Page 166 of Renewal After Dark

“He’s inlove,” Sierra said as she made kissy faces.

“Are you having a stroke or something?” he asked her while everyone else laughed.

“Am I wrong?”

“Nope.”

“I’msohappy for you, Duke,” Cindy Lawry said. “I met McKenzie when she came into the salon to meet with Chloe about the books. She’s lovely.”

“She sure is.”

Jace reached across the bar for Cindy’s hand. “Ain’t nothing quite like true love,” he said as he kissed the back of her hand.

Cindy’s smile stretched from ear to ear as she gazed at Jace. “That’s the truth.”

“So where is she?” Sierra asked. “Did she already dump you?”

“Haha, no, she didn’t dump me. She’s working, if you must know. I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to come visit you losers. What’s been going on here?”

“The doc has managed to knock me up again.” Chelsea McCarthy grinned at her husband, Dr. Kevin McCarthy, as Summer slept in her arms.

“The doc has still got it,” Kevin said.

“Spare us the gory details,” Sierra replied.

“Nothing gory about it,” Chelsea said with a wink for Sierra.

“Congratulations, guys,” Duke said. “Happy for you.”

“Thanks, we’re happy for us, too,” Kevin said with a warm smile for his wife. “Never thought I’d be starting a new family at my ripe old age, but it’s the best thing ever.”

“All this true-love bullshit is nauseating,” Niall Fitzgerald said when he came to the bar for a refill of Guinness.

“What’s with you?” Duke asked the Irishman, who was usually the epitome of happy-go-lucky optimism.

“Nothing is with me. Absolutely nothing.”

“Uh-oh,” Duke said, glancing at Sierra, who always had the lowdown on whatever was going on with one of their friends.

“Not happening with John.”

“Oh no. I thought it was.”

“So did I,” Niall said. “I thought wrong, apparently.”

“I tried to talk to him,” John’s sister Cindy said. “I got nowhere. I can’t figure out what’s going on with him since he came back from Providence.”

“If you figure it out, let me know,” Niall said as he took his refilled glass back to the small stage where he performed most nights.

“Poor guy,” Duke said. “I liked them together.”

“We all did,” Cindy said. “I wish I knew what was going on with Johnny.”

“How’s your other brother doing?” Duke asked. “The one who was hurt in the storm.”

“Jeff has been moved to rehab and is making steady progress. They’re hoping to be able to come home in a couple more weeks.”

“That’s great news.”

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