Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 1-16

by Force, Marie

  Releasing a deep breath, she headed for bed, where she lay awake for a long time, reliving the best date she’d been on in years and wondering what would happen next.

  She couldn’t wait to find out.

  After leaving Mallory’s house, Quinn drove toward New Harbor and found a parking place along the seawall that led to McCarthy’s Marina. He locked his truck and went down to the town dock, where he’d left his dinghy earlier.

  When Quinn accepted the job at the healthcare facility, Jared had offered him the caretaker’s suite at the Chesterfield, another property his brother and Lizzie owned on the island. The suite had worked out well for the winter and early spring months, but he’d wanted something different for the summer.

  He’d perused for-sale ads for months before finding a thirty-six-foot sailboat for sale that met all his requirements. Not only was it in great condition, but the interior made for a comfortable place to call home for the summer.

  He started the outboard motor and directed the rubber boat toward the mooring field where his boat was located. He’d been lucky to secure a mooring for the summer and loved living on the boat. It took about ten minutes to motor from the shore to the boat. Taking the bowline with him, he climbed aboard the sailboat and secured the dinghy with a loose knot.

  Onboard, he unlocked the padlock on the cabin door, and Brutus came barreling out to meet him, licking his face with unbridled love and enthusiasm. Getting the dog was the best thing he’d done for himself since he got hurt. The “puppy” was now fifty pounds of true love, and Quinn adored him. “Let’s go for a walk, bud.”

  Used to their routine by now, Brutus leaped into the dinghy and waited for Quinn to join him. Getting into the smaller boat could still be a challenge for him with the prosthetic, so he moved cautiously, aware that if he had any sort of accident out here in the dark, he’d be in a world of trouble by himself.

  Once settled in the boat with Brutus propped up on the bow like a hood ornament, Quinn restarted the engine and motored back to the shore, where he and Brutus took a short walk so the dog could take care of business. He loved that Brutus stayed right with him and didn’t have to be on a leash for these outings. Quinn picked up the poop and dropped it in a trashcan at the beach before they set off to return to the boat.

  When they arrived, Brutus scampered off the dinghy back onto the bigger boat like he’d been doing it for years rather than weeks. Quinn was relieved that Brutus had taken to life on the boat so effortlessly. He went below to grab a bottle of water that he brought back onto the deck with him, stretching out on one of the padded seats to look up at the stars. In all his life, he’d never seen stars quite like those that appeared each night over Gansett’s remote Salt Pond.

  Brutus stretched out next to him on the deck, close enough that Quinn could scratch behind his ears while he looked at the stars.

  He wondered if Mallory liked to sail and what she’d think of the boat he called home or whether she’d like to see his view of the stars. He’d meant what he told her about this being one of the best nights he’d had in longer than he could remember.

  Even though he’d fully expected to enjoy himself, he hadn’t anticipated the sort of connection he’d had with her. He hadn’t told anyone about losing his leg, but somehow the story had spilled out to her without any hesitation whatsoever. He knew instinctively that he could trust her to keep his secrets private, especially because she too was a trained medical professional accustomed to maintaining patient privacy. Similarly, he suspected she didn’t easily share the story of how she’d lost her husband so tragically, yet she’d told him.

  And when he’d kissed her… He’d been attracted to her intelligence and competence the first time they met at the accident scene. He’d been impressed by her compassion toward other members at their AA meetings, and he thought she was flat-out gorgeous. In fact, he’d had to remind himself more than once that it was creepy to stare when he sat across from her at meetings.

  Now that he knew what it was like to kiss her, he couldn’t wait to do it again.

  Neither of them were kids. They’d both taken their share of knocks in life and were a long way from wide-eyed innocence. Yet the time he’d spent with her filled him with the kind of optimism he hadn’t felt since long before he was injured. Back then, he’d been invincible. Nothing could touch him. He could handle anything that came his way and had saved countless lives under terrible conditions.

  Everything changed for him in a single second. A flash of light, a blast of heat and pain so unbearable he’d lost consciousness. When he came to and discovered the extent of his injury, he knew right then and there that nothing would ever be the same. He’d been knocked off his king-of-the-world throne and had descended into depths of despair he’d never known possible as he fought to save what was left of his leg.

  The infection had won the war, forcing him to decide between his leg and his life. In a way, it had worked out for the best, because he never would’ve conceded to amputation if it hadn’t come down to such a dire choice. His stubbornness would’ve led to permanent disability rather than the slight limp he lived with now that he had the prosthetic.

  After the surgery, the worst part of the recovery had been the phantom pain he’d experienced in the missing limb. When patients had complained of that in the past, he’d wondered if it was psychosomatic, but now he knew better. He was a better doctor for having survived his ordeal, but he’d lost his taste for trauma surgery and the never-ending life-and-death battles that went along with it.

  Jared and Lizzie’s offer had come at the right time, two years after his own surgery and grueling rehab in which he’d learned how to walk with the prosthetic. He’d begun to think about his next move when Jared called with Lizzie’s big idea for him to run their healthcare facility on Gansett Island.

