Book 8 Waiting for Love #6
Adam finds Abby mapping out her new store at the Sand & Surf.
He’s impressed by her drawings and how she managed to create a 3-D image of the store.
She’s looking forward to having the store open.
She missed it while she was away and didn’t realize how much until today.
She’d like to call it Abby’s Attic at the Surf, thinking that the customers who patronized the attic might be more likely to check out the gift shop if she gives it a name they recognize.
Adam is still working on the hotel’s computer system, but he’s done for the day and asks if she wants to take a nap before the evening’s festivities.
Adam is thinking about Abby far more than he should and asks if she knows how hard it is to write computer code with a gorgeous, sexy woman occupying so much of his attention.
He embarrasses her by talking bluntly about how sweet she looked naked.
She confesses to another issue she has with sex.
She gets so nervous that she has trouble relaxing enough to allow herself to have intercourse.
All that means is we need to make sure you’re as relaxed as we can possibly get you before we try that, he says.
He’s so tuned into her that she’s afraid she’ll fall for him when they said they weren’t going to do that.
But he’s thinking the same thing. They decide to put off having sex until later when they have more time.
Abby hopes it’ll be easier with Adam than it was with Grant and Cal in the past.
After visiting Laura and her family, Frank spends an hour with Shane and then decides to walk the short distance to his brother Mac’s house in North Harbor.
He’s pleased that Shane is doing better after spending time on the island with his sister, cousins, aunt and uncle.
When Frank gets to Big Mac’s house, he finds an attractive woman standing outside the gate, looking for Mr. McCarthy.
I’m one of them, but this is my brother’s home, he says.
I’m Frank McCarthy. She’s Betsy Jacobson and was hoping to see Mr. or Mrs. McCarthy.
Frank invites her in and offers to call them for her.
It was her son Steve, who was killed in the sailboat accident. Frank is sorry for her loss.
When Linda arrives a short time later, the two women embrace as if they’ve always known each other.
Betsy appreciates Linda’s kindness and the invitation to visit the island where her son lost his life.
She’s hoping to meet Linda’s sons and, if they’re willing to share, to hear more about what happened that day.
Frank offers to call them. Linda hands him her phone and asks him to send a text.
Tell them I’d like them to come to the house as soon as possible, she says.
That way, it comes from their mother. Big Mac arrives and tells his brother how hard it’s been thinking about what could’ve happened to his boys.
He can’t begin to understand what Betsy is going through. He’s glad Frank is there.
Abby wakes from her nap in pain from the tattoo on her leg, and Adam admits that his is killing him, too. Before they go their separate ways for the evening, they agree to meet back at her room afterward.
Annoyed by the text from his mother, Grant almost ignores it.
He’s with Dan, enjoying some time together, when his mother summons her sons home for some unknown reason.
Dan asks if he can come along because he’s getting tired of looking at his own four walls.
Kara isn’t coming over until later, so he has time.
He tells Grant he might be in love with Kara.
Grant shares that Adam is seeing Abby, and it’s weird to have his brother dating his ex, but it’s been over between them for a long time.
Dan and his late brother, Dylan, dated the same girl once, but Dan ended things with Dylan’s ex because it was making things weird between them.
Grant says if it makes things weird between him and Adam, it’ll also put a strain between Grant and Stephanie because she’ll think he’s jealous, which he’s not.
If Grant is being completely honest, he wishes Adam were “hanging out” with somebody else.
He has to keep his mouth shut about it or cause trouble he doesn’t need with Stephanie.
He refuses to be another disappointment to her.
When they arrive at the McCarthys’ home, Adam is there and wants to know why he wasn’t invited to the summit.
Inside the house, Grant finds his parents and uncle Frank talking to a woman he doesn’t recognize.
When he hears that the woman is Steve’s mother, Grant goes into complete denial and turns to run away from the home where he was raised.
His brothers chase after him. Mac catches up to him, hugging him so tightly that Grant can barely breathe.
“Let it go,” Mac says. “No matter what it is, we love you. We’ll always love you.”
Grant is sobbing. “No, you won’t.” He wants so badly to tell them, but he just can’t bring himself to do it.
