by Marie Force
“We might have to do that again. Soon.”
“I could be convinced.”
Frank dropped his head to her shoulder, thankful to have found her and to have all the time in the world to spend getting to know her better.
Chapter 8
After seeing off her siblings on the noon ferry, Katie moved her things into the room that had been her mother’s, three doors down the hall from Shane’s room.
“You don’t have to do that, Mom.”
“I don’t mind,” Sarah said as she hung Katie’s clothes in the closet. “What’re you planning to wear tonight?”
“I hadn’t thought about that.”
“This one’s nice.” Sarah held up a lightweight orange dress.
“Is it too dressy for a casual night out?”
“I don’t think so. It’ll look great with your tan.”
“Am I tan?”
“You’re more tan after one day at the beach than I’ll be at the end of the summer.”
“If you say so.”
“I say so, and I’m the mom, so you have to believe me.” She came over to hug Katie. “I’m so glad you’re staying for a while and we get to spend some time together. I know I’ve already said it, but I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you, too, and I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see you glowing with happiness.”
“That’s nice to hear. I hoped you kids would be happy for me.”
“How could we not be?”
Sarah’s smile faded, and she looked down at the floor. “I wondered if you’d think I was selfish.”
“Selfish? Why in the world would we think that?”
“Because I stayed with your father for so long when all of you were begging me to leave him, and then while most of you stay stubbornly single because of the way you were raised, I go off and fall in love with someone new.”
Katie led her mother to the double bed that took up most of the space in the room. They sat next to each other. “Mom, please don’t think that. All we’ve ever wanted was to see you safe and happy. If Charlie makes you feel safe and happy, we’re all for it.”
“He does,” Sarah said softly. “He’s incredible.”
“No one deserves that more than you do.”
“You do, too.”
“What I went through was nothing compared to what you endured.”
“It wasn’t nothing. It was a nightmare, and it was my fault that it went on for as long as it did. If I could turn back time—”
“Don’t do that. Don’t beat yourself up over things that are so far in the past they don’t matter anymore.”
“They do matter, Katie. You said yourself that you’ve never even been on a date with a man because you’re afraid of finding one like your father. That’s on me as much as it’s on him.”
“No way is that true. I blame him—and only him—for what happened in our home. None of us blame you, Mom. You were as powerless in that situation as we were.”
“Not quite.”
“You think that now that you’ve had some time and space away from the situation, but when you were in it, you certainly didn’t feel powerful.”
“No, I didn’t,” Sarah said with a sigh. “I just wish I’d been stronger then.”
“What matters is you’re stronger now—strong enough to see something you want and to reach for it. That takes tremendous courage after everything you went through with what’s his name.”
“I want you to know the truth about Charlie before you hear it from someone else and jump to the wrong conclusions.”
“What truth?”
“He was in prison for fourteen years—”
“Mom!”
“—for a crime he did not commit. He was accused of kidnapping and beating Stephanie, his stepdaughter, when in fact he rescued her from her mother, who surely would’ve beaten her to death if he hadn’t intervened. Stephanie spent just about every minute of those fourteen years trying to get him out of jail.”
“Wow,” Katie said on a long exhale. “I’m sorry if I overreacted.”
“Don’t be. I understand why you did. I did, too, when I first heard about it.”
“How long has he been out?”
“Almost a year. He came here to be close to Steph and to figure out his next move. He did some work here at the hotel during the renovations, which is how we met. He told me the truth right away and gave me the chance to decide if it was too much for me to take on.”
“I’ve got to give him credit for coming clean at the outset.”
“I did, too. When you get to know him, and I hope you will while you’re here, you’ll soon realize he couldn’t harm a flea, let alone Stephanie, who he loves beyond reason.”
“That’s quite a story.”
Sarah ran a hand over Katie’s hair, brushing it back over her shoulder. “Will you do something for me?”
“Anything.”
“Will you allow yourself to take a real, honest chance with Shane?”
“We’re just going to dinner, not planning a wedding.”
Sarah smiled. “I simply want you to put aside all the concerns that have kept you away from men in the past and give one very nice man a chance to show you what you’ve been missing. There’s nothing quite like spending time with a man who knows how to treat a woman.”
“And you think Shane knows how to treat a woman?”
“I’m sure he does. If you could see the way his cousins treat their women, you wouldn’t have a doubt. He was raised by the same kind of man they were. Frank is wonderful, and so is Shane.”
“I’ll give him an honest chance, but I’m not making any promises beyond tonight.”
“That’s fair enough.” Sarah kissed Katie’s cheek and gave her a one-armed hug. “I hope you have a wonderful time, and I’ll want to hear all about it.”
“Could I ask you something else?”
“Of course.”
“How do you feel about Gram and Pop giving the hotel to Laura and Owen?”
“I think it’s a brilliant idea, and I was all for it.”
“So they talked to you about it before they did it?”
