Blackout After Dark (Gansett Island #21) - Marie Force Page 0,52
close to him the way he always did after sex.
She loved that almost as much as the sex itself.
“You still want to go to Sarah and Charlie’s?”
“Of course I do. You took the afternoon off to go with me.”
“We don’t have to go if you aren’t feeling up to it. Everyone would understand.”
“I want to see their new home and celebrate their happily ever after.”
“I hope you know that whatever you’re feeling about your dad dying, you can tell me. Even if you think it’s awful, it’s okay to say it.”
“I don’t know what I feel. I know what I should feel, and I just… I just don’t. I’m sad that someone’s life ended before it should have, but I feel strangely removed from the fact that it’s my dad.”
Jordan’s phone rang in the living room.
“I’ll grab it for you.”
“Thanks.”
He got up and went to retrieve the phone, returning with it held out to her. “Your grandmother.”
She took the call from Evelyn Hopper, the woman who’d provided the only stability she and Nik had ever known growing up. She was and would forever be their favorite person. “Hi, Gran.”
“Sweetheart, I just heard about your dad, and I’m sorry.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you guys okay?”
“We’re fine. Weird situation, as you know all too well.”
“I do,” she said with a sigh. “Still… Will you go for the funeral?”
“No. Gigi is preparing a statement for us saying that while we’re sorry for his premature passing, we hadn’t been in touch with him in years, et cetera. We’re hoping it won’t become a thing.”
“I hope not either. Do you want me to come up?”
“You don’t have to, Gran. Riley and Mason are taking good care of us. We’re okay, but of course we always want to see you.”
“I’ll be there for Thanksgiving and the wedding.”
“Thanks for calling. It’s sweet of you to be worried.”
“Love you guys. Tell Nik I tried to call her, too.”
“She’s at a party that I’m heading to as well.”
“That’ll be good for you, to spend time with friends.”
“That’s the plan. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Talk to you then.”
Jordan ended the call and turned to Mason, who was propped up on his elbow keeping watch over her. “Nice of her to check on us,” Jordan said.
“She’s a sweetheart.”
“She is.” Jordan took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I hope it’s not going to be a big deal that Nik and I aren’t going to the funeral.”
“I hope not either.”
Chapter 17
A little before three, Jared James drove into town, cruising past the clinic to see if Lizzie’s SUV was still in the parking lot. It was. He was worried about her getting overly involved in a situation involving a baby after the crushing disappointment they’d recently sustained. They’d been so sure that this time would be different, and when it hadn’t been… His heart had broken for her. It was so hard to watch her go through the grueling treatments and end up with nothing to show for them.
He couldn’t bear to see her disappointed or hurt or unhappy, and he felt so helpless to fix this for her. Infertility was one thing that all the money in the world couldn’t change. He’d confess to having had a limited understanding of the pervasive challenges of infertility until they’d been confronted with it themselves. And now he knew all too well just how many people struggled to conceive and how intense the treatments could be.
They hadn’t really talked about their next steps in this journey or whether they were ready to consider alternatives, such as surrogacy or adoption. He was taking his cues from her, and she hadn’t seemed ready to talk about it. Not yet anyway, and he wasn’t about to ask until she brought it up.
Navigating this situation was like tiptoeing through an emotional minefield, and he was on edge most of the time, hoping he was providing what she needed. Having his irreverent youngest brother underfoot might help to get their minds off their troubles.
He pulled into the parking lot at the ferry landing and walked to the pier to watch the ferry come in. Seamus O’Grady was at the helm, using the aft controls to turn the ferry and back it into port. Jared never got tired of watching the ferries come and go, admiring the skill and precision of the captains who made it look so easy to put the huge vessels exactly where they wanted them.
The cars came off first, followed by a stream of people, bikes and beach chairs.