Gansett Island Boxed Set Books 1-16 (Gansett Island Series)

by Marie Force

  Just when he’d been convinced things couldn’t get any more screwed up, here he was relying on his rival to keep his father alive. Even with his vivid imagination, he doubted he could’ve written such a messed-up scenario.

  “He’s going to be all right,” a small voice beside him said.

  Grant opened his eyes and looked down at the woman from the marina restaurant. Her eyes were rimmed with red and puffy from crying.

  “He has to be all right.”

  Grant wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince—him or herself. They’d call her a waif in Hollywood, with her tiny frame and big blue-green eyes. She had multicolored spiked hair that made her look even younger.

  “We haven’t officially met,” she said. “I’m Stephanie. Your dad hired me to run the restaurant this summer.”

  He shook her outstretched hand. “Grant McCarthy.”

  “I know who you are,” she said, her face flushing. “I mean, I’m familiar with your work.”

  “Is that so?”

  She nodded. “Song of Solomon was amazing. It changed my life.”

  Hearing that never got old. “I’m glad you liked it.”

  “I was thrilled that you won the Oscar. You totally deserved it.”

  “Thanks. That’s nice of you to say.”

  “I had no idea you were related to Mr. McCarthy until I heard him telling someone about his son, the famous screenwriter.”

  Grant winced. “He can be a bit effusive at times.”

  “He’s so incredibly proud of you.”

  Did she have any idea how badly he needed to hear that just then?

  “Are you all right?” she asked. “You look kinda green.”

  “Few too many last night.”

  “I have the perfect cure for that.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’ll go get it and come back.”

  “Oh, no. That’s not necessary.”

  She smiled up at him. “It’d give me something to do. I’m madly in love with your dad, and this has been one of the worst days of my life. What happened at the marina...” She shuddered, and her face went pale.

  Grant reached out to her. His hand landed on her shoulder, but when she flinched, he removed it. What was that all about? “It must’ve been awful.”

  “I was so afraid he’d been killed. When they brought him out of the water, he looked bad. Really bad.”

  Grant swallowed hard. “Sounds like he’s going to be okay.”

  “Thank God.”

  “Yes.”

  “You should be in there with him.”

  Surprised, he stared at her.

  “I don’t mean to tell you what to do, but why are you out here when your family is with your dad?”

  “Because my ex-girlfriend is apparently engaged to the island’s only doctor, and I’m better off out here than in there plotting ways to kill the guy who’s keeping my dad alive.”

  “You should act like you don’t care that they’re engaged.”

  “Is that so?”

  She flushed again. “It’s certainly none of my business.”

  “No, please. Tell me why you think that’ll work.”

  “Because your indifference will bother her more than your anger does.”

  “Huh,” Grant said, pondering what she’d said.

  “I’ll go get you something to fix up that hangover.” Intrigued, he watched her head for the parking lot. She was nothing like his usual type. In other words, she was nothing like Abby, who was curvy and filled a bra to overflowing. Stephanie, by contrast, was almost boyish with her spiked hair and lack of curves.

  Deciding to take her advice, Grant went back inside to find everyone gone from the waiting room except for Ned, who was sitting next to Maddie’s mother. Francine was holding Ned’s hand and talking softly to him. They never even noticed Grant as he went to the reception desk to ask for directions to his father’s room.

  In the hallway outside the room, a crowd had formed.

  Luke, propped on crutches, was standing with Sydney, Maddie and Mac, who leaned against the wall, visibly exhausted.

  “How is he?” Grant asked his brother.

  “Still out cold,” Mac said. “But his color seems a little better than it was earlier.”

  “That’s good,” Grant said, relieved. The group went quiet, everyone lost in their own thoughts. When the quiet began to grate on his nerves, Grant said, “So what’s going on with Ned and Maddie’s mom?”

  Chapter 19

  “What’re you talking about?” Maddie asked Grant.

  “Dad was ribbing Ned this morning about a hot date he had last night,” Mac explained. “But Ned was being tight-lipped about it.”

  Maddie’s mouth fell open. “My mom and Ned?”

  “She was holding his hand and whispering to him in the waiting room just now,” Grant said. “I was with Dad last night when he saw them together.”

  “Well, I’ll be,” Mac said, laughing. “No wonder Dad was acting like he’d stumbled upon the hottest scoop on the island.”

  “My mom and Ned?” Maddie said again.

  Chuckling, Mac slid an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “Take a breath, babe.”

  “I had an odd conversation with Ned the other night,” Luke said. “He was talking about a girl he’d once known who’d left him for another guy. When he said she still lives on the island, I encouraged him to go see her.”

  “So they were together before?” Maddie asked. “When?”

  “Before she met your dad,” Luke said. “I guess she left him for your dad.”

  “Oh,” Maddie said. “Wow. I had no idea.” Resting a hand on her belly, she grimaced.

  Mac stood up straighter. “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  “That was not nothing, Madeline.”

  “Just some weird twinges today. Probably Braxton-Hicks contractions.”

  “I want to have you checked,” Mac said. His amusement over Ned and Francine had been replaced by intense concern.

