more indignities before it was over. She startled from the cold lube on Victoria’s fingers and held back the urge to pee from the pressure of the internal exam.

  Victoria was always very thorough and today was no exception. “I’m not feeling the baby’s head descending, so I’d like to take a quick ultrasound while I’ve got you.”

  “Is that unusual?” Joe asked, immediately tense.

  “Not entirely, but we like to see the baby starting to move into birth position at this point. He or she might be a little behind schedule, but I’d like to take a look just to be sure.” She removed Janey’s feet from the stirrups and put the table extender back in place. “Be right back.”

  “What does that mean?” Joe asked the second she closed the door.

  “You’re chilling out, remember?”

  He grunted out a reply, but his face was a study in tension.

  “Let’s talk about something besides the baby.”

  “Like what?”

  “I talked to your mother this morning. She’s going crazy cleaning and cooking and getting ready for Seamus’s mother to get here. I offered to help her, but she won’t let me do a thing.”

  “You’re damned right you’re not doing a thing.”

  “Joseph… You and I are going to have our first major marital blowout if you don’t calm the hell down.”

  “I am calm! This is me being calm!”

  She narrowed her eyes and gave him her best pissed-off look as Victoria wheeled in the ultrasound machine, arranged a sheet over her lap and raised her gown to expose her belly. “Try to breathe normally and stay very still.”

  It took a few minutes of positioning the wand before the baby’s image appeared on the screen.

  Joe gasped and squeezed Janey’s hand. “Oh, there he is! Wow, look at that.”

  The wonder she heard in his tone almost made up for the crazy way he’d been behaving the last few weeks. “I thought you’d decided he was a she.”

  “He, she, I don’t care either way.”

  “Just as I suspected,” Victoria said, studying the screen. “The baby is in breech position, which isn’t dangerous or anything, but he—or she—is going to have to turn around before delivery, or we’re looking at a C-section.” She pointed to the screen. “See the feet, there?”

  “Uh-huh.” Fascinated by the crystal-clear view of her baby’s toes, Janey wasn’t seeing much of anything else.

  “They should be up here by now. Everything else looks really good, though. You’re sure you don’t want to know what you’re having?”

  “We’re sure,” Janey said, answering for both of them before Joe could change his mind.

&n
bsp; Victoria wiped the gel off Janey’s belly and helped her to sit up. “We’ll keep an eye on it and make some delivery decisions when you get closer to thirty-six weeks. In the meantime, I’d like to see you next week for another check of your blood pressure. It was a tiny bit elevated today, so we’ll need to monitor that, too. You’re not working anymore, are you?”

  “No, my last day was Friday. Joe wanted me to relax for a few weeks before the baby gets here, and I’ve been so tired he didn’t have to twist my arm.” Doc and the staff at the vet clinic had thrown a shower for her and invited many of their patients, which Janey had loved.

  “Good. Take it easy, stay off your feet, no stress. Relax. That’s your job now, Mom. Dad, your job is to make sure she does nothing too strenuous and keeps the stress to a minimum. Here’s your chance to earn some major points.”

  “Hear that?” Janey said to her husband. “Keep the stress to a minimum.”

  He scowled at her. “I heard it.”

  “Hang in there, Janey.” Victoria patted Janey’s arm. “You’re in the home stretch.”

  Stretch seemed to be the key word, and she wondered at times how much more her skin could expand without bursting open. How her mother had ever done this five times was beyond her. This baby would be lucky to get a sibling, let alone four of them.

  As Joe helped her into her tent of a sundress, Janey acknowledged to herself what she hadn’t shared with anyone else, even Joe. She hated being pregnant. She hated feeling fat and bloated and swollen and achy all over. She hated not being able to work or have sex comfortably or even hug her husband without the big old belly getting in the way. The baby couldn’t get here soon enough for her.

  When she was dressed, Joe lifted her right off the exam table, like she didn’t weigh an absolute ton, and deposited her gently onto her feet, giving her a minute to gain her bearings. Her balance, like everything else, was out of whack.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I think so.”

  “Do you want to sit for a minute?”

  “No, let’s go so you can get to work.”

  Janey waddled through the clinic, thankful there was no chance of running into her ex-fiancé when she looked like a beached whale. Not that she cared what he thought of her, but still. A big reason why they’d planned the delivery for the mainland was because neither of them wanted David involved, not that they’d ever spoken of that subject. It was understood.