by Marie Force
Mallory coughed on a mouthful of water. “He did not!”
“Yes, he did,” Quinn said, his eyes dancing with amusement. “I assured him my dick is just fine.”
Hearing him say that made her feel warm all over. “That’s really funny.”
“It was pretty funny. I finally told them I’d hurt my knee and was in rehab, which shut my brother up.” He took another bite of the cake. “I was in the hospital for two months in Germany, arguing with the doctors, who said my leg couldn’t be saved.”
“What changed your mind?”
“A staph infection. Then it became a choice of my leg or my life.” He shrugged as if that decision had been no big deal. “And that was that.”
Though he tried to be nonchalant about it, she saw right through to the pain he carried with him to this day. “That must’ve been…”
“It was pretty fucking awful, but at least I know I did everything I could.”
“Why haven’t you told your family or anyone else?”
“I don’t know. I guess I don’t want anyone to see me as weak or less than or… It’s stupid. I get that, but it’s been almost three years. At this point, what does it matter?”
It pained her to know he’d chosen to go through such a terrible ordeal completely alone.
“It’s your business to share with whomever you choose to share it with. I’m honored you shared it with me.”
“Thanks for listening.” He signaled for the check and had his credit card out before she could offer to chip in.
“Thank you for dinner.”
“My pleasure.”
On the way out, Mallory hit the ladies’ room to give herself a minute alone to process everything he’d told her. He’d been unexpectedly forthcoming, but then, she had, too. She rarely told dates about Ryan or what she’d been through. But something about Quinn made her want to tell him, and apparently, he’d felt the same way. What did it all mean?
Her phone chimed with a text from Janey. Everyone’s at Steph’s. Owen is playing. Come on over if you’re around.
Mallory washed her hands and dried them. She glanced at the mirror and noted her complexion was unusually flushed and chalked it up to the interesting turn this evening had taken. She took a deep breath and released it. For the first time since Ryan died, she’d met someone who had the potential to turn her life upside down. Did she want that? She didn’t know anything for sure, and that was fine during the Summer of Mallory.
Taking her uncertainty with her, she joined him in the vestibule. He helped her on with her coat and held the door for her.
“My sister texted to tell me everyone is at Stephanie’s Bistro. My cousin Laura’s husband, Owen, is playing.”
“You want to check it out?”
“Only if you do.”
“Sure, it sounds fun. But here’s the thing… I haven’t lived here long, but I already know that news travels fast on this island. If, for any reason, you don’t want the whole town knowing you went out with me…”
Mallory smiled up at him. “My family is pretty much the whole town for me, and I don’t mind if they know. What about you? Any reason to keep this a secret?”
“Nope. It’s not far. You want to walk?”
She hesitated only for a second, but long enough that he picked up on it.
“I can run on the prosthetic—finally—so a short walk is no big deal, but thanks for the concern.”
“Sorry, of course you know your own capabilities.”
“I’m pretty much back to where I was before, other than a slight limp I can’t seem to shake.”
“I could tell you’d been injured from the limp, but I wouldn’t have known you were an amputee if you hadn’t told me.”
“That’s good to know. Took a long-ass time to get there.”
With a cool wind whipping in off the water, Mallory zipped up her coat and put her hands in her pockets. “When is it going to warm up and start to feel like spring around here?”
“Another couple of weeks, or so I’m told.”
“I can’t wait that long.”
He surprised the hell out of her when he put his arm around her and drew her in close to him. “I’ll keep you warm.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Is it?”
Touched that he’d ask, she looked up at him and said, “Yes, it is.”
He squeezed her shoulder. “Good.”
They walked the rest of the way through the crowded town in silence, dodging rowdy Race Week participants along the way to the Sand & Surf Hotel and Stephanie’s Bistro.
At the front door to the hotel, Quinn dropped the arm he’d had around her so he could open the door.
Mallory went in ahead of him, and the first people she saw in the lobby were Laura and her mother-in-law, Sarah Lawry, both of whom had babies strapped to their chests.
