by Marie Force
“I don’t believe you’ll actually do it.”
She was closer to Julia than anyone in the world, but no one could make her madder than Julia could. Glaring at her sister, Katie got up from the bed, opened the door and went across the hall to bang on Shane’s door.
He opened it, looking surprised to see her and curious about the racket.
Katie forced herself to look him in the eye and say the words, knowing Julia was watching and listening. “What you asked me earlier… Do you still want to do that?”
“Um, yeah?”
“Tonight at seven?”
“Is good.”
“All right.” Katie turned and went back into her room, slamming the door behind her. “Satisfied?”
“Extremely satisfied.” Julia smiled victoriously. “And if you play your cards right, you will be, too.”
Leaving Julia gloating in their room, Katie went to find her mother, who was still on the porch with her parents and Charlie as well as Laura and Owen, who held a sleeping Holden. Before she allowed the ferry to leave without her, Katie needed to make sure it was okay with them if she stayed for a while.
“Hey, honey,” Sarah said when she saw Katie approach them. “Are you all packed?”
“About that… Could I talk to you for a minute?”
“Of course.” To the others, Sarah said, “I’ll be right back.”
Charlie, who’d been holding Sarah’s hand, kissed the back of it before he released her.
The warm smile her mother gave him sparked a pang of yearning inside Katie. What would it be like, she wondered, to share that sort of connection with a man? The question had her thinking of Shane, as if it were normal for her to yearn or to think about a man when neither of those things was in any way normal for her.
Sarah hooked her arm through Katie’s and escorted her through the lobby to the rockers on the front porch. “Why do you look troubled?”
“Do I?”
“You do indeed. What’s wrong, honey?”
Though it was her way to keep her troubles to herself, she rarely had a moment alone with her mother and found herself spilling the story of Doctor Strangelove’s near attack and how she’d quit her job in Texas.
“Good Lord, Katie! The man should be in jail!”
“Which is where he’ll end up if he doesn’t change his ways, but I’m not putting him there. After everything with the general, I don’t have it in me to go after him. I just don’t.” The Lawry children had long ago stopped referring to Mark Lawry as anything other than “the general” or “the sperm donor.”
“I understand. Better than you might think. When I arrived here last fall, beaten to within an inch of my life, I just wanted it all to go away. The last thing I wanted was to prosecute him.”
“What made you change your mind?”
“The doctor who saw to me is a mandatory reporter, meaning he had to report my injuries to the police. David, the doctor, and Blaine, the police chief, along with Owen and Laura, convinced me to go forward with charges this time. I’m glad now that I did. I don’t think I would’ve been able to move forward with my life if I hadn’t done it.”
“It’s different in my case. He never actually touched me, and truth be told, he’s probably got a bigger case against me after what I did to him. I quit my job, so he’s out of my life.”
“True.”
“The reason I really wanted to talk to you, though, is I’m thinking about staying here for a while—until I figure out my next move. I thought I’d take advantage of the time off to take a vacation, if it’s okay with you and Laura, of course.”
“I know I speak for Laura when I tell you my room is all yours for as long as you need it.”
“Where will you go?”
Before her eyes, Sarah Lawry blushed like a schoolgirl.
Katie laughed. “Oh, stupid question. You’ll be with Charlie.”
“He’s asked me to move in with him, and I’m going to do it.”
“I’m happy for you, Mom. We all are. But are you sure it’s not moving too fast?”
She didn’t expect her mother to laugh at her question. “Charlie would tell you it’s moved slower than molasses. It took me almost a year to kiss the poor guy. Nothing about this has been fast, honey.”
“I guess it’s old habit to worry about you.”
“And I’m sorry you had to for so long, but I promise you there’s nothing at all to worry about where Charlie is concerned. He treats me like a queen.”
“You certainly deserve that.” Katie stared out at the ferry landing where the boats came and went just about every hour all day long in the summer. “Where do you get the moxie to take a chance on another guy after what you went through?”
“It’s not so much taking a chance on just any guy. It’s about taking a chance with Charlie. He showed me night after night, week after week, month after month that I had nothing to fear from him. And for all that time he didn’t know why I flinched every time he moved too quickly or why I shied away from the most innocent of touches. He never asked, and I never told him, yet he kept coming back.”
Katie found herself riveted by her mother’s words as well as the strength and determination she heard behind them.
“He proved himself to me one minute at a time, Katie. He showed me who he was over those months of friendship and companionship. Our relationship didn’t become romantic until right before your father’s trial, when I had no choice but to tell him where I was going and why.”
“What did he say?”
“All the right things and other things I never expected to hear—like how much he loves me and how badly he wants a future with me. I sure as heck didn’t see that coming, although with hindsight I should have. I realized I’d been in love with him for quite some time at that point.”
Katie realized she was crying when her mother reached over to wipe the tears off her cheek. “That’s such a lovely story.”
“Yes, it is, and if I hadn’t lived it myself, I wouldn’t believe such things were possible after having endured life with your father.”
“I hate him for what he put you through. What he put all of us through.”
