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  “I’m so scared, Grace. I’ve wanted to be a mother for as long as I can remember, and the possibility that it won’t happen is devastating.”

  “It may not happen naturally, but there’re lots of ways to become a mother that don’t require you to carry a child, Abby. You know that.”

  “I do know, but still…”

  “It’s devastating to hear you might not be able to get pregnant.”

  Abby nodded and wiped away more tears.

  “I’m sure the doctors told you there’s lots they can try.”

  “They did.”

  “What did Adam say?”

  “All the right things, of course. Right down to scheduling our wedding for New Year’s Eve so I can’t escape.”

  Grace stared at her, agape. “Do you want to escape?”

  “Of course that's not what I want, but it’s not fair to him to be saddled with this.”

  “Abby, how can you say that? He loves you. He’s crazy about you.”

  “I know he is! And I love him, but he didn’t sign on for this. I could go bald and get chest hair and never be able to have a baby and… Are you laughing?”

  “I don’t mean to laugh, because it’s honestly not funny, but you’re focused on the worst-case scenario before you even have all the information. It’s very possible that none of that will happen to you, but you’re willing to sacrifice the love of your life for something that might happen?”

  “It’s not what I want, but it might be what’s fair.”

  “Can I be really blunt with you right now?”

  “When are you anything but blunt?” Abby asked with a ghost of a smile.

  “You've just received very upsetting news that has you understandably reeling. There’re a lot of things you don’t know yet and may not know for some time. The worst thing you could do while you’re in crisis mode is to make major decisions that affect you and Adam. That wouldn’t be fair to either of you.”

  “You’re right. I know you are.”

  “He’s been watching us the whole time we’ve been talking.”

  Abby looked over to the nearby table where Adam was sitting with Mac and Maddie. His niece, Hailey, was asleep in his arms, and sure enough, he was keeping a close eye on her while he talked to his brother. Seeing him holding the baby drew a sob from deep inside Abby. He would be the best father ever, and the thought of that not happening cut her to the quick.

  Grace hugged her. “You and Adam will get through this. We’ll all be there for you, and we’re going to put together one hell of a New Year’s Eve wedding for you guys.”

  “I feel like we’re stepping on your toes by sneaking our wedding in ahead of yours.”

  “Don’t be silly. Yours will be weeks before ours, and if you wanted to do it the same damned day, I wouldn’t care. I get to marry Evan, and that’s all that matters.”

  Abby rested her head on Grace’s shoulder, thankful for the love and support of such a good friend who would soon be her sister-in-law, too.

  Chapter 11

  “Is Abby okay?” Mac asked Adam. “She looks like she’s crying over there with Grace.”

  “Adam’s throat tightened, making it impossible to speak. He dropped his head to press a kiss to Hailey’s head, her soft hair brushing against his lips.

  “Bro, what’s wrong? You guys haven’t been yourselves tonight.”

  With Maddie engaged in conversation with her sister and mother, Adam was tempted to unload on Mac. “If I tell you, you can’t tell anyone else. I mean it, Mac. Top secret.”

  “Of course. I’m not always a mouthy buffoon.”

  Adam raised a brow, appreciating his brother’s attempt at levity.

  “Okay, most of the time I am, but I can be serious when I need to be. Talk to me.”

  “We’ve been trying to have a baby for a while now, and when it didn’t work the old-fashioned way, we went to see a specialist in Providence.” He cleared his throat, determined to get through this without breaking down. “Yesterday we found out she has something called polycystic ovary syndrome.”

  “What the hell is that?”

  “Long story short—it’s going to make having a baby very challenging, if not impossible, but that’s the least of it. Higher risk of all sorts of diseases including cancer and diabetes, among other things.”

  “Damn,” Mac said, exhaling. “I’m so sorry, Adam.”

  “The worst part isn’t even the medical issue. It’s that she thinks she needs to let me go so I can be with someone who can give me what I want.”

  “She actually said that?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Shit.”

  “No kidding, right? As if I’d run for the hills at the first sign of trouble. I have to be honest… She really hurt me by saying that.”

  “I can only imagine. What did you say?”

  “I told her we’re getting married on New Year’s Eve, and I wouldn’t hear any more talk of her running away or thinking she isn’t what I want and need. Does she honestly think that I wouldn’t want her if she can’t have kids? Like that’s all she’s good for? Making babies?”

  Mac rested a hand on Adam’s shoulder. “You have to see this from her point of view, Adam. She was freaking out and probably said things she shouldn’t have. She’s scared and worried that you might reject her because of this.”

  “I would never reject her.”

  “You and I know that, and she should, too, but she’s reeling. You’ve got to give her a pass on anything she said in the last couple of days. It’s coming from the panic, not from her. She loves you. We all know that.”

  “I thought I knew it, too, but she was so detached, I guess you could say, and she’s never like that with me.”

  “Give her a few days to get her head around this thing, and try not to go to worst-case scenario. When she’s had a chance to accept her diagnosis and recover her footing, she’ll be okay.”

  Adam wanted to believe that Mac was right, but he had a bad feeling that things could get a whole lot worse before they got better.

