by Marie Force
“I know. I told David I have hospice training, so I might be able to offer some assistance to her.”
“I want to help them, too. Anything I can do… Kyle and Jackson are such great kids. This will devastate them. I don’t think they have any other family, at least not that they’ve ever mentioned.”
“I hope she has a plan for them if something were to happen to her.”
“I hope so, too.” He got up and went into the bathroom. The toilet flushed and the water ran for a long time. When he came back, he slid into bed next to her. “I’ll have to tell Mac about this when he’s already got so much on his mind.”
Katie turned to face him. “Do you want me to leave so you can rest?”
“What? No… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to punch out on you.”
“You didn’t. You’re upset.”
He took her hand and linked their fingers. “She’s right between us in age. You never know what’s going to happen. Certainly puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?”
“It sure does. I’m sorry for your friend and her children.”
“So am I.”
“We can go to Newport another day if you need to stay here to work things out.”
“Tomorrow might be the best day to go since everything will be on hold until I can speak to Mac. He’s got enough going on. Another day won’t hurt anything.”
That he was so clearly undone by the news about his friend and her children only made Katie tumble that much quicker. He was a truly wonderful guy, inside and out, and as she fell asleep in his arms, she gave herself permission to feel anything and everything for him.
Despite the lingering sadness he felt over the news about Lisa, Shane devoted himself to showing Katie a good time the next day, beginning with a ride on the high-speed ferry to Newport. They stood outside, her back to his front so he could keep her from toppling over in the stiff breeze.
The ferry hauled ass and got them from Gansett to Newport in an hour, and the ride itself was as much fun as the outing promised to be. When they arrived in Newport, they got a good tour of the harbor from the ferry, and Katie marveled at the huge yachts docked at the various marinas.
It’d been years since Shane had been to Newport, one of Courtney’s favorite places to spend a summer evening. But he was determined not to think about the past today, when he had a full day to spend with Katie. They walked along the waterfront, window-shopping and occasionally ducking inside a shop for a closer look at something that caught her interest before grabbing a pedicab to take them up to Bellevue Avenue.
On Memorial Boulevard, he pointed out the church where President and Mrs. Kennedy had been married. When they reached Bellevue Avenue, he took her on a tour of the International Tennis Hall of Fame before they walked farther down the avenue to tour The Breakers, one of Newport’s famous mansions.
“I can’t believe something like this even exists,” she said of the enormous house that had served as the summer residence of the Vanderbilt family during Newport’s gilded age. “Let alone that it was someone’s summer home.”
“You have to see it to believe it,” Shane said. “I haven’t been here since I was a kid and my dad brought me and Laura to see a couple of these places on a rainy Saturday. I expected to be bored, but I thought they were amazing.”
“Do we have time for another one after this?”
“Sure we do,” he said, amused by her enthusiasm. “We’ve got all afternoon.”
They toured Marble House and Rosecliff before grabbing a late lunch on one of the wharfs near the ferry landing.
“This was so much fun,” Katie said. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
“My pleasure. How’s the foot?”
“A little sore, but it was worth it. I can’t wait to come back again when we have more time. I want to see everything.”
“We didn’t get to do Cliff Walk or Ocean Drive, but we’ll definitely come back.” That they were making plans that included each other wasn’t lost on him. But after their conversation the night before, Shane felt safe making plans with her. She was sticking around and seemed to be enjoying the time they spent together as much as he did.
On the ride back to the island, they found a spot inside the cabin, out of the wind. Katie snuggled up to him, her head on his chest, and was asleep before the ferry left the harbor. That gave him an hour to himself to think about the time he’d spent with her, the day together in Newport, the last two nights in bed. She made him feel hopeful, which was a minor miracle considering the mess he’d been not that long ago.
He was falling for Katie, and he was happy about that. It felt good to be happy and optimistic. Hearing the devastating news about Lisa’s illness truly brought home how lucky he was for all the blessings in his life, and it was time to focus on them rather than on the misery of the past.
Shane ran his hand up and down Katie’s back, loving the way she felt and smelled and looked. He loved the way she laughed and teased him and mostly he loved that she was easy to talk to and easy to get along with.
Katie roused when the boat slowed as they reached the breakwater for South Harbor. “Did I really fall asleep?”
“You were snoring and everything.”
“I was not!”
He cracked up at the indignant face she made. “Just kidding.”
“That’s not funny.”
“Yes, it is. I’ve been keeping you up too late at night.”
“And you’re going to keep doing that, right?”
“I thought it was girls’ night out?”
“It is, but it’s not a sleepover as far as I know. So maybe I can come find you later?”
He kissed her sweet lips. “I wish you would.”
“No more talk of snoring, though.”
“I promise to never mention it again. It’ll be our little secret.”
She elbowed his ribs. “I do not snore.”
“If you say so.”
