Page 135 of Renewal After Dark

The laughter, the love, the friendship, the support… It was everything Tiffany and Ashleigh had needed.

Niall had givenJohn a few days before he went looking for him at the Wayfarer, where he was the director of security. The season was winding down, but the beaches were still busy with day-trippers and partiers who kept the Wayfarer hopping into October. For the tourists, it was as if the storm had never happened, even as the island continued to clean up and get back to normal.

What was normal anyway? How did anyone define that concept? Sometimes Niall wondered if he wasn’t descended from ancient philosophers who were constantly questioning the meaning of life the way he did.

For instance, what did it mean that he and John had spent a hot night together during the storm? What did it mean that other than a few texts, he’d barely heard from John since he accompanied his injured brother Jeff and Jeff’s girlfriend to the mainland after the storm? What did it mean that he’d gone silent all of a sudden or that John’s sister Cindy said he’d been back on the island for a couple of days but hadn’t reached out?

What did any of it mean?

That’s what he was determined to find out with this mission to the Wayfarer. Confronting a guy at work wasn’t ideal, but desperate times called for desperate measures. And really, this couldn’t be called a confrontation so much as a visit.

At the reception desk, he asked where he might find John Lawry.

“I believe he’s upstairs doing a fire safety check.” The young woman pointed to the staircase that led to the second-floor hotel rooms.

“Thank you.”

Niall went upstairs and poked his head into three open doors before he found John in the fourth room, clipboard in hand as he gazed up at something in the ceiling.

John’s dark blond hair was shorter than it had been the last time Niall had seen him. He’d probably had Cindy give him a trim when he got back to the island. Funny that he had time for a haircut, but not a text or a phone call to check in with Niall.

He stood in the doorway for a full five minutes before John noticed him there.

“Some security director you are,” Niall said in a teasing tone. “I could’ve murdered you six times by now.”

John smiled, but Niall couldn’t miss the troubled furrow of his brow or the tick of tension in his jaw. “I’m not expecting to be murdered at the Wayfarer.”

“Have you lost all your cop instincts during your stay on our fair island?”

“I guess so. What brings you by?”

“Gee, I wonder. Could it be the radio silence from someone I thought was becoming more than a friend?”

“I’m sorry. Things have been crazy since I got back.”

“I kind of thought I might hear from you that you were back, not from your sister and Jace.”

John winced. “I’m sorry.”

“Quit apologizing and tell me what’s going on.”

“It was a lot in Providence. Jeff is in rough shape and refused narcotics. He was in so much pain. I guess I’m still processing everything that happened.”

“I’m sorry that happened to your brother. He’s lucky to have you and your family rallying around him. He’ll make a full recovery, won’t he?”

“Yeah, in time. Thankfully, he’s young, strong and stubborn. He’s a survivor.”

“So are you.”

John shrugged. “Not like him.”

“You’ve survived your own stuff, and done so quite admirably, if you ask me. I thought maybe you were starting to embrace who you really are and to live your truth.”

“I was. I mean… I am.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“I… I don’t know.”

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