Chapter 12
For a long time after Cindy went to bed, Jace remained seated on the sofa, thinking about what she’d told him about her father and stepfather.
It surprised him that Cindy would be connected to men who’d been inside—or who were still inside.
He’d known about her dad, but learning that her stepfather was Charlie Grandchamp stunned him.
That guy had been a legend in prison. Everyone had revered him.
When Jace thought about little Cindy being forced to go to school with a debilitating migraine, it made him happy to know her father was locked up where he belonged.
Earlier, when he’d heard a noise from the yard, he’d been shocked to find her bent over the bushes.
Only when he’d gotten closer had he realized she was vomiting, and when she’d looked up at him, she’d been pale as a ghost. Even her lips had lost all color, and her eyes had been filled with pain he’d recognized right away as a migraine.
He’d hated seeing her suffer and had worried about her all night at work, especially when she hadn’t answered any of the texts he’d sent checking on her.
She emerged from her bedroom, holding her phone. “Sorry I didn’t answer your texts. I was out cold.”
“That’s okay. I’m just glad you’re better.”
“Thanks for checking on me.”
“Sure. Sleep well.”
“You, too.”
Jace wasn’t sure how he’d sleep at all with thoughts of her filling his heart and mind.
He’d noticed the way she’d stared at his lips as if debating whether she should take what she clearly wanted—what they both wanted.
He’d been this close to making the decision for them when she’d abruptly pulled away, ending the charged moment.
It’d been so long since he’d dated anyone that he’d almost forgotten how it was done.
Unlike most guys fresh out of prison, he hadn’t run right out and slept with the first willing female.
No, he’d been too busy trying to figure out where his wife and kids had gone and looking for a job, a place to live and acquiring a cell phone, as required by his probation officer.
Sex had been the last thing on his mind until Cindy Lawry started coming into his bar every night, making him want things he hadn’t had in years.
He’d understood early in their friendship that she was special and wasn’t the kind of woman he could use to sate years’ worth of pent-up desire and then move on.
More than once, he’d thought about finding someone else to take care of the pent-up issue, but his thoughts kept coming back to Cindy.
She didn’t know she was the reason he hadn’t gotten busy with someone else. It seemed the only woman he wanted was her. When and how that had happened was a mystery to him, but now that he knew their crush ran both ways, he was determined to see where it might lead.
In the back of his mind, he was aware that he had no business wanting a woman who’d endured the things she had.
Cindy deserved a nice, sweet, uncomplicated guy who could give her the life she deserved, not a jaded ex-con, recovering addict with kids being raised by other people because their father was in jail when their mother died.
If he was any kind of man, he would stay away from Cindy and find someone else to focus his interest on.
Except… He’d tried that and just kept coming back to her time and again.
Once, he’d even gone out with a coworker from the Beachcomber, fully intending to invite her back to his room at the end of the night.
But when the time had come, he couldn’t summon the interest because his mind was so full of thoughts about the one he really wanted.
And now she was his roommate.
He’d wanted nothing more than to call in sick to work earlier so he could take care of her, but he couldn’t afford to do that in the off-season, especially with rent to pay now.
His probation officer, Darrell, had been after him to figure out his plan now that his summer job was petering out to occasional shifts. After he talked to Mac about the job on Tuesday, he would report to Darrell with his new address and, hopefully, a more solid job.
Cindy came out of her room, holding a glass. She’d changed into a tank and short shorts that put her full breasts and long legs on full display.
Jace nearly swallowed his tongue as he tried not to react to her, which was almost impossible. He’d have to be dead not to react to her.
“You’re still up,” she said.
“Yeah, just thinking about some stuff.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yep. You?”
“Uh-huh. I just wanted some water.”
As she went into the kitchen, he allowed himself to watch her go, his gaze fixating on the gentle sway of her perfect ass.
Goddamn but she was sexy. And the best part?
She didn’t even seem to know that. She was so unaffected and normal.
In his experience, women who looked like she did were so full of themselves as to be ridiculous. Not Cindy. She wasn’t like that at all.
In fact, she reminded him of Lisa that way. She’d been a knockout, and everyone knew it but her. She hadn’t given the first care about her hair or makeup or clothes. If anything, she’d been more tomboy than princess.
While Cindy was always well put together, Jace sensed it was more out of professionalism than vanity. She didn’t come across as fussy about her looks, and he liked that about her. Hell, he liked everything about her.
She came out of the kitchen and glanced at him again. “You sure you’re all right?”
