Nantucket (17 page)

A
s they pulled back up to the boathouse, the sky was on fire with gloriously pink and orange hues streaking across the sky. Cadie turned to Levi. “God has his paintbrush out,” she said with a weak smile.

Levi nodded. “I know! He puts the rest of us artists to shame!”

Liam hopped out and quickly tied the lines. Then he reached out and took Aidan, who was half asleep, from Levi's outstretched arms and set him on the dock. “Don't fall in,” he warned, steadying him. Levi handed Liam the coolers and bags, and helped Emma and Cadie out too. “I had a feeling this trip might be too much,” Liam said as Cadie leaned on him. “We probably should've headed home a lot sooner.”

“It wasn't too much,” she insisted.

“Mmm,” Liam murmured doubtfully.

“Besides, I loved every minute,” she said, squeezing his hand, “and at this point, that's all that matters.”

“Are you cold?” he asked, helping her to the truck.

“A little.”

He turned the truck on and clicked the heat to low. “I can't believe I'm turning the heat on in August!”

“It might be August, but it feels like September.”

“Will you be okay while I bring in the boat?”

Cadie nodded. “I'm fine . . . just tired.”

“Okay, I'll be right back.”

As Cadie watched Liam hurry back down the boat launch, she rubbed her abdomen, tears filling her eyes.

Levi and Emma loaded the coolers, beach bags, and chairs into his car, and Liam started to open the boathouse, but then he remembered the railcar was already occupied by John Alden's sailboat. He swore, not wanting to take the time to load the boat onto the trailer, so he just locked the doors again.

“How is she?” Levi asked as he walked by with the last of their gear.

“She
says
she's fine, but she always says that.”

“Well, we're going to pick up the pizza. Do you want us to take Aidan?”

“No, he can go with us.”

“Okay, we'll see you back at the house.”

“All right,” Liam said, hurrying down the ramp to make sure the boat was secure. “C'mon, Aid,” he called, and Aidan threw the stones he had in his hand into the water and hurried after him.

As Liam approached the truck, he realized he couldn't see Cadie, and when he opened the door, he found her lying across the seat. “Cade, what's the matter?”

She moaned softly and Liam looked around the parking lot to see if Levi was still there, but his car was gone. “Can you sit up?” he asked, but she didn't answer.

“Is she dying?” Aidan asked, anxious tears welling up in his eyes.

“No, she just needs her pain medicine and it's in the”—he looked in the back of the truck—“cooler . . . which is in the damn car!”

“Okay, Cadie, you've got to move over,” he said, lifting up her head and edging behind the wheel. “Aid, climb up here.”

Aidan climbed up awkwardly and Liam closed the door, wondering what seatbelt law he was breaking as he spun the tires and pulled out of the parking lot. “Damn, it's hot in here!” he mumbled, rolling down the window, and then he remembered why it
was
hot and rolled it up again. For a brief second, he considered trying to find Levi and Emma, but then he thought better of it—there were at least five pizza places on Nantucket and they were all in opposite directions of the house . . . besides, there was probably another bottle of pain medicine at home.

“Is she going to be okay?” Aidan asked worriedly, as he watched his mom clutching her stomach.

“She'll be okay, pal. She just has a tummy ache,” Liam consoled, trying to remember the last time he'd seen her take anything. He knew she hated taking the pain meds because they made her drowsy, but he also knew she needed to stay ahead of the pain, or it ran her over like a locomotive.

Ten minutes later, they pulled into the driveway, and after he'd lifted Aidan down, he gently gathered Cadie's featherlight body into his arms. She whimpered, but he whispered, “I'm sorry, Cade, but I have to carry you inside.”

“It's okay, Mommy,” Aidan said, trailing along behind them.

When Liam opened the door, Tuck bounded out happily. “Go get busy, Tuck,” he commanded, letting the door slam behind them, but Tuck, hearing Cadie crying, just stared through the screen and watched as they disappeared down the hall. He barked, wanting to be let back in, but no one came.

Liam laid her on the bed and she pulled her knees up to her chest and lay still. He pulled the blanket up over her and hurried into the bathroom to scan the pill bottles—there were two empty oxycodone bottles and a full bottle of something called Roxanol. He studied the label uncertainly, trying to figure what it was . . . and then he saw the word morphine. Had she taken morphine before? He didn't want to give her something she‘d never taken because he didn't know how she'd react, but he had to give her
something . . .
and what the hell was taking Levi so long?!

