Ready for Love (19 page)

Grant spun around, prepared to do battle, but all the fight went out of him when he saw his father towering over him. “Let me go,” he said, attempting to wrench his arm free of his father’s grasp.

“What’s going on, son? This isn’t like you.”

“It’s more like me than you think.” He’d been drinking way too much lately, and he knew it. But he had to so something,
anything
, to numb the pain.

“Come on, pal. Let’s go home and get some sleep. We’ll figure this out in the morning.”

Because he couldn’t think of a better plan, Grant allowed his father to propel him to the truck, which was parked on the street.

“I forgot to get the keys to the bike from Chelsea,” Grant muttered as they went past Mac’s motorcycle in the parking lot.

“I got ’em.” Big Mac held the truck’s passenger door for Grant and then walked around the front to the driver’s side.

Grant tipped his head back, hoping he could make it home without puking. That would be the perfect end to a perfect day. When his father reached across him to buckle his seat belt, Grant felt like a total moron. “Sorry.”

“Ain’t no big thing.”

The sound of laughter outside the truck caught their attention.

Big Mac gasped. “What the. . .”

Grant and his father stared at the duo walking past—Ned, arm in arm with a woman, totally oblivious to anyone watching them as they were deep in conversation peppered with frequent laughter. Grant had never seen his father’s best friend looking so animated.

“Is that
Maddie’s mother
?” Grant whispered, as if they might hear him.

“Sure is. Well, I’ll be damned.”

After Ned and Francine were past the truck, Grant glanced over at his father, who looked like he’d been struck by lightning.

“What’s going on with them?” Grant asked.

“I have no earthly idea.” Big Mac snapped out of his stupor to start the truck. “But let me tell you, if
he’s
somehow managed to work things out with
her
, there’s certainly hope for you, boyo.”

The comment struck Grant’s funny bone, and before long, his father joined in. A good laugh with his dad was exactly what Grant needed.

Ned had never been happier than he was during the evening with Francine. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. The last time he’d been this happy was the last time he’d been with her. She just did it for him, and she always had. It was that simple.

He’d taken her for a fancy dinner at Domenic’s and let her fuss over the prices as he plied her with seafood and wine. Afterward, they came back to town and took a walk along the waterfront. They’d talked about everything—except the one thing Ned most wanted to know. How had Bobby Chester managed to make her forget all about him during the course of one weekend?

He couldn’t exactly blurt out the question over clams and white wine. And after such a wonderful evening, he was terrified of scaring her off by reopening an old wound.

They approached the driveway that led to Francine’s place, and Ned slowed his steps to prolong their time together. All too soon, they reached the foot of the stairs that led to her place.

“Would you like to come up for a cup of coffee?” she asked

“Sure.” Relieved their evening wasn’t over quite yet, Ned followed her up the stairs into the small apartment.

“Maddie lived here a few years,” Francine said as she measured the grounds and poured water into the coffeemaker. “She was living here when she met Mac.”

“I remember,” Ned said, amused to realize she was nervous and chattering to fill the empty spaces.

As the coffee began to brew, Francine turned and leaned against the counter. “You haven’t asked me about Bobby.”

Ned suppressed a gasp at the sudden introduction of the one topic they’d avoided during their hours together. “I don’t figure it’s any of my beeswax.”

“Of course it is.”

“How’s that?”

“Well, if I hadn’t met him, perhaps I would’ve been married to you these last thirty or so years.”

Uncertain of what to do about his sweaty palms, Ned jammed his hands into his pockets. “Ya reckon so?”

Francine tipped her head to study him. “You were going to ask me, weren’t you?”

“Mighta thought about it. Once or twice.”

Her smile was sad and didn’t reach her eyes. “I don’t regret marrying him. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have my girls. Even though we had it kind of rough after he left, somehow we made it through, and they’re good girls.”

“I don’t know Tiffany, but Maddie’s a lovely gal. She’s made my friend’s boy very happy, which makes me happy.”

Her lips flattened with displeasure. “You’re in awfully tight with those McCarthys.”

“Big Mac is my best friend. Has been since long before I first laid eyes on ya. His kids are my kids.”

“His wife had me thrown in jail.”

Ned kept his tone gentle when he said, “Now, Francine, we both know better than that, don’t we?” He knew full well that Linda had reported Francine only after she passed a fifth bad check in the bar at McCarthy’s Gansett Inn, and that Linda had agonized over the decision. But he kept that information to himself, knowing it wouldn’t matter much to Francine after spending three months in jail.

She turned away to reach for coffee mugs. “I should’ve known you’d side with her.”

“I ain’t on no one’s side. Shit happens. The past belongs in the past.”

Facing him again, she said, “If that’s the case, why’d you come here today?”

Cornered, Ned had no idea how to answer that. “Well, I, uh…”

“Doesn’t matter.”

Drawing in a deep breath, he closed the distance between them and was gratified when her eyes widened in surprise. “Does matter.” He reached out to touch the soft hair she still dyed red. “I came here today because I never stopped thinking aboutcha or that summer we spent together.”

“Oh. Really?” That last word came out more like a croak.

“Really.”

“Even after I married Bobby?”

“’Specially then. Never could understand what ya saw in that smooth-talking charmer.”

“No, you wouldn’t. He was the opposite of you in every possible way.”

“I know I wasn’t as handsome or smooth or full of sweet talk the way he was.”

“No, you weren’t.”

Ned didn’t want to be offended, even after all this time, but there it was.

She rested her hand on his chest, and he wondered if she could feel how fast his heart was beating. “You were loyal and faithful and kind. I learned the hard way that those qualities are far more important than handsome or smooth or sweet-talking.”

