Book 27 Renewal After Dark #6
“You’re gorgeous, and the last thing I want to do is prove your mother right about anything…”
She places a hand on his chest.
Her touching him that way nearly stops his heart.
Then she takes it a step further by going up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “You’re nothing like the kind of men my mother described, and for what it’s worth, I think you’re rather beautiful yourself.”
He snorts with laughter and embarrassment. “Sure, I am. I’m a freaking wildebeest next to you.”
“You’re beautiful inside and out, and I don’t want you saying mean things about my friend, Duke. Do you hear me?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Her smile… Goddamn if it doesn’t turn him inside out, especially when she directs the full force of it in his direction.
Everyone is glad to see Blaine, Tiffany, Ashleigh and Addie walk into the party.
McKenzie waits her turn to hug Tiffany. Tiffany plans to keep the store closed for a few more days and promises to hook McKenzie up with a lawyer to help deal with Jax’s deadbeat father.
Dan and Kara are in Maine, but Dan recommends Kendall James, who’s on the island and can help.
Before McKenzie can tell Tiffany not to worry about her when she’s going through such a difficult time, Tiffany is off in search of Kendall.
“It helps her,” Duke says. “To focus on your thing rather than hers.”
“What are you, a mind reader now, too?”
Grinning, he shrugs. “I figured that’s what you were thinking.”
“You figured right. I told her about his dad saying he’d had a vasectomy so Jax couldn’t have been his, even though he knew full well I hadn’t been with anyone else.”
“Is it okay to say I can’t stand that guy?”
“More than okay. Tiffany said his bullshit doesn’t excuse him from his obligation to care for Jax, and she wanted me to talk to her friend Dan about it.”
“She’s right. You should talk to someone about it. Dan’s a great lawyer, but I’m sure Kendall is, too.”
“I’m afraid of stirring that hornet’s nest.”
“Don’t be. You haven’t done anything wrong. I hate when people don’t care for their kids, who never asked to be born. I’m sorry if that strikes a nerve.”
“One of those things I try not to think about.”
She gazes up at him, wishing she could take away all the hurt he’s experienced in his life, which is a truly overwhelming thought to have about someone she hasn’t known all that long. “I understand.”
“Talk to the lawyer. You and Jax deserve the best of everything. Why should you have to struggle while he pretends he wasn’t there when that little guy came to be?”
“Thank you for the support.”
“Of course.”
Tiffany returns with another woman, who’s probably in her early forties. She has reddish-brown hair and brown eyes.
“Kendall James, meet McKenzie Martin.”
McKenzie shakes hands with the other woman. “Nice to meet you.”
“You as well.”
“This is my friend, Duke Sullivan.”
Duke shakes hands with Kendall. “Nice to meet another James sibling.”
“I’m the classy one of the bunch.”
Duke and McKenzie laugh.
“I understand you’re in need of some legal assistance.”
McKenzie looks at Duke, who nods in encouragement. “Yes, I am, but I don’t want to bother you at a party.”
“It’s no bother. My brother and his wife are entertaining my sons, so this is as good a time as any.”
“Let me take Jax and show him the boats,” Duke says.
McKenzie fills Kendall in on what happened with Jax’s father. She suggests they draft a letter to send him regarding his obligations to his son. McKenzie agrees, and they exchange phone numbers. “Thank you so much.”
“Happy to help if I can.” She stands to rejoin her family. “More to come. It was nice to meet you.”
“You, too.”
A few minutes after Kendall leaves the table, Duke returns with Jax. “How’d it go?”
“Great. She’s going to work on a letter to send him.”
“That’s good news. Sometimes, all it takes to get someone’s attention is a letter from a lawyer.”
They are joined by Sierra and some of her colleagues from the massage studio, whom she introduces to McKenzie and Jax.
Like before, McKenzie has the same odd reaction to the sexy woman who’s obviously close to Duke. She’s never been the jealous sort, as it seems like a waste of time to want what other people have. But there’s no way she can deny that Sierra gets to her for some strange reason.
It’s weird to be experiencing a brand-new emotion as she watches Duke chat with his friends.
Sierra is perfectly nice and friendly to everyone, so McKenzie can’t explain her odd reaction to the other woman.
Duke greets an older couple with a handshake for the man and a hug for the woman. “Big Mac and Linda McCarthy, meet McKenzie Martin, Rosemary’s granddaughter, and her son, Jax.”
McKenzie is surprised when Linda hugs her.
“It’s so lovely to meet you. MK, right?”
“That’s me.”
“Rosemary talked about you all the time. You were the light of her life.”
“Thank you for telling me that.”