In the next room, he heard her cry out and then he heard Aidan softly telling her it was okay. His heart pounded. What had he been thinking, taking her out all day?! He obviously knew nothing about caring for someone who was dying! Nothing! You certainly don't take a dying person on an all-day joy ride, and you definitely need to be better educated about their medicine. What had the hospice nurse said about morphine? Was it slow release or would it help right away? He couldn't remember. Cadie cried out again and Liam swore again. “I'm just giving it to her,” he said, filling a cup with water.

He sat on the bed and coaxed her to sit up. She turned her head and he slipped a pill in her mouth; then he got her to take a sip of water. “Did it go down?” he asked. She nodded and lay back on the pillow.

“Is she dying?” Aidan asked again in a trembling voice, his eyes full of tears.

Liam looked up, searched the little boy's eyes, and pulled him onto his lap. “Oh, pal,” he said softly. “Everybody dies sometime . . . but your mom isn't dying tonight. She's too much of a fighter.”

Aidan nodded. “I don't want her to die . . .
ever.
”

“I don't want her to die ever either,” Liam whispered into his wispy hair. They sat there for a long time, holding on to the hope that she wouldn't die . . .
ever,
and then Tuck, who was still waiting outside, barked, and Aidan looked up. “I think he wants to come in.”

“I think he does too,” Liam said with a half smile.

L
isa was there first thing the next morning, and while she helped Cadie bathe and put on fresh pajamas, Liam changed her sheets. Then they both helped her back to bed. Although the pain was finally under control, and the bath, fresh linens, and pajamas felt wonderful, Cadie was still exhausted and drifted off as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Lisa looked up at Liam and smiled. “She showed me her ring—it's beautiful!”

“Yes, well, we did too much yesterday,” he said, regretfully. “This is all my fault.”

Lisa put her hand on his arm. “No, don't blame yourself—you're doing the best you can in very difficult circumstances. I know you want to make every day count . . .
and
every moment last, but you have to allow some downtime . . . for
both
of you.”

“I know. I just wanted to do it before . . . before it was too late.”

“I completely understand—trust me! And you're right—she's going to start to lose the little strength she has left, and you and Levi are going to have to be very diligent about making sure she's not in pain. If you don't think you can manage it, you need to let me know.”

Liam shook his head. “We can do it.”

“Do you have any more questions about her meds?”

“No, I think I've got it now.”

Lisa nodded as she jotted something on a slip of paper and handed it to him. “This is my cell phone number. You can call me anytime—day or night.”

Liam nodded. “There are some other things Cadie and I need to take care of . . .”

Lisa smiled. “Give her a couple days and get her to eat. She's not giving up yet.”

“Thanks, Lisa.”

“You're a good guy, Liam—she's lucky to have you, but you need to get some rest. Promise me you'll let Levi take a shift, so you can take a nap.”

“I promise,” Liam said with a weary smile.

After she'd left, Liam looked in on Cadie and realized Tuck was lying beside her. “I just changed those sheets, mister,” he scolded softly, but Tuck just gave him a sad look. Liam shook his head and wondered if dogs could tell when someone was dying. He went back into the kitchen, poured a cup of coffee, and sank into a chair. He knew their situation wasn't unique—there were people all around the world who were, at that very moment, keeping watch at the bedsides of loved ones who were dying. Somehow, though, that realization was little consolation—he still felt as if they were in a broken-down boat alone . . . on stormy seas without a paddle! He looked down and realized Cadie's Bible was on the table. He pulled it toward him and looked at it—it was open to Psalm 42—and as he slowly read the words, he was filled with an overwhelming sense of peace.
This is what Cadie has been talking about,
he thought.
This is what I've been missing.
He turned the page and continued to read.

A half an hour later, he closed the Bible and gazed out the window. Then he reached into his wallet, pulled out John Alden's card, and dialed. It rang once before going straight to voice mail. Liam cleared his throat. “Hey, John. It's Liam. I was wondering if you might have time to meet with me this afternoon . . .” He paused. “It's kind of urgent.”

As he hung up the phone, he heard car doors slamming. He went out on the porch and saw Levi and Emma, with their arms full of grocery bags, making their way toward him. Aidan's arms were full, too, but his were wrapped around a pot with a tremendous white lily in it. “This is Mona,” he said matter-of-factly. “She's for my mom.”

