Book 22 Rescue After Dark
They’ve both been unlucky in love. Is their luck about to change?
Reality TV star Jordan Stokes is taking time to figure out her next move—tucked away from prying eyes in her grandmother’s home on Gansett Island with her identical twin sister, Nikki.
Eastward Look is the perfect place to heal and regroup.
Her sister was busy falling in love with Riley McCarthy while Jordan’s world and marriage were falling apart in front of an audience of millions.
Fire Chief Mason Johns might put out flames for a living, but the fitness-buff firefighter with a god-like body sure knows how to heat things up.
When he locks lips with the island’s newest resident during a rescue, he feels an undeniable spark that he can’t ignore—no matter how hard he tries.
The recovering alcoholic has had his fair share of bad relationships, but Jordan could be a game-changer.
He saved her life… but she just might rescue him right back.
Main Characters:
*Mason Johns, Chief, Gansett Island Fire Department.
*Jordan Stokes, reality TV star, identical twin sister of Nikki.
Supporting Characters:
*Mallory Vaughn, engaged to Dr. Quinn James.
*Libby, manager of the Beachcomber, volunteer paramedic.
*Katie McCarthy, married to Shane McCarthy in TROUBLE AFTER DARK.
*Shane McCarthy, married to Katie McCarthy in TROUBLE AFTER DARK.
*Nikki Stokes, involved with Riley McCarthy in MINE AFTER DARK.
*Riley McCarthy, involved with Nikki Stokes in MINE AFTER DARK.
*Dr. David Lawrence, engaged to Daisy Babson in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Dr. Kevin McCarthy, psychiatrist, married to Chelsea Rose in MINE AFTER DARK, father of Summer Rose McCarthy in TROUBLE AFTER DARK.
*Chelsea Rose McCarthy, bartender at the Beachcomber, married to Dr. Kevin McCarthy in MINE AFTER DARK, mother of Summer Rose McCarthy in TROUBLE AFTER DARK.
*Summer Rose McCarthy, daughter of Kevin and Chelsea, born in TROUBLE AFTER DARK.
*Dr. Quinn James, engaged to Mallory Vaughn.
*Nina, AA meeting facilitator, manager of the Summer House.
Tori, visitor to AA meeting.
*Rebecca, owner of South Harbor Diner.
*Chet Upton, Mayor, Gansett Island.
*Mona, assistant to Chet Upton.
*Blaine Taylor, married to Tiffany Taylor and stepfather of Ashleigh Sturgil in TIME FOR LOVE, father of Adeline 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.
*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.
*Chloe Dennis, involved with Finn McCarthy in YOURS AFTER DARK.
*Finn McCarthy, involved with Chloe Dennis in YOURS AFTER DARK.
*Cindy Lawry, hair stylist at Curl Up & Dye.
*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.
*Tiffany Taylor, mother of Ashleigh Sturgil, married to Blaine Taylor in TIME FOR LOVE, mother of Adeline Francine Taylor in VICTORIA & SHANNON.
*Kelsey, nanny to Mac and Maddie’s kids.
*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.
*Gabrielle “Gigi” Gibson, best friend of Jordan and Nikki.
*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.
*Luke Harris, married to Sydney Donovan in SEASON FOR LOVE, father of Lily in VICTORIA & SHANNON.
*Sydney Donovan, married to Luke Harris in SEASON FOR LOVE, mother of Lily in VICTORIA & SHANNON.
*Lily Harris, daughter of Luke and Sydney, born in VICTORIA & SHANNON.
*Jared James, married to Lizzie James in CHANCE FOR LOVE.
*Lizzie James, married to Jared James in CHANCE FOR LOVE.
*Alex Martinez, married to Jenny Martinez in LOVE AFTER DARK, father of George Alexander Martinez, II, in VICTORIA & SHANNON.
*Jenny Martinez, married to Alex Martinez in LOVE AFTER DARK, mother of George Alexander Martinez, II, in VICTORIA & SHANNON.
*Hope Martinez, mother of Ethan, married to Paul Martinez in DESIRE AFTER DARK, mother of Scarlett Marion Martinez in YOURS AFTER DARK.
*Paul Martinez, married to Hope Russell and stepfather to Ethan in DESIRE AFTER DARK, father of Scarlett Marion Martinez in YOURS AFTER DARK.
*Scarlett Marion Martinez, daughter of Paul and Hope Martinez in YOURS AFTER DARK.
*Ethan Russell, son of Hope Martinez, stepson of Paul Martinez.
