Book 19 Mine After Dark
He barely knew her, and he can’t forget her…
It’s the dead of winter on Gansett Island, and Riley McCarthy’s mood matches the lousy weather as he and his family work to bring their new business, McCarthy’s Wayfarer, back to life.
He can’t deny that he’s been in a funk since Nikki Stokes and her twin sister, Jordan, left the island last fall without saying goodbye.
Riley, who’d been hired to fix the leaking roof at their grandmother’s home, had liked talking to Nikki and had been looking forward to getting to know her better when she disappeared.
Months later, he still thinks of her every day, even if he wishes he didn’t. She’s hard to forget.
As the manager for Jordan’s reality TV career, Nikki finds herself squarely in the middle of the kind of drama she’s had more than enough of, especially since her sister plans to go back to the husband who released a sex tape that devastated Jordan last fall.
Enough is enough for Nikki, who quits her job and heads for her happy place—her grandmother’s oceanfront home on Gansett Island, hoping she might run into the sweet, sexy guy who fixed the roof last fall.
She liked talking to him and wonders if he stayed on the island for the winter. She really hopes he’s still there.
The minute Riley hears that Nikki has come back to Gansett Island, he has to see her. He has to know if the spark of attraction he’d felt for her is still there, and more than anything, he’d love to know why he’s thought more about a woman he met exactly twice than he ever has about anyone else.
Main Characters:
*Riley McCarthy, works for McCarthy Construction.
*Nikki Stokes, manages her sister Jordan’s career.
*Indicates recurring throughout the series.
Supporting Characters:
*Finn McCarthy, works for McCarthy Construction
*Mac McCarthy, Jr., married to Maddie Chester in FOOL FOR LOVE, father of Thomas Chester McCarthy in MAID FOR LOVE, Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE, Connor McCarthy (deceased) in KISSES AFTER DARK and Malcolm John “Mac” McCarthy, III, in KEVIN & CHELSEA.
*Shane McCarthy, involved with Katie Lawry in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Jordan Stokes, reality TV star, twin sister of Nikki, wife of Zane.
*Zane, famous singer, husband of Jordan Stokes.
*Seamus O’Grady, married to Carolina O’Grady in GANSETT AFTER DARK, guardian to Kyle and Jackson Chandler in LOVE AFTER DARK.
*Carolina O’Grady, grandmother of PJ Cantrell, married to Seamus O’Grady in GANSETT AFTER DARK, guardian to Kyle and Jackson Chandler in LOVE AFTER DARK.
*Chelsea Rose, bartender at the Beachcomber, engaged to Dr. Kevin McCarthy in KEVIN & CHELSEA.
*Dr. Kevin McCarthy, psychiatrist, engaged to Chelsea Rose in KEVIN & CHELSEA.
*Shannon O’Grady, deckhand on the ferries, involved with Victoria Stevens in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Niall Fitzgerald, Irishman, singer at the Beachcomber.
*Adam McCarthy, married to Abby McCarthy in DESIRE AFTER DARK, father of Liam Callahan McCarthy in MINE AFTER DARK.
*Evan McCarthy, married to Grace McCarthy in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Grace McCarthy, married to Evan McCarthy in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Grant McCarthy, married to Stephanie McCarthy in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Stephanie McCarthy, married to Grant McCarthy in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*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, Connor McCarthy (deceased) in KISSES AFTER DARK, Malcolm John “Mac” McCarthy, III in KEVIN & CHELSEA, Vivienne McCarthy Cantrell in KEVIN & CHELSEA and Liam Callahan McCarthy in MINE AFTER DARK.
*Judge Frank McCarthy, involved with Betsy Jacobson in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Ned Saunders, married to Francine in GANSETT AFTER DARK, grandfather of Ashleigh Sturgil, Thomas McCarthy, Hailey McCarthy, Connor McCarthy (deceased), Adeline Taylor, and Malcolm John “Mac” McCarthy, III.
*Jenny Martinez, married to Alex Martinez in LOVE AFTER DARK.
*Alex Martinez, married to Jenny Martinez in LOVE AFTER DARK.
*Paul Martinez, married to Hope Russell and stepfather to Ethan in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Hope Martinez, mother of Ethan, married to Paul Martinez in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Janey McCarthy Cantrell, married to Joe Cantrell in READY FOR LOVE, mother of Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE and Vivienne McCarthy Cantrell in KEVIN & CHELSEA.
*Joe Cantrell, married to Janey McCarthy Cantrell in READY FOR LOVE, father of Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE and Vivienne McCarthy Cantrell in KEVIN & CHELSEA.
*Luke Harris, married to Sydney Donovan in SEASON FOR LOVE, father of Lily in VICTORIA & SHANNON.
*Sydney Donovan, married to Luke Harris in SEASON FOR LOVE, mother of Lily in VICTORIA & SHANNON.
*Maddie McCarthy, mother of Thomas, married to Mac McCarthy in FOOL FOR LOVE, mother of Hailey McCarthy in FALLING FOR LOVE, Connor McCarthy (deceased) in KISSES AFTER DARK, and Malcolm John “Mac” McCarthy, III, in KEVIN & CHELSEA.
*Francine Saunders, married to Ned in GANSETT AFTER DARK, grandmother of Ashleigh Sturgil, Thomas McCarthy, Hailey McCarthy, Connor McCarthy (deceased), Adeline Taylor, and Malcolm John “Mac” McCarthy, III.
