Page 72 of Renewal After Dark

“We like to keep things interesting on Gansett. You know Jordan Stokes?”

“As in Jordan and Gigi?”

“One and the same. She’s engaged to and expecting a baby with our fire chief, Mason Johns, and Gigi’s madly in love with the billionaire’s brother Cooper. They filmed a season of their show here. Should be on TV soon.”

“Stop it. No way.”

“Way.”

“I love them. They’re so funny. How did they end up here?”

“Jordan’s grandmother has owned a house here for like fifty years. She and her twin sister, Nikki, who’s engaged to Riley McCarthy, spent summers here when they were kids.”

“Ah, I see.”

Tiffany returned with another woman, who was probably in her early forties. She had reddish-brown hair and brown eyes.

“Kendall James, meet McKenzie Martin.”

McKenzie shook hands with the other woman. “Nice to meet you.”

“You as well.”

“This is my friend, Duke Sullivan.”

Duke shook hands with Kendall. “Nice to meet another James sibling.”

“I’m the classy one of the bunch.”

Duke and McKenzie laughed.

“I understand you’re in need of some legal assistance.”

McKenzie looked at Duke, who nodded in encouragement. “Yes, I am, but I don’t want to bother you at a party.”

“It’s no bother. My brother and his wife are entertaining my sons, so this is as good a time as any.”

“Let me take Jax and show him the boats,” Duke said.

“Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“I’m sure.”

After Duke walked away with Jax in his arms, McKenzie sat next to Kendall. “Thank you for this.”

“It’s no problem. I’m planning to work from here, anyway. I’m the general counsel for my brother’s business, which is mostly on paper these days. So I have time for other stuff. Tell me what’s going on.”

“Well, there was this guy…”

“Why does it always start that way?” Kendall asked, smiling.

“Right? This one was charming and said all the right things. We were together for a year. I thought he might be the one, only to find out he was married with two kids. I found that out after I told him I was pregnant. Then he said he’d had a vasectomy, so there’s no way my baby was his.” McKenzie couldn’t believe that she could still be so outraged after all this time. “That was a lie. I hadn’t been with anyone but him, and he knew it.”

“Ugh, what an asshole.”

“Totally. Part of me wants to leave it alone, but the other part, the one that’s struggled to make ends meet and pay for everything Jax needs, wants to make him do his part.”

“I understand that. Better than you might think. I have to warn you, though, it could get ugly. There’s probably a good chance his wife doesn’t know about you or Jax, and once she finds out, the shit will hit the fan for him. He’s apt to turn that around on you.”

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