Chapter 2 #3
The feeling stayed with him as they ate and visited with their father, Shannon and Niall.
Shannon’s cousin, Seamus, joined them, as did Mac, Shane and Adam, all of whom seemed excited about an impromptu boys’ night out in the middle of the week.
His musician cousin Evan was touring in Europe this winter with his wife, Grace, and Grant was in Los Angeles, working on the movie based on the life of his wife, Stephanie.
Mac squeezed Riley’s shoulders. “How’s it going?”
“Good, you?”
“Excellent. I had dinner with my wife and kids and got a free pass on baths to have some beers with my boys. Life is good.”
Riley found it funny that a get-out-of-jail-free card was all it took to make Mac happy. What would it take for him to say that? Riley didn’t know. Maybe it was time he figured that out. The aimlessness he’d felt lately was starting to wear thin.
The bar filled up with more people he knew—his uncles Big Mac and Frank along with Big Mac’s best friend, Ned Saunders. Alex and Paul Martinez came in together, followed by Joe Cantrell and Luke Harris.
“Damn,” Chelsea said, smiling. “And here I thought it was going to be another quiet winter night around here.”
“Nothing quiet about it when the McCarthys show up,” Kevin said.
“Don’t I know it?” she replied as she drew one beer after another from the taps.
“Can we put the Bruins on, Chelsea?” Finn asked, scowling at the TV where one of the entertainment shows was previewing the Golden Globes.
“I get hockey after she gets her fill of celebrity gossip,” Kevin replied. “That’s our deal.”
Finn rolled his eyes.
Riley tipped his head, asking his brother to come closer.
“What’s up?”
“Just wanted to say thanks. You know, for asking the guys to come out tonight.”
“I hardly had to twist their arms.”
“Still, I know why you did it, and I appreciate it.”
“No problem. I figured out what’s wrong with you, by the way.”
“Gee, I can’t wait to hear this.”
“I saw this thing on TV about seasonal affective disorder. It’s when people get depressed at certain times of the year. You never have liked winter very much. That could be what it is.”
Riley loved his brother. He truly did. There was no one he’d rather hang out with—most of the time. So rather than laugh in his face when Finn was being dead serious, Riley only nodded and said, “Could be.”
“Ask Dad about it.”
“Ask Dad about what?” Kevin said, overhearing them.
Great, Riley thought. Just what I need is a consult with Dr. McCarthy.
“I think Riley has seasonal affective disorder.”
Kevin’s relaxed expression immediately sobered. “What makes you say that?”
“He’s depressed and gloomy. Has been for weeks.”
“Finn. Jesus. I am not depressed or gloomy.”
“Yeah, you are. You’re both.”
“Finn, give us a minute, will you, son?”
“Gladly.” Finn gave Riley a pointed look, silently urging him to talk to their father, and went to sit at the long table Mac and the others had made by pushing a bunch of smaller tables together.
“What’s going on?” Kevin asked, signaling to Chelsea to bring them refills.
She put the beers on the bar in front of them.
“Thank you, honey,” Kevin said with a warm smile for her. Then he glanced at Riley and raised that brow of his. He got a lot done with that damned brow. “So…”
“I don’t know what Finn’s talking about,” Riley said, unwilling to discuss the funk that had begun with Nikki’s sudden departure with his father, who’d want to pick it apart. It had happened. It sucked. He’d get over it. End of story. “Everything is fine.”
“Haven’t seen much of you since I moved in with Chelsea.”
“Phone works both ways, Dad.”
“True,” Kevin said with a sheepish grin. “I guess I got used to you being the one to hit me up rather than the other way around. You’re better than I am about keeping in touch, so it’s noticeable when you stop calling.”
“I’ve just been busy. We’re hard into it at the Wayfarer and trying to meet a tight deadline. I’m exhausted after work most days, and all I want is to eat and sleep.”
“You’re not sick or something, are you?” Kevin asked, alarmed.
“Stop being a doctor, would you, please? I’m fine.”
Kevin studied him as he took a drink of his beer.
He’d told Riley once that he nursed two every night that Chelsea worked so he wouldn’t get fat on beer.
At fifty-two, Kevin McCarthy was a long way from fat.
The guy looked forty on a bad day and was trying to have a baby with his much-younger girlfriend.
Eighteen months after his marriage had ended, he’d found a whole new life with Chelsea.
“If you need me, you know where I am. Right?”
“Yes, Dad. I always know where you are. Thank you for your concern, but there’s nothing to worry about.”
Seamus came up to the bar to order another beer. Glancing at the TV, he said, “Hey, I brought her twin sister over today.”
Riley looked up and did a double take when he saw Jordan Stokes appear on the entertainment show. Then he realized she was with Zane, the rapper ex-husband who’d released the infamous sex tape. The headline on the bottom of the screen read: Reunited and it feels so good.
Oh my God! She’s back with that guy? After what he did to her?
Better still, Nikki is on the island? Riley pulled out his wallet, tossed a twenty on the bar and said to his father, “If I borrow your car, can you get a ride home with Chelsea? I’ll get it back to you tomorrow.”
“Where’re you going?”
“Something I gotta do, and Finn drove. Yes or no on the car?” Riley was unable to wait even one more minute to get out of there.
Kevin handed over his keys. “Been years since one of you took my car.”
“Thanks, Dad. I’ll take good care of it.” Riley bolted out of there before anyone could stop him or ask questions or get between him and…