Blackout After Dark: Gansett Island Series, Book 23

by Marie Force

  Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine the family they had now, with Kyle and Jackson as well as Carolina’s son, Joe, his wife, Janey, and their kids, PJ and Vivienne. Joe had told them a few days ago that they were planning to go back to Ohio so Janey could continue vet school. They would miss them something awful, but they’d be back for Christmas break and home next summer.

  With two little monkeys clinging to him, Seamus followed Carolina as they said good night to the others and promised to see them tomorrow at the wedding.

  Later on, after he’d supervised two dirty boys through baths and bedtime and let the dog out one last time, Seamus settled into bed next to Carolina and stared up at the ceiling. After losing his younger brothers—one to cancer and the other to an overdose—many years ago, Seamus had all but given up on praying, but he dusted off his faith and said a silent prayer to the Almighty, asking for His help in keeping those boys with him and Caro, where they belonged.

  Only then did he close his eyes and try to get some rest.

  Chapter 36

  According to her father, Mallory Vaughn was “as Irish as Paddy’s pig.” At least on the McCarthy side of the family. Her late mother had been English and Dutch, and since finding her father two summers ago, Mallory had filled in the blanks on his side of the family. Despite her Irish heritage, however, Mallory wasn’t superstitious, which was why she spent the night before her wedding with her fiancé.

  Looking over at Quinn as he slept with one arm tossed over his head, she gave thanks for the twisted strokes of fate that’d brought him into her life.

  After her first husband had dropped dead at age twenty-seven, Mallory hadn’t expected to marry again. But meeting Big Mac McCarthy had changed her life in every possible way and had led her to Dr. Quinn James, who’d be her husband by the end of this day, which was also their forty-first birthday.

  When they’d hatched the plan to get married on their joint birthday, Mallory and Quinn had intended to host a casual cookout in her brother Mac’s backyard. But when Big Mac had heard that plan, he’d asked permission to host her wedding at the beautiful Chesterfield Estate.

  “I missed every single thing with you,” he’d said. “Please let me do this for you.”

  He had been so sweet and so sincere that Mallory had tearfully agreed to let her father give her a wedding. Because their birthday fell on a Tuesday this year, they had no trouble booking the sold-out Chesterfield a month ago. Since then, Lizzie James and her team had pulled off a miracle. Mallory couldn’t wait to see the final result of weeks of meetings and phone calls and emails. With Lizzie in charge, she had no doubt it would be beautiful.

  She kissed Quinn’s shoulder and then his lips, rousing him out of a sound sleep.

  His golden-brown eyes popped open, and a smile lit up his handsome face. “Morning, beautiful. Happy birthday. Happy wedding day.”

  “Happy everything,” Mallory said, sighing when he wrapped his arms around her. In all the years since she’d lost Ryan, she’d never felt as at home anywhere than she did with Quinn. “We need to get moving if we’re going to catch a meeting before the festivities start.” They made a point of beginning every day with an AA meeting in town and rarely missed a day.

  “How about we take a run and end up there?”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  They got up, got dressed in running clothes and headed off, taking the long way into town and arriving at the nondenominational church where the meeting was held each morning. Their regular group, which included their good friend Mason Johns, was already seated in the circle when they came in, wiping off sweat. The heat wave continued unabated, but the basement where they held the meeting was cooler than most places.

  Their friends offered a round of applause for the bride and groom that embarrassed Mallory and Quinn. They grabbed bottles of water off the refreshment table and sat away from the others, since they were sweaty from running.

  Nina, the woman who facilitated the group, gestured to them. “This is what dedication looks like, my friends. On a day when Mallory and Quinn certainly have better things to do, they’re taking the time to come here first. Let that be an example to all of us on days when we feel like we have better things to do than come to a meeting.”

  After the meeting, they jogged home at a slower pace to shower and have breakfast, which consisted of cold cereal with milk from the cooler they’d kept iced for days.

