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“You promise you wouldn’t be mad?”
“Swear to God,” Paul said.
“When would it happen?” Ethan asked Hope.
“He doesn’t get out until later in October, so after that sometime.”
“Can we go back to watching the game now?”
“You bet, buddy.” Paul unmuted the sound on the television and looked up at Hope, his eyes full of emotion.
She smiled at him and mouthed the words love you to him, and he did the same back to her.
The luckiest day of her life—and Ethan’s—was when she came to Gansett Island to interview for a job helping to care for Marion Martinez. She never could’ve imagined that job would lead to a whole new life for herself and her son.
They were blessed beyond measure to love and be loved by Paul Martinez.
The bar was busierthan Jace had expected for a post-Labor Day Saturday night. He kept an eye out for Cindy while pretending not to save her usual seat by putting his jacket on it. Niall was playing later, and the bar was full of regulars who’d come out to reclaim their island, as one of them put it.
Piper, who worked the front desk at the Sand & Surf, was playing a game of checkers with Niall before he began his first set.
Jace approached Oliver and Dara Watson, who’d arrived with another woman a few minutes ago, and put Beachcomber coasters in front of each of them. “Let me guess, a rum and Diet Coke for Dara, a Sam Adams for Oliver and…” He took a measuring look at the newcomer. “Vodka and soda with a twist of lime.”
The woman’s smile lit up pretty brown eyes. “Close. Make the lime a lemon and the vodka Ketel One, and we’ve got a deal.”
“Just a soda water with a lemon for me,” Dara said.
“Sure thing. Are you guys eating, too?”
“Yep,” Oliver said. “This is Dara’s sister, Monique. We told her the Beachcomber has the best food in town.”
“I won’t argue with that.” Jace placed a menu on the bar in front of her. “These two know it by heart.”
“And we get the same thing every time,” Dara said.
“They’re boring that way,” Monique said to Jace.
“I’m not getting dragged into this argument,” Jace replied, grinning as he prepared their drinks.
“Monique just got divorced,” Oliver said. “She ought to come with a warning label for single men. Crazy lady back on the market and on the make.”
Laughing, Monique gave her brother-in-law a playful shove. “Shut up with that. It’s not that bad. Yet.”
“I stand warned,” Jace said gravely.
“Don’t listen to him.” Monique smiled as she brushed away Oliver’s comments. “It’s not quite that bad.”
“But close,” Dara said.
“The last few years with the husband weren’t great,” Monique said with a shrug. “I’m excited to get out and meet new people and start over. I hear Gansett is a good place to do that.”
She was gorgeous and vivacious. Jace doubted she’d have any trouble meeting new people. Oliver and Dara were two of Jace’s favorite regulars. One night, they’d shared the story of how they’d lost their young son in a tragic accident and had come to Gansett to be the new lighthouse keepers, hoping for a fresh start.
They seemed to be doing better, and he was glad to see them smiling and laughing with Dara’s sister.
“Cheers to a fresh start,” Jace said when he delivered their drinks.
He’d almost given up on her when Cindy came in, smiling at him as she pointed to the barstool he’d saved for her. “Is someone sitting here?”
