Book 6 Season for Love #2
Laura reaches out to her father, Judge Frank McCarthy, and they catch up on her new life on Gansett, her work at the Surf and her friendship with Owen.
Frank is worried about Laura’s brother Shane.
His wife, Courtney, has asked for a divorce.
Courtney has been battling an addiction to pain medicine.
Shane waited for her to get through rehab, hoping they’d put their marriage back together.
The divorce request has devastated him. Laura promises to take good care of Shane when he comes to the island to help with the hotel renovations.
She tells her father she’s planning to inform Justin that she’s pregnant.
Laura believes Justin, an attorney, was more interested in being Judge Frank’s son-in-law than her husband.
Maddie is ready for Mac when he comes home, having taken Thomas and Hailey to her mom and Ned’s until dinnertime. They enjoy a passionate reunion.
Kara’s arrival and the extra work needed at the marina to account for increased foot traffic has Luke putting off the offer from IRYS for now.
He has a ring for Sydney, has her parents’ blessing and all he needs is for her to finally say yes to one of his many proposals.
Luke is concerned about Sydney being the one to reach out to Jenny, fearing a setback for her.
Sydney appreciates his concern and assures him she can handle it.
She might be ready to answer that “question” he asked her a while ago.
He retrieves the ring, and they get engaged.
Laura texts Justin, asking to meet at his favorite restaurant in Providence.
Owen makes dinner for Laura, and they discuss how he cooked for his younger siblings when he was as young as 12.
She tells him about the meeting with Justin, and Owen wants to go with her.
They share another hot kiss that’s interrupted when Stephanie stops by to see Laura.
They pick up where they left off after Stephanie leaves.
“Until today, you never told me you wanted me like this,” Laura says.
“Yes, I did.”
“When?” she asks.
“When the last ferry left on Monday without me on it. Didn’t that say it all?”
“I suppose that did make a statement.”
While things between them heat up, they’re determined to hold off on anything more until she sees Justin.
Grant is intimidated about meeting with Stephanie’s stepfather, Charlie Grandchamp, to ask his blessing to propose to Stephanie.
He wants Steph to know they’re for keeps, even when they argue.
He assures Charlie that he’d go anywhere she wants to be, even if that means leaving the island, and he’d support her dream to open a restaurant, which Grant is surprised to hear about from her dad.
Charlie is willing to give his blessing as long as Grant promises he’ll always be good to her, put her needs before his own and be faithful to her.
Those are easy promises for Grant to make.
Charlie thanks Grant for everything he did to help him and Stephanie.
He owes his freedom to the phone calls Grant made on his behalf.
Grant thinks about how he’ll propose and hopes that once there’s a ring on her finger, they can stop worrying about whether what they have will last.
Owen carries Laura upstairs to bed, and she asks him to stay.
She’s worried about him not having enough work on the island, but he’s saved most of what he’s made over the years and could easily take a couple of years off if need be.
She’s concerned he’ll later regret changing his entire way of life for her.
“When I wake up in the morning, usually quite early even after a late gig, I lie in bed and look up at the ceiling, wishing I were up here with you. I picture your gorgeous face, all your hundreds of expressions and how much I like watching you sleep when you conk out on me. Sometimes, when I’m really lucky, I can smell your scent clinging to me because you hugged me the night before.
I lie there wondering how long I have to wait until you come downstairs, all fresh-faced and pretty, full of excitement over whatever job you’ve got planned for the day.
I want to hear how you slept, how you feel and if the baby is moving.
I want to make sure you eat enough for both of you.
I think about what we should do for dinner and if we might have time for a walk on the beach, or if it’s too chilly for you. ”
Laura barely took a breath as she listened to him.
“At night, after we’ve spent the entire day together, I go to bed and burn for you.
I want to hold you and kiss you and make love to you and sleep with you in my arms. I want to feel your soft skin next to mine and have your hair tickling my face when I’m trying to sleep.
I want to know the second you wake up, and I want my face to be the first thing you see every day. ”
Tears roll down her cheeks. “Owen.” She’s never in her life been more touched—or seduced.
