Chapter 27
T he strong, rich scent of coffee dragged McKenzie out of a sound sleep. She opened her eyes to find Duke, fully dressed and seated on the edge of the mattress, holding a mug of steaming coffee.
“I went over to your place to get that froufrou stuff you put in it.”
“Do you mean my French vanilla creamer?”
He pulled a face. “Yeah, that. Also grabbed a couple of diapers and some clothes for the little mister, who’s sleeping in.”
McKenzie tucked the covers under her arms and sat up to take the coffee from him. “He does that when he’s growing.” She took a sip of the coffee and sighed with pleasure. “That’s really good coffee.”
“One of my specialties.”
“This is the first time anyone has ever brought me coffee in bed.”
His face lit up with an adorable smile. “Is that right?”
“Yep.”
“Well, stick around, and it could become part of your daily routine.”
“That’s quite an incentive package when added to all the other things that led to me sleeping in your bed last night.”
“I’m really sorry our evening got interrupted.”
“I’m sorry I conked out while you were gone. That’s how I am. When it’s time to sleep, there’s no keeping me awake.”
“Good to know.”
“Is Sierra okay?”
“She will be. Billy was a friend of hers.”
“And yours.”
“Yeah, but she was closer to him. Hit her hard.”
“Does she regularly pop by unannounced?”
“That was the first time ever.”
“Interesting timing. Does she have the place bugged or something?”
“Not to my knowledge. I want you to know… She’s my very good friend, but that’s all she’s ever been or ever will be.”
“She’s drop-dead gorgeous.”
“So are you.”
“Not like her.”
“No, you’re drop-dead gorgeous like you, and I like you and your gorgeousness. I like being with you and kissing you and laughing with you, and I will never, for the rest of my life, forget the vision of you on your knees with my?—”
Smiling, she held up a hand to stop him. “No need to finish that sentence.”
“Why not? It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever experienced, and I’m very eager to return the favor, which is what I would’ve done next if we hadn’t been interrupted.”
“Very eager, huh?”
“You have no idea.”
“What time do you have to work?”
“First client is at nine.”
“Then I guess we’ll have to pick up this conversation at another time.”
“Tonight. We’ll pick it right up tonight. I’ll bring dinner.”
“I’ll make dinner. You made it last night.”
“I want to take you out. I want to give you romance and flowers and candles and all the things you deserve.”
“I don’t need the frills. I’m very happy with dinner at home and time to ourselves.”
“Then that’s what you’ll have. For now. But I still plan to give you the rest, too.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
“No problem.”
“Thank you for bringing me coffee and going to get my special creamer.”
“My pleasure. I might’ve stolen a piece of banana bread while I was there. Rosemary would be very proud. It’s as good as hers.”
“I’m glad you liked it.”
“I loved it. Felt like coming home.”
“I want you to know… I was a little rattled when Sierra showed up here last night, but I also got to see another example of what a great friend you are.”
“Well, I try to be.”
“Your friends are lucky to have you.”
“I’m lucky to have them. They’re my family.”
“Mine are, too. Thank goodness for them.”
“Are your sisters like your mother?”
“More so than I am. We get along, but we’re not super close. They’re always stirring up some sort of drama, which is just so not my thing.”
Jax let out a cry to let her know he was awake.
She put the coffee on the bedside table. “Duty calls.”
He handed her shirt to her.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t feel like you to put that shirt on on my account.”
Laughing, she pulled it over her head and took the hand he offered to help her up.
Before she could go get Jax, he leaned in to kiss her.
“Morning,” he said.
“Morning.”
“Best one I’ve had in a very long time.”
“Same.”
He released her to go fetch Jax, but she felt his eyes on her as she left the room. He’d brought her coffee in bed.
Swoon.
Jax squealed when she walked into the room, kicking his feet with the usual morning enthusiasm.
“Good morning, my pumpkin pie. Did you sleep well?”
Duke had left the diapers, a package of wipes and a change of clothes for Jax on the foot of the bed. What a guy.
She changed Jax’s heavy overnight diaper, washed him up and got him dressed. When she carried him out of the bedroom, she found Duke in the kitchen, standing over the stove.
“What does he like for breakfast?”
“Usually some mommy milk and cereal.”
“Why don’t you take care of that while I cook some eggs for us?”
“Are you for real? Coffee and breakfast?”
He flashed a dirty grin over his shoulder. “I’m as real as it gets, baby.”
“This is just what Ash needed,” Tiffany told her sister, parents and Linda after lunch. “Some time with her best pal.”
Thomas and Ashleigh were on the floor, reading out loud to each other while Hailey and Addie played with Hailey’s dolls. Liam and Mac were joined at the hip as they toddled around, getting into everything. The twins were down for their afternoon nap.
“You needed it, too, doll,” Ned said.
Tiffany, who had her head resting on Maddie’s shoulder, smiled at him. “You’re right, as always, Dad.”
Ned’s eyes went very wide and then got very shiny. “Sheesh, how about a warnin’ before ya go sayin’ somethin’ like that?”
