Making love to Emma had been incredible, and that was the problem. She had been there for him when he’d needed someone more than he ever had before. He’d spilled his secret and was having a hard time with her knowing him intimately. Not physical intimacy—he could handle that—but emotional intimacy was a whole other beast. Emma had crawled deep inside his heart and his soul, and it scared the hell out of him.
Not to mention, she’d told him she wasn’t on the pill anymore when they were on the island. He was a doctor, for Pete’s sake. He should have known better than to get carried away and have unprotected sex. It had only been a week, so it was probably too soon to tell, and he had no idea how to ask her if she’d gotten her period without sounding like an ass. Avoidance had been the best option on so many levels until he screwed his head on straight.
Logan didn’t want to hurt Emma, but he knew that was exactly what was going to happen. He’d lived with his guilt and pain for too long to change now. He couldn’t forgive himself, no matter how hard he tried, not even for Emma. But he owed her for helping him and he’d made a promise to her and to his son to finish this quest.
Logan glanced at the ever-darkening sky. Gray clouds had rolled in and the wind started to pick up. If they didn’t act soon, the brewing storm would be upon them. He sighed deeply and sent her a text once more, asking yet again if she planned on meeting him at the marina today. He had sent her a text yesterday saying everything was fine and he hadn’t fallen off the face of the earth—as she’d put it—which had amused him as usual. He would miss her terribly when she left. He’d said he had been swamped at work, but tomorrow he could meet her at the marina. Well, tomorrow was today, and she had yet to respond. Payback, he guessed.
The last map they’d found had shown the rendezvous spot for Joseph and Kathleen was at the marina. Maybe this would be it, and Logan and Emma could finish their adventure and set each other free. He needed to soon because the more time he spent with her, the harder it was going to be to let her go.
“Hey,” he heard from behind him.
His heart jumped into his throat at the sound of her voice. He turned around to face her. She wore spandex workout pants and a tank top as if she’d come from a run, her hair still a bit damp at the temples. She’d never looked better. He frowned and cleared his throat. “You’re here. I’m glad.”
She checked her watch and counted her pulse before answering. “I was busy this week, too. You aren’t the only one with a life.”
“Emma, I—”
“Can we not go there? It’s cool. We both knew that night was about need, and nothing more. I don’t want that any more than you do, so you can relax, Doc.”
Guilt plagued him over her words. Guilt and something more. Disappointment maybe? He admitted he couldn’t handle how he felt about her, but the thought that she didn’t feel anything at all about him was a bit unsettling. He didn’t exactly know how to handle that either. “I didn’t want you to think—”
“I didn’t think anything. Look, I wasn’t expecting flowers but what I did expect was for you to answer your phone like an adult and not ignore me. We have a quest to finish, remember?”
“I was going to say I didn’t want you to think making love with you wasn’t good, or anything. It was—”
“It was hot, Doc, and of course it was good.” She shrugged. “You were with me.”
He knew that was her defense mechanism. To be sarcastic and act like she didn’t give a damn to protect herself from getting hurt, but he suspected she gave too much of a damn and was just as scared as he was. “It was more than good, Lois. It was incredible,” he finished softly, adding, “even if we weren’t very smart about it,” in hopes that she would get his drift.
“I am pretty amazing.” A little smile tilted her lips as a slight blush tinted her cheeks in obvious pleasure she couldn’t quite hide. “And you can relax, Doc. I might be passionate, but I’m not stupid. I had just finished my period the day before we were together, so there’s no McBaby in this oven.”
“I’m sorry,” he said sincerely.
“Good. Apology accepted.” She nodded once and brushed off her hands, looking as if nothing had ever happened between them.
He raised a brow. “Just like that?”
She lifted one shoulder. “Just like that, McGiant. You’ll find I’m not like most women.” She huffed.
No, she was not. He fought to keep his lips from twitching.
“Now that we’ve moved past that, let’s get to work.” She snatched the map from his hands and studied it. “Your thoughts?” she finally asked and looked up at him.
He pointed to the corner of the marina where a gazebo stood. “X marks the spot is right there. I’m thinking that gazebo wasn’t there when Joseph and Kathleen buried their treasure decades ago.”
“You’re kidding. What are we going to do?”
He scratched his head and looked around. “I don’t think there’s much we can do. This might be the end of the road for us.”
Emma was already shaking her head. “No way. It can’t be.” She marched over to the gazebo and walked around it. Scanning the area, she said, “No one’s around, so I say we dig until we find something.”
“Are you crazy? We can’t rip up the floorboards. That’s destroying property that belongs to the town.”
“Dr. Worrywart’s back.” She rolled her eyes. “We don’t have to rip anything up. We’re going to crawl beneath it.”
He could feel his face pale. “I don’t exactly like confined spaces.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t like critters, but I still hiked through the woods and camped out on a deserted island for you.” She poked him in the chest. “You owe me, Doc. Call it your punishment for blowing me off all week.”
“Fine, but when we wind up in jail, you’re taking the blame and bailing us out,” he grumbled. “I have a son to put through college and a reputation to uphold.”
