Too little, too late, he decided as he deleted the text and her name from his list of contacts. He had nothing left to say to her. If only it was that easy to erase the memory of her from his heart and mind.

“Son?” his dad said from inside. “Are you coming in to eat?”

Adam realized he was starving—for dinner and the company of his loving, if often exasperating, family. “Yeah, I’m coming.”

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Sitting at the McCarthy’s dining room table with Seamus’s chair far too close to hers, Carolina had trouble swallowing her food. Taking her relationship public was one thing. Doing it here was another thing altogether. She’d helped to raise Janey and her siblings, and the shock on the faces of Mac, Adam and Big Mac had been mortifying. Thankful for small favors, she was glad Evan and Grant hadn’t made it to dinner, but she was certain they’d hear her news before the day was out.

Apparently, Linda had refrained from telling anyone—even her husband—the news Carolina had shared earlier in the day. Thus Carolina’s inability to eat or breathe or make eye contact with the young people who’d been a part of her life since her son Joe befriended Mac McCarthy in kindergarten. What would they think of her now? The woman who’d stayed with them when their parents went on vacation, who’d shared holidays, birthdays, graduations and other milestones with them? Now she was sleeping with a man their age.

Her skin felt hot and tight, and her throat closed, making it impossible to eat anything. She put down her fork and dabbed at her lips with her napkin.

“Carolina?” Maddie said from across the table. “Are you all right?”

Immediately, Seamus turned to her, and his eyes widened. “What is it, love?

Carolina couldn’t seem to speak or get enough air to her lungs.

“She’s having an allergic reaction,” Janey said, getting up as quickly as she could.

“Linda,” Grace said, “get some allergy medicine. Hurry.”

“Carolina!” Seamus said. “Say something, love. You’re scaring me.”

“Mom!” Joe cried as he rushed around the table to her.

Janey came around the table where everyone but Caro was now standing. “Give her some room.” She pushed through the group, dipped a napkin into a glass of ice water and ran it over Carolina’s face.

The cold water on her heated skin felt heavenly.

“You’re okay, Caro. Try to breathe.”

Carolina focused on her daughter-in-law’s blue eyes and drew shallow breaths into her lungs.

“That’s it.”

Linda returned with the medication. “I only have the liquid kind.”

“That’s better,” Grace said. “She’ll be able to get it down easier.”

Carolina continued to focus on Janey as she swallowed the liquid that brought immediate relief to the tightness in her throat.