Chapter 10
J ared James, his wife, Lizzie, and their baby daughter, Violet, arrived at the ferry landing a few minutes before the three-thirty boat from the mainland was due to arrive, bringing his older sister Kendall and her sons, Henry and Elias.
“So when did Katherine change her name to Kendall?” Lizzie, who was holding Violet, asked as they stood waiting for the boat that was visible in the distance.
Jared would’ve offered to take the baby, but Lizzie loved holding her so much that he didn’t. He’d never seen his Lizzie happier than since Violet had come into their lives. “Kendall is her middle name, and she always wished it’d been her first name. When she filed for divorce from Phil, she decided to go back to James as her last name. Since she was changing her last name, she decided to finally use the first name she preferred.”
“Good for her. I hope I don’t slip up and call her by the wrong name.”
“She won’t care if you do.”
“Who won’t care about what?” Jared’s brother Quinn asked when he and his wife, Mallory, joined them.
“I was telling Lizzie that Kendall won’t care if she slips up and calls her Kath by accident.”
“That’s good,” Quinn said, “because I’m worried about that, too. Who changes their name at our age?”
“Our sister did, so get on board.”
“That’s what I told him,” Mallory said.
“You should listen to your wife and brother, Q,” Jared said. “Clearly, we’re smarter than you are.”
Mallory coughed to cover a laugh while her husband frowned at her.
“Traitor.”
“What? He’s funny.”
“No, he isn’t.”
“I really am,” Jared said.
Quinn reached for baby Violet. “Come see Uncle Quinn, angel. Everyone’s being mean to me.”
Lizzie smiled as she handed over the baby to her uncle.
“My goodness, she’s a beauty,” Mallory said as she leaned in to kiss the baby’s chubby cheek.
“We think so, too,” Lizzie said, “but we’re kind of biased.”
“You’re allowed to be. She’s perfect. Is she sleeping any better?”
“Nope, and neither are we,” Jared said, “but that’s fine. We’re told she’ll sleep through the night before she’s twenty, so we’re looking forward to that.”
Mallory laughed at the face he made.
“Here comes the big boat.” Quinn turned so Violet could see the ferry coming. “You’re going to meet your aunt and cousins.”
“She’s very excited,” Lizzie said. “Insisted on wearing her best dress.”
The others laughed.
“You’re the cutest new mom ever,” Mallory said.
“I’m a bit silly, but I blame the sleep deprivation.”
“You’re not silly. You’re madly in love with your little girl. That’s the way it should be.”
Jared slipped an arm around Lizzie, wondering for the umpteenth time if a heart could burst from too much happiness. He’d thought he loved Lizzie as much as possible before, but watching her become a mother, after an awful battle with infertility, had been the most incredible experience of his life. Not to mention his own pure joy and bliss at becoming a father.
Before Violet had arrived in their lives through a series of still-unbelievable events, he’d thought he’d be okay if they couldn’t have kids. After all, he got to love and be loved by the incredible Lizzie James and had a life anyone would envy. But after just a few weeks with Violet, he was glad to have been proven wrong. She was the sun, the moon, the stars and better than just about anything, even ice cream.
They’d breathe a little easier when her adoption was final in a few months, but they were trying not to worry too much about that. Violet’s biological mother, Jessie, had left her with them because she knew they would care for the baby when she couldn’t. She’d willingly signed the adoption papers after they’d finally found her. They didn’t expect Jessie to have regrets, but until the ink was dry, that was always a possibility.
Jared couldn’t allow himself to consider any scenario that disrupted their happy little family, so he refused to let his mind go there. He was pretty sure Lizzie was following the same plan. They never talked about any outcome other than her officially becoming their daughter.
Kendall and the boys waved to them from the bow of the big ferry as it came into port.
“I still can’t believe Joe and Seamus took the ferries out to sea to ride out the storm,” Jared said to his brother.
“I know. I can’t even think about that without wanting to be sick. And that they rescued Deacon Taylor while they were out there.” The island’s harbor master had drifted out to sea on his overturned boat.
“That was a freaking miracle.”
“Indeed.”
After the ferry backed into port as smoothly as always, cars and trucks began disembarking before people followed. The group was smaller than usual, since the number of visitors tended to dwindle after Labor Day.
The boys bolted off the boat ahead of their mother. They were ten and twelve, with sandy blond hair and big smiles as they came running toward their uncles.
“Holy moly, have you guys been eating Miracle-Gro or something?” Jared asked as he hugged them.
“That’s not for people, Uncle Jared,” Henry said with preteen disdain for dumb adults.
He’d gotten tall since Jared had seen him six months ago. The sprinkling of freckles across his nose indicated a summer spent in the sun, as did the blond streaks in his light brown hair. His brother was about six inches shorter than him with braces on his teeth. Both boys had their dad’s brown eyes and bright smiles that were like Kendall’s had been before life had kicked her in the teeth. They were funny and inquisitive, and Jared loved being around them.