“Deal.” She held out her hand.
He shook it and then headed over to the gazebo with resignation and a little bit of excitement that he’d never admit to her. Walking around the wooden building as well, he stopped at one section. “Look here, the lattice is loose in this spot. I’ll have to tell Manny. He takes care of security at the marina. Since it needs to be fixed anyway, I guess there’s no harm in helping him remove part of it.”
“And you say I’m a piece of work.” Emma scoffed.
“Funny.” Dropping to his knees, Logan gently pulled at the lattice until it gave way, careful not to damage anything else. “This should be big enough for the two of us.”
“You want me to go with you?” she squeaked.
“I’m not doing this alone. And if memory serves me right, you blew me off the week before I ignored you. I say this makes us even.”
“Did I mention I don’t like spiders any more than I like critters?”
“Now who’s the chicken?” He grabbed her hand and pulled her with him as she groaned every step of the way. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
Ten minutes later, they were fully submerged beneath the gazebo. Rays of what was left of the sunlight streamed through the slats of the lattice, casting distorted diamond shapes all over the ground. Once their eyes adjusted to the dim light, Emma’s head kept swiveling as she searched for bugs while Logan fought to remain calm in the tight space.
“Let’s get this over with before we both have panic attacks and are rendered useless,” he said. He pulled out a garden shovel which was small enough to fit in the large pocket of his cargo shorts. In the past he hadn’t brought one and they’d needed it, but then on their next adventure he’d brought a big one and they didn’t. This time he’d apparently brought the perfect size.
“For once, you got it right,” she said with a grin.
“Maybe it’s a sign this will be easy.”
She laughed. “When has anything ever been easy for us?”
He pinned her with a look.
Thirty minutes late
r, after digging up just about every spec of dirt they could find, they finally hit something.
“Of course, it’s the last spot we chose to dig.” Emma huffed. Thunder rumbled outside, and the first spatters of raindrops pelted the gazebo.
“Just in time by the sound of it.” Logan dug deep enough until he was able to pull out a wooden box like the others that had become such treasures to them both. “Let’s go,” he said, more than ready to get out from beneath the gazebo.
Emma started to shimmy backwards when they spotted a flashlight outside.
“Wait,” Logan whispered, grabbing her arm.
“Why?” she whispered back, but Logan pressed his finger to her lips. They froze as the person with the flashlight walked around whistling an old Irish jig.
Manny.
When everything grew quiet and the light vanished, Logan let out a sigh of relief. They shimmied the rest of the way out from beneath the gazebo and stood up.
“Aha! Caught ya,” said a voice full of gravel as the flashlight switched on to shine in their eyes.
Logan jumped and shoved the box at Emma behind him, then shielded his eyes with his hand. “Do you mind, Manny?”
“Doc?” The flashlight lowered and an old man with balding stark white hair and crooked, yellow teeth stared back at them with wide watery gray eyes. “What in the world are you doing beneath the gazebo in this kind of weather, and who’s that with you?”
“This is Ms. Emma Hendricks. She’s visiting our small town, and I was showing her around when the storm rolled in.” Logan held up the broken lattice. “I couldn’t leave without retrieving your broken lattice. I saw it beneath the gazebo and knew you would want to have it fixed.”
Manny rubbed his whiskers and eyed them suspiciously. “It takes two of you to do that job?”
“Trust me, Manny. He needs all the help he can get. I had to hold his hand because of the tight spaces and all. He’s kind of a big chicken, but his heart’s in the right place.” Emma patted Logan’s shoulder.
Manny’s eyes twinkled as he looked between the two of them, and then he threw back his head and let out a cackling laugh. “That’s our Doc. Always trying to help everyone. I see how it is. He’s lucky to have you as his sidekick.” The old man winked.
“Why, yes he is. Thank you for noticing, Manny. It’s nice to be appreciated by someone.” Emma grinned.
“Much obliged, ma’am. I hope you enjoy your stay.” He bowed his head at her, and then turned to Logan. “Thanks for letting me know, Doc. I’ll be sure to let the town council know. Anyway, you best be getting on home now. It’s gonna be a doozy of a storm.”
“Thanks, Manny,” Logan called after the old-timer security guard as he walked away whistling another jig. “Chicken?” He looked at Emma.
“I had to say something. He was getting suspicious. Come on. You heard the man. It’s gonna be a doozy, and I’m getting wet.”
“Where are we going?” Logan asked.
“My place. I need a shower.” She glanced over her shoulder as she started walking away. “Get your mind out of the gutter, McGiant. The other night was a one-time deal. All we’re going to do is open this box and explore our treasure.” Her words said one thing, but her body moved in a way that said so much more.
“Whatever you say,” he responded as he followed closely behind, helpless to do otherwise. Because—stupid or not—if there was even a chance he could explore the treasure of her once more, then he was all in…
Consequences be damned.
15
August 1943: Beacon Bay, Maine
Kathleen ventured into town on a hot and steamy August day. She still avoided Beacon Bay’s downtown area as much as possible, but she wanted to buy a few things to make a strawberry pie—Joseph’s favorite. He’d sent a coded map for her to meet him at the marina by his boat. His family’s business was right down the shore from the marina, and he kept his own personal boat in the last slot in the harbor. It was a bit away from the other boats, and no one would think to look for them down below in the cuddy cabin.
