Book 28 Delivery After Dark #10
Lizzie can’t do this. She simply can’t make polite conversation with people who might want to take away the most important person in their lives. The group declines Jared’s offer of refreshments.
“We all know why we’re here,” Dan says, “so how about we get right to it?”
“That works for us.” Martin turns to Jared and Lizzie, who sit together on a love seat. “My client was unaware that he’d fathered a child until recently. Needless to say, the news came as a shock to him, and he was at once very eager to meet his daughter.”
“She looks like you did as a baby, Brooks,” his mother says tearfully.
“I was thinking the same thing,” his father says, his voice gruff.
“Are you going to take her from us?” Lizzie asks, her voice hitching on a sob.
“Because if you are, I want you to know we’ll fight for her until our last breath.
She’s lived with us for more than six months.
We’ve sat up with her all night while she was teething and when she had a fever.
We’ve tucked her into bed every night and woken up to her happy squeaks every morning.
For one hundred and ninety-two days, she’s been the center of our lives.
If you try to take her from us, we’ll fight you. ”
“We don’t want to upset her life,” Brooks says haltingly. “But I’m not sure how I’m supposed to go on with my life, knowing I have a child in the world being raised by people who are strangers to me.”
“So, get to know us,” Jared says. “Come to visit any time you want. All of you. There’s no reason you can’t be part of her life, but as my wife said, if you want to take her from us, we will fight you.
We can either spend years raising this child with your reasonable involvement, or we can spend years in court. ”
After spending time with Violet, Brooks tells Jared he will think about his offer and get back to him.
Morgan meets Mac and Grant, who he knows from high school, for a drink to talk about making the move back to the island.
He’s late and mentions that he’s working on rewiring Sierra’s studio.
“Speaking of your electrical talents, we sure could use someone with your skills around here. Our power grid is a disaster waiting for a place to happen. We’ve already had one major blackout, and any time we lose power, it’s for days. ”
“What’s the town doing about that?”
“Our dad and the other town council members are working with the state to secure funding for an upgrade,” Mac says, “but they’re looking for someone to oversee the project and not getting any takers.”
“Huh. That’s interesting.”
“It’d be a multiyear project with a lot of one-of-a-kind aspects to it,” Mac adds. “Not to mention the regular need I have for electricians for my company. I bring people over for a week at a time, but it sure would be nice to have someone local.”
“Is this an organized campaign, by any chance?” Morgan asks, smiling.
“Nothing of the kind,” Mac says. “I’m merely passing on info that I hope you’ll find intriguing.”
“It’s a great company to work for,” Jace says. “I can attest to that.”
“I am, in fact, intrigued. Talk to me about living here year-round. How do you keep from going batshit crazy?”
“It’s all about the company you keep,” Grant says.
“We have a lot of fun with our people all year long, and you’d be welcomed into our crew if you decided to stay. Everyone is welcome. Our gatherings just get bigger and louder all the time, and as long as you don’t mind a shit-ton of kids, you’ll have a great time.”
“I don’t mind kids. I still hope to have a couple of my own before all is said and done.”
“Do you have a candidate in mind to mother these children of yours?” Mac asks.
“You already know I’m seeing Sierra, because you saw us together the other night.”
“He wants details,” Grant says. “That’s why he asked you.”
“Sierra is amazing, and we’re having a great time.
But I’ve been wrestling with the push-pull of making a life here or going back to the one I have on the mainland.
I have a kick-ass job, and the boss wants me back.
I’ve been trying to picture myself here full-time after spending my entire childhood trying to get the fuck out of here. ”
“I feel that so hard,” Mac says. “That was me, too, as you know.”
“I remember how much you hated being trapped here.”
“If it helps you at all, I never feel trapped here anymore. I have everything I could ever want right here, and as an adult, I can leave any time I want. But I go months without going anywhere, and I’m completely fine with that.
I have my wife, our kids, our extended families, tons of friends and satisfying work that keeps me so busy, I barely have time to breathe. What else is there, you know?”
“For what it’s worth, I feel the same way,” Grant says.
They enjoy their beers and more conversation, and Morgan appreciates the perspective and the job offers. Now, he has to decide what to do.
Shell-shocked. That’s the only way to describe the parents who board the eight o’clock ferry on the way to their daughter’s graduation in Ohio. They’ve been up all night with four baby grandsons, helping out wherever they could as they were changed, fed, soothed, rinse and repeat.
