Page 6 of Last Wish Wedding

Kelsey sank into one of the kitchen chairs, suddenly exhausted. Through the window, she could see the last of the daylight slipping through the trees. “I told you about the pileup on I-95. I had pulled over to the shoulder and a Mack truck came sliding out of the fog behind me…” She shuddered. “It was like slow motion. Thankfully, he wasn’t going fast. My car got pinned against the guardrail and it crushed the back end.”

“Oh my God, Kels!” Amy abandoned the tea preparation and looked her sister up and down. “Are you sure you’re not hurt? Have you gotten checked out? You could have whiplash—you might not feel it yet, but tomorrow morning…”

“I’m okay, really. I was able to help with triage until the ambulances arrived. The truck driver gave me his sweatshirt because I was covered in blood… other people’s,” Kelsey clarified. She wrapped her arms around herself. “I’m preparing myself for the fact that my car is totaled. It’s in pretty bad shape and my insurance doesn’t cover rentals.”

“The trucking company better be paying for everything,” Amy said firmly. “Including a rental car. You need wheels out here—especially with your home care patients. They really count on you.”

“I know. I’ll call them tomorrow. For now…” Kelsey’s voice cracked. “For now, that’s actually the least of my problems. The meeting with Jason was… bad.”

“That entitled—” Amy caught herself with a glance toward Noah’s room. “What did your former brother-in-law want?”

“They want full custody. I would only get him for summer vacations, holidays, and school breaks. He would be living in Boston or on the Cape and go to one of the boarding schools Jason and David attended.” Kelsey’s hands trembled as she accepted the mug of tea Amy passed her. “He brought two lawyers, Amy. Two. They’re talking about ‘proper advantages’ and ‘family heritage’ like the last seven years never happened. All the things of theirs David rejected.”

“What’s different now?”

Kelsey’s voice turned bitter. “Besides that, he is fully potty trained and can fend for himself? Jason claims Matriarch Margaret is ‘concerned’ about him growing up on—and I quote—‘some remote island without proper advantages.’”

“Remote island?” Amy snorted. “We have fiber internet and a year-round farmer’s market. What we don’t have is their toxic...”

A floorboard creaked, and both sisters fell silent as Noah appeared in the doorway. “Mom, can I work on my shell collection while you make dinner?”

“Of course, sweetie. Just keep it on the table by the window, okay?” Kelsey managed a smile as he retrieved his carefully organized boxes of beach treasures.

Amy waited until he was absorbed in his collection before whispering, “So what’s the plan? You’ll need a lawyer who can stand up to the Prescott empire. The one you have doesn’t sound like she’s got the balls you need.”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure I can fight them.” Kelsey stared into her tea. “Between legal fees and now dealing with the car situation, I’m going to have to dip into Noah’s college fund just to stay afloat.”

“We’ll figure it out.” Amy squeezed her sister’s shoulder. “I can drive you to your patients on Monday, or you can just take my car, if you haven’t sorted out the rental. Maybe we can work out a schedule with some of the other clinic staff until this gets resolved.”

“Mom?” Noah’s voice made them both jump. “Are you okay?”

Kelsey lifted her head and forced brightness into her voice. “Just tired, honey. How about that mac and cheese?”

Chapter 3

Kelsey rubbed her temples while she stared at the patient schedule on her computer screen at the island clinic. The morning light shone through the windows, carrying the scent of salt air and early spring. Her phone buzzed again—another message from Pete’s Garage on the mainland. The mechanic had promised to give her an quote for the repair this morning.

Frame damage is extensive... possible transmission involvement... will have to wait on the insurance adjuster... prepare that it may likely total loss given the age of the vehicle...

Her stomach clenched. Her car had been old but reliable. Perfect for island roads and Maine winters. More importantly, it had been paid off.

She pulled up the insurance policy on her phone, heart sinking as she confirmed what she already knew—no rental car coverage. And the local rental office had quoted her a weekly rate more than a new monthly car payment would be.

Maybe that was the solution, just going to the mainland and biting the bullet to get a new vehicle. It would take care of the problem for sure, but the thought of a car payment on top of looming legal bills made her head spin. She started to work through the logistics of getting off island and visiting a dealership around her work schedule and Noah’s after-school activities. She’d figure it out, but it wasn’t going to be any time soon.

The clinic’s waiting room door creaked open, and Ruth, one of the home care nurses, poked her head in. “Just wanted to let you know about Mr. Costigan. The aide reported this morning that he fell in the bathroom the other day. No apparent injuries.”

“Just a bruised ego I’m sure,” Kelsey replied, shaking her head. Her favorite patient was one of her most stubborn. He insisted on staying home by himself even as his heart failed. “I’ll check him out. How are his lungs?”

The nurse raised her eyebrows and said nothing, which spoke volumes. His condition was declining. Soon, they would need another plan for him. It would be a tough conversation, but a necessary one.

“I’m almost ready to head out. Amy let me borrow her car this morning.”

“What did the garage have to say?”

“They think it might be totaled. They won’t know more until the adjuster looks at it, but I think they’re right. The truck basically crushed my car’s back end into the guardrail.” She ducked to grab her medical bag to hide her expression from Ruth.

“Thank goodness you’re all right. Surely the truck driver has insurance that will cover it,” Ruth replied and then headed out on her own visits for the day.