  “I’m seriously over this power failure,” Quinn said. “It’ll be nice to get off this island for a few days and rejoin the twenty-first century already in progress.”

  “Indeed,” Mallory said. “I’m starting to miss hot water, even if cold showers are the only thing keeping us from melting. Thank goodness they have a generator at the Chesterfield so I won’t look like a sweaty mess in the wedding pictures.”

  “You couldn’t be a sweaty mess if you tried.”

  “No need to pour on the charm, Dr. James. In case you hadn’t heard, I’m somewhat of a sure thing where you’re concerned.”

  “That doesn’t mean I’m going to lower my game.” Quinn came over to where she was standing at the kitchen sink. “I’m going to get out of your hair now so you and your girls can do your thing. But I just wanted to tell you, before things get crazy, that I love you and that loving you has been the highlight of my life so far.”

  “Let me turn around so I can see your handsome face.”

  He stepped back so she could turn and link her arms around his neck.

  “That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, and you’ve said a lot of nice things to me.”

  “I mean it. You’re the best thing to ever happen to me, and I can’t wait to be married to you.”

  “Same to you. I was thinking this morning about how when Ryan died, I thought that was it for me when it came to love and marriage. Until there you were, giving me a second chance to have it all.”

  He kissed her and hugged her tightly for a long time. “Don’t be late.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

  Quinn was going to Jared’s house to hang out with his brothers until it was time to go to the Chesterfield. Mallory was getting ready at home, with her sister, Janey, serving as her maid of honor and her cousin Laura and longtime best friend, Trish, rounding out the wedding party. Trish, an accomplished photographer, would also be taking the photos. She was due to arrive on the ten-thirty boat, after shooting a wedding the night before in Boston.

  Mallory hadn’t seen her since before she first came to Gansett and couldn’t wait to introduce her friend to Quinn, Big Mac, Linda and the rest of her new family. For many years, Mallory’s family had consisted of her mother and Trish. Now she had more relatives than she could count and loved being part of the big McCarthy family.

  Janey and Laura arrived together, along with Cindy Lawry to do Mallory’s hair. She’d intended to wear it down, until the heat wave struck, and she and Cindy had changed their plan, deciding to go with an updo in deference to the heat.

  A few hours of primping later, Mallory stood before the full-length mirror in the Chesterfield’s bridal room and gave herself a critical once-over. “Not bad for a forty-one-year-old broad,” she said, laughing at her own choice of words.

  “Not bad at all,” Big Mac said from behind her.

  Mallory caught his eye in the mirror and smiled the way she did every time she saw him. All her life she’d wondered what her missing father might be like, but nothing could’ve prepared her for the reality of him. He was one of the most wonderful people she’d ever known, and she loved him dearly.

  “You look beautiful, honey,” Linda said when she came in behind her husband. “That dress is perfect on you.”

  “Thanks to Tiffany,” Mallory said of the dress that was sexy but classy, too, with spaghetti straps holding up a slinky bodice. It had minimal adornments and a two-foot train, but the showstopper was the back, which was completely bare. Tiffany had convinced her the dress would be sensational,
and she was right. Mallory loved it and was fairly certain Quinn would, too. “Only she could help me order the perfect dress online and have it fit like a dream.”

  “She sure is good at what she does,” Linda said. “The two of you got it just right.”

  “I’m glad you like it.” Mallory held up the skirt as she walked the short distance to a table where Lizzie had left two boxes of flowers. She removed a wrist corsage from one of the boxes and gestured for Linda to come to her. “Since my own mom can’t be here today, I was hoping you might be willing to stand in for her.” Mallory slid the corsage onto Linda’s wrist.

  “I’d be honored,” Linda said, visibly moved.

  “I’ll never have the words to properly thank you for the way you’ve welcomed me into your family. You never so much as hesitated to make me feel a part of things when you certainly didn’t have to, and I’ll always be thankful to you for that.”

  Linda hugged her carefully. “We had no idea that we were waiting for you to make our family complete. You made it easy to welcome you, and we love you very much.”

