Gansett After Dark Read Free Page A

Owen. This is your home now. Relax and enjoy it.”
    “I do like being with you guys, and having the rest of the family nearby is cool, too.”
    “It sure does beat sitting alone in your dark apartment.”
    His smile faded at the reminder of how he’d spent a year after his marriage imploded. “It certainly does.”
    “Can I ask your advice on something?”
    “ You want my advice? Wow, this is quite a moment for the little brother.”
    “Seriously.”
    His smile faded. “What’s wrong?”
    “The trial.”
    “What about it?”
    “Owen doesn’t want me to go.”
    “He came right out and said that?”
    “Yes.”
    “Did he say why?”
    “The first time he brought it up, he made it about the travel and the baby and all that. But we just talked about it again, and he’s ashamed of airing his family’s dirty laundry in front of me. I’ve already heard a lot of it, but there’s got to be so much more I haven’t heard.”
    “You can’t blame him for wanting to protect you from that.”
    “I don’t blame him, but who will protect him ? How do I let him go through that alone?”
    “Maybe he needs to do this alone, Laura.”
    “He’s been so there for me, you know? From the very beginning. Before there was even anything romantic between us, he was taking care of me. I want to take care of him, but he won’t let me.”
    “Have you talked to Sarah about it?”
    “Not yet, but I probably should.”
    “It’s so hard to believe—when I see the way he is with Holden and with you—that he was fathered by a man like that.”
    “I know,” Laura said with a sigh. “He doesn’t say so, but he worries his father’s character is lurking inside of him. I’ve never seen any sign of that kind of rage. Well, except for the night his mother arrived here last fall after his father had beaten her up. He wanted blood that night.”
    “That’s a natural reaction any decent man would feel after seeing his mother abused.”
    “What should I do about the trip?”
    “You’ve got a couple of days to figure it out, but I can see why you want to go—and I can see why he doesn’t want you there. He’s trying to protect you.”
    “And I love him for that, but I want to protect him . I want to be there with him through all of this. He’d never let me go through something like this by myself. Remember the night I went to Providence to have it out with Justin when he was refusing to sign the divorce papers?”
    Shane nodded.
    “Owen went with me and sat at a different table so he could be right there if I needed him. He couldn’t bear the thought of me going alone, and that’s how I feel about him going to the trial without me.”
    “Perhaps you should remind him of that incident and how important it was to him to be there for you.”
    “You’re right. I should. Thanks, Shane. I appreciate you listening.”
    “Happy to do something for you for a change.”
    Holden let out a squeak from his crib.
    “I was hoping if I hung out long enough, he’d wake up.” Shane swallowed the last of his soda. “I’ll get him.”
    “He’s probably got a thirty-pound diaper.”
    “I can handle it. Relax for a few more minutes while you can.”
    “Thanks.” Laura lay back on the pillows, smiling as she listened to the delightful chatter between Shane and Holden. The two of them shared a beautiful bond, and Holden lit up at the sight of Shane, which thrilled her brother. Being here with them had been good for him. It had given him time and space to heal but had kept him engaged with the people who loved him while he worked his way through the awful pain that followed Courtney’s descent into addiction. He’d stood by her through rehab only to hear at the end that his marriage was over.  
    Laura and their dad, Frank, had wondered more than once if Shane would ever get past the pain of his divorce. Since he’d been on the island, however, she’d seen a noticeable improvement, and being around Holden had definitely helped.