Chapter 15
Mac groaned as he leaned forward to start the engine, that small movement enough to make him nauseated from the pain.
The doctor had said it would hurt once the numbing medicine had worn off and had advised him to start on pain pills right away.
But Mac wanted to get home first. Now, he was desperate enough—and close enough—to pop a pill on the drive to Sweet Meadow Farm Road.
He winced when he thought about the kids being all over him and how that wouldn’t be possible tonight.
As he took a right into his driveway, he noticed every light in the house was on, which meant business as usual.
His mother had once said that was a sign of a house well lived in.
To him, it was also the sign of a huge electric bill.
He was working with Thomas to be his ally in conserving electricity, making shutting off lights part of his weekly allowance.
Clearly, his oldest was failing at that job today.
Mac parked, shut off the engine and breathed a sigh of relief to be home.
He sent a quick text to his parents to let them know he’d survived and was back on the island and then moved slowly and carefully to get out of the truck, bringing his ice pack with him.
Every step up to the deck hurt worse than the one before, and he was in a full sweat by the time he reached the top.
He slid open the slider and stepped into chaos.
Thomas was chasing Hailey around the room while baby Mac, also known now as Trip—he would never get used to that—toddled behind them while Maddie juggled screaming babies. The house was a total wreck, with toys strewn from one end to the other.
Hailey saw him come in and let out a shriek as she ran for him.
Mac put his hands out to keep her from colliding with him. “Easy, honey. Daddy is hurting.”
“What did I tell you, Hailey?” Maddie said. “We have to be gentle with Daddy tonight.”
“Sorry, Dada.”
Mac leaned in to kiss the top of her head. “That’s okay. Will you take care of me?”
His baby girl nodded and reached out her hand to lead him to the sofa, releasing him so she could move the dolls, trucks and Legos on the cushions and throw them on the floor with the rest of the toys.
“I’d ask how it’s going around here, but I can see,” he said as he lowered himself gingerly to the sofa.
“It’s been that kind of day,” Maddie said, holding Emma as she brought him a bag of frozen peas.
“What’s this for?” he asked of the vegetables.
“I read online that they work well as an ice pack.”
“Ah, gotcha. Thanks.” He placed the peas on his lap. “Where’s Kelsey?”
“I knew you were on your way home, so she left twenty minutes ago. She cleaned up before she left, and this is what they’ve accomplished since then.”
“Yikes,” he said of the mess. “Could I borrow your phone for a sec?”
“Sure.” She pulled it out of her shorts pocket and handed it to him. “What’s wrong with yours?”
He punched in her code. “It doesn’t have the Mac’s Vasectomy group chat on it, because I wasn’t invited to participate.”
She lunged for the phone. “Mac! Give that back to me!”
Despite the pain, he held it out of her reach. “Not until I see what my lovely wife has been saying about me.”
“It’s all in good fun.”
“There is nothing good or fun about what I endured today.”
“Was it anything like pushing an extra-large pumpkin out of your vagina? Asking for a friend.”
“Since I don’t own a vagina, I can’t say for sure. All I can tell you is having a needle in the balls is the stuff of nightmares.”
She ran her fingers through his hair. “My poor, poor baby.”
“You’re not even trying to be sincere.”
“I am, too! I’m sorry you’re hurting, and I got the frozen peas for you.”
“Whatever. Go tend to our children. I have some reading to do.”
“Mac, come on. We were just joking around. How did you find out about it anyway?”
“I’ll never reveal my source. This is some interesting reading. It’s good to know that you predicted I’d have to spend the night in the hospital afterward because I’d be crying too hard to drive myself home.”
“I was joking!”
He looked up at her, brow raised. “Were you?”
“Mostly. I mean, you must admit you’ve been a little… over the top… about the whole thing.”
“You mean about having someone slice into my balls with needles and knives?”
“How is that different from having my vagina sewn back together four times? Oh wait, it was three more times than you. That’s how it’s different.”
“You took a bigger hit for the team than I did. I concede that.”