Big Mac goes straight to the snack bar for two coffees while Linda lands at a picnic table, too tired to keep her head up.
They’re leaning against each other, eyes closed, hands wrapped around coffee cups, when Seamus and Carolina join them.
“Well, isn’t this a lively group?” Seamus says as they slide onto the bench across the table from them.
“Up all night,” Linda says as she yawns. “Four babies is a lot.”
“How are the parents doing?” Seamus asks.
“Probably better than the grandparents, since they’re thirty years younger than us,” Big Mac says.
They sleep the entire way to Point Judith and on the way to the airport while Seamus drives Big Mac’s truck.
They nod off in the waiting area before they board the plane and then sleep all the way to Columbus, waking up feeling slightly more rested but still dragging as they’re greeted by Joe, Janey, PJ and Vi in a flurry of hugs, kisses and frantic excitement.
Janey takes a closer look at her parents. “You guys look rough. Was the flight bad?”
“They’re hungover from wrangling quadruplets all night,” Seamus says.
“Ah, I see,” Janey says. “We’ll put you down for a nap.”
“No naps!” PJ says to laughter from the adults.
“In case I forget to tell you later,” Janey says, “this is the greatest week of my life. Not only do I get my degree—finally—but we get to come home to where we belong—finally.”
“Before I forget to tell you, sweetheart,” Big Mac says, “I’ve never been prouder in my life than I am of my new DVM.”
“Thank you, Daddy. Thank you all for making this possible.”
“What Dad said,” Linda adds. “We couldn’t be happier to see this dream come true for you. Better late than never.”
“Cheers to Dr. Jane McCarthy Cantrell, DVM,” Big Mac says.
Every time the phone rings for days after Brooks’s visit, Lizzie’s heart stops as she wonders if this will be the call that will ruin her life forever. By the third day, she’s fighting to hold on to what’s left of her sanity when Jared’s phone rings.
“It’s him,” Jared says. “Brooks.”
Lizzie can’t think or breathe or do anything other than sit perfectly still while her daughter sleeps in the other room, unaware that her whole life could change as the result of one phone call.
Jared puts the call on speaker. “This is Jared James.”
Brooks thanks them for letting him see Violet and asks if he and his parents can truly be a part of her life.
“All we want is to be able to raise her as our daughter.” Lizzie’s gaze is locked on Jared’s as she hopes he agrees. “If that means we share her with you on occasion, we can live with that.”
Brooks won’t contest the adoption. Oxygen floods Lizzie’s system as her chest expands for the first time since Kendall told them Violet’s father had reached out. Tears pour from her eyes and Jared’s.
“Thank you,” he says for both of them. “Thank you so much.”
The days fly by in a flurry of preholiday madness for Sierra, as many of her regular customers treat themselves to relaxation amid the chaos of preparations, family gatherings, parties, shopping and wrapping.
At six o’clock on the twenty-third, she closes the studio door for the next ten days, excited for a much-needed break and visit to Providence to see her dad and extended family.
She told her father she’s bringing her boyfriend, Morgan, home with her.
All he wants is for her to be happy, and if Morgan makes her happy, then he can’t wait to meet him.
Her father, who owns Mancini’s restaurant, a place Morgan loves, told her to find out what his favorite dish is, and he’ll make it for him.
Sierra is relieved to have her dad on board and excited to see Morgan as she takes the stairs to home, planning to shower and change before he arrives for dinner.
After he’d completely rewired her building, she plans to take him out for a nice dinner to thank him for all the time he spent on the project.
But when she throws open her door, she stops short at the sight of candles, a bottle of wine and a sexy man waiting for her.
“What’s this?” Sierra asks.
“I made us some dinner.”
“I was supposed to take you out.”
“We’ll do that another time.” He holds a chair for her at the small table she’d bought at a yard sale. “Have a seat.”
Filled with curiosity, she takes the seat and shivers when he kisses her neck.
Smiling, he fills their wine glasses with the rosé they both like. “Cheers to you, Sierra Mancini. Thank you for the best weeks of my life.”
As she touches her glass to his, she fears he might be planning to tell her their time together is ending.
“Why did you frown like that?”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything you want.”
“Are you leaving?”
“Only to go to Providence with you tomorrow. If I’m still invited, that is.”