Chapter 28
“Holy crap,” Jace said as they pulled into the driveway at Sarah and Charlie’s. “This is your mother’s house?”
“Yep. Charlie got a big payout from the state for wrongful imprisonment and told her to pick her dream house.”
“Wow, I wish the state owed me that kind of money.”
Cindy laughed. “You knew him, right?”
“I did. Everyone knew him and his story and how hard his stepdaughter was working to get him out. We all looked up to him. He was a bit of a father figure to us younger guys.”
“He’s a good man. My mom is so happy with him. It’s lovely to see.”
“I’m glad he’s found a nice life for himself after everything that happened.”
“I’m glad you have, too,” she said, smiling.
He’d had just enough time to tell her about his job offer and to share a giddy moment of excitement with her before the boys had interrupted them.
As much as he was loving every minute with the boys, he was looking forward to being alone with her later so they could talk about it more.
He wanted to talk to her about everything.
“Looks like everyone else is already here,” Cindy said as she took in all the cars.
Jace parked off to the side so he wouldn’t block anyone in. “Remember your manners, boys,” he said as they got out of the truck to follow Cindy inside.
Cindy had prepared him for a big crowd, and that was what they walked into as they took the stairs up to the main living area of the gorgeous house. It might be the nicest house he’d ever been in. No, it was. For sure.
She introduced him to her mother, Sarah, who hugged him. “I’m so delighted to meet you, Jace. Cindy has told me so much about you.”
“And you’re still delighted to meet me?” Jace asked, making her laugh.
She rested her hand on his arm as if they were old friends. “We don’t hold the past against people in this house, especially not when we see them making a real effort to turn things around.”
“Thank you, ma’am. That means a lot to me. These are my sons, Jackson and Kyle. Say hello to Mrs. Grandchamp, boys.” He realized that was the first time he’d ever introduced them as his sons to anyone.
As they said hello to Sarah, they partially hid behind him. He hadn’t seen their shy side before and found it endearing.
“I think you know my husband, Charlie.”
“I do.” Jace shook hands with Charlie Grandchamp, who looked like a totally different person from the hardened man Jace had known inside. “Good to see you again.”
“You as well. The view is much better from here.”
“You must have the best view on the entire island.”
“It’s not bad,” Charlie said with his trademark gruffness. “How’ve you been making out since your release?”
“Pretty well, all things considered. Coming here was a good move.”
“It was for me, too. I’m glad it’s working out for you.” He glanced at Cindy, who was talking to her sisters. “We love her very much.”
“I think I might, too.”
“Is that right?”
“Yeah. She’s like this place of calmness in the storm.” He glanced at the other man. “That’s weird, right?”
“No, it’s sweet, and I get what you mean. Her mother is the same for me. I’m sure you’ve heard about Cindy’s father and his bullshit.”
“I have.”
“She has a new father now, and he won’t be happy with anyone who messes with her, especially someone who’s been inside. Do we understand each other?”
“We do, and you have nothing to worry about. I promise.”
“I’ll take that as your word and will sleep a little easier knowing she has a good man looking out for her, not that she needs that. She’s independent and always has been, from what I’ve been told.”
“She doesn’t need me to look out for her, but I’m happy to do it just the same.”
“That’s the right answer.”
“What are you saying to him, Charlie?” Cindy asked as she came over to them and wound her hands around Jace’s arm in a possessive move that thrilled him.
“I’m saying dad things to him,” Charlie said, giving her a pointed look.
“Oh. Well, I suppose that’s okay, if you didn’t threaten to beat him up or anything.”
“Only if he hurts you, sweetheart, and then I absolutely will beat him up.”
Cindy’s smile lit up her pretty face as her eyes filled with tears. “That’s very sweet of you, Charlie. Thank you.”
Knowing what she’d endured at the hands of her own father, Jace was filled with emotion as he witnessed the touching moment between Cindy and her stepfather. “I won’t give you reason for that, Charlie.” He put his arm around Cindy. “I just want to make her happy.”
“Are you going to introduce us to your new boyfriend, Cindy?” Katie’s husband, Shane McCarthy, asked.
“You already know him,” Cindy said, rolling her eyes at her brother-in-law.
Shane laughed and shook hands with Jace. “Good to see you.”
“You, too,” Jace said. “Give me the refresher course, Cindy.”
“Jace, you know my oldest brother, Owen, and his wife, Laura. Shane is her brother, and he’s married to Katie.
That’s Charlie’s daughter, Stephanie, and her husband, Grant McCarthy, and you already know Katie’s twin, Julia.
