Love After Dark (18 page)

A light knock on the door had Seamus rushing from the living room where he’d been watching late-night TV. He threw open the door to his friend Slim Jackson, who held up a bag.
 

“I’ve got the goods, my friend.”

“Come in.” Seamus stepped aside to admit Slim and then went to the fridge to grab a beer for the pilot. “How’d you make out?”

“It was easy enough.”

“Caro and I really appreciate this.”

“I’m happy to help. No way you’re going to find suits for little boys on this island.”

Seamus opened the bag to find two identical tiny navy blue suits, white dress shirts, clip-on ties and shoes. He was appalled when tears filled his eyes. The clothes were a reminder of what those little boys would have to endure in the morning.

“You okay, bud?” Slim asked, clasping his shoulder.

“It’s just…” Seamus blew out a deep breath. “You even got belts for them. I can’t thank you enough.”

“A man can’t wear a suit without a belt.”

Seamus appreciated his friend’s efforts to bring some levity to the grim situation. “It’s tough, you know? I hope I’m doing the right things, but I’ve got no fecking clue what the right things are in this situation.”

“You’re providing them with love and support and comfort. That’s what they need right now.”

Seamus ran a hand over the stubble on his jaw. “I suppose. But what if they need other things that I don’t know about? What if I miss something important?”

“You remind me of my brother when his first kid was born. The poor guy was beside himself. He was afraid to hold the little princess out of fear he might break her or something.”

“I felt that way the first time I held PJ.”

“You’re going through what all new dads experience. It’s perfectly normal. And the plus side is if the little guys need something, they’re old enough to tell you.”

“That’s true.”

“I know it seems overwhelming right now, but it’s going to be fine. They’re damned lucky to have you and Carolina to look out for them.”

“We’re the lucky ones, mate,” Seamus said softly. “My heart breaks for what they’ve endured, losing their mum the way they did, but on the other side, I’m so damned thankful to have them in my life. Makes me feel selfish to even say that.”

“You’re not selfish, Seamus. You’re the opposite of selfish. Look at what you’re doing for those kids. I heard you’re even adding on to the house for them.”

“That has to be done. They’re squeezed into that little room.”

“That’s about as self
less
as it gets, my friend.”

“Thanks for the pep talk. I’ve been all over the place today.”

“Today was a tough day. Tomorrow will be a tough day. The next couple of weeks are apt to be rough. But one day, not too far off from now, they’ll begin to act like little boys again, and you and Carolina will be there to show them the way through it.”

“Yes, we will.”

Slim downed the last of his beer and put the bottle on the counter. “I’m going to let you get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Seamus withdrew two one-hundred-dollar bills from his pocket and handed them to Slim. “You don’t have to go to the funeral. I know how busy you are.”

“I’ll be there.” He hugged Seamus and then put the money back in his hand. “The suits are on me because I want to do something to help them—and you. Hang in there.”

Once again, Seamus found himself swallowing a lump in his throat. He was a disaster today. “Thanks, man.” He saw his friend out the door, and after Slim drove off in his pickup truck, Seamus locked up for the night.

Carolina came into the kitchen, tying her robe around her waist. “Did I hear voices?”

“Slim was here to drop off the suits he bought on the mainland for the boys.” Seamus pointed to the bag on the table.

Caro peered into the bag. “He even got belts.”

“I said that, too, and he insisted on paying for everything because he wants to do something for them. We’re lucky to have such great friends.”

“Indeed we are. The boys are also lucky to have you to think of things such as suits at such a difficult time.”

“They needed the right clothes to say good-bye to their mum.”

Caro crossed the room and put her arms around him, laying her head on his chest. “I can tell you’re all wound up.”

“Can’t help it.”

“Come to bed. There’s nothing more you can do for them tonight, and they’re going to need us both tomorrow.”

He let her lead him from the kitchen, shutting lights off as they went. In the bedroom, she pulled his T-shirt over his head and helped him out of his shorts. Despite the emotional day, her tender care had a predictable effect on him, and by the time he crawled into bed next to her, he was hard as concrete. Upon encountering the evidence of his arousal, his lovely wife giggled like a girl.
 

“Honestly,” she said, “you are too much.”

“I’m just enough. You say so all the time.”

“Here I think I’m offering comfort because you’re upset, and this is the thanks I get?” she asked, wrapping her soft hand around his hard cock.
 

“Can’t help it, love. Even in the worst of times, if you strip me naked, that’s going to happen.” He stopped her hand from moving. “Doesn’t mean we have to do anything about it.”

“Who are you and what’ve you done with my husband who says a good boner is a terrible thing to waste?”

He snorted out a laugh. “I’ve corrupted you terribly, haven’t I?”

“No, you’ve loved me perfectly. Now get over here and do some more of that.”

Never one to say no to his gorgeous wife, Seamus happily obliged, settling on top of her.

She ran her fingers through his hair, which soothed and comforted him. “It’s all going to be okay. I promise.”

“Since you’re always right, love, I suppose I need to listen to you.”