Levi chuckled and shook his head. “He means it's a Mona Lisa lily. He and Emma picked it out.”

“Is there more?” Liam asked, coming down the steps.

“No, this is it,” Emma said, handing him a bag.

They set everything on the counter and Liam surveyed the pile. “I don't think you bought enough food!”

“Emma's going to help out with the cooking. She claims it's easier to plan a week-long menu than to try to figure out one day at a time.” He grinned. “Who knew?!”

Emma shook her head. “No offense, but men just don't know how to plan ahead—at least when it comes to meals. My mum always says, ‘Men get hungry and go to the store to buy something to satisfy their immediate hunger, but it never occurs to them that maybe, while they're there, they should buy something for the next day too. It simply doesn't occur to them that they're going to get hungry again!'
And
my mum's right—my brothers and dad are the same way.”

Liam and Levi looked at each other and smiled—it was definitely going to be nice to have a home-cooked meal!

“How's Mom?” Levi asked as he emptied the bags.

“Lisa was here and she helped her in the bathroom and I changed the sheets. Then we went over the meds again.” He looked at the clock. “She took a pain pill at ten, so she can have another after two, but she said the morphine might make her even drowsier—everyone reacts differently, so we'll have to see . . . maybe she'll be
less
drowsy. Anyway, will you guys be okay if I go run a few errands?”

“We'll be fine,” Levi said, unplugging Cadie's phone from its charger. “Take this with you, though, so I can reach you.”

Liam took the phone and slipped it in his pocket. “Oh! I'm expecting a call from the attorney—his name is John Alden. If he calls, can you give him this number?”

Levi nodded. “Do you think you might have time to swing by the elementary school?”

Liam frowned. “Why?”

“Because it's almost Labor Day and everybody's already out buying school supplies . . . and if Aidan's going to go to school out here, he needs to be registered.”

Liam opened the fridge and pulled out the leftover pizza from the night before. “I'm also going to the town hall to find out what we need to get a marriage certificate.” He pried a piece of cold pizza off the top of the pile. “You guys should have this for lunch,” he said, motioning to the plate, and as he pushed open the screen door, he took a big bite. “See you in a bit.”

A moment later, he came back in. “What grade?” he asked with his mouth full of pizza.

“Second!” Aidan chimed.

L
iam was standing in the quiet Nantucket Elementary School office, filling out the registration paperwork, when the B-52's broke into song. He looked up, startled, remembered the phone, and reached into his pocket. “I'm never going to get used to carrying this phone,” he muttered; then he noticed that the two secretaries were looking at each other and smiling.

He stepped out into the hall to take the call and returned a moment later. “I think I'm going to have to take this stuff home,” he said. “There are some things I'm not sure about.”

“That's fine,” one of the secretaries replied, getting up and walking over to the counter. “Here's a school handbook and a schedule of upcoming events. Will your son be taking the bus?”

“I'm not sure,” Liam said, startled by the weighty responsibility inferred by the words
your son.

“Okay, well, you can let us know. School starts Tuesday—the day after Labor Day, but there's an open house on Friday.”

“This Friday?!” Liam asked, looking perplexed. “Labor Day is
next
weekend?”

The secretary nodded, wondering how a grown man could not know this.

Liam saw the look on her face and quickly recovered. “I mean, I can't believe summer is over, can you?”

“No, I can't,” she said glumly. “Anyway, when you bring in your son, he'll be able to see his classroom and meet his teacher, Mrs. Polley—she's a real sweetheart.”

Flustered by the entire conversation, Liam gathered up the papers. “Thank you,” he said, smiling. “Oh,” he said, holding up the phone, “this is my wife's.”

The secretary smiled. “If you say so . . .”

Ten minutes later, Liam was standing in the town clerk's office. “Hey, Liam,” the town clerk's secretary said, looking up from her desk. “What can I do for you?”

“Hey, Luce,” Liam said, looking hopefully past his old high-school classmate into the dark office behind her. “Is Tom here?”

“No, he's on vacation. Can I help you?”

Liam inwardly groaned—Lucy Reynolds was the biggest gossip on the face of the earth, and if he asked her about a marriage license, everyone on the island would know about it before he even got home. He looked around to see if there might be a pamphlet lying on the counter.

