In the next room, Carolina could hear Joe on the phone with Janey’s brother Mac, telling him there was nothing to worry about, and no, they couldn’t be talked out of the plan. Janey had probably asked her brother to try to talk some sense into his best friend.

  Carolina recognized defeat when it was staring her in the face. “Let’s get going,” she said, resigned now to days of worry.

  “Will you be all right?” Seamus asked.

  “Not until you and Joe are back, so you’d better keep your word that everything will be fine.”

  He hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head. “My only goal will be getting home to you and the boys as fast as possible.”

  Since she couldn’t ask for anything more than that, she clung to him and his assurances, knowing she’d be a nervous wreck until they had safely returned.

  * * *

  Jared James held one end of a sheet of plywood while his brother Quinn operated a nail gun that would secure it over the windows of the Chesterfield, the wedding venue Jared and his wife, Lizzie, owned. “I’m glad I listened to Mac when he told me to have supplies ready for a hurricane,” Jared said.

  “I’m sure a lot of people are glad they listened to him. He’ll be even more smug than usual after this.” As Quinn was married to Mac’s older sister, Mallory, he was allowed to say stuff like that about his brother-in-law.

  Jared laughed. “Probably so, but he’s allowed to be smug as far as I’m concerned. He saved our asses with that advice and by telling us to install whole-home generators.”

  “Indeed.”

  With the Chesterfield thoroughly buttoned down, the brothers got into Quinn’s pickup truck to head over to the senior care facility.

  “I’m also thankful for the generators we invested in at the senior home,” Quinn said. “I wouldn’t want to deal with a storm like this without auxiliary power for the people on oxygen and other monitors.”

  “No kidding,” Jared said. “That was money well spent.”

  “Since you’ve got a generator at home, too,” Quinn said, “Mallory and I are coming to your place if the power is out after the storm.”

  “My home is your home. You know that.”

  “Thank you. Any word from Coop lately?” Quinn asked of their younger brother, who’d recently moved to Los Angeles with his new love, Gigi Gibson, a reality TV star.

  “Just that he and Gigi are living it up in LA, and they’re looking forward to coming back next summer to get his business launched.”

  “A party boat for bachelor and bachelorette parties,” Quinn said with a chuckle. “Because nothing can go wrong there.”

  “He’s got a great business plan and has covered all the bases with insurance. They’re limiting guests to two drinks each. I think it’ll be a big success.”

  “If you think that, I’m sure it will be.”

  For so long, his older brother had been somewhat of an enigma to Jared. Quinn left home when Jared was in seventh grade and had never come back. After college and med school, he’d done a tour as a trauma surgeon in the Army. He’d lost a leg in Afghanistan, which he’d kept private from the family for a long time. He was so mobile that Jared had to remind himself at times that his brother relied on a prosthetic leg.

  Now Quinn lived a couple of miles from Jared on Gansett Island, was married to Mallory and was the medical director for the senior facility Jared and Lizzie had founded on the island. Jared loved having Quinn close enough to see regularly and was delighted with the friendship that had grown between them over the last few years.

  “How’s the baby?” Quinn asked.

  Jared couldn’t help but smile when he thought of his baby daughter. “She’s amazing. It seems like she does something new every day.” Violet had come into their lives when Lizzie helped her mother, Jessie, after the child’s birth. Later, Jessie had abandoned the baby with Lizzie and Jared, who were now adopting her.

  “What do you hear from the birth mother?”

  “Nothing.”

  “I guess that’s for the best.”

  “It is for now. Lizzie promised to keep her updated with photos.”

  “When will it be final?”

  “Not for a few more months.”

  As Quinn tightened his grip on the steering wheel, a muscle in his cheek pulsed with tension.

  “What?” Jared asked.

  “I’ll be glad when that’s legally settled for you guys once and for all.”

  “Me, too, but we’re not worried about something going wrong. Jessie has no interest in being a mother.”

