Buster stared at Waffles but remained on the other side of Madigan as she took her hand away and turned to Grace. “Maybe they can co-exist.”
“One step at a time,” Grace said. “So, how did your visit with Vic go?”
Madigan sighed. “He wasn’t surprised. I wasn’t surprised that he wasn’t surprised, but it made me feel… silly? Naive?”
“Well, I hate to point this out, but Vic knows her better than you—or knew her, anyway.”
Madigan sighed. “I know.”
“Did he say anything else?”
“He’s not much of a talker. Just that one time where he pretty much spilled everything he knew about her to me.”
Grace nodded and rubbed Waffles between the ears. “I wondered if you’d considered the possibility that… well… he could be your father.”
Madigan stared at Waffles and sighed. “To be honest, I guess I’ve known it was a possibility since I found out they’d been together… but I just haven’t let myself go there.”
Waffles purred and rubbed his head down her wrist. “He sounds like a nice guy.”
Madigan nodded. “He asked me to come back next weekend, and he’d have some cherry tomatoes from his garden for me. He says he always has too many and ends up sharing with all the neighbours.”
“That’s nice.”
“I think it’s an excuse to see me again. Maybe he thinks I could be his daughter.”
“Maybe.”
“I don’t want to know right now. Right now, I’d just like to get to know him.”
Grace nodded.
She understands. I’m tired of expectations and letdowns. I’m tired of trying to mean more to people than they want me to mean. Maybe Vic is, too.
“I called Raven, but she didn’t answer.”
Madigan smirked. “That’s because she’s on a date right now, antiquing with Melanie.”
“Nice. So I guess they’re both feeling a lot better?”
“Raven’s able to get her heart rate up without coughing. Melanie’s just got the bruising left on her side.”
“Did you talk to her, or did Raven tell you that?”
“I actually visited Melanie in the hospital and brought her flowers.” Madigan twisted the pendant of her necklace around and sighed. “I just felt so bad for accusing her, and then she saved me from Trevor. It would have been my body beneath his bat if she hadn’t stopped him. I really misjudged her.”
“Trevor. Right. I keep thinking Paul.”
“I actually spoke to the real Paul Rothman,” Madigan said. “I let him know there was a man who had set up a fake profile using his name. Turns out, he knew Trevor. He said they were friends for a while in University, but they stopped hanging out when Trevor seemed jealous of him. I still can’t believe it all. Trevor was tracking her by way of her cell phone. I don’t even want to know what he was going to do to her.”
“I’m sure she doesn’t either,” Grace said. “And she won’t have to, now that he’s dead.”
Waffles and Buster turned to the door, their ears both perking up.
“I think they’re here,” Grace said.
Madigan grabbed her arm and squeezed it. “It’s going to be great.”
Grace set Waffles down on her way to the front door and paused in front of it.
I only get one first impression. One chance.
She opened the door, and Mac stood in front of it with a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a plastic bag in the other.
“These are for you,” he said, handing her the flowers, “and this is Kenzie’s favourite ice cream.”
Grace leaned over, checking around him. “Where is she?”
“Her mom’s bringing her. Stacy wanted to meet you, if that’s okay.”
“Wow, okay, yes, I understand.”
He stepped inside and wrapped his arm around her waist, kissing her on the cheek. As she wrapped her hand around his neck, his musky cologne wafted to her, and she closed her eyes, smiling.
“You’re nervous,” he said.
She tucked her head into the crook of his neck and nodded.
I’ve never felt like this in my life.
“Hey,” he pulled her in close, “you’re going to be fine.”
“It’s a big deal,” she said, pulling away.
“I appreciate that you’re doing this for me,” he said, craning his neck to stare down at her. “It’s all I really want, for us to become a real part of each other’s lives.”
“I want that too.”
He kissed her and closed the door behind them. They turned around, and Waffles stared up at them, sitting still in the middle of the hallway.
Mac froze. “Do you see this?”
The back door opened, and Buster bounded in. Waffles darted to the couch and slid beneath it.
“Buster!” Mac sighed as Buster ran to him, wagging his tail. “Come on, boy. Let’s get this ice cream in the freezer before it melts.”
Buster followed him into the kitchen, and Grace tagged along close behind.
“Hey,” Madigan said and gave Mac a hug.
Grace set her flowers down as a knock came from the door.
That’s them. This is it.
She walked to the door and grabbed the handle.
How can this be more nerve-wracking than opening the door to Newcomb’s basement?
