Gansett Island Compendium: Volume 2, Books #15-28
Book 15 Desire After Dark
A dozen days—and nights—to explore all the possibilities…
Tobias “Slim” Jackson has the perfect life as a pilot on Gansett Island in the summer and in Florida in the winter.
He’s happiest when he’s in the air, or at least that was the case before last summer when he met Erin Barton, Gansett Island’s newest lighthouse keeper.
Now he can’t seem to find his usual enthusiasm for flying, winter in the sunny South or anything that doesn’t include her.
Erin has been stuck on pause since she lost her twin brother.
She’ll tell you herself that her life has been a hot mess since Toby died.
After dropping out of law school, she’s flitted from one pointless job to another, existing rather than truly living.
Then she comes to Gansett Island to take over as the new lighthouse keeper and meets Slim, who happens to share her beloved brother’s first name.
That small coincidence is enough to convince Erin that she needs to spend more time with the dashing pilot—except for the fact that he’s spending the winter more than a thousand miles from her.
Now Slim’s come home to Gansett for the holidays and to hopefully pick up where he left off with Erin.
He’s got twelve days before he’s due back in Florida to finish out the remainder of his winter obligations.
A lot can happen in twelve days, but will it be enough to convince Erin that it’s time to start truly living again?
Main Characters:
*Tobias “Slim” Fitzgerald Jackson, Jr., pilot.
*Erin Barton, lighthouse keeper.
*Indicates recurring throughout the series.
Supporting Characters:
*Jenny Martinez, married to Alex Martinez in LOVE AFTER DARK.
*Alex Martinez, married to Jenny Martinez in LOVE AFTER DARK.
*Paul Martinez, engaged to Hope Russell in LOVE AFTER DARK.
*Grace Ryan, engaged to Evan McCarthy in WAITING FOR LOVE.
*Fiona Connelly, manager of Ryan’s Pharmacy in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Evan McCarthy, engaged to Grace Ryan in WAITING FOR LOVE.
*Luke Harris, married to Sydney Donovan in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Sydney Donovan, married to Luke Harris in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Hope Russell, engaged to Paul Martinez in LOVE AFTER DARK, mother of Ethan Russell.
*Ethan Russell, son of Hope.
*Adam McCarthy, engaged to Abby Callahan in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Abby Callahan, engaged to Adam McCarthy in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Jared James, married to Lizzie James in CHANCE FOR LOVE.
*Lizzie James, married to Jared James in CHANCE FOR LOVE.
*Dr. Quinn James, brother of Jared, considering the medical director job at the senior care center in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Mac McCarthy, Jr., married to Maddie Chester in FOOL FOR LOVE, father of Thomas Chester McCarthy in MAID FOR LOVE, Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE and Connor McCarthy (deceased) in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Maddie McCarthy, mother of Thomas, married to Mac McCarthy in FOOL FOR LOVE, mother of Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE and Connor McCarthy (deceased) in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Laura McCarthy Lawry, mother of Holden Newsome in SEASON FOR LOVE, married to Owen Lawry in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Owen Lawry, stepfather of Holden Newsome in SEASON FOR LOVE, married to Laura McCarthy Lawry in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Sarah Lawry, involved with Charlie Grandchamp in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Charlie Grandchamp, involved with Sarah Lawry in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Holden Francis Newsome, Laura’s son with ex-husband Justin Newsome, stepson of Owen Lawry, born in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*General Mark Lawry, estranged husband of Sarah Lawry, father of Owen, Julia, Katie, Cindy, Josh, John and Jeff Lawry.
*Dr. Kevin McCarthy, father of Riley and Finn, involved with Chelsea Rose in LOVE AFTER DARK.
*Chelsea Rose, bartender at the Beachcomber, involved with Dr. Kevin McCarthy in LOVE AFTER DARK.
*Riley McCarthy, son of Kevin and Deb.
*Finn McCarthy, son of Kevin and Deb.
*Dr. David Lawrence, engaged to Daisy Babson in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Daisy Babson, engaged to Dr. David Lawrence in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Joe Cantrell, married to Janey McCarthy Cantrell in READY FOR LOVE, father of Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Janey McCarthy Cantrell, married to Joe Cantrell in READY FOR LOVE, mother of Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Seamus O’Grady, married to Carolina O’Grady in GANSETT AFTER DARK, guardian to Kyle and Jackson Chandler in LOVE AFTER DARK.
*Carolina O’Grady, grandmother of PJ Cantrell, married to Seamus O’Grady in GANSETT AFTER DARK, guardian to Kyle and Jackson Chandler in LOVE AFTER DARK.