“Are you looking for something specific?” Lucy asked. “Voter registration? Dog license—did you get Tucket his new license? Because if you didn't, I'm afraid there's a late fee . . .”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I hate politics and Tuck is up to date. What I need is . . .” He paused and took a deep breath. “. . . information about getting a marriage license.”

“Ahh . . .” Lucy said, smiling knowingly as she stood up. “Are we ready to take the plunge?”

Liam groaned inwardly again.
How can she smile like that when she's never even
been
married?
“I'd just like to know how one goes about it,” Liam said, attempting nonchalance.

“Well,” Lucy began, sensing his desire for discretion, “the couple—whoever they may be—must appear in person and apply for the license, and they must bring in picture IDs. Then, there's a three-day waiting period, and after that, they're free to wed.”

“That's it?!” Liam said in surprise.

“That's it,” Lucy confirmed.

“Do you have an application?”

“Right here,” Lucy said, reaching under the counter.

Liam quickly looked it over. “Do you happen to know if there's a justice of the peace on the island?”

Lucy brought her hand to her chin. “Hmm . . . well, Tom is—but as I said, he's on vacation . . . but I think Sally Adams is . . .”

“Sally is a justice of the peace?!”

“Well, she used to be . . . whether she stayed current, I'm not sure, but I can probably look it up. . . .” she said, opening a drawer.

“No, that's okay,” Liam said as he headed for the door. “Thanks.”

Lucy looked up in surprise as the door closed. “You're welcome,” she called back; then she hurried back to her desk, sat her wide bottom back in her chair, and picked up her phone. “Guess who was just in here asking questions about a marriage license!”

 

After a quick stop at the jeweler's to drop off Cadie's ring, Liam pulled in to the boathouse parking lot and realized John was already there. He got out, looked around, and saw him standing on the dock. “Hey,” he said, walking down the ramp. “Sorry I'm late.”

“You're not late,” John said, looking at his watch. “I'm early, for a change.”

Liam unlocked the boathouse and turned on the lights. “C'mon in,” he said.

John followed him back to the tidy desk that had once been Cooper's and then glanced over into the workshop and saw
Pride & Joy
cradled on the rail car. “Hey, you
did
start working on it! I didn't think you had.” He walked over to survey the broken planks lined up on the floor.

“I did,” Liam said, standing next to him, “but I didn't get very far.”

“That's okay,” John said. “I know how it is when life throws you a curve.”

Liam chuckled and shook his head. “I think life's actually throwing a no-hitter at the moment.”

John nodded, sitting down across from him. “So what have you decided?”

Liam reached into his shirt. “I brought the letter from Cadie's father's attorney.”

John looked it over. “I know Frank Collins—he has a high-powered office in New York, but since Cadie lives in Massachusetts, the case will be decided here. Anyway, are you willing to try for custody and does Cadie agree?”

“Yes, I'm willing, and Cadie loves the idea.”

“Okay, then the first step—which we should take right away—is to draw up a will. Do you know if she has one?”

“I don't,” Liam said regretfully.

“It doesn't matter,” John assured him. “A new one will override any previous documents, and the one I draw up will be simple and straightforward—it will not only take care of any possessions, but it will also, more importantly, state her wishes regarding legal guardianship for her son. It's not complicated. She just designates the person or persons she hopes will be willing to raise him. She can name you first and Levi second. Under normal circumstances—when there aren't any challengers—a document like that would be sufficient, but since we already know her father is going to challenge it, we have to be ready . . . and then there's the boy's father.”

“From what I gather, he's given up all rights and has no interest in Aidan.”

“That may be, but Cadie's father might reach out to him and offer to pay him to
show
interest and then later take the boy off his hands—you never know to what lengths people will go. We have to be ready for anything.”

“You're right about that—I'm sure there's nothing that's below him,” Liam said.

John nodded. “Unfortunately, the world is full of people like that.” He paused. “Did you happen to bring that paper?”

Liam nodded and handed him the form Cadie had filled out with all of her pertinent information. “Great, I'll get right to work on the will, and when it's ready, I'll stop by so she can sign it.” He tapped his pen on the paper. “Let's see,” he murmured, “is there anything else?” He paused. “You should also know you don't have to wait to start the adoption process. Do you have a computer?”