“It’s good to know you can see that, because the way you’ve been going on about a quick procedure has made me wonder if you did.”
“I do. Of course I do, but that quick procedure totally sucked, and I feel like shit.”
“Shit,” Hailey said, grinning at him.
“That’s a bad word, and Daddy shouldn’t have said it.” He tried to be stern with her, but that was impossible. She was so cute.
“Shit, shit, shit,” she said as Thomas joined in her chorus.
Maddie scowled at him. “Lovely. Thank you.”
Mac hoped that pain pill kicked in soon, because this was already shaping up to be a long night.
Jeff floated next to Kelsey in the water behind the Sand & Surf as the sun dipped toward the horizon. He had so many memories of moments just like this one during the magical summers they’d spent here. Now, like then, he didn’t want to leave when the summer ended.
He had a pit in his stomach when he thought about getting on the ferry and heading back to Florida to start the job he’d once been so excited about.
That’d been before he met the perfect girl, or he should say woman, since neither of them were kids anymore.
Now, all he wanted was more nights like this, with her by his side, making him feel like he was the king of the world.
That was the best feeling he’d ever experienced, and he had no idea how he was going to give it up at the end of the month. He had to tell her he was leaving. It was unfair that he hadn’t yet.
Jeff reluctantly let his feet drop to the sandy bottom as he stood.
When Kelsey saw him get up, she followed.
They made their way to where they’d left their towels and wrapped up in them, sitting on the sand to watch the sun set in an explosion of red, orange and purple.
“It’s so pretty here,” she said. “Prettier than anywhere I’ve ever been.”
“I agree.”
“Prettier than Florida?”
“Florida has nothing on Gansett.” That had never been truer than it was now. “Speaking of Florida…” He looked over at her, noting once again how pretty she was. “I have to go back soon.”
“I wondered how long you were going to be here.”
“I start a new job in Tampa in October and move into my apartment on the first. I need to go back soon to get myself together to move.”
“Oh.”
“I’m sorry I haven’t said anything about that before now. I kept hoping something might come up to make it possible for me to stay.”
She looked over at him. “Why would you stay when you have a job lined up in Tampa?”
“Um, because you’re here?”
“I, ah, well…” She released a deep breath and a laugh. “Sorry, you’re making me stammer.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I wasn’t sure what this was,” she said. “If we were two buddies hanging out at the end of the summer or something more.”
“It’s definitely something more for me, so much so that I’ve actually thought about quitting the job I haven’t started yet and breaking my lease so I can stay here with you.” He glanced at her and found her staring at him. “Was that too much?”
“No, not at all. I just… I wasn’t sure.”
Jeff held out his hand to her, barely breathing as he waited to see what she would do. Their relationship up to now had been platonic, and he wasn’t sure she wanted the same things he did.
As she joined her hand with his, the look she gave him was full of vulnerability and maybe a hint of excitement.
“Is there any chance you might want to move to Tampa?” he asked in a teasing tone, even though he was serious.
“I promised Mac and Maddie I’d stay for the year, at least. They really need me.”
He kissed the back of her hand. “I do, too.”
“Jeff…” She released a nervous laugh. “Don’t say things like that.”
“I mean it. I really like you, Kelsey. Like, a lot, and I hate to think about leaving here and not seeing you for months.”
“I like you, too, and I’m sorry you have to leave. I’ll miss you.”
“You will?”
“Of course I will,” she said, laughing. “We’ve spent every minute we could together for weeks.”
Everything about her did it for him—her smile, her pretty face, her curly reddish-gold hair and her sexy body—but more than anything, he was attracted to her sweetness.
She was the nicest person he’d ever met, except for maybe his mom and grandmother.
In a way, she reminded him of them and how they never had a bad word to say about anyone.
Well, except for his father, that was, but they all had bad things to say about him.
“There are things you should know about me,” he said, feeling deflated as he broached a subject he’d studiously avoided until now.
“What is it? You seem so serious all of a sudden.”
