“Ye-yes, ma’am.” Kristen’s hands trembled as she typed on the computer and then reached for a slip of paper from a printer. “Here you are. I’m sure you know to be here an hour before the boat leaves.”

“I sure do. Thanks for your help, Kristen.” Carolina picked up a pen, wrote her phone number on a slip of paper and slid it across the counter. “If your boss gives you any trouble over this, you call me, honey, okay?”

Kristen took the paper and tucked it into her pocket. “I will.”

Satisfied that she’d taken care of business, Carolina turned away from the ticket window to find her fiancé, Seamus O’Grady, standing with his legs parted and his arms crossed over his broad chest. Even with his brows narrowed in displeasure, he was one sexy devil. “What’re you about, love?”

“Taking care of a little business, which is none of yours.”

“What business of yours isn’t mine?”

Carolina poked her index finger into his chest. “The business of my grandson, who I am going to see tomorrow.”

“But you’ve been so sick—”

“Past tense. I’m fine now. The fever is gone. The congestion is gone. If I don’t see that baby, my son and daughter-in-law, I’m going to kill someone. And since you’re handy, it’d be in your best interest to stay out of the way of these plans.”

“I’ll make some calls.”

“What calls? If you cancel my reservation or give that very nice girl Kristen a hard time for helping me—”

“I was going to call in one of our part-time captains to cover for me tomorrow so I can go with you.”

Chastened, Carolina said, “Oh.”

He ran his thumb over her cheek, making her want to lean into him even when she was sort of fighting with him. “I want to see them, too, love. It’s been killing me that you were too sick to go, because I knew it was breaking your heart to be kept from them.”

“I can’t go one more day without seeing them.”

“I understand.”

“You understand, yet you’re the one who’s been telling me I can’t go.”

He tossed his hands up in frustration. “Because you were contagious. You couldn’t take that around a premature baby.”

“I know that! I just wanted to…” She shook her head, filled with frustration that fizzled as she looked up at his gorgeous, sincere face. “You’re right. I know you’re right, but I’m going crazy stuck on this island while they’re in Providence. I’ve already missed so much with my grandson.”