Chapter 18 #4
“Jenny,” Mac said as he stood to leave, “I’d love to give you a lift off the porch, but I’m afraid my wife, who’s stuck at home with a sick kid, wouldn’t approve.”
“That’s all right,” Jenny said with a laugh. “I completely understand. If you wouldn’t mind walking me to my car, we’ll call it even.”
“You got it.” He mussed Grant’s hair on the way by. “See you in the AM, bro.”
“Thanks again for the help, Jenny,” Stephanie said.
“It was so much fun. Thanks for asking me.”
After they left, Shane got up, said good night and went inside.
“He’s so quiet,” Stephanie said. “You’d never know he was here until he says good night.”
“He never used to be,” Grant said. “But he’s been through some rough shit.”
“Haven’t we all?” Dan said with a small smile for Kara.
“I worry about him,” Grant said of his cousin. “I’d hoped he’d be bouncing back by now, but he just gets more withdrawn all the time. I know Laura worries about him, too.”
“Give it some time,” Kara said, surprising them all with the comment. “Not everyone bounces back on the same schedule.”
“That’s very true.” Dan gazed out at the darkened sea with a brooding expression on his face that he quickly shook off. “We ought to call it a night, too.”
“Don’t even think about trying to outdo Evan,” Kara said in a warning tone that made Grant and Stephanie laugh.
Grinning, Dan said, “Wouldn’t dream of it.” Instead, he stood and bowed before her, holding out his hand to help her up.
“Jeez,” she said, rolling her eyes as she took his hand.
“I like to think I’ve got my own moves, thank you very much,” Dan said.
“Don’t injure yourself showing them off.”
Grant howled with laughter. “Oh, I like her. I like her very, very much.”
“So do I.” Dan shocked Kara when he brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “I like her a whole lot.”
“Best of luck to you, Kara,” Grant said gravely. “You’re going to need it.”
“I can handle him,” she said. “He’s mostly all talk.”
Dan’s mouth fell open in surprise, and then his eyes darkened with what might’ve been desire. “Not all talk.”
“I like her, too,” Stephanie said, intrigued by the sparks flying between them.
Kara smiled at her. “Thanks for inviting me, and best of luck with the restaurant.”
“I appreciate that. I need all the luck I can get.”
“If tonight was any indication, you’re going to be a huge hit,” Dan said, bending to kiss Stephanie’s forehead on the way by.
In the months since he’d helped to free Charlie from prison, Dan had become a dear friend to her, too, and she’d love to see him happy with a nice girl like Kara. With all he did for others, he deserved nothing less.
“See you in the morning,” Dan said to Grant as he kept a firm hold on Kara’s hand and led her to the stairs.
“That’s seven a.m. East Coast time,” Grant called after him. “Not seven a.m. LaLa time.”
“Yeah, yeah, I got it.”
When they were alone, Stephanie rested her head on Grant’s shoulder and snuggled in closer to him.
“Cold?”
“A little.”
“Ready to go home?”
“In a minute.”
He kissed her forehead and tightened his arms around her. “What’re you thinking about?”
“I was wondering if you ever miss LA.”
“Not at all.”
“Never?”
“Why in the world would I miss that rat race when I’m here with you and my family, and now one of my best friends has found his way here?”
“I don’t know. I wondered. That’s all.”
“Are you afraid I’ll wake up one day and have a sudden longing for my old life?”
His question struck right at the heart of one of her deepest fears. “Maybe.”
“Let me put your mind at ease, then.” With his finger on her chin, he turned her face, forcing her to meet his intense gaze.
“I’m exactly where I want to be with exactly who I want to be with, and I’ve got no plans to be anywhere else.
Ever.” He punctuated his sweet words with an even sweeter kiss.
“I love you so much, and I’m so happy to see you finally getting everything you’ve always wanted.
I’d never do anything to mess with that. ”
Closing her eyes, she leaned her forehead against his.
“I love you, too.” Listening to the ocean pound against the breakwater that formed South Harbor, Stephanie experienced a moment of profound peace unlike anything she’d ever known.
Her entire life up to now had been a chaotic disaster.
To finally be free of the chains of the past, to be wildly in love with the most amazing man, to have some of the best friends she’d ever had, to be part of a big, funny, wonderful family, to have her own business and to know her stepfather was finally free…
She, who’d never allowed herself to want anything, now had everything.
Sometimes she feared her heart would simply explode from the overload of emotion.
“Ready to go home for part two of our celebration?” Grant asked suggestively after an extended period of silence.
“I suppose,” she said with feigned boredom.
Not to be outdone by his brother or father, Grant scooped her up.
As Stephanie smiled at him, another thought occurred to her. “My dad and Sarah never came back!”