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

by Marie Force

  “Did someone call for Cal? We need him!” He spun around, looking for Abby. “Did you call him?”

  Abby looked down at the floor. “He’s…ah…”

  “He’s off-island,” Joe said. “He left earlier today because his mother had a stroke in Texas.”

  Mac’s mind went blank as Joe’s words registered. When Cal hadn’t come to the party, Mac had assumed he was working. Jesus… No doctor. A tropical storm. No way off the island. This was far worse than all the dramatic scenarios his overactive imagination had conjured in the last few weeks.

  “Victoria, the nurse midwife, is on her way,” Abby said. “She’ll be here any minute.”

  “It’s time for everyone to go home,” Linda said, taking charge. “We’ll let you know as soon as we have some news to share.” She ushered the subdued group from the house.

  “Janey!” Maddie panted her way through another contraction. “Stay. Please.”

  “I’m not going anywhere, honey,” Janey said, smoothing the sweat-soaked hair off Maddie’s forehead.

  Mac’s brothers squeezed his shoulder in support as they departed. His mother told Evan to take their father home because she was staying. He heard Joe say that he’d stay, too, in case they needed him.

  “I’m not going anywhere until my grandbaby is born,” Big Mac bellowed, sounding more like his old self than he had in weeks. “It’ll be okay, son,” he said, bending to embrace Mac’s shoulders. “She’s young and strong, and everything will be fine.”

  Though he clung desperately to his father’s reassuring words, Mac’s heart raced with fear, and his eyes were glued to Maddie.

  “Mac…” Her voice was tense and her breathing erratic. “Need you.”

  Those two small words punctured the layer of shock, snapping him out of the stupor. It didn’t matter if they were stuck on an island in a storm or the doctor was gone or that she hadn’t listened to him. Right now, the only thing that mattered was that she needed him, and he wouldn’t let her down.

  “I’m here, baby,” he said.

  “So sorry,” she panted. “Should’ve listened to you. You were right.”

  “Doesn’t matter now.” He pressed kisses to her face and neck. “We’ll get you through this. I promise.”

  “The baby. What if—”

  Mac swallowed his own panic. “She’ll be just fine.”

  “How do you know it’s a she?”

  He forced a smile for her. “Only a woman would create this kind of drama.”

  The Maddie he knew and loved would’ve had a smart comeback for such a sexist statement, but Maddie in labor grimaced as another pain required her full attention. “I need to push.”

  “Not yet, honey.” Where this calm resolve was coming from, he couldn’t have said. “Wait for Victoria.” He twisted around, looking for some sign that help was on the way.

  “She’s coming,” Janey said. “Let’s get her upstairs and out of these wet clothes.”

  Grateful to have something to do, Mac slid his arms under his wife and lifted her.

  She linked her hands around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

  Holding his whole world in his arms, he took her upstairs, determined to do whatever it took to get her and their baby through this safely.

  Stephanie ran with Grant through torrential rain to his father’s truck. Even though they were both getting soaked, he held the passenger door for her before he went around to the driver’s side.

  He sat there breathing hard and gripping the wheel.

  “Are you okay?” she asked after a long period of silence.

  “I feel weird about leaving. Maddie… God, Steph, if something happens to her, what’ll he do?”

  His use of her nickname and his concern for his brother and sister-in-law made her go soft inside. Pushing aside all the reasons why it wasn’t a good idea to continue this odd involvement with him, she reached for his hand, mindful of the bandage covering the stitches in his palm. She cradled his hand between both of hers. “I don’t know her very well, but Maddie seems strong and determined.”

  “Of all days for there to be no doctor on the island.” She felt a shudder go through him. “Mac has to be freaking out.”

  “I’m sure he’s focused on taking care of her. He’ll have plenty of time to freak out when it’s over and everyone is fine.”

  “I would stay, but my parents are there, and Janey and Joe…”

  “They have everyone they need most. There’s nothing you can do here except get in the way and add to the anxiety.”

