Mine After Dark

by Marie Force

  “I’m okay, but I miss you. I wish I was there slamming my sledgehammer into walls, among other things.” That last part was said in a sexy, suggestive tone that added to his torment.

  “You have no idea how much I miss you and wish you were here.” Filled with despair, he dropped his head into his hand. Come back, he wanted to say. Please come back to me. It took everything he had to hold in words that were burning to be said. “So Mac told me today he’s ready to hire a manager for the Wayfarer. He wants to know if you’re still interested.”

  “That would be a dream job. Could I let you know what’s going on in a couple of days?”

  “Sure.” There was so much he wanted to say, but he couldn’t. Not now. “I suppose I ought to grab a shower and get ready for my dad’s party.”

  “Oh, that’s tonight. I’m sure it’ll be great. He’ll appreciate the effort you and Finnbar put into it.”

  Nothing is great without you. Everything sucks. Every fucking thing. Even hearing you call my brother Finnbar hurts. “Yeah.”

  “Riley…”

  He needed to go before he said something stupid or desperate. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow? Not sure when. Things will be chaotic with the wedding.”

  “Text me when you can. I’m thinking of you. All the time.”

  It helped to know she was thinking of him, but still he ached. “Same, babe. I’ll see you.”

  “Bye.”

  * * *

  Nikki put down her phone and leaned against the wide kitchen island. He looked awful, and that was entirely her fault. She’d left him with no idea of when they might see each other again. He’d been nothing but supportive and had never once made it about him, which she appreciated more than he’d ever know.

  She’d never felt more torn between what she needed to do and what she wanted to do. And God, she wanted him with the kind of yearning she’d never imagined possible until she’d been forced to walk away from him to care for her injured sister.

  Jordan came into the kitchen, stopping short at the sight of Nikki hunched over the island. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her skin golden from an afternoon at the pool. The bruises on her face had faded to a pale yellow, and her lip was slowly healing.

  “Nothing. You need something?”

  “A refill.” Using her broken arm to hold the insulated water bottle against her body, she used her other hand to unscrew the top. A week ago, she couldn’t have managed that on her own. Using the filtered-water dispenser on the door of the fridge, she refilled the bottle. “You should go back to Gansett,” she said, as if that wasn’t the biggest thing she could say to her sister. “I can get by on my own.”

  “No need for you to get by on your own,” Nikki said, forcing a smile.

  Jordan leaned against the counter. “I know you’re here because you’re afraid I’ll go back to him, but that’s not going to happen.”

  “That’s not why I’m here.”

  “It is why you’re here, and I’m telling you, it’s not necessary. I’ve deleted him, blocked him, and my new lawyer is requesting a restraining order, so he can’t come anywhere near me.”

  Nikki stared at her sister in mute shock. She’d never seen or heard Jordan so resolute about removing Zane from her life, even after the tape was released. Then, she’d just been flattened. Now, she was finally furious. Nikki wanted to sing hallelujah.

  “I am never going back to him. I swear on my life. It’s over.”

  For the first time, Nikki truly believed her.

  “As much as I appreciate everything you’ve done, I can tell you’re dying to be somewhere else. You should go, Nik. I promise I’ll be okay without you.”

  “The press…”

  “I hired a publicist today to deal with the inquiries. I told her to put out the word that I’m not talking about Zane now or ever. They’ll go away when they realize they aren’t going to get anything from me.”

  “Who are you, and what’ve you done with my sister?”

  Jordan smiled. “Your clueless sister finally got a big, fat wakeup call in a hotel room in Charlotte. I’m only sorry it took me so long to figure out what you and everyone who loves me already knew.”

  “We only want what’s best for you.”

  “Believe it or not, I want that, too. It’ll take me a while to figure out what’s best for me, but I’m determined to move past this and to be rid of him. I also made an appointment with Yvonne.” Jordan referred to the therapist they’d seen during their parents’ contentious divorce.

  “I’m really, really proud of you,” Nikki said softly.