“Hey, Mallory,” Laura said, her gaze shifting to Quinn and then back to Mallory with a raised brow.
“Hi there. Laura and Sarah, this is Quinn James. Quinn, my cousin Laura Lawry and her mother-in-law, Sarah.”
Quinn shook hands with both ladies. “Pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Laura said. “Where’re you guys coming from?”
“Dinner at the Lobster House,” Mallory said. “Janey texted to let me know the whole crew is here and that Owen is playing, so we decided to come by.”
“His first gig since the babies were born.”
“Quinn, meet Joanna and Jonathan,” Mallory said, leaning in for a closer look at the sleeping babies. “How’re they doing?”
“They’re starting to sleep on the same schedule, so that’s huge progress,” Laura said.
“How’s their big brother adjusting?”
“Holden is crazy about them.”
“Sometimes a little too crazy,” Sarah said. “We’ve had to teach him about gentle hugs.”
Mallory smiled. “That’s so cute. You’re feeling well?”
“I am, and I’m thrilled not to be pregnant anymore. Three kids in two years is my limit.”
“That’s superhuman,” Quinn said.
“It’s okay to use the word insane,” Laura told him. “We do.”
“Nothing insane about three perfect kids,” he said.
“When we’re not totally sleep-deprived, we do count our blessings. Go on in with the others. Tell Charlie that we’ll be in to collect Holden in a minute.”
“Will do.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Quinn said.
“Likewise,” Laura replied.
As they walked to the back half of the hotel, Mallory pointed to the gift shop. “My sister-in-law Abby owns that. She’s married to my brother Adam.”
“A true family operation.”
“That it is. Get this, though… Abby dated my brother Grant for years, and now she’s married to Adam and working two feet from Grant’s wife, Stephanie.”
“I think my head just exploded.”
Mallory laughed. “Don’t feel bad. It took a while for me to get caught up on the McCarthy family story, too.” They stepped into Stephanie’s Bistro and immediately saw—and heard—the long table full of her family members.
“Damn, that’s a big family,” Quinn said.
“How do you think I felt meeting them all for the first time?”
“Probably as intimidated as I feel now.”
“Don’t worry. They’ll like you.”
Chapter 9
Taking in the sight of the unruly crew, Mallory still wanted to pinch herself to believe that she was actually one of them. She had a family—a big, boisterous, hilarious, loving family. She greeted her siblings and cousins, who made room for them at the table. “This is Quinn James,” she said. “Quinn, you know Mac. This is his wife, Maddie, my brother Adam and his wife, Abby, and my brother Grant.”
“My wife is the Stephanie in Stephanie’s Bistro,” Grant said. “She’s running around here somewhere.”
“That’s my cousin Finn,” Mal
lory continued, “my sister, Janey, and her husband, Joe, my cousins Riley and Shane and Shane’s fiancée, Katie. Shane is Laura’s brother.”
“And I’m Owen’s sister,” Katie added.
Quinn’s brows furrowed. “Wait…”
“It sounds illegal,” Adam said, “but they tell us it’s not.”
“A brother and sister marrying a brother and sister,” Janey said. “Perfectly legal.”
“If you say so,” Quinn said with a grin.
“You’re Jared’s brother, right?” Maddie asked.
“I am.”
“We love him around here,” Maddie said. “He’s doing some great things for our community.”
“How do you like it here so far, Quinn?” Abby asked.
“So far so good. The winter didn’t kill me or my dog, Brutus.”
“You have a dog?” Mallory asked.
“I told you that.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned him. Jared says I’m way over the top about him.”
“Pictures,” Mallory said. “I need pictures.”
Like a proud papa, Quinn pulled out his phone and shared a series of photos with Mallory that everyone else then wanted to see, too.
“He is so cute!” Mallory said. “I want to meet him.”
That earned her a warm smile from Quinn that engaged his eyes. The effect made her feel light-headed and overheated. She started to take off her coat, and Quinn helped her. “Thanks.”