“It is serious.”
“Whatever it is, Jeff, it won’t change how I feel about you.”
“How do you feel?”
“Interested, excited, happy—and sad now that I know you’re leaving.”
He was relieved to know she had feelings for him, too, but hoped he wouldn’t spoil everything by sharing the truth with her. “I, um, I told you I’m the youngest of seven, right?”
“Yes, and I feel like I know your siblings from the way you talk about them.”
“They’re all great, but we went through a lot growing up.
Our dad, he wasn’t a good guy, and it was hell.
It got even worse when everyone else moved out, and it was just me.
I got messed up with drugs, and when I was fourteen, I tried to kill myself because I honestly felt there was no way out of the addiction and depression with years ahead of dealing with him. ”
“Oh God. Oh, Jeff. I’m so sorry you went through that—and when you were so young.”
“It was an awful time, but thanks to my grandparents and some intensive rehab, I’ve been clean for years, and I’m in a much better place than I was then.
My grandparents moved me to Florida where they were living and got me back on track.
I owe them everything. I take my recovery very seriously and actively attend meetings and help others who are just starting their journey through recovery.
” He realized he was saying more than he’d intended to, and as he glanced over at her, he wasn’t sure what to expect. “So, yeah. It’s a lot.”
She gazed at him with what might’ve been respect and admiration. “I’m proud of what you’ve overcome.”
“It’s not a deal breaker?”
“Not at all.”
“What would your family say if they knew about my past?”
“My brother had a drinking problem in high school. He went to rehab three times before he finally kicked it. They don’t judge people who’ve battled addiction.”
“I’m sorry you guys went through that.”
“It was rough, and he struggled so much to get to where he is now. We’re proud of him, and I know they’d be proud of you, too.”
“That’s nice to hear. It may sound weird, but in some ways, I’m thankful for having been through everything that I have. I feel like I’m better prepared for life than I would’ve been without the struggles.”
“I can see that. My brother is full of gratitude, too, not so much for the alcoholism, but for the journey he took through recovery and AA.”
“Narcotics Anonymous and AA are amazing programs. I can’t imagine where I’d be without all the support I’ve found there—and continue to find there.”
“Thank you for telling me about it.”
He released her hand and put his arm around her. “I should’ve told you sooner, but I was afraid of what you might think. I should’ve known better.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “You told me when you were ready to. That’s the right time.”
“And you wonder why I like you so much.”
“I don’t wonder.”
Jeff laughed and kissed the top of her head as he tightened his hold on her.
He wanted to hang on to her forever. With that thought in mind, he pulled back from her and looked down, studying her gorgeous face while trying to commit every detail to memory.
Although he already knew he’d never forget a thing about her.
He moved in slowly, hoping he’d be welcome to kiss her like he’d wanted to for weeks now.
As their lips came together in the sweetest, most perfect kiss of his life, she placed her hand on his face and kissed him back with the same ardor he felt.
Was it possible for one kiss to change everything?
He wouldn’t have thought so before now. After one taste, he wanted to gorge.
The need was so great that when she pulled back, he moaned.
“I think,” she said softly, “that we ought to put this on hold for now.”
“That’s the worst idea you ever had.”
Smiling, she shook her head. “It’s not what I want, but if we let things get even more involved, it’ll be that much harder when you go.”
“Leaving you here will already be the hardest thing I’ll ever do.”
“Don’t be silly. You just told me you’ve been through much worse.”
“This is going to be harder than that. I already know it.”
“Now you’re being dramatic. We can FaceTime and talk every day. You’ll visit me. I’ll visit you. If it’s meant to be, it’ll work out.”
“You’re very mature about all this.”
“One of us has to be.”
Laughing, he nudged her with his shoulder. “You’ll really FaceTime with me every day?”
“Yes.”
“And you won’t date anyone else?”
She glanced at him. “Will you?”
“Nope.”
“Then I won’t either.”
“Promise?” he asked playfully.
“Yes, Jeff, I promise.”