“The only reason I’m allowed to come home is for your wedding, brat?”

“We’re not supposed to call her that anymore,” Mac said dryly.

“And how’s that going?” Grant asked.

“Not so well,” Janey said with a scowl for Mac.

“When did you get in?” Joe asked, shaking hands with Grant.

“On the last boat. Mom and Dad said you guys were here.”

Luke introduced Grant to Sydney.

“I think we might’ve met years ago,” she said.

“I remember. Nice to see you.”

Grant shook hands with Owen and hugged Luke. “Good to see you.”

“You too. How are things in Lala Land?”

“Fake, pretentious and utterly decadent.”

While the others laughed at Grant’s description of Hollywood, Luke took a moment to study his old friend. Of all the McCarthy brothers, Luke had always been closest to Grant, even though the two of them didn’t have a damned thing in common.

Grant had been the smartest kid in their small island school, and no one had been surprised when he grew up to be an Academy Award-winning screenwriter. Since moving to Los Angeles more than a decade ago, he’d been back to the island only a handful of times—most recently for Mac and Maddie’s wedding last summer.

Grant hugged Mac and made a fuss over Maddie’s round belly. “Thank you for taking the pressure off the rest of us, big brother.”

Mac sent his wife a salacious smile. “My pleasure.”

“Mac,” Maddie said, smacking him.

“What? It was my pleasure.”

“Shut up.”

As Grant laughed at their banter and joined the group, Luke thought his friend looked tired and maybe a little sad.

Since he was sitting next to them, Luke saw Janey place a hand over Grant’s. “You’ve heard about Abby,” she said quietly.

Grant replied with a short nod, his jaw tightening with tension.

“Is that why you’re here?”

Grant seemed to rally for Janey’s sake. “I came for your wedding, brat.” He kissed his sister’s forehead. “Don’t worry about me.”

“What’ll you do?”

“Whatever I can,” Grant replied grimly.

On the way home, Sydney told herself to relax and not to freak out every time a car came at them from the other direction.

Luke reached for her hand. “You okay over there?”

“Trying to be.”

“We’re almost there. Just another minute. Hang on.”

Sydney cradled his hand between both of hers. “Sorry to be so skittish.”

“Don’t be sorry. It’s understandable. Did you have fun tonight?”

“I sure did. Maddie is campaigning hard for me move here permanently.”

“Is she now?”

“She says it’s a lot more fun in the winters than it was growing up. Of course that’s because she has Mac now.”

“I’ve never seen him so happy.”

“What was going on with Grant? He got really quiet.”

“His ex-girlfriend Abby got engaged recently. She owns Abby’s Attic in town.”