*Marion Martinez, co-founder of Martinez Lawn & Garden, mother of Alex and Paul Martinez.
*Tom Barton, father of Erin and Toby (deceased).
*Mary Beth Barton, mother of Erin and Toby (deceased).
Aunt Sue, Erin’s aunt.
*Big Mac McCarthy, grandfather of Thomas Chester McCarthy in MAID FOR LOVE, Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE, Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE and Connor McCarthy (deceased) in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Linda McCarthy, grandmother of Thomas Chester McCarthy in MAID FOR LOVE, Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE, Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE and Connor McCarthy (deceased) in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Thomas McCarthy, son of Mac and Maddie McCarthy.
*Ashleigh Sturgil, daughter of Tiffany Taylor and Jim Sturgil, stepdaughter of Blaine Taylor in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Ned Saunders, married to Francine in GANSETT AFTER DARK, grandfather of Ashleigh Sturgil, Thomas McCarthy, Hailey McCarthy and Connor McCarthy (deceased).
*Francine Saunders, grandmother of Ashleigh Sturgil, Thomas McCarthy, Hailey McCarthy and Connor McCarthy (deceased), married to Ned Saunders in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Blaine Taylor, married to Tiffany Taylor and stepfather of Ashleigh Sturgil in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Tiffany Taylor, mother of Ashleigh Sturgil, married to Blaine Taylor in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Shane McCarthy, involved with Katie Lawry in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Katie Lawry, nurse practitioner at Gansett Island Clinic and involved with Shane McCarthy in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Dan Torrington, engaged to Kara Ballard in MEANT FOR LOVE.
*Kara Ballard, engaged to Dan Torrington in MEANT FOR LOVE.
*Grant McCarthy, married to Stephanie McCarthy in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Stephanie McCarthy, married to Grant McCarthy in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Mallory Vaughn, nurse practitioner.
Desire After Dark Headlines
Slim is home on Gansett for 12 days, and Erin invites him to stay at the lighthouse!
Sydney experiences a pregnancy complication!
Mark Lawry wants to talk to Owen before he will give Sarah a divorce!
Ashleigh and Thomas play Naked Boy Naked Girl!
David and Daisy get engaged!
Erin hasn’t flown since her brother died!
Paul and Hope get married!
Erin’s dad has a health crisis, and Slim flies her home to Philadelphia!
Adam and Abby get married on New Year’s Eve!
Slim wants Erin to spend the winter with him in Florida!
Erin will need to be close to her parents in Pennsylvania for a while!
Slim sends Erin a plane ticket to join him at Evan and Grace’s wedding!
Gansett Island Soundtrack
Please
The morning after Slim Jackson came home to celebrate the McCarthys’ 40th anniversary, Erin Barton awakens snuggled up to him on her sofa.
They met last fall after Erin had a bike accident and twisted her ankle.
Slim rescued her from the side of the road and spent the night at the lighthouse, taking care of her.
He accompanied her to Jenny and Alex’s wedding before heading south to work in Florida for the winter after they shared a kiss.
They’ve stayed in touch during the months apart by texting and FaceTime chats and have gotten to know each other.
Now they have twelve days to explore where their friendship might lead.
The last man Erin was serious about was before her twin brother, Toby, died in the 9/11 attacks in New York City.
In the aftermath of Toby’s death, Erin lost her way, and when she came up for air, the guy she’d been seeing was long gone.
She tries not to focus on those dark days.
Moving to Gansett Island has been good for her.
Her friend Jenny, who was engaged to Toby when he died, introduces her to amazing new friends, and she met Tobias Fitzgerald “Slim” Jackson, Jr. Now he’s back for a visit, and Erin wonders if the warm relationship they’ve formed from a distance will work up close.
She gets up to make herself presentable, excited to have this time to spend with Slim.
He’s easygoing, funny, confident and he makes her laugh—a lot.
The thing she finds most attractive about him, however, is his kindness, especially during the days that led up to Jenny’s wedding.
He understood how difficult it was for Erin to see her beloved brother’s fiancée marry another man, even though she was thrilled for Jenny and Alex.
Slim had provided the kind of support Erin would’ve expected from a longtime friend rather than a new one, and he helped to get her through what might’ve been a crisis otherwise.
No matter what else happened between them, she’d always be thankful to him for that.
While she’s making coffee, Slim slides his arm around her from behind.
He says he has to go open up his house and turn on the heat.
Erin surprises them both when she invites him to stay with her.
He doesn’t want to impose, but she wants him to stay.
“Since you’re offering twelve days of all Erin, all the time, I gratefully accept your kind offer. ”