Epilogue
The week after the July Fourth holiday, the McCarthy family finally had the party they’d been planning to celebrate the successful opening of the Wayfarer.
The family and their closest friends had gathered on the back patio that faced the ocean to toast the reopening of one of the island’s most beloved landmarks.
Maddie McCarthy was reclined on the ever-present lounge chair that allowed her to attend social events but stay off her feet. Her belly was so big that she said she could no longer see her feet. Julia couldn’t fathom how she could still have ten weeks to go before the twins were due to arrive.
Working for Mac was fun and interesting and never boring. With every passing week, he relied more on Julia, which she welcomed. She loved being busy and productive, and she was both in that job. And she got to bring Puppy with her every day. That was the best part of a great job.
He was growing so fast that she feared he’d outweigh her by the time he was a year old.
She loved him madly, and thankfully, he allowed her to hug and kiss and snuggle him whenever she wanted. Deacon said Puppy knew exactly who’d saved his life, and she was his person.
As she visited with people who’d become friends, Julia found herself watching the door, waiting for Deacon to arrive. He’d had the afternoon off from work and told her he had something he needed to take care of, but she had no idea what he was up to.
Stephanie came over to her, holding a glass of amber liquid that she handed to Julia.
“I was hoping that wasn’t for you.”
“Haha, very funny. No bourbon for the pregnant lady, but I know how much you love it.” A tiny bump had emerged in Stephanie’s abdomen over the last two weeks.
The only other sign of pregnancy in her was a slightly fuller face.
“I hope this family is ready for the baby boom that’s about to happen.
Maddie, me, Grace and Abby. All pregnant. ”
“It’s going to be a big year for the McCarthy family.”
“Sure is. Did you hear that Marion Martinez is back on the island?”
“Mac told me about that and what their family has been through. That’s great news.”
“Alex and Paul are so relieved to have their mom back on the island. What Mallory and Quinn are doing at the elder care facility is such a blessing for this community.”
“It sure is. Marion’s doing well?”
“By all accounts, it’s been a smooth transition.”
Tiffany came over to say hello, carrying Addie. “Ladies.”
“What’s up?” Julia loved Tiffany and her irreverence. It was probably a good thing that they’d met as adults, because she had a feeling they could’ve gotten into some big trouble together as kids.
“Not too much. Did I hear you girls talking about the baby boom?”
“You did,” Steph said.
“Add me to the list. Number three is on the way.”
Julia hugged her. “That’s awesome!” Deacon would be thrilled to have another niece or nephew to love. Watching him with Ashleigh and Addie, as well as her niece and nephews, had shown her what an amazing father he would be someday.
She still couldn’t believe that it was finally safe to think about someday and future children with a man who loved and respected her and treated her like a queen every single day. He made all the trials and tribulations she’d endured before him worth it.
“When are you due?” Steph asked Tiffany.
“February. What about you?”
“Late December. Grace is due in mid-January, Abby in late January.”
“It’s gonna be one hell of a winter for the McCarthy family,” Julia said.
“No kidding. I heard Big Mac and Linda are sticking around this winter rather than taking off to somewhere warmer like they’d planned to.”
When she saw Deacon come through the main door to the Wayfarer, Julia felt her heart do the same crazy backflip it did every time she laid eyes on him.
“Our girl has it bad for the harbor master,” Tiffany said.
“Seriously bad,” Stephanie said. “It might be a terminal case.”
“Haha, very funny.” Julia kept her gaze fixed on him as he made his way toward her, stopping to greet friends along the way.
When he reached her, he put his arm around her and kissed her cheek.
Julia leaned into him, always relieved to see him again after long hours apart. She wanted to hug him and kiss him and hold him, but she managed to restrain herself in light of the fact that they were in public.
His hand slid down her back to cup her ass with a light squeeze, letting her know she wasn’t the only one who wished they were alone.
Blaine joined them, bringing a second beer that he handed to Deacon.
“Thanks.”
The brothers had settled into a cordial, friendly relationship that still included a lot of ball-busting, but it came from a place of humor rather than anger these days, a development that both men seemed to welcome.
“Got an update for you on that boat you were tracking,” Blaine said.
“Oh yeah, what’s that?”