  “Still… The people who love you and Lizzie will sleep better at night when it’s final.”

  “Thanks for caring, Quinn. I appreciate it.”

  “I do care. I’m sorry if I ever gave you the impression that I didn’t. I was so caught up in my own shit for so long… And, well, I’m sorry.”

  “You don’t owe me any apologies. It’s all good.”

  “It is now, but for a lot of years, I didn’t have much to do with you or the rest of the family, and I regret that. I mean, Coop went and became a man on me. What’s up with that?”

  Jared laughed. “That was a tough one for me, too. Seemed to happen suddenly.”

  “For real. What do you hear from Kendall?” Quinn asked of their sister.

  “She’s filing for divorce and moving out with the kids.”

  Quinn’s deep sigh said it all. “I’m so sorry to hear it’s come to that.”

  “It’s been coming to that for a while,” Jared said. “Phil refuses to get help. What’s she supposed to do?” Their brother-in-law’s issues with drugs and alcohol were no secret to any of them, but only recently had Kendall started talking about leaving.

  “Nothing she can do, I guess. Thank God for the Jared James trust fund that makes it so we can all do whatever we want. I’m sure you’re making it possible for her to leave a difficult situation.”

  “Anything for you guys. You know that.”

  “Not everyone would’ve been as generous as you were, Jared.”

  “I couldn’t imagine having what I do and not sharing it with the people I love the most. Kendall was thinking about coming out here for a bit, until the storm started threatening. She might come after it passes.”

  “I hope she does. It’s been too long since we’ve seen her and the kids.”

  Jared’s phone rang, and he took the call from Lizzie. “Hey, hon. What’s up?”

  “Violet and I were wondering how it’s going.”

  “We’ve got the Chesterfield boarded up. On to the senior center now. I’ll be back soon to board up the house.”

  “We’ll be here.”

  “You’d better be.” He loved her laughter. “See you shortly.” After he ended the call, he glanced at his brother. “Lizzie is so happy since we settled things with Jessie. She was born to be a mother.”

  “Yes, she was.”

  They arrived at the Marion Martinez Senior Care Facility a few minutes later and were surprised to find Mallory, the director of nursing, engaged in a verbal altercation with an older man.

  Quinn brought the truck to a stop at the curb and jumped out. “What’s going on?”

  Jared followed him in case he needed backup.

  “Mr. McDade is insisting on taking his wife to their home for the storm,” Mallory said, sounding exasperated. “I recommended against that since we’ll have medical staff on hand during the storm should the need arise.”

  “She’s my wife, and I can take her out of here any damned time I want!”

  “Mr. McDade, it’s our job to care for your wife,” Quinn said. “In our professional opinions, it would be a mistake to remove her from the center with the storm coming. If you have an emergency during the storm, EMS may not be able to get to you.”

  The older man’s expression was full of outrage, his eyes flooded with tears. “I can take care of her. Who do you think did it for five years before she came here?”

  “And I’m sure you did a wonderful job,” Mallory said gently. “But the fact is, her condition has deteriorated considerably, and it wouldn’t be safe to take her home. Not anymore.”

  Mallory’s kind tone seemed to get through to the older man.

  “I want her with me,” he said in a softer tone. “She belongs with me.”

  “Yes, she does,” Mallory said. “You’re welcome to ride out the storm here with her, if you’d like to, that is.”

  His well-lined face brightened when he heard that. “You’d let me do that?”

  “Of course we will,” Jared said. “I’m Jared James, the owner. You’re more than welcome to stay here for the storm.”

  “I, well… I appreciate that. I, um, didn’t mean to get so hot under the collar. I apologize.”

  “No problem,” Mallory said. “Why don’t you go pack what you need for a day or two, and we’ll get you settled with Mrs. McDade.”

  “I’ll do that. Thank you again.”

