Page 49 of Delivery After Dark (Gansett Island #28)

Ethan arrived with heavy footsteps on the porch a few minutes later.

Hope got up to greet her son and waved to Seamus from the door. “Thanks for bringing him and have a great trip!”

“Will do,” he said. “We’ll send pictures.”

Hope took Ethan’s coat and hung it on a hook by the door as he went to hug Paul.

The boy’s shoulders shook with sobs, as if he’d held in his grief until he got home to them.

“I’m s-sorry,” Ethan said. “I don’t mean to make it about me. She was your mom.”

Paul held him close. “And you were her very special friend. Of course it’s about you, too.”

Hope ran her fingers through Ethan’s hair. “You brought her so much joy, honey. From the first day we were here, she adored you. Remember?”

Ethan gave a short nod. “I was her first grandchild.”

“That’s right.” Paul’s gaze met hers over Ethan’s head. “And she loved every minute of being your grandma.”

“I won’t forget her.”

“That’s good to know, buddy. Thank you for the many ways you honored her while she was still here and for honoring her again by remembering her.”

Hope wiped away tears as her heart filled to overflowing at the sweet moment between the man she loved and the son he’d made his own.

Their bond was one of the most beautiful things in her life.

The three of them were family in every way that mattered, and she would do everything she could to help them through this difficult time.

Mac was the first to arrive at the Beachcomber bar and ordered a beer from Jace, who’d left work at the construction company half an hour ago. “How’d you get here so fast?”

“I’ve only been here a minute,” Jace said, smiling as he drew Mac’s beer from the tap.

“Are you taking over with the boys in the morning?” Mac asked of his sons, Jackson and Kyle.

“Cindy and I are staying there tonight since Seamus and Caro are on the early boat in the morning.”

“Ah, I see. I sure do wish I could go to see my little sister officially become a DVM.”

“It’s a hell of an accomplishment.”

“She’s worked so hard for years—and Joe has, too, managing kids and dogs and his own classes. It’ll be great to have them back here full time.”

“I’m looking forward to getting to know them better. They’ve been gone most of the time I’ve lived here.”

Grant landed on the stool next to Mac’s. “I’ll have whatever he’s having,” he said to Jace.

“Coming right up.”

“How goes it?” Mac asked his brother.

“All is well. You?”

“Same. I don’t have four infants at home—only two—so life is good.”

Grant laughed. “Thank God I’m only having one. I was there for two hours today, and I swear they changed twenty diapers.”

“Easily.”

“They sure are cute, though.”

“Of course they are. They’re McCarthy boys.”

Grant cracked up. “I can’t believe Adam outdid us all.”

“And that we have to listen to his super-sperm bullshit forever.”

“Excuse me?” Jace said, brow raised as he put Grant’s beer on a coaster.

“That’s all Adam is talking about since he got Abby pregnant with quads. His freaking super sperm.”

Jace laughed. “What would you say if you’d fathered quads?”

Smiling, Grant said, “Wow, he’s really gotten to know you, Mac.”

“Whatever,” Mac said. “My sperm is super, too. I have twins, don’t forget.”

“As if you’d ever let us,” Grant said. “I’m more than happy with one at a time, thank you very much.”

Morgan took the stool on Mac’s left. “Sorry I’m late. Got tied up with a project and lost track of time.”

“No worries,” Mac said as he and Grant shook hands with Morgan. “Glad we could do this.”

“Me, too.”

“What’re you working on?” Grant asked.

“Rewiring Sierra’s building. It’s a mess.”

Jace pulled a beer from the tap for Morgan and put it in front of him. “Nice to see you, Morgan.”

“You, too. Thanks, Jace.”

“Put that on my tab,” Mac said.

Morgan lifted his beer. “Cheers, and thank you for meeting me.”

“We were looking forward to it, and Luke said he’d catch you another time,” Mac said. “His wife is having a tough time with this pregnancy, so he went home to relieve her with their daughter.”

“Ah, I see. Hope his wife is okay.”

“She’s just really tired. And speaking of your electrical talents, we sure could use someone with your skills around here. Our power grid is a disaster waiting for a place to happen. We’ve already had one major blackout, and any time we lose power, it’s for days.”

“What’s the town doing about that?”

“Our dad and the other town council members are working with the state to secure funding for an upgrade,” Mac said, “but they’re looking for someone to oversee the project and not getting any takers.”

“Huh. That’s interesting.”

“It’d be a multiyear project with a lot of one-of-a-kind aspects to it,” Mac added. “Not to mention the regular need I have for electricians for my company. I bring people over for a week at a time, but it sure would be nice to have someone local.”

