Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 1-16

by Force, Marie

  Grace took a deep breath, battling the emotions stirred by Linda’s generosity. She had fallen in love with Evan’s family almost as quickly as she’d fallen for him, and knowing they would be part of her life forever made this amazing day that much sweeter. In her opinion, she’d done a rather admirable job of forgetting her own parents weren’t there. She’d enjoyed the time with her brothers, Evan’s family and their wonderful friends. It wasn’t just enough. It was more than enough.

  After a quick knock, the door opened, and in came Grace’s tribe of bridesmaids—Abby, Stephanie, Janey, Maddie, Laura and Tiffany, along with Ashleigh, who was their flower girl. Each of them wore dresses made from the same floral material, but all in different styles that they’d chosen for themselves.

  Not only had meeting Evan led to her first real boyfriend, it had also led to deep and meaningful friendships with the most incredible group of women who would serve as her attendants.

  “You look amazing,” Tiffany said, giving Grace a critical once-over. “I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  “That’s high praise from the empress of style,” Maddie said, “and I completely agree with my sister. You’re beautiful.”

  “Thank you,” Grace said, blinking back tears as she brought them in for a group hug. “Thank you all so much for being the best friends I’ve ever had.”

  * * *

  Evan had expected to be nervous, but he was too excited to be nervous. Today he got to marry his amazing Grace, and he couldn’t wait to make it official. They’d been counting down to this date, the eighteenth of January, for what felt like forever.

  And now that the day was finally upon them, Evan wanted to push the clock ahead an hour so he could see her. Because she was superstitious, they’d spent the night apart, and he hadn’t yet seen her today. He was losing his mind waiting for the magical sunset hour they’d chosen for their wedding. They should’ve done it at sunrise so he wouldn’t have had to spend most of the day without her.

  “Are you with me?” Owen asked from his perch on the stool next to Evan’s.

  “Oh, yeah, sorry.”

  Owen laughed in his face. “You’re a mess.”

  “I’m anxious to get on with it.”

  Owen looked over his shoulder to see the sun heading toward the horizon in a fiery ball that gilded the surface of the crystal-blue water. “Won’t be long now, and from the looks of things, it’ll be worth the wait.”

  “Means a lot to me that you’re here, and singing with me, and everything.”

  “I’d be so bummed if I were at home missing it.”

  “Does that mean you’ve come around to enjoying the getaway with your wife?”

  “Well, except for the part where she’s giving me the deep freeze thanks to your stupid brother and his big ideas.”

  Evan tossed his head back and laughed. “I’ve got the most pissed-off and horny group of groomsmen.”

  “I’m never listening to Mac again. Ever.”

  Still laughing, Evan said, “Let’s go through it one more time.”

  Playing ukuleles, they went over their rendition of Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s “Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” medley, singing in perfect harmony, as always. They’d practiced as often as they could over the last few days, and exchanged smiles as it came together just the way Evan had envisioned. Grace had left the music to his discretion. He wanted it to be special for her, and having Owen there with him made it special for him, too.

  When they finished that, they practiced Evan’s number-one hit song, “My Amazing Grace,” before declaring themselves good to go. The rehearsal had been a formality, something to kill the time. He and Owen could play together in public on a moment’s notice without so much as a minute of rehearsal.

  They stashed their instruments and went to make sure the other guys were getting ready on schedule. On the way to the villa where they were meeting the others, they ran into Big Mac. Evan’s dad wore the same white linen shirt and khaki pants as the guys in the wedding party.

  “Was wondering where you two had gotten off to,” Big Mac said.

  “One last sound check on the beach,” Evan said.

  “Owen, would you mind giving me one minute with my son?” Big Mac asked.

  “Of course not. I’ll see you back at the house.”

  “We’ll be right along,” Big Mac said. “And Owen? It wouldn’t have been the same for Evan without you here.”

  “I’m glad Laura manipulated me into coming,” Owen said with a grin before he left them.

  Evan stood with his dad on the expansive boardwalk that looked out over the water. “You’re not going to make me cry like a little girl or anything, are you?”

  “Would I do that?” Big Mac asked.

  Evan laughed at his indignant reply. “Yeah, you would.”

  “I just wanted the chance to say how happy I am for you and Grace and how proud I am of the man you grew up to be.”

  Sure enough, Evan blinked rapidly. “You know how much your opinion means to all of us.”

  “I’m also proud of you for pursuing the music when it would be less complicated to let go of the dream and take the easy road. You always would’ve wondered what might’ve been if you hadn’t taken this chance, but you should know how much we’ll miss you. We’ll be waiting for you when it’s time to come home.”

  Evan nodded and smiled at his dad. “That’s good to know. I’d hoped you would approve.”

  Big Mac put his arm around Evan’s shoulders. “I approve, and I love you, son. More than you’ll ever know.”

  Evan battled his emotions to find the words he needed. “I’ve always known I was lucky to be born into our family, but after seeing what Grace has been through with hers, I appreciate it so much more than I ever have before. You and Mom are the heart of us, and I hope to be able to give my kids a fraction of what you’ve given me.”