“Turns out they’ve been on the DEA’s radar for a while now, and you were right. They were using the Salt Pond as a meeting point to bring heroin into Southern New England. The Coast Guard and DEA waylaid them offshore today, apprehended them and seized their latest shipment.”
“Wow,” Deacon said, grinning widely. “That’s awesome news.”
“The DEA agent in charge asked me to let you know that your work was instrumental, and I couldn’t agree more. Congrats, bro.”
“Thanks.”
Knowing how much his brother’s approval meant to Deacon, Julia was thrilled for him.
“We have a full-time, year-round position coming open at the end of the summer if you’re interested.”
“Seriously?” Deacon asked.
“Dead seriously. You’re a great cop. You’d be an asset to our department. I discussed it with the mayor earlier today, and he agrees.”
“I, uh, well… What about my knee?”
“We don’t do a lot of perp chasing on the island like you did in the city. You should be fine to work here.”
“Could I continue as the harbor master in the summer?”
“I’m sure we could work something out to make that happen.”
Deacon glanced at Julia, and she smiled up at him, delighted that he’d be able to stay on the island and do the work he loved once again. When Deacon raised a brow, silently asking if she approved of the idea, she nodded.
“I accept,” he told Blaine. “Thank you.”
Blaine shook his hand. “You earned it, and we’re lucky to have you.”
Big Mac McCarthy stepped up to the microphone and asked for the attention of his guests.
“I want to thank you all for being here to celebrate the opening of the Wayfarer. It took a little longer than we expected to have this family get-together to celebrate our new business, but the extra time gave us a few weeks to work out the kinks. We’ve got a major hit on our hands here, people.
Nikki has reported receipts for the first few weekends that far exceeded our most optimistic projections. ”
He led an enthusiastic round of applause.
“There’re so many people to thank for making this big idea of mine a reality.
First and foremost—my son Mac, who oversaw the renovations with the help of my nephews Shane, Riley and Finn, as well as our business partner, Luke Harris.
Gentlemen, I think everyone will agree that you did brilliant work here, and we couldn’t be more thankful. ”
Julia and the rest of the crowd clapped for Mac and his team.
“Nikki, where would we be without you and the incredible group you’ve assembled for our first season? Thank you so much for taking on the management of the Wayfarer and for diving into the details the way you have. We appreciate you so much.”
More applause followed for Nikki, who seemed mortified by the attention. Next to her stood her identical twin sister, Jordan, who was spending the summer on the island. While the two women looked exactly alike, Nikki glowed with happiness, while Jordan seemed sad and lost.
Julia knew that feeling all too well and hoped that maybe Gansett Island would work its magic for Jordan, too.
After Big Mac raised a beer bottle in a toast to family and the Wayfarer, Owen and Evan took to the stage to perform.
When they played a slow, acoustic version of Maroon 5’s “She Will Be Loved,” Deacon led Julia to the dance floor and wrapped his arms around her, changing the words to “she is loved” as he whispered in her ear.
With her arms linked around his neck, she held on tight to him until he flinched. “What?”
“I hurt my back earlier.”
“How?”
“I’ll tell you about it when we get home.”
“Let’s go soon.”
“I’m ready when you are.”
A short time later, they said their goodbyes and headed to Deacon’s place behind Tiffany and Blaine’s house, the same place Maddie had been living when she met Mac.
Julia followed Deacon up the stairs and into the apartment where they spent most of their time, so much so that Cindy had suggested Julia just move in with him already. She was thinking about that.
Puppy came running out from the bedroom to greet them with kisses and unconditional love. No one had ever been as happy to see her as Puppy was, as if he knew, like Deacon had said, exactly who’d saved his life and would spend the rest of his life thanking her.
Deacon took the puppy outside to pee, and when they returned a few minutes later, he flipped the lock on the door. Ashleigh liked to come over to visit, and they didn’t want her walking in on anything that couldn’t be unseen.
With Puppy settled in his bed, Julia looked at Deacon. “What did you do to your back?”
He flipped on the closest light, pulled off his shirt and turned to reveal a new tattoo in the middle of his back.
When she realized what it was, she gasped and blinked back tears.
A turtle shell.
“Deacon…”
“It’s supposed to match yours.” He gazed at her over his shoulder. “What do you think?”