Mac rested a hand on her back, and she opened the door. A strawberry blonde woman stood in front of her with a pretty plaid shirt. A little girl stood beside her, wrapping her arms around the woman’s leg.
“Hi, I’m Grace.” She held out her hand, and the woman smiled and took it.
“I’m Stacy.” She squeezed Grace’s hand gently and let it go. “And this is Kenzie.”
“Hi, Kenzie.” Grace bent down and held her hand out, but the little girl with hair that matched her mom’s ducked behind her mom, staring up at Grace with wide eyes.
“Hey,” Mac said, opening his arms wide and bending down to her.
She reached up to him, and he picked her up and held her in his arms. “I missed you, baby.”
Kenzie wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled at him, pressing her nose to his.
“You’ll have her back by tomorrow at noon?” Stacy asked.
“Yep.” Mac didn’t take his eyes off his daughter.
“I have her bag.” Stacy held it out to Grace, and she took it, but Stacy didn’t let go, maintaining eye contact with Grace. “It has everything she needs, but I’m just a phone call away. Anytime.”
Grace nodded, and Stacy let the bag go.
“Okay, bye, my girl.” Kenzie turned to her mom and clung on tightly to her dad, leaning over as Stacy hugged and kissed her goodbye. “Have fun.”
Stacy turned to Grace and gave her a warm smile. “Nice to finally meet you.”
Finally. Mac’s been telling her about me.
“You too.” Grace nodded, and they stepped back inside, closing the door behind them.
“Kenzie,” Mac said, “there’s a cat here,” he turned to Buster, “but you’d never know it. And there’s Buster the dog.”
Kenzie reached out to him, and Mac set her down, letting Buster sniff her.
“Just be nice, boy,” Madigan said and emerged from the kitchen. “Hi, Kenzie, I’m Madigan.”
Kenzie stared up at her and turned her attention back to Buster, smiling as she ran her fingers through his coat.
“We’re having chili for dinner,” Grace said, bending down to Kenzie.
Kenzie kept her eyes on Buster, oblivious to Grace.
“It’s going to be delicious,” Mac said.
“Thanks,” Grace mouthed to Madigan, and she nodded.
“We’d better get going,” Madigan said. “Hey, Kenzie? Do you like chili?”
Kenzie looked up at her and nodded with a cute smile.
Great, she likes Madigan but not me.
“Well, you guys have a nice dinner, okay? Come on Buster,” Madigan said, and Buster followed her. Kenzie po
uted, reaching out for him. “We have to go, but if you’re good and you eat your dinner, your daddy has a treat for you.”
Kenzie turned to Mac, her bright eyes open wide, and he nodded.
“Okay!” she squealed, and Mac picked her up again.
“Bye, guys,” Madigan said, waving to them.
“Bye!” Kenzie called, waving.
Madigan grinned and turned for the back door with Buster in tow.
“Want to play a game?” Mac asked her. “Find the cat?”
Kenzie shook her head and stared at Grace.
Hopefully she likes to draw. I bought every type of pencil, crayon, and watercolour I could find at the store…
“Kenzie?” Grace took a step closer to them. “Would you like to draw?”
Kenzie nodded with a big smile.
A wave of relief washed over her, and Mac beamed down at them. They strolled to the kitchen, filled with the golden light of sunset.
Waffles poked his head out from under the couch and followed them.
Madigan climbed up the hill from the coast and chased after Buster. At the top, Buster ran across the yard toward a tall figure standing by her trailer. The soft glow from the string lights hung across her trailer illuminated Jack’s face until he bent down and Buster jumped into his arms.
“Whoa, boy,” Jack huffed, looking up at her as she approached. “I think he missed me.”
She stopped a few feet away and crossed her arms over her chest. “I think we’ve been here before.”
Jack stood and wiped Buster’s fur from his hands onto his pant legs, the smile disappearing from his face.
“How are you?”
“Better,” he said. “How are you?”
“I’m getting along.” She swayed her weight to her other foot. “Why are you back here?”
“Because I think I’ll always come back to you.” He gazed down into her eyes, and she shook her head.
Did I just imagine that?
“What?” she whispered.
He took a step closer, closing the wide distance between them. “I didn’t know how to get past my promise to Drew, to stay away from you romantically, but that wasn’t the reason I didn’t try to be with you.”
She nodded and pressed her bottom lip up, jutting out her chin.
I figured.
“It wasn’t even because I was scared to lose you as a friend,” he said, clasping his hands together in front of him and taking another step toward her.