*Evelyn Hopper, owner of Eastward Look, grandmother of Nikki and Jordan Stokes.
*Katie Lawry, involved with Shane McCarthy in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Blaine Taylor, married to Tiffany Taylor and stepfather of Ashleigh Sturgil in TIME FOR LOVE, father of Adeline Taylor in VICTORIA & SHANNON.
*Tiffany Taylor, mother of Ashleigh Sturgil, married to Blaine Taylor in TIME FOR LOVE, mother of Adeline Francine Taylor in VICTORIA & SHANNON.
*Jack Downing, Rhode Island State Police officer.
*Courtney McCarthy, Shane’s ex-wife.
Mary Jane, Courtney’s mother.
*Laura McCarthy Lawry, mother of Holden Newsome in SEASON FOR LOVE, married to Owen Lawry in GANSETT AFTER DARK, mother of Joanna and Jonathan in LIGHT AFTER DARK.
*Owen Lawry, stepfather of Holden Newsome in SEASON FOR LOVE, married to Laura McCarthy Lawry in GANSETT AFTER DARK, father of Joanna and Jonathan in LIGHT AFTER DARK.
*Sarah Lawry, involved with Charlie Grandchamp in KISSES AFTER DARK.
*Jonathan Lawry, son of Laura and Owen Lawry, twin of Joanna.
*Joanna Lawry, daughter of Laura and Owen Lawry, twin of Jonathan.
*Betsy Jacobson, involved with Frank McCarthy in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
*Victoria Stevens, involved with Shannon O’Grady in GANSETT AFTER DARK.
Lucy, daytime bartender at Beachcomber.
Clint Davis, former boss of Riley and Finn McCarthy.
*Janey McCarthy Cantrell, married to Joe Cantrell in READY FOR LOVE, mother of Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE and Vivienne McCarthy Cantrell in KEVIN & CHELSEA.
*Joe Cantrell, married to Janey McCarthy Cantrell in READY FOR LOVE, father of Peter Joseph “PJ” Cantrell in TIME FOR LOVE and Vivienne McCarthy Cantrell in KEVIN & CHELSEA.
*PJ Cantrell, son of Joe and Janey Cantrell.
*Vivienne Cantrell, daughter of Joe and Janey Cantrell.
*Missy, Finn’s ex-girlfriend.
*Mallory Vaughn, living with Quinn James in LIGHT AFTER DARK.
*Dr. Quinn James, living with Mallory Vaughn in LIGHT AFTER DARK.
*Abby McCarthy, married to Adam McCarthy in DESIRE AFTER DARK, mother of Liam Callahan McCarthy in MINE AFTER DARK.
*Sydney Donovan, married to Luke Harris in SEASON FOR LOVE, mother of Lily Harris in VICTORIA & SHANNON.
*Lily Harris, daughter of Luke Harris and Sydney Donovan.
Griffin, Nikki’s ex-boyfriend from college.
*Jared James, married to Lizzie James in CHANCE FOR LOVE.
*Lizzie James, married to Jared James in CHANCE FOR LOVE.
*Thomas McCarthy, son of Mac and Maddie McCarthy.
*Hailey McCarthy, daughter of Mac and Maddie McCarthy.
*Mac McCarthy, III, son of Mac and Maddie McCarthy.
*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, Connor McCarthy (deceased) in KISSES AFTER DARK, Malcolm John “Mac” McCarthy, III in KEVIN & CHELSEA, Vivienne McCarthy Cantrell in KEVIN & CHELSEA and Liam Callahan McCarthy in MINE AFTER DARK.
Davy, Zane’s manager.
Jesse, pilot.
Mel, flight attendant.
Maura, social worker.
*Liam Callahan McCarthy, son of Adam and Abby McCarthy in MINE AFTER DARK.
*Dr. David Lawrence, engaged to Daisy Babson in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Paul Martinez, married to Hope Russell and stepfather to Ethan in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Hope Martinez, mother of Ethan, married to Paul Martinez in DESIRE AFTER DARK.
*Andrew Rose, brother of Chelsea.
Headlines from Mine After Dark…
The McCarthys are renovating their new business—McCarthy’s Wayfarer!
Riley has been in a funk since Nikki left!
Nikki can’t believe Jordan is going back to her husband!
Riley hears Nikki has returned to Gansett and goes to see her!
Shane’s ex-wife Courtney is found dead!
Riley takes Nikki out to dinner and to meet his dad!
Kevin and Chelsea are expecting and getting married soon!
Riley offers to help Nikki fix up Eastward Look!
Nikki tells Riley about a traumatic ordeal with an ex-boyfriend from college!
Shane and Katie set a wedding date.
The McCarthy family attends Courtney’s funeral in Providence!
Adam and Abby get approved to adopt a baby boy!
Jordan and her husband have a physical altercation in Charlotte!
Riley goes with Nikki to help Jordan, and Nikki goes back to LA with Jordan!
Kevin and Chelsea get married!
Nikki returns to Gansett Island and comes to the wedding!
The entire McCarthy family has come together to fund the purchase of the Wayfarer, the run-down facility that occupies prime real estate adjacent to the ferry landing.
Riley’s cousin Mac’s construction company is handling the renovations, which will take the rest of the off-season to get it ready for the summer.
Riley and Finn came to Gansett for their cousin Laura’s wedding fifteen months ago and are still there, working for Mac as one project rolls into another.