  “You’re going to make me cry,” Mallory said, smiling.

  Linda laughed as she dabbed at tears. “You started it.”

  The two women shared a laugh as they made good use of the tissues Big Mac handed them.

  “I’ll see you downstairs,” Linda said, leaving the room after kissing them both.

  “That was very nice of you to include her that way.” Big Mac looked as handsome and polished as she’d ever seen him, in a dark navy suit, a white dress shirt and light blue tie that complemented his blue eyes.

  Mallory pinned a white rose boutonniere on his lapel and then looked up at him. “I love her as much as I love you. Thank you for this beautiful day.”

  “We love you, too, and it’s our pleasure to give you this day. Thank you for letting me be your dad today and always. Linda was right, you know. We were waiting for you to make us complete.” He kissed her cheek. “Happy birthday, my sweet girl, and all the best of everything to you and your new husband.”

  Mallory dabbed at new tears, hoping she hadn’t completely ruined her makeup. “Thanks, Dad.” Calling him that would never get old.

  Lizzie came to the door, looking beautiful in a red dress with her blonde hair in a bun. “We’re ready when you are, sis.”

  Mallory was delighted to be getting her as a sister-in-law and Jared and Cooper as brothers-in-law. She didn’t know the rest of the James family as well as she knew them, but looked forward to spending time with the rest of them.

  Big Mac extended his arm to Mallory. “You don’t need anyone to give you away, but I’m so glad you asked me to.”

  She tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. “I waited a long time to have a dad. I’m not missing anything else with you.”

  Quinn had thought he was prepared for this day, to see Mallory as a bride on the arm of her beloved father. But as he stood on the lawn of the Chesterfield with the ocean behind him, he realized nothing could’ve prepared him for how beautiful and happy she looked as she and Big Mac appeared on the back porch.

  Janey, Laura and Trish had preceded them down the aisle, with one of Trish’s colleagues handling the photos for this part of the day. Quinn had met Mallory’s longtime friend via FaceTime chats, but hadn’t met her in person until today.

  Mallory’s dress was a knockout, but he hadn’t expected anything less from his gorgeous bride. She wore her dark hair up and never looked away from him as she came toward him on the arm of her dad.

  With Jared, Cooper and Mason standing by his side and their bow tie-clad dog, Brutus, sitting at his feet, Quinn fought his emotions as he reflected on the journey that had brought him to this day. He’d fought a difficult struggle to regain mobility and to overcome the deep depression and alcoholism he’d descended into after losing a leg in combat.

  When Jared and Lizzie had invited him to Gansett Island and offered him the job as medical director at the senior facility, he’d expected to give the place a year, maybe two, before moving on to something else. That was before he met Mallory and found a whole new life for himself. Now he couldn’t imagine anything better than every day with her at home and at work.

  In the front row, Mason’s girlfriend, Jordan, was providing FaceTime coverage of the wedding for his parents and sisters, who’d been unable to change their plans in time to make it to the island. Quinn was thankful to Jordan for thinking of the idea and making it possible for the rest of his loved ones to be there in spirit.

  Big Mac walked Mallory to the end of the aisle formed between two rows of seats. He kissed his daughter’s cheek and shook Quinn’s hand. “Be happy, you two.”

  “That’s the plan,” Quinn said as he took hold of Mallory’s hand.

  After Big Mac had gone to sit with his wife in the front row, Quinn took a good long look at his beautiful bride. “Holy smokes,” he said. “Stunning.”

  She surprised the shit out of him by turning to show him the entirely bare back of her dress, shooting him a smile over her shoulder.

  Quinn fanned his face dramatically as everyone else laughed.

  Mallory’s uncle Frank, a retired Superior Court judge, presided over the service. “Friends and family, near and far,” Frank said, with a gesture toward Jordan and the FaceTime call with Quinn’s family, “we’re gathered today for the marriage of my beautiful niece Mallory Vaughn and Dr. Quinn James. Today is also our bride and groom’s birthday. They were born on the same exact day, which makes this an occasion forty-one years in the making.”

