by Marie Force
“I don’t need really fabulous. I’ve been perfectly happy in my sister’s little cottage. As long as you’re there, I’m set.”
“That makes you rather easy to please.”
“You know it.”
“I do know it, and I appreciate it more than you can imagine.”
“Same. I love our stress-free, easy life together. You and me and Brutus make for a perfect little family.”
From the backseat, Brutus grunted in agreement.
They’d brought him because it was too hot to leave him home alone. The poor guy had been suffering in the heat.
“Let’s go to our party!” Mallory said as she got out of the car and led the way up the elaborate stone walkway to the front door.
Evan and Grace were there to greet them with hugs and kisses and excitement for their wedding.
“To hell with the wedding,” Mallory said. “Show us this house!”
“To hell with the wedding, she says the day before,” Quinn muttered.
“Oh hush, you know I’m kidding. Sorta.”
Grace laughed, hooked her arm through Mallory’s and said, “Let me give you the grand tour.”
“Can you believe you live here?” Mallory asked.
“It’s going to take a year for me to believe I live here.”
After the women had walked away, Quinn sized up Evan. “Way to lay down the gauntlet with the best wife surprise in the history of wife surprises.”
“I did a rather good job, didn’t I?”
“Don’t make it worse by being smug.”
Evan laughed and gestured for Quinn to lead the way to the deck, where every form of beverage was chilling in coolers.
“Soda, water and seltzer are in that one,” Evan said.
“Thanks.”
Quinn chose a lemon seltzer and cracked it open. “I’ve had enough of this freaking heat wave.”
“I hear you. It’s like someone set the thermometer to roast.”
“For days.”
“How’re you guys holding up at the center?” Evan asked.
“Hanging in there, thanks to two generators, but they’re just enough for lights, low-level AC and the refrigerators. The residents are grumpy about being without TV and internet service. And I feel for them. It’s their lifeline to the world.”
“That sucks.”
“It really does. Thankfully, our part-time activities director, Jordan Stokes, has been coming up with all sorts of fun things for them to do, but I’m and I’m hearing it could be another couple of days.”
“For what?” Grant asked when he joined them on the deck.
“Power,” Evan said, filling in his brother.
“No way. We’re about to sweat to death in our house. No sign of even the slightest breeze there.”
“Stay here,” Evan said. “The breeze off the ocean is pretty good, and this place has a generator.”
“I may take you up on that,” Grant said. “The heat is making Steph sick.”
“My house is your house,” Evan said.
“This place is crazy, and I’m actually pissed with you.”
“About what?”
“I was going to look at this place when we got back to the island.”
“Snooze ya lose, brother,” Evan said.
“You’re being smug again,” Quinn said.
“He gets like that,” Grant replied as he found a beer and took a long drink. “Damn, that tastes good.” He caught himself and glanced at Quinn. “Sorry. Don’t mean to drink and gloat.”
“No worries, man. I don’t even want it anymore.” After so many years in recovery, alcohol of any kind held little appeal to him. “Don’t ever worry about drinking in front of me or Mallory. It’s all good.”
“Did you guys hear the news about Adam and Abby?” Grant asked Quinn.
“We did hear. It’s amazing.”
Adam joined his brothers and future brother-in-law on the deck, holding his son, Liam. “Let’s face it. My boys are the most powerful of all the boys.”
“Oh my God,” Evan groaned. “Is that what we’re in for forever?”
“I’m afraid so,” Grant said. “He’s been insufferable for days.”
“He’s been insufferable a lot longer than that,” Evan said.
Adam made a suggestive motion with his hips and free arm that had his brothers gagging. “I got the goods. Four babies. Top that, a-holes.”
Grant sighed. “I want to have him killed, but I don’t want to have to raise his five kids.”
“I’d help you hide the body,” Evan said.
“Why do they want to kill you now, Adam?” Abby asked when she and the other women came out to the deck.
“He’s talking about his boys and his prowess at knocking you up with four babies,” Evan said. “Congratulations, by the way. I think.”
Abby laughed and tipped her cheek up to receive a kiss from her brother-in-law. “He won’t be thinking about his so-called prowess when we have five babies underfoot.”
“Did I or did I not do a spectacular job of knocking you up, love?”
“You’re starting to sound like Mac,” Abby said.
“Who’s sounding like me?” Mac asked when he came out carrying Hailey and baby Mac. “All my stuff is trademarked. No one can use it without express written permission.”
“Oh shut up, Mac,” Evan said. “Do you ever get tired of listening to yourself?”
“No, not really, and hello to you, too, brother. Welcome home.”
Evan took baby Mac from his brother and leaned in and kissed Hailey, who let out a happy squeak at the sight of her uncle. So he took her, too. “It’s okay to like Uncle Evan better than Daddy. Everyone would understand.”
“Puleeze,” Mac said. “They’re on Team Mac forever. And PS, nice house.”
“Thanks,” Evan said. “We’re still trying to believe we actually live here.”
