Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 1-16

by Force, Marie

  He’d put that version of himself so far in the past that he no longer bore any resemblance, except physically, of course, to that guy. Mallory made him want to be the best version of himself, and he was determined to be that for her, which meant taking it slower than he ever had before with a woman.

  He had many good reasons to take his time with her. One, she wasn’t sure if she’d be staying after the summer, and he was committed to being here for at least the next couple of years. Two, he hadn’t been intimate with anyone since he lost his leg. And three, he refused to fall into old habits of letting his dick do the thinking for the rest of him.

  So while his dick was very, very interested in the amazing, sexy Mallory Vaughn, the rest of him needed to take a pause and not let things get out of control the way they had earlier, until he was sure he was ready to take the next step—and that she was, too. Underneath her enthusiastic response to him, he’d sensed her reticence, even if her actions had indicated interest.

  They both had a lot on the line and carried deep scars they didn’t need to make worse with a summer fling gone wrong.

  He’d taken his shirt off because he was hot, but now he recognized his error in the hungry way she studied his bare chest. Her hungry stare had his dick standing up to take notice of her. Stand down, he ordered his wayward appendage, grimacing when said appendage told him to fuck off and surged to full mast. Naturally, she noticed that, too.

  Sighing, Quinn sat next to her in the cockpit.

  She drew her legs up and wrapped her arms around them, the protective pose not lost on him.

  “Speak to me,” he said, nudging her with his shoulder.

  After a long silence, she said, “That got kind of intense before.”

  “Good word for it.”

  “I’m not sure that’s the best idea.”

  Quinn wanted to say it had felt like a pretty damned good idea to him, but he didn’t. “How come?” He had his reasons for taking a step back, but he wanted to hear hers.

  “I’m in this really weird place right now with so many things up in the air, and getting serious with someone is the last thing I ought to be doing until I figure out the other stuff.”

  “So let’s slow it down.”

  “Define ‘slow it down.’”

  “We hang out without tearing each other’s clothes off every chance we get. For now, anyway.”

  Mallory laughed at his blunt statement. Her infectious laughter made him smile. With her face resting on her folded arms, she looked over at him. She could’ve passed for twenty-something in that position, and he found himself incredibly drawn to her. “And you’d be okay with that?”

  “Sure, I would. I’d be okay with anything that gets me more time with you, even if it’s hands-off platonic time.”

  “I feel like I’m being hot and cold with you, and that’s not my intention.”

  “I know that.” He reached for her hand and linked their fingers. “So what do you want to do now?”

  “Can we maybe sail some more? That’s really fun, especially when you help me stay on course.”

  Quinn smiled at her. “Sure, we can do that.”

  Quinn dropped her off at home around five o’clock, leaving her with a platonic kiss on the cheek and a promise to “hit her up” later. The sailing had been spectacular, as had the company. They’d settled into fun, flirty banter for the remainder of the afternoon, and Mallory had been relieved that they were on the same page with taking it slow.

  She’d loved her first time on a sailboat. Quinn had been a patient teacher as he showed her the secret to keeping the boat on an even keel. If only it was as simple as a small correction here or there to keep the rest of her life on an even keel. Mallory had been “heeling” hard since her mother died, with her orderly life tipped upside down by the discovery of her father and his family. She’d only begun to right the ship when she lost her job and her footing once again.

  Now that she was settled into her little cottage on the island for the summer, she could begin to make the subtle adjustments that would put things back where they belonged.

  Here she was at nearly forty, trying to reinvent herself once again. The last time she’d been forced to reinvent herself and her life, she’d been shattered by grief that she’d tried to numb with alcohol. This time, she was facing reinvention stone-cold sober and eyes wide open to the many possibilities. Those possibilities certainly included Quinn, but she would proceed with caution with him.

