Book 28 Delivery After Dark #11
“You are invited—and I just talked to my dad. He’s excited to meet you and wants to know your favorite dish from Mancini’s so he can have it ready for you.”
“That’s easy. Lasagna.”
“Got it, but what about after Providence? What happens in the New Year?”
“What do you want to happen?”
Suddenly, Sierra can’t take it anymore. She can’t bear to sit across from him as his gorgeous face is lit by candlelight, dreaming about a future that might not happen.
She goes into her room to curl up on her bed, feeling madly vulnerable and undone by feelings so big, she doesn’t know how to manage them. She’s never had to before.
He crawls onto the bed and curls up to her. “What’s wrong?”
She takes a few minutes to try to settle herself before she says words that can never be unsaid. “I’m scared.”
“Of what, honey?”
“This. You. All of it.”
He caresses her face with a light slide of his fingers over her cheek.
“It seems, at some point, I’m not exactly sure when…
No, wait, that’s not true. I know exactly when.
It was when you looked at me at Billy’s funeral and made me feel stronger just because you were in the room. That’s definitely when it happened.”
“When what happened?”
“I fell in love with you.”
“You… You fell… Oh.”
Smiling, he says, “That was articulate.”
“No one has ever fallen in love with me before. I’m not quite sure how to process that.”
“I’m so very honored and thankful to be the first man to fall in love with you. I’d also like to be the last one.”
She’s so overwhelmed that she barely notices when tears slide from the corners of her eyes.
But he notices and kisses them away. “Am I out on this love limb all by myself?”
She shakes her head. “Not at all. Why do you think I was freaking out?”
“I’m sorry it took me so long to tell you these things, but I was working to figure out my shit before I talked to you.”
“Your boss wants you to go back to work.”
“I resigned from that job yesterday.”
She sits up. “What? You did? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I was waiting for my new job to become official, and it did today. I’ll be working for the town of Gansett Island to upgrade the island’s power grid—in addition to providing electrical services to Mac McCarthy’s construction company. I wanted to have everything resolved before I told you.”
“I thought you didn’t want to live here full-time.”
“I didn’t until I met someone who has a business and a life here that she loves. She wouldn’t be happy anywhere else, and I wouldn’t be happy without her. In the end, the decision was much easier than I expected it to be. As I thought about leaving here—and leaving you—everything in me objected.”
“Can you be happy here full-time when all you wanted was out of here as a kid?”
“Will you be here with me?”
“For as long as you’ll have me.”
“Then I should be set to spend the rest of my life right here with you.”
On New Year’s Eve, right at midnight, Morgan proposes to Sierra, who says an enthusiastic yes as he slides his mother’s engagement ring onto her finger and promises to love her forever.
The following week, Erin Jackson gave birth to a son named Tobias Fitzgerald Jackson, III, named for his father and his late uncle. His dad, Slim, is looking forward to taking him on his first flight and starting his pilot training.
In mid-January, Stephanie McCarthy gave birth to her and Grant’s son, Oren Charles McCarthy. His grandfather, Charlie, is positively smitten at first glance, as are Big Mac and Linda.
In late January, Jordan Stokes gave birth to a son whom she and Mason Johns named Wyatt.
Two months after Wyatt’s birth, his parents were married on a windy day in March, a week before the finale of the wildly successful season of Jordan and Gigi: Live from Gansett Island, which made Mason and Gigi’s partner, Cooper, into instant stars.
On Valentine’s Day, Grace McCarthy gave birth to a son who she and her husband, Evan, named Maddox. His dad plans to start teaching him to play the guitar as soon as he can sit up.
In mid-February, Monique relocates to Gansett Island to live with Linc in his Coast Guard apartment as they ponder a wide variety of options for his next duty station.
In the end, he puts in a request to stay on Gansett Island.
Monique has decided to open a dance studio at Tiffany’s, and they want to stay close to her niece, Hazel, who’s born to Oliver and Dara Watkins in early March.
Later in March, Daisy Lawrence gave birth to Helen Marion, and her husband, David, immediately fell madly in love with his little girl—and her perfect name.
In April, Jenny Martinez and her husband, Alex, welcomed a second son.
They named him Henry Hugh, because the name means “ruler of the estate.” Alex notes that someday Henry, George, Ethan, Scarlett and the new baby coming soon to Hope and Paul will rule the Martinez estate, so the name seems fitting. Hugh is in honor of Jenny’s father.
In May, Sydney Harris and her husband, Luke, welcomed a son they named Elias. Their daughter, Lily, declared her baby brother the cutest boy in the world.
Over Memorial Day Weekend, Cooper James opens his bachelor-and-bachelorette booze cruise business with every weekend of the summer and fall sold out. His girlfriend, Gigi, is his first mate on most voyages.
In early June, Paul and Hope Martinez welcome a second daughter, named Charlotte Marion Martinez.
On the summer solstice in June, Chelsea and Kevin McCarthy welcome a second baby girl, named Faith.
That July, Julia Lawry and Deacon Taylor are “officially” married in a ceremony at the bluffs, followed by a reception at the new alpaca farm venue that opened for business that summer. Their daughter, Ella, is born a month later.
In August, Piper Bennett marries Jack Downing on the porch at the Sand & Surf Hotel. Laura Lawry is her matron of honor. Per their request, Jack, the “hot cop,” wears his uniform.
On Labor Day weekend, Jeff Lawry marries Kelsey Gordon, also at the Sand & Surf, standing on two feet with no crutches in sight.
Later in September, Katie McCarthy gives birth to a son, whom she and Shane name Benjamin Francis, honoring Shane’s father with his middle name.
The following fall, John Lawry marries Niall Fitzgerald in a ceremony at the Beachcomber, followed by a party that lasts until dawn.
Early the next year, construction begins on a new wing of the Gansett Island School.
Phew, that baby boom at the end, though…
HAHA, what a perfect note to end on for the original Gansett Island Series!
But before we go, we have a few more couples to catch up with and keep reading to the end for a final Who’s Who on Gansett Island listing that includes all the new additions we met in the Compendium.
And keep reading for a first look at Thomas McCarthy’s story, which will kick off the Gansett Generations Series, coming next year!