Sarah nodded. “They wanted to ensure that I wasn’t interested in the place—and I’m not. I’ve seen how hard Laura and Owen work here, and I’m more than happy to defer to them. Besides, apparently I’m not going to need the income.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not public information yet, so keep it between us, but Charlie is getting a seven-million-dollar settlement from the state—half a million for every year he spent in prison. He’s already told me I can pick out any house I want on the island and decorate it any way I see fit.”
“That’s amazing, Mom. Congratulations to both of you.”
“My only wish now is to see all my children as happy as I am and as happy as Owen is.”
“It may take some time, but I think we’ll get there.”
“I sure hope so.” Sarah stood. “I’ve got to get going, but I’ll be by tomorrow to see how your evening went.”
Katie got up to walk her mother to the door. “I’ll look forward to that.”
Sarah hugged her. “Have the best time tonight. Let go of the past and embrace the present. I promise you won’t be sorry you did.”
“Love you, Mom.”
“Love you, too, sweetheart. See you later.”
Katie closed the door and went to stretch out on the bed, thinking about everything her mother had told her about Charlie’s story and the risk Sarah had taken to open her heart to him. Her thoughts turned to Shane and how adorable he’d looked earlier as he tried to figure out what had possessed her to change her mind about his invitation.
She giggled softly to herself as she pictured the look on his face as he dealt with a crazy woman on his doorstep. Maybe she was fifteen years overdue for her first date, but she was glad she’d waited for him. All at once, she couldn’t wait to see him again and spend more time with h
im.
Shane felt ridiculous for being so nervous about a date. It was just dinner, so how had he managed to build it into such a big deal in his mind? The answer, he knew, was because it was his first date since his divorce, which made it a bigger deal than it normally would’ve been. He’d done plenty of dating before he met Courtney and even had a couple of girlfriends. But no one date had ever felt so important, not even his first date with the woman who’d become his wife.
As he stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel, he pushed those thoughts right out of his mind. The last thing he wanted to think about right now was her. She was firmly in the past, where she belonged, and tonight he had something to look forward to with another woman who interested and intrigued him.
He dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a yellow linen button-down shirt that he’d actually ironed for the occasion. Returning to the bathroom, he combed his hair and dabbed on some of the cologne Laura had bought him for Christmas. At the time he’d asked her where she expected him to wear it, and she’d replied, “You never know when it might come in handy.”
As usual, his sister was right. When someone knocked on his door, he went to answer it, wondering if it might be Katie. But it was Laura with Holden in her arms. The baby let out a happy squeak at the sight of his uncle.
“Hey, there.” He took the baby from Laura and swung him around, making him squeal with laughter.
“Careful.” Laura closed the door behind her. “He just ate, and you look nice.”
“You wouldn’t puke on me, would you?” Shane asked his nephew, who replied with the gummy, drooly smile Shane adored. “I didn’t think so. What’re you guys up to?”
“Just coming to check on you.” Laura sniffed the air. “You used the cologne I gave you. Told you it might come in handy someday.”
“I was just thinking about that when I put it on, and you don’t need to be so smug about it. You were right, as always.”
“Could you tell Owen that? He’s still fighting the ‘Laura’s always right’ program.”
“You’re on your own there,” he said with a chuckle. “How’s married life treating you?”
“So far so sublime.”
“Don’t say another word.”
“What? You asked.”
“Holden, tell your mommy she shouldn’t talk dirty in front of you.”
“He’s on my side. He loves Daddy, too.” Laura’s happy smile faded ever so slightly. “Speaking of daddy, Justin wants to come over in the next week or so to see Holden.”
“Yeah? Is that a problem?”
“No, it’s fine. It’s just always weird to see him after everything that happened, but he has a right to see his son.”
“If you say so.”
“What’s that about?”
“I just think you could’ve gotten full custody if you’d pushed for it.”
“Maybe, but that wouldn’t have been in Holden’s best interest. And besides, he doesn’t get out here that often, so I sort of do have full custody, and he’ll grow up with Owen as his everyday dad. It’s the best possible arrangement under the circumstances.”
“I guess.”
“I know you’re still mad at him for what he did, but I’ve made my peace with it and moved on. If he hadn’t screwed up so royally, I never would’ve met Owen, and what a tragedy that would’ve been.”
“Indeed.”
“I hope that someday you might feel the same way about what happened with Courtney—that all the pain and sorrow led you to where you were meant to end up.”
“It would be nice to have it make sense.”
“Someday it will. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but someday.”
Shane glanced at the clock on his bedside table. Five minutes to seven. “I need to get going.”
“Katie moved down the hall earlier to Sarah’s old room.”
“Oh, okay. Good to know. Where did Sarah go?”
“To Charlie’s.”
“Ahh, not wasting any time, huh?”
“Nope. I’m so happy for them. What a great couple they are.”
“I agree.”
“Did you hear he’s getting a huge settlement from the state for the time he spent in prison? Seven million bucks!”