  As she showered, she thought about how easy it would be to say to hell with caution and dive headfirst into what was sure to be a thrilling… something… with him. An affair? A relationship? A summer sex fest? Twenty years ago, she wouldn’t have had a second thought about jumping into whatever it turned out to be. Now she knew the pain of heartbreaking loss all too well and was wise enough to protect herself from ever having to feel that pain again.

  Mallory dried her hair and took note of the slight windburn that colored her cheeks and nose. She dressed in jeans and a sweater and grabbed the brownies she’d baked earlier before heading out to Janey and Joe’s house for the welcome-home dinner for Evan and Grace. She was also looking forward to spending more time with Grant, Stephanie, Dan and Kara, all of whom had spent the winter in Los Angeles, but were home now for the summer.

  After just a couple of days here, it was already apparent that her personal life on Gansett was going to be much busier than life in Providence had ever been. Every night, or so it seemed, there was something going on in her family and their group of friends. That was fine with her. The more she got to see of her siblings, their families, her cousins, uncles and, of course, Big Mac and Linda, the happier she was.

  Every time she was with them, she learned something new about her family, whether a funny old story from when her siblings were growing up, or something Big Mac and his brothers had done when they were young men. She added each new detail to her growing list of information about them. Sometimes she still felt like a voyeur who didn’t actually belong among them. But that was her hang-up, not theirs. They’d never been anything other than completely welcoming to her.

  On one of her earlier visits, she’d made a point of figuring out where everyone lived. Janey and Joe’s house was located less than a mile from Mac and Maddie’s. The Cantrells’ big contemporary home was lit up with interior and exterior lights. Cars, pickup trucks and a random motorcycle that she recognized as Evan’s were parked outside the house.

  Mallory gathered her jacket, purse and the plate of brownies and went up the walkway to the front door. She wasn’t sure if she should knock or let herself in, but after having witnessed the way the others walked right into each other’s homes, she twisted the knob and stepped into chaos.

  Though she was used to the McCarthy family volume by now, it still came as a surprise to someone who was raised without siblings or cousins. Life with her mom had been like being raised in a church compared to what it was like to be with the McCarthys.

  “Mallory,” Janey called, “you made it. Come in!”

  She hung her coat and purse on one of the hooks in the entryway and headed for the kitchen, which was where all the noise was coming from. In addition to their immediate family, Ned and Francine Saunders were there, as were Luke Harris and his pregnant wife, Sydney, who was seated on a chaise in Janey’s family room, and Grant’s lawyer friend Dan Torrington and his fiancée, Kara Ballard. Joe’s mom, Carolina, her husband, Seamus, and their boys Jackson and Kyle, came in shortly after Mallory arrived.

  Big Mac intercepted Mallory after she said hello to everyone. “Good to see you back on dry land,” he said with a kiss to her cheek.

  “Did you get my text that we were back?”

  “I got it, and thank you for that.” His brows furrowed. “You were out there a long time.”

  “Oh, um, were you keeping tabs on me?” she asked, secretly pleased by his obvious concern.

  He looked at her with an “are you crazy?” expression on his fa
ce. “Of course I was.”

  “Well, I’m fine, and we had a great time.”

  “You liked sailing, then?”

  “I loved it. Quinn said I had a good feel for the boat, whatever that means.”

  “That’s high praise from someone who knows what he’s doing.”

  “You aren’t harassing Mallory, are you, dear?” Linda asked when she joined them.

  “I am not ‘harassing’ her,” he said with a wink for Mallory. “I’m simply inquiring as to how her day on the water was.”

  “You had fun?” Linda asked.

  “I did.”

  “What’s going on with that doctor fellow?” Big Mac asked.

  “Mac!” Linda said. “Leave her alone.”

  “I’m her father. I can ask her what’s going on.” To Mallory, he said, “Can’t I?”

  Hearing him say that, even after all this time, was like being a kid on Christmas. “You can certainly ask, and I can certainly decline to reply.”

  Linda laughed while he scowled playfully. “She’s got you figured out, my love.”