  After Mr. McDade walked away with a new spring in his step, Quinn glanced at Mallory. “Are you okay, hon?”

  “All good. I feel sorry for him. He was probably afraid to be alone during the storm.”

  “No doubt.”

  “You two are quite a team around here,” Jared said, impressed by their handling of the situation.

  “Thanks,” Quinn said. “We love what we do. That helps.”

  “And we love who we do it with,” Mallory said with a saucy grin for her husband. “That helps, too.”

  Jared covered his ears.

  Laughing, Quinn said, “Not in front of the boss, babe.”

  “Oh yeah,” she said. “I forget he’s the boss.”

  “I’ve clearly lost control around here,” Jared said, smiling.

  “Did you ever have it?” Quinn asked.

  “Good point. Let’s get this place ready for the storm so I can get home to my girls.”

  “Right this way,” Quinn said.

  Chapter 4

  Paul and Alex Martinez had spent the morning in a frantic state of activity, securing the equipment they relied upon to run their landscaping business and assisting numerous customers who’d called asking for help at their homes. After stops at the homes of six different island clients, they were on their way back to the compound where they lived and worked.

  “Put the news on,” Paul said as he drove a company truck toward home. “Let’s see if there’s an update on the storm.”

  Alex tuned the radio to a Providence-based news station and caught the latest weather forecast of a direct hit on tiny Gansett Island around two o’clock the next morning. A plane flown into the storm had clocked sustained winds at ninety-five miles per hour, with rainfall estimates topping two inches per hour. Most concerning of all, however, was the expected storm surge, which could exceed ten feet.

  “Damn,” Paul said, “it keeps getting worse.”

  “I’m worried about what’s going to be left after it’s finished with us.”

  “I know. I guess we hope for the best and prepare for the worst.”

  “Funny how this island used to feel like a prison when we were kids,” Alex said, “and now…”

  “Now it’s our favorite place on earth, and there’s nothing we can do to protect it from a massive threat.”

  “Yeah, that,” Alex said with a sigh.

  “We’ve done everything we can to prepare.”

  “Doesn’t feel like enough, though.”

  “It’s not a fair fight.”

  “No, it isn’t.”

  “On the upside, the cleanup will keep us busy long after our season usually ends,” Paul said in a cheerful tone.

  “I suppose so.” Every year, after the frantic pace of spring and summer gave way to autumn, Alex looked forward to the off-season and more time with his wife, Jenny, and their son, George. After Halloween, they sold Christmas trees and seasonal items, but otherwise, they were off until the spring.

  “You checked on Mom again this morning, right?” Paul asked.

  “I did. Mallory said she’s comfortable and oblivious to the threat posed by the storm.”

  “I guess that’s for the best.”

  The senior care facility that now bore her name had been founded in response to Alex and Paul’s efforts to care for a mother with dementia with limited island services.

  “Yeah,” Alex said. “For sure. I’m going to have lunch with Jenny and George and then meet you back in the office to see what else there is to do.”

  “That sounds good. I could use some time with the family, too.”

  They’d been going straight out for the last few days, working sixteen to eighteen hours a day, and were exhausted.

  Paul parked outside their retail facility, which was closed until pumpkin season began later in the month. “Meet you back here in two hours?”

  “Yep.”

  While Paul headed to the home where the brothers had grown up and he now lived with his wife, Hope, her son, Ethan, and their baby daughter, Scarlet, Alex hung a left toward the two-story house he and Jenny had built a couple of years ago. Everywhere he looked on the vast property, he saw memories of his late father and their mother. Marion’s battle with dementia had been brutal and relentless. After enduring that nightmare, a Category 2 hurricane was a minor inconvenience.

  At least he hoped that’s all it would be.

  He went up the stairs to the porch, as tired as he could recall being since the first week George was born, when they’d hardly slept for days. Before he went inside, he removed his muddy work boots and left them on the welcome mat. The second he stepped inside, his son let out a shriek of excitement and came running to him on still-wobbly legs.

