“Abby—”
“Don’t. Please don’t. You can’t possibly understand how frustrated I am. You have a husband who absolutely adores you and a baby on the way, a career in the works that’s perfect for you. It’s all fallen into place for you, Janey.”
“It’s not all perfect.”
“It’s pretty damned close.”
“Yes, I suppose it is, but still—”
“Don’t worry about me. It’s high time I shook things up a bit, wouldn’t you say?”
“I, um, well… Will you promise me you’ll be careful? I’ll be so worried about you getting hurt.”
“I’ve already been hurt plenty, and I’ve survived. I think I can survive one wild summer.”
“If you say so,” Janey said, but she didn’t seem convinced.
The more Abby thought about it, the more certain she became that busting loose for a few months was exactly what she needed to get past this latest setback in her life plan. At the end of the summer, she’d reevaluate where things stood, and maybe then she’d have an idea of what her next step ought to be. Until then, it was high time she had some fun.
Walking from Grant’s house toward North Harbor, Adam nodded to a few people he recognized from around town but didn’t stop to talk to anyone. Rather, he stewed over the fact that his brother had seemed so detached and exhausted, as if he hadn’t slept properly in days.
Something was terribly wrong, a realization that filled Adam with anxiety. While he didn't see his siblings as often as he’d like to, he talked to them all frequently and knew them as well as he knew anyone. To see one of them deeply troubled over something and working so hard to hide it from everyone was upsetting.
Of course, Grant had just been through a major trauma and was no doubt still reeling from the close call. From what he’d been able to piece together, his brothers had been asked to fill in as crew members on a Race Week boat captained by a guy named Steve Jacobson when the rest of Jacobson’s crew had been felled by the stomach flu. The sailboat had been on its way back to the island in deep fog when a freighter hit it. Steve had been killed.
Adam’s brothers had spent enough time in the cold Atlantic to suffer from hypothermia. Grant had been hailed for saving the life of his good friend Dan Torrington, who’d been the most seriously injured with broken ribs and a broken arm. Maybe something else had happened that Grant wasn’t able to talk about yet.
He’d keep trying, Adam decided, until he wore down his brother and got him to talk about what was troubling him. With no job to return to in New York, he had nothing but time to give one of the most important people in his life. He’d make a nuisance out of himself until it became easier for Grant to talk to him than to put up with him.
Adam smiled. He liked that plan.
“Mac! Hey, Mac, is that you?”
Adam bit back a groan. All his life he’d been mistaken for his oldest brother. Though Mac was three inches taller than him, Adam couldn’t deny the striking resemblance between them. He turned to see who had made the mistake this time and saw his Aunt Joan chasing after him. You’d think their own aunt would be able to tell them apart!
“Oh, Adam! I’m so sorry! I didn’t hear you were home.”
He hugged his aunt and kissed her cheek. Like his mother, her sister was petite and blonde and still pretty well into her sixties. “Nice to see you, Auntie.”
“You, too, honey. Your mom will be thrilled to have you home, especially after recent events.” Joan shook her head with dismay. “What an awful thing.”
“I can’t even think about it. How’s everyone in your family?”
“Oh, good, you know. Busy with all the little ones. You must be excited about a new niece or nephew coming soon.”
“I can’t wait. I love being an uncle.”
Joan smiled affectionately. “I’m sure they adore you. How long are you here?”
“Not sure yet.”
“Well, I won’t keep you, but it was lovely to see you.”
“You, too.” He hugged her again. “Tell my cousins I said hello.”
“I’ll do that.”
Adam walked more swiftly as he covered the last half mile to North Harbor, forgoing a stop at the pharmacy to see Evan and Grace. With his mother’s sister in the know that he was home, he needed to see his mom before Joan called to gloat that she’d seen him first.
The McCarthy’s “White House,” as the islanders called it, came into view, and Adam accelerated to a jog. He burst through the front door just as the phone rang.
“Of course I knew he was coming,” Linda said testily as Adam slid to a stop in the kitchen. She scowled playfully at him and held out a hand to him. “Is that the only reason you called?” Linda paused before she said, “Thank you, Joan. I appreciate that. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Sorry,” Adam said with a grin as he squeezed her hand. “I ran as fast as I could after I saw her in town.”