“What fun would that’ve been?” Tiffany asked, smiling.
“Not as much fun as this,” Maddie said. “Dad.”
“For God’s sake, you two. Yer gonna make me bawl.”
Francine, who had tears in her eyes, took his hand. “You’ve earned it, my love. Every day for years, as you’ve shown up for all of us.”
“Agree wholeheartedly, old pal,” Linda said. “If you’re not their dad, I don’t know who is.”
“For the love a God…”
Ned’s muttered words made the women laugh.
He was so damned cute, and they were lucky to have him in their lives. She and Maddie had a better-late-than-never feeling toward having a wonderful father. He was a devoted, loving, generous husband, father and grandfather, and he deserved the title of Dad.
“Don’t tell my best buddy that you crazy ladies made me weep,” Ned said to Linda.
“I never would, but I bet you’ll get weepy when you tell him about it yourself.”
“Don’t get sassy with me.”
“I don’t know how to be any other way with you after all these years.”
The laughter, the love, the friendship, the support… It was everything Tiffany and Ashleigh had needed.
Niall had given John a few days before he went looking for him at the Wayfarer, where he was the director of security. The season was winding down, but the beaches were still busy with day-trippers and partiers who kept the Wayfarer hopping into October. For the tourists, it was as if the storm had never happened, even as the island continued to clean up and get back to normal.
What was normal anyway? How did anyone define that concept? Sometimes Niall wondered if he wasn’t descended from ancient philosophers who were constantly questioning the meaning of life the way he did.
For instance, what did it mean that he and John had spent a hot night together during the storm? What did it mean that other than a few texts, he’d barely heard from John since he accompanied his injured brother Jeff and Jeff’s girlfriend to the mainland after the storm? What did it mean that he’d gone silent all of a sudden or that John’s sister Cindy said he’d been back on the island for a couple of days but hadn’t reached out?
What did any of it mean?
That’s what he was determined to find out with this mission to the Wayfarer. Confronting a guy at work wasn’t ideal, but desperate times called for desperate measures. And really, this couldn’t be called a confrontation so much as a visit.
At the reception desk, he asked where he might find John Lawry.
“I believe he’s upstairs doing a fire safety check.” The young woman pointed to the staircase that led to the second-floor hotel rooms.
“Thank you.”
Niall went upstairs and poked his head into three open doors before he found John in the fourth room, clipboard in hand as he gazed up at something in the ceiling.
John’s dark blond hair was shorter than it had been the last time Niall had seen him. He’d probably had Cindy give him a trim when he got back to the island. Funny that he had time for a haircut, but not a text or a phone call to check in with Niall.
He stood in the doorway for a full five minutes before John noticed him there.
“Some security director you are,” Niall said in a teasing tone. “I could’ve murdered you six times by now.”
John smiled, but Niall couldn’t miss the troubled furrow of his brow or the tick of tension in his jaw. “I’m not expecting to be murdered at the Wayfarer.”
“Have you lost all your cop instincts during your stay on our fair island?”
“I guess so. What brings you by?”
“Gee, I wonder. Could it be the radio silence from someone I thought was becoming more than a friend?”
“I’m sorry. Things have been crazy since I got back.”
“I kind of thought I might hear from you that you were back, not from your sister and Jace.”
John winced. “I’m sorry.”
“Quit apologizing and tell me what’s going on.”
“It was a lot in Providence. Jeff is in rough shape and refused narcotics. He was in so much pain. I guess I’m still processing everything that happened.”
“I’m sorry that happened to your brother. He’s lucky to have you and your family rallying around him. He’ll make a full recovery, won’t he?”
“Yeah, in time. Thankfully, he’s young, strong and stubborn. He’s a survivor.”
“So are you.”
John shrugged. “Not like him.”
“You’ve survived your own stuff, and done so quite admirably, if you ask me. I thought maybe you were starting to embrace who you really are and to live your truth.”
“I was. I mean… I am.”
“Then what’s wrong?”
“I… I don’t know.”
“You want me to go away and leave you alone?”
“No.”
“Then I’m afraid you’re going to have to talk to me so we can figure out where we go from here.”
“That night… During the storm.”
“That was a great night.”
“Yeah, it was.”
“Are you freaked out about what happened that night?”
“I’ve thought about it a lot.”
Niall took a step into the room. “So have I. I’ve thought about it nonstop, actually.”
“Yeah, me, too.” John looked directly at him. “It got kind of intense.”
“Yep.”
“I’m not sure how to feel about that.”
“You should feel good about it. This kind of connection doesn’t come along every day, you know.”
“I do know that.”
“Are you not ready for it?”
“I’m not sure.”
Disappointment filled him with a sinking feeling. “How about you let me know when you figure that out, huh?”
“I just need some time.”
“Fair enough.”
“Thanks for coming by.”
“No problem.”
As Niall turned to leave, he wished he hadn’t sought John out. It was much better not knowing what he was thinking than to hear he might be pulling back from the best thing to happen to Niall in, well, ever.