  “What do we know about this guy anyway?” he asked, brows furrowed.

  Amused by his paternal bluster and moved by his protectiveness, she said, “We know that he served his country, moving from enlisted to trauma surgeon in the army, for twenty-one years before retiring due to injury. We know he’s one of five kids, his brother is the billionaire Jared James, and he’s been hired to be the medical director of the new long-term healthcare facility here on the island. The next time I see him, I’d be happy to ask if I can reserve a room for you for when you need it.”

  “When I need it,” he said with an indignant huff while Linda laughed again. “That’ll be the day.” He eyed her shrewdly. “He treats you nicely?”

  Mallory’s mind went immediately to the V-berth and the memory of his hand inside her panties. She was sure that her face had to be bright red. Thank goodness for windburn. “Yes,” she said, swallowing hard, “he treats me very nicely. He’s a good guy. You don’t have to worry.”

  “Clearly she has no idea what it’s like to be the father of daughters,” he said to his wife.

  For the second time, Mallory spontaneously kissed his cheek. “This daughter loves having a father who cares about who she’s dating.”

  “You say that now,” Janey commented when she joined them. “Wait till he crashes your date because you missed your curfew.”

  Mallory knew the smallest pang of regret that she would never have such an experience with him. “He did not do that.”

  “You know he did! It was when I first started dating David, and we were standing outside the gate at home when he came out and started talking about his gun collection—”

  “He has guns?”

  “No,” Janey said, scoffing. “What he has is a big mouth and a vivid imagination.”

  Mallory bit her lip to keep from dissolving into laughter she knew her father wouldn’t appreciate.

  “First of all,” Big Mac said sternly, “you were fifteen years old and thirty minutes late getting home. Second of all, you were not just standing outside the gate. You were swapping spit with that boy, and he’s lucky I didn’t kill him for daring to put his filthy hands on my Princess.”

  Janey rolled her eyes at Mallory. “You see what I had to put up with?”

  “I do, and I feel your pain.” She wished she could’ve experienced the same things Janey had with him and tried to tell herself that it was enough that he was flexing his paternal muscles now. But it would never be enough, and once again, the resentment toward her mother flared up inside her in the form of a sharp pain in her chest.

  “How about a drink?” Janey said. “You probably need it after putting up with him.”

  “Him is in the room, and he can hear you maligning him, Princess.”

  “I’m very sorry, Daddy.”

  “You are not.”

  Linda patted his chest. “Don’t pout, babe.”

  “What’s Dad pouting about now?” Evan asked when he came over to give Mallory a hug. “Good to see you.”

  “You, too. Welcome home.”

  “He’s mad because his daughters are calling him out on his BS,” Linda said.

  “Oh, I love when that happens,” Evan said, rubbing his hands together.

  “And here I actually missed you while you were gone,” Big Mac said, drawing a huge smile from his youngest son.

  “Good to be home?” Mallory asked her brother.

  “So good. If I never see another hotel room, that’ll be just fine.”

  “Don’t listen to him,” Grace said as she came over to hug Mallory. “Buddy put us up in the finest hotel rooms you’ve ever seen. Our little place here looks like a hovel after all that luxury.”

  “That hovel is our home, love,” Evan reminded her as he put his arm around her.

  “Until we buy that big new house you promised me from all the royalties from my song.” The song “My Amazing Grace” that Evan had written had gone all the way to number one on the country charts, spurring Buddy’s request for Evan to join him on the recently completed tour.

  “Ohhh, when is that happening?” Linda asked.

  “Soon,” Evan said, with a smile for Grace.

  “With lots of bedrooms for my future grandchildren, I hope,” Big Mac said.

  “You know it,” Evan replied. “What’ve you got in inventory, Ned?”

  “Whateva ya want,” Ned replied. “I got something fer everyone.”

  “Nice to have the island’s land baron in the family at times like this,” Grace said.