Holding hands, they walked from the ferry landing to the Sand & Surf, laughing and bickering about whether or not she really snored. She didn’t, but he wasn’t about to let her off the hook too easily. They were halfway up the stairs when he heard someone call his name. He looked over to the row of rocking chairs on the porch and thought he was hallucinating when he saw Courtney sitting in one of them, obviously waiting for him.
He dropped Katie’s hand and stared at Courtney.
She got up and came toward him, looking thinner than she had before, but still as strikingly pretty as ever. Her dark hair was longer than he’d ever seen it.
“Um, Shane?” Katie’s tentative inquiry snapped him out of the shocked state he’d slipped into at the sight of Courtney.
“Could I catch up to you in a minute?” he asked Katie.
“Sure,” she said.
He wasn’t so far gone that he didn’t see and feel the hurt coming from her, but he couldn’t process that on top of Courtney’s unexpected appearance. What was she doing here? And why now? He hated himself for so badly wanting answers to those and many other questions.
Katie went inside, the screen door slamming shut behind her.
“What’re you doing here, Courtney?”
“I came for you.”
Chapter 26
Standing inside the main door to the Sand & Surf, Katie heard Shane’s ex-wife say she’d come for him. Katie took off for the stairs before she could make a scene in the lobby.
“Katie,” Laura called. “Wait up. How was your day in Newport? Aren’t the mansions awesome? Are you crying? What happened? Where’s Shane?”
“He’s… um, he’s outside talking to Courtney.”
“He’s what? What the hell is she doing here?”
“He asked her that question, and she said she’s come for him.”
“Over my dead body.” Laura squeezed her arm. “Don’t worry. I’ll get rid of her.”
“I think he wanted to talk to her.”
“I don’t care what he wanted. No way is that woman getting
her claws back into him. Not while I’m around.” She patted Katie’s shoulder. “Go on up. I’ll find you after I get rid of her.”
Because she didn’t know what else to do, Katie did as Laura suggested and went up to her room. When she recalled the way he’d dropped her hand as if he felt guilty for having been caught with another woman, her heart ached and so did her stomach. So this was what it felt like to have your heart broken, she thought as she stretched out on her bed. Her entire body hurt.
What would happen now? Courtney had said she’d come for him. Was he happy to hear that? Had he been killing time with her while hoping Courtney would come back to him?
In bad need of advice, she wiped up her tears and placed a call to Julia.
“Can you talk?” she asked when her sister answered.
“I’m on a break. What’s up?”
Katie’s throat closed, making it impossible to speak.
“Katie? What’s wrong?”
“I went out with Shane.”
“Finally! Yes! And was it awesome?”
“It was. All of it was awesome.”
“All? What else happened?”
“Everything happened.”
“Oh, Katie, I’m so happy for you!”
Katie broke down all over again.
“Why’re you crying? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
“Not like you think.” Hating herself for giving in to the emotional breakdown, Katie wiped her eyes. “We’ve been having a really great time, and I thought, you know… It was going to be something. Special.”
“And it’s not?”
“His ex-wife showed up. We were holding hands, and he let me go like a bad habit when he saw her.”
“Oh God. I heard about his wife. Mom told me a little of it.”
“She treated him like crap, Jule, and he takes one look at her and forgets all about me?”
“I’m sure he didn’t forget about you. He was probably shocked.”
“He was shocked. I could tell.”
“So it’s not like he got in touch with her, invited her over for a visit and then acted like you were a big secret when she showed up.”
“No, but still…”
“Katie, listen to me. Are you listening?”
“Yeah.”
“He’s a good guy. I could tell that in the short amount of time I spent with him. He’s got history with this woman, and he might be better off working things out with her so he can put the past where it belongs.”
“He made me feel like I don’t matter.”
“He was shocked, Katie. Give him a chance to explain.”
“I was starting to really like him.”
“That happened fast.”
“I know it did, but when a guy saves your life and then he turns out to be sweet and charming and sexy, he’s hard to resist.”
“He’s apt to be telling her to get on the ferry and go back to wherever she came from.”
“What if he’s kissing her and dragging her up to his room so they can pick up where they left off?”
“From what I heard about their breakup, I’d be very surprised if he was doing that.”
“But what if he wants to? What if he took one look at her and all he could see was how much he loved her?”
“You’re going to drive yourself crazy with that kind of thinking.”
“Too late. I’m already crazy—about him. This is exactly why I’ve avoided this stuff.”
“This isn’t why. You avoided it because you were afraid you’d end up with a guy like our father. Shane McCarthy is nothing like our father. He has a past just like you do, and the past has a way of rearing its ugly head. That might be all this is, and maybe he can get some closure.”
“He said he had no idea why she divorced him the way she did.”
“He’ll probably get some answers, Katie. Is there something else you can do until he’s able to talk to you?”
“I’m supposed to be going out with Laura and her friends tonight.”
“Then that’s what you’re going to do.”
“I’m a wreck, Julia.”
“Go make yourself gorgeous and have a good time with Laura. Make it so he has to come looking for you if he wants to see you.”