“Now tell me, how in the world will I get all that if I’m not here with you?”
“I don’t know,” she says, wiping her face.
“No one knows anything for sure, Princess. All I know is I’m exactly where I want to be right now. I can no longer imagine a day without you in it. That’s got to count for something, right?”
Things between Owen and Laura continue to heat up as they count down to her meeting with Justin, which they hope will begin the divorce and custody process.
Evan is on pins and needles waiting to hear what will become of his album and the upcoming tour with Buddy Longstreet and Taylor Jones since his record company has declared bankruptcy.
Buddy’s company, Long Road Records, may acquire the album.
Grace can help support them in the meantime, but Evan doesn’t want that.
She assures him they can get through anything together.
In Ohio, Joe is worried about how exhausted Janey has been lately.
When he calls his mother, Carolina, to ask her how her first date in years went, they talk about Janey’s exhaustion.
Carolina asks if it’s possible that Janey might be pregnant.
Joe is rocked by that possibility. Carolina tells him she’s decided to spend the winter on Gansett Island.
He asks her to check in with Seamus to make sure he’s doing a good job running their ferry business while Joe is away.
They agree they need to keep Seamus running the company even when Joe returns to Gansett.
Joe is enjoying teaching painting at Ohio State while Janey is in vet school.
As things get more intense between Owen and Laura, he begins to fear he might somehow screw things up with her.
Sydney and Luke plan a Christmas wedding.
She goes to the lighthouse to see Jenny.
On the way, she spots Stephanie walking by the side of the road, visibly upset.
Sydney stops to pick up her friend. She and Grant have had another big fight about the screenplay they’re writing about her story and Charlie’s, and she’s going to stay with Charlie for a while.
Sydney promises not to say anything to anyone about the trouble between Stephanie and Grant.
Sydney’s dog, Buddy, helps to break the ice with Jenny.
Sydney tells her they have lots of fun on the island and would love to include her.
Jenny asks if Syd has read her letter and knows her story.
Sydney has read it. When Jenny notices her ring, Sydney is hesitant to celebrate her happiness.
Don’t do that, Jenny says. Of course, you’re happy.
Jenny is ready to get unstuck and agrees to come to Sydney’s house to meet her friends.
Owen and Laura take a rough ferry ride to the mainland for their meeting with Justin. Laura is seasick on the boat.
Carolina’s plans to travel to the island are thwarted when the boats are canceled for the rest of the day.
Seamus invites her to Joe’s house to spend the night.
She’s incredibly charmed by him. Too bad she’s almost old enough to be his mother.
Seamus has found her incredibly sexy since the first time he met her.
Acting on that attraction could cost him a job he loves.
Their night together turns romantic, which takes both of them by surprise.
Joe waits until Janey is done with midterm exams before he suggests she take a pregnancy test. She says there’s no way she could be pregnant. He disagrees. The test is positive, and Janey wonders how she’ll manage vet school and pregnancy. Joe assures her that they can handle it.
Grant is waiting for Stephanie to come back to their home, but Dan tells him she’s not coming back.
He needs to go after her. Dan advises Grant to take a step back from the screenplay and focus on the relationship.
Grant goes to Charlie’s and asks to see Stephanie.
After making Grant work for it, Charlie tells him where to find her.
Stephanie explains to him that after growing up the way she did, she can’t live with constant strife and arguing.
They agree to changes, including no longer working together.
She needs to take the money he paid for her story and open the restaurant she’s dreamed about.
She can’t believe he asked Charlie for approval, since Grant is scared of Charlie.
“Stephanie, you’re the love story of my lifetime, the one I can’t live without.
I know it’s been rocky at times, and it’s apt to be again once in a while, but I promise I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy, to give you the family you’ve always wanted, the life you’ve always wanted and the security you’ve never had.
You’ll never have to wonder where I am or who I’m with, because I’ll always want to be with you more than I want to be with anyone else.
There’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do for you, but I need you to do one thing for me first.”
“What?” she asks, breathless.