“Don’t hate him. Don’t give him that much of your energy. He doesn’t deserve it. Take all those negative emotions and turn them into something positive. I wish I’d left him years ago and spared all of you from having to grow up the way you did. I wasn’t strong enough then. I was never as strong as you’ve always been.”
Katie shook her head, laughing bitterly at the irony as tears fell in earnest now. “I’m not strong. I’m weak and frightened of everything and pathetic in so many ways.”
“Why in the world would you say such awful things? You, all of you… I admire my children more than anyone. That you survived and thrived in spite of the nightmare you lived through… I give you tremendous credit for that.”
“I’ve survived, but I haven’t thrived. I’ve avoided men like the plague and erected a fortress around myself to keep them at arm’s length.”
“How long has this been going on?”
Katie wiped away her tears, hating how weak they made her feel. “Always,” she said softly.
“Katie… Sweetheart, that’s no way to live.”
“You sound like Julia.”
“You know I never take sides with my children, but I have to agree with her.”
Katie looked over at her mother. “Shane asked me to go to dinner with him.”
Sarah’s eyes widened with pleasure that stretched across her face in a wide smile. “Did he now?”
Katie nodded.
“Are you going?”
“Only after Julia shamed me into it.”
Sarah hooted with laughter. “Good for her.”
“My first date at age thirty-two. How ridiculous is that?”
“I think it’s lovely that you waited for one of the nicest, sweetest, kindest men I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet.”
“Really?” He
aring her mother’s ringing endorsement of Shane, Katie felt her heart begin to beat faster with excitement and anticipation.
“He’s wonderful. He’s quiet, so it takes awhile to get to know him, but he’s so sweet and devoted to Laura and the baby. He’d do anything for me and for Owen. We’re all quite fond of him around here—and not just because he’s Laura’s brother. And now, after hearing what he did for you yesterday, he’s earned a permanent place in my heart.”
“That’s nice to hear.”
“You have nothing—and I do mean nothing—to fear from him, Katie.”
“I keep telling myself that, because I want to change. I want to be more courageous and take some chances.”
“Then that’s exactly what you should do.” Sarah paused, seeming to choose her words carefully. “You should know… He hasn’t had it easy either.”
“What do you mean?”
Sarah shook her head. “That’s for him to tell you—if or when he decides he wants to. Until then, take my word for it. He’s a good guy, and you should go out with him tonight and enjoy yourself and relax about all the things that have held you back in the past. Think of this as a fresh start, a whole new you.”
A whole new me… Was that what she wanted? Yes, she decided right then and there. She desperately needed a change, and going out to dinner with Shane would signal the start of a new phase in her life, one in which she wouldn’t spend so much time being afraid.
Everyone who mattered to her had endorsed him as a good guy, and he’d shown her that himself with the way he’d come to her rescue the day before, not to mention the tender way he treated his nephew. It mattered greatly that her mother and Owen thought highly of him. Somehow that had to be enough. There’d never been a more ideal circumstance for wading into the dating pool than a night out with Shane McCarthy.
Sarah took hold of Katie’s hand. “I’m so glad you’ll be staying awhile. I’ve missed you so much.”
For the first time in a long time, Katie felt excited about something. “Me, too.”
Chapter 6
Shortly after the astonishing exchange with Katie, Shane took a call from his cousin Mac, who invited him to join other family members on a fishing trip for the afternoon.
“I’ve got something I have to do at seven,” Shane told Mac. “Will we be back in time?” No way was he going to be late for his date with Katie, not when it had taken all his courage to ask her and seemingly all of hers to accept.
“Oh yeah, we’ll be back long before seven.”
“Sounds good, then.”
“Come on over to the marina as soon as you can.”
“I’ll be there in ten.” Shane changed into swim trunks and a T-shirt, and tossed sunscreen and a bucket hat into a backpack. On the way downstairs, he met up with Laura and Owen, who were on their way up with Holden asleep on Owen’s shoulder.
“Where’re you off to?” Laura asked.
“Going fishing with Mac and some other guys.” To Owen, he said, “Want to come?”
“Not this time.” Owen glanced at Laura. “But thanks for the invite.”
“He’s on his honeymoon,” Laura added. “It’s the stay-cation kind of honeymoon.”
“Spare me the details,” Shane said with a grimace. “I’ll see you later.”
“Have fun,” Laura called after him.
“Thanks!” Shane went out through the kitchen to the parking lot behind the hotel where he kept the motorcycle he’d bought from an elderly island resident who couldn’t use it anymore. The bike was perfect for getting around the island in the summer, but he planned to invest in a truck before winter set in.
He strapped on the helmet his father had made him promise to wear every time he used the bike. Frank McCarthy, who’d been both father and mother to him and Laura since their mother died, was still overprotective.
Shane would never admit to his father that he barely remembered his mother. Losing her was something he didn’t like to think about too much. His memories of her were tied up in photographs more than reality. He remembered her being sick for a long time before she died. He remembered the fear of knowing something bad was happening and watching the adults in his life carefully for signs of trouble.