  “I don’t deserve that. Not yet anyway, but I hope at some point, I’ll deserve it.”

  “You do deserve it.” Nikki went to her and hugged her, careful not to jar her injured arm. “I just want you to be safe and happy and loved.”

  “I want that, too.” Jordan gave her a playful shove that ended the hug. “Go back to your boyfriend, Nik. You know you want to.”

  She wanted that more than anything, and now that Jordan was telling her to go, she felt excited again for the first time in weeks. “His dad is getting remarried tomorrow.”

  “If you get a flight out tonight, you can get there in time for the wedding. In fact, let me handle the arrangements for you for a change.”

  “I can get my own plane ticket.”

  “I want to do this for you. Please let me. You’re always there for me when I need you, even if that means putting your own life on hold. From what you’ve told me about Riley, you have a real chance of happiness with him. The last thing I want is to stand in the way of that.”

  The thought of seeing Riley again—soon—filled her with the sort of joy she’d rarely experienced until she’d met him.

  “Are you sure you’ll be okay by yourself?”

  “I’m positive.”

  “In that case, I’d be happy to let you send me back to Gansett.”

  Chapter 25

  Riley forced himself to rally for his dad, who was on top of the world with happiness that gave Riley hope. It seemed like every guy in town had come out to celebrate Kevin, including Big Mac, Frank and Ned, along with Mac, Adam, Shane and Grant, who’d flown home with his wife, Stephanie, from LA for the wedding. In addition, Luke Harris was there, along with Blaine Taylor, Seamus O’Grady, Owen Lawry, Joe Cantrell, David Lawrence, Quinn and Jared James, Alex and Paul Martinez, Niall Fitzgerald, Shannon O’Grady and Chelsea’s brother, Andrew Rose.

  Mario’s served up an Italian buffet that Riley and Finn had arranged in advance, along with an endless flow of beer and whiskey.

  After everyone had eaten and a dozen pitchers of beer had been consumed, Riley stood with Finn and whistled to get everyone’s attention.

  As he sat among the men he loved best in the world, Kevin’s broad smile lit up his handsome face. Not that long ago, Riley had wondered if his father would ever smile again. Then he’d met Chelsea.

  “As the best men, it’s our job to make sure Dad gets hammered tonight, so someone give him a refill,” Riley said.

  Kevin put his hand over his glass. “If I go home hammered, Chelsea will leave me. That might make for a crappy wedding.”

  His comments were met with raucous laughter from the unruly group.

  “Dad, Finn and I are happy for you and Chelsea and looking forward to being big brothers to our new baby brother or sister. However, we would like to say for the record that we think it’s extremely unfair that you’re getting a second wife and family when some of us still haven’t had a first one.”

  Wild whoops and hollers followed the comment, especially from Kevin.

  “That said, we love you, and we wish you and Chelsea all the best. To Kevin!”

  “Good job,” Finn said. “And excellent point.”

  Riley toasted his brother. Maybe his father wasn’t allowed to get wasted, but there was nothing stopping him. Whatever it took to dull the relentless ache that refused to let up.

  * * *

  Hun
gover and grouchy after overindulging the night before, Riley showered, shaved and prepared to put on the dark suit his dad had bought for him on the mainland. Kevin had refused the reimbursement Riley had offered, saying it was his fault Riley had needed the suit in the first place.

  His cell phone rang while he was wiping the last of the shaving cream from his face. Hoping it was Nikki, he saw MOM on the screen. Uh-oh. “Hey,” he said, “what’s up?”

  “I haven’t talked to you in a couple of weeks, so I figured I’d check in.”

  On Dad’s wedding day, he wanted to ask but didn’t. “We’ve been working a lot on the new Wayfarer. Trying to get it done for the season. It’s going to be close.”

  “Riley…”

  “What do you want to know, Mom?” he asked, resigned to talking about it even when he really didn’t want to.”

  “I’m just…” She sounded weepy and sad. “I heard your dad is getting married.”