  “Anything fer you, sweetheart,” Ned said.

  The front door opened, and Adam came in by himself. Mallory hadn’t known him long, but she could see at first glance that something was different about him. Apparently, the others saw it, too.

  “Uh-oh,” Evan said in a low tone. “What’s up with him, and where’s Abby?”

  “I have no idea on either count, but you can bet I’m going to find out,” Linda said.

  Chapter 15

  The others greeted Adam, asked for Abby, who was not feeling well, and worked together to get dinner laid out for the masses.

  Mallory was never quite sure how they made it look so simple to feed so many people. Everyone contributed, and they ended up with a delicious feast every time. Joe had grilled steak, and there were potatoes, salad, garlic bread, pasta salad and baked beans. The sea air had given her an appetite, and everything looked good to her.

  Dan and Kara entertained them with stories about their ongoing efforts to keep her mother from taking over their wedding.

  “She’s furious that we’re having a clam bake for the meal,” Kara said.

  “How come?” Maddie asked. “That sounds yummy.”

  “She wants filet mignon and foie gras and other stuff I can’t pronounce,” Kara said. “We want casual and fun and low-key. She wants highfalutin, high style and high stress. She’s driving me crazy! Oh, and the kicker? She thinks it’s rude that I didn’t invite my sister Kelly, you know the one that stole my boyfriend who’s now her husband?”

  “Um, point of order, babe,” Dan said. “He’s your ex-boyfriend.”

  Kara laughed along with everyone else. “Make that my ex-boyfriend.”

  “Much better,” Dan said, patting her leg.

  “So what do you do about that?” Janey asked. “If you don’t want her there, you shouldn’t have to invite her.”

  “That’s what I say,” Kara replied. “But she goes on about how Kelly is my sister, and it’s time for bygones, yada, yada.”

  “Sorry,” Sydney said, “but the bitch stole your man. Er, um, your ex-man. She doesn’t get to come to the wedding, sister or not.”

  Everyone agreed with Sydney.

  “You see why I choose to be part of this family rather than the one I was born into?” Kara asked.

  “And we’re damned happy to have you,” Stephanie said.

  Mac ended up seate
d next to Mallory at the large picnic table on Janey and Joe’s back deck. He had his daughter Hailey on his lap and was sharing his dinner with her.

  Mallory noticed how he cut tiny bites of steak for the little girl and kept a careful watch over her to make sure she was taking one bite at a time. Hailey’s wispy blonde hair fluttered in the light breeze, forming a halo around her sweet face.

  “She’s a hungry girl,” Mallory said.

  “She’s growing. At least that’s what Maddie says. She’s hungry all the time lately.” He glanced at Mallory. “Dad said you went sailing with Quinn James today.”

  News traveled fast on Gansett, especially within the McCarthy family. “Yep.”

  “How was that?”

  “Fun.”

  “So you like him?”

  “You could say that.”

  “Does that mean you’re officially seeing him?”

  “I wouldn’t call it that.” Not yet anyway… Mallory put down her fork and looked over at him. “What do you really want to ask me?”

  “I don’t know, exactly. There’s something about him that makes me think he has secrets. He’s closed off. Remote.”

  Mallory suspected she already knew most of Quinn’s deep dark secrets, and since he’d been forthcoming about what he’d already told her, she had no reason to believe he wouldn’t be about other stuff, too. “Just because someone isn’t an open book like you are doesn’t mean they’re a bad person.”

  “I know. It’s just that I’ve worked with him for months, and I don’t feel like I know him any better than I did on day one. That gives me pause.”

  And it gave Mallory further insight into how someone who was usually very reserved had shared an awful lot with her on their two dates.

  “Just be careful, okay?”

  “Are you playing the part of the big brother, little brother?”

  “Nah. Maddie told me to stay out of it, but I needed to say something to you.”

  “I appreciate your concern. I really do. I’ve never had brothers to look out for me before.”