Read Online Kisses After Dark by Marie Force - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marie Force
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already got us married with grandchildren?”
“I was watching you two during brunch. Call me crazy, but I see a spark there.”
Shane couldn’t deny he’d felt the spark his father had seen, but he didn’t dare encourage him. “She’s really nice and sweet.”
“And beautiful.”
“Is she?” Shane said, teasing. “I hadn’t noticed.”
“Sure you haven’t.”
“Do me a favor? Don’t say anything about me going out with her. She’s… hesitant. I wouldn’t want the McCarthy mob scene to scare her off before I get the chance to know her.”
“She’s hesitant, no doubt, because of the monster who raised her.”
“Which would make anyone hesitant.”
“I want to say something here, but I don’t want you to take it the wrong way...”
His father’s unusual hesitancy made Shane curious. “What?”
“After everything you’ve already been through, I’d hate to see you get hurt again. I know more than I probably should about how Mark Lawry treated his wife and children. Their scars run deep.”
“We’re just going to dinner, Dad. You’re the one who has us married with grandchildren.”
“Touché,” Frank said with a laugh. “Just please be careful. I never again want to see you flattened the way you were after everything with Courtney.”
“Believe me, I have no desire whatsoever to go through anything like that again.”
“Moving forward… It’s a risk, but one worth taking.”
“Are we talking about me now or you?”
“Both, I suppose.”
“Things are good with Betsy?”
“Things are great. We’re taking it slowly, but it gets better all the time.”
“I’m glad for you. You were alone for a long time.”
“I was never alone. I had you and your sister and this great big family around me. I was okay.”
“But this is better, right?”
“Yeah,” Frank said with a small smile. “This is much better.”
Chapter 7
When they returned to port around three o’clock, Frank left the marina with promises to be back later for tuna and headed straight for Betsy’s cottage. They had plans to get together that night, but after the conversation with his son on the boat, he wanted to see her now. Her car was in the driveway, so he knocked on the door and waited for her to answer.
She smiled at the sight of him standing on her doorstep, sunburned and salty after a day on the water. “This is a nice surprise.”
“I hope I’m not interrupting your work.” Since moving to the island for the summer, she’d been exploring her interests in painting and photography. Judging by the paint-splattered smock she wore, today was a painting day. Her dark curls were tied up in a messy bun that he found adorable.
“I was about to take a break. Come in.”
Frank followed her into the tiny but cozy cottage she had rented from Ned Saunders. She hadn’t made any decisions about whether she planned to stay for the winter, and Frank was trying not to pressure her. She knew he wanted her to stay, and she’d promised to think about it. For now, they were enjoying the time they got to spend together.
“How was the fishing?”
“Fantastic. Shane bagged an eighty-pound tuna.”
Betsy retrieved a pitcher of lemonade from the fridge and poured two glasses over ice. “Wow, good for him.”
“He had a great time. Nice to see him smiling and happy.”
“I’m sure it is.”
Frank wanted to shoot himself for being so insensitive. “I’m sorry. That was thoughtless of me.”
“What was?”
“Talking about my happy, smiling son.”
“Frank, please don’t worry about that. Of course you’re happy that your son, who’s been through such an awful ordeal, seems to be doing better. I don’t want you to feel you can’t talk about your kids just because I lost mine. That wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was a tragic accident, and I miss him terribly. But being around your family and your kids makes me feel better.”
“I’m glad.” Needing to be closer to
“I was watching you two during brunch. Call me crazy, but I see a spark there.”
Shane couldn’t deny he’d felt the spark his father had seen, but he didn’t dare encourage him. “She’s really nice and sweet.”
“And beautiful.”
“Is she?” Shane said, teasing. “I hadn’t noticed.”
“Sure you haven’t.”
“Do me a favor? Don’t say anything about me going out with her. She’s… hesitant. I wouldn’t want the McCarthy mob scene to scare her off before I get the chance to know her.”
“She’s hesitant, no doubt, because of the monster who raised her.”
“Which would make anyone hesitant.”
“I want to say something here, but I don’t want you to take it the wrong way...”
His father’s unusual hesitancy made Shane curious. “What?”
“After everything you’ve already been through, I’d hate to see you get hurt again. I know more than I probably should about how Mark Lawry treated his wife and children. Their scars run deep.”
“We’re just going to dinner, Dad. You’re the one who has us married with grandchildren.”
“Touché,” Frank said with a laugh. “Just please be careful. I never again want to see you flattened the way you were after everything with Courtney.”
“Believe me, I have no desire whatsoever to go through anything like that again.”
“Moving forward… It’s a risk, but one worth taking.”
“Are we talking about me now or you?”
“Both, I suppose.”
“Things are good with Betsy?”
“Things are great. We’re taking it slowly, but it gets better all the time.”
“I’m glad for you. You were alone for a long time.”
“I was never alone. I had you and your sister and this great big family around me. I was okay.”
“But this is better, right?”
“Yeah,” Frank said with a small smile. “This is much better.”
Chapter 7
When they returned to port around three o’clock, Frank left the marina with promises to be back later for tuna and headed straight for Betsy’s cottage. They had plans to get together that night, but after the conversation with his son on the boat, he wanted to see her now. Her car was in the driveway, so he knocked on the door and waited for her to answer.
She smiled at the sight of him standing on her doorstep, sunburned and salty after a day on the water. “This is a nice surprise.”
“I hope I’m not interrupting your work.” Since moving to the island for the summer, she’d been exploring her interests in painting and photography. Judging by the paint-splattered smock she wore, today was a painting day. Her dark curls were tied up in a messy bun that he found adorable.
“I was about to take a break. Come in.”
Frank followed her into the tiny but cozy cottage she had rented from Ned Saunders. She hadn’t made any decisions about whether she planned to stay for the winter, and Frank was trying not to pressure her. She knew he wanted her to stay, and she’d promised to think about it. For now, they were enjoying the time they got to spend together.
“How was the fishing?”
“Fantastic. Shane bagged an eighty-pound tuna.”
Betsy retrieved a pitcher of lemonade from the fridge and poured two glasses over ice. “Wow, good for him.”
“He had a great time. Nice to see him smiling and happy.”
“I’m sure it is.”
Frank wanted to shoot himself for being so insensitive. “I’m sorry. That was thoughtless of me.”
“What was?”
“Talking about my happy, smiling son.”
“Frank, please don’t worry about that. Of course you’re happy that your son, who’s been through such an awful ordeal, seems to be doing better. I don’t want you to feel you can’t talk about your kids just because I lost mine. That wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was a tragic accident, and I miss him terribly. But being around your family and your kids makes me feel better.”
“I’m glad.” Needing to be closer to
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