His Aunt Linda and Uncle Mac had come to Providence from their home on Gansett frequently during the winter his mother died, and the following summer, Shane and Laura had come to stay with them on the island, which was something Shane vividly remembered. The time with his cousins, aunt and uncle had been therapeutic for him and for Laura, who’d taken the loss of their mother even harder than he had.
Shane remembered being numb for a long time after his mother died, sort of the same way he’d felt after his marriage imploded. Today, when Katie had come to his door—her eyes crackling with emotion that might’ve been anger at her sister who had obviously been goading her—Shane had felt anything but numb. He’d felt alive for the first time in two years.
It wasn’t wise, he knew, to get too excited about one date, but that one date was a major step forward for him after having been stuck on pause for two long years. Maybe nothing would come of it other than an enjoyable evening with a woman who interested him.
That was fine, or so he told himself as he drove the bike from South Harbor to the McCarthy’s Gansett Island Marina in North Harbor, dodging traffic of all sorts on the way—cars, trucks, mopeds, pedestrians, bicycles and even baby strollers filled the island roadways on summer weekends when the population swelled dramatically.
At the marina, he found a big crowd of family members surrounding his uncle “Big Mac” McCarthy, one of Shane’s favorite people in the world. His uncle was all about family and fun and laughter, and Shane loved being around him. In addition to Mac Junior, Big Mac’s other sons, Grant, Evan and Adam, were there, as were Shane’s Uncle Kevin and his sons, Riley and Finn, who’d come for the wedding. The group also included Big Mac’s son-in-law, Joe Cantrell, who was married to Shane’s cousin Janey, along with Luke Harris, who’d worked at the marina since he was fourteen, and Big Mac’s best friend, Ned Saunders.
“Shane!” Big Mac’s bellow welcomed him as he parked the bike and stowed his helmet. “Get over here.”
“I’m coming,” Shane said, amused as always by his larger-than-life uncle. “Where’s Dad?”
“On his way,” Kevin said.
“Oh good.” Frank would never miss a gathering of McCarthy men, especially when there was fishing, beer and good times to be had.
“Meet my friend Buster,” Big Mac said of the stocky man standing next to him. “That’s his boat over there.” Big Mac pointed to what had to be a fifty-foot powerboat with huge towers and serious fishing equipment built in. “When he heard my whole family was in town for a wedding, he offered to take us out for a few hours today.”
Shane noticed his cousin Grant eyeing the boat with trepidation and wondered if he or his brothers had been on a boat since the catastrophic sailboat accident they’d been in last spring. Killed in that accident had been the captain, Steve Jacobson. Shane’s dad, Frank, was now dating Steve’s mother, Betsy, who’d come to the island after the accident to find out more about what’d happened to her son.
Seeing his dad and Betsy together, both of them nursing deep hurts, had given Shane a glimmer of hope that it was possible to move on after a terrible loss. Granted, his loss couldn’t be compared to what his dad or Betsy had endured, but it had been every bit as catastrophic to him. That Courtney had chosen to leave him was almost worse than losing her to death. Or so he suspected. He couldn’t imagine anything more painful than his wife choosing to leave him when he was still completely in love with her, despite the mess she’d made of their lives.
“You okay, man?” his cousin Riley asked Shane. Younger than him by five and six years respectively, Riley and his brother, Finn, closely resembled their cousins Mac and Adam with their dark hair and McCarthy blue eyes.
“Yeah, I’m good.” Better than he’d been in a while, Shane real
ized all at once.
“Haven’t seen you in a long time, but I hope you know…”
Shane saved his cousin the trouble of finishing the sentence by squeezing Riley’s shoulder. “I know. Thanks.”
Frank arrived, full of apologies for holding them up, and Big Mac ushered everyone onto the boat that he’d already outfitted with coolers full of food and drinks. His uncle did spontaneous fun better than anyone, and a day on the water with all his favorite guys made what was already shaping up to be a rather awesome weekend even better.
Shane caught the biggest fish of the day—an eighty-pound bluefin tuna that put up one hell of a fight. It took Shane and four of his cousins working together to land the beast. Victorious and euphoric, Shane accepted slaps on the back and congratulations from the others even as his arms shook with fatigue.
“That’s my boy,” Frank said proudly, embarrassing the hell out of Shane with his effusiveness.
“We’ll cook it up tonight,” Big Mac declared. “Tuna for everyone at the marina.”
Shane didn’t mention he had other plans and wouldn’t be joining them.
“Do ya even know how ta cook a tuna?” Ned asked his buddy.
“Nope, but I bet Linda does. She knows everything.”
“How long are you married before you admit that?” Mac asked his father.
“If you’re a smart man like me, you figure it out before you get married.”
“Oh, puleeze.” Grant rolled his eyes at his brothers and cousins, who made barfing noises that had the older men laughing.
Big Mac dismissed their ridicule with the sweep of his hand. “Boys, listen to me when I tell you… The two most essential words required for a happy marriage are ‘yes’ and ‘dear.’”
“Would it be okay if we mentioned this advice you shared with us to Mom?” Adam asked.
“It might be better if you didn’t,” Big Mac said to much laughter. “You know that saying, ‘what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas’? Well, the same can be said for when you’re at sea.”