  “Yes, in about two hours.” This is what you wanted! Riley loved his mother. She’d been an awesome, involved, hands-on mom to him and Finn, but he wasn’t prepared to be her counselor on the day his father was getting remarried. “In fact, I need to run. I’m supposed to be at Dad’s in twenty minutes.”

  “I won’t keep you, then. Please tell your father… Tell him I send my best wishes.”

  “I will.”

  “Love you, Ri.”

  “Love you, too, Mom.” Riley ended the call and groaned. God, that’d been awkward. What did she want him to say? She’d been the one to end the marriage. What had she expected his dad to do? Sit around and feel sorry for himself for the rest of his life? The guy his mother had been involved with hadn’t worked out. No doubt she had regrets, but she’d made her own decisions, and now she had to face the consequences.

  He didn’t want to think about that today, not when his dad deserved his full focus and support. On the way to pick up his dad, he decided he’d share his mother’s good wishes after the wedding and not before. There was no need to bring Kevin’s ex-wife into this day and resurrect old hurts when Kevin was about to commit to a new life with Chelsea.

  Riley sure wished Nikki could be there to help him celebrate. Even a joyful event like his dad’s wedding was something to be endured rather than enjoyed without her there to share in it with him. That was what it had come to. He was fully aware that he couldn’t continue in this state of agonizing limbo. Later on, he’d talk to Mac about taking a few days off to go see Nikki and hopefully talk her into coming home. He had no desire to move across the country, but he would if it meant he got to be with her. Something had to give before he succeeded in nail-gunning his own hand—or someone else’s—to a wall in his utter distraction.

  When Riley pulled into the driveway at the small house Kevin shared with Chelsea, his dad came running out, sporting a big, dopey grin and a blue plaid bow tie. “It’s today!”

  “Get in and shut the door. You’re freezing me out.”

  “I can see you’re in your usual festive mood of late.”

  “I’m hungover.”

  “And whose fault is that?”

  “Yours. If you weren’t getting married, I wouldn’t have been at a bachelor party last night.”

  Kevin laughed. “Your logic is as screwed up as the rest of you.” He glanced over at Riley. “What can I do for you, son?”

  “Nothing. Don’t worry about me. This is your big day.”

  “I will always worry about you, and I’ve tried to give you space the last couple of weeks, but it isn’t easy for me to see you obviously suffering.”

  “I’m okay. I swear. Today is your day and Chelsea’s. Don’t make it about me.”

  “Do you love her, Ri?”

  The question hit him like a sharp arrow to the heart. “Yeah.”

  “Then go after her.”

  “I’m going to. Tomorrow.” Even waiting one more day to see her was apt to kill him.

  Kevin nodded in approval. “Good. That’s the right thing to do. If you didn’t, you’d always wonder what might’ve been. I don’t want you to have regrets.”

  “I already do. But it’s nothing that can’t be fixed.” At least he hoped that was still the case. He drove Kevin to Big Mac and Linda’s to hang out before they went down the hill to the hotel for the wedding. Uncle Frank was already there with his fiancée, Betsy Jacobson, who hugged Kevin.

  “We’re so happy for you guys,” Betsy said.

  “Thank you,” Kevin said, accepting hugs from Big Mac, Linda and Frank.

  “Champagne for everyone,” Linda said. “Let’s get this party started!”

  “Where’s Finn?” Riley asked.

  “Here I am,” his brother said as he came in, shedding his coat and accepting the glass of champagne their aunt handed him.

  Linda raised her glass to Kevin. “Here’s to true love and happily ever after.”

  “I will happily drink to that,” Kevin said.

  Riley smiled as he touched his glass to his dad’s, determined to celebrate his father’s joy even as his own heart ached.

  * * *

  The bride was stunning in a sexy white dress and her long, curly blonde hair contained in a sleek updo. Carrying a bouquet of white roses and lilies, Chelsea came toward them on the arm of her brother, glowing with happiness and love for Kevin, who had been brought to tears by the sight of his lovely bride. They exchanged heartfelt vows in front of a roaring fire in the great room of McCarthy’s Gansett Island Inn.