What is he doing?
“Then why?” she asked, craning her neck back. “Jack, you need to stop. You have Aleesia.”
She took a step back, and he pointed to her. “It’s that. Before Drew passed away, before I even knew I had feelings for you, you always pushed me away. Or kept your distance.”
She stared down at her shoes.
“You’ve been trying to protect yourself,” he said, taking another step forward. She looked up at him. “From your past. From the people who might hurt you. From me. You’ve even done it with Grace. Maybe not so much anymore, but I’ve seen it. You’ve kept things from her. Kept her at arms’ length like you do everyone else.”
She shook her head. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her cheeks grew hot. “People leave me.”
He nodded and took another step closer. “I know. They do. People come and go, Mad. You can’t keep anyone around forever. That’s life.”
“Don’t tell me about life,” she scoffed, tears falling down her cheeks as she swallowed hard. “I don’t need a life lesson.”
“I’ve been afraid that I don’t know what you need, but that’s not true. I know you so well. Even all this time apart, I still know you.” He took another step forward, and she smelled the familiar, comforting scent of his cologne. “What I needed was a chance, and I never got that until the fire. I felt what it was like to have no more chances. I saw you there, and my greatest fear wasn’t dying. It was losing you. Losing the chance to be with you.”
Her lips trembled as he took another step toward her.
“Don’t,” she whispered, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
“There’s no good excuse anymore. Not the promise to Drew—he’d want us to be happy. Not Aleesia—I broke off the engagement. Not a lack of time. I survived the fire.” He reached out to her and stepped forward, his hands cradling her head, and she pressed her cheek against one, staring up at him with bated breath. “I know you’re scared, and so am I. I just need a chance to show you what I know.”
She shook her head slightly.
What?
“That I’ll always come back to you, Madigan, because I love you.” He bent down and kissed her, crushing his lips against hers. He pulled back, and they locked eyes. “Will you let me love you?”
Her whole body trembled as she grabbed his arms, pulling him closer into a long kiss.
She pulled away, opening her eyes, nodding her head in a dream-like daze.
He smiled and kissed her again.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my formatter and dear friend, Jade Eby, and my cover designer, Alora Kate, for the exceptional visual components of this novel. To Krista at Mountains Wanted Publishing, I am grateful for your professional editing services and the extra support you’ve given me through these years.
I have an immense amount of appreciation for my beta-readers: Jade Eby and Kiersten Modglin. Your opinions and insights are invaluable. Thank you for challenging and supporting me during this process. I appreciate the care you’ve come to have for these characters of mine.
Thank you to the readers of this series who joined Grace and Madigan for this part of their journey, accept their flaws, and look forward to the next adventure.
To my colleagues in the book community, thank you for your support, encouragement, and sharing your knowledge with me. I’m proud to call you my friends.
For the continued support of my family and friends, I am forever grateful, and I love you all. Each and every person in my life who has supported me and my writing career hold a special place in my heart.
Thank you to my true-blue readers, newsletter subscribers, and my reader group on Facebook for sticking with me, for your curiosity, and for your company on this journey.
From the bottom of my heart, I’m honored to share this experience with you.
Also by Emerald
Don't miss these suspenseful and unpredictable reads:
The Darkness Follows Duology
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The Avery Hart Trilogy
Lies Come True (Book One)
Bare Your Bones (Book Two)
Every Last Mark (Book Three)
The Complete Avery Hart Trilogy
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Standalones
Wrong Angle
Closer
All the Dark Corners
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The Anna Kelleher Chronicles
Midnight Motel (Book One)
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The Knox and Sheppard Mysteries
The Girls Across the Bay (Book One)
The Secrets They Keep (Book Two)
The Lies You Told (Book Three)
The One Who Watches (Book Four)
* * *
Click here to view the complete list of books and purchase links.
About the Author
Emerald O'Brien was born and raised just east of Toronto, Ontario. She graduated from her Television Broadcasting and Communications Media program at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario.
* * *
As the author of unpredictable stories packed with suspense, Emerald enjoys connecting with her readers who are passionate about joining characters as they solve mysteries and take exciting adventures between the pages of great books.
* * *
When she is not reading or writing, Emerald can be found with family and friends. Watching movies while cuddling with her two beagles is one of her favouri
te ways to spend an evening at home.
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To find out more, visit Emerald on her website:
http://emeraldobrien.com
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If you enjoyed Emerald’s work, please share your experience by leaving a review where you purchased the story.
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