Book 8 Waiting for Love #2
In town, he’s happy to see the Sand & Surf reopened and notes the sign for Stephanie’s Bistro, opened by Grant’s fiancée.
Adam stops to see Janey, who’s hugely pregnant and emotional to see him after they nearly lost their three brothers in the accident.
She’s glad he’s there because she’s having trouble registering for fall classes, and maybe it’s a sign that she’s not meant to go back to school when she’s due to have a baby around the same time. She wants to be a mom.
Adam tells her not to make any big decisions while she’s pregnant and helps her navigate the website.
He saw her good friend Abby on the ferry and thought she might need a friend since things with Cal are finished.
Janey is worried about Grant—he’s not bouncing back after the accident.
Adam will stop to talk to him while she goes to see Abby at the Beachcomber.
Adam is surprised to find Grant still sleeping at one in the afternoon.
His brother looks like hell. Something is way off with him, and it’s weird that Grant doesn’t want to talk about it when he loves to talk things to death.
Abby is settled in a room at the Beachcomber, bemoaning the loss of her adorable shop that would’ve been booming during Race Week.
And she’s mortified about crying all over Adam McCarthy on the ferry.
She questions why she came back to Gansett, where everyone will know she’s a two-time loser in love.
She’s sad about Cal and how happy they’d been on the island, but it had fallen apart when they were in his Texas hometown.
She’d rather be alone than overlooked by the man she loves.
When Janey comes by to see her, Abby sobs all over another friend.
This was why she came home to Gansett. For every vicious gossip, there are five real friends who’ll help her put her life back together.
She left without a word to Cal, which surprises Janey.
Laura is looking for someone to run the gift shop inside the Surf.
Maybe Abby could talk to her about that.
The idea sparks some interest in Abby. She plans to focus on herself for a change.
This will be her summer of rebellion. Janey is worried about Abby getting hurt, but Abby assures her friend that she’ll be fine.
Adam is seriously worried about Grant, who was hailed a hero for saving his friend Dan Torrington’s life after the sailboat accident.
As he walks through town, his Aunt Joan mistakes him for Mac, which has been happening all his life.
He rushes to get home before his aunt can tell his mother he’s there, but they’re on the phone when he arrives.
He has an emotional reunion with his mother and promises to check on his brothers, who’ve accused her of hovering since the accident.
Linda agrees that something isn’t right with Grant, and even Stephanie isn’t sure what to do.
Big Mac is having nightmares about the accident and waking up in a cold sweat.
Linda is so happy to have Adam home and tells him to invite everyone to dinner while she meets Carolina for lunch.
After the trauma of being screwed out of his business by the woman he thought he loved, Adam is relieved to be home with the people who love and respect him.
Linda and Carolina talk about the accident and how close they came to catastrophe.
Linda wants to reach out to Steve’s mother but wonders what she’d say since her three sons survived.
Carolina thinks Steve’s mother would welcome hearing from Linda.
Carolina tells Linda that the man she mentioned she was seeing last fall is Seamus.
Linda is stunned and impressed. Carolina relays the excruciating conversation with Joe about Seamus and how they can be together now that Joe knows.
Janey was instrumental in smoothing things over with Joe, and Carolina appreciates her.
Seamus wants to get married, but Carolina isn’t sure that’s the right move.
Linda reminds her that scandals come and go, but love is forever.
Seamus shows up, looking for Carolina, and makes a big production of kissing her in front of everyone.
Amused and intrigued, Linda invites them to dinner.
Seamus and Carolina go back to her house and have hot sex on the kitchen table.
She tells him she’s sorry if she made him feel like she’s ashamed to be with him.
She’s adjusting to what people will have to say about her being with a much younger man.
But she loves him. She should take all the time she needs to wrap her head around it because he’s not going anywhere.
Adam visits the marina and learns that Luke is also concerned about Grant.
Stephanie needs Adam to fix the computer system at the marina restaurant.
She reports that Grant has had little to say to anyone, even her, since the accident.
Adam sees Mac and Big Mac, who are thrilled he’s home for a visit.
He has lunch with them and is shocked by Big Mac’s ravaged appearance.
Nearly losing three of his sons has been devastating for him.
To give his dad something else to think about, Adam tells them what happened with his company.
Stephanie checks on Grant, who says all the right things but is definitely not himself.
At the Sand & Surf, she’s surprised to see Abby.
She and Cal have broken up, and she’s back to live on Gansett.
Abby is interested in running the hotel gift shop if Laura is still looking for someone.
Stephanie is immediately on edge about Grant’s longtime girlfriend being back on the market when things are so weird between them.
Laura would be thrilled to have Abby run the gift shop.
Maddie is worried about Mac. He’s been quiet, moody and withdrawn since the accident. She hates that he’s hurting and won’t talk to her about it.
“I can’t talk about what it was like not to know where my brothers were for hours or how it felt to be almost certain they were dead. I can’t talk about that, because if I do…”
Maddie is determined to be as strong for him as he always is for her. “What, Mac? Tell me.”
“I’m afraid if I do… I might… I might break into a million pieces that can’t ever be put back together again the way they were before.”
She places her hand over his fast-beating heart. “I won’t let you break. I won’t let you. Hold on to me. Let me help.”
The sight of his face streaked with tears breaks her heart, but she doesn’t let him see that.
Rather, she brushes away his tears and traces the outline of his mouth.
“I love you so much,” she says. “I had a very long day to think about what my life might be like without you, and I hope I never feel that way again. Ever.”
“I don’t mean to make it all about me. I know it was awful for you, too.”
“My awful was nowhere near as awful as yours. You don’t always have to be strong for me and everyone else, you know?”
“I don’t?” he asks with a small, teasing smile that’s far more in keeping with her Mac than the grim countenance he’s sported in the last week.
“No, you don’t. Sometimes you can let me carry the burden for you.”
“You just did, baby.” He kisses her softly and sweetly. “Thank you.”
Adam takes his dad’s truck and goes to check out Evan’s new studio, Island Breeze Records.
He meets Josh Harrelson, the sound engineer, and catches up with Evan.
Adam tells Evan he needs to cut back the brush leading to the studio.
Alex Martinez is coming to do it this week.
He’s back on Gansett after working at the U.S.
Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C., because his brother, Paul, needs help running Martinez Lawn & Garden and caring for their mother, who has dementia.
Evan is scrambling to get ready for their first artists to arrive and might not make it to dinner at home, but Grace will be there.
Adam senses things are off with Evan, too.
Cal starts calling Abby around five. He didn’t see the note she left him, so she tells him where to find it. He can’t believe she’s left him. Abby thinks he has unresolved feelings for Candy, his ex-girlfriend at home.
“I cannot believe you didn’t talk to me about this,” Cal says.
“I did talk to you. You said I shouldn’t worry about your feelings for her. I don’t agree. What’s there to say?” She’s sorry things didn’t work out between them and hopes his mother continues to recover.
Abby’s mother, Carol, comes by to get the scoop on why she’s home and not staying with her parents.
She wishes Abby had learned from the past and gotten married before she chased after Cal.
Carol is sorry this happened to Abby, but she’s a strong person, and she’ll get through it.
Enough dwelling on the past, Abby is going out to have some fun.