  “And you thought I’d make you cry.”

  Evan hugged him, holding on tight to the man who’d been his true north his entire life.

  “Let’s go get you married, shall we?”

  * * *

  After putting Evan in charge of the music, Grace had been prepared for just about anything, but listening to him and Owen on the ukuleles singing a song he knew she loved, Grace couldn’t contain her smile or the tears that filled her eyes. It was perfect, just the way he’d said it would be.

  They sang that song as their guests were seated and as the wedding party came together in couples, Mac and Maddie, Joe and Janey, Grant and Stephanie, Adam and Abby, Tiffany and Blaine, and Laura as her matron of honor, who’d join Owen as Evan’s best man.

  While waiting to hear if Laura would be able to convince Owen to come to the wedding, Grace had held off on asking anyone else to be her honor attendant. As Laura headed down the sandy path to the spot they’d chosen for their wedding, Grace was so happy everything had worked out and they’d been able to come. Even the location was perfect after being moved from the resort they’d originally chosen in Turks and Caicos, which had been damaged in a storm.

  “Ready, honey?” Big Mac asked, extending his arm to her.

  Grace slid her hand into the crook of his elbow. “Ready.”

  Through highs and lows and ups and downs, through his absences on the tour and everything else they’d been through together, she and Evan had become closer than ever. And as she took Big Mac’s arm and heard Evan switch to a solo version of “My Amazing Grace,” she followed the sound of his voice down the path just as the sun touched the horizon, firing the sky with brilliant colors, the same way Evan had filled her life with magic.

  He locked his gaze on her as he sang the song he’d written for her, and never looked away as she made her way toward him on the arm of his father. When Evan’s voice faltered, Owen picked up the slack, finishing the song while Evan put down his guitar and stepped forward to meet her, hugging his dad as he delivered her to him.

  Grace handed her flowers to Laura as Owen took h
is place next to Evan.

  Grace would never forget the way Evan looked at her when he took her hands and brought them to his lips, kissing the back of each one. “You take my breath away,” he said softly.

  This man, this extraordinarily handsome, sexy, talented, sweet man, was going to be her husband. He’d shown her his heart the first night she met him, and nothing she’d seen since then had altered that unforgettable first impression.

  The resort had provided a celebrant who led them through the recitation of traditional vows and the exchange of rings. Then he turned to the groom. “Evan?”

  Evan smiled down on her and gave her hands a reassuring squeeze. “From the first time I saw you in the crowd at the marina, I couldn’t look away. While I was having a blast playing with Owen, you’d had a rough night. Something drew me to you, and that same thing has been drawing me to you ever since. You are the sweetest, sassiest, sexiest woman I’ve ever known, and I can’t wait to hit the road with you and see where life takes us. I can’t wait to see you pregnant with our babies. I can’t wait for everything with you. Thank you for taking this amazing ride with me. I promise you’ll never be bored.”

  Grace laughed as she cried and tried to collect herself so she could respond.

  Evan released her hands long enough to wipe the tears off her face and then reclaimed her hands.

  “You’ve been my hero since that first night when you came to my rescue at one of the lowest points in my life and showed me that decent men still exist. You took care of me that night, and you’ve been taking care of me ever since. The best thing I ever did in my life was return to the island to reimburse you for the ferry ticket you bought me—money you’ve consistently refused to take from me, I might add. It took me about five minutes to fall head over heels in love with you, your amazing family and your beautiful island. I can’t wait to hit the road with you, to be with you every day, no matter where life may take us, and then return home to the island we both love to raise our family.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I love you so much.”

  Evan leaned his forehead into hers. “I love you just as much.”

  The celebrant declared them husband and wife and told Evan to kiss his bride. But he didn’t need to be told.

  Their friends and family cheered as he kissed her with the same desperate passion he’d shown her from the beginning. As she held on to her gorgeous new husband, Grace didn’t care who might be watching or what they might be thinking. For once, she had everything she’d ever wanted, and Evan by her side for the rest of their lives.

  * * *

  Turn the page to read Light After Dark, Mallory and Quinn’s story!

  Chapter 1

  The slap, slap, slap of running shoes on pavement was the only sound in the otherwise tranquil morning on Gansett Island. No cars, no bikes, no mopeds, no airplanes overhead. Nothing but wide-open road before her as Mallory counted down the miles on her usual circuit around the island.

  Slap, slap, slap. Laid off.

  Escorted from the premises after twelve years.

  Disposed of like yesterday’s hazardous waste.

  Galling.

  Humiliating.

  Infuriating.

  It’d been ten days since Mallory Vaughn, RN, director of emergency nursing, had been given a pink slip. With hindsight, the handwriting had been all over the wall for months, with every management meeting focused on the hospital’s increasingly dire budget situation.

  Naturally, they were cutting the highest-paid employees and in many cases not replacing them at all or with people so new they were still trying to tell the difference between an ass and an elbow. Oh to be a fly on the wall the first time the Emergency Services Department didn’t have enough nurses on duty to cover a shift. She hoped it was utter chaos. That was the least of what the hospital deserved after treating her like a common criminal when she’d given them everything she had for a big chunk of her professional life.