  He couldn’t say yet if this was a permanent move or even a “career” he wished to pursue long-term. For now, he’d committed to staying long enough to get the facility up and running. He’d wanted to keep his options open, and Lizzie had wanted him badly enough for the job that she’d been willing to agree to conditional employment.

  So for now, he was happily settled on his spacious, comfortable boat with his beloved dog, the incredible views of the pond and the stars and the bustling activity on the waterfront. The day he met Mallory had been one of his first attempts at running on the prosthetic, and he’d since become much more comfortable and was adding to his mileage with each passing week. He was giving himself another month or so before he started taking Brutus with him.

  His life was back under control, for the most part, which made tonight’s events that much more intriguing. Now that he had the rest of his crap sorted, for the time being anyway, perhaps there was room for something more. With he and Mallory both in this weird state of transition, maybe this was the worst possible time to be thinking such thoughts. But after the delightful evening they’d spent together, she seemed to be all he could think about.

  “I don’t know about that guy,” Mac said to Maddie as he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it toward the hamper, missing by a foot.

  She bent to retrieve it and threw it back to him. “Try again, Ace.”

  Mac balled up the shirt and made a perfect shot. “Swish.”

  “What guy are you talking about?”

  “The one Mallory was with.”

  “Quinn James?”

  “Yeah, him. What do we know about him anyway?”

  “We know he’s Jared’s brother, and that Jared is a good guy who’s done a lot for our community since he moved here.”

  “That doesn’t mean his brother is a good guy.”

  “He’s a veteran.”

  “And I appreciate his service, but even that doesn’t mean he’s good for my sister.”

  “You’ve worked with him for months. You know him by now.”

  “That’s the thing. I don’t feel like I know him any better now than I did at the beginning.”
/>   “Mallory seems to like him. That ought to count for something.”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  Maddie washed the makeup off her face and put toothpaste on her toothbrush. “Mac… What’re you not saying?”

  “Nothing.” He couldn’t say why, exactly, he wasn’t sure about Mallory seeing Quinn, but he vowed to keep a closer eye on the guy now that he knew his sister was interested. “I’m going to check on the kids.”

  “Do not, under any circumstances, do anything to wake them up, or I will kill you, and I’ll make it hurt.”

  “Yes, dear,” he said with a chuckle. God, he loved her even when she was threatening to kill him. After even a couple of hours away from them, he needed to lay eyes on his babies, even though Maddie had already checked on them.

  He went first into Thomas’s room where his soon-to-be-five-year-old son was sleeping with his arms thrown over his head and his covers kicked off. Mac covered him and kissed his forehead. “Love you, buddy,” he whispered. The sleeping child never stirred.

  In Hailey’s room, he found his daughter sleeping with her bum in the air, per usual, and fixed the blanket that had become tangled around her tiny body. He kissed his fingertips and reached over the crib rails to sweep sweaty blonde hair off her forehead.

  As his fingers coasted over her skin, her eyes popped open.

  Mac bit his lip to keep from gasping and stayed perfectly still, hoping she didn’t see him there. If she did, she’d want to get up to play with Dada, and Maddie would, in fact, kill him.

  Thankfully, she let out a deep sigh, and her eyes closed once again.

  Mac crept from the room, thanking his lucky stars that she hadn’t woken up. When he returned to their room, Maddie was already in bed and rubbing lotion into her arms. Something about that nightly ritual was so incredibly sexy to him. “Everyone is good.”

  “Which I already knew and so did you, because I checked on them and told you they were fine.”

  “I can’t help that I need to see them with my own eyes.”

  “You’re a very good daddy.” She held out a hand to him. “Now come over here and give Mommy some love.”

  Mac didn’t have to be told twice. He crawled up the bed and came down right next to her. “How’s my other baby?” he asked, placing his hand over the prominent bump in her abdomen.

  “Jumping around like a fool. I fear this one is going to take after his daddy.”

  “He should be so lucky.”

  Mac pushed up her nightgown to kiss the baby bump and was rewarded with a solid kick to the face that made them laugh.

  “See what I mean? He’s going to be a holy terror like you.”

  “Aww, I love when you’re so sweet to me.”

  Smiling, she combed her fingers through his hair as he continued to kiss her belly.

  “He’s so strong,” Mac said, marveling at the waves of movement under her skin. “Hailey wasn’t this active.”

  She met his gaze, her golden eyes conveying the depth of her love for him. “He’s very strong, but I’m still scared.”

  “I know. I am, too. I won’t feel like we’re out of the woods until he’s actually here. I think about Connor all the time and what he’d be doing by now and which one of us he’d look like.” Mac knew that the baby they’d lost last year was never far from her mind either.

  “Remember what your dad told you when we lost him?”

  “He told me a lot of things.”

  “When the same thing happened to them, they grieved so deeply, but then they had you and realized that if the first baby had lived, they never would’ve had you, and they couldn’t imagine life without you.”

  “Yeah, he did say that.”

  “The same will be true for us.” She rested her hand on the baby bump. “Whoever this person is will soon be one of the three most important people in the world to us. He won’t make us miss Connor any less than we do, but maybe it won’t hurt quite so much once he’s here.”

