Book 28 Delivery After Dark #9
“That’s not true.” Adam hands Liam to Grace, who’s one of his favorite people. “She always pukes when it’s rough.”
“Let’s get these boys home,” Big Mac says.
“Can we come?” Grant asks his brother.
“We’d be bummed if you didn’t, right, Abs?”
“Absolutely. Everyone is welcome as long as you’re willing to change diapers. We need all the help we can get.”
“Let’s roll, citizens,” Mac says. “We’ve got diapers to change!”
Grant laughs as he holds hands with his wife and follows his older brother to their vehicles for the ride to Adam and Abby’s house.
This might go down as one of Grant’s top ten best days on Gansett Island, the day they welcome home four new McCarthy boys. He just hopes they grow up to be more like him than Mac.
Winter has become Alex Martinez’s favorite time of year.
Other than opening the shop for a few hours each day to sell Christmas trees, they’re off until the spring after being straight-out from April through November.
He loves nothing more than lolling about in bed with his wife, Jenny, until their son, George, wakes up to start their day.
George is a great sleeper, and sometimes he makes it as late as nine a.m.
Alex brings coffee to Jenny in bed. “He’s still asleep.”
“I wonder if his brother will be as good of a sleeper.”
“I sure as hell hope so, because I love my mornings in bed with Mommy.”
Turning back toward his side of the bed, he takes a call from his brother, Paul.
“What?”
“Just got a call that they think Mom has had a stroke. She’s being transported to the clinic.”
“Oh, shit. Okay. I’ll meet you there.”
Alex jumps out of bed and runs to get changed. He tells Jenny he’ll call her when he knows what’s going on. “Is it terrible to hope that maybe this is it? That her suffering—and ours—might end?”
“It’s not terrible. It would be merciful at this point.”
Dementia has been a ruthless bitch. Other than one brief episode of lucidity, their mother hasn’t recognized him or Paul in years, but she still calls Paul’s stepson, Ethan, and her friend Daisy Lawrence by name any time she sees them.
Alex drives too fast on icy island roads on the way to the clinic, his mind racing with scenarios as he tries to prepare himself for what will be waiting for him when he arrives. He pulls into the parking lot just as his brother runs for the main entrance.
He follows Paul inside a minute later.
Dr. Quinn James and his nurse wife, Mallory, who serve as the medical directors for the senior care facility, are updating Paul when Alex joins them.
“We believe she’s suffered a severe stroke,” Quinn says for Alex’s benefit. “David is with her, and we’ll need to thoroughly evaluate her to get a definitive diagnosis. We’ll let you know as soon as we know more.”
“Thank you,” Paul says for both of them as he runs a hand through his hair, trying to bring order to it.
Alex hugs him, and then they take seats in the waiting room, like survivors of a disaster, only theirs has taken years to unfold, slowly at first and then so quickly they’d barely had time to react before more was lost.
People refer to dementia as the long goodbye, and truer words have never been spoken.
Mallory comes out a while later to tell them they believe Marion will pass within the hour.
They thank her and Quinn for everything they’ve done to care for Marion.
Alex and Paul go in to talk to their mother until their families join them to say their goodbyes.
Hope, Ethan and Scarlett come in, followed by Jenny and George.
Daisy Babson arrives to say her goodbye to her friend.
All the people Marion loves best are by her side when she takes her last breath at two-fifteen that afternoon.
“She’s with Dad now,” Paul says through his tears.
“They’re having one hell of a reunion.” Alex can’t believe how heartbroken he is to realize they’re both gone.
“Grandma was ready to go,” Ethan says as he stares at Marion. “She told me she was ready.”
“When?” Alex asks.
“Last week. She said it was time.”
Alex will never get over the way Marion took to Hope’s son. Their bond had been immediate and deep. Long after she stopped speaking to anyone else, she still had something to say to Ethan any time she saw him.
“She loved you very much,” Paul says.
“I loved her, too. I’ll miss her.” He glances at Paul, who’s now his dad. “She’s the reason we’re here, that we’re part of this family and get to live on Gansett.”
Alex has noticed that his nephew has gotten taller in recent months, and his voice is starting to get deeper. “We’ll always be thankful for the joy you brought to her final years.”
“I won’t forget her,” Ethan says, his chin quivering as his parents hug him.
“We’ll take care of calling the funeral home on the mainland,” David says. “They’ll be in touch with you about arrangements.”
“Thank you all for everything,” Paul says.
