CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jagger
“You look like you actually kind of, sort of, maybe just a little bit … enjoyed yourself over on Wayman with your redheaded foe?” Wyatt asked with a teasing smile and tone.
He glanced at me as he drove us out of the marina parking lot and up the steep hill that was normally lined to the top with vehicles waiting for the ferry. It was weird to see the hill empty.
“Any idea when they’ll fix the terminal?” I asked, pivoting my body to look behind me at the ferry terminal to see if I could see the damage, since I didn’t bother to look for it when we cruised past. I was too focused on not getting seasick … and on Raina.
“They have to wait for the weather to get better. With this never-ending wind, it’s not safe.”
I nodded and faced forward again. “Gonna make getting supplies for the restaurant a challenge.”
“We’re already working on a system, as many places are.
A joint effort with local businesses and boat owners.
Even Willy Reilly has offered to do supply runs on his crab boat, if needed.
And barge services are stepping up. We figure even if we just get supplies to Wayman, then we can shuttle them to the mainland on the ferry from there.
It’s not ideal, but it’s not impossible. Just need to get creative.”
I glanced at my older brother—all of my brothers were my older brother, technically—and gave him a single raised eyebrow. “Look at you being Mr. Optimistic. Are you and Vica rewatching Ted Lasso again?”
Wyatt snorted and adjusted his glasses on his face. “Yes, but that’s beside the point. We could be a lot worse off than we are. We’re trying to keep things positive for the kids. After the year they’ve had, they don’t need to get spooked any more.”
Fair enough. Even though all four of my brothers had found love this year, and grown our family, a lot of drama had also taken place.
Clint’s partner, Brooke, was pushed off a boat, nearly drown in the ocean, and then was nearly thrown off a cliff.
His daughter, Talia, was hit by a car and broke her arm.
Wyatt’s wife, Vica, was sexually assaulted, nearly deported, kidnapped by some dirty cops on the island, and then his sous chef, Burke, got shot.
Then, of course, Dom’s partner, Chloe, had a dangerous encounter at the hostel she was working at, and Dom’s son, Silas, got bullied pretty hard at school.
We all had high hopes that the new year would bring forth peace into all of our lives.
“You and Raina seemed friendly there,” Wyatt said, clearly not taking the hint that I wanted to get the fuck away from the topic of Raina Aaronson, the prickliest cactus on the island. “Anything happen ?” He bobbed his brows and tossed a brief side-eye at me before focusing on the road again.
“She didn’t kill me. We kept everyone in the B&B from freezing to death. That’s it.”
Not that I didn’t trust my brothers to keep a secret, but I never told them about my love life.
Not that there was much to tell. Especially after they lost their wives, I kept my personal life private.
I was there for them and their kids when they needed me, without question, and ducked out for a friends-with-benefits situation when I had the time.
Up until about six months ago, I had a casual thing going with one of the island yoga teachers, Lotus McCreary.
She was crazy-hot and crazy-bendy. We got sweaty together once or twice a week, but never took it beyond that.
She wasn’t looking for a commitment and I didn’t have time for one.
As far as I knew, none of my brother knew about Lotus and me, and I intended to keep it that way.
She also ended things six months ago after attending a retreat in New Mexico.
She came home declaring a vow of celibacy.
Kudos to her, but it sucked for me. I hadn’t been with anybody since. Unless you counted my hand, of course.
Wyatt and I drove in silence the rest of the way home.
I was tired from the early morning lights coming on, and my body and muscles were stiff in certain places from chopping all that wood.
I definitely needed to get in to see the chiropractor, and maybe have Suvi stick some needles in me too.
Until then, the nieces and nephews loved to walk on my back to work out the kinks.
The sign for the brewery, cabins, and pub came into view and a sharp snag of emotion caught in my throat. I was definitely happy to be home. Thank god, all my Christmas presents were already bought and wrapped so I didn’t have to worry about not having anything for my six favorite scallywags.
My brother turned onto the long gravel laneway with the grass down the middle and slowed his roll to a cool 10 mph.
The pub stood tall and proud up ahead with the cabins just beyond them, a few vehicles sat parked in front of the freshly painted little boxes, since some people liked to rent in the off-season, even over Christmas.
“Feels good to be home, huh?” Wyatt said, his smirk knowing as he turned up the hill that took us to our five identical houses—each painted a different color.
“Feels real good.”