  “It’s fine, Mac.”

  “We’ll let Dr. Maitland decide that.”

  As Mac took his wife’s hand and led her off to find the doctor, Luke noticed the scowl on Grant’s face.

  “What’s eating you?” Luke asked.

  “Not a damned thing.”

  “Whatever you say.”

  “How’s the ankle?”

  “I’m told it’ll hurt like hell once the pain meds wear off.”

  “Thanks for what you did. I heard you took a hell of a risk to save my dad and Mac.”

  Luke shrugged off the praise. “Mac took the bigger risk.”

  “I need to get you home.” Sydney took Luke’s arm. “Doctor’s orders.” To Grant, she added, “They want him off the foot so the swelling will go down.”

  “With me and your dad both laid up, we might need an extra set of hands around the marina,” Luke said to Grant. “Are you willing?”

  “Whatever I can do.”

  “Thanks. I’ll talk to Mac and let you know what we need.”

  “If I can do anything at all for you,” Grant said, “just give me a ring.”

  “Will do. Thanks.”

  “Let us know how your father and Maddie are, please,” Sydney said.

  “I’ll check in later,” Grant said.

  Sydney walked slowly along with him as Luke made his way on crutches to the emergency entrance. They’d wanted him to use a wheelchair, but he had refused.

  “I don’t feel right about leaving while Big Mac is still out of it,” Luke said.

  “I’m sure he’d want you to take care of yourself.”

  “Are you okay? You seem worried or something.”

  “I’m thinking about Buddy. I need to pick him up from the vet.” She bit her thumbnail as she thought it over. “I can’t lift him on my own, so I’ll have to call my dad to help me.”

  “Sorry to be of no use whatsoever.”

  She stopped walking an
d turned to him. “All I care about is you’re alive and you only sprained your ankle.”

  Luke smiled. She was so cute when her dander was up. “Come here and kiss me.”

  Glancing around the busy clinic, she took a tentative step toward him.

  “A little closer.”

  She rested her hands on his shoulders and went up on tiptoes to kiss him.

  “I know for a fact you can do better than that.”

  “Here?”

  “You just said all you care about is I’m alive. Prove it.”

  Her eyes dropped to his lips, and that was all it took to make him hard as stone. By the time she slid her hand around his neck and gave him a much better kiss, Luke was ready to beg.

  “Mmm.” He wished he could put his arms around her and hold her close. These crutches were going to be a serious drag. “Now we’re talking.”

  “Can we go home now?”

  “How’re we getting there?”

  “Oh crap. I left my car at Maddie’s.” She rolled her lip between her teeth. “If you have no objection, I’ll call my parents.”

  Luke wasn’t exactly keen on another encounter with the Donovans so soon after the last one. “Or we could ask Ned.”

  The cab driver was in the waiting room, still holding hands and talking with Francine.

  “Nah,” Syd said. “Leave them be. They’ve got a lot of catching up to do.” She drew her phone from her shorts pocket and dialed a number as Luke continued toward the door. “Mom? Are you busy?”

  Sydney’s parents pulled up to the emergency room entrance fifteen minutes later.

  “We heard about what happened at the marina,” her mother said as she held the back door of the SUV for Luke. “Thank goodness you’re all right.”

  “Thanks,” Luke said.

  Her father took Luke’s crutches and stowed them in the back. “Any word on Mr. McCarthy?” he asked.

  “Nothing new,” Luke said. “Dr. Maitland said he should be okay, though.”

  “Well, that’s a relief,” Mary Alice said.

  Sydney appreciated that her parents seemed to be making an effort to be nice to Luke. She directed them to Luke’s house and held his hand between both of hers in the back seat. “Dad, would you mind taking me to get Buddy after we get Luke home?”

  “’Course not.”

  “I can’t lift him on my own, and I’m afraid of hurting him.”

  “Why don’t we take him home to our house,” Mary Alice suggested. “We can look after him, since you’ll have your hands full taking care of Luke.”

  Luke squeezed her hand and sent her a questioning look.

  Syd had no idea where this new, agreeable version of her mother had come from. “Are you sure that wouldn’t be too much trouble?”

  “We’d be happy to have him, right, Allan?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “That would certainly take a load off my mind,” Syd said. “Thank you.”

  When they arrived at Luke’s house, Sydney got his crutches and helped him out of the car.

  “Where’s your car, honey?” Allan asked.

  “Over at Maddie’s. I’ll get it tomorrow.”

  “I can run you over there on the way home.”

  “May as well,” Luke said. “That way we aren’t stranded without a car, since my truck is at the marina.”

  “Okay,” Syd said. “Thanks, Dad.”

  “Thanks for the lift, Mr. Donovan,” Luke said.

  “No problem.”

  “Hope you feel better,” her mom added.

  Her parents waited outside while Sydney escorted Luke into the house and helped him get settled on the sofa.

  He removed the walking boot and propped his foot on a pillow.

  Sydney gasped at her first look at his horribly swollen and bruised ankle. “Oh, Luke,” she said. “God, it’s awful.”

  “Could’ve been much worse,” he said, but she noticed he was sweating and his lips had gone white with pain.

