Book 13 Love After Dark
Life has a way of changing your plans. Sometimes for the better…
Paul Martinez has been run ragged by the demands of managing the family’s landscaping business and his mother’s battle with dementia.
It’s been so long since he had sex that he can’t remember the last time.
The arrival of nurse Hope Russell brought some badly needed help to Paul and his brother Alex in managing their mother’s illness, but Hope’s presence has sparked a whole new problem for Paul—lusting after one of his employees, something his late father would never condone.
Hope and her young son Ethan badly need this second chance on Gansett Island, and she’s determined to make her new job work for both of them.
Kissing her boss, however, was not part of the plan.
The more time she spends with Paul, the more she admires the way he cares for his mother and the attention he pays to her son.
But when Paul finds out about her shameful past, will he still want her and Ethan in his life?
Main Characters:
*Paul Martinez, co-owner of Martinez Lawn & Garden, member of Gansett Town Council.
*Hope Russell, nurse, mother of Ethan Russell.
*Indicates recurring throughout the series
Supporting Characters:
*Alex Martinez, engaged to Jenny Wilks in MEANT FOR LOVE.
*Jenny Wilks, engaged to Alex Martinez in MEANT FOR LOVE.
*Marion Martinez, co-founder of Martinez Lawn & Garden, mother of Alex and Paul Martinez.
*Erin Barton, new lighthouse keeper, twin of the late Toby Barton, who was engaged to Jenny Wilks Martinez.
*Chelsea, bartender at Beachcomber
*Chloe, owner, Curl Up & Dye Salon.
*Ethan Russell, son of Hope Russell.
*Katie Lawry, nurse practitioner at Gansett Island Clinic and involved with Shane McCarthy in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Lisa Chandler, neighbor of Seamus and Carolina O’Grady, mother of Kyle and Jackson.
*Mallory Vaughn, nurse practitioner.
*Seamus O’Grady, married to Carolina O’Grady in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Carolina O’Grady, grandmother of PJ Cantrell, married to Seamus O’Grady in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Kyle Chandler, age 6, son of Lisa Chandler.
*Jackson Chander, age 5, son of Lisa Chandler.
*Dan Torrington, engaged to Kara Ballard in MEANT FOR LOVE.
*Dr. David Lawrence, living with Daisy Babson in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Victoria Stevens, involved with Shannon O’Grady 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.
Carl: Hope Russell’s ex-husband and Ethan’s father.
*Mac McCarthy, married to Maddie Chester in FOOL FOR LOVE, father of Thomas Chester McCarthy in MAID FOR LOVE, Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE and Connor McCarthy (deceased) in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Maddie McCarthy, mother of Thomas, married to Mac McCarthy in FOOL FOR LOVE, mother of Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE and Connor McCarthy (deceased) in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Grant McCarthy, married to Stephanie Logan in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Stephanie Logan, married to Grant McCarthy in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Adam McCarthy, engaged to Abby Callahan in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Abby Callahan, engaged to Adam McCarthy in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Evan McCarthy, engaged to Grace Ryan in WAITING FOR LOVE.
*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.
*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.
*Shane McCarthy, involved with Katie Lawry in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Judge Frank McCarthy, involved with Betsy Jacobson in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Betsy Jacobson, involved with Frank McCarthy in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Dr. Kevin McCarthy, psychiatrist, father of Riley and Finn.
*Riley McCarthy, works for McCarthy Construction, son of Kevin and Deb.
*Finn McCarthy, works for McCarthy Construction, son of Kevin and Deb.
*Ned Saunders, married to Francine, grandfather of Ashleigh Sturgil, Thomas McCarthy and Hailey McCarthy in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Francine Saunders, grandmother of Ashleigh Sturgil, Thomas McCarthy, Hailey McCarthy and Connor McCarthy (deceased), married to Ned Saunders in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Tobias “Slim” Fitzgerald Jackson, Jr., pilot.
*Sydney Donovan, married to Luke Harris in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Luke Harris, married to Sydney Donovan in SEASON FOR LOVE.
