“Don’t you have the beach house down the coast?” Stasia asks.
“Well, yeah, but it’s the island.”
I laugh. “I’d be happy to sell you something. Just let me know when you want to look.”
“You know, we could all come over to the island, the couples, and stay in vacation rentals or something,” Nat says, thinking it over. “Us girls could have our night, and the guys could hang at the pub. And then maybe you and Nate can look for real estate.”
“You know I love to multi-task,” Jules says, thinking it over. “And I love this idea. Let’s plan it.”
“The island won’t know what hit it,” I say, already excited.
The storm outside is crazy. Because we’re surrounded by water, it’s not unusual for rain to come in and stay for a while, but this storm came out of nowhere, and it’s a doozy.
The wind howls and is probably wreaking havoc on my roof. I’ve known that I need to replace it for a couple of seasons, but I thought I’d be buying my dream house soon.
“I guess the roof’s back on my list,” I mutter and then jump when lightning explodes, and thunder rails against the house. “Jesus, this is nuts.”
Suddenly, as if a faucet has flipped on, water starts pouring in through the ceiling of my bedroom, right onto the beautiful dress I’m supposed to wear in less than forty-eight hours.
Why did this storm wait until the day I brought the dress home to decide to destroy my house?
“Oh, my God.” I jump out of bed and tug on a sweatshirt and sweatpants, staring helplessly as my room floods. “What do I do?”
I reach for my phone and try to figure out who to call.
It’s after three in the morning.
I can’t call Keegan—I don’t want to wake the baby.
I could call Kane.
“Wait, no. I don’t want to wake their baby, either. Why are there so many babies?”
I rush down the stairs and listen to the roar of the water coming into my house.
I’m sick to my stomach.
“Shawn.” I tap my screen and listen to the phone ring. “Come on, pick up.”
“’Lo?”
“It’s me. I need help.”
“What’s wrong?” I can hear that he’s instantly awake and sitting up in bed.
“My house is flooding. It’s like there’s a river coming through my ceiling. I don’t know what to do.”
“Do you have ladders?”
“Yeah, a couple. In the garage.”
“I’ll be there in ten.”
He hangs up, and I’m on the verge of tears when I realize that there’s absolutely no way I can go to LA the day after tomorrow.
So, without thinking, I dial Hunter’s number.
“Maeve?” he asks, his voice full of sleep. “Are you okay?”
I have to swallow my tears and try to sound sane and rational. “Hi. I’m sorry to inform you that I won’t be able to accompany you to LA. I hope you have a lovely trip.”
“Wait, wha—?”
I hang up quickly because I’m near hysterics.
Where is Shawn? The water is starting to come down the stairs now.
Finally, I hear banging on my front door. When I open it, not only is Shawn there, but more cars are pulling in.
“Jesus, what’s going on?” Kane asks as he hurries out of his Porsche. Keegan comes to a screeching halt behind Kane.
Maggie and Lexi rush up my driveway, and even Ma and Da climb out of Shawn’s car.
“What are you all doing here? I just called Shawn.”
“Don’t you know,” Keegan says, “when you call one, you call us all. We’re a damn phone tree.”
“What’s he doing here?” Maggie asks, pointing to Cameron, who I’m just as shocked to see.
“Don’t you know?” he says, echoing Keegan. “We’re a phone tree.”
Maggie rolls her eyes and keeps her distance from Cameron as Da climbs my porch steps.
“What’s happening in there?” Da asks and pushes his way through the front door, coming to a stop at the sight of the river of water making its way down my stairway. “Oh, for the love of all the saints. You have a mess on your hands here, Maeve, me love.”
“I know.” Tears threaten once again. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Is that Hunter?” Maggie asks, pointing to the car parking down the block, and the figure running from it toward my house.
I’d recognize him anywhere.
“What in the hell is going on?” he demands when he gets up to my porch, pushing his way through the others.
“I have a catastrophe on my hands,” I reply and gesture to all of the water. My brothers are running about, deciding what to do. “And the beautiful dress, my beautiful dress that you gave me, is ruined. I can’t just leave. I don’t have anything to wear anymore.”
“Okay. Okay, take a breath.” He doesn’t even care that my entire family is here. He just pulls me into his arms and hugs me tightly.
“Is that Hunter Meyers?” I hear Cameron ask as he climbs the stairs with Kane. “What in the hell? I’ve been gone too long.”