Book 27 Renewal After Dark #5
She’s about to ask him why he thinks that when his phone rings.
He takes the call and does more listening than talking.
“Thanks for letting me know. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.
” After another pause: “Yeah, I’ll call it in.
Okay. See you soon.” He lets out a deep breath as he ends the call.
“They found a body in the Salt Pond. They think it’s Jim Sturgil. ”
“Oh, God. I was so hoping he’d be found alive.” Jim’s ex-wife, Tiffany, is her friend. She aches for Tiff and her daughter.
While he showers in her tiny bathroom, Piper gets out of bed and puts on a robe.
Ten minutes later, he emerges from the bathroom, wearing his sexy state police uniform, kisses her one last time and promises to text her later. The door has almost closed behind him when he turns around and comes back into the room.
“Forget something?”
“Yeah.” He kisses her again. “I mean it this time. I’m going.”
She releases the handful of uniform she grabbed while he kissed her. “Good luck with everything today.”
He grimaces as he remembers the grim task that awaits his attention. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Abby McCarthy has been in pain all night, and it intensifies in the early morning. When Adam and Liam come in to check on her, Adam zeroes in on her discomfort immediately. “Everything okay, hon?”
“I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve got a pain that won’t quit.”
“Where?”
She places her hand on her swollen abdomen. “Right here.”
“I’ll call Vic.”
He’s gone before she can reply, say hello to her son or do anything other than try not to panic about worst-case scenarios. Adam returns and says Vic is sending the rescue to get Abby to the clinic quickly and safely. Adam calls his mother to come get Liam.
They arrive at the clinic within minutes and are met by Victoria, the nurse practitioner-midwife, and Dr. David Lawrence, the attending physician.
Abby is quickly attached to a fetal monitor as well as other machines and monitors—before anyone says a word.
“She’s in labor,” Victoria says.
Adam gasps. “What do we do?”
Victoria quickly inserts an IV needle that barely registers with Abby because she’s trying so hard not to panic. “We can try to stop it with meds.”
“Try to?” Adam asks. “What if it doesn’t work?”
Victoria looks him in the eyes. “We’ll do everything we can.”
Blaine receives a call that a body has been found in the Salt Pond.
He tells Tiffany they’ve found Jim. They decide to tell Ashleigh now rather than wait.
She’s in her room, playing school with her dolls and stuffed animals.
Tiffany places her hand over her heart as more tears fill her eyes.
She’s one big pregnancy hormone on a good day, crying as easily as she breathes. This is most definitely not a good day.
Blaine’s hand on her back gives her the strength to wipe away her tears, put a smile on her face and step into Ashleigh’s room, bringing the weight of what she needs to tell her daughter with her.
“Hey, sweetie.”
Ashleigh smiles as she looks up at them. “We’re playing school.”
“We see that. You’re an excellent teacher.” Tiffany sits on the bed next to Blaine. “Can we talk to you for a second?”
“Sure.”
“Come here, will you?”
Ashleigh crawls onto Tiffany’s lap. “Are you sad, Mommy?”
“A little.”
“Is the baby okay?” She places her warm little hand on Tiffany’s belly. “I think he’s a boy baby.”
“I think so, too, and he’s fine.” Tiffany takes a deep breath and forces herself to say the words that will change Ashleigh’s life forever. “So, after the hurricane…”
“We couldn’t watch TV. I’m so glad the power came back on. I missed watching Bluey.”
“I’m glad it came back, too. Remember how the storm was so loud, and the wind was so strong?”
Ashleigh nods. “It was scary.”
“I have to tell you something about the storm that will be hard to hear.”
Her little dark brows knit in confusion as Tiffany’s heart shatters into a million pieces.
“What is it?”
“Since the storm ended, honey, no one has heard from your daddy. They’ve been looking for him and his friend, Billy.”
“Billy from the gym?”
“Yes, that’s him.”
“He gives me candy when Daddy takes me to the gym.”
“The Coast Guard and the fire department have been looking for them since the storm ended, and today, we heard that they’ve found your daddy.”
“Can he come home now?”
Tiffany shakes her head as tears spill down her cheeks. “He’s gone to heaven, honey.”
Ashleigh’s little chin begins to tremble. “Like Kyle and Jackson’s mommy?”
“Yes.”
“But their mommy won’t ever come back. I don’t want my daddy to go to heaven.”
“I know, baby. I don’t either.”
“Daddy wouldn’t leave me,” she sobs. “He’d never leave me.”
Tears run down Tiffany’s face. “No, he wouldn’t, but sometimes things happen that we can’t help.”
“Like a hurry-cane?”
“Yes, baby, just like that. The storm was so powerful.”