*Big Mac McCarthy, grandfather of Thomas Chester McCarthy in MAID FOR LOVE, Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE, Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE and Connor McCarthy (deceased) in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Linda McCarthy, grandmother of Thomas Chester McCarthy in MAID FOR LOVE, Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE, Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE and Connor McCarthy (deceased) in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Kara Ballard, engaged to Dan Torrington in MEANT FOR LOVE.
*Tiffany Taylor, mother of Ashleigh Sturgil, married to Blaine Taylor in TIME FOR LOVE.
*Tom Barton, father of Erin and Toby (deceased).
*Mary Beth Barton, mother of Erin and Toby (deceased).
LOVE AFTER DARK Headlines!
Paul decides it’s time to start dating again!
Lisa Chandler passes away!
Hope and Paul kiss!
Marion needs to see a specialist on the mainland!
Jenny is worried about losing Alex before their wedding, as she did with Toby!
Seamus and Carolina take in Kyle and Jackson Chandler!
Lizzie and Jared look into starting a senior care facility on the island!
Slim finds Erin injured on the side of the road and drives her home!
The island community comes together for Lisa Chandler’s funeral!
Paul talks to Big Mac about dating an employee!
Hope and Paul take Marion to Providence!
Marion slaps Hope across the face!
Paul and Hope spend time at Cape Cod!
Alex surprises Jenny with a wedding at the lighthouse to ease her worries!
Jenny is pregnant!
Erin is sad that her late brother’s fiancée got married, but she’s happy for Jenny!
Erin finds out that Slim’s real name is Tobias, like her late brother!
Kevin and Chelsea hook up!
Alex and Jenny’s long-planned wedding is beautiful!
Paul and Hope get engaged! She and Ethan are staying on Gansett!
Paul Martinez loves September, when the tourists have left and the island belongs to the year-round residents again.
Since his brother, Alex, is in love with his fiancée, Jenny, and they’ve hired Hope Russell to help with their mom, Paul feels that life is passing him by.
He decides it’s time to start dating again.
If things were different, his first choice of women to date would be his mother’s nurse, Hope.
However, Hope works for them, and his late father, George, had a rule against Paul and Alex dating women who work for them.
Hope and her son, Ethan, are settling in well and adjusting to island life, and the last thing Paul wants to do is screw that up.
Hope has provided some much-needed respite for Paul and Alex since she took over Marion’s care.
Jenny tries to set Paul up with her friend Erin, the new lighthouse keeper.
While Erin is great, they both agree they’d be better as friends.
Paul comes home from work to find Ethan waiting for him.
Ethan’s curiosity, willingness to help and boundless energy remind Paul of himself and his brother at that age.
While they take a walk to check the pumpkin patch, Ethan never stops talking.
He tells Paul all about school and what he did that day.
Paul tells Ethan how he once rushed to carve a pumpkin and ended up at the clinic with stitches in his hand.
Ethan wants to know if Paul’s dad was mad at him.
“He was after he knew I’d be okay. I got a hell of a talking-to about the dangers of knives and doing what I was told. Tough lesson learned the hard way.”
“I don’t have a dad anymore.”
Paul tries not to show any reaction to that statement. He’s wondered about the boy’s father, but neither Ethan nor Hope has volunteered any information about him, and Paul hasn’t wanted to ask. “Neither do I.”
“Yeah, but yours died. Mine’s in jail.”
Paul is unsure of what to do with that information, especially after Ethan runs off after dropping it on him. Hope never mentioned anything, and it didn’t come up in her background check. What should he do?
Hope is waiting for Paul when he gets back to the house.
She’s grateful for the time Paul spends with Ethan but worries he is being a bother.
Paul enjoys the time with Ethan, and she shouldn’t worry about it.
Hope says Marion had a rough day, which upsets Paul.
Then Marion comes to the door and mistakenly calls Paul by his father’s name.
Having to constantly remind Marion they’re her sons and not her husband is heartbreaking for all of them.
After dinner, Paul is sitting outside enjoying the stars and a quiet moment to himself.
Hope comes from her cabin behind the main house to talk to Paul, and gets a text from Katie Lawry that Lisa Chandler, an island resident, single mother in the final stages of lung cancer, won’t make it through the night.
Hope has been assisting Katie and Mallory Vaughn with caring for Lisa.
Paul encourages Hope to go to Lisa and brings a sleeping Ethan to his house.