A waitress came by for their drink order, and they both asked for water.
Mallory noticed the odd look Mac gave her, but was thankful he didn’t ask why she wasn’t drinking.
“So who’s missing from this crowd?” Quinn asked.
“My brother Evan and his wife, Grace. He’s a singer, songwriter and musician. They’re on their way home from his tour with Buddy Longstreet. They’ll be home for the summer tomorrow.”
“I love Buddy’s music. I’ll have to check out your brother.”
“He’s so talented. He plays every instrument, or so it seems, and his voice is incredible.”
“You sound like a proud sister.”
“Oh, I am! He got me backstage passes when they played in Boston in April. I got to meet Buddy and his wife, Taylor. It was so cool.”
“That sounds fun.”
“It was a great night. Evan plays a lot with Owen when he’s home. They’re fantastic together.”
“He’s really good,” Quinn said of Owen, who was playing “Brown-Eyed Girl” for the enthusiastic crowd.
An older man with a buzz cut and bright blue eyes came over to their table, holding a squirming, dark-haired toddler on his shoulders.
“Hey, Charlie,” Mallory said. “Quinn, this is Sarah’s fiancé, Charlie Grandchamp, and Laura’s son Holden. Charlie, this is Quinn James.”
Keeping one hand on the child, Charlie shook Quinn’s hand. “Good to meet you.”
“You, too.”
“Sarah wanted us to tell you it’s time for Holden to go to bed,” Mallory said.
“Awww, Mommy and Grandma are no fun.”
“Someone’s gotta be the bad guy,” Mallory said.
“I suppose so. All right, then, buddy, let’s get you upstairs before Mommy comes looking for us.”
After Charlie walked away, Quinn said, “Nice guy.”
“Very nice. He’s Stephanie’s stepfather. He spent fourteen years in prison wrongly accused of abusing her, when it was actually her mother who abused her. Steph worked tirelessly to get him out. Grant and his friend Dan Torrington got involved, and they finally got him out last year.”
“Holy shit,” Quinn said under his breath.
“I know.”
“I’ve read about Torrington and his innocence project.”
“He lives here on the island now.”
“He does? Really?”
“Yep. He and his fiancée, Kara, spent the winter in LA, but they’re back now, too. Hey, Grant, where’re Dan and Kara tonight?”
“Tonight’s her birthday, so they’re off being romantical somewhere.”
“Listen to that disdain,” Finn said, scoffing. “As if you didn’t spend the whole winter in hibernation with your wife on the West Coast.”
“Who invited the baby cousins?” Grant asked. “Are they even old enough to drink?”
While Finn laughed and flipped Grant the bird, his brother Riley said, “Don’t lump me in with him. I’m a whole year older than him.”
“I love the baby cousins,” Janey said. “Especially when they bust my brothers’ balls. Takes some of the heat off me.”
“Don’t talk about your brothers’ balls, dear,” Joe said. “It’s unseemly.”
“You love it when I’m unseemly,” Janey retorted.
“Ewwwww,” Mac, Adam and Grant said in unison.
“Gross,” Mac added.
Mallory rocked with helpless laughter. She loved when her siblings got going. It was always so entertaining.
“Nothing gross about it,” Joe said, earning scowls and balled-up cocktail napkins lobbed at his head by his brothers-in-law. He batted them away without losing his big smile.
“You guys are so ridiculous,” Maddie said. “She’s pregnant for the second time. News flash, your baby sister has sex.”
“Lots of sex,” Janey added while Joe nodded enthusiastically.
“Mac, do something about your wife,” Grant said. “She’s out of control.”
“Oh, umm, well,” Mac said.
“Do finish that sentence,” Maddie said, propping her chin on her upturned fist. “I can’t wait to hear how it ends.”
“I have nothing to say, dear.”
“Pussy-whipped,” Adam said behind his hand, earning him an elbow to the ribs from his wife.