  “True.” He blew out a deep breath. “People who get married and have babies are crazy.”

  Stephanie laughed. “Certifiable.”

  “Thanks for calming me down,” he said, withdrawing his hand from hers to start the truck.

  “No problem.” Her hands grew chilly without his warmth.

  From the faint glow of the headlights, she could see him concentrating on the road, which was littered with leaves and sticks and other debris. His knuckles were white from the grip he had on the wheel. “The storm seems to have regrouped.”

  “Yeah,” she said, gnawing at her lip as she imagined a long night alone in the dark at the marina. She wasn’t a big fan of dark places or being alone in dark places. It’s just one night, and I’m sure the power will be back on soon.

  Grant navigated the twists and turns that led to the marina. As he approached the three-way stop, he angled the truck to the right rather than the left that would take them to the marina. He made a full stop and then took the right toward town.

  “Um, hello,” she said. “You forgot to drop me off.”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  Her stomach quivered. “Where’re we going?”

  “To Janey’s. I’m not letting you stay at the marina alone in a storm with no power.”

  Why, oh why, did her heart have to do a happy little jig when he said that? He was just being the gentleman Linda McCarthy had raised him to be. It didn’t mean anything, and she’d do well to remember that. He was too busy mooning over Abby to even notice her.

  “It’s okay. I don’t mind staying there.” She suspected the more time she spent with him, especially the time they spent alone, would only make it harder for her to remember that he was in love with someone else.

  “I mind.”

  She wanted to call him out on that, accuse him of starting to care about her, but she couldn’t bring herself to risk whatever he might fire back at her. He might want Abby, but for right now, tonight, she had him all to herself. He’d been moved by what she’d told him earlier. He had comforted her and offered to help. Was it possible he was coming to care for her?

  Don’t be ridiculous. Don’t be a fool and confuse friendship for romance. The closer they got to Janey’s cozy cottage, the more nervous Stephanie became. There was only one bed. The second bedroom was full of dog beds for Janey’s menagerie of pets. The living room contained two loveseats. Where did he expect her to sleep? Surely not with him. Not again.

  Her heart fluttered, and her palms were damp. Despite the chill in the air, she was warm from head to toe. The pervasive darkness that enveloped the island only added to the feeling of being isolated, completely alone with the man who’d made her mouth dry and her stomach flutter from the day she met him.

  After spending last night in bed with him, she only wanted him more than she had before. While she remembered every detail of what had occurred between them, he didn’t, and that bothered her more than it should have.

  For the life of her, she couldn’t come up with a pithy comment or an insult that would put things back on track. The strain of trying to think of something—anything—she could say to break the silence that hung between them like a living, breathing being was killing her.

  What did it mean that he was bringing her home with him? Was it really about concern for her safety, or did he want a repeat performance of the night before? If he did, would she be willing? She released a deep, r
attling breath, trying to calm her rampaging nerves. Even knowing it was a huge mistake to get more involved with a man who still pined for his ex-girlfriend, she couldn’t help but wish the intense attraction she felt toward him might one day be reciprocated.

  Since her head was about to explode from overthinking this situation, she should’ve been relieved when Grant finally pulled into the driveway at Janey’s place. But now that they’d arrived, she couldn’t seem to move.

  He solved the problem for her by leaping from the car and jogging around to her side. When he opened the door, the wind and rain required her immediate attention. Grant tugged the hood up over her head and reached for her hand. “Come on!”

  Propelled by him pulling her along, Stephanie followed him into the house even though everything in her resisted the powerful force that drew her to him. Inside, he helped her out of the wet jacket and told her to stay put for a minute. With tension vibrating through her, she linked and unlinked her fingers, waiting to see what he would say or do.

  When he struck a match, she startled from the sound and the sudden flash of light in the inky darkness. He bent and used the match to ignite the wood in the fireplace, sending a cozy glow over the small room. Fabulous.