“No one is faster at spreading island gossip than my dear, darling sister.”
“I wanted to surprise you.”
Linda hugged him. “And you did. What a wonderful surprise.”
Adam returned her embrace, comforted by the scent of home, his mother’s familiar perfume and the warmth of her affection. He hadn’t realized how badly he needed all of that until he was in her arms. He held on much longer than he normally did now that he was all grown up. He’d been through hell in the last couple of days, thinking about what could’ve happened to his family if even one of his brothers had been killed in the accident, let alone all three. Not to mention the work calamity at the same time.
When his mother pulled back from him, he was surprised to see tears in the eyes of the normally indomitable Linda McCarthy.
“Sorry,” she said, dabbing at her eyes. “I’ve been a wreck the last few days. I suspect I’m driving your brothers crazy hovering over them.”
“You? Drive us crazy? Never.”
“Oh, hush up. I promised Dad I wouldn’t check on them today, but I’m not sure I can keep that promise.”
“How about I do it for you?”
“Oh, Adam! Would you?”
“Sure I will. That’s why I’m here. I wanted to do some hovering of my own. Reassure myself they’re really okay.”
“That’d be such a big help. They’re sick of me, but they’ll be thrilled to see you.”
“Grant didn’t seem too thrilled.”
“So you saw him already?”
Adam nodded. “On the way over here. He’d just gotten up and looked all disheveled. That’s not like him.”
Linda frowned at that news. “I’ve been most concerned about him. Mac and Evan seem fine, but Grant… Something’s not right.”
Adam took an apple from a bowl on the counter and took a bite. “Did you talk to Stephanie about it?”
“Uh-huh. She agrees he seems off but chalked it up to the long day in the water. Did you know he saved Dan’s life?”
“I heard that. Maybe it was more traumatic than he led us to believe.”
“How could it not be traumatic? A whole day in freezing water trying to keep one of your best friends alive?” Linda shuddered. “I can’t even imagine. Dad has had nightmares about it, not that he admits to them, but he wakes up in a cold sweat just about every night.”
Adam hated to hear that but wasn’t surprised his softhearted father was suffering from the aftereffects of nearly losing three of his sons. “It’s going to take some time, but they’ll all be fine. I know it.”
“I hope you’re right, honey.” She hugged him again, even tighter than before. “It’s so good to have you here. Thank you for coming. I know how busy you are.”
At some point, he’d have to tell them about the business, but one telling of that story was enough for today. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
Linda released him and checked her watch. “Damn, it’s later than I thought. I’m meeting Carolina for lunch in town. Do you want to use my car while you’re here?”
“Ah, thanks for that kind offer, but I’ll pass.”
“I don’t know why you boys disparage my little yellow bug the way you do,” she said, grabbing her purse as she clucked with dismay.
“Because it’s a chick car that none of us would be caught dead in. I’ll borrow Dad’s truck.” He pushed out his chest and flexed his biceps. “Much more manly.”
“Suit yourself. When you see you brothers, invite everyone to dinner. We’ll put some steaks on the grill.”
“With baked potatoes?” he asked with his most charming grin.
“Naturally,” she said, rolling her eyes at him as she kissed his cheek. “All your favorites.”
“Have you rented out my old room, or is it okay if I crash up there?”
“It’s more than okay. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be back in a little while.”
“See you then.”
She stopped at the door and turned to him. “I love you so much, Adam, and I’m thrilled you’re home.”
“Right back atcha, Mom.” He was, he realized, indeed thrilled to be home where he was loved and respected and appreciated. After the week he’d had, that was exactly what he needed.
Chapter 3
Fortified by her visit with Adam, Linda rushed into town to meet her dear friend, Carolina Cantrell. Since Caro’s son Joe had married Janey, the two women had been closer than ever, especially now that they were expecting their first shared grandchild.
Linda arrived at the South Harbor Diner only five minutes late, which wasn’t bad, considering she should’ve left ten minutes earlier than she did. “Sorry, sorry,” she said, dropping a kiss on Caro’s cheek and sliding in across from her. “Adam was on the noon boat, and he came home just as I was leaving.”