She hooted with laughter. “Can I have that first part in writing?”

“Aye, you can,” he said, kissing her softly. “You can have any damned thing you want from me, as you well know.”

“All I want is for you to be happy.”

“I’m so happy, love. That I get to sleep with you every night…” As he spoke, he slid into her, loving that she was always so ready for him. “I want to get the boys through this so they can be happy again, too.”

“You will.
We
will.”

Because she was, in fact, usually right, Seamus took comfort in her assurances, pushing away his worries to focus entirely on her. And there was nothing better than losing himself in her. He pushed her leg to her chest, opening her to his fierce possession. For a while, he’d worried about hurting her when he took her this way, but she loved it as much as he did. The bed creaked and the headboard struck the wall, but he paid no mind to anything other than the sweet relief that overtook him when he let himself go, surging into her as they climaxed, her fingernails scoring his back.

“We’re going to have to be more quiet,” he whispered, releasing her leg, which she curled around his hip.

“That’ll be a challenge.”

“Mmm, indeed.” He nibbled on her earlobe.
 

“You have to stop trying to make me scream.”

“Or I’ll have to ask Mac about soundproof walls for the boys’ new room. I like that idea better.”

“Those poor boys have no idea what they’re in for living with us.”

“We’ll show them how much we love each other.”

“I’m fine with that, but I don’t think they should
hear
how much we love each other.”

Seamus chuckled softly. “You may be right about that, love.”

“I thought we’d already established that I’m always right.”

“Aye, I walked right into that trap.” He withdrew from her and moved to lie next to her, reaching for her.

She curled up to him, her hand on his belly, her leg intertwined with his. “Try to get some sleep. It’s going to be a long couple of days, and we need to be ready.”

Seamus knew she was right about that, too, but he had no idea how to get ready to see the boys through this difficult time in their lives. He could only hope for the best.

Chapter 12

Slim left Seamus’s house and took the long way around the island on the way to his home on the west side. He’d flown four round trips to the mainland that day, and on the last run had borrowed a car from a buddy at the airport in Westerly to do an errand for Seamus.
 

All day he’d thought of those poor little boys and the difficult road they had ahead of them as they came to terms with their unbearable loss. Seamus and Carolina had done an amazing thing by offering to take them, and Slim had no doubt that the boys were in good hands with them. But it wasn’t going to be easy for any of them to make this transition to being a family.

A year ago, Seamus had been a happy single guy. In fact, they’d bonded over beers at the Beachcomber, toasting to their freedom. And now he was married and an instant father to two boys. Life was funny that way.
Better him than me
, Slim thought as he took a hairpin curve and slammed on his brakes when he saw a woman in the road.

What the hell? He shifted the truck into park, turned on his hazard lights, released his seat belt and got out to investigate.

“Who’s there?” she asked warily, standing outside the glow of his headlights.

“Slim Jackson.”

“Oh, Slim, thank goodness it’s you. It’s me, Erin, from the lighthouse.”

They’d met over the summer at a gathering at the Tiki Bar. Her shoulder-length light brown hair framed her pretty face as she looked at him with sparkling brown eyes. “What the devil are you doing out here in the dark of night?”

“I was riding my bike home from town when I got a flat tire. I was walking the bike home when I stepped into a hole and sprained my ankle. At least I hope it’s only sprained. I can’t tell.”

“How long have you been out here?”

“More than an hour now, and you’re the first one to come along.”

“You could’ve called for help.”

“My phone died about five minutes after my tire went flat. It’s been a series of unfortunate events.”

“I guess so. How can I help?”

“Would you mind giving me and my bike a ride to the lighthouse?”

“Of course. No problem. Are you okay to stand without the bike to lean on?”

“I can hop.”

“Stay right there. I’ll grab the bike and then come back for you.” He waited for her to get her balance and then stashed the bike in the back of his truck before returning quickly to her side. “Hang on to me.”
 

She put an arm around his waist, and he put one around her shoulders. Working together, they shuffled over to his truck. Placing his hands on her hips, he easily lifted her into the passenger side of his truck.
 

“This is way above and beyond the call of duty,” she said with a wry smile when he had her settled. “You’re going to throw your back out hauling me around.”

“Nah, you’re light as air.”

She snorted with laughter. “Sure, I am.”

He took a closer look at her ankle, which was hugely swollen and beginning to bruise. “How’s the pain?”

“It doesn’t feel great, but I’m very thankful that I don’t have to hobble home.”

The lighthouse was only a mile away, but that would’ve been a long mile on a badly sprained ankle. It took a few minutes to drive there, and when they arrived, he noticed the gate was locked. “Do you have the key?”

“It’s a combination,” she said, giving him the numbers.
 

“Got it. Be right back.” Slim opened the gate, returned to the truck to drive through and then went to close it again, leaving the lock propped open so he could get out. “It’s awful dark out here at night.”

“The floodlights by the door will come on when we get closer.”

“You ever get scared out here all by yourself?”

“The first week, I slept with the lights on,” she confessed. “But you get used to it.”

“I don’t know if I would.”