Book 16 Light After Dark
It’s a summer of new beginnings and maybe even love.
Mallory Vaughn is at a crossroads in her life.
A year after learning that Big Mac McCarthy is her father, she’s spending more and more time on Gansett Island, surrounded by the large and boisterous McCarthy family.
When she’s laid off from her longtime job, Mallory goes to visit her family on Gansett and tries to figure out the next chapter.
An unexpected job offer will have her packing up her home in Providence to move to the island for at least the summer, if not longer.
She decides to make this the “Summer of Mallory,” full of new adventures, new people and new opportunities.
Will a new love also be part of the Summer of Mallory?
Anything is possible on Gansett Island, especially true love.
Take the ferry back to Gansett to catch up with the McCarthy family and their friends. Be on hand as Laura and Owen welcome their twins and the family comes back together for another summer of love and adventure on Gansett Island.
Main Characters:
*Mallory Vaughn, nurse practitioner, daughter of Big Mac McCarthy.
*Dr. Quinn James, medical director at senior care facility, brother of Jared James.
*Indicates recurring throughout the series.
Supporting Characters:
*Blaine Taylor, married to Tiffany Taylor and stepfather of Ashleigh Sturgil in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Mason Johns, chief, Gansett Island Fire Department.
*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.
Diana Vaughn, deceased, Mallory’s mother.
Andy, attendee at Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
Nina, facilitator of Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, manager of Summer House.
*Jared James, married to Lizzie James in CHANCE FOR LOVE.
*Lizzie James, married to Jared James in CHANCE FOR LOVE.
*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.
*Joe Cantrell, married to Janey McCarthy Cantrell in READY FOR LOVE, father of Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Rebecca, owner of diner in South Harbor.
*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, mother of Joanna and Jonathan in LIGHT AFTER DARK.
*Owen Lawry, stepfather of Holden Newsome in SEASON FOR LOVE, married to Laura McCarthy Lawry in GANSETT AFTER DARK, father of Joanna and Jonathan in LIGHT AFTER DARK.
*Victoria Stevens, involved with Shannon O’Grady in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Dr. David Lawrence, engaged to Daisy Babson in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Joanna Sarah Lawry, daughter of Owen and Laura Lawry, born in LIGHT AFTER DARK.
*Jonathan Russell Lawry, son of Owen and Laura Lawry, born in LIGHT AFTER DARK.
*Judge Frank McCarthy, involved with Betsy Jacobson in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Shane McCarthy, involved with Katie Lawry in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Katie Lawry, involved with Shane McCarthy in KISSES AFTER DARK.
Trish Bennett, Mallory’s best friend.
Ryan Daniels, Mallory’s deceased husband.
*Grant McCarthy, married to Stephanie McCarthy in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Stephanie McCarthy, married to Grant McCarthy in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Adam McCarthy, married to Abby Callahan in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Abby McCarthy, married to Adam McCarthy in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Evan McCarthy, married to Grace McCarthy in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Grace McCarthy, married to Evan McCarthy in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Janey McCarthy Cantrell, married to Joe Cantrell in READY FOR LOVE, mother of Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE.
*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.
*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.
*Tiffany Taylor, mother of Ashleigh Sturgil, married to Blaine Taylor in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Riley McCarthy, son of Kevin McCarthy and Deb McCarthy.
*Finn McCarthy, son of Kevin McCarthy and Deb McCarthy.
*Betsy Jacobson, involved with Frank McCarthy in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Chelsea Rose, bartender at the Beachcomber, involved with Dr. Kevin McCarthy in LOVE 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.
*Hailey McCarthy, daughter of Mac and Maddie McCarthy.
*Dan Torrington, engaged to Kara Ballard in MEANT FOR LOVE.
*Kara Ballard, engaged to Dan Torrington in MEANT 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.
*Jackson Chandler, son of the late Lisa Chandler, living with Seamus and Carolina O’Grady in LOVE AFTER DARK.
*Kyle Chandler, son of the late Lisa Chandler, living with Seamus and Carolina O’Grady in LOVE AFTER DARK.
*Luke Harris, married to Sydney Donovan in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Sydney Donovan, married to Luke Harris in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Jenny Martinez, married to Alex Martinez in LOVE AFTER DARK.
*Alex Martinez, married to Jenny Martinez in LOVE AFTER DARK.
*Josh Harrelson, sound engineer at Island Breeze Records.
*Fiona Connelly, manager of Ryan’s Pharmacy.
Shorty & Bones, firefighters.
Trip, paramedic.
*Jim Sturgil, father of Ashleigh Sturgil.
Keith Ballard, brother of Kara.
Kieran Ballard, brother of Kara.
Kyle Ballard, brother of Kara.
Dylan Torrington, deceased brother of Dan Torrington.
*Chuck Ballard, father of Kara.
*Kelly Ballard, sister of Kara.
*Matt, husband of Kelly Ballard.
*Judith Ballard, mother of Kara.
*Dave Torrington, father of Dan.
*Nancy Torrington, mother of Dan.
Light After Dark Headlines:
Mallory is laid off from her job and comes to Gansett!
Mallory and Quinn James save a man after a motorcycle accident!
Fire Chief Mason Johns offers Mallory a summer job as a paramedic!
Laura and Owen’s twins, Joanna and Jonathan, are born!
Mallory is angry at her mother for keeping her from Big Mac!
Mallory moves to Gansett for the summer!
Quinn takes Mallory on a tour of the elder care facility!
Mallory meets with her Uncle Kevin to discuss the changes in her life!
Tiffany asks Jim to accept a plea deal to avoid a trial for assaulting Dan!
Mallory writes a letter to her late mother that she shares with Big Mac and Linda!
Quinn falls down the stairs and tries to push Mallory away!
Mallory invites Quinn and Brutus to stay with her indefinitely!
Mallory takes the nursing director job at the elder care facility!
Dan and Kara get married!
Mallory Vaughn has been spending time on Gansett Island with her newfound family but was tied to her job as the director of emergency nursing at a Providence hospital until she was laid off.
Now she has too much time on her hands and needs to figure out her next move.
She decides to spend some more time on Gansett while she contemplates the future.
She’s running one morning on the island’s curvy roads when she hears a crash and runs to see if she can help the young man lying on the ground after crashing his motorcycle.
She’s soon joined by another runner who turns out to be a trauma surgeon.
They call for help and stabilize their patient.
While waiting for paramedics, Mallory introduces herself to Dr. Quinn James.
When paramedics and police arrive, Mallory updates Police Chief Blaine Taylor and Fire Chief Mason Johns on the patient’s condition and what she witnessed at the accident site.
She tells them exactly what she saw. Mason tells Mallory that the quick action of Mallory and Quinn probably saved the victim’s leg.
The Life Flight helicopter lifts off with the injured man, and Quinn takes off to finish his run.
Mallory visits Big Mac and Linda and tells them she was fired from her job.
They’re upset on her behalf but thrilled to have her visiting indefinitely.
Later that morning, Mallory attends an AA meeting and runs into Mason Johns and Quinn James.
Afterward, Mason invites her for coffee.
At the diner, Mason learns of Mallory’s medical experience and offers her a summer job as a paramedic.
Her brother Mac and brother-in-law Joe crash her conversation with Mason.
Mac gets a call from his wife, Maddie, telling him his cousin Laura is in labor at the clinic.
Mallory goes to the clinic to support her cousin.
Owen and Laura had planned to leave for Providence to have their babies at a hospital, but Joanna Sarah Lawry and Jonathan Russell Lawry had other plans and arrive in dramatic style at the island clinic.