“So I shouldn’t feed it to baby Violet?”
“No!”
They hugged Quinn and shook hands with Mallory and Lizzie, telling them it was nice to meet Mallory and to see Lizzie again.
“Meet your cousin, boys,” Jared said. “Violet, this is Henry and Elias.”
Quinn bent at the waist to give the boys a better view of the baby as Kendall caught up to them.
“She’s wicked small,” Elias declared, seeming disappointed that his new cousin wouldn’t be able to play with him. Not yet, anyway.
“She won’t be for long,” Jared said.
“Thanks for the help with the suitcases, boys,” Kendall said, sounding exasperated as she rolled two suitcases in each hand.
“Whoops,” Henry said, grinning.
Kendall hugged her brothers and sisters-in-law. “It’s so nice to finally meet you in person, Mallory.”
“You, too.”
“We were all relieved that someone finally took Quinn off our hands.”
While Quinn sputtered with outrage, everyone else laughed. “You’re not allowed to think any of my siblings are funny, Mallory.”
“Whoops, sorry.”
“No, you’re not.”
“I like her,” Kendall said. “I think we’ll be best friends.”
“Oh God.” Quinn moaned as he gathered Kendall’s luggage to roll it toward Jared’s SUV. “That’s just what I need.”
“My little brothers would try the patience of a saint, so you ladies must be saints.”
“How long do we have the pleasure of your company?” Jared asked with a fake smile that made Kendall laugh.
“I’m not sure yet. Things are up in the air at the moment.”
“You’re welcome for as long as you want to stay,” Jared said, all kidding aside. “David and Daisy moved out of the apartment over the garage, so that’s all yours. We thought it would be better to put you there, so you don’t have to listen to a screaming baby all night long.”
Kendall reached out a hand to her baby niece. “I’m sure she doesn’t scream all night, do you, princess?”
“Sometimes it’s all night,” Lizzie said, smiling.
Kendall and her kids had been through a lot with her husband and their father’s addiction battle. If they needed a fresh start, Gansett Island was a great place to be.
“We can’t wait to get to know Violet, right, boys?” Kendall said.
“Yes!” Henry gave a fist bump. “We love cousins.”
Jared had a lot of questions, such as what her plan was for the boys and school, but he’d never seen Kendall look so fragile. Though she was her usual wisecracking self, she had deep dark circles under her hazel eyes and a pinched, stressed set to her mouth. If his sister and nephews needed a reset, that’s exactly what they’d get on Gansett Island.
After seven straight nights together, Piper still couldn’t believe she was waking up naked in bed with Jack Downing.
The brush of his hairy arm over her stomach gave her goose bumps.
He was the sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes on, and he seemed positively smitten with her—and she was smitten right back. Ever since the night she’d gone after him and realized he was upset because he’d forgotten his late wife’s birthday, they’d been all in with each other. She’d never enjoyed anything more than being all in with him.
She smiled, recalling the nights of decadent pleasure in his arms. The memories came back to her in a rush of erotically charged moments that gave her more goose bumps and made her nipples tingle. They’d had sex three times the night before. She’d never done that with anyone else.
“What’re you thinking about?”
His gruff morning voice had become her favorite thing to wake up to.
“You.”
“What about me?”
From behind her, he cupped her breast and ran his thumb over her tight nipple.
That was all it took to get her thinking about round four. Who was this person she became when he was around?
He’d told her she was the first woman who’d interested him since he’d lost his beloved wife to breast cancer a few years ago, and she was honored that he’d chosen her. Even blissed out on happiness, however, she worried about what came next. She’d read that the first relationship after a great loss usually failed. The thought of that happening to them made her ridiculously emotional.
She coughed on the lump that suddenly appeared in her throat whenever she wondered what would happen now that they’d gone from months of low-key flirtation to a full-on relationship or whatever this was.
“Hello in there. Are you going to tell me any specifics?”
“Just that you’re here, and how glad I am that you are.”
“Even if I messed with your sleep once again?”
“It was worth it.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
“Do you? Think it’s worth it?”
“Hell yes, I do. You can’t tell?” He pressed his hard cock against her back as he continued to toy with her nipple.
She loved how affectionate he was. That’d been a problem in her relationship with Ben, not that she was comparing them, because that wouldn’t be fair to Ben. She almost laughed out loud at the direction her thoughts had taken. She’d come to realize her ex-fiancé had done her a favor by calling off their wedding, as traumatic as that had been at the time.
After a week of intense passion with Jack, of counting the hours until they could be together again, she was at that weird point of wondering what it was, exactly, they were doing.
The night she’d gone after him, he’d told her he wanted everything with her, but was he ready for that?