“Shut your mouth,” Abby said, “or you’ll be pussy-deprived.”
“Oh shit,” Adam said. “My heartfelt apologies, love.”
“This, right here, is why I’m never getting married,” Riley said, rubbing the stubble on his jaw. Like his brother, and his cousins, he had thick dark hair and the shockingly blue McCarthy eyes that Big Mac and his brother Kevin shared.
“Oh, whatever,” Janey said. “My brothers used to say the same thing, and look at them now, a bunch of domesticated house pets.”
“Hey,” Grant said. “I’d resent that if it wasn’t so true.”
The others snorted with laughter.
“Is it me, or has Mac been on his best behavior since our trip to Anguilla this winter?” Shane asked.
“It’s not just you,” Grant said. “Everyone is concerned that he’s been declawed.”
“Perhaps it was because he organized a boy posse to steal our clothes when we went skinny-dipping,” Abby said.
“Or that he told the guys that Maddie worships at the altar of Mac McCarthy,” Katie added.
“You all can shut right up any time now,” Mac said.
“Why?” Shane asked. “We’re just expressing our concern about your newfound good behavior.”
“Has it occurred to you fools that maybe I’ve decided it’s time to grow up?” Mac asked, drawing shocked silence from the others.
“No way,” Grant said, starting a new wave of laughter. “No fucking way.”
“I’m about to be a father of three,” Mac said. “No time like the present to start behaving like an adult.”
“I’m so proud of my little boy,” Maddie said, running her fingers through his hair. “He’s coming along so nicely.”
Mac purred as he leaned into her caress, his expression blissful and placid.
“Dear God,” Janey said. “This might require a full-blown intervention.”
“Don’t you dare,” Maddie said with a sinister glare for her sister-in-law.
“Yeah, brat,” Mac said, “the only thing getting fully blown around here is me, so shut it.”
Janey cringed. “So disgusting.”
“Ain’t nothi
ng disgusting about it,” Mac replied with a wink for his sister, who pretended to puke.
Mallory was weak from laughter. Their good-natured bickering, joking and pranks—some of which had been epic—were endlessly entertaining to the woman who’d grown up so alone.
“Tell Quinn about the time you girls convinced the guys that you’d hired strippers for Jenny’s bachelorette party,” Mallory said.
The women proceeded to relay the story of their greatest victory to date, when they’d had the guys foaming at the mouth with outrage for a full week ahead of Jenny Martinez’s bachelorette party.
“Of course, my husband was the first one through the door at Syd’s house that night,” Maddie said. “Cost me a couple hundred bucks, but that’s what I get for betting on him.”
“You guys bet on which of the guys would be the first to show up?” Quinn asked, sounding astounded.
“Of course we did,” Abby said matter-of-factly. “We all knew it would be Mac. Well, everyone but Maddie, that is.”
“The vows said I’m supposed to be loyal to him,” Maddie said. “Even when he gives me reason not to be.”
“That is so awesome,” Quinn said, rocking with laughter.
“You should’ve seen Blaine, Tiffany’s husband, who is the chief of police,” Mac said of his brother-in-law. “If you think I was out of my mind, he put me to shame.”
“No one puts you to shame,” Maddie said, “which is why you’re working on being better behaved.”
“It’s so boring being good,” Mac said glumly.
“Can we take bets on how long this new stage of Mac’s is going to last?” Janey asked. She pulled her phone from her purse. “Place your bets. Ten bucks apiece, winner takes all.”
“I call one more week,” Grant said, tossing a ten her way.
“Put me down for two weeks,” Joe said.
Everyone else called out their bets while Mac sat back and watched the money fly at Janey.
“I’ll take one more month,” Maddie said.
“You took vows!” Mac said. “You can’t bet against me!”
“Sorry, love, but I don’t see this new leaf of yours as sustainable long-term, and I need to make back what I lost on the strippers.”
Mac only glared at her while everyone else lost it laughing.