“It made the house shake.”
“That’s right.”
Ashleigh looks up at Blaine, who also has tears in his eyes. “I want Daddy to come home.”
“I’d do anything to make that happen for you, sugar,” Blaine says. “Anything in this world.”
Tiffany wipes the tears off Ashleigh’s face. “We wanted that more than anything.”
McKenzie meets with the insurance agent and finds out her grandmother had fully covered the house.
She’ll be able to replace everything and rebuild her cottage.
As she and Jax walk back to Duke’s, he’s pulling into the driveway on a large, loud motorcycle.
As Duke cuts the engine, she notices he wore black leather pants and a matching vest that put his colorful, muscular arms on full display.
His long hair is held back in a ponytail.
Holy hotness. The biker type has never done it for her until now.
“Where’s your helmet?”
“Oh, damn, I knew I forgot something.”
“Don’t tell me you ride that beast without one.”
“Okay, I won’t.”
“Duke! That’s not safe!”
“It’s fine. I don’t go far. Just a couple of laps around the island to take in the scenery.”
“Don’t you know that the worst accidents happen within a mile of home?”
“Aw, are you worried about me?”
“What if I am?”
“That’s very nice of you, but there’s no need to worry. I’m super careful.”
“I’m sure you are, but you told me yourself that people drive crazy on the winding island roads. You don’t want me walking on them with Jax. I don’t want you driving that monster of a motorcycle on them without a helmet.”
He gives her a side-eyed look that’s equal parts amusement and aggravation. “If I agree to wear a helmet, do you promise never to walk into town?”
“Fine. I promise. You’ll start wearing the helmet immediately?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He grins as he comes over to tweak Jax’s bare foot, making the baby giggle. “Better watch out, pal. Your bossy mom is gonna be a big problem when you’re a teenager.”
“That’s right, and he’ll toe the line or else.”
David and Victoria tell Adam they were able to stop the labor, but they’re transporting Abby to Providence to be evaluated.
They expect her to be admitted for the remainder of her pregnancy.
Adam feels like the breath has been knocked out of him as he processes the news. “She’s got eighteen weeks to go.”
“I know, Adam, but this just became an even higher-risk pregnancy than it already was, and we want her carefully observed. The longer we can keep the babies in utero, the better the chances are that they all survive without complications.”
Adam borrows David’s car and races home to pack the essentials they need for their trip to Providence. On the way, he calls his mother to update her.
“Hi, honey. How’s Abby?”
“She went into early labor, which they were able to stop with meds. Vic and David want her in Providence right away. They’re calling for Life Flight.”
“Oh, my goodness. Adam…”
“I know.”
“How’s she taking it?”
“She’s worried about Liam.”
“We’ll keep him with us for as long as you need us to.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
“Of course, we will.”
He runs into the house and up the stairs to grab a bag that he fills with essentials for both of them, including toothbrushes, his laptop and the maternity clothes Abby has been living in lately. Whatever else they need, he’ll get on the mainland.
He’s on the way back to the clinic three minutes after he enters the house. He pulls into the clinic parking lot just as the Life Flight lands. He’s relieved to find Abby right where he’d left her. Big brown eyes gaze at him with the same fear he feels. “Ready to go for a ride, honey?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be. Did you talk to your mom?”
“Yes, and she’s happy to have Liam for as long as we need her and Dad to watch him.”
“It feels so wrong to leave him here.”
“He’ll be fine. Mom said he’s having a great time with the kids. She said not to worry about anything.”
David and Vic consult with the chief EMT while the others get Abby settled inside the helicopter.
“You can sit right there,” one of them says to Adam.
At any other time, he would’ve enjoyed the helicopter ride. But there’s nothing cool about this. As they lift off, he’s terrified of where this journey might take them.
While he watches the island disappear from sight, he prays they’ll return with four healthy baby boys.
McKenzie meets Duke at his truck for the party at the marina. She’s drop-dead gorgeous, and he’s suddenly concerned about taking her to an event where she’ll meet other guys better suited for someone like her than he’ll ever be.
“Duke? Is everything all right?”
“Uh, yeah, all good.”
“Are you sure you want us to go with you? Wouldn’t you rather hang with your friends without having to worry about us?”
“No, not at all. I want you to come. If you’re up for it, that is.”
“I’d love to.”
“All right, then.”
“All right, then. You’re sure you’re okay?”
He’s about to say what she wants to hear so they can get on with their outing, but when he opens his mouth, the truth comes spilling out. “I was okay until I saw you all…” He waves his hand in her direction. “You look beautiful, and you took my breath away for a second. Or two.”
She’s amazed by his sweetness.