Chapter 6 #2
Two years after her passing, Rosemary’s estate had finally cleared escrow, along with the cabin she’d left to McKenzie, the only family member who’d loved the island and the cabin as much as Rosemary did.
Her mother had come home one day with keys that she’d dropped into McKenzie’s lap while she breastfed the baby.
“Taxes and insurance are paid for three years,” her mother had said. “The rest is your problem.”
From that second on, McKenzie’s only goal had been getting the two of them to that cabin. She’d planned to figure out the details after she arrived.
The entire ride from Coventry to Point Judith, she’d listened to her mother tell her she was a fool to take a baby to a remote island with God-knows-what for medical care or jobs or basic supplies.
McKenzie had tuned her out. This was the right move for her and Jax. She’d known it in her heart, until Hurricane Ethel had hit, and she’d been convinced for hours that they were going to die.
After she’d fled the cabin, she’d tried going next door to the home she now knew belonged to Duke, but he hadn’t been home. Thank God Chief Taylor had found her hunkered down by the side of the road, because who knew what would’ve become of them if he hadn’t come along when he did?
So far, her independent adventure to Gansett had been anything but. Two men had come to her rescue, and without them, she would’ve been dead and/or homeless. They both seemed like nice guys, but who ever knew that for certain? They were all nice at first.
She couldn’t stop picturing Duke sitting by the fire cross-stitching for relaxation like an old grandma. She laughed to herself every time she thought of him in all his long-haired, tatted glory pushing a needle through the sampler like it was the most normal thing he could be doing.
Despite his appearance, which gave off a tough, untouchable vibe, there was something so sweet and almost pure about him.
It was an odd contrast, and she wasn’t sure which version was the real him.
One thing she knew for certain, however, was that he hadn’t had to offer her a free place to live while she figured out her next move with the cabin.
He hadn’t had to drive her around or offer to help her navigate insurance claims and reconstruction.
She refused to stick him with the sins other men had committed. So far, he’d been nothing but a good friend to her, and she looked forward to getting to know him better, comforted to know her grandmother had obviously adored him.
Duke took his morning coffee outside to call Mac McCarthy. “Hey, Mac, it’s Duke Sullivan.”
“Hi, Duke. How’s it going?”
“Hanging in there. Getting back to normal. How about you?”
“Same. Still on cleanup and eyeing some rebuilds.”
“That’s why I’m calling. Remember Rosemary Enders, my next-door neighbor who passed a few years back?”
“Of course. She was a good friend of my parents’.”
“Ah, that’s right. She thought the world of them.”
“And vice versa. We all loved her.”
“I did, too. She was a good friend to me. Her granddaughter had come out to stay at Rosemary’s cabin before the storm and is staying in my garage apartment since the place collapsed.”
“Is she the one Blaine rescued?”
“That’s her.”
“Heard she had a baby with her, too.”
“Yes, little Jax. Thankfully, Blaine came upon them before they got hurt, but she’s in a bind with the cabin being destroyed. I know you’re probably slammed after the storm, but if you guys could fit her in over the next little while, I’d sure appreciate it.”
“I’ll see what we can do to get out there as soon as possible.”
“She’s fine at my place for as long as she needs a roof over her head, but I’m sure she’d like to get back to her own space before too long.”
“Of course. I’ve put her on the list and will prioritize it since she’s Rosemary’s granddaughter and a single mom.”
“That’s very good of you.”
“I married a single mom. I know how challenging it is, even when her home isn’t knocked down by a storm.”
“I remember when you and Maddie crashed into each other on Ocean Road.”
“And the rest was history,” Mac said with a chuckle. “I’ll be back in touch soon.”
“You’re the best. Thank you.”
As he ended the call, he saw McKenzie come down the stairs to the yard, carrying Jax and a full backpack.
He jumped up to relieve her of the bag. “Where you headed?”
“Into town. Tiffany hired me to work at her store. I figured she might need some extra help right away, with her ex-husband missing and all of that.”
“I’m sure she’d appreciate the offer. How are you getting to town?”
“I was going to walk.”
“That’s a long walk carrying a baby.”
“I can do it.”
“Or I could give you a ride.”
“You’ve already done so much for us. I don’t want to be a pain.”
“You’re not a pain. I need to run by the studio anyway. We’re closed today, but it’s the dreaded paperwork day.”
“As long as you’d be going in, I’d appreciate the ride. Let me just go get his car seat.”
“Want me to hold him for you while you do that?”
She gave him an uncertain look that passed as quickly as it’d come. “Sure. Thanks.”
He took the sturdy little guy from her and held him carefully while she dashed for the stairs to fetch the seat.
“Hey there. I’m Duke. What’s your story?”
The baby studied him intently. “Gagagaga.”
“You don’t say? What do you think of the island so far?” Duke walked over to give the baby a closer look at his rosebushes, which had exploded with late-summer color. “That one’s red, and then there’s pink, peach, yellow and white. And they smell good, too, don’t they?”
“Yayayaya.”
“You like the roses, huh? The ladies love them—most of the time. I’ve met a few who don’t like them, but that’s rare. You’re usually safe with roses.”
“Are you giving him life advice?”
Duke turned to her, smiling. “It’s never too soon for such things.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
When she reached for the baby, he handed him over, sorry that he hadn’t gotten to tell him about the puffy, blue hydrangeas. Maybe another time.
“Your garden is gorgeous.”
“Also thanks to Rosemary. She helped me plant it all and taught me how to care for it.”
“I used to help her in her garden at home. I knew the names of all the plants and bushes by the time I was ten.”
“Took me a while longer, but I eventually got the hang of it.”
“It looks amazing. She’d be proud.”
“I hope so.”
She bit her lip and glanced in the direction of her demolished cabin. “I should go over there and deal with that, but it’s been more than a week, and I still can’t bear to look.”
“It’s not going anywhere. It’ll be there when you’re ready to deal with it. I called Mac McCarthy this morning.”
“Oh wow. Thank you so much.”
“He said he’d come by to take a look.”
“I really appreciate your help with that. I’ve never had to deal with contractors before.”
“Mac is awesome. He reminded me that your grandmother was close to his folks and that he married a single mom, so he’s partial to them.”
“That’s nice of him.”
“You’ll be in good hands with him working on the cabin. Try not to worry.”
She already felt better about the daunting task, and again, it was all thanks to Duke. He seemed to step in and help with whatever she needed. How easy would it be to come to rely on someone like him? Too easy.
“Ready to go?”
“Whenever you are.”
“Let me just run inside to grab my wallet and keys. The truck is unlocked if you want to get him settled.”
“Thanks.”
He moved quickly, eager to get back to them and to talk to her some more. Last night’s conversation had been… unexpected, to say the least. He’d been surprised by how much she’d told him about her baby’s father and her life before she came to the island.
“Knock it off,” he said. “She’s Rosemary’s granddaughter, and she’s way too young for you. She’s got enough going on without you bugging her.”
Her situation had made her vulnerable, and there was no way he would take advantage of that. If he found her fucking gorgeous and interesting as all hell, well, that didn’t mean he had to do anything about it.