“I know I speak for my brother when I say we never would’ve survived these challenging years without all of you.
David, for your never-ending care and compassion as Mom’s condition came on.
Mallory and Quinn, for making her final years so peaceful and for helping us to keep her close to home. ”
When Paul becomes choked up, Alex takes over for him.
“Daisy, for your unwavering friendship to Mom and to us. Hope, Ethan, Jenny, George and Scarlett, for all the love and support, for helping us to focus on the joy you all bring to our lives, and Jenny, for helping us so much at work. Thank you all. We’re incredibly grateful to you guys. ”
Morgan opens the electric panel that powers Sierra’s studio and her apartment upstairs. As he works, he has to stifle a yawn. He’s getting far too old for a mostly sleepless night. Not that it hadn’t been worth every second of lost sleep. It had been more than worth it.
He quickly determines that Sierra’s building needs to be completely rewired because everything about her panel and setup is outdated and out of current code. She’s lucky she hasn’t had a fire.
After breaking the news to her, he orders the materials, hoping they come quickly so the building doesn’t burn down around her.
To thank him for the work he’s doing for free, she offers him a massage.
He tries to convince her to be naked as well while she works on him, but she’s a professional and is not doing that.
She leaves him to get ready and goes to refill her water.
She knocks on the door to his room. “Ready?”
“Yep.”
When she walks in to him bare-ass naked on her table, she laughs. “Most people get under the covers.”
He raises his head to look at her. “I’m not most people, and it’s nothing you haven’t already seen.”
“That’s true.” Is it hot in there, or is it him? It’s definitely him.
They end up naked on the table together, which leads to her screaming in pleasure, unfortunately causing Duke to come running from next door when he hears her yell.
Behind her, Morgan rocks with silent laughter.
“It’s not funny!”
“Yes, it is.”
“It’s not! Poor Duke.” She grabs a robe she keeps behind the door for clients and runs after her friend. “Duke, wait!”
“Sorry to barge in on ya,” Duke says without turning back. “Was worried about you.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Morgan strolls out of the room, wearing only jeans that are unbuttoned. “Is he still speaking to us?”
“Barely.”
“Thank you for checking on Sierra when you thought something was wrong,” Morgan says as he puts his arm around her. “That makes you a very good friend to both of us.”
Duke is so cute when he blushes and totally ruins his bad-boy vibe. “Sounds like things are going well between you two. Glad never to hear it again.”
With that, Duke departs, and Sierra buries her face in Morgan’s chest. “Mortifying.”
The next day, Kendall arrives at Jared and Lizzie’s at eight-thirty, half an hour before Violet’s father is due to arrive with his attorney on the eight o’clock boat from the mainland.
She’s done a deep dive on Brooks Ward online and found him to be an accomplished student, a star lacrosse and soccer player and a well-regarded colleague and friend.
In short, there’s nothing about him not to like—at least on paper, that is.
She’s reserving judgment until she meets the man in person.
Jared and Lizzie move like survivors of an apocalypse, going through the motions of coffee and breakfast for Violet, who’s thankfully unaware of the drama playing out around her.
She’s surprised when Dan Torrington walks in, looking every bit the part of one of the most successful attorneys in the country. Dan knows she could handle this meeting, but he also understands that his presence will be sobering to opposing counsel.
“Thanks for coming,” she says when he sits next to her at Jared’s table.
“No problem. How’re they doing?”
“Terrible.”
“Thanks for being here, Dan,” Jared says in a dull, flat tone. He has purple circles under his eyes and looks as tired as Kendall has ever seen him. “How’s the baby?”
“She’s great.”
Lizzie sits on the edge of her seat, as if she’s afraid to get too comfortable even in her own home. “And Kara?”
“She’s feeling much better and settling into a routine of sorts with the baby. I understand that once you get used to things, they change the game.”
“That’s right,” Lizzie says with a loving glance for Violet. “They keep you guessing.” Lizzie abruptly stands and leaves the room. Jared goes after her.
Jared and Lizzie return a few minutes later. Her face is red and puffy from crying, and Jared looks so tense, Kendall fears for his health.
The lawyer, Mr. Martin, comes in with a young dark-haired man who’s obviously Brooks, along with an older couple.
Shit. He’s brought his parents.
Kendall introduces them to Dan, Jared, Lizzie and Violet. Mr. Martin introduced Brooks Ward, and his parents, Denise and Hunter Ward.
Everyone shakes hands and says hello as if this is a normal social event, when nothing about this is normal.