Page 70 of Renewal After Dark

“Yep, that’s him. His folks own the marina.”

“I had no idea! I love that song. I saw him with Buddy Longstreet and Taylor Jones last summer.”

“He’s become a big deal over the last few years, but he still pops in to play here any time he’s home.”

“Wow. You never know who you’re going to meet on Gansett Island.”

“That’s very true.” Duke hoped with everything he had that she didn’t meet someone she liked better than him.

Chapter15

Ever since Duke had arrived at her door and said the things he did about her, McKenzie felt like her insides were made of champagne bubbles or something equally silly. Everything had changed during those two minutes. If someone had told her that might happen, she would’ve said there was no way she wanted that. But after having experienced it, she couldn’t deny the euphoria he’d stirred or the feelings she had for him.

Or that he apparently had for her.

What a delightful and unexpected development.

Gran used to tell her that when people showed you who they really were, you should believe them. Usually, she meant that in the negative sense. Such as when someone showed you they were an asshole, don’t go around thinking you were the one who could change them or make them better. “People are who they are,” Gran would say.

Duke had shown her repeatedly who he really was, from checking on her after the storm to retrieving some of her belongings from the cabin, to making a special trip to Tiffany’s to bring Mr. Bear to Jax, after having cleaned him up, to offering her a place to stay, to putting her in touch with Mac. He’d been rock solid and respectful and all the things that Gran had told her to look for in a man.

And he was flat-out adorable, regardless of his desire to be seen as menacing. Despite his tough exterior, he was a mush on the inside, and she liked that about him.

As they approached the group outside the marina restaurant, Duke introduced her to Alex and Jenny Martinez and their son, George.

“What a cutie,” McKenzie said of George, who was in his father’s arms. The baby was the picture of his dark-haired daddy. “How old is he?”

“He’s two going on twenty,” his mom said. “How old is Jax?”

“Nine months and soon to be too big for the baby carrier.”

“I miss that thing.” Jenny tucked blonde hair behind her ear. “George is a load to carry around when he refuses to use his feet for what they were made for.”

They were joined by Alex’s brother, Paul, his wife, Hope, and their daughter, Scarlett.

McKenzie was introduced to so many people that her head began to swim with names and faces. They enjoyed a delicious buffet dinner that included clam chowder and other seafood dishes, delicious roast beef, salads of all kinds and yummy desserts.

McKenzie was delighted to meet so many young children, who might become friends with Jax. How nice would that be?

Duke introduced her to everyone, helped her find a seat at a table and got her a plastic cup of ice water. “You want a drink drink?”

“No, thank you. I’m not back to drinking yet.” She could tell he didn’t understand what she meant. “I’m still feeding Jax. What I get, he gets.”

“Oh, right,” he said, adorably flustered. “Don’t laugh at me.”

Her lips quivered from the effort to hold it back. “I never would.”

“That’s a lie, and you know it.”

McKenzie was trying not to laugh when she looked up and saw Tiffany, Blaine, Ashleigh and Addie outside. “They did come.”

Duke turned to see who she was talking about. “Oh good. I’m glad. It’ll do them good to be with their people.”

Everyone wanted to hug Tiffany and Ashleigh.

McKenzie waited patiently for her new friend to greet the others before she, Duke and Jax went to say hello.

“I’m so sorry.” McKenzie and Duke hugged Tiffany and then Ashleigh. “I wish there was something else I could say.”

---