  As the evening began to wind down, Laura McCarthy Lawry worked her way through the room, handing out key cards to family members. Her gift to her aunt and uncle was having their entire family spend the night under the same roof. The hotel staff had delivered everyone’s bags, including the one Janey had packed for her parents, to their rooms during the party.

  “The key to the honeymoon suite,” Laura said, presenting the key card to her Uncle Mac.

  His low chuckle made her smile. “We’re a long way from the honeymoon suite, sweetheart, but we’re looking forward to the sleepover with the kids.” He kissed her forehead. “Thank you for arranging it.”

  “My pleasure. It’ll be fun to have everyone here for the night.”

  “We’re glad no one has to drive in the snow after partying.”

  “That was my thought, too.”

  “It’s a lot for you, though. Are you feeling okay?”

  “I’m feeling great for someone who’s bigger than a whale.” She rested a hand on her hugely pregnant belly. “I’ll be glad to see these two linebackers born.”

  “I’ll bet.” He put his arm around her. “I was thinking about the day I met your Aunt Linda today, which means I was also thinking about your mom. She’d be so proud of you and Shane.”

  Unprepared for the sweet sentiment, Laura worked through a surge of emotion. The pain of losing her mother to cancer when she was just nine could still hit at the strangest of times, even all these years later. “Thank you for saying so. That means a lot to me.”

  “Your old man sure is happy these days, huh?” They looked toward the dance floor, where Frank was dancing with his girlfriend, Betsy Jacobson.

  “He waited a long time for Betsy to come along. I couldn’t be happier for him.”

  “Me too. I wondered at times if he’d ever get over losing Jo. Those two were quite a pair from the very beginning. Joined at the hip.”

  “I actually reme
mber that. They were always dancing in the living room, laughing, whispering, kissing.”

  “I’m glad you remember them that way.” Big Mac gave her another squeeze and kissed the top of her head. “Life goes on even when you think it won’t. Your dad is living proof of that.”

  “Yes, he is. And then there’s Kevin.”

  “Ahhh, Kevin. Gotta say, didn’t see that one coming.”

  Her uncle Kevin was wrapped up in Chelsea, the bartender from the Beachcomber, slow dancing to a fast song.

  “He’s crazy about her,” Big Mac said.

  “It looks as if the feeling is mutual.”

  “Yes, it does. Good for him after what happened with Deb.”

  Owen came up behind her and slid his arm around her waist. “You promised you wouldn’t be on your feet all night, and you’re on your feet.”

  “Oh, busted by my keeper.”

  “He’s right,” Big Mac said. “You need to be taking it easy, not inviting your entire family to sleep at the hotel.”

  “I hired some people to help with that,” Laura said with a wink. “Don’t worry.”

  “Thanks again for inviting us to stay and for arranging babysitters for the kids and everything else you did to make tonight special for us,” Big Mac said.

  “Are you kidding? You and Auntie Linda saved my childhood. There’s nothing Shane and I wouldn’t do for you.” She went up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek and hug him. “Love you.”

  “Love you, too, sweetheart.”

  Laura let Owen lead her toward a seat next to the final person she needed to see about the key cards, her new cousin Mallory. “Just the woman I was looking for,” Laura said. “Here’s the key to your room for the night.”

  “This is so nice of you, Laura. Thank you for including me.”

  “Of course I included you. You’re family now.”

  “I’m still getting used to having a big family, let alone one as awesome as this one.”

  “We are pretty awesome,” Laura said, making Mallory laugh.

  “I wish my mom had told me who my father was a long time ago.”

  “We do, too, but we’ll make up for lost time now that we have you here with us.”

  “My dad is pressuring me to move out here where I belong—and those are his words, in case you wondered.”

  “I had no doubt,” Laura said, laughing.

  “I keep telling him I have a job and a house and a life in Providence, but he can be rather convincing when he sets his mind to something. And I have to admit, I’m tempted to chuck my life there and go for it. I spent forty years wondering who my father was, and now that I know him and the rest of you, I want to be here all the time.”

  “I don’t blame you. Maybe you’ll figure out a way to make that happen at some point.”

  “That would be nice. It was great to be here over the summer to help with Lisa Chandler’s hospice care, and my job was very accommodating of the leave of absence.”

  “We loved having you here, and I know everyone appreciated what you and Katie and Hope did for Lisa.”

  “I was honored to be part of it, and I’m thrilled to see the boys doing so well with Seamus and Carolina.”

  “They’ve been so great with the boys, and so has everyone who helped to build the addition to their house.”

  “This island is a special place.”

  “It really is, and if you should decide to make it your home, we’ll make sure you’re never bored or lonely.”

  “You sound like my dad,” Mallory said with a smile. “He says the same thing.”

  “We must be related. You’re staying for Christmas, right?”

  “Wouldn’t miss my first Christmas with my new family for anything.”

  “Good,” Laura said, smiling at her new cousin.

  With the evening beginning to wind down, Kevin was eager to take advantage of the key card Laura had given him earlier to take Chelsea upstairs to bed. But he held off out of respect for his brother and sister-in-law, who’d want to spend time with their family after the other guests left.

