Moondance Beach by Susan Donovan Read Free Book Online

to be, and offer them a home.
    He realized it was ironic that he had been born and raised on the island—a Flynn, no less—but didn’t consider Bayberry his home. He didn’t consider anywhere “home.” He couldn’t wait to be on his way.
    “’Sup?” Clancy smacked Duncan on the back as he walked by the table.
    “Hi, Uncle Duncle!” Clancy’s five-year-old adopted daughter hopped by on one foot, performing what was known as “the tee-tee dance.” Christina’s bladder musthave been the size of a raisin, but Duncan had to admit that his niece was pretty damn cute.
    “It’s Dun-
can
. Not Dun-
cull
, you little stinker.”
    “Good luck with that one,” Clancy said, following Christina to the half bath off the large formal dining room.
    As Duncan went back to his napkins, he moved his attention to Annie and Nat. They were so affectionate with each other, giving little kisses for no reason, whispering private jokes, teasing each other. Duncan had known Annie all his life, and he liked her husband just fine. Nat was finishing final edits on a documentary about the mermaid legend. He’d been working on the film for three years, and all anyone could talk about was whether he’d get a spot at a film festival. Duncan could tell Annie was proud of the guy. It was obvious by the way she looked at him while he talked about his work. For just an instant, Duncan wondered what it would be like to have a good woman at his side, sharing in his achievements like that.
    And his struggles.
    Rowan swooped in, jiggling baby Serena on her hip. “How’s it going?”
    Duncan held up a napkin.
    “Nice,” she said. “But I was kind of hoping for swans. Are swans out of the question?”
    “Swans are always out of the question.”
    Rowan laughed as she handed him the baby. “Here,” she said, securing the squirming bundle in Duncan’s lap and tossing the pacifier on the tabletop. She began fishing around inside the front pocket of her apron, eventually pulling out a strange-looking ring of hard, bumpy plastic. “Just talk to her; make silly noises. If she gets fussy, give her the teething ring.”
    Mystery solved.
    Rowan grabbed the stack of napkins and placed one at each plate, adding the silverware as she went. As with most everything his sister did, the job was done quickly and well.
    As she worked, Rowan chatted about Serena, the tourist season, the research institute, and a few other things. Duncan didn’t pay close attention to her words. He simply observed his sister. Motherhood agreed with her. She was still smart, funny, and pretty, but she seemed softer around the edges. Some of her signature snark had been smoothed out, too, probably the result of being worshipped by Ash and letting him lift the weight of the world off her shoulders. Rowan deserved every bit of the happiness she’d found, Duncan knew. She’d gone through hell a few years back, when her smarmy Wall Street boyfriend swindled what was left of the family’s money, earning him a prison sentence and sending Rowan back to the island to run the crumbling Safe Haven Bed and Breakfast—which she’d done out of sheer guilt. Things were different now. Ash’s money had revived the Flynn family’s ancestral home, and they operated the B and B during high season only because they enjoyed it.
    True, when Duncan had first met Ash two years before, he’d found him a little heavy on the starch. But he had mellowed out, too. He’d gone from being a high-stakes real-estate consultant to the chairman of a marine-life foundation and research center, an enterprise that had brought an infusion of money and people to Bayberry for something other than the Mermaid Festival, which was good for everyone. And Ash had helped make another contribution—Serena Flynn-Wallace.
    That fascinating creature was now tucked in Duncan’s lap, staring up at him with big baby eyes fringed in wet baby eyelashes. Duncan couldn’t help but smile at the contrasts he saw in that