Page 6 of Renewal After Dark

“Home sweet home.”

“It’s lovely.”

“It’s not much, but it’s mine.”

“You own property on Gansett Island. That’s quite something. Gran always talked about how crazy the prices are out here.”

“She helped me buy this place by making the down payment, and I paid her back every month for ten years.”

“Oh, I love hearing that! She was so generous.”

“She changed my life by showing me what it was like to have someone in my corner.”

McKenzie looked over at him. “You’d never had that?”

“Not until I met her.”

Duke was reelingfrom the realization that he’d met McKenzie years earlier, when she was still a teenager. He remembered her. She’d been a beautiful kid who’d grown into a stunning woman. She was probably far too young for him to be dazzled by her. Out of respect for his dear friend Rosemary, he would keep his distance from her lovely granddaughter while helping her the way Rosemary had once helped him.

“Can I carry that for you?” he asked of the baby seat, which looked heavy.

She handed it over to him. “That’d be great. Thanks. He’s a load all of a sudden.”

Duke made a goofy face at the baby, which made the little guy giggle. Having never heard a baby giggle before, he was briefly stunned by the flutter in his chest at having been the cause of such a joyful sound.

So naturally, he did it again and again.

“He likes you,” McKenzie said as she followed him up the stairs to the apartment over the garage.

“He’s a cutie.”

“I’m so lucky that he’s such a good baby. He slept through most of the storm.”

Duke had so many questions. Where was the baby’s father? How had she not heard about the hurricane before it was too late? What was she going to do about the cottage next door that’d been flattened by the storm?

Now was not the time to ask any of that, however. He wanted to get them settled and comfortable. “So this is it. You’ve got a living room-kitchen combo, a bathroom and a bedroom.”

“It’s all we need. And it smells so clean. Thank you again so much, Duke.”

“I’d like to lie and say it always smells clean, but I spiffed it up a bit for you.”

“That’s very nice of you.”

“Least I could do. Is there anything else you need to get settled in?”

“I’ll take a walk into town to get some groceries and diapers.”

“Let me know when you want to go, and I’ll drive you. No need to walk.”

“I’m sure you have other things to do.”

“I’ve got time. Just let me know when you want to go.”

“Thank you again for everything. I feel like I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I owe your grandmother so, so much. This is how I can repay her. You know?”

“She’d never want you to feel like you had to repay her kindness.”

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