by Marie Force
“I do, and I know why, and I respect that. I’m doing everything I can to move it forward as expeditiously as possible. I would’ve been divorced months ago if it were up to me.”
She slid her arms around him, and they stood there, wrapped up in each other for a long time, until he felt her trembling subside. “She’s very pretty.”
“Who is?” he asked, being intentionally obtuse.
Chelsea poked his ribs, startling a laugh from him. “You know exactly who I mean, and I shouldn’t be surprised that she’s pretty in light of the two very handsome sons she gave birth to.”
“They get their good looks from me.”
Chelsea laughed, and Kevin felt himself relax a little. “Everything will be okay. I don’t want you to worry about anything. I have no desire whatsoever to go back to where I was a year ago. Why would I want to do that when the present is so very, very sweet?”
She looked up at him. “I’ve put so much faith in you that sometimes it scares me when I think about the fact that you’re still married to her.”
“I’m not married to her in any way except legally, and that won’t be for much longer. Your faith in me will be well placed. There is literally no other woman in the world who could have me considering having another child at this point in my life or thinking about getting married again. I love you, Chelsea Rose. Only you.”
“I love you, too. So much. More than I thought I’d ever love anyone.”
Keeping his gaze fixed on hers, he lowered his lips to hers and moaned when her mouth opened and her tongue brushed against his. He lost himself in her sweetness as he pressed his instant arousal against her heated center.
Chelsea broke the kiss, whimpering. “We don’t have time. I have to go to work.”
He kissed her neck. “Call in sick.”
Laughing, she said, “I can’t. It’s too late to get someone to cover me.”
“It’s not fair for you to leave me in this condition.”
“I’ll take care of that after work.”
Kevin sighed and released her. “After we’re married, you won’t have to work anymore. Unless you want to.”
“I’ll still want to. I love my job, and I like having my own money.”
“Maybe you could work a little less.”
She patted his face. “We’ll see.”
Mindful that Deb might still be there, Kevin walked her out and kissed her goodbye at the front door. “I’ll come by later.”
“I’ll look forward to that.”
“Have a good night at the office, dear.”
Smiling, she kissed him and ducked out the door.
He waved her off, shut the door and turned to find Riley coming out of the kitchen. “Finn took Mom back to the hotel. I’m really sorry about that earlier. I wasn’t sure we should bring her here, but she wanted to see where we were living…”
“It’s fine, son. This is your home, too. You can bring anyone you want here. Did you have a nice time?”
“It was good to see her.” After a pause, he said, “She had questions. About you and Chelsea.”
“Is that right?” Kevin asked, annoyed that she’d pumped their sons for info about him. “What’d you tell her?”
“That you’re serious about her, and it would be a good idea for her to finalize the divorce and move on the way you have.”
“Did you? Wow, well, thanks for that.”
Riley shrugged. “It’s the truth, right?”
“Yeah, it is. In fact, can I let you in on a little secret?”
“Sure.”
“Hang on a second.” Kevin went into his room and retrieved the velvet jeweler’s box he’d stashed in the dresser a few days ago. He opened it to show Riley the engagement ring he’d bought for Chelsea at the island’s only jewelry store. The platinum band with the gleaming sapphire solitaire had seemed perfect for her.
“That’s really nice, Dad. She’ll love it.”
“You think so?”
“I know so. When are you going to ask her?”
“The same day the divorce is final.”
“Does this mean you’ve agreed to have a baby with her?”
“We’ve agreed to see what happens, up to and including adding to our family.”
“I’m happy for you both.”
“It means a lot to me that you and your brother approve.”
“We do. Will you stay on the island?”
“That’s the plan. I want to partner with Uncle Mac and Uncle Frank and you guys and your cousins on the new McCarthy’s Wayfarer.” With Dan Torrington’s help, they’d set up a corporation in which Kevin and his brothers would own half of McCarthy’s Wayfarer and their ten children would own the other half once the purchase was finalized. They had lots of plans and decisions to make, but Kevin looked forward to the challenge of the new endeavor. “Between that and my practice, I’ll have plenty to keep me busy. I like it here. Feels like home to me. And you and your brother are here, at least for now.”
“I’ve decided to stay for the time being, and Finn just added six months to his leave of absence with our company in Connecticut, so we’re both here for now.”
“That just makes it even better. A year ago, my life was in shambles and now…”
“People say Gansett Island has magical restorative powers,” Riley said.
“It’s certainly made a believer of me.”
Epilogue
Kevin had put a lot of thought into how he would ask Chelsea to spend the rest of her life with him. He’d considered making a romantic dinner at her place and then popping the question over dessert. He’d thought about taking her away for the weekend, maybe to Boston or New York, and asking her while they were there.
All good ideas, but he kept coming back to one that refused to be ignored, and tonight he would ask her in the place where it had all begun for them—the bar at the Beachcomber—and he’d made a plan that he hoped she would love.
As of this morning, his divorce was officially final. Thank goodness. After her visit to the island, Deb had thankfully realized there was no point to dragging things out. And now that his past had finally been resolved, Kevin was ready to think about the future with the woman who’d profoundly changed his life over the last year.
She’d been patient and understanding while he went through the steps to end his marriage. That hadn’t been easy for her after what’d happened to her parents’ marriage years ago, but she’d done it for him, and he had no doubt that she loved him as much as he loved her.
In his relationship with Chelsea, he’d found everything that’d been missing in his marriage—enduring friendship, sizzling passion and a desire to be together every chance they got. Maybe some of that would wane as the years went by, but even if it did, she was everything he wanted. And if they ended up with a family of their own, he would be thankful for those blessings, too.