Were they only about great sex? Or was it destined to be more? She hoped for the latter because she liked him a lot—even more so after becoming addicted to sleeping in his arms. She who hated being touched when she slept couldn’t get over that particular development.
Piper turned onto her back, tucking the covers in under her arms. The sun streaming into her room at the Sand & Surf made her feel naked in more ways than one.
Jack smiled at her, and damn, was he gorgeous with scruff on his face and his dark hair standing on end, probably from her pulling it. The memory of why she’d had cause to pull his hair had her face heating.
He ran a finger over her cheek. “You’re very cute in the morning when you’re having all sorts of naughty thoughts.”
“How do you know what I’m thinking?”
“Because I’m hoping you’re thinking the same thing I am.” He leaned in to kiss her. “And I’m thinking… Holy. Moly. What a night.”
“Oh, well…” She cleared her throat. “Yes, it was.” You sound so stupid, Piper. Why are you acting like a blushing recent ex-virgin in front of this guy?
He touched a finger to the furrow between her brows. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing. Just, you know… Wondering what it all means, as I tend to overthink everything.”
“Nothing wrong with that. If I could have anything I wanted, it’d be more time with you.” He kissed her again. “Lots more time with you.”
“Oh, okay. That sounds good.”
“What did you think I would say to that?”
“I wasn’t sure, and that had me spinning a bit, if I’m being honest.”
“No need for spinning or uncertainty.” He took her hand and linked their fingers. “I woke up this morning, like I did the last seven mornings, feeling better than I have in a very long time, and that’s all thanks to you.”
“I’m glad to hear that. You deserve to feel good.”
“So do you. I don’t like to hear you’re spinning and uncertain.”
“I’m sorry to be weird. I never used to be this way. I guess this is what happens when your fiancé calls off the wedding a month before.”
“He’s a fool.”
“You think so?”
“I really do. Anyone lucky enough to have you in their life should be smart enough to know it.”
She hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear that.
“Remember when I said I wanted everything with you?”
“I do.”
“I meant that, Piper. This is a very big deal for me, and I know it is for you, too. We’ve both been through a lot and have no patience for games or foolishness.”
“What you’ve been through is much bigger than my thing.”
He shook his head. “Heartache is heartache, sweetheart. Moving on from that takes courage, no matter how it happened.”
“Yes, it really does, and if you’d asked me if I was ready for… well, this… I would’ve probably said not really. But now it’s happening, and it’s been so special.”
“For me, too.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and ran his fingertip over her cheek. “It occurs to me that I’ve missed a very important step in my quest to bring the glorious Piper into my life.”
“What step is that?”
“The take-you-out-on-a-proper-date step so you won’t think I’m just after more of this.” He squeezed her breast to make his point. “Although more of this is never a bad thing.”
He made her want to giggle like a girl who was in love for the first time.
Yikes. Take that back. No one was in love here.
“What do you say about a date tonight?” He kissed her shoulder. “Hmm?”
“Sure. That sounds good.”
“Excellent. I saw a text about a hurricane survival party at the McCarthys’ Marina if you’re into that.”
“That might be fun.”
“Any time the McCarthys are involved, it’s fun. But I’d still owe you a proper date with wine and candles and tablecloths.”
“You don’t owe me anything.”
“Yes, I do.”
She was about to ask him why he thought that when his phone rang. He took the call and did more listening than talking. “Thanks for letting me know. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” After another pause: “Yeah, I’ll call it in. Okay. See you soon.” He let out a deep breath as he ended the call. “They found a body in the Salt Pond. They think it’s Jim Sturgil.”
“Oh God. I was so hoping he’d be found alive.” Jim’s ex-wife Tiffany was her friend, and she ached for Tiff and her daughter.
“I know. I’ve got to call the coroner to come over from the mainland.”
While he made that call, she thought of Tiffany getting that news and having to tell her sweet little girl that her daddy had died in the storm.
After he ended the call, Jack leaned over to kiss her. “One of these mornings, we’re going to loll about in bed and have coffee and breakfast and more of the fun we had last night.”
“That sounds like something to look forward to.”
“Yes, it does.”
“Don’t you have to get going?”
“I do, but I don’t want to.” He kissed her again. “In case I forget to tell you, this last week has been a very big deal for me, as you know. Because it was you, it was perfect. You’re perfect.” He left her with one last kiss. “This time, I’m really going.”
While he showered in her tiny bathroom, Piper got out of bed and put on her robe.
Ten minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom, wearing his sexy state police uniform, kissed her one last time and was gone, promising to text her later. The door had almost closed behind him when he turned around and came back into the room.
“Forget something?”
“Yeah.” He kissed her again. “I mean it this time. I’m going.”
She released the handful of uniform she’d grabbed while he kissed her. “Good luck with everything today.”
He grimaced as he remembered the grim task that awaited his attention. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“I’ll be here.”
“I can’t wait.”