She hated sneaking around. It made their love feel cheap and wrong when it was the most beautiful thing she’d ever experienced. So, they’d lived their fairytale in secret. It was hard to keep up the charade when she loved him so much. He told her time and again that he loved her too, and she believed him. She understood why he had to go along with his mother’s plan, acting like he was going to marry Beverly. If he didn’t, then his mother would ruin Kathleen’s parents. As much as they had wronged her and broken her heart, she couldn’t do that to them. They did love her; they just weren’t as strong as she was.
Kathleen had forgiven them. How could she not? She truly believed everything happened for a reason. Had she not been shunned by the town, she wouldn’t have been thrown out of their house and sent to live in the cottage. And had she not lived in the cottage, she never would have met Joseph. He was the love of her life. Her soul-mate. She knew their time would come, she just had to be patient, no matter how difficult that might be.
With a feeling of anticipation, she decided not to let anything get her down. Their rendezvous were to be cherished, not tainted with negative thoughts. They still wrote love letters to one another even though he was home, and she still loved reading every word he wrote. As she walked into a store, she was thinking about what she would write to him after she got home and baked his pie.
Voices from the back made her look up. She froze, the smile on her face fading fast as her lips parted in shocked surprise. Pain sliced through her at the sight of Joseph standing beside Beverly with his hand on the small of her back. His head was bent toward hers as if to hear her better. Her face was flushed as she lifted her chin and said something for his ears only. His lips tipped up at the corners in a small smile of amusement. Joseph’s gaze suddenly met Kathleen’s and his expression froze in a look of surprise followed by panic. He blinked, but then quickly masked any recognition.
Not quickly enough, apparently.
“What’s the matter, darling?” his mother asked as she joined them. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.” She glanced in the direction he had been staring, and her gaze hardened as it settled on Kathleen. Hilary sniffed sharply. “I think we’re through here. Let’s go someplace classier, shall we?”
Beverly’s brow puckered in confusion, and she turned to see what all the fuss was about. She didn’t know Joseph’s proposal was a sham to buy them time. She didn’t know he wanted to be with Kathleen instead. And she most certainly didn’t know his mother was blackmailing him into going along with her plan. Therefore, Beverly didn’t see Kathleen as a threat. She simply saw her as everyone else in town did—a piece of trash not worth anything and meant to be discarded.
Beverly looked down her nose at Kathleen. “Oh, yes, I see,” she responded to Hilary, obviously thinking she was referring to the scandal. “I must say I agree, don’t you sweetheart? This place is beneath us. Let’s go somewhere with a lot more to offer.” She looked back up at Joseph expectantly.
His gaze remained a mask and he refused to look at either his mother or Kathleen. He held his eyes on his fiancé and said, “Whatever you want, my love.”
The trio turned away to walk out of the store, and Hilary shot a gloating satisfied look over her shoulder at Kathleen as she closed the door firmly behind her.
Kathleen’s hand fluttered to her chest to hold her broken heart together. She’d known Joseph had to play along with the charade, but to witness it firsthand was torture. And for him to shun her like the rest of the town, when he alone had been her savior, was simply unbearable. She couldn’t do this anymore. She turned around and ran out of the store without another thought to making him a pie.
Out on the street, she ran into William. Kathleen bounced off his broad chest, and he caught her before she could fall. “Are you okay? What’s wrong, did someone hurt you?” he asked, looking genuinely concerned. Ironic since he was the only person who had ever hurt her, physically
anyway. But the emotional hurt Joseph had just inflicted upon her had been far more painful.
She shook her head and backed away from him. It was all too much. Turning around, she fled as fast as her legs would carry her. Each stride and each tear chipped away the strength she had left. Let them look and wonder, she thought as several people stopped to stare. She didn’t care about any of it anymore.
The only letter she would be writing to Joseph would be one of farewell.
Joseph paced the wooden dock at the marina, waiting for Kathleen to show up. He felt so bad about what happened at the store. He would have given anything to have it be Kathleen by his side instead of Beverly. Anything to spare her the pain he’d seen flash across her face. He prayed she wasn’t too angry with him, and he was willing to take his punishment if she was. Whatever wrath she would bestow he would gladly accept because she was his destiny, and a life without her was not an option. If only his family were more understanding, things could be so different.
His mother had spies among the staff. So far, he had been able to be discreet. He kept sneaking about, telling her he was meeting up with his old friends for cards or a night on the town like he used to, when he was really sneaking off to be with Kathleen. For the most part his friends had covered for him, though they didn’t know where he was going or understand why he was so different.
Joseph didn’t care about meaningless things such as a night on town like he had partaken in regularly several years ago. After all he’d witnessed overseas, it seemed silly to get drunk and chase after easy women. He needed more in his life. He needed someone who made him feel like he mattered. Like he was special and could do anything. Like there was a reason he had been spared.
Until Tomorrow Page 17