“It’ll feel like home in no time,” Grant said. “I wanted to tell you all that we’re going to premiere the film here on Friday night. Fingers crossed the power is back by then. Everyone is invited to the theater to see Indefatigable with an after-party at the Bistro.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” Evan said. “I read the article and review in the LA Times. They loved it.”
“The reviews have been awesome so far,” Grant said. “We’re excited for the release.”
“I’m hearing Oscar buzz for my brother,” Mac said. “Couldn’t be prouder.”
“Thanks,” Grant said, “but Steph and Charlie are the stars of this story.”
“By all accounts, you did a beautiful job bringing their story to life, and you should be very proud of that,” Evan said.
“I am,” Grant said, “but I’m even prouder of her. When you see the full extent of what she endured… It’ll blow your mind.”
“Looking forward to it,” Mac said.
“This place is awesome,” Mallory said when she joined the others on the deck. “Congratulations, Evan. You made your wife very happy.”
“She’s made me very happy. Without her, there’s no number one hit and no cool house. There’s no nothing.”
Quinn put his arm around Mallory. By this time tomorrow, they’d be married. That was still hard to believe. He’d never pictured himself married to anyone until she came along and changed everything.
She smiled up at him. “What level of nonsense has been happening out here?”
“The usual level.”
“My brothers are nothing if not entertaining.”
“Speaking of brothers, here come mine.”
Jared and Lizzie came onto the deck, followed by Cooper, who had a gnarly wound on the right side of his face.
“What the hell happened to you?” Quinn asked his youngest sibling as they exchanged a side handshake-hug combination.
“Ugh, go easy,” Cooper said, wincing when Quinn patted his back.
“He’s got two broken ribs,” Jared said, “to go along with the mess on h
is face, and he’s not talking about how it happened, but apparently, the fire department was involved.”
Quinn told himself he shouldn’t laugh, but how could he not?
Jared joined him while Cooper scowled at them both and then grimaced, in obvious pain.
“The best part,” Jared said, “is he was on a date with Gigi Gibson at the time.”
“Leave him alone, you guys,” Lizzie said. “He’s injured.”
“And probably mortified,” Jared said.
“I’m getting a drink,” Cooper said. “You guys can eff off.”
“I want to know what happened so bad,” Jared said after Cooper walked away, “but he’s not saying.”
“I can find out from Mason,” Mallory said, pulling out her phone.
“Or better yet, you can ask him in person.” Quinn used his chin to direct her attention toward their friend the fire chief, who’d arrived with his girlfriend, Jordan. She was Gigi’s best friend, so there was bound to be more info forthcoming.
Mason and Jordan greeted the others before making their way to Mallory and Quinn. He’d become one of their closest friends and would be serving as one of Quinn’s groomsmen tomorrow.
“There’s the happy couple,” Mason said.
“We want the skinny on Gigi and Cooper, and we want it now,” Mallory said.
“Uh, I’ve been sworn to secrecy by my beloved,” Mason said.
“Oh, come on!” Mallory protested. “Someone knows what happened.”
“You’ll have to hear it from him,” Mason said. “I’m not talking, or Jordan will cut me off.”
“Honestly… Are you that far gone?”
“Yep. Ready for the big day?” Mason asked, apparently eager to change the subject.
Quinn had no doubt that Mallory would get the details during her next EMT shift.
“So ready,” Mallory said, beaming with happiness.
After losing her first husband suddenly years earlier, she’d told him she never expected to get married again until they found each other. So much had happened since Quinn had accepted Jared and Lizzie’s offer to be the medical director for their senior care facility. He’d come close to saying no, fearing the confines of island life, not to mention living close to family members for the first time since he joined the army after medical school. He liked doing his own thing and valued his privacy, but living near Jared and Lizzie had been fun. They left him alone. He left them alone. And when they were together, it was always a good time. He’d found a friend in his younger brother and a delightful extra sister in Lizzie.
And then he’d found Mallory, and his entire life changed.
“You’re quiet,” Mallory said to him between conversations with family and friends.
“Just thinking about everything that’s happened since I came out here to work with Jared and Lizzie and how I almost said no to their offer.”
“That would’ve been tragic.”
He kissed her temple. “Indeed.” Looking down at her, he said, “This time tomorrow…”
“I can’t wait.”
“Me either.”
Laura Lawry was working the front desk at the Sand & Surf Hotel when one of her guests, Piper Bennett, returned from an outing in town. Laura did a double take when she realized Piper’s face was bruised and her lip was bleeding,
Laura rushed around the registration counter to provide assistance. “Oh my God! What happened?”
“I… A guy… He…”
“Shhh, okay. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”
With the poor woman trembling violently, Laura helped her into the sitting room off the lobby.
“We need to call the police, Piper.”
“No,” she said, blinking back tears. “I can’t.”
“The chief of police is my close friend. He’ll know what to do. Please let me call him. Whoever did this to you shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it.”
Piper folded shaking hands in her lap.
Laura forced herself to stay quiet, to give the other woman a chance to wrap her mind around the fact that she was a victim of a crime. She would’ve rendered first aid, but after having been through this before with Owen’s mom the night she arrived on the island, Laura knew it was important to let the police see the woman’s injuries.