*Dr. David Lawrence, engaged to Daisy Babson in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Daisy Babson, engaged to David Lawrence in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Evelyn Hopper, grandmother of Jordan and Nikki, owner of Eastward Look.
*Zane (Brendan): ex-husband of Jordan.
*Davy, manager of Zane.
*Matilda Spencer, reality TV producer.
Tom Sturgeon, network executive.
*Jack Downing, RI state police officer.
*Wyatt, police officer.
Dermot, Boner, Trip, firefighters/paramedics.
Highlights from Rescue After Dark:
Mason falls off his bike after noticing a fire at Eastward Look!
He rescues Jordan and saves her life!
Nikki invites Mason to dinner to thank him for saving Jordan!
Jordan is wildly attracted to Mason—and vice versa!
Mason tells Jordan, Nikki and Riley that he’s a recovering alcoholic!
Jordan shares the story about her ex-husband and the sex tape he made!
Mac and Maddie’s new nanny, Kelsey, is an immediate lifesaver!
Tiffany and Janey plot to give Mac and Maddie some time to themselves to de-stress!
Jordan asks her lawyer friend, Gigi, to get her out of her former marriage ASAP!
Jordan shocks Mason by being totally naked when he comes out of the shower!
Mason and Jordan are excited about their connection but worried about the timing!
Jordan’s ex is out of rehab and looking for her!
Sydney drives the car off the pier at the marina with Lily in her car seat!
Mason, Blaine and Big Mac rescue Sydney and Lily!
At a dinner party, Mason’s friends suggest setting the next season of her show on Gansett!
Jordan is interested in the activities director job at the senior care facility!
Mallory tells Mason to do whatever it takes to make it work if he loves Jordan—even move to LA!
Jordan returns to LA to meet with the network about the show and pitches the Gansett idea!
Riley calls—Jordan’s ex is holding her sister and grandmother hostage!
Jordan flies back to Gansett with Gigi!
Nikki knocks Brendan out with a cast-iron frying pan!
Nikki and Jordan’s grandmother, Evelyn, sets the terms to get Brendan out of Jordan’s life for good!
Jordan takes control of her life and wants to be on Gansett with Mason—and will film the show there!
For Gansett Island Fire Chief Mason Johns, Memorial Day weekend signifies the end of peace and quiet and the start of summer insanity.
His department goes from three to five calls a week to five to ten calls per day.
The chaos doesn’t end until after Labor Day.
He rarely gets a day off during the season, so he tries to make the most of the free time he does get.
Today, he’s riding his mountain bike over rugged trails on the island’s north end.
Exercise is critical to his sobriety, as are daily AA meetings.
He’s on his second lap when he notices flames and smoke in the distance, taking his eyes off the landing of a jump, which causes him to fall. He forces himself up and calls in the fire. As he makes his way toward the fire, he realizes his elbow won’t bend.
Jordan knows something is wrong but can’t move.
Her chest hurts, reminding her of the asthma attacks she had as a child.
Jordan has come to Gansett to support her twin sister, Nikki, the general manager of McCarthy’s Wayfarer, as it celebrates its grand opening.
Jordan is exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally, so out of pure desperation, she took a sleeping pill to get some much-needed rest. Nikki and her fiancé, Riley, are so ridiculously happy that it’s difficult for Jordan to be around them while she deals with the demise of her marriage to Brendan, known to the world as “Zane.” The final straw came last winter when he beat her up in a hotel room and put her in the hospital.
Nikki and Riley are off-island today enjoying a much-needed break.
Her chest really hurts. She wants to rub it, but her arms won’t cooperate. Something is wrong. Alarm floods her system, reminding her of the panic that comes with asthma attacks. A piercing noise adds to her anxiety. Is that the smoke alarm?
Next thing she knows, she’s flying through the air, and someone has pressed their lips to hers. Then she passes out.
“Good thing you saw the flames,” Libby says to Mason.
“She’s in the midst of an asthma attack.
” Libby, a paramedic, and Mallory Vaughn, a nurse practitioner who helps on the rig occasionally, transport Jordan to the clinic.
Since the woman he rescued is in good hands, Mason returns to the fire while trying to process a strange occurrence.
When he’d put his mouth to hers to blow air into her lungs, something he’d done hundreds of times in the past, the craziest thing had happened.
She’d moaned and moved her lips as if to kiss him.
That had certainly never happened before, and it’s for damned sure he’s never felt a current of electricity zip through his body while administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to anyone else.
What the hell is that about?