Chapter 5 #2
In the waning daylight over North Harbor, Big Mac McCarthy stood at the sliding glass door that led to the deck and looked down over his “kingdom,” such as it was—the marina and hotel that had been their life’s work.
He and his wife, Linda, had put everything they had into making their businesses a success and had recently branched out with other endeavors, including the Wayfarer in South Harbor and the old alpaca farm that was being turned into a “shabby chic” wedding venue.
Whatever that was.
The kids told him it would be a hit, and he’d learned to trust their judgment.
Having his six grown children and eight grandchildren—with six more babies on the way—living on the island was a dream come true, except for at times like this when five of them were in the line of a monster storm and the sixth one was melting down in Ohio, worried about her family on the island.
And then there was Joe and Seamus and their plan to take the ferries to sea to “ride out the storm.” It was no wonder his princess was on the verge of an epic panic attack thinking about her beloved husband at sea in a hurricane while her children were on the island that sat in the bull’s-eye of the storm.
Who could blame Janey for being so upset?
When he’d heard about Joe and Seamus’s plan, he’d felt a bit of panic himself.
Of course he understood the need to protect the boats, but good Lord, the idea of being out on the ocean in a hurricane made his knees weak.
And Big Mac McCarthy had seen his share of rough seas while living on an island for more than forty years.
He’d tried telling Janey that Joe and Seamus would be fine, but he had his doubts. Not that he’d ever say that to her when she was half a country away trying to keep it together.
From his vantage point looking down at the harbor, Big Mac could see that “the boys,” as he referred to his son Mac and their business partner, Luke, had done a great job of preparing the marina and hotel for the storm.
They’d refused to allow him to help after he’d had an episode of vertigo a couple of weeks ago that was later tied to an ear infection.
“No ladders for you,” Mac had declared, and that had been that.
As he got closer to seventy, that sort of thing happened more often. Time marched on with a relentlessness that never failed to amaze him.
“It’s looking wild out there, love,” Linda said when she joined him at the window.
He put his arm around her. “Sure is, and the storm isn’t even here yet.”
“Are you feeling all right?”
She’d asked him that a hundred times since the vertigo, but he understood that he’d worried her, so he answered the question the same way every time. “I’m feeling great, except for this bitch Ethel threatening my island.”
“She’s got nothing on Gansett Islanders.”
“Let’s hope so. Have you talked to Janey again?”
“Just now,” she said with a sigh. “She’s distraught.”
“Poor kid.”
A knock on the door preceded an invasion of adults, kids and a dog named Burpee.
His grandson PJ ran to him, and Big Mac lifted him into his arms. “What’s the good word, my man?”
“Sleepover with Grammy L and Papa!”
“That’s right.”
His little eyebrows furrowed with concern. “Daddy going to sea.”
Big Mac kissed the top of his head. “He’ll be just fine.
Don’t you worry.” He put him down and picked up his sister to give her some love.
Being a grandfather was the best thing since ice cream.
Viv rested her head on his shoulder. He wondered if she understood what was going on or if she was just too young.
Carolina came in on crutches, with Seamus carrying bags behind her. “Thanks for having us, guys,” Caro said.
Linda kissed and hugged their longtime friend. They’d first met Carolina and Joe when he and Mac were in second grade and had been the best of friends ever since. That they now shared grandchildren with Carolina was one of life’s sweeter developments. “No problem at all,” Linda said.
“Yes, it is a problem,” Carolina said. “But we appreciate it anyway.”
“Aye,” Seamus said. “I’ll feel much better knowing my family is with you.”
Jackson and Kyle came in carrying backpacks and pulling suitcases, their expressions grave. They were certainly old enough to understand what was happening, and after having lost their mother to lung cancer not that long ago, they were understandably worried about Seamus.
Watching the four of them form a family bond had been among the most satisfying things Big Mac had witnessed in his life. He ached for the boys—and for Seamus, who’d be worried sick about them while he was gone.
“Could I have a word?” Seamus asked Big Mac in the lilting Irish accent that had become so familiar to him since Seamus came to work for Joe and fell in love with Joe’s mother.
Big Mac kissed Viv and put her down to run around with her brother. He gestured for Seamus to follow him into the study while Linda got Carolina and her broken leg settled in a recliner.
Seamus closed the door. “I wanted to say thank you for having my family while I’m gone, and if…” He took a deep breath. “If anything happens, I was hoping I could count on you to… well, take care of them.”
Big Mac saw tears in the other man’s eyes, and his heart went out to him. “You’ll be fine, and we’re always here for you and your family. You know that.”
“I do, and I take great comfort in it all the time, not just at times like this. It’s a strange thing for a man who lived his entire life without responsibility for others to find himself in a spot like this, loving other people more than he loves himself.”
“Trust me. I get it. When you have a family, your heart walks around outside your body.”
“Aye, that it does. It helps to have friends like family that you can count on.” Seamus extended his hand to Big Mac.
He shook the younger man’s hand and then hugged him. “Try not to worry. We’ll take care of your family. Just be safe out there.”
“That’s the plan.”
When they rejoined the others in the living room, Seamus went to Carolina and bent over to whisper something that made her tear up as she hooked a hand around his neck and kissed him.
Then he turned to the boys and held out his arms to them. “Be good lads while I’m gone, you hear me?”
“We will,” Jackson said as he and Kyle clung to Seamus.
“It’ll be okay,” Seamus told them. “Don’t worry. Take good care of Caro, okay? She still needs lots of help.”
It was a heartbreaking scene to witness, Big Mac thought as he watched Seamus and Joe talking to their loved ones.
PJ and Viv were in tears saying goodbye to their daddy.
“You guys should just go,” Linda said. “This won’t get better with time.”
“She’s right, mate,” Seamus said to Joe. “Let’s get to it.”
“Please come back to us,” Carolina said when Joe leaned over to kiss his mother.
“We will,” Joe said. “Don’t worry.”
“Hahahaha, right.” Carolina wiped away tears. “What do we have to worry about?”
Joe took Seamus by the arm to lead him out of the house. “Let’s go.”
Seamus looked back at Carolina as Joe moved them toward the door.
Linda huddled with PJ and Viv. “Now, now, loves. Daddy will be back before you know it. And in the meantime, Grammy has ice cream and s’mores and new games and lots of fun stuff planned.”
“Ice cream,” Viv said, immediately brightening.
Linda laughed. “I thought that might get your attention. Come on, boys,” she said to Jackson and Kyle. “Let’s have dessert before dinner.”
Leave it to his Linda to come up with the perfect distraction for four kids who desperately needed it, Big Mac thought.
“Still the best mom there is,” Carolina said to Big Mac as Linda led the kids into the kitchen.
“Indeed she is.”
“They’ll be all right, won’t they?”
“I’m sure of it. Do you know anyone better qualified for a mission like this than the two of them?”
“No, I don’t, but I can’t understand why they didn’t just take the boats over to North Harbor and anchor them.”
“Because the anchors wouldn’t hold them with the wind predicted, and they needed the boats for last-minute runs, so it’s too late to run them up the river. This is the best plan to protect the assets.”
“Who will protect the two men I love with all my heart?”
“That’s in God’s hands.”