  Thanks a lot for nothing.

  Although, the severance package had been generous, she’d give them that much. They’d given her a year’s salary, a one-time, lump-sum payment for all her accrued sick and vacation time and health insurance coverage for a year. It definitely could’ve been worse, but it would be a very long time, if ever, before she got over being escorted from the building by security as if she were a common criminal rather than a faithful, dedicated employee.

  She understood why they had to do that. Disgruntled employees had been known to leave with a flourish by deleting critical files from computers along with other malicious activities, but did they honestly think she would do something like that? The incident was particularly galling in light of the fact that she’d sacrificed so much for that job, including any semblance of a personal life. Who had time for a personal life while working eighty hours a week, doing a job that needed two people to get it done properly?

  Good luck finding some other schmuck willing to work like a dog.

  More than once since it had happened, Mallory had thought the layoff might turn out to be a blessing. The tight knot of stress in her gut that she’d lived with for years was gone. She woke up now unencumbered, with the whole day ahead of her to do with as she pleased. It’d been years since she’d had a real vacation with no one calling or texting or emailing for answers only she could provide.

  And best of all was unlimited time on the island that had become her second home in the last year, since a letter from her late mother had finally given Mallory the name of her father and told her where to find him.

  Big Mac McCarthy.

  All she had to do was think about him and she smiled. After she’d lived her entire life with a giant question mark where her father should’ve been, Big Mac had more than made up for lost time by wrapping his big, burly arms around her and welcoming her into his life. He and his wife, Linda, had made her feel like a part of their family from the minute they learned she existed.

  Like everyone else who knew the big, jovial, generous, affectionate man who’d fathered her, Mallory was madly in love with him as well as with Linda and their amazing family. Mallory had gone from being completely alone after her mother died to having parents, five siblings, four sisters-in-law, a brother-in-law, two nephews and a niece, as well as uncles and cousins she already adored and the wide circle of friends that came with the McCarthys. Sometimes she still couldn’t believe the twisting turns her life had taken since she lost her mother.

  Over the last year, she’d tried to reconcile and make peace with the secret her mother had kept from her and her father for nearly forty years. She’d run the gamut of emotions from anger over what she’d missed, to sadness for what could’ve been, to elation over her new family.

  Though she knew that raging against her late mother wouldn’t change the past, anger simmered just below the surface of her newfound happiness. Her mom had sacrificed a lot to bring her into the world, including her own parents and siblings, who’d turned their backs on her when she became pregnant out of wedlock.

  Diana had done her best to give Mallory every advantage in life, and the two of them had made a happy family together. But when Mallory thought of what might’ve been with the other half of her family, she simmered with outrage that had no outlet. Mallory had loved her mother and was trying to forgive her for the secrets she’d kept. Forgiveness was a work in progress, as was her hard-won sobriety, which had been tested in the last year.

  Mallory was ashamed to admit that she’d had a few sips of beer and wine here and there while trying to fit in with her new family. Those few sips had her back to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for the first time in many years. The tastes of alcohol she’d allowed herself during a particularly stressful time in her life hadn’t derailed her recovery, but they’d scared her straight into daily meetings.

  Sobriety, she’d learned, was a journey with many destinations. The drinks she’d relied upon when meeting her Gansett Island family had been the first she’d had in more than ten years. When s
he realized what she’d allowed to happen during a particularly stressful and emotional time, she’d been unnerved by how easily she’d put aside all her hard work with almost no thought to the consequences. That couldn’t happen again.

  She was beginning to get tired and thought about turning around to head back to Big Mac and Linda’s house when a motorcycle came flying around the curve behind her, just missing her as it passed in a flash of metal, the roar of an engine and the stink of exhaust.

  Ugh. If that idiot only knew the injuries she’d seen thanks to motorcycles, he’d never go near one again.

  Mallory had turned toward home when a sickening sound of metal scratching against pavement had her reversing course and heading in the direction the sound had come from. Though her legs were tired, she sprinted with everything she had toward the man she saw sprawled in the street, his bike on its side about ten feet from him.

  From the other direction, another jogger came toward them, arriving a second after Mallory squatted next to the man on the road to assess his injuries. Blood poured from an abrasion on his face, and his leg rested at an awkward angle that indicated a possible femur fracture.

  “What’ve we got?” the other runner asked when he stopped next to her.

  Mallory filled him in on what she’d seen so far. “Do you have a phone? I never bring mine when I run.”

  “Yeah, I’ll call it in.” He withdrew a cell phone from the pocket of his running pants and made the call. “I’m at the scene of a motorcycle crash with a single rider unconscious and bleeding from abrasions to the head and bleeding profusely from what appears to be a compound fracture of his femur.” He recited the other details in a methodical way that indicated medical training. Bending low to the ground, he peered at the growing pools of blood under the unconscious man. “Dispatch a chopper. We’re going to need it.” He ended the call and then pulled his T-shirt over his head to make a tourniquet for the man’s leg.