  “Maybe so. Are we in agreement on his name?”

  “We don’t even know for sure that he is a he.”

  “I don’t know why that I’m so sure he’s a boy.”

  “Will you be disappointed if he’s a she?” Maddie asked.

  “Hell no. Another Hailey to worship at the altar of Daddy when no one else will? I’d be totally fine with that.”

  “You’re pathetic. You realize that, right?”

  “You tell me that so often, how could I not know?”

  Maddie laughed at the face he made at her. “Good thing I love you no matter how pathetic you are.”

  He urged her to come closer to him, arranging her so they faced each other. “That’s a very good thing, seeing as how I couldn’t live without you.” Running his fingers through her hair, he gazed at her adorable face. “Now what am I going to do about my sister and this doctor guy no one knows anything about?”

  “Nothing. You’re going to do absolutely nothing. Your sister is thirty-nine years old and certainly knows how to take care of herself by now.”

  “That doesn’t mean she should have to. She has a family now. Brothers who want to look out for her.”

  Maddie raised a brow that signaled her intention to call him on his bullshit. “Brothers? Plural? Or just one?”

  “I’m sure Grant and Adam felt the same way I did tonight, and Evan would have if he’d been there.”

  “You’re sure about this, are you?”

  “Pretty sure.”

  “Mac, you really can’t go there. Please tell me you know this.”

  He diverted his gaze. “If you say so.”

  “Mac…”

  “I hear you.”

  “I know you care about her, and I love you for that. I’m sure she would, too. But trust me when I tell you she would not welcome your interference in her personal life. I hate to say this, but she’s not Janey. She didn’t grow up having to put up with you and your brothers. You’re all still new to her.”

  “There’s something about that guy. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something. He’s so secretive.”

  “There’s a difference between being secretive and being private. Not everyone feels the need to share their every thought the way you do.”

  “I don’t do that.”

  Her damned brow challenged that statement, too. “If there’s something to be concerned about, she’ll figure that out on her own. Tell me you know that.”

  “Yes, I get it. I hear you. I’ll behave.”

  She gave him her wary look that let him know she didn’t entirely believe him. “Tread carefully, Mac. She’s still figuring out her place in this family, and she seemed really happy tonight.”

  “I know. I saw that, too.”

  “Do I need to come up with other ways to keep you occupied so you resist the urge to meddle in your sister’s life?”

  “What other ways do you have in mind?”

  Rising to one elbow, she leaned in to kiss him. “Something like that. And maybe some of this.” She ran her tongue over his bottom lip.

  “I like this topic so much better than the last one.”

  Maddie laughed, as he’d known she would. He loved to hear her laugh and to make her laugh. “I figured you would.”

  “But I hate that all we can do is kiss.” Out of an abundance of caution, they’d agreed to forgo having sex until after the baby arrived. Victoria had told them it was perfectly safe, but they were taking absolutely no chances.

  “Only a few more months. We can do it.”

  “I may expire from wanting you too much.”

  “Please don’t do that. I need you to help me raise these three children of ours.”

  “I’m not going anywhere except wherever you are, but I’m not going to forget that you bet against me tonight.”

  As Maddie laughed, he worked his leg between hers and kissed her again, letting every other thought and worry fade away as he lost himself in her.

  Chapter 11

  Mallo
ry told herself that the timing of her run the next morning had nothing at all to do with the time she’d previously met up with Quinn on a run. As she pounded the pavement on the way toward the island’s northernmost point, she tried to pretend she wasn’t looking for him around every bend in the road.

  The gorgeous late-spring day was the sort that gave Rhode Islanders hope that summer might actually show up after weeks of teasing. Everything was in bloom. The warm sun beat down upon her from a cloudless sky, and the breeze off the water was warm rather than chilly for the first time.

  Sunday was the only day their AA group didn’t meet, because Nina went to the mainland to see her grandchildren. Group members were encouraged to reach out to each other if needed. It was nice to have a full day free from any commitments. Mallory knew those days would be few and far between once she started working for Mason and the summer season kicked into high gear on the island.

  Her efforts were rewarded ten minutes later when she saw Quinn coming from the opposite direction. She noticed the slight limp and marveled that he could run as well and as fast as he did with a prosthesis.

  He slowed to a stop, a smile unfolding across his face.

  Mallory had to remind herself to breathe. She’d been attracted to good-looking men before. Hell, she’d been married to one, but never before had the sight of a man made her go stupid in the head like she did around Quinn.

  “Fancy meeting you all the way out here.”

  She knew she was required to say something, but she was still working on that breathing thing, so she nodded.

  “Winded?”

  “Little bit.”

  “Mind if I join you?”

  “I was just about to head back.”

  “That’s fine with me.”

  “Okay, then.”

  They set off toward town at a slower pace than they’d been keeping on their own.

  “Tell me the truth,” he said after a long silence. “Did you run out there hoping to see me?”

  “No,” she said, snorting with indignation.

  “That’s too bad, because I ran that way hoping to find you.”