“If you’re sure that’s what I should do…”
When she’d checked in the day before, Piper had struck Laura as a sharp, intelligent woman. She suspected shock was dulling her senses at the moment, making her uncertain.
“It’s the right thing.”
Piper nodded and tightened her folded hands.
“I’ll be right back.”
Laura went to her office off the lobby and put through the call to Blaine’s cell phone.
“Hey, Laura. What’s up?”
“I have a guest staying at the Surf who’s been attacked. I’m not sure what happened, but she’s bruised, her lip is bleeding and she’s obviously in shock.”
“I’m on my way.”
“She’s hesitant about police involvement.”
“I understand. We’ll take good care of her. Be there in a few.”
“Thanks, Blaine.”
As Laura stepped out of her office, her husband, Owen, came down the stairs with their three children in his arms. How he managed to carry them all was a constant source of amazement to her.
“Ready to go to the party?” he asked.
“I don’t think I can go.”
“What’s up?”
Laura quickly filled Owen in on what’d happened. “She told me yesterday she was in need of a getaway after her fiancé canceled their wedding and dumped her. And now this… Blaine is on his way.”
“That’s awful.”
“I need to stay with her.”
“Of course. I’ll take these guys over to Evan’s for a little bit. They can blow off some steam with their cousins.”
“I’ll meet you there if I can.”
He kissed her. “Keep me posted.”
“I will.” After kissing him and her kids and seeing them off, she rejoined Piper in the sitting room. “Can I get you a drink of water or anything?”
She shook her head. “No, thank you.”
Laura sat with her while they waited for Blaine. Fortunately, he didn’t make them wait long. When she heard voices in the lobby, Laura went to greet him and Jack Downing from the state police.
“We were together,” Blaine said.
“I don’t want to overwhelm her. She’s pretty shook up.”
“I’ll wait out here,” Jack said.
Laura gestured for Blaine to follow her into the sitting room. “Piper, this is Blaine Taylor, chief of the Gansett Island Police Department. Blaine, this is Piper Bennett, a guest here.”
“Hi, Piper,” Blaine said, taking a seat across from her.
“Th-thank you for coming.”
“Of course. Can you tell me what happened?”
Piper glanced at Laura.
“I can leave you two to talk.”
“No! Please don’t go.”
Laura sat next to Piper. “I’m right here, and I’ll be right here for as long as you need me.”
Piper broke down into gulping sobs.
They waited until she’d collected herself by taking a series of deep breaths. “Just when you think things can’t get any worse.”
“I’m so sorry this happened on our island,” Blaine said.
“It was my fault. I was acting out by partying with strangers. I went to his room, knowing I shouldn’t be doing that, and when he attacked me…”
“This was not your fault, Piper,” Blaine said. “Going to a man’s room isn’t an invitation to be attacked, but I do have some good news for you.”
“What’s that?”
“If you can tell me where you were when this happened and what room it was, we’ll be able to find him and arrest him for assaulting you.”
“It… It was the Harborside.
Room thirty-two.”
“And his name?”
“Chris.”
“Hang on for one second.” Blaine got up and left the room, returning a minute later. “The state police will pick him up.”
Piper dropped her head into her hands, her shoulders shaking with sobs. “I never should’ve gone with him, but he seemed so nice and sweet. I just needed to feel better.”
“Did he rape you, Piper?” Blaine asked gently.
She shook her head. “I managed to fight him off and get out of there before he could.”
“Do you require medical attention?”
“I… I don’t think so.”
“I’d like to take some photos of your injuries for the record,” Blaine said. “It will help us to make a case against him.”
“Okay,” Piper said hesitantly. She grimaced as Blaine took several photos.
“I’ll get our first aid kit.” Laura retrieved the kit from her office and brought it to the sitting room. She gently tended to Piper’s cut lip and applied ointment. She offered an ice pack for the bruise blooming on Piper’s face. The incident brought back memories of the night Sarah had arrived in even worse condition after being beaten by her now ex-husband.
“Thank you,” Piper said, pressing the ice pack to the bruise.
“I’m going to need you to take me through it, from the minute you met him until you escaped his room,” Blaine said, pulling a notebook and pen from his pocket.
Laura sat with Piper while she told the story of what’d happened.
Blaine asked a lot of questions, and Piper answered every one of them, her resolve seeming to strengthen with every passing minute.
By the time they emerged from the sitting room an hour later, Jack had returned.
“He’s on ice at the station,” Jack said. “Asking for a lawyer.”
Piper wrapped her arms around herself. “What will happen now?”
“We’ll charge him with assault and attempted sexual assault,” Blaine said. “At some point, if it goes to trial, we’ll need you to testify. But that won’t be for a while.”
“Thank you for coming and for acting so quickly,” she said, her gaze shifting to take in Jack, too.
“I’ll be in touch,” Blaine said.
“If there’s anything we can do,” Jack said, handing Piper his card, “please feel free to call.”