  If there was anything better in this life than a joyful greeting from a toddler, Alex had yet to experience it. Well, everything with the toddler’s mom was rather awesome, too. He knew she felt the same way about George as he did. He’d become the center of their world. Alex swung him into the air, making the little guy squeal with delight.

  “How’s my buddy today?” Alex asked as he kissed George’s plump toddler cheeks. He’d snuck out early while Jenny and George were still sleeping.

  “Dada.”

  That was Alex’s new favorite word. His son was him all over again, with the same dark hair, olive-toned skin and dimple in his chin.

  “He’s very busy,” Jenny said, sounding frazzled.

  Ever since George started walking, he’d been a wild man. He was running them ragged trying to keep up with him, but they loved every minute of it.

  “Our son is full of beans like his daddy,” Jenny said.

  “That’s right,” Alex said, kissing George’s neck and making him squeal with laughter. That was Alex’s favorite sound. Was there anything quite like a toddler belly laugh? Alex held him until George began to squirm, wanting to be free to roam. They’d fully childproofed the house so he could have the run of the place, and thanks to some well-placed gates, they kept him somewhat contained.

  Alex went to Jenny, who was at the sink washing breakfast dishes, and put his arms around her from behind. When he kissed her neck, she pushed back against him. Just that quickly, he wanted her.

  “Down, boy,” she said, even as she pressed her ass against his erection.

  “Don’t send him mixed messages. It confuses him.”

  “Are we talking about your precious package in the third person now?”

  With his hands on her hips, he breathed in the familiar, comforting scent of her hair. “So what if we are? And he is very, very precious.”

  Jenny’s laughter was right up there with George’s on Alex’s list of his favorite things. She turned around, kissed him and put her arms around his neck as she glanced over his shoulder to check on George. “How’s the storm prep going?”

  “Getting there.”

  “You look tired.”

  “I’m beat.”

  “How much more do you have to do?”

  “A few more hours and we should be set. We’ve done what we can. We just hope it’s enough.”

  “My parents and sisters have been calling every thirty minutes or so, it seems. They’re stressed out about us being here during the storm.”

  “I’d rather be here than worrying about what was happening here from the mainland.”

  “Me, too.” She swallowed hard. “I think.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine. This is why I included the whole-home generator when we built this place, and don’t forget we built it to withstand hurricane-force winds. If we lose power, Paul and Hope and the kids will come over. It’ll be fun.”

  “My hero.” She kissed him again. “Thank you for planning for every possibility.”

  “We’ll have lots of time for storm snuggling, too.”

  “Is that a thing?” she asked. “Storm snuggling?”

  “If not, it should be.”

  “I’m kinda scared.”

  “Don’t be. We’ll get through it like we get through everything else—together. I swear we’ll be fine.” As he held her tighter, he hoped he was right about that.

  * * *

  Paul found Hope stretched out on their bed, napping with baby Scarlet. Since he could use a quick nap much more than he wanted lunch, he shed his dirty clothes, washed up and then settled next to his wife and daughter for some shut-eye.

  He was about to doze off when he decided he should set an alarm on his phone so he wouldn’t sleep the rest of the day away.

  “I didn’t expect you to be home so soon,” Hope whispered.

  “Alex and I are taking a break before we head out to finish up.”

  “I’m glad you’re here.”

  He put his arm around her and nuzzled the soft skin of her shoulder. “I’m always glad to be here.”

  “They’ve already canceled school for tomorrow,” she said.

  “Ethan will be thrilled.”

  “Snow days and hurricane days. Only in New England.”

  “I remember both from my childhood. Best days ever until I found you and Ethan and Miss Scarlet.” He would forever marvel at the best thing in his life coming from one of the worst things. He’d met Hope and Ethan when they hired her to be Marian’s private-duty nurse in a last-ditch effort to keep her at home awhile longer.