His groan echoed through his chest as he put his head back against the sofa and closed his eyes. “That’s all I’ve thought about for months—kissing you and touching you. I was so hoping you’d let me someday.”

Sarah’s cellphone chimed with a text from Owen. Back from the party. Want us to come pick up Holden? “Owen and Laura are offering to come pick him up,” Sarah said.

“Why don’t you let them come get him, and then you can stay here with me? If you want to, that is.”

“I want to.” She replied to Owen, letting him know it would be fine if they wanted to come get Holden.

Be there shortly, Owen replied. Thanks again for watching him.

Loved every minute of it.

“They’ll be here soon,” Sarah said, resting her head on Charlie’s shoulder.

“And then what?”

“Then we’ll have all night to spend together, if that’s okay.”

“Yes, Sarah,” Charlie said with a laugh, “that’s more than okay.”

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

As the clock ticked closer to six, Linda’s nerves became more frayed. How did one greet the child of one’s husband? The child neither of them had known about until a few hours ago? What would she say to her? How would her presence threaten the family Linda treasured above all else? Not to mention the marriage that was the center of her life.

Her husband was everything to her, and she’d always tried to give him the support and encouragement he deserved. From the very beginning of their relationship, she’d embraced his desire to build a business and a life on the remote island they called home. And it had been a good life, the very best life she could’ve ever hoped for. She would do anything to hold on to that, which was why she’d encouraged him to invite Mallory to dinner.

Even knowing she’d done the right thing for her husband, that didn’t mean she wasn’t nervous and worried about what would happen when their children found out they had another sister. She couldn’t begin to guess how they might react. She suspected Mac would be put out to learn he was no longer the oldest, and Janey might have something to say about another girl in the family.

Her husband came into the kitchen, looking handsome in the clothes he’d worn to the engagement party. “Can I do anything to help?”

“You never help in the kitchen.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m not willing to, especially tonight.”

He was hard to resist most of the time, but never more so than when he was being sweet. “I’m nervous, Mac. I don’t want to be, but I can’t help it. It scares me to think of someone coming into our family and changing things. I hate myself for even saying that—”