  When they were down to just family, Laura stepped up to the microphone. “Everyone go slip into something more comfortable and meet us in the salon for nightcaps, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and entertainment from my gorgeous husband, Owen, and my talented cousin Evan.”

  “How come he gets to be the talented one?” Owen asked.

  “Yeah, and why is he the gorgeous one?” Evan retorted.

  Laughing at their good-natured bickering, Kevin looked down at Chelsea, who’d knocked his socks off tonight with the sexy, shimmery silver dress she’d worn to the party with three-inch heels that showed off her incredible legs. He was completely gone over her and had been for months now, ever since that memorable night in September when she’d blatantly propositioned him.

  “Um, Kev?”

  “Yeah?”

  “What’re you thinking about?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  She subtly rubbed against his cock, which had hardened at the thought of the first night he spent with her.

  “I’m thinking about you, as usual, and that’s what tends to happen when you’re on my mind or in my arms or under me in bed.”

  Her soft moan was music to his ears. He loved the way she responded to him. One glorious night with her had made him realize how utterly lacking the last few years of his marriage had been, and now he was seriously addicted to her. He’d be the happiest guy on earth, except for one thing—her insistence on keeping their “relationship” to sex only.

  He was getting to the point where the frustration of being stuck in neutral with her was starting to get to him, but he’d been reluctant to push the issue, especially when he was having the best sex of his life with her. She’d agreed to attend his family party tonight, but he’d had to do some serious begging and pleading to get her to agree to something other than sex.

  “Let’s go get changed.” He took her by the hand and led her upstairs to the second floor. They’d been told to pack a bag to spend the night, and Kevin couldn’t wait to sleep next to her for a full night. Up until now, she’d always gotten up to go home after they had sex—or expected him to leave if they were at her place.

  Her arm’s-length approach was starting to make him a little crazy. If he were being honest with himself, he would confess that he’d never felt about Deb the way he did Chelsea. He and Deb had been great friends and had brought up two exceptional sons together, but they’d never burned up the sheets the way he and Chelsea did.

  He turned on the light to reveal a king-size bed and a renovated room done in a coastal theme.

  “This is so nice,” Chelsea said. “I’d wondered what the new rooms looked like.”

  Kevin couldn’t have cared less about the decorating. Not when he had Chelsea alone in a room with a huge bed. He backed her up to the bed until her legs connected with the mattress. She fell onto the bed, bringing him down with her.

  “I thought we were getting changed,” she said with a sexy smile.

  “We are, but in order to get changed, first we must get naked.”

  “You are too much, Kevin McCarthy.”

  “Am I?” he asked, propping himself up on his arms so he could see her face.

  “No.”

  “You look so beautiful tonight.”

  “I’m glad you think so.”

  “Then again, you always look beautiful.”

  As she often did when he complimented her, she diverted her gaze. In the past, he’d let that go, unwilling to scare her off by pushing her for things she said she didn’t want. But they’d been together—or whatever they were—for months now, and he was finding it harder not to push for more.

  “Was it something I said?”

  “No.”

  As he bent to kiss her neck, he sent his left hand to find the hem of her dress, drawing it up to where a thigh-high stocking connected with soft skin. She trembled madly under his touch, her legs falling open in e
ncouragement. The mixed signals were killing him. She was always willing and responsive in bed but closed off and remote out of bed.

  “Chels,” he whispered.

  “Hmm?”

  “Can we talk?”

  She raised her hips to press against his hard cock. “Right now?”

  Though he was torn by the desire that pounded through him, the torment of wanting more from her than she was willing to give trumped desire for once. He dropped his head to her chest.

  She ran her fingers through his hair, the loving caress giving him the hope he badly needed. “What’s wrong?”

  “I want to know why you won’t let this be more than just sex.”

  Sighing, she said, “We’ve talked about this. You just got out of a thirty-year marriage, Kevin. You’re not even officially divorced yet, and most rebound relationships end in disaster. I don’t want to be part of a disaster.”

  “I’m not looking to end this. Just the opposite, in fact.”

  “You’re in no place to want that.”

  Resigned to making his case once again, Kevin moved to his side next to her, propping his head on his upturned hand. “I feel terrible admitting this to myself, let alone anyone else, but the time I’ve spent with you has made me realize that my marriage was over a long time ago. I’ve become almost thankful to Deb for having an affair. I only wish it hadn’t hurt my boys as much as it did.”

  “It hurt you, too.”

  “My pride more than my heart.” He twirled a strand of her long blond hair around his finger. “If you take a chance on me—a real, all-in chance—I don’t think it will be a disaster.”

  She was shaking her head before he finished speaking. “I don’t do relationships, Kevin. I told you that from the beginning.”

  “I know you did, and I’m sure you have your reasons for that, but you’ve never told me what they are. If you’re worried about me and where I am in all of this, I’m in.”

  “Isn’t what we have good enough?”

  “My twenty-year-old self would say hell yes, it’s good enough. It’s fucking fantastic. However, my fifty-year-old self wants more.”

  “My thirty-something self is in protection mode. I’ve seen this happen to my friends—they get involved with a guy fresh out of a long marriage, and after he sows some oats with them, he moves on to the one he wants to keep.”