  Quinn glanced at Mallory in the same second she looked at him, both of them smiling at the many twists of fate that had delivered them to this moment.

  “Mallory and Quinn have written their own vows, and I’m just here to make it legal,” Frank said. “Mallory, when you’re ready.”

  She handed her colorful bouquet to Janey and then turned to face him, taking hold of both his hands and looking up at him with the love and affection that had become essential to him. “I remember the day we met so vividly,” she said. “It was a summer day a lot like this one, only not quite as hot. We were out running when we encountered a motorcycle accident and discovered we both had medical training. I recall being so impressed by your cool competence during a crisis, but I also happened to notice that you were rather hot.”

  Quinn laughed even as he felt his face flush with embarrassment.

  “Neither one of us could’ve known what that first meeting would lead to or how intertwined our lives would become over the next few months. I was in a bad place that day, having just been laid off from a job that I’d loved for fifteen years. I was grappling with a lot of emotion over the secrets my late mother had kept from me while getting to know my father and my new family. By all accounts, that was probably the worst possible time for me to meet the man of my dreams. But there you were, and I’m so thankful our paths crossed that day and that we’ve gotten to spend almost every day since then together. Everything about us feels so right to me, so easy, so perfect. I love you more than anything, and I look forward to forever with you.”

  Quinn used his sleeve to blot the tears she’d caused with her heartfelt words. “I remember that day, too. I remember every detail, especially how lucky our patient was to have a trauma surgeon and emergency room nurse first on the scene after he crashed his motorcycle. It’s hard to imagine anyone getting luckier than that, and yet I was the one who truly got lucky that day. You say you were in a bad place when we met. So was I. I’d sunk into a deep, dark place after losing my leg, and it was only after I met you that I was able to share that pain with someone and truly begin to recover. You not only helped to save that motorcyclist’s life that day, but you saved mine, too, in so many ways, mostly by giving me a reason to smile, to hope, to make plans, to fall in love and have this amazing new life that I never expected to have.” Quinn leaned his forehead against Mallory’s. “You make it so damn easy to love you, and I can’t wait for everything
with you.”

  They were both a weepy mess, but he couldn’t have cared less about that as they laughed through their tears and exchanged rings before Frank made it official.

  “By the power vested in me by the State of Rhode Island, it’s my great pleasure to introduce for the first time as husband and wife, Dr. Quinn James and Mrs. Mallory Vaughn James. Dr. James, you may kiss your bride.”

  “Don’t mind if I do,” Quinn said.

  Chapter 37

  Sitting on the stupid lounge chair that allowed her to be part of everything while on bed rest, Maddie McCarthy watched her sister-in-law Mallory marry Quinn James as she timed pains that could no longer be called anything other than contractions. This couldn’t be happening, she thought, not in the middle of Mallory’s wedding, not when the twins weren’t due for another month.

  Thankfully, Mac was occupied with watching his sister get married while keeping their kids from distracting from the proceedings, so he’d yet to notice his wife grimacing in pain every eight minutes. He was going to lose his mind when he realized she was in labor.

  Maddie withdrew her cell phone from her purse and sent a text to her sister, Tiffany. As soon as the ceremony is over, please come here. I need you.

  After Quinn kissed Mallory for what seemed like five full minutes, they turned to face their guests, smiles stretching across their faces as they made their way down the aisle to rousing applause for the newlyweds.

  Carrying her daughter Addie, Tiffany stood and rushed over to Maddie. “What’s wrong?”

  Maddie took a second to see where Mac was and saw him holding Hailey and baby Mac while he said something to Thomas.

  “Maddie?”

  She looked up at her sister. “I’m in labor.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “Yes, I really am.” As if to make her point, a contraction picked that moment to take her breath away. She breathed through it as she broke into a cold sweat.