After what happened to Brooke, we installed more security on the property, including a gate that we had to stop at and punch in a code on a keypad before we could get through. Wyatt rolled down his window, hit his code, and the gate slowly swung open.
I wasn’t prepared for what greeted me at the top in the gravel driveway we all shared and I had to admit, I got a little emotional. Six kiddos wearing enormous smiles, jumping up and down and holding a sign that said, “WELCOME HOME, UNCLE JAGGER!” stood there waiting for me.
It was a like a wad of sticky, chunky peanut butter with extra sharp peanut pieces got lodged in the back of my throat, and even my eyes stung a little.
I didn’t realize how much I missed these little lunatics until I saw them.
Before Wyatt even parked, I bailed out of the truck and ran toward them.
Their cheers as they dropped their sign and launched themselves at me had a few fat tears rolling down behind my glasses.
I’d have swept them away if I had any arms to do so.
Wyatt’s son, Griffin, hung off one arm while Dom’s son, Silas, hung off the other.
Clint’s daughter, Talia, clung to one leg, and Bennett’s daughter, Aya, wrapped her arms around the other.
That left the older two. Bennett’s other daughter, Emme, who just tucked in for a hug, pressing her cheek to my chest, before Wyatt’s older son, Jake, did the same.
“Welcome home, Uncle Jagger,” Emme said, calmly. “We missed you.”
“I missed you too, squirt.”
Jake was almost nine, but tall for his age, so the top of his head brushed my shoulders. He smiled up at me. “You smell like ocean and wood.”
Still decorated like a Christmas tree with children on every limb, I was stuck in place as I chuckled. “Well, I split a bunch of firewood for the woman who owned the B&B I stayed at, and I was just on the ocean in the water taxi.”
Wyatt slammed his truck door, hauling my bag out with him just as Dom, Clint, and Bennett came out of their houses, their women behind them.
“He’s home. And in one piece,” Clint joked. “Thought for sure, Raina would at the very least draw something unkind and cucumber shaped on your face while you slept.” He made a mock pout. “Kind of disappointed she didn’t.”
“If I could, I’d flip you the bird,” I said dryly.
“All right, you guys, let Uncle Jagger have his legs and arms back,” Bennett said, leaning against the doorframe of his house, Justine now tucked in front of him, and his arms around her.
“But we missed him,” Aya protested. “And he doesn’t mind. Right, Uncle Jagger? You don’t mind.” She currently sat on my foot, her arms wrapped around my leg as she stared up at me with big, brown eyes. She blinked her long lashes and smiled sweetly.
She was a child who it was almost impossible to say no to.
Almost.
“I mean, I do need to pee,” I said, even though I didn’t. “I could do it right here, I guess. But you might—”
“I’m off, I’m off,” she said, leaping off my foot and backing away.
Talia did the same, but Silas and Griffin hung onto my arms.
“We’re boys, we don’t care,” Griffin said, tightening his grip on my bicep. “I’m fine if Uncle Jagger pees his pants, or if he needs to pull down his pants. It’s a natural bodily function.”
“Get down,” Wyatt said, coming up behind his cheeky son and tickling his armpits until he giggled and let go of me.
“Si,” Dom said, jerking his chin at his son. “Down, please.”
Silas pouted, but listened to his father. He glanced up at me. “We missed you, Uncle Jagger. Please don’t go away for so long again. It was lonely without you.”
“Aw, buddy,” I said, ruffling his hair, that wad of peanut butter back in my throat. “I missed you guys too.”
“Did you bring us anything?” Aya asked.
“Aya Lucia,” Bennett warned, his voice stern before he rolled his eyes and shook his head at the gall of his child.
Aya glanced back at him. “What? Why’d you use both my names?”
“We don’t ask that. It’s rude.” Bennett tipped his head to the sky. “This child is giving me more gray hairs every day.”
Justine half turned her face to look up at him. “Oh look, there’s a new one in your beard.”
It was Aya’s turn to roll her eyes. “Why is it rude? I just asked.”
I smiled at my little niece, regret in my belly. “Unfortunately, I did not bring you guys anything. I’m sorry. It was a bit of a chaotic time and I just … I forgot. Next trip, okay?”
“We’re just glad you’re home safe, Uncle Jagger,” Emme said, wrapping her arm around me again, and leaning in for another hug.
“I thought you said you needed to pee,” Aya asked, her hands on her hips.