That’s her fiancé, Deacon. These are my magnificent grandparents, Adele and Russ.
You know Jeff and John, and this is Frank McCarthy, father to Laura and Shane, and his fiancée, Betsy.
Everyone, this is Jace Carson and his sons, Jackson and Kyle. ”
“Is there a map or diagram of who is married to who and who is related to who?” Jace asked.
“I’ll draw you a picture,” Shane said.
“How are you related to Mac?”
“First cousin and business partner.”
“He hired me today.”
“I heard, and we’re excited. We need a plumber badly.”
“Looking forward to it. So, remind me again how this works… You’re married to Katie, and Owen is married to your sister?”
“That’s right, and Frank over there is our dad. His brother Big Mac is Mac’s father.”
“The head spins.”
“It will for a while, but then you’ll figure us out.”
“I’ll take your word on that. How does Grant McCarthy fit into the picture?”
“Mac’s younger brother.”
“Ah, I see. And he’s married to Charlie’s daughter.”
“Right. See, you’re figuring it out.”
“I still need that diagram.”
“You know the movie Indefatigable about Charlie and his daughter, Stephanie?”
“Sure, everyone’s talking about it.”
“Grant wrote it. He also wrote Song of Solomon a few years ago and won an Oscar for that one. There’s Oscar buzz about Indefatigable, too.”
“Wow.” Jace couldn’t imagine having that kind of talent.
Sarah called them all to the table for a delicious roast beef dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, salad and chocolate cake for dessert.
As he ate, Jace kept a careful eye on the boys to make sure they were remembering their manners. They were perfect, chatting with Sarah, who kept up a steady stream of conversation with them about school, baseball, their crazy dog and life with Seamus and Carolina.
“She broke her leg,” Kyle said. “It was terrible. She was screaming.”
“Oh my goodness,” Sarah said. “That must’ve been so frightening.”
“It was,” Jackson said. “We didn’t know what happened at first. And Seamus said we shouldn’t look at how her leg was bent, but we did.”
“It was gnarly,” Kyle said.
“All right, fellas,” Jace said, holding back a laugh. “No gory details at dinner.”
“They’re delightful,” Sarah said to Jace when he helped clear the table after dinner. “You must be so proud of them.”
“I am, but I can’t take any credit. Their mother was the one who raised them. She did a great job.”
“Yes, she did. I know the backstory. I’m glad you’re able to spend time with them now.”
“I am, too. Thank you for having us.”
“It’s my pleasure. I’ve never seen my Cindy smile the way she does around you. It does my heart good to see that. I’ve worried so much about my kids.”
“It seems to me, as an outsider looking in, that you’ve also done a wonderful job raising your kids.”
She smiled warmly at him. “I’m proud of who they turned out to be in spite of their chaotic childhood.”
Adele linked her arm through Jace’s. “Take a stroll with me to the deck so we can talk about Cindy behind her back.”
Jace laughed at the older woman’s brazen comment. “Lead the way, ma’am.”
“Call me Adele. Ma’am makes me feel old.”
“Where are you taking him, Gram?” Cindy called from the sofa, where she was seated with her sisters and Stephanie.
“None of your business,” Adele said.
“You got the boys?” Jace asked Cindy.
She nodded as she eyed her grandmother curiously.
The boys had talked Charlie into a second piece of cake and were still at the table.
“Tell me all about you,” Adele said. “And don’t worry, I already know the bad stuff.”
“That about sums me up,” Jace said.
“That’s not true! If my Cindy sees something in you, there’s more than bad stuff.”
“I care about her very much.”
“I love to hear that. She’s always been such a ray of sunshine from the time she was a little girl.”
“That’s how I describe her, too.” He smiled, looking out over the ocean as the sunset lit up the western sky. “She speaks so highly of you and your husband and the summers they spent here.”
“Yes,” she said, her smile fading a bit.
“We didn’t know then what was happening at home.
But we don’t need to talk about that. Thankfully, it’s all in the past now.
” She patted Jace’s arm. “I won’t keep you.
I just wanted the chance to speak to you one-on-one, to tell you what our Cindy means to us. ”
“I’ve never known a big family like this one,” he said. “It’s quite something how you all look out for each other.”
“You’re welcome with us, Jace, and we’ll look out for you and your boys, too.”
Her words touched him deeply. “That’s very kind of you, and I’m honored to be part of something like this. Although, you know, the boys don’t really belong to me. Not anymore.”
“They’ll always be part of you, no matter where they live or who raises them.”
“Yes, well, I suppose that’s true.”
“Do I need to rescue you, Jace?” Cindy asked when she came to the slider.