Big Mac shows up and takes over for Mac. “Tell us what has you so upset. Put it out there and get it off your chest.”
Surrounded by the unconditional love of his family, Grant can no longer hold back the words that pour forth.
The boat, the crash, landing in the water with Dan and Steve both grievously injured, not knowing where Mac or Evan were, and faced with an unimaginable choice: save one of his best friends or save the man he’d only met that morning.
He couldn’t save them both and save himself, too.
“Oh, my God,” Mac says.
“I couldn’t save him,” Grant says, choking on sobs, “and now his mother is here, and I have to tell her that. I have to tell her I let him go because I couldn’t save him and Dan.”
Dan has joined them and is stricken as realization sets in.
“I chose you,” Grant says. “I chose to save you, and now he’s dead, and it’s my fault.”
The others are sniffling and wiping their eyes.
Dan hugs Grant as best he can with his injuries.
“It’s not your fault. It’s the fault of the ship that hit us, the fog, and the bad luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
There was nothing you could’ve done but survive.
You saved my life. It’s thanks to you that Steve and I aren’t both dead. ”
Big Mac asks if Grant gives himself any credit for saving Dan.
“I wanted to save them both,” Grant says.
“You couldn’t,” Adam says, “and no one will blame you for reaching for the one who’s been your friend for so long, not even Steve’s mother.
Grant can’t tell her this.
Mac will tell her. “We’ve got your back. We’ve always got your back.”
Big Mac is proud of Grant. “You saved Dan’s life. You saved my life, your mother’s and Stephanie’s by saving your own. You faced an unimaginable dilemma, and you did the best you could. That’s all anyone can ever do.” His father’s absolution means everything to Grant and brings a measure of peace.
Mac and Evan are astounded that Grant was able to save his own life and Dan’s, too, when all they could do was save themselves.
“Let’s go in there and face Steve’s mom together,” Big Mac says. “She wants the truth. She needs the truth. Let’s give it to her, and maybe it’ll set you free, too.”
After hearing the details of the accident, Adam is shaken by how close he came to losing his three brothers.
He’s heartbroken for what Grant went through.
Evan finds him on the porch and tells him that Steve was Betsy’s only child.
They agree that someone should call Stephanie to tell her what’s going on with Grant.
They will stay close to Grant and help him through this difficult time.
Evan is glad Adam is home, that everyone is home.
There was, Adam thought, nowhere else he’d rather be.
Listening to Mac relay the tale of the epic struggle to Steve’s mother is the most excruciating thing Grant has ever endured.
The poor woman weeps throughout the telling, during which Mac’s voice never wavers from the soft, soothing tone he begins with.
Everyone in the room is in tears after hearing the story.
Grant is so sorry he couldn’t save them both.
Betsy asks if it’s possible that Steve died on impact. Grant doesn’t know.
Betsy thanks them for seeing her and for reliving what had to have been a terrible day for all of them as well.
Linda asks her to stay for as long as she’d like.
“We’ve got plenty of room, and we’d love to have you.
” Big Mac adds that the island is a wonderful place to rest and recover.
Betsy accepts their kind hospitality. Stephanie arrives at the McCarthy’s home and comes in looking teary-eyed.
“Someone called you,” Grant says, relieved to see her.
She wraps herself around him and tells him everything he needs to know without saying a word. Grant holds on to her for dear life.
After Grant leaves with Stephanie, Dan asks Mac to take him down to the docks so that he can see Kara. He’s reeling after what he learned about the accident and needs to be with her.
Mac encourages him to come to Luke’s later to be among friends. “I don’t know you very well, but I can guess how I might feel after hearing what you just heard. There isn’t much point to beating yourself up over something you had no control over.”
Mac reminds Dan of his brother Dylan, always the big brother. Dan misses him, and it’s been a long time since he had a big brother. He tells Mac how his brother died in Afghanistan and thanks him for the words of wisdom.
“Anytime you need a big brother,” Mac says, “it’s one of the few things I’ve ever been truly good at.”
“By whose estimation?” Dan asks.
“My own, of course.”