Book 21 Trouble After Dark
The last place in the world he wants to be is on Gansett Island…
Deacon Taylor stepped up for a friend and got himself thrown in jail, and when he’s given a choice of felony charges or leaving town with his police chief brother, Blaine, he chooses the latter, consigning himself to a summer under his annoying older brother’s supervision.
Julia Lawry used the last of her resources to come to Gansett for her sister Katie’s wedding and has no idea how she’s getting back to Texas to clean up the mess she left behind.
Another relationship has ended in dramatic fashion, and she’s put herself on a “dick diet,” swearing off men who use and discard her.
When Deacon talks Julia into taking off with him during her sister’s wedding, neither of them can know how that wild ride on his motorcycle will be the start of the most important journey either of them will ever take.
Main Characters:
*Deacon Taylor, Gansett Island Harbor Master, brother of Blaine Taylor.
*Julia Lawry, office manager, sister of Owen, Katie, Cindy, John, Josh and Jeff Lawry, daughter of Sarah Lawry and Mark Lawry.
*Indicates recurring characters through the series.
Supporting Characters:
*Katie McCarthy, married to Shane McCarthy in TROUBLE AFTER DARK.
*Shane McCarthy, married to Katie McCarthy in TROUBLE AFTER DARK.
*Blaine Taylor, married to Tiffany Taylor and stepfather of Ashleigh Sturgil in TIME FOR LOVE, father of Adeline Taylor in VICTORIA & SHANNON.
*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.
*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.
*Sarah Lawry, involved with Charlie Grandchamp in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Charlie Grandchamp, involved with Sarah Lawry in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Russ Kinkaid, husband of Adele, father of Sarah, grandfather of Owen, Julia, Katie, Cindy, John, Josh and Jeff Lawry.
*Adele Kinkaid, wife of Russ, mother of Sarah, grandmother of Owen, Julia, Katie, Cindy, John, Josh and Jeff Lawry.
*Cindy Lawry, hair stylist, sister of Owen, Julia, Katie, John, Josh and Jeff Lawry.
*Chloe Dennis, involved with Finn McCarthy in YOURS AFTER DARK.
*Finn McCarthy, involved with Chloe Dennis in YOURS AFTER DARK.
*Dr. Kevin McCarthy, psychiatrist, married to Chelsea Rose in MINE AFTER DARK.
*Chelsea Rose McCarthy, bartender at the Beachcomber, married to Dr. Kevin McCarthy in MINE AFTER DARK.
*Riley McCarthy, engaged to Nikki Stokes in YOURS AFTER DARK.
*Nikki Stokes, engaged to Riley McCarthy in YOURS AFTER DARK.
*Victoria Stevens, involved with Shannon O’Grady in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Dr. David Lawrence, engaged to Daisy Babson in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Summer Rose McCarthy, daughter of Kevin and Chelsea, born in TROUBLE 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, Connor McCarthy (deceased) in KISSES AFTER DARK, Malcolm John “Mac” McCarthy, III in KEVIN & CHELSEA, Vivienne McCarthy Cantrell in KEVIN & CHELSEA and Liam Callahan McCarthy in MINE AFTER DARK.
*Evan McCarthy, married to Grace McCarthy in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Tiffany Taylor, mother of Ashleigh Sturgil, married to Blaine Taylor in TIME FOR LOVE, mother of Adeline Francine Taylor in VICTORIA & SHANNON.
*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, Connor McCarthy (deceased) in KISSES AFTER DARK and Malcom John “Mac” McCarthy, III, in KEVIN & CHELSEA.
*Maddie McCarthy, mother of Thomas, married to Mac McCarthy in FOOL FOR LOVE, mother of Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE, Connor McCarthy (deceased) in KISSES AFTER DARK, and Malcom John “Mac” McCarthy, III, in KEVIN & CHELSEA.
*Janey McCarthy Cantrell, married to Joe Cantrell in READY FOR LOVE, mother of Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE and Vivienne McCarthy Cantrell in KEVIN & CHELSEA.
*Joe Cantrell, married to Janey McCarthy Cantrell in READY FOR LOVE, father of Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE and Vivienne McCarthy Cantrell in KEVIN & CHELSEA.
*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, Connor McCarthy (deceased) in KISSES AFTER DARK, Malcolm John “Mac” McCarthy, III in KEVIN & CHELSEA, Vivienne McCarthy Cantrell in KEVIN & CHELSEA and Liam Callahan McCarthy in MINE AFTER DARK.
*Adeline Taylor, daughter of Blaine and Tiffany, born in VICTORIA & SHANNON.
*Stephanie McCarthy, married to Grant McCarthy in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Grant McCarthy, married to Stephanie McCarthy in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Judge Frank McCarthy, involved with Betsy Jacobson in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Betsy Jacobson, involved with Frank McCarthy in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Jeff Lawry, youngest brother of Owen, Julia, Katie, Cindy, John and Josh.