“You must’ve been happy to see him.”
“Extremely. He’s here to see his brothers after the accident.”
Caro shook her head with dismay. “It’s all I think about. How close we came to utter catastrophe.”
“I can’t even let myself go there. When I think about poor Steve’s family and what they must be going through…”
“He was so young.”
“The same age as Evan. It’s unbearable. I’ve been thinking about reaching out to his mother, but I don’t know what to say. My boys made it, and hers didn’t.”
Caro reached across the table to cover Linda’s hand with her own. “Mother to mother, I’m sure she’d love to hear from you.”
“Maybe.” Linda shook off the sadness. “Anyway, this isn’t why you wanted to get together.”
“No, it isn’t.” Caro withdrew her hand and crossed her arms, seeming nervous all of a sudden.
“What is it? Is something wrong?”
“No. Everything is actually quite right for once.”
Linda raised an eyebrow. “What does that mean?”
Caro released a deep sigh and leaned forward to rest her elbows on the table. “Do you remember last fall when I told you I’d met a man?”
Nodding, Linda said, “A much younger man who you wouldn’t name, if I recall correctly.” Caro’s face flushed with color that made Linda laugh. “Are you
blushing
?”
“Perhaps. A little…”
“Spill it, sister. You’ve had me wondering for months who this younger man is.”
“Seamus,” she whispered so softly that Linda almost didn’t hear her.
“
Seamus O’Grady?
As in the Seamus who runs the ferry company for Joe?”
“Shhh, keep your voice down. No one knows, well, except for Joe and Janey. They know now.”
“Well, well,
well
… Girlfriend gets herself a boyfriend and what do you know? She gets the cutest, sexiest, most eligible guy in town now that most of my sons are off the market.”
“He’s not my
boyfriend
,” Caro said, seeming mortified by the word.
“My apologies. I should’ve said
lover
.”
Caro cringed. “Oh God, that’s even worse.”
“What would you call him?”
“He defies description.”
Linda howled with laughter. “You have to tell me everything. Leave no detail unshared—especially the part about how you told Joe and Janey. How did he take it?”
“Better than expected, to be honest. He was extremely shocked, but he handled it quite well, all things considered.”
Over salads and iced tea, Caro related the story of how Janey had helped her to find the courage to tell Joe the truth. “So Joe went down to the ferry landing to confront Seamus. Janey and I were worried that Joe might punch him the way he did David that one time, so we went running after him. Joe wasn’t happy that we suspected he might get violent until Janey reminded him that he does have a bit of a track record.
Linda shook with laughter. “It sounds hilarious, even though I suspect it wasn’t all that funny to you.”
“It was excruciating, but your daughter was amazing. She really smoothed things over with Joe, and I think he took it better than he would have without her help.”
“That’s very nice to hear about Janey, but Joe wants you to be happy, Caro. You know that.”
“I do know, but…”
“But what?”
Carolina met her gaze, seeming tortured and uncertain. “Seamus wants to get married.”
“Oh wow! How exciting!” As Linda said the words, she realized Carolina didn’t seem excited. “Isn’t it?”
“It’s so
complicated
.”
“What’s complicated? Does he love you?”
“Apparently.”
“And you love him?”
“It seems so.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Do I really have to spell it out for you? He’s almost
twenty years
younger than me, for one thing. For another, he says he doesn’t care about having children and a family of his own, but what if someday he regrets that? And what will people say?”
“If I have to guess, I’d bet a lot of the women will be jealous and the men will be looking at you with all-new interest.”
“Ugh, that’s gross! I don’t want their interest.”
“Carolina,” Linda said with a laugh, reaching across the table for her friend’s hands, “do you love him? Do you want to be with him?”
“Yes,” she said on a moan. “I want him, I love him, I was miserable without him.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Just because I love him and love being with him doesn’t mean I have to marry him, does it?”
“It seems rather important to him.”
Carolina sagged into her seat. “He’s very old-fashioned sometimes.”
“Probably the way he was raised.”
Caro let go of Linda’s hands and flipped a spoon between her fingers. “Speaking of how he was raised… You know what I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about?”