“Is she okay?”
“I think so. She’s been the happiest I’ve ever seen her this summer with Mason. I can’t imagine anything could be wrong between them.”
“They’re solid, babe. Anyone can see that. You’re prewired to worry about her because of everything with the dickwad, but she’s happy now.”
“I know. I’m thankful every day for that and for Mason. They’re perfect for each other.”
“Now we just have to find someone perfect for Gigi, and all your girls will be set.”
“Gigi will never settle down. That’s not her groove.”
“I heard she was out with Cooper James the other night. Jared’s younger brother.”
“Interesting. She didn’t tell me.”
“You can get the scoop tonight. I’m looking forward to it. We’ve both been working way too much this summer.”
Nikki picked up the bag of work she’d packed to take home, even though the chance of her getting to it was slim to none. “No kidding. I’m so ready for Labor Day.”
Riley waited for her to go out ahead of him and shut the door to her office. “How about I drive and bring you back in the morning?”
“I won’t say no to ten extra minutes with my sexy fiancé.”
“Do we have time for a nap before the party?”
Nikki checked her watch. If they got to Jordan’s in an hour, that’d still be early. “I think we do.”
“We want you very well rested for the party,” he said, grabbing her ass as they walked out to his truck.
Time alone with Riley was her favorite thing in the world, but even with his arm around her and a night of friends and family to look forward to, Nikki couldn’t shake the sadness she felt for Dara after hearing about how her son had died.
* * *
Dara came walking down the lane to the lighthouse two minutes after Oliver had arrived. He was immediately on guard for how she seemed as came closer to him and Maisy, the yellow Lab they’d brought to the island with them.
“How’d it go?” Oliver asked, relieved to see her smiling. Her smiles had been so rare in the last year that he celebrated every one of them.
“It went great. I got the job!”
“That’s fantastic, babe. Congratulations.” He hugged her and kissed her forehead. “I’m so happy for you.”
“I’m happy for me, too. It sounds like so much fun, helping brides plan their weddings and overseeing birthday parties and other events.”
“You’ll be great at that.”
“I hope so,” she said, bending to give Maisy a kiss on her head. “It’s a long way from the legal rat race, and the money isn’t great.”
“That’s okay. We don’t need as much as we used to. Living rent-free at the lighthouse for a year will help us get back on our feet.”
After their son died, neither of them had been able to work for months. Rather than lose their former dream house to the bank, they’d sold it, paid off the mortgage and were living off the remaining proceeds. They’d agreed to use the money his grandparents had left him to seed Oliver’s foray into trading, which was why he was so relieved to have Jared’s help. They didn’t have money to lose.
“How was your meeting with Jared?”
“It was great. Way better than I expected. He offered to meet with me weekly and be my mentor.”
“That’s amazing, Olly. You couldn’t have a better mentor.”
“I know. I couldn’t believe when he offered that. I also met his younger brother, Cooper, who seems great.”
“I’m happy for you. We both had an awesome day.”
“That seems to be happening a lot since we got here.” Every day was different on Gansett Island. The community had warmly welcomed them, inviting them to dinners and get-togethers and nights out to listen to live music that had their calendar full of engagements for the next few weeks. Life on Gansett was fun and relaxing, and with every passing day, he felt himself looking forward to each new experience rather than dreading having to get through another day.
Naturally, he felt guilty any time he had fun or experienced joy or happiness, knowing his beloved son would never again have any of those things.
“I like it here.” Dara followed him inside and up the spiral staircase that led to the combined kitchen/living room. “I didn’t expect to like it so much. I’m glad we came.”
“I am, too. We needed something, and this place has a soothing vibe. Like you can’t help but relax and breathe here.”
“Yes, exactly. It doesn’t hurt that the island is beautiful, and the people are so friendly and welcoming.”
Oliver slipped an arm around her waist. In the last few weeks, they’d begun to reintroduce some basic affection into their once-passionate relationship. Being able to touch her again felt like coming home, even if they hadn’t made love in more than a year. He was more optimistic than he’d been in a long time that they’d eventually get back to some semblance of normal, or whatever that was these days. “Do you still feel like going to Jordan and Mason’s party?”
“I do. I really enjoyed meeting Jordan’s twin sister, Nikki, who’ll be my boss at the Wayfarer. She was nothing like I expected after watching Jordan’s show. I figured she’d be a typical Hollywood type, like Jordan seems to be, but Nikki was nothing like that. She was lovely and so down-to-earth.”
“Jordan is, too. You’ll like her.” Oliver had met Mason when he came to do an inspection at the lighthouse while Dara had been out to lunch with Linda McCarthy and some of her friends. Jordan had been with him, and he’d enjoyed talking to them both. They’d invited him to the dinner party that day.
“I suppose you can’t believe anything you see on those reality shows.”
“Probably not.” He raised his hands to her shoulders and gazed into her warm brown eyes. “That smile looks good on you, sweetheart.”
“Feels good, even if, you know…”
“I know.” Even their best days were tinged with grief. “But we’re doing better, aren’t we?”
“Anything is better than we were.” She looked up at him, seeming shy, which was another thing she’d never been with him before disaster struck. “I’ve missed you.”
They’d existed together for an entire year as two ships that passed in the night, unable to share the terrible burden of grief. “I missed you every minute of every day. The whole time, I kept trying to find some way to reach you, but for the first time, I had no idea how. I was so lost without you, Dar.”
“Same. I’m sorry. I could barely breathe. I didn’t know how to include you in that.”
He wrapped her up in a hug. “Don’t apologize. We did the best we could.”
She put her arms around him and returned the embrace. “Maybe, but this is better.”
“Much better.” Oliver couldn’t stop the predictable physical reaction he’d had to her from the first time they met. He started to pull back. “Sorry.”
She tightened her hold on him. “Don’t go, Olly.”