“Wow. That’ll set them up for life.”
“No kidding. That’s what Owen said, too.”
“Nice to know some people get a happy ending,” Shane said.
“I have a good feeling where you’re concerned. You’re going to get yours, too.”
He rolled his eyes at her. “On that note, oh wise one, I gotta go. Go on back to your new husband. He’ll be wondering where you are.”
“He knew I was coming to check on you before your date.”
“Does he know who I’m going out with?”
“Um, he might?”
“Laura!”
“What? He asked me, so I told him.”
“I should’ve told him myself or asked if he minded or something.”
Laura laughed at his distress. “Why would he mind, Shane? She’s thirty-two years old, and he knows you’re a good guy.”
“Still… I should’ve said something to him.”
“He thinks it’s great, and he hopes you guys have a good time.”
“He said that? Really?”
“Yes! Now go, will you?”
“Before I do, I just want to say… Thanks, you know, for everything. For dragging me out here and giving me a reason to get up in the morning again. And for Holden, who is quite simply the best thing since ice cream and beer.”
Laura laughed again, which made Holden giggle in response to his mother. “Yes, he is, and I should be thanking you for showing up just when we needed you most. We say all the time that we never would’ve been ready for the season without you.”
He gave Holden a kiss and bent to kiss Laura’s cheek as he handed the baby back to her. “I’ll see you guys in the morning, and thanks for coming to check on me.”
“Have fun tonight, Shane. Let loose and whoop it up.”
“Right…”
“I mean it.” Carrying the baby, Laura followed him out the door. “You’re still young with a lot of life left to live. I want to see you enjoy every minute.”
“That would certainly beat the alternative. See you later.”
In the hallway, she went left toward the apartment she shared with Owen and Holden while he took a right toward what used to be Sarah’s room and was now Katie’s. He glanced down the hallway to make sure his sister wasn’t spying on him as he knocked on Katie’s door. When the door flew open, he was surprised to find her still in a robe with her hair wrapped in a towel.
“Did I get the time wrong?”
Chapter 9
“No, not at all,” Katie said. “I fell asleep and just woke up fifteen minutes ago. I’m so sorry I’m not ready.”
“No worries. Should I come back?”
“No, come in. Have a seat. I’ll be just a few more minutes.”
“Okay.” He followed her into the room where the only place to sit was the bed that was still rumpled from her nap. The air in the room was humid and fragrant from her shower. In the bathroom, the hair dryer went on. With a few minutes to kill, he went to the window to look out at the water, where the sun was inching closer to the horizon. It was going to be an amazing sunset.
The encroaching sunset reminded him of the spectacular sunsets he and Courtney had seen on their honeymoon in the Bahamas. And here, once again, that off-switch would come in handy. Why was she creeping into his mind—again—when he had far better things to think about tonight? “Just leave me alone,” he whispered.
“Did you say something?”
He turned to find Katie, her hair dry, wearing a sexy orange dress as she affixed the back of an earring. “Talking to myself. A bad habit that comes from working alone most days.”
“Ahh, so I won’t cart you off to the loony bin just yet, then.”
Shane laughed. “Thanks for
the second chance.”
“So sorry again for not being ready. I had all day and then ended up running late.”
“Not to worry. Our reservation isn’t for a while yet.”
“You made a reservation?”
“Only so we don’t have to wait two hours to eat. Sunday nights in the summer are busy around here.”
“Is it just me or do the crowds seem bigger than ever these days?”
“It’s not just you. This place is a madhouse from June through September.” He cleared his throat. “You, um, you look really nice.”
“Oh, thanks. I’m a little thrown together.”
“If that’s the case, I’d love to see what you’re capable of when you have more time.”
She smiled at his feeble attempt at charm.
“I’m just realizing that I should’ve borrowed my sister’s car.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I have a motorcycle, and you’re wearing a dress.”
“A motorcycle, huh? You don’t seem the biker type.”
“Because I don’t have tattoos and wear leather chaps?”
“Among other reasons,” she said, hiding a giggle behind her hand.
“I’m thoroughly insulted.” He lightened his words with a smile to let her know he was kidding. “The bike is easy when parking is tight, and it gets me where I need to go. We can take a cab over to Domenic’s if you’d like.”
“I don’t mind the bike if you have an extra helmet.”
“I have two.”
“Okay, then.”
“You’re sure?”
“Uh-huh.”
The thought of Katie Lawry wrapped around him on the bike had him trying to think of something else—anything else—to avoid a predictable reaction. “So, um, are you hungry?”
“Starving! I haven’t eaten since brunch.”
“I had lunch, and I’m still starving.” He held the door and gestured for her to go out ahead of him in a cloud of perfume and female fragrance that had him leaning in for a closer sniff. “I went fishing with my dad, uncles and cousins this afternoon.”
“How was it?”
“Great. I bagged an eighty-pound bluefin tuna.”