  “That’s better than the dark,” he said as he turned to her.

  The sight of him in the firelight—tall, dark, lanky, elegant in a fully masculine way—stole the breath from her lungs. Her face heated with shame and dismay and lust. Mostly lust. She licked her lips and tried to force the memories from last night from her mind, but all she could see was how that fine body had looked without the bulky sweater and damp jeans.

  She’d never known a more perfectly beautiful man, and she had no idea how she’d resist him if he wanted a repeat of last night.

  Janey helped Mac get Maddie cleaned up and into a fresh nightgown. They layered the bed with towels and blankets and got Maddie settled. Her contractions were about seven minutes apart and growing more intense. Janey could tell her brother was working overtime to hide his panic from his wife. Since her own hands were shakier than usual, Janey could only imagine how Mac and Maddie must be feeling.

  “I need to run downstairs for a quick second, but I’ll be right back,” Janey said.

  “See if you can find out what’s keeping Victoria,” Mac said as he wiped Maddie’s face with a cool washcloth in the aftermath of a contraction.

  “I will.”

  Janey dashed down the stairs and signaled for Joe to join her in the kitchen.

  “How is she?” he asked.

  “Not great. She’s in a lot of pain, and it’s happening really fast.”

  “Jesus.” He glanced at the stairs, tension pulsing in his jaw. “It’s so early… The baby…”

  “I need to tell you something.”

  That brought his attention back to her. “What?”

  “David called me the day before the wedding.” She referred to her ex-fiancé, the man she’d been with for thirteen years until she caught him in bed with another woman. She and Joe had married on the day that had once been intended for her wedding to David.

  Joe’s face went slack with shock. “Okay…”

  “He knew we were getting married, and he wanted to wish me well.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “Because it didn’t matter. It was a two-minute conversation.”

  “I’m surprised you took the call,” he said, trying—and failing—to hide his annoyance.

  She went up on tiptoes to kiss the pout off his lips. “I took the call because it came from a local number I didn’t recognize.” That seemed to appease her new husband—somewhat.

  “Why’re you telling me this now?”

  “Because he’s here—on the island for a few days visiting his mother. I want to call him. To help Maddie.”

  “Do it,” Joe said without hesitation.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course I am. He’s a goddamned doctor, and we need a goddamned doctor. Get him the hell over here.”

  Janey smiled and kissed him again, hoping to remind him of who owned her heart. “Do you promise not to punch him?” she asked, referring to how he’d reacted to David’s infidelity.

  “Only if he behaves and doesn’t say or do anything to provoke me.”

  “What would count as provoking?” she asked in a teasing tone. “Saying ‘hello,’ perhaps?” That’s all it had taken from David to send Joe over the edge after witnessing Janey’s despair at her fiancé’s deception.

  Joe scowled at her. “Make the call, Mrs. C, and stop trying to provoke me so you can have make-up sex later.”

  Laughing at his stormy expression, she withdrew her cell phone from her pocket. “Why don’t you go check on Mac or something?”

  “That’s okay.” He crossed his arms and sent her a mulish look. “I’ll stay.”

  Janey rolled her eyes at him. Her normally low-key husband turned into a jealous fool whenever David Lawrence’s name was mentioned. “Hi, David, it’s Janey.”

  “Why do you still have him on speed dial?” Joe whispered.

  Janey held him off with a hand to his chest.

  “Janey,” David said, sounding surprised to hear from her. “I thought you’d be on your honeymoon.”

  “It’s been delayed due to the storm. I know I have no right to ask you for anything—”

  “What do you need?”

  “My sister-in-law Maddie is in labor, and Cal Maitland is off-island. Victoria, the nurse midwife, is on her way, but the baby… It’s two months early. We need a doctor, David.”

  “Where are you?”

  She gave him Mac’s address on Sweet Meadow Farm Road.

  “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  “Thank you so much.” She closed the phone and looked up at Joe. “He’s coming.”