“Why didn’t ya come to me? After he left, why didn’t ya come?”

“Aw, Ned. I couldn’t have done that to you. I walked away—left you without so much as a howdy do. I can’t believe you expected me to show up at your doorstep with two little girls in tow after what I did to you.”

“I woulda taken ya all. I woulda given you and yer girls everything.”

Her eyes sparkled with tears. “Don’t say that. You don’t mean that.”

With his hand on her chin, he compelled her to look at him. “I mean that.” Before he could talk himself out of it, he brushed a soft kiss over her lips and drew her into a hug. “I mean it.”

“Why didn’t you come to me?” she asked, her voice muffled against his chest.

“Foolish pride,” he said with a rough chuckle. “Stupid, stupid pride. For all the good it did me.”

“I had my pride, too. I was convinced he’d come back. I probably would’ve sent you away.”

“And now?” He drew back so he could look down at her upturned face. “Are ya still waiting for him to come back?”

She shook her head. “Not anymore, but Tiffany has been trying to find him for a while now.”

The statement sent a shaft of shock and fear through Ned. “Is that so?” he managed to ask.

“She has no memory of him. I suppose it’s natural she’d be curious.”

“Does Maddie know she’s looking for him?”

Francine shook her head. “Maddie remembers him. She remembers him leaving. The poor thing sat in the window watching the ferry landing for weeks, hoping he’d come back. I don’t think she’d be happy to hear her sister is looking for him.”

“Do ya hope she finds him?”

“I want Tiffany to get the closure she needs. Beyond that, I don’t hope for much of anything anymore.”

“It don’t have to be that way, Francine. Ya got lots of years left to live yet. No reason they can’t be happy years.”

“Is that so?”

He nodded and had to fight back the urge to kiss her a second time.

“Will you come and see me again, Ned?”

“I’ll come see ya.”

She released a long sigh of what sounded like relief. “Good.”

Luke went back to work after two unscheduled days off expecting some major ribbing from the guys at the marina. He had no doubt they all knew what he’d been doing and who he’d been doing it with. Thinking about the time with Syd made him feel giddy and goofy and hopeful. So very hopeful.

They’d spent the entire afternoon and evening in bed and had even eaten dinner in bed. He was stiff and sore and achy from what he’d demanded of his body, and he could only imagine how she would feel when she finally stirred. She’d been out cold when he left for work.

It had become clear to him during the most intense sexual marathon of his life that he’d never get enough of her. No matter how many times he had her, he only wanted her more afterward, and he suspected the same was true for her. After the most amazing night of his life, Luke felt like they’d finally reached a point where he could relax a bit. Even though they’d yet to say the words, he was certain she loved him as much as he loved her. What she planned to do about him—and them—was still up in the air, but he was growing more confident that her future would include him.

Arriving at the marina, he steeled himself for a thorough grilling from Big Mac and the guys but was surprised to find everyone’s attention focused on Ned. Even though he was relieved to escape their scrutiny, he couldn’t imagine what Ned, of all people, had done to deserve the third degree.

“I
saw
you with her,” Big Mac was saying as Luke joined them at the picnic table outside the restaurant where they had coffee and sugar donuts every morning.

“I don’t know what ya think ya saw, but it might be time for new glasses,” Ned fired back.

Mac snorted at the banter between his father and Ned, rolling his eyes at Luke. “Apparently,
someone
at this table had a hot date last night, but he’s not talking,” Mac said.

Luke’s mouth fell open in shock.
Ned?
Had a
date
?

Ned shrugged. “Wadn’t me.”

“I gotta get Grant down here,” Big Mac said, exasperated. “He saw you, too.”

“Two a ya seein’ things.” Ned shifted his eyes to Luke. “Let’s talk about lover boy over there. Ya want a story, there it ’tis.”

“I’d much rather talk about you,” Luke said, and the other guys cracked up. He was still trying to absorb the fact that Ned had been out on a date. He’d never known of Ned to be with
any
woman. Ever.

“I’m sure ya would,” Ned said, taking a sip of his coffee.

Stephanie, the waifish young woman who was spending her first summer on the island running the marina restaurant, came out bearing a platter of sugar donuts. “Fresh made,” she said as she put them down on the table.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” Big Mac said, winking at her.

Stephanie’s cheeks turned bright red, and she scurried back inside.

“That poor little girl has a crush a mile wide on ya,” Ned said to Big Mac. “Speakin’ of getting eyes checked, she needs to see an eye doctor stat. Does she know ya’re older than dirt?”

“We’re not talking about me,” Big Mac said. “You oughta tell Mac who you were out gallivanting with last night. I’m sure he’d be very interested.”

“Who was it?” Mac asked. “And why would I care?”

“Why doncha just shut ya big yap?” Ned snapped at his friend. “Even on this godforsaken island, a man has a right to privacy.”

Big Mac roared with laughter, which made Luke smile. It was impossible to be around Big Mac when he was amused and not be sucked in.

“Whatever you say,” Big Mac said, wiping tears from his eyes.

Ned scowled at him.

“Now, boys,” Mac said. “Let’s all get along.”

“You shut yer yap, too,” Ned said, which set Big Mac off all over again.

“What the hell did I do?” Mac asked Luke.

He shrugged. Clearly, Ned was in a mood, and in some ways Luke could sympathize, since he didn’t want his business aired out over coffee and donuts any more than Ned did. Still, Luke couldn’t deny he was dying to know who Ned had been romancing. He hoped Big Mac would tell them later when Ned left in his cab to meet the next ferry.