  Standing between his dad and brother, Riley was oddly emotional watching the bride and groom exchange vows and pledge their lives and their love to each other.

  Uncle Frank, a retired superior court judge, presided over the nuptials and had the assembled family members and friends laughing one minute and crying the next.

  “Kevin, Chelsea,” Frank said, “anyone who has spent even five minutes in your presence can attest to the love and commitment you have for each other. It is my great honor as Kevin’s older and wiser brother to pronounce you husband and wife. Kev, you may kiss your bride.”

  As Kevin raised his hands to Chelsea’s face to kiss her, the main door opened, bringing with it a whoosh of cold air.

  Riley looked to see who it was and nearly stopped breathing when he saw Nikki. For a second, he thought he might’ve conjured her through sheer desire to see her, but no, it was really her, and his entire family stood between them as Kevin and Chelsea accepted congratulations and heartfelt best wishes from their guests.

  “Uh, bro,” Finn said. “Nicholas is back.”

  “Do you honestly think I need you to tell me that?”

  Finn busted up laughing. “Want me to help you get to her?”

  “Hell yes, and use all the dirty tricks we learned playing hockey.”

  “I’m on it. Follow me.” Finn blazed a path through the crowd, tossing the occasional elbow as needed.

  Riley followed him, his heart beating so hard and so fast, he feared he would pass out before he got to her.

  Seeming to realize something was up, the crowd parted to let them through.

  Finn got to her first. “Nicholas, I’m so happy to see you. You have no idea what I’ve been through with this one since you left.”

  “Nice to see you, Finnbar.” She removed her coat and handed it to Finn.

  In one quick second, Riley took in the sight of her, recording each detail—clingy black dress, sexy-as-fuck heels, spiral curls, lipstick. Christ have mercy, she was hot, and he loved her madly. Riley pushed his brother aside and wrapped his arms around her, relief pulsing through him like an extra heartbeat. As he breathed in her familiar scent, the tightness in his chest loosened, and the ache finally receded. “What’re you doing here?”

  “I hoped it would be okay if I crashed.”

  “You were invited, but that’s not what I meant. What’re you doing here? On Gansett? Where’s Jordan?”

  She looked up at him with those bottomless brown eyes that had haunted his dreams over t
he torturous weeks without her. “Jordan is in LA figuring out the next steps in her life, and I’m here on Gansett.”

  “Why?” he asked, though he suspected he already knew. He wanted to hear her say it.

  “Because you’re here.”

  “I’ve never been so happy to see anyone in my entire life,” Riley said.

  “Neither have I.”

  He took her by the hand and led her into his aunt Linda’s office, closing the door behind him so he could kiss her the way he was dying to without his entire family watching. After the longest, sexiest, deepest kiss of his life, he said, “You can’t ever leave me again. I was totally fine before I had you, but I’m not fine at all without you. I almost went crazy.”

  She clung to him, kissing his face and neck. “I was just as crazy without you, and I don’t want to be anywhere but where you are.”

  “Love you so much, Nik,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

  “I love you just as much, Riley.”

  They were the best words he’d ever heard.

  * * *

  No one could party like the McCarthys, even in the dead of winter. The champagne flowed as a delicious dinner of prime rib and lobster was served. As the waitstaff cleared the tables, Riley stood up and tapped his knife against a crystal glass to get everyone’s attention.

  “My co-best man and I would like to thank everyone for being here tonight to help us welcome Chelsea into the McCarthy family. Chelsea, you’ve been around us long enough to be fully aware of what you’re getting into.”

  Chelsea nodded and laughed. “I’m not scared.”

  “She hasn’t seen our full potential yet,” Mac said, rubbing his hands together. “Now that they’re married, it’s back to business as usual.”

  Big Mac gave his oldest son a smack upside the head that brought down the house.

  “As I was saying,” Riley continued, “Finn and I want to be the first to welcome you to the family and apologize in advance for whatever might happen next.”

  “Got it,” Chelsea said, giving him a thumbs-up.