“Is this an organized campaign, by any chance?” Morgan asked, smiling.

“Nothing of the kind,” Mac said. “I’m merely passing on info that I hope you’ll find intriguing.”

“It’s a great company to work for,” Jace said. “I can attest to that.”

“I am, in fact, intrigued. Talk to me about living here year-round. How do you keep from going batshit crazy?”

“It’s all about the company you keep,” Grant said. “I usually decamp for Southern California in the winter, but I’m staying local this year because my wife is due with our first baby in January. She wants to be near her midwife and our family when the baby arrives.”

“Understandable,” Morgan said.

“But even knowing we aren’t escaping this year, I’m fine with being here because we have so much fun with family and friends—and especially when it’s just us hanging out at home. We’re never bored.”

“Spare us the gory details, bro,” Mac said.

“Shut up. Your details are just as gory.”

Morgan laughed. “Nothing like brothers to keep it real.”

“We sure are sorry you lost yours,” Mac said.

“So am I.”

“Any time you need some brotherlike bonding, we’ve got you covered,” Grant said.

“I may take you up on that.”

“We wish you would,” Mac said. “Back to your question, though. Grant is right, as much as it pains me to say it.”

Grant snorted.

“We have a lot of fun with our people all year long, and you’d be welcomed into our crew if you decided to stay. Everyone is welcome. Our gatherings just get bigger and louder all the time, and as long as you don’t mind a shit-ton of kids, you’ll have a great time.”

“I don’t mind kids. I still hope to have a couple of my own before all is said and done.”

“Life comes at you fast, and all of a sudden, you’re staring down forty,” Mac said.

“When will you hit the big four-oh?” Morgan asked.

“February. What about you?”

“May.”

“I’m the year after,” Grant said. “And I can’t believe it.”

“You’re getting a late start with kids,” Morgan said, “as I would be as well.”

“That’s okay,” Grant said. “I wasn’t ready before now, so the timing is perfect for me.”

“Good way to look at it,” Morgan said.

“Do you have a candidate in mind to mother these children of yours?” Mac asked.

“You already know I’m seeing Sierra, because you saw us together the other night.”

“He wants details,” Grant said. “That’s why he asked you.”

Morgan laughed. “I see how it is.”

“Mac is the biggest gossip on the entire island,” Grant said. “If there’s a scoop to be had, he sniffs it out.”

“Whose idea was it to invite Grant?” Mac asked.

“I believe it was yours,” Morgan said.

“Big mistake,” Mac said. “Anyway, about Sierra…”

The other two laughed.

“I rest my case,” Grant said.

“Sierra is amazing, and we’re having a great time.

But I’ve been wrestling with the push-pull of making a life here and going back to the one I have on the mainland.

I have a kick-ass job, and the boss wants me back.

I’ve been trying to picture myself here full time after spending my entire childhood trying to get the fuck out of here. ”

“I feel that so hard,” Mac said. “That was me, too, as you know.”

“I remember how much you hated being trapped here.”

“If it helps you at all, I never feel trapped here anymore. I have everything I could ever want right here, and as an adult, I can leave any time I want. But I go months without going anywhere, and I’m completely fine with that.

I have my wife, our kids, our extended families, tons of friends, satisfying work that keeps me so busy, I barely have time to breathe. What else is there, you know?”

“For what it’s worth, I feel the same way,” Grant said.

“When we get back here in the spring, we rarely leave until we go to California for the winter. And after a couple of months there, we can’t wait to come home and see everyone.

Once our child is in school, we’ll be here full time, too, and that’s fine with us. ”

“You guys have given me a lot to think about,” Morgan said. “I appreciate you taking the time.”

“Always a pleasure to catch up with an old friend,” Mac said. “Impartially speaking, I sure as hell hope you decide to stay. I can keep you busy for years.”

“Helps to know there’d be work in addition to the gym. As much as I love that place, it’s not my calling, you know?”

“Yeah,” Grant said, “it was Billy’s thing, but everyone is thankful you’re keeping it open.”

“That’s the plan.”

Mac downed the last of his beer and signaled Jace to cash out. “I hate to drink and run, but my wife is alone with five kids, and the sooner I get home, the better.”

“I appreciate you taking the time when you’re so busy,” Morgan said.

“Happy to do it. You’ve got my number if you want to talk about the work.”

“I’ll be in touch.”

“I’ve got to run, too,” Grant said. “It was great to see you, Morgan.”

“Thanks for the input.” Morgan shook hands with both of them. “You really helped to give me some perspective.”

“Any time,” Mac said.