Page 45 of Renewal After Dark

“No worries. I’ll be ordering in bulk for several customers in the same situation as you are. I know you’re good for it. I gotta keep moving. Got a lot of stops to make today. The storm did a number on this island.”

“Is there any word on Billy or Jim?” Duke asked.

Mac shook his head, his expression grim. “Not looking good.”

“No, it isn’t. So sorry to hear.”

“Yeah, it’s very sad. Did you get the word about the get-together my folks are doing at the marina tonight?”

“Ned texted me. I’ll definitely stop by.”

“Feel free to join us, McKenzie. Everyone’s welcome.”

“That sounds fun.”

“It always is when everyone gets together. Well, I’m off. I’ll be in touch. So nice to meet you and Jax.”

“You, too, Mac. Thanks again.”

“You got it.”

“Wow,” she said to Duke after they’d waved him off, “what a nice guy.”

“He’s great. The whole family is. You should come to the hurricane survival party tonight.”

“I won’t know anyone.”

“That’s how you meet people. Everyone is welcome at everything on this island. That’s how we roll here.”

“I’m beginning to see that, and I love it.”

Chapter10

Jared James, his wife, Lizzie, and their baby daughter, Violet, arrived at the ferry landing a few minutes before the three-thirty boat from the mainland was due to arrive, bringing his older sister Kendall and her sons, Henry and Elias.

“So when did Katherine change her name to Kendall?” Lizzie, who was holding Violet, asked as they stood waiting for the boat that was visible in the distance.

Jared would’ve offered to take the baby, but Lizzie loved holding her so much that he didn’t. He’d never seen his Lizzie happier than since Violet had come into their lives. “Kendall is her middle name, and she always wished it’d been her first name. When she filed for divorce from Phil, she decided to go back to James as her last name. Since she was changing her last name, she decided to finally use the first name she preferred.”

“Good for her. I hope I don’t slip up and call her by the wrong name.”

“She won’t care if you do.”

“Who won’t care about what?” Jared’s brother Quinn asked when he and his wife, Mallory, joined them.

“I was telling Lizzie that Kendall won’t care if she slips up and calls her Kath by accident.”

“That’s good,” Quinn said, “because I’m worried about that, too. Who changes their name at our age?”

“Our sister did, so get on board.”

“That’s what I told him,” Mallory said.

“You should listen to your wife and brother, Q,” Jared said. “Clearly, we’re smarter than you are.”

Mallory coughed to cover a laugh while her husband frowned at her.

“Traitor.”

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