  “Good. So why do you still have him on speed dial?”

  Chapter 10

  “I need to take care of Janey’s pets,” Grant said, glancing toward the hallway that led to the bedrooms.

  “Could I help?”

  Surprised that she’d asked, he said, “Um, sure, if you want to.” He grabbed a flashlight and led her to the bedroom across the hall from where they’d spent last night together. When Grant opened the door, a scurry of paws greeted them.

  “Oh!” Stephanie said, sucking in a sharp breath. “They’re… What’s… Oh.”

  “They’ve all got special needs.”

  Stephanie dropped to her knees and was mobbed by furry creatures. “Introduce me,” she said, scooping up Pixie, a Jack Russell with a skin condition. Over her shoulder, she looked up at him. “You do know their names, don’t you?”

  “As if my sister would leave me with them for more than a week if I didn’t have every one of their names as well as each of their unique conditions and accompanying medications fully memorized.”

  “Is your mama particular?” Stephanie asked Pixie in a little girl voice that got the attention of Grant’s cock. Again.

  “That’s Pixie, Dexter, Sam, Muttley and Riley.”

  As Pixie kissed Stephanie’s chin, she giggled.

  Dexter, the cocker spaniel, nudged at her leg.

  “Oh, God, Grant. His ears!” This time when she looked up at him, her eyes were bright with tears. “Did someone do that to him?”

  When Grant lowered himself to the floor, Sam, a white ball of fur, scurried into his lap. “Janey isn’t sure how he lost his ears. He was like that when they found him.”

  Stephanie pressed her lips to Dexter’s snout. “Poor baby. I’m so sorry someone hurt you.”

  Touched by her compassion, Grant propped the flashlight to better illuminate the room.

  She reached out to pet Muttley, a black-and-brown mongrel who was missing his tail, and the dog shied away from her.

  Grant suddenly remembered Stephanie doing the same thing the day they met. They’d been standing outside the clinic where his father was being treated after the accident a
t the marina. She’d been upset about his father, and Grant had intended to comfort her. When his hand landed on her shoulder, she’d flinched. He’d forgotten about that until right now.

  After hearing that her mother used to beat her, at least he knew why. Imagining Stephanie as a helpless child being beaten by the mother who was supposed to care for her filled him with rage and made him want to personally ensure that no one ever hurt her again.

  “He thinks I’m going to hit him,” she said softly.

  “It takes him a while to warm up to new people.”

  Stephanie held out her hand, encouraging Muttley to approach her.

  The dog took a tentative step and then another.

  Stephanie stayed perfectly still, giving him all the time he needed to get comfortable with her.

  When Muttley finally nuzzled her outstretched hand, a victorious smile stretched across her face.

  Watching her pleasure at the small victory, Grant felt something inside him shift and open to make room for the possibility… Desperate to keep his thoughts where they belonged, he reached a hand out to Muttley. The dog zeroed in on the wound on his palm and licked the bandage that covered it. When Grant started to withdraw his hand, Stephanie stopped him.

  “Let him tend to you.” The heat of her hand on his arm burned through his thin T-shirt. “He’s showing you he trusts you not to hit him.”

  Moved by her understanding, Grant stared at her as she kept her attention on Muttley, stroking his back and ears.

  “Are you sure dog germs are good for the cut?” he asked.

  “His mouth is cleaner than yours.”

  “Um, I’ve seen where his mouth has been.”

  “If you could put your mouth where he can put his, you’d probably never leave the house.”

  Grant went instantly hard at the thought of her mouth in places he couldn’t reach. Why was it that his body responded so predictably to this feisty woman with the fresh mouth, but not all the hundreds—if not thousands—of other less prickly women he had known? “That’s a lovely visual. Thank you for that.”

  Stephanie laughed at his haughty tone, and he thanked God for the murky darkness so she couldn’t see what her suggestive comment had done to him.