He burst out laughing, which earned him a glower from his beloved. “I love you so much, Kara Ballard. You’ll never know how much.”

She crooked her finger at him.

Tipping his head in close to her, he held his breath when she whispered in his ear.

“Knowing that makes all of this bearable.” She curled her hand around his arm and gave a possessive squeeze that made him want to drag her out of there in search of a coatroom. Certainly a place like this had a goddamned coatroom, didn’t it? Probably not, since most of the venues on the island catered to a summer crowd that didn’t wear coats. But it was a hotel, too… The idea had his wheels turning. “Would you excuse me for one minute, hon?”

“One minute and one minute only,” she said.

“I’ll be right back.” He left her with a kiss on the cheek and headed for the registration desk, delighted with his plan to surprise her after the party.

Watching Dan walk with purpose out of the room, Kara wanted to chase after him, but he was probably going to the men’s room or something.

“What a great party,” Abby Callahan said as she gave Kara a hug.

“I can’t take any of the credit,” Kara said, introducing Abby and her boyfriend, Adam, to her parents.

“There’re a lot of McCarthys on this island,” Judith said when she shook hands with Adam.

He laughed and nodded in agreement. “Five in my family, then there’re my cousins Laura and Shane, and their dad, my Uncle Frank. My Uncle Kevin and his family are coming over soon for Laura’s wedding. He’s got two sons.”

“I suppose we’re hardly ones to talk,” Chuck said with a laugh. “We’ve got eleven kids, including Kara.”

“The thought of that makes me feel faint,” Abby said.

“I was pregnant for years,” Judith said.

Kara was well aware of exactly how many months her mother had spent pregnant, because she’d heard the number ninety-nine all her life.

“It’s nice to meet you both,” Adam said. “We love Kara.”

At that moment, Kara loved him right back.

“She’s a wonderful daughter,” Chuck said with an affectionate squeeze for Kara.

It took everything she had not to push him away like she had for the last two years after he and her mother threw a fancy wedding for Kelly and Matt, as if their relationship hadn’t left Kara completely flattened. Her dad was trying. She’d give him that much, but not much more. Where the hell was Dan?

“So are you guys going to be next?” Kara asked Adam and Abby.

Abby blushed while Adam stammered. “Um, well, not really quite there yet, are we, babe?”

“Not yet,” Abby replied with a smile for him.