Book 19 Mine After Dark #6
When Jordan is discharged from the hospital, she wants to go back to LA. Nikki goes with her. Riley flies back to Gansett, hoping Nikki will return soon.
Adam and Abby borrow an infant car seat from Laura to pick up their son.
They order everything they need for the baby online and will make do with borrowed baby items until their delivery arrives.
They take the ferry and drive forty-five minutes to Providence to pick up their son, Liam Callahan McCarthy.
For two weeks after Riley returns to Gansett, he works days at the Wayfarer and nights at Eastwood Look.
He’s finished most of the work in the kitchen, leaving a little of everything for Nikki to do because she wants to learn.
He and Nikki text and talk every day, but he’s worried she isn’t going to return.
The night of his father’s bachelor party, he talks to Nikki and tells her how much he misses her and wishes she was with him. Later, Jordan tells Nikki that she’s better and Nikki should return to Gansett and Riley. Nikki jumps at the chance and books a flight.
As his best men, Riley and Finn host Kevin’s party at Mario’s.
They invite all their uncles, cousins, friends and Chelsea’s brother, Andrew.
They toast Kevin and have a great time celebrating their father with all their favorite men, but Riley’s heart is heavy as he wonders whether he’ll get his happily ever after, too.
The morning of the wedding, Riley wakes up grouchy and hungover. When Riley pulls into the driveway at the small house Kevin shares with Chelsea, his dad comes running out, sporting a big, dopey grin and a blue plaid bow tie. “It’s today!”
“Get in and shut the door. You’re freezing me out.”
“I can see you’re in your usual festive mood of late. Do you love her, Ri?”
The question hits him like a sharp arrow to the heart. “Yeah.”
“Then go after her.”
“I’m going to. Tomorrow.” Waiting even one more day to see her is apt to kill him.
Kevin nods his approval. “Good. That’s the right thing to do. If you didn’t, you’d always wonder what might’ve been. I don’t want you to have regrets.”
“I already do. But it’s nothing that can’t be fixed.” At least he hopes that’s still the case. He drives Kevin to Big Mac and Linda’s to hang out before they go down the hill to the hotel for the wedding. Uncle Frank is already at Big Mac’s with Betsy Jacobson, who hugs Kevin.
“We’re so happy for you guys,” Betsy says.
“Thank you,” Kevin says, accepting hugs from Big Mac, Linda and Frank.
“Champagne for everyone,” Linda says. “Let’s get this party started!”
“Where’s Finn?” Riley asks.
“Here I am,” his brother says as he arrives, shedding his coat and accepting the glass of champagne their aunt hands him.
Linda raises her glass to Kevin. “Here’s to true love and happily ever after.”
“I will happily drink to that,” Kevin says.
Riley smiles as he touches his glass to his dad’s, determined to celebrate his father’s joy even as his own heart aches.
Standing between his dad and brother, Riley is oddly emotional watching the bride and groom exchange vows and pledge their lives and their love to each other.
Uncle Frank, a retired superior court judge, presides over the nuptials and has the assembled family members and friends laughing one minute and crying the next.
“Kevin, Chelsea,” Frank says, “anyone who has spent even five minutes in your presence can attest to the love and commitment you have for each other. It is my great honor as Kevin’s older and wiser brother to pronounce you husband and wife. Kev, you may kiss your bride.”
As they kiss, the door opens, and Nikki walks in. Finn gets to her first. “Nicholas, I’m so happy to see you. You have no idea what I’ve been through with this one since you left.”
“Nice to see you, Finnbar.” She removes her coat and hands it to Finn.
Riley is shocked to see her there.
“I hoped it would be okay if I crashed.”
“You were invited. But what are you doing here? On Gansett? Where’s Jordan?”
She looks up at him with those bottomless brown eyes that have haunted his dreams over the torturous weeks without her. “Jordan is in LA figuring out the next steps in her life, and I’m here on Gansett.”
“Why?” he asks, though he suspects he already knows. He wants to hear her say it.
“Because you’re here.”
“I’ve never been so happy to see anyone in my entire life,” Riley says.
“Neither have I.”
Later, Riley tells Nikki that he’ll remember three things from his father’s wedding day: that his father and Chelsea are truly happy, that Nikki came back to him and that he realized he wants to spend the rest of his life with her.
“Riley,” she whispers.
“It might be too much, too soon, but all you had to do was walk into the room to make everything that was wrong right again.”
“It’s not too soon. I want the same thing you do. I want you and a life with you.”
“Here on Gansett Island?”
She nods. “This is our home. Gansett Island and Eastward Look are home.”
“Gansett, Eastward Look and you are home. Home is nothing without you, sweetheart.”