As he looked at her, he realized he was better than he’d been in years, and a lot of that was due to her presence in his life. “Yeah, I’m great. Sweet dreams.”
“You, too.”
Jace couldn’t wait to see her tomorrow.
Across town at Sweet Meadow Farm Road, the McCarthy family had gathered for dinner and a farewell of sorts, to Mac McCarthy’s fertility.
He would leave on the morning boat to have a vasectomy on the mainland.
He’d been lucky to score a Saturday appointment, so he didn’t have to miss work.
Maddie had thought it would be funny to have a send-off party for him and his boys.
While juggling twins, his diabolical wife had somehow managed to put together a basket full of not-so-funny items, such as Goldfish crackers labeled as “swimmers,” donuts relabeled “Nonuts” and a pair of the sharpest scissors he’d ever seen. Ha. Ha. Ha.
Mac didn’t find any of this funny. Not one bit. But as he and Maddie managed newborn twins, an eighteen-month-old, a four-year-old and a six-year-old, there was no question it had to be done.
“What if something goes wrong?” Mac asked as the others talked around him. “Has anyone considered that?”
His brother Grant, that bastard, laughed. Of course he thought it was funny. His boys were still needed for making babies. “They do vasectomies by the dozen every day. Stop thinking your package is special.”
Mac was offended on behalf of his package. “It’s very special to me.”
Maddie patted his hand. “And me.”
Mac glared at her. He wasn’t at all sure whose side she was on in this situation.
“What?” she asked, laughing. “It is special to me.”
“And yet, you’re sending it to be sliced and diced like it’s just another piece of worthless meat.”
“Oh my God, Mac,” his mother said. “Will you please stop being so dramatic?”
“That’ll be the day,” Evan said. “Mac has always been dramatic.”
“Shut up,” Mac said to his brother. “Wait until it’s your turn to get the snip.”
“I’m not getting it. Grace wouldn’t let a knife go near my vessel of love.”
The entire family groaned at that.
Grace held up a steak knife. “I’ll do it myself if I have to, but your vessel of love will be getting a snip as soon as I’m done with it.”
“The women in this family are ruthless,” Adam said.
“You better believe we are,” his wife, Abby, replied. “When you’re capable of doing this to me,” she said, gesturing at her huge belly, “you’ll be getting snipped very soon so there’s no chance of a repeat performance.”
Adam puffed out his chest. “I do hold the McCarthy record for most babies in one shot.”
Abby walloped him in the stomach, which deflated him.
“Ow.” He rubbed his wounded belly. “That wasn’t necessary.”
“Yes, it was. While you’re prancing around like a fool, all proud of yourself, I’m carrying four babies!”
“You have to admit that’s a singular spermatic accomplishment,” Adam said to groans from the entire family.
“That is so gross,” Grant’s wife, Stephanie, said.
“You’re all a bunch of windbags.” Linda glanced at her husband. “They get that from your people.”
“Kevin is a bit of a windbag,” Big Mac said of his younger brother. “I’ll agree with that.”
“So are you, dear,” Linda said. “And now we’ve created four monster windbags who can’t stop talking about their packages, their prowess, their baby-making abilities and their spermatic accomplishments.”
The entire table lost it laughing.
“It’s so much grosser when Mom says it,” Evan said, wiping tears from his eyes.
“You have to admit we are rather accomplished in the spermatic department, Mom,” Grant said. “Currently, there are six babies on board right at this very table and five others running around this place.”
“And I’m responsible for four of them all at once, lest any of you forget,” Adam added.
“Oh my God,” Abby said. “Will you please shut your stinking piehole?”
“I love her so much,” Evan said, laughing. “She shuts you right down.”
Adam grinned at his wife. “She loves me.”
“Someone’s gotta,” Mac said.
Adam and Abby’s son, Liam, perked up in his high chair. “Piehole,” he said as clear as day.
“Stop it,” Abby said, horrified. “That cannot be his first word!”
“This family is certifiable,” Stephanie declared, “and I love every minute of it.”
Mallory and Quinn laughed so hard, they held each other up.
“Take it back, Liam! Say Mommy like a good boy.”
“Piehole.”
Abby shrieked. “I can’t!”
Liam’s face lit up with delight. “Piehole, piehole, piehole.”
“Make it stop, Adam! Right now!”
“Buddy, Mommy said a bad, bad thing, and you shouldn’t say what she says, okay?”
“Piehole.”