Earlier, he had shared his plans with his sons, both of whom had offered their congratulations and best wishes. Their support had meant the world to him, and he would always treasure the “bonus” year, as he called it, that they’d spent living together on Gansett. He’d been slowly moving his things into Chelsea’s place, where they would live until they found a house to buy together.
As he approached the Beachcomber, a place he visited almost daily, he experienced an unexpected flutter of nerves. Maybe he shouldn’t do this in the middle of her shift at the bar.
“Stop,” he said as he crossed the street to the front steps of the iconic hotel. “She’ll love it. Just chill the fuck out.”
A woman passing him on the street gave him a funny look when she heard him talking to himself.
Kevin laughed as he imagined how he must appear to others. He took the stairs to the Beachcomber two at a time and walked through the lobby to the bar, which was quiet on that Tuesday night after Labor Day. Earlier, Kevin had received a flood of pictures of Thomas and Ashleigh’s first day of kindergarten. Their parents and grandparents had all been th
ere to send the excited kids off to school. If they had any idea how many years of school were ahead of them, they might not be so excited.
Chelsea lit up at the sight of him, and Kevin’s mind cleared of all thoughts that didn’t involve her and his plans for this evening. As she always did, she leaned across the bar to kiss him, drawing a catcall or two from the other guys seated at the bar. Her face flushed with embarrassment. “Don’t mind the peanut gallery.”
“They don’t bother me. How’re you doing?” He’d seen her three hours ago when they had dinner before her shift.
“Good, but it’s quiet like always after Labor Day.”
“Maybe you can close early.”
“That’d be nice.” She poured him a Sam Adams and put it on the bar in front of him. “Did you hear how the first day of kindergarten went for Thomas and Ashleigh?”
“Apparently, it was a big hit, and no spontaneous episodes of naked boy-naked girl, for which everyone is thankful.”
Chelsea laughed. “They’re never going to live that down.”
“Ever,” Kevin agreed. “That was an instant classic.” Do it, he thought. Right now while there’s a lull in the action. “So, the start of kindergarten isn’t the only big news of the day.”
“Oh no? What else happened?” She wiped down the bar as they talked.
“I got something important that we’ve been waiting for in the mail.”
She looked up at him, eyes wide. “Really?”
“Uh-huh.”
“So, it’s final, then?”
“It is.”
“And you didn’t think to mention that to me earlier?”
“I was saving it as a surprise.”
She crooked her finger to bring him in for another across-the-bar kiss. “I’ve never kissed you when you were completely single.”
Grinning, he said, “Now you’ve done it twice. Want to go for three?”
Nodding, she kissed him again.
“Get a room,” one of the guys at the bar said, teasing. “They’ve got lots of them upstairs.”
“Shut up, Gary,” Chelsea said without taking her eyes off Kevin. “We just got big news we’ve waited a long time for. Leave us alone.”
Extending his right hand, Kevin reached for her left hand. “Thank you for staying with me through all this. You never wavered, even though I know how hard it was for you that I was still technically married.”
“I didn’t really have much choice after you made me fall in love with you.”
“You had all the choices, and you chose to stay, and I love you for that and so many other things, which is why I want to marry you and have a life with you and maybe have a baby with you. If you’ll have me, that is.”
“Kevin,” she said, gasping. “What’re you saying?”
He opened his left hand to reveal the ring. “I’m asking you to marry me, Chelsea Rose. Right here in the place where we first started, I’m asking you to take this next step with me so we can spend the rest of our lives together. Will you marry me?”
She let out a little shriek that had all eyes on them. “Yes! Oh my God, Kevin, yes, I’ll marry you.”
Cheers went up around them as the family and friends he’d invited to help them celebrate poured into the bar.
Kevin slid the ring on her finger and stood on the rungs of his barstool to lean across the bar to hug and kiss his fiancée. Then he sat back as she came around the bar and launched herself into his arms, laughing and crying at the same time. They accepted congratulations from Riley, Finn, Frank, Betsy, Mac, Linda, Shane, Katie, Grant, Stephanie, Mallory, Quinn, Mac, Maddie, Joe, Janey, Laura, Owen and Chelsea’s many friends and coworkers from the bar. Kevin had arranged in advance for one of her coworkers to work the bar so she could celebrate her engagement.
“I thought about a bunch of other places to ask you, but this felt right,” he said to her when the hubbub had finally died down.
“This is where it all began,” she said, “so it was the perfect place.”
“Do you like the ring?”
She held out her hand for another look. “I love it. It’s gorgeous. I still can’t believe you’re finally divorced and now we’re engaged, too. Best day ever.”
“The first of many great days we’ll have together.” He kissed her again. “Are you happy, sweetheart?”
“I can honestly say I’ve never been happier in my life than I am right now.”
Overwhelmed by emotion, Kevin gathered her into his embrace, thankful for all the days they’d already spent together and the lifetime of days they had ahead of them.
Thank you for reading Kevin & Chelsea’s story! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. As you can see from this novella, there’s lots more in store for the McCarthy family and their friends. Watch for Riley’s book, coming in 2018, with much more after that for the Gansett Island family. When you finish this story, join the Kevin & Chelsea Facebook group to discuss the story with spoilers allowed and encouraged.
If you haven’t yet joined the Gansett Island Reader Group, make sure you do to be among the first to know when there’s news from the island. And please join my newsletter mailing list at marieforce.com to never miss a new book or a sale.
To everyone who has supported this series from the beginning, thank you so much. I can’t believe Gansett Island is still going strong at 18 books with more to come!
xoxo
Marie
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