Celebration After Dark by Force Marie

Author:Force, Marie [Force, Marie]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2015-11-20T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

His ringing cell phone had Joe Cantrell reaching for the coffee table where he’d left it during a workout in the baby gym with his son, P.J. Watching those chubby arms and legs swatting at the toys above him was about the most entertaining thing Joe had ever seen.

“What’s up?” he asked Seamus O’Grady, his second-in-command at the Gansett Island Ferry Company—and his mother’s husband. Since Seamus was only two years older than Joe, he preferred to think of the irreverent Irishman as his mother’s husband rather than his stepfather.

“I assume you’ve taken a glance outside today.”

“Yeah, I’ve been keeping an eye on it.”

“The last boat reported five-foot seas. I’m thinking we need to call off the rest of the day.”

Joe groaned because that would strand his brothers-in-law Adam and Evan, who were due home later in the day with their fiancées, Abby and Grace, for the anniversary party, a thought he shared with Seamus.

“Planes are still flying, so the boys should be able to get home for the festivities.”

“That’s good news. I’ll give them a heads-up. Go ahead and make the call.”

“Good old Mother Nature. The one thing we can’t predict with any certainty.”

“No kidding. How are things at home?”

“Pretty good. The boys are excited about Christmas, and we’re all looking forward to getting the addition finished. I can’t believe what Mac, Shane and the rest of our friends managed to pull off in just a few months. It’s a miracle, for sure.”

“Everyone wants to see the boys settled and comfortable in their new home.”

“No one more so than me and your mum. She’s been so great with them.”

“As have you.”

“Ah, thanks, but I’m fumbling my way through, whereas she’s a seasoned professional.”

“She’s a damned good mom. I can attest to how lucky Kyle and Jackson are to have her in their lives, but they’re lucky to have you, too.”

“With every waking day, I discover I’m the lucky one. It’s nice to see them bouncing back some from the terrible loss of their poor mum. I’m starting to think they might be okay.”

“They will be. I remember vividly the day my dad died, but I don’t remember a lot about the immediate aftermath other than moving to the island. When I look back at those years, I remember a happy childhood even though someone was missing. That’s what they’ll remember, too.”

“I certainly hope so. Well, I guess I’ll see you tonight at the party.”

“See you there. Enjoy the day off.”

“I plan to.”

They ended their call, and Joe fired off texts to Adam, Evan and Slim, hoping the McCarthy brothers could connect with Slim, their pilot friend, to get them to the island for their parents’ party. After the texts went through, Joe did a double take when he saw the time on his phone. One o’clock and no sign of Janey yet.

“Mommy is sleeping late again, buddy.” Joe picked up P.J. to bring him upstairs to check on Janey. He stepped into the master bedroom, where his wife slept, rolled up in a ball in the middle of their king-size bed, her hand tucked beneath her chin.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.