Book 12 Kisses After Dark
She’s avoided men all her life…
Growing up with an abusive father, Katie Lawry learned a thing or two about men and has made a conscious choice to stay far away from them, until the day of her brother Owen’s wedding, when she’s rescued from nearly drowning by Shane McCarthy.
With everyone who matters to Katie assuring her that Shane is one of the good guys, she feels safe to give in to the attraction that simmers between them.
Katie has waited a long time to take a chance on love, but is Shane the right guy for her?
He’s ready to move on…
More than two years after a painful divorce, Shane has a life on Gansett Island that makes sense to him.
With his father, sister and beloved baby nephew living close by and a job he enjoys, Shane is content, if not entirely happy.
One thing he knows for sure is he’s tired of living in the past. Spending time with sweet, sensitive, sexy Katie Lawry makes him feel hopeful again, and he might be ready to risk his heart again.
Surrounded by the Gansett Island community, Shane and Katie take an important step forward together, but is their new relationship strong enough to withstand an unexpected challenge?
Main Characters:
*Shane McCarthy, works for McCarthy Construction.
*Katie Lawry, nurse practitioner.
*Indicates recurring throughout the series
Supporting Characters:
*Courtney McCarthy, ex-wife of Shane McCarthy.
*Holden Francis Newsome, Laura’s son with ex-husband Justin Newsome, stepson of Owen Lawry, born in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Sarah Lawry, involved with Charlie Grandchamp in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Charlie Granchamp, involved with Sarah Lawry in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Laura McCarthy Lawry, mother of Holden Newsome in SEASON FOR LOVE, married to Owen Lawry in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Owen Lawry, stepfather of Holden Newsome in SEASON FOR LOVE, married to Laura McCarthy Lawry in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Adele Kincaid, mother of Sarah Lawry.
*Russ Kincaid, father of Sarah Lawry.
*Julia Lawry, office manager.
*Cindy Lawry, hair stylist.
Josh Lawry, engineer.
*Jeff Lawry, student.
*Judge Frank McCarthy, grandfather of Holden Newsome in SEASON FOR LOVE, involved with Betsy Jacobson in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Betsy Jacobson, involved with Frank McCarthy in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Stephanie Logan, engaged to Grant McCarthy in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Mac McCarthy, married to Maddie Chester in FOOL FOR LOVE, father of Thomas Chester McCarthy in MAID FOR LOVE and Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE.
*Big Mac McCarthy, grandfather of Thomas Chester McCarthy in MAID FOR LOVE, Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE and Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE.
Buster: friend of Big Mac McCarthy.
*Adam McCarthy, engaged to Abby Callahan in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Evan McCarthy, engaged to Grace Ryan in WAITING FOR LOVE.
*Grant McCarthy, engaged to Stephanie Logan in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Stephanie Logan, engaged to Grant McCarthy in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Dr. Kevin McCarthy, father of Riley and Finn.
*Riley McCarthy, son of Kevin and Deb McCarthy, brother of Finn.
*Finn McCarthy, son of Kevin and Deb McCarthy, brother of Riley.
*Linda McCarthy, grandmother of Thomas Chester McCarthy in MAID FOR LOVE, Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE and Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Maddie McCarthy, mother of Thomas, married to Mac McCarthy in FOOL FOR LOVE, mother of Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE.
*Thomas McCarthy, son of Mac and Maddie McCarthy.
*Abby Callahan, engaged to Adam McCarthy in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Grace Ryan, engaged to Evan McCarthy in WAITING FOR LOVE.
*Janey McCarthy Cantrell, married to Joe Cantrell in READY FOR LOVE, mother of Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Joe Cantrell, married to Janey McCarthy Cantrell in READY FOR LOVE, father of Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell, son of Janey and Joe Cantrell, born in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Dan Torrington, engaged to Kara Ballard in MEANT FOR LOVE.
*Kara Ballard, engaged to Dan Torrington in MEANT FOR LOVE.
*Ned Saunders, married to Francine, stepfather of Maddie and Tiffany, and grandfather of Ashleigh Sturgil, Thomas McCarthy and Hailey McCarthy in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Francine Saunders, grandmother of Ashleigh Sturgil, Thomas McCarthy and Hailey McCarthy, married to Ned Saunders in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Captain Seamus O’Grady, married to Carolina Cantrell in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Carolina Cantrell, married to Seamus O’Grady in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Alex Martinez, engaged to Jenny Wilks in MEANT FOR LOVE.
*Jenny Wilks, engaged to Alex Martinez in MEANT FOR LOVE.
*Paul Martinez, landscaper, co-owner of Martinez Lawn & Garden, member of Gansett Island Town Council.