Liam shook his head and John chuckled. “
Why
am I not surprised? Well, it doesn't matter. I'll brink the appropriate paperwork when I stop by,” he said, jotting a note on Cadie's form. “I guess that's it,” he added, scanning the paper. Then he looked up and smiled. “If you're going to raise a child in this day and age, you should probably get a computer. Everything from signing up for swimming lessons to applying to colleges is on-line these days.” Liam nodded, but John could see he wasn't convinced. “I probably have an old one you could have.”

“Thanks,” Liam said, “but I think I'll wait to see if I really will be raising a child.” He paused. “By the way, I asked Cadie to marry me.”

“You did?! What'd she say?”

“Yes,” he said with a grin, “and now, Levi wants to change his name. Maybe later, you could help us with that too.”

“That's easy,” John said, smiling. “People change their names all the time.” Then he frowned. “But hasn't he been working on establishing himself as an artist? Won't it set him back to not keep the name people are just beginning to recognize?”

“I asked him the same question, but he said he doesn't care.”

John nodded. “So when's the wedding?”

“After we apply for the license, there's a three-day waiting period . . . so if we go tomorrow, we'll have it by Friday.”

“That just might help your case too,” John said thoughtfully. “If you're married to Cadie and adopting Aidan, it will show the court you're truly committed. By the way, is Aidan starting school here?”

“Yes, I was just there filling out the paperwork.”

“Perfect. That'll help too,” John said. “The court won't want to uproot him if he's settled in and doing well.” He stood up. “I guess that's it for now, Liam. If we run into any obstacles I have an old classmate who's a judge . . .
and
she has a place on the Vineyard,” he added with a smile. “By the way, how's Cadie doing?”

“She's hanging in there. I wore her out yesterday so she's recovering today. But she's so amazing—no matter how bad it gets, she just keeps smiling.”

“My mom died of cancer,” John said with a nod, “and she always kept up a good front. It takes a special person to face the end of life with a smile on their face. Not everyone can do it. If it were me, I'd be miserable and no one would want to be around me.”

Liam followed him to the door. “I can't thank you enough, John,” he said, extending his hand.

John nodded. “Please tell Cadie I'm looking forward to meeting the woman who stole the heart of Nantucket's most eligible bachelor. And tell her not to worry.”

“I will,” Liam said, and as he watched John pull away, he regretted that he'd never taken the time to get to know him. He'd always thought of him as just another customer with too much money, but he was wrong—John was kind and willing to help . . .
and
he'd had a mom who'd smiled in the face of death. A person who'd been raised by a woman like that couldn't be half-bad. Maybe
he
was the one with the attitude . . . and maybe
he
shouldn't assume so much!

Liam's last stop was Cuppa Jo to Go. “Hey, Liam!” Sally said when he walked in. “I heard the big news,” she said as she wiped down the counters.

“Are you kidding?!” Liam said, shaking his head.

“Word travels fast.”

“Who told you?”

“Chase . . . or maybe it was Devon—I can never keep their names straight . . . but they're taking all the credit.”

He shook his head again. “It's that damn Lucy Reynolds—she shouldn't be allowed to work in the town hall—she's got her nose in everybody's business.”

“People were bound to find out,” Sally consoled as she emptied coffeepots and cleaned around them.

“Hold on,” Liam said, reaching for the last pot. “I'll have some of that, even though what I could really use is a good, stiff drink.”

“I have some beer in back,” Sally offered.

“You do?!”

She nodded.

“You want one?” he asked, walking behind the counter to help himself.

“Sure,” she said, looking up at the clock as she locked the front door.

He opened two bottles and she sat down across from him at one of the tables.

“Congratulations!” she said, tapping her bottle against his.

“Thanks,” he said, taking a sip.

“She must mean a lot to you.”

“She does. We never had the chance to be together.”

Sally nodded. “I remember Coop talking about you two. His heart broke when he saw how crushed you were.”

“It did?”

She nodded. “He never let on, but he was a pretty romantic fella.”

“Noo,” Liam said with a teasing smile.

“Mm-hmm,” Sally said, taking a sip of her beer.

“Well, sometime you're going to have to tell me how you know that.”

“Mm . . . maybe,” Sally teased.

“Anyway, before Lucy got on her speed dial, she said you were a justice of the peace . . . are you still?”

“I
am,
” Sally said.

He smiled. “What are you doin' Friday night?”

“Having wedding cake at your house,” she said with a laugh.