Blackout After Dark (Gansett Island #21) - Marie Force Page 0,90
back to the island.”
“Snooze ya lose, brother,” Evan said.
“You’re being smug again,” Quinn said.
“He gets like that,” Grant replied as he found a beer and took a long drink. “Damn, that tastes good.” He caught himself and glanced at Quinn. “Sorry. Don’t mean to drink and gloat.”
“No worries, man. I don’t even want it anymore.” After so many years in recovery, alcohol of any kind held little appeal to him. “Don’t ever worry about drinking in front of me or Mallory. It’s all good.”
“Did you guys hear the news about Adam and Abby?” Grant asked Quinn.
“We did hear. It’s amazing.”
Adam joined his brothers and future brother-in-law on the deck, holding his son, Liam. “Let’s face it. My boys are the most powerful of all the boys.”
“Oh my God,” Evan groaned. “Is that what we’re in for forever?”
“I’m afraid so,” Grant said. “He’s been insufferable for days.”
“He’s been insufferable a lot longer than that,” Evan said.
Adam made a suggestive motion with his hips and free arm that had his brothers gagging. “I got the goods. Four babies. Top that, a-holes.”
Grant sighed. “I want to have him killed, but I don’t want to have to raise his five kids.”
“I’d help you hide the body,” Evan said.
“Why do they want to kill you now, Adam?” Abby asked when she and the other women came out to the deck.
“He’s talking about his boys and his prowess at knocking you up with four babies,” Evan said. “Congratulations, by the way. I think.”
Abby laughed and tipped her cheek up to receive a kiss from her brother-in-law. “He won’t be thinking about his so-called prowess when we have five babies underfoot.”
“Did I or did I not do a spectacular job of knocking you up, love?”
“You’re starting to sound like Mac,” Abby said.
“Who’s sounding like me?” Mac asked when he came out carrying Hailey and baby Mac. “All my stuff is trademarked. No one can use it without express written permission.”
“Oh shut up, Mac,” Evan said. “Do you ever get tired of listening to yourself?”
“No, not really, and hello to you, too, brother. Welcome home.”
Evan took baby Mac from his brother and leaned in and kissed Hailey, who let out a happy squeak at the sight of her uncle. So he took her, too. “It’s okay to like Uncle Evan better than Daddy. Everyone would understand.”
“Puleeze,” Mac said. “They’re on Team Mac forever. And PS, nice house.”
“Thanks,” Evan said. “We’re still trying to believe we actually live here.”
“It’ll feel like home in no time,” Grant said. “I wanted to tell you all that we’re going to premiere the film here on Friday night. Fingers crossed the power is back by then. Everyone is invited to the theater to see Indefatigable with an after-party at the Bistro.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” Evan said. “I read the article and review in the LA Times. They loved it.”
“The reviews have been awesome so far,” Grant said. “We’re excited for the release.”
“I’m hearing Oscar buzz for my brother,” Mac said. “Couldn’t be prouder.”
“Thanks,” Grant said, “but Steph and Charlie are the stars of this story.”
“By all accounts, you did a beautiful job bringing their story to life, and you should be very proud of that,” Evan said.
“I am,” Grant said, “but I’m even prouder of her. When you see the full extent of what she endured… It’ll blow your mind.”
“Looking forward to it,” Mac said.
“This place is awesome,” Mallory said when she joined the others on the deck. “Congratulations, Evan. You made your wife very happy.”
“She’s made me very happy. Without her, there’s no number one hit and no cool house. There’s no nothing.”
Quinn put his arm around Mallory. By this time tomorrow, they’d be married. That was still hard to believe. He’d never pictured himself married to anyone until she came along and changed everything.
She smiled up at him. “What level of nonsense has been happening out here?”
“The usual level.”
“My brothers are nothing if not entertaining.”
“Speaking of brothers, here come mine.”
Jared and Lizzie came onto the deck, followed by Cooper, who had a gnarly wound on the right side of his face.
“What the hell happened to you?” Quinn asked his youngest sibling as they exchanged a side handshake-hug combination.
“Ugh, go easy,” Cooper said, wincing when Quinn patted his back.
“He’s got two broken ribs,” Jared said, “to go along with the mess on his face, and he’s not talking about how it happened, but apparently, the fire department was involved.”
Quinn told himself he shouldn’t laugh, but how could he not?