“Of course. She’d be delighted to know you’re here.”
“Everyone has been so nice and helpful here, especially Duke. He’s given us a place to stay while the cabin is repaired.”
“Duke’s one of the good guys,” Big Mac says with a warm smile for Duke. “We love him around here.”
“Aw, shucks,” Duke says, seeming embarrassed.
“I only speak the truth.”
“Heard they took Abby to the mainland today,” Duke says. “Any word on how she’s doing?”
“She and the babies are stable, and in the best place they could be right now.”
“I’m so glad to hear that.”
“We’ve got their Liam for the time being,” Linda says. “He’s with our daughters-in-law, Grace and Stephanie. We should probably rescue them. It was such a pleasure to meet you, McKenzie and Jax.”
“You, too. My grandmother spoke so highly of you and your family. Now I see why.”
“We live in that white house at the top of the hill.” Linda points to it. “If you ever need anything, our door is always open.”
“Thank you so much.”
They return to their seats at the table.
“Such nice people,” McKenzie says.
“They’re the backbone of this island.”
Later that evening, after Abby is settled at the hospital in Providence, they call Liam on FaceTime to say good night.
Fifteen minutes later, the specialist comes in, apologizing for making them wait.
Wearing light blue scrubs, she’s tall and pretty, with light brown skin and long, curly hair contained in a ponytail.
“I’m Dr. Isabella Conners, but you should call me Izzy. We’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”
The doctor is keeping Abby at the hospital until the babies are born, and she’ll be on complete bed rest until she delivers.
“I’m so sorry to have to do this, but if we can just eke out ten to twelve more weeks with the boys inside, it’ll greatly reduce the potential for challenges after they arrive.
While they continue to grow, we can give you meds that’ll strengthen their lungs, so they’re ready for life on the outside. ”
Ten to twelve weeks of complete bed rest. Possibly longer. Dear God.
“I… Of course, I want to do what’s best for the babies.” Abby uses the tissue Adam hands her to wipe her tears. “We have a young son at home…”
“We’ll bring him here to be with us,” Adam says.
“That’d be great,” Izzy says. “Whatever it takes to get his mom and brothers to the finish line.”
On the ride home from the marina, Duke sends McKenzie mixed signals. “My life is boring and small compared to what you could have with someone else. You could have anyone you want.”
“And yet, the only man who has my attention is the one who’s been kinder to me than anyone I’ve ever met.”
“I’m sure you’ll get over that when things return to normal.”
Now, he’s just being mean in his attempt to talk her out of liking him.
She doesn’t understand where that’s coming from, so rather than continue to make her case, she unclips Jax’s seat belt, gets out of the truck and reaches for the baby carrier.
“Thank you for taking me tonight. I had a great time. Tomorrow, I’d be happy to help with your books, if you’d still like me to. ”
“Sure.”
“All right. I’ll see you in the morning, then.”
“McKenzie.”
She stops walking but doesn’t turn back.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“I just think you can do better.”
“We’ll have to agree to disagree about that. Good night, Duke.”
McKenzie goes through the motions of getting Jax changed into pajamas, reading him a story and nursing him one last time while ignoring the ache in her heart. How is it possible that this feels worse than everything that happened with Eric?
Probably because Eric wishes he could be half the person Duke is.
Is she making the same mistake again? Is she failing to notice the signs?
No, damn it. There were no signs. Everything was fine—better than fine—and then it wasn’t.
Fifteen minutes later, McKenzie is still sitting in the dark, trying not to cry, when a soft knock sounds at the door.
Her heart lurches. It will be him. Who else can it be? Has he come to tell her more about why she’s too good for him, too young for him or whatever bullshit he’s come up with since she came upstairs?
She takes a deep breath for fortitude and releases it before she gets up to open the door.
“Hey,” he says.
“Hey.”
“So… I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Sending mixed signals and being weird and, well… all of it. It’s… um, been a while since I was, you know, interested in someone this way.”
“And what way is that?”
“The, um, well… you know…”
Has he ever been cuter than when he’s trying to tell her how he feels? Nope, but she refuses to make this easy for him.
“I’m not sure that I do.”
The low growl that comes from deep inside him almost makes her laugh, but she can’t do that to him when he’s clearly suffering. He deserves to suffer a little, but not too much. “Would you like to come in?”
“Yeah, I would.” He stands before her. “I wanted to say I was sorry. I’m not even sure where all that came from in the truck just now. I think maybe I was a little… scared or something.”
“Scared of what?”
“Liking you so much.”
“Why would that be scary?”
“Um, well… It’s you, and you’re…”
“What am I?”
“You’re special. Very, very special.”
“So are you.”