Chapter 30
Blaine made sure the boat was secure and then headed for his SUV in the parking lot of the McCarthys’ marina. When he reached the four-way stop sign, he considered his options. Straight ahead was home, but something had him hanging a right and heading for the Coast Guard station.
He’d gone about a mile when he spotted Jack Downing, head lowered, hands in pockets as he walked briskly.
Blaine pulled up next to him and put down the window. “Hey. Get in.”
Jack kept moving as if Blaine hadn’t said anything, so he laid on the horn, startling the other man.
“Get in the truck, Jack.”
When Jack looked up at him, the despair he saw on his face broke Blaine’s heart. Whatever was going on with him was bad.
“I’m all set. Thanks, Blaine.”
“I’m not asking you. Get in the truck.”
A flash of outrage replaced the despair, but only for a second. He could tell that Jack was dying to tell him that Blaine wasn’t his boss, and he didn’t have to do what he said.
“Get in, Jack.”
Expelling a huff of indignation, Jack got in the passenger side and slammed the door.
“Where you going?”
“Home.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“I can sit here all night. Nothing better to do.” That was the biggest lie he’d ever told.
At the end of a hideously long day, all he wanted was his wife, his daughters and a cold beer—in that order.
Any delay getting to them irritated him, but something had told him to take that right turn, and there he was.
Blaine pulled off the road, put the SUV in Park and activated the flashers. While he waited on Jack, he sent Tiffany a text. On the way home but taking care of one more thing. Hope it’s quick.
Take your time, she wrote back. We’re fine but looking forward to Daddy coming home.
Ah, he loved being Daddy to Ash and Addie.
He could picture them at home, Tiffany curled up on the sofa while something mouthwatering cooked in the kitchen.
She’d be overseeing Ashleigh and Addie’s playtime, with McKenzie and Jax in the mix today.
He hoped they were getting along okay. It was a lot to ask his wife to take in strangers, but he’d known she’d be as eager to help them as he’d been.
“You can just drop me at the barracks,” Jack said after a long silence.
“We’re not going anywhere until you tell me what happened between earlier, when you told me you were excited to be seeing someone after a terrible loss, and whatever went down an hour ago when your entire disposition changed.”
“What’re you, some sort of therapist now?”
“Nah, I’m just a friend wondering what’s up with my buddy.”
That seemed to take some of the starch out of Jack’s posture. “I’m fine. Really. I just want to go back to my room and be alone.”
“Hmm, see, I thought you’d be running right back to the lady you told me about, the one who had you smiling like I’ve never seen you smile.”
“Please, Blaine. Just give me a ride home, will you?”
“Did she blow you off?”
“No.”
Blaine sat for another minute before he abruptly threw the SUV into gear and made a U-turn, away from the barracks.
“What’re you doing?” Jack asked. “Let me out.”
“You’re coming with me. Whatever’s going on with you, you can figure it out at my place rather than off alone in a room somewhere.”
“Goddamn it, Blaine. We’re barely even friends. What right do you have to force your way into my life?”
“I have no right, but I’ve known you a couple of years now, and I’ve never seen you smile like you did earlier today. I wouldn’t be doing my job as your friend if I didn’t try to figure out what happened.”
“You want to know what happened?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Fine. Here it is. I spent last night completely wrapped up in Piper, so wrapped up that I totally forgot that today was my wife’s birthday.
She would’ve been thirty-five today, and I didn’t remember that until her family group chat, which still includes me, lit up with birthday wishes for her that I didn’t see until this afternoon. ”
Blaine took a minute to think about what he should say next as he continued toward home.
“So could you please take me home like I asked you to?”
“Nah, you’re coming with me.”
Jack punched the passenger door hard enough to leave a dent. “For fuck’s sake.”
“And don’t think about lunging for that door or any other stupid thing you might do.”
“This is bullshit. I don’t want or need your help. Just let me out.”
“Let me ask you something.”
Jack blew out a deep breath full of frustration. “What?”
“If it was me who was obviously dealing with something heavy, would you have left me out there on the side of the road, or would you have done what I did?”
Jack didn’t reply, which said it all.
“I’ll take you home later. After you eat something and have a minute to get your head together among friends.”
“What friends?”
“Everyone is going to the McCarthys’ later.”
“I don’t want to do that.”