*John Lawry, brother of Owen, Julia, Katie, Cindy, Josh and Jeff.
*Josh Lawry, brother of Owen, Julia, Katie, Cindy, John and Jeff.
Sherri, Deacon’s friend.
Jillian Stark, harbor master assistant
Lisa, vet tech.
*Doc Potter, veterinarian.
*Ned Saunders, married to Francine in GANSETT AFTER DARK, grandfather of Ashleigh Sturgil, Thomas McCarthy, Hailey McCarthy, Connor McCarthy (deceased), Adeline Taylor, and Malcom John “Mac” McCarthy, III.
*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, Connor McCarthy (deceased) in KISSES AFTER DARK and Malcom John “Mac” McCarthy, III, in KEVIN & CHELSEA.
*Evan McCarthy, married to Grace McCarthy in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Grace McCarthy, married to Evan McCarthy in DESIRE AFTER DARK
Headlines from Trouble After Dark:
Deacon “kidnaps” Julia from Shane and Katie’s wedding!
Julia has had it with men and is on a “dick diet!”
Sarah invites Deacon to brunch with the family after the wedding!
Summer Rose McCarthy is born!
Katie is worried that Julia doesn’t seem to be eating!
Julia agrees to see Victoria and Kevin about her ongoing challenges with food!
Tiffany doesn’t like the way Blaine talks to Deacon—no sex until he apologizes!
Julia spots a dog swimming in the ocean and rescues him!
Julia tells Deacon about the man who stole money from her!
Deacon files a report and gets her money back!
Mac hires Julia as his office manager!
Mac has a panic attack while Maddie is at the clinic!
Owen encourages Julia to “take back” the music their father denied her!
Julia plays the piano and sings for the first time in years!
McCarthy Baby Boom: Maddie, Grace, Stephanie and Abby are all pregnant!
Liam McCarthy’s adoption is finalized!
Slim and Erin get married at the lighthouse!
The Martinez brothers move Marion back to the island!
Blaine offers Deacon a full-time job with the police department!
Soundtrack
Always Remember Us This Way
Because of You
Someone Like You
Deacon Taylor didn’t intend to crash a wedding and kidnap the maid of honor, but when he overhears his brother Blaine mention a wedding at the Wayfarer, he’s curious about the place since the McCarthy family has reopened it, so he goes to check it out.
Deacon had first seen her the other night at the clinic after one of the craziest nights in recent memory—when Finn McCarthy’s ex stabbed Finn and his new girlfriend, Chloe Dennis.
Half the island had ended up at the clinic, along with the cowboy strippers who’d been performing at Katie Lawry’s bachelorette party when the stabbings took place.
Deacon doesn’t recall Gansett Island being that interesting when he’d lived here as a kid.
Now, she’s a bridesmaid at her sister’s wedding.
She has long, silky dark hair that falls nearly to her spectacular ass, flawless, lightly tanned skin, bluish-gray eyes fringed with extravagant lashes, large breasts that are barely contained by the halter-style dress and lips made for kissing.
The last thing Deacon needs, especially right now, is any more female complications.
When he senses that she’s having some sort of crisis, he offers her a ride on his bike that she eagerly accepts.
He pulls into the parking lot at the bluffs, and as his passenger removes her helmet, he reaches for the beers he brought with him. After he hands one to her, he asks her name.
“Julia.”
He touches his bottle to hers. “Nice to meet you, Julia. I’m Deacon.”
He asks if leaving the wedding will be a problem, and she reassures him that Katie, her twin sister, is so wrapped up in her new husband, Shane, that Julia won’t be missed.
She loves Shane for saving Katie’s life when she was caught in a rip current at the beach in front of the Surf.
Her family adores his brother Blaine for taking such good care of their mom when she arrived on Gansett after being beaten by their father.
Deacon doesn’t share her opinion of his brother.
Blaine is a saint, but Deacon is not. Julia tells him about Mike, her ex, and how he led her to believe they would have it all.
That turned out to be nothing but lies. Julia gave him fifteen thousand dollars for what she thought was treatment for his sick mother, but he used it to pay for his pregnant girlfriend and the house he bought her.
Since she’s now broke and lost her job in Texas, she’s staying on Gansett until she has the money to go home.
Deacon is on the island for the summer, doing a favor for his brother.
“You’re stuck here for a while. I’m stuck here for a while.
Maybe we can hang out and make it more fun than it would be otherwise. ”
Sitting upright, she eyes him with skepticism that’s hardwired into her DNA after so many disappointments. “Is ‘hang out’ a metaphor for sex?”
He laughs. “You don’t pull any punches, do you?”