A soft tap on her door had Katie running to open it and trying to hide her disappointment when she saw Laura and not Shane—and Laura looked annoyed. “Hey, Jule, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Don’t sit around crying over him, Katie.”
“I won’t.”
“So he’s talking to her in the sitting room,” Laura said, her mouth straight with tension. “We’re going out.”
Katie had never seen Laura look so furious.
“He’s actually talking to her.”
“Yes. He asked me to leave them alone, so that’s what I’m doing.”
Katie’s heart sank at that news, and Julia’s words rang loudly in her mind. “Girls’ night out. Still on?”
“Damn straight it is.”
“Give me ten minutes to get changed.”
“I’ll be right back.” She started to walk away but then turned back. “I promised Owen that my brother wouldn’t hurt you. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to keep that promise.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Still, I’m sorry about this. Her timing always was exquisite.”
“I’ll see you shortly.” Katie closed the door and went to the closet to choose something to wear, determined to think about anything other than the fact that Shane was downstairs, behind closed doors with his ex-wife.
“I don’t freaking believe it,” Laura said as she stormed into the apartment.
Owen looked up from the floor, where he was playing with Holden, who began to cry. “It’s okay, buddy.”
Holden crawled into Owen’s arms, seeming to hide from her.
“What brought that on?” Owen asked.
“My brother is an ass. He’s downstairs right now talking to Courtney—the wife who nearly bankrupted him with her pill habit and then dumped him after he paid for rehab. He’s talking to her!”
“She’s here?”
“Yes! And the worst part? He was with Katie when she found him, and he left your sister twisting in the wind after he asked for ‘a minute’ with Courtney. I’m so mad at him, I could… Well, I don’t know what I could do, but it’d be bad.”
“Calm down, hon. You’re scaring Holden.”
“I’m sorry.” Laura dropped down to the floor and reached for her son, who clung to Owen. She tickled the baby until he relented and let her hold him. “I can’t stop thinking about what a mess he was when she left him and how hard he’s worked to climb out of that hole. If she undoes all that progress by coming here…”
“He’s a lot stronger than he was. He won’t let her walk all over him.”
“I don’t know, O. She’s crafty. I wouldn’t put it past her to charm her way back into his life and then pull the rug out from under him again. And poor Katie… I could tell she’d been crying when I went to check on her.”
“Crying over Shane? Has it gone that far? They haven’t known each other that long.”
“Um, I’m not sure how I should answer that…”
He stared at her, eyes bugging. “What are you not saying?”
“Nothing.”
“Laura…”
“I’ve got to get ready for girls’ night out.”
“Is he sleeping with her?”
“I know nothing.”
“Don’t lie to your new husband. That’s grounds for annulment.”
“You can’t annul when you’ve already consummated multiple times.” She patted her round belly. “And I can prove it.”
“Just tell me. I can take it, and I won’t hurt him.”
“Swear to God?”
“Swear to God,” he said with a sigh.
“I think they’re sleeping together, but I don’t know if they’re sleeping or you know… not sleeping.”
“But if I had to guess… Not sleeping.”
“I don’t think she’s ever had so much as a date let alone a… a…”
“Lover?” Laura asked, her brow raised in amusement.
“Don’t be disgusting.”
Though she was upset about Shane talking to Courtney, Laura had to laugh at Owen’s distress. “She is a grown woman, you know.”
“She’s my little sister.”
“Who’s sleeping—or not sleeping, in this case—with my little brother.”
“I take back my promise not to hurt him.”
“You swore to God! You can’t take it back.”
“She’s really upset?”
“She was, but I’m taking her out, and I’m not going to let her wallow. If he screws things up with Katie… I’ll hurt him for both of us.”
“I can live with that.”
Shane felt like he was being skinned alive as he paced the sitting room listening to Courtney “explain” why she’d divorced him after he’d paid for her to go to rehab. “Let me get this straight. You’re trying to tell me you did it to protect me?”
“Yes! That’s it exactly. I was given the opportunity to testify against the dealers in exchange for them dropping all charges against me.” Her dark curly hair was longer, her skin clearer and her brown eyes brighter than he’d ever seen them. In all the time he’d spent with her, he’d never seen her totally sober—until now.
“What charges? You were never arrested!”
“I was going to be. After rehab. They were going to charge me with possession and intent to deliver narcotics.”
“Intent to deliver?”
“I was dealing, Shane. Toward the end, I was desperate for money and, well… They had me totally nailed. But I wasn’t the big fish, and I helped them nail the three guys who were running a huge operation in Providence. They were convicted yesterday, which means I’m now free to speak to you about this.”
“You divorced me, Courtney. After everything we’d been through, do you know what it felt like to get those papers on the day I thought you were coming home?”
“I had no choice. It was that or face charges. I couldn’t tell anyone what I was doing, and the only way I could keep you out of it was to leave you.” She stood and came over to him.