“It’ll be good for you to be around people.”
If it was possible to hear someone fuming, Blaine could tell Jack was about to blow a gasket.
“When was the last time you lost a wife?” Jack asked in a tight, pissed-off tone.
“Never, thank God, and I hope I never do.”
“Then how in the fuck do you know what I need?”
“I don’t. I just know that in your current state of mind, it might not be safe for you to be alone.”
“What’re you thinking I’m going to do?” Jack asked, incredulous. “If I were going to do that, it would’ve happened a long-ass time ago.”
Blaine felt bad that he might’ve added to Jack’s agitation, but he didn’t regret picking him up or taking him home to his place rather than letting him go to a cold, lonely room when he was obviously upset. “You never know what’ll drive someone over the edge.”
“You’re driving me over the edge.”
“I’m driving you to my place, where Tiffany will have snacks and we’ll have a cold one to take the edge off a rough day. And then we’ll stop by the McCarthys’ for dinner and some island gossip. After that, I’ll take you home.”
“I hope you don’t expect me to put out at the end of this date you’ve arranged for us.”
Blaine barked with laughter. “I’m good, but thanks for the offer.”
“Fuck off. I wasn’t offering.”
Linda had been cooking all day and had produced enough food to feed an army. Big Mac had said as much as he took a deviled egg off a platter and just missed getting his hand slapped by his beloved.
“Our family is an army,” she’d said, “and when you add in friends, it’s multiple battalions.”
Big Mac was about to come back with a reply that would’ve been witty, but he was interrupted by the sound of a chopper going over the house. He ran for the sliding door and watched the Life Flight chopper speed overhead on the way to the mainland. “There they go,” he said. “Thank goodness.”
Linda put her arms around him from behind. “They’re going to be okay. I know it.”
“I told Mac to pay for anything they need.”
“That’s good. I know you feel terrible about this happening at a place we own, but it wasn’t your fault.”
“I still feel responsible for those two kids who were hurt at our place.”
“That’s why I love you. Because you take care of everyone.”
“I try, and it breaks my heart that they were hurt.”
“Mine, too, but we’ll be there for them for the long haul.”
“Yes, we will.”
They were interrupted by a shout from PJ. “Grammy! When are my cousins coming?”
She turned from Big Mac to scoop up the little guy. “Very soon, my love.”
“I can’t wait! I want to see Thomas and Hailey and Mac!”
“They can’t wait to see you, too.”
PJ squirmed, wanting to get free.
She put him down, and he ran off to find Kyle and Jackson. “He’s never going to be the same after being with those big boys,” Linda said.
“He’ll be asking for them for weeks.”
“I can’t wait to have them home to stay.”
“Soon enough, love. Our Janey will be a doctor of veterinary medicine, at long last.”
They’d been outraged when David Lawrence had discouraged Janey from going to vet school right out of college because, as he’d said at the time, island practices wouldn’t cover the cost of two of them going to medical school.
David had since earned their undying gratitude for delivering Hailey, saving Janey and PJ and for his devoted care to all the island’s residents.
But back in the day…
“You’re thinking about David,” Big Mac said.
“I am, and today, I’m thankful he was there when Jeff and Kelsey needed him.”
The front door opened, and Hailey, Thomas and baby Mac came rushing in, followed by their parents, who each had a baby in a car seat carrier.
“Grammy!” Hailey said. “The storm is finally over, and we can go back outside to play.”
“Kelsey got hurt,” Thomas said, his blond brows furrowing.
Linda picked up Mac and kissed the others. “I heard that. But she’ll be okay.”
“She broke her arm,” Thomas said. “Mommy said she might not be able to play with us for a while.”
“She’ll be back with you very soon,” Linda assured him. “Who’s hungry?”
A shriek preceded PJ down the stairs to greet his cousins.
Thomas, always patient with the little ones, hugged PJ and Viv, who toddled after her brother.
With the kids occupied, Linda went to the kitchen to start putting out the food.
Adam and Abby arrived with Liam, followed by Stephanie, Grant, Kara and Dan.
“How’s Jeff?” Linda asked Steph, who’d been at the clinic with her stepsiblings the night before.
“He was talking before the chopper came. Everyone is feeling more encouraged.”
“I’m so glad to hear that. Poor Sarah must be beside herself with worry.”
