“The offer appeals to me because someone else would deal with the insurance companies, the licensing, the state—all the crap that doctors hate—and I’d get to be part of it from the beginning. I like that.”

“We’re currently recruiting for an administrator,” Lizzie said.

“And when you hire that person, you’d tell him or her that I’m in charge of the medical end?”

“Absolutely,” she said. “We’d make that crystal clear.”

“The one thing we haven’t talked about is your salary,” Jared said. “I hope you know you can name your price. My wife has her heart set on having you on the team, and I like to make her happy.”

“That’s very generous,” Quinn said. “Thank you both for the vote of confidence. If nothing else, your interest in me for this has been good for my ego.”

After a long pause, during which Lizzie had to hold her tongue to keep from trying to hard-sell him, he said, “Brutus and I could use a change of pace. We’ll give it a whirl.”

“Yes!” Lizzie cried, loud enough to wake the sleeping puppy, who came to barking and growling.

“Easy, boy,” Quinn said, patting his head. “Auntie Lizzie gets a little excited.”

“She loves nothing more than when one of her plans comes together,” Jared said, sending her a warm smile.

Lizzie could tell he was every bit as thrilled as she was that Quinn would be coming to the island. “You can stay with us for as long as you need to,” she said. “We’ve got plenty of room.”

“You guys don’t need me underfoot. I’ll find my own place.”

“Our friend Ned is the guy to talk to about houses on the island,” Jared said. “He’ll hook you up.”

“How soon do you want me here?”

“Um, last week?” Lizzie said.

“I’ll need a week or two to get my shit together, but it won’t take long. And then I’m all yours.”

Lizzie rubbed her hands together gleefully.

“Why do I feel like I’ve made a deal with the devil?” Quinn asked, amused by her reaction.

“You have no idea, bro,” Jared said with a long-suffering sigh even as he looked at her with love and affection. “No idea at all.”

A madhouse greeted Slim and Erin when they arrived at the McCarthy home, which was filled with family members and friends. Thomas McCarthy and his cousin Ashleigh Sturgil chased each other through the house, their faces flushed with Christmas excitement. The house smelled of evergreen and spices, and a fire cast a warm glow over the big room full of people.

“Welcome to Bedlam,” Evan said as he took their coats and offered them drinks.

Slim asked for a beer, and Erin said she was good for now.

“Sorry about the insanity,” Evan said, handing the cold bottle to Slim. “This family gets bigger every year.”