Page 33 of Delivery After Dark (Gansett Island #28)

A fter her last appointment of the day, Sierra went next door to Duke’s tattoo studio and found him working with a female client. She did a double take when she realized the woman was McKenzie. “What is happening here, citizens?”

McKenzie had been steadfast in her refusal to let Duke give her a tattoo out of fear that it would hurt.

“My love decided she wants her unicorn after all.” Duke beamed with pride. “So while our little Jax is visiting with his new best friend, Lily Harris, we decided to go for it, and here we are.”

Sierra stretched around him to see McKenzie.

Her grimace made Sierra laugh. “You’ve got this. It doesn’t hurt that much.”

“You’re a couple of lying liars.”

“Did you give her the numbing stuff?” Sierra asked Duke.

“Yep. Just waiting for it to kick in.”

“Let me see the design.”

Sierra would know a Duke Sullivan original drawing anywhere, but this one was truly special. She wouldn’t have been able to find the words to describe the unicorn drawing that somehow managed to convey unity, love and acceptance. “It’s beautiful, Duke. Truly.”

“The drawing is what changed my mind,” McKenzie said. “I saw what he’d done, and I wanted that gorgeous image to be part of me forever.”

“Aw, you gals are gonna make me misty.”

“Can I watch for a minute?” Sierra asked. “Or is this one of those intimate, couples-only moments?”

“You can watch if you hold my hand,” McKenzie said.

“I’d be happy to do that.” Sierra walked around to the far side of Duke’s station and pulled up a stool to sit next to McKenzie.

“Can you feel that?” Duke asked her.

“Nope.”

“Great, then let’s get started.”

She immediately went tense.

“Don’t do that,” Sierra said as she began to massage McKenzie’s hand and arm. “Focus on me. We’ve got this.”

“Do you guys charge extra for the tattoo and massage package?”

Duke grunted out a laugh. “This is our first package deal.”

“I feel special.”

“You are, babe.”

“Thank you, Sierra.”

“My pleasure. You’re doing great.” Sierra was happy to be sharing this special moment with Duke and McKenzie, who’d become a good friend in the months since she started keeping Sierra’s books—and making her best pal happier than she’d ever seen him.

“Did you hear that Evan and Owen are playing at the Wayfarer tonight?” Duke asked without looking up from the masterpiece he was creating on McKenzie’s left arm.

“No, I hadn’t heard, but I’d love to go. They’re so great together.”

“That they are. We’re hoping to get there.”

Sierra wondered if Morgan would enjoy doing that.

“How was the big date last night?” McKenzie asked.

“Excellent. It ended this morning.”

McKenzie let out a girlish squeal.

“Don’t move, love, or you’ll end up with something other than a unicorn.”

“Tell me everything. Leave nothing out.”

Sierra laughed. “We had a nice time. Neither of us wanted it to end, so it didn’t.”

“Does that mean… you know…”

“It means what you think it means, and I’m not feeling the slightest bit guilty for putting out on the first date, if that tells you anything.”

“This is the best news I’ve heard all day! Isn’t it, Duke?”

“Uh-huh.”

Sierra glanced at him, noting his intense concentration as he inked the love of his life. Only because she knew him so well did she also see the tic in his cheek, which happened whenever he clenched his teeth. He did that when he was stressed. “Something on your mind, Duke?”

“Nothing other than making sure this lovely skin gets the art it deserves.”

“You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?”

“What is happening right now?” McKenzie asked.

“Duke has something he wants to say about me hanging out with Morgan, but he’s pretending otherwise.”

“Is he doing that thing with his cheek?” McKenzie asked.

“Yep.”

“Then it’s definitely something.”

“If you ask me, he wants to lecture me about getting involved with a guy who might be a short-timer here. He’s worried I might get my heart broken if I’m not careful.”

“That sounds like something he’d say.”

“Are you two done putting words in my mouth?” Duke asked gruffly.

“We’re just getting started,” McKenzie said with a grin for Sierra. “When you go grumpy and silent, we gotta do the talking for you.”

“Wow, she already speaks Duke, huh?”

“She sure does,” Duke said. “She’s fluent .”

“Ew.”

“What? She is. And I’m not grumpy. I was in a pretty good mood until the two of you started talking about me like I’m not right here.”

“You wanted us to be friends,” Sierra said. “Be careful what you wish for.”

“No kidding. So what’s the deal with Morgan, anyhow?”

“No deal. Just having some fun.”

Duke gave Sierra a quick glance. “And that’s all it is? Fun and games?”

“For now.”