“They haven’t told her,” Steph said. “They figured there was nothing she could do, but she decided to come home anyway.”
“Mother’s intuition,” Linda said. “She knows something is going on.”
Evan and Grace arrived with Mallory, Quinn, Luke, Syd and Lily.
Linda was never happier than she was when surrounded by her family and closest friends. She made a plate of appetizers and poured a glass of Chardonnay that she took to Carolina.
“Thank you, friend.”
“My pleasure.”
“I owe you an entire senior citizenship full of me waiting on you after these last few days,” Carolina said.
“You owe me nothing. After all we’ve been through together, we’re surely even at this point.”
“We’re not even close to even, as you well know.”
“Eh.” Linda waved her hand as she took a seat next to her dearest friend. She and Caro had gone from the best of friends to family when her Joe married Janey. “Who’s keeping score? Not me.”
“Seamus just texted to say they’re an hour out,” Carolina said.
“Oh, good. You’ll be so happy to have him back.”
“Sometimes I still can’t believe the way that man has taken over my life in the best possible way. I feel like a fool missing him so much when he was only gone for a couple of days.”
“Remember how hard you tried to fight it with him?” Linda asked, smiling.
“He never lets me forget that.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t. You led him on a merry chase.”
“I’m almost old enough to be his mother!”
Linda laughed the way she did every time Carolina said that. “You naughty cougar.”
“I still feel that way sometimes, but oh, is he ever worth it.”
“Yes, he is.”
Jackson came over to where they were sitting together to ask if Carolina needed anything.
“I’m all set, my sweet boy, thanks to Auntie Linda.”
“Let me know if you need water or something.”
“I will, honey. Thank you.” She watched him scamper off to join his brother and the other kids. “They’re such good boys.”
“They’re delightful. I’m glad we had the chance to spend this time together and really get to know them.”
“Never thought I’d be raising another family at my age.”
“They’ll keep you young. Them and your young stud of a husband.”
“Stop!” Carolina said as she turned bright red.
Linda rocked with silent laughter.
“What is going on over here?” Maddie asked.
“Your mother-in-law is being outrageous,” Carolina said.
“Not my mother-in-law. She’s a respectable grandmother.”
“Sure she is,” Carolina said, rolling her eyes.
Ned and Francine arrived with a large, covered dish that Ned carried as he followed his wife inside.
“I made ziti,” Francine said. “Boiled the water on the grill.”
“I told you to get a generator,” Mac said to Ned.
“Pshaw. Lived without one all these years, and I’m not gonna wimp out now.”
“I’d like to get one,” Francine said to Mac. “I’ll call you when things calm down.”
“I can hear ya,” Ned said.
“Good, you old fool. You might be used to living without power for days on end, but I’m not into it if there’s an alternative.”
“Didn’t I take good care a ya this mornin’ with coffee and breakfast and everythin’ ya needed?”
“You did, but there’s no need to be without power if we don’t have to be.”
“What she said,” Betsy said as she and Frank arrived with more food. “I want a generator, too.”
“We’ll ask Mac to order us one tomorrow, love,” Frank said.
“Y’all are a buncha pampered babies,” Ned muttered.
“Look at my hair, Ned,” Betsy said. “This is what happens when it air-dries, and I don’t have a straightener.”
“I think your hair looks lovely,” Frank said.
“You already know I’m a sure thing, so there’s no point in lying,” Betsy said to Frank as the others laughed.
“I’m not lying. I love your curls.”
Finn and Chloe arrived with their dog, Ranger, as well as Kevin, Chelsea, Summer, Riley and Nikki, bringing even more food.
“Uncle Frank!” Finn said. “Just the man I’m looking for.”
“What’s up, son?” Frank asked his nephew.
“Chloe and I want to get married right now. We don’t want to wait another day.”
“I can help with that,” Frank said. “Do you have a license?”
“We’ll get one as soon as the town hall reopens and make it official,” Finn said.
“That works for me,” Frank said. “When do you want to do it?”
“Would now be okay?” Finn looked around. “Almost everyone is here except for Janey and Joe. Maybe we could FaceTime them?”
“What’d we miss?” Slim asked as he came in with Erin, Dara, Oliver, Piper, Laura, Owen, their kids, Shane and Katie.
“Now everyone is here,” Finn said.
“Let’s have a wedding,” Frank replied, smiling.