  She got him an ice pack, wrapped it in a towel and brought him two of the pain pills the clinic had sent him home with. Bending to kiss his forehead, she said, “I’ll be right back, okay?”

  “I’ll be right here.”

  Handing him the remote for the TV, she kissed him one more time and hurried out the door, anxious to get back to him. She climbed into her parents’ car and closed the door.

  “Is he all right?” Mary Alice asked.

  “He’s in pain, and his ankle is horrible.”

  “Will he be able to work?” Allan asked, glancing at her in the rearview mirror.

  “Not for a while, I suppose.”

  “I wonder what he’ll do,” Mary Alice said fretfully.

  “He’s not destitute, Mom.”

  “He’ll get workers’ comp for an accident at work,” Allan, the lawyer, said.

  “I suppose,” Sydney said.

  “Quite a piece of property he’s got there,” he added.

  “Yes.” Her mother’s worries had Sydney wondering if even with workers’ comp Luke could afford to be out of work for several weeks, especially in the summer. “Thanks for the help, you guys.”

  “We were glad you called,” Mary Alice said, turning in her seat. “We feel bad about what happened the other day.”

  “I certainly don’t want to be at odds with you. Not after all we’ve been through.”

  “We don’t want that either, honey.”

  “I’d like you to do something for me.” She met her mother’s gaze. “I want you to get to know Luke so you can see what I see in him. I’m asking you to give him a chance. Can you do that?”

  “There’s nothing we wouldn’t do for you, Syd,” Allan said. “You know that.”

  “Does that include respecting my choices?”

  “We want you to be happy again,” Mary Alice said. “If Luke makes you happy, then we’re happy, too.”

  “You mean that?”

  She nodded. “The last thing we want is for you to suffer any more heartache. You’ve already had more than your share.”

  “He loves me,” Syd said. “I feel that every minute I’m with him.”

  “Are you sure it’s not too soon to be getting so involved with someone else?” Allan asked. “It hasn’t been that long.”

  Even though she knew it was a reasonable question, it still made her mad. “How long is long enough, Dad? Can you tell me that? Is there a widow rule book I don’t know about?”

  “Now, honey, I don’t mean to upset you. I’m concerned about you getting hurt again.”

  “Luke would never hurt me.”

  “Not intentionally.”

  “Not ever. I’m far more worried about hurting him the way I did before.”

  “You have to stop blaming yourself for what happened years ago, Syd,” Mary Alice said. “You were just a kid.”

  “I was old enough to know he’d be crushed, but I was too much of a coward to end it the way I should have.”

  “If you saw fit to end it with him then—”

  “I didn’t see fit to end it! You told me he wasn’t good enough for me, and I believed you! I let you twist me in knots until I didn’t know which end was up.”

  “But you were happy with Seth. We saw that with our own eyes.”

  “I was happy with him, but I never loved him the way I love Luke.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, filling her with despair. Until that very moment, she hadn’t admitted it even to herself.

  “Sydney! How can you say such a thing?”

  “It’s the truth. I can’t help how I feel.” She swiped at the tears. “I couldn’t help it then, and I can’t help it now.”

  “But if you hadn’t married Seth—”

  “I don’t regret marrying him. I don’t regret the life we had together or our beautiful children, but I deeply regret decimating someone else on the way to that perfect life you wanted so badly for me.”

  In Maddie’s driveway, her father parked next to Syd�
��s car and turned off the engine. The three of them sat in uncomfortable silence until Sydney took a deep, fortifying breath. “I miss Seth and my children every minute of every day, but I’ve chosen not to be defined by what I’ve lost. I simply can’t live mired in tragedy and sorrow without joy or hope or a reason to get up in the morning.”

  Despite her intention to get through this without tears, they came anyway. “Being with Luke brings me joy, and for the first time in more than fifteen months, I’m hopeful again. I’m hopeful that every day of what’s left of my life isn’t going to totally suck. He’s done that for me, so all I’m asking is that you give him a chance. Just give him a chance. Please.”

  She got out, shut the door and headed for her own car. For a long time, she sat there hoping her hands would stop shaking so she could drive. A tap on the window surprised her. She turned the key so she could open the window.

  “I’m okay, Mom.”

  “If he feels up to it, how about you and Luke come for dinner tomorrow night?”

  Looking up at her mother, Sydney nodded. “We’d like that.”

  Chapter 20

  While his mother and Janey went to check on Maddie, Grant stayed with his father, staring down at the bed and willing him to wake up. Cal had said he could be out of it for a while, but Grant kept talking as if his father could hear him.

  He stopped talking only to answer text messages from his brothers Adam and Evan, who were en route to the island and were looking for updates on their father’s condition.

  “Adam and Evan will be here later tonight,” Grant told his father. “They said to tell you they don’t appreciate you scaring them this way.” He smiled, imagining his father’s response to that.

  “How’s he doing?”

  Grant spun around and found Abby standing in the doorway, looking nervous and adorable. He wanted so badly to feel her arms around him, to hear her say everything would be okay. No one had ever understood him the way she did.

  “About the same,” Grant said.