*Dr. David Lawrence, living with Daisy Babson in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Daisy Babson, living with Dr. David Lawrence in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Jared James, married to Lizzie James in CHANCE FOR LOVE.
*Lizzie James, married to Jared James in CHANCE FOR LOVE.
*Blaine Taylor, married to Tiffany Taylor and stepfather of Ashleigh Sturgil in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Tiffany Taylor, mother of Ashleigh Sturgil, married to Blaine Taylor in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Sydney Donovan, married to Luke Harris in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Luke Harris, married to Sydney Donovan in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Lisa Chandler, neighbor of Seamus and Carolina O’Grady, mother of Kyle and Jackson Chandler.
*Kyle Chandler, 6, son of Lisa Chandler, brother of Jackson.
*Jackson Chandler, 5, son of Lisa Chandler, brother of Kyle.
*Victoria Stevens, involved with Shannon O’Grady in TIME FOR LOVE.
KISSES AFTER DARK Headlines…
Shane asks Katie out, but she says no!
Russ and Adele gift the hotel to Laura and Owen!
Charlie and Sarah are engaged!
David offers Katie a job at the clinic! Katie later accepts!
Shane is going to spend the winter working for Mac!
Shane’s ex-wife Courtney comes to find him!
Stephanie and Grant are getting married on Labor Day!
We meet Lisa, Kyle and Jackson Chandler!
Lisa is dying of cancer!
Seamus wants to step up for Lisa’s boys!
Maddie has a miscarriage! Later, they name the baby Connor!
Luke and Sydney are expecting!
Shane and Katie get a house together and want to have kids right away!
Shane McCarthy awakens the morning after his sister’s wedding and reaches for his wife, Courtney.
Then he remembers she’s not his wife anymore, and he’s no longer living in the apartment they shared.
Once he gets out of bed, he loses the only moments he gives to Courtney anymore, those first thoughts in the morning.
She hid a drug addiction to painkillers.
He lost almost everything, including himself, sending her to rehab, only for her to serve him with divorce papers the day she was discharged.
The worst part is he still doesn’t know why she left him.
She didn’t give him the courtesy of a conversation.
He’d planned to spend the rest of his life with her until she left him.
His sister, Laura, saved him by asking him to come help her get the Sand & Surf Hotel ready to reopen, which was much better than disappearing into despair.
He needed to get up and shower before his nephew, Holden, woke up.
He was taking care of his baby nephew so Laura and her new husband, Owen, could have their wedding night to themselves.
As he lay in bed thinking, his mind drifted to what happened on the beach yesterday.
He’d rescued Katie Lawry, Owen’s sister, from drowning, and she almost took him down with her.
She lost her bikini top in the incident, and the memory of her bare breasts is seared into his mind.
He needs to forget about that before sees her this morning at the brunch her grandparents are throwing for the newlyweds.
Holden is awake, so Shane gets him dressed and ready for the day.
Katie Lawry dreams about drowning. She’s still processing the near-disaster from the day before.
She fought to survive for Owen, so her tragedy wouldn’t overtake his wedding day.
She’s in awe of Owen and his ability to love and be loved by Laura.
Watching them together has led her to wonder if maybe she can give love a try, especially now that her abusive father is in jail.
“No,” she says emphatically. “Absolutely not. Just because he’s out of the picture doesn’t mean his kind aren’t still out there looking for their next victim.
” She says the words out loud, hoping they’ll permeate the unreasonable longing her brother’s wedding has generated in her.
She wants what he and Laura have. Anyone would, especially a thirty-two-year-old woman who’s never been kissed.
She thinks of Laura’s brother, Shane, her handsome rescuer. He looked at her with heat in his eyes, which made her feel achy and reminded her that she’s a healthy, young woman. She needs to tamp those urges and never forget her violent upbringing.
Sarah awakens with thoughts of her fiancé, Charlie.
They made love for the first and second time the night before.
Thinking about the discoveries she made, not only about him but also about herself, has her blushing from head to toe, her eyes squeezed tightly closed in embarrassment.
How will she ever face him in the bright light of day after the way she behaved?
The brush of his lips over her forehead lets her know she’s no longer alone with her salacious thoughts.
“Good morning.”
“Mmm, morning.”
She can’t bring herself to look at him, so she keeps her eyes tightly closed. “I come bearing gifts.”
“Is that coffee I smell?”
“It is indeed, but you have to actually look at me before you can have it.”
“I can’t look at you. I might never be able to look at you again.”
His bark of laughter rings through the room.
“God, you turned me into a madwoman.”
“I love that.”
“You’re out to embarrass me to death, aren’t you?”