Sierra rarely lied to herself—or to him. This thing with Morgan was already way more than fun and games. It had taken a hard turn toward serious, and she wanted more than anything to ask them how she should handle that.

“Did you know, MK, that when Sierra is lying, she gets a tiny wrinkle right down the center of those perfect eyebrows of hers?”

“Does she?” McKenzie asked.

“She sure does.”

Sierra stared at him, astounded. “I’m not lying!”

“Yes, you are, and there’s no point in denying it. The question is, why do you feel the need to lie to your best friends about something so important?”

“I don’t. I’m not. I’m…”

Duke cut the power on the machine he was using and sat back to get a better look at her. “Talk to me.”

“And to me,” McKenzie said.

Oh shit. Was she going to cry? Absolutely not! That couldn’t happen.

McKenzie reached for her, hugged her tightly and wouldn’t let go. “Whatever it is, we’re here for you. We want to help.”

“It’s so stupid.”

“Nah, don’t do that,” Duke said. “I’ve never once seen you get emotional over a guy, so it’s gotta be something big.”

“That’s just it. I’m afraid it could be something big, and I guess I’m not quite sure what to make of that.”

McKenzie released her.

Duke handed her a tissue.

“What can we do?” McKenzie asked.

“I have no idea why I’m even upset. I should be elated. This is what I’ve been waiting for, so why am I a wreck?” Embarrassed by the emotional outburst, Sierra wiped the tears from her face. “I feel foolish.”

“You’re not,” McKenzie said. “You’re scared because you recognize the significance of what’s happening with Morgan.

If you ask me, you’d be crazy not to be a bit freaked out.

I was the same way when things with Duke took a turn for the serious.

I mean, here I was, alone and homeless on an island with a baby and a flattened house, and along comes this absolute cinnamon bun of a guy?—”

“A what ?” Duke asked with a scowl.

McKenzie patted his chest. “Trust me. That’s a good thing. But I was in no way prepared for what he very quickly became to me and Jax. There’s absolutely nothing you can do to adequately prepare yourself for meeting the one .”

“She’s right,” Duke said with a warm smile for his fiancée. “It was the same for me. Incredibly overwhelming in every possible way, but also… so incredibly thrilling. Best thing to ever happen to me, hands down.”

McKenzie leaned into him and then winced when her freshly tattooed skin protested. “Me, too. Best thing ever. This tattoo, on the other hand… The jury is still out.”

Sierra laughed at the face she made. “You’re going to love it in the end. I’m sure of it.”

“I am, too, or he never would’ve gotten near me with his needles.”

“Are you going to be okay, Sierra?” Duke asked. “I hate to see you upset.”

“Of course I’m going to be okay. It’s ridiculous to be so emotional over one great night. Like, what the hell is wrong with me?”

“Nothing is wrong with you,” McKenzie said, “and this was much more than one great night, or you wouldn’t be feeling so undone by it.”

“You got yourself a smart one here, Duke.”

“Believe me. I know. She’s way out of my league, but for some reason, she loves me, which makes me the luckiest dude in the world.”

“I’m not out of your league, and you know it makes me mad when you say that.”

“But that leads to makeup sex, which is my favorite of all the sex.”

“And with that, I’m out,” Sierra said as she got up to leave.

“Don’t let us run you off,” Duke said.

“You’re not. I’ve got another night with Morgan to get ready for.”

“See you at the Wayfarer?” McKenzie asked.

“Yeah, maybe. I’ll see what he wants to do.”

“I bet I know what he wants to do,” Duke said with a dirty laugh.

He and McKenzie laughed at his little joke.

“Grow up, people.”

“Nah, we’ll pass,” Duke said. “Hey… If you need us, you know where we are.”

“Always. Thanks for listening.”

“We love you,” he said.

Damn if he didn’t get her all emotional again by saying that. “Love you, too.” As she walked past his reception desk, she helped herself to a piece of the candy he kept in a bowl and popped it into her mouth as she left Duke’s studio and headed upstairs to shower and change.

Her friends had given her a lot to think about.

Piper was on pins and needles as she waited for Jack to get “home” from work.

Her room at the Sand & Surf had begun to feel like their home after spending months of nights wrapped up in each other in her bed.

Some nights, they didn’t even bother with dinner before they were right back to doing their favorite thing for as many hours as they could before they fell into exhausted sleep and then started the whole cycle again the next day.

She loved every second she spent with him, and during the long days apart, she counted the hours until she could be with him again. Weekends had taken on all-new meaning as they got two full days and three nights to spend alone together.

Everything about him and them felt like magic to her, but…

That but loomed large over everything lately, and it came with a sense of impending doom that she couldn’t shake no matter how hard she tried.