Mac’s truck, watching the rather spectacular sunset.
“See what you have to look forward to every day?” Big Mac said, tipping his chin toward the sky.
“It’s beautiful,” Oliver said. “Dara and I gratefully accept your kind invitation, but we want you to tell us when you’ve had enough of us.”
“Oh stop,” Linda said, laughing. “It’ll be nice to have the company. You want to follow us so you’ll have your car?”
“Sure,” Oliver said. “I just need to close the gate on the way out.”
“We’ll wait for you,” Big Mac said.
As they followed the McCarthys to their home, Oliver continued to hope and pray for a breakthrough with Dara, who sat silently next to him, staring out the window, a million miles from him. If the time on Gansett Island didn’t work to give them a reset, he didn’t know what he’d do next.
Chapter 21
Caught up in a conversation with his father, uncles and cousins about the abandoned alpaca farm Mac wanted to buy as their next family project, Shane McCarthy realized he hadn’t seen Katie in quite some time.
Listening to Mac talk about what they could do with the old farm had sparked excitement in Shane, who’d love to renovate another island property that had fallen into disrepair. Mac’s enthusiasm was contagious, and they made a plan to get everyone out to look at the place the following week.
Now where had his lovely wife gotten off to? He got up to go find her. “Anyone need anything?”
“Bring more beer when you come back,” Riley said.
“Will do.”
Shane went inside but didn’t see Katie among the women gathered around the massive kitchen island, discussing Sarah’s options for backsplash tile.
“Have you seen Katie?” he asked his wife’s twin, Julia.
“Not in a while.”
“Me either.”
“She came in about a half hour ago,” Sarah said. “I think she went upstairs.”
“I’ll find her,” Shane said, beginning to worry. It wasn’t like her to disappear on him. “You mind if I go up?”
“Make yourself at home, honey,” Sarah said with a warm smile.
She was the sweetest mother-in-law any man could hope to have, and he’d loved her long before he married her daughter. They’d spent a winter living close to each other at the Surf, working on the renovations and hanging out with Owen, Laura and baby Holden. That was back when Shane had still been trying to resurface from the nightmare his ex-wife had put him through, and Sarah had been coping with the end of her violent marriage.
Sarah had been a great friend to him then, and after having lost his own mother when he was seven, Shane was thankful to have her in his life to stay.
He went up the stairs and poked his head in a few rooms, but didn’t see Katie. Knocking on the one door that was closed, he called for her.
“Don’t come in here, Shane,” she said, sounding frantic.
Taken aback, he said, “What’s the matter?”
“I…”
“Katie, honey… Open the door.”
A full minute passed before the lock turned, and the door opened a crack. The first thing he noticed was her red, puffy face and watery eyes. “What’s wrong, honey?”
“I… I think I had a miscarriage.”
Shane felt like he’d been stabbed in the heart and had to force himself to say something. “Did you… I didn’t know…”
“I didn’t either,” she said as tears rolled down her sweet face.
“Let me in, honey.”
“I need to clean the bathroom. There’s blood…”
“I’ll clean it. Let me help.”
The door opened fully, and Shane had to bite back a gasp at how much blood she’d lost. “Katie, sweetheart, let me get Vic.”
“No! Just you.”
“Do you feel like you could handle a shower to clean up?”
She nodded.
“Okay, let’s take it nice and easy.” He helped her out of her clothes and into the shower. Alarmed by the amount of blood on the toilet and floor, he said, “Are you sure we shouldn’t get you to the clinic?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
Since she was a nurse practitioner and knew better than he did, he yielded to her. For now. If it continued, he’d insist she get treatment.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, hiccupping on sobs. “I didn’t even know. How did I not know?”
“Shhh, it’s okay. You would’ve figured it out soon.” He was trying keep his own heartbreak out of the mix while he tended to her. Under the sink, he found cleaning products and had the bathroom back to rights by the time she shut off the water in the shower.
Shane had a towel ready that he wrapped around her, holding her close