even during the hard times with Grant and after their breakup. They’d never missed a beat when she and Adam got together, and she considered herself lucky to be a McCarthy, in no small part because of her awesome in-laws. “That means so much to me, Linda. Thank you.”
Word about the quadruplets rippled through the gathering, and everyone came over to congratulate them.
“We’re so happy for you guys,” Erin said when she hugged Abby. “Way to be an overachiever.”
“Haha,” Abby said. “I never have been before now.”
“Yes, you have,” Slim said, kissing her forehead. “We can’t wait to meet your babies.”
“And I can’t wait to meet yours,” Abby said. “They’re going to have to add on to the island school to accommodate all these kids.”
“This is amazing news,” Laura Lawry, Adam’s cousin, said. “Look at you—go big or go home, huh?”
“I’m gonna go big, all right,” Abby said. “I’m hoping I won’t explode toward the end.”
“You won’t.” Laura was the mother of twins. “You’ll just feel like you’re going to.”
“Awesome.”
Charlie and Sarah came over to congratulate them, along with Sarah’s sons John and Jeff, who’d come home for the party.
While they were talking to them, Owen Lawry joined them. “What’s this I hear? Four?”
“That’s what they tell us.”
“Holy crap.” He high-fived Adam. “Well done, my man.”
“I’m rather pleased with myself.”
“Ugh,” Abby said. “Am I going to hear that for the rest of my life?”
“Probably,” Owen’s wife, Laura, said. “I’m still hearing about his prowess in knocking me up with twins.”
“Same.” Maddie used her thumb to point to Mac. “It’s a good thing they aren’t the ones who have to carry and give birth to multiple babies, or they’d be crying like little bitches.”
While Mac feigned offense, the others lost it laughing.
“You know she’s right, Mac,” Adam said. “Our wives are superheroes.”
“They are for sure. Have you heard about the no-sex-for-months part of having multiples?” Mac asked his brother.
“Oh yeah,” Owen said, “that’s the worst.”
“Wait, what?” Adam said. “No one said anything about that.”
“I repeat,” Maddie said. “Whiny. Bitches.”
“Now you’re just being mean to your baby daddy,” Mac said, affecting a pout.
Spending the rest of the afternoon with the always-entertaining McCarthys as well as their friends helped to put Abby’s fears to rest—for now, anyway.
Chapter 20
“I think we have a hit on our hands, sweetheart,” Charlie said as he stood with Sarah to survey their guests, who were eating and drinking, talking and laughing, despite the heat and the power failure that had thrown them into chaos earlier. The sun was inching closer to the horizon, promising a spectacular sunset.
“Seems like it,” she said. “Thanks to the kids and Seamus for bringing more ice.”
“It helps to have well-connected friends.”
“For sure.”
“Who’s that young lady Jeff is talking to?” Sarah asked.
“That’s Mac and Maddie’s au pair, Kelsey. I hear she’s a delightful girl.”
“She sure is pretty.”
“Indeed.” Charlie looked down at her. “Why are you biting that poor lip?”
“I worry about him. Even though he seems to be doing so much better than he was, he’s still so young and unsettled.”
“He’ll find his way, just like the others have. He’s doing great, a college grad and lots of opportunities to explore.”
“I suppose. Did John say anything to you about an issue at work? I heard him on the phone, but I didn’t want to ask.”
“He referred to an argument with a superior officer, but I didn’t get the details.”
“Oh jeez. I hope he’s not in trouble.”
“I didn’t want to pry, so I didn’t ask any questions. Just let him know I’m available if he needs to talk. He said he’s surprised I’d welcome a police officer into my home after what I went through.”
“What did you say?”
“That as Sarah’s son, he’s always welcome in my home and that I don’t blame the police for what happened to me. I blame my ex-wife, who was the one to hurt my daughter and who allowed me to take the blame for what she did.”
“Thank you for making him feel welcome.”
“Of course he is. He didn’t lock me up for someone else’s crime. I don’t look at him and see all law enforcement. I look at him and see your son. My stepson. A member of our family.”
“I love you, Charlie.”
“I love you, too, Sarah.” He smiled down at her. “Check us out, huh? This amazing house, our beautiful kids, all these incredible friends. How lucky are we?”
“The luckiest people I know.”
“Who had the shittiest luck ever until they found each other and everything changed.”
She crooked her