by Marie Force
“Easy, honey.” He held her close to him so she wouldn’t topple over. “Hang on to me. I’ve got you.”
Oh, he was something, this Malcolm John McCarthy. Handsomest guy she’d ever laid eyes on, with rich, dark hair and eyes so blue they took her breath away. Yes, she’d noticed him, too, standing next to his equally attractive brother on the porch of Frank’s house. The way he’d overwhelmed her on their walk yesterday afternoon should’ve been off-putting. Any other guy who’d tried to pull such nonsense with her would’ve been sent packing. But there was something different about this guy—and his nonsense. Though she’d only just met him, she’d believed every outrageous word he said.
She might live to regret that, but for right now—seasickness notwithstanding—she was determined to enjoy the moment and not ruin his big day.
“Few more minutes,” he said in that soothing tone that drew her attention from her queasy stomach to focus on the deep, rich sound of his voice.
Closing her eyes, she breathed through the nausea, focusing on the scent of his cologne.
“Look,” he said. “There’s my island.”
Linda opened her eyes and blinked the rugged coastline into focus, committing her first view of the island to memory. Wild, untamed, beautiful… Her heart fluttered with excitement and anticipation. With the island acting as a buffer for the wind, the seas calmed, and so did her stomach.
The ferry cut through the water, heading for a harbor that she could now see through the fog.
“Come on.” He took her by the hand to head for the stairs. They were on their way down to where they’d left his truck when the crew made an announcement that car owners needed to return to their vehicles. Clearly, Mac had done this a few times and already knew the routine.
He was like a little boy on Christmas, vibrating with eagerness as the ferry backed into port and the first cars began to drive onto the island. His fingers tapped impatiently on the steering wheel.
Linda felt the impatience coming off him in waves until the car in front of them finally rolled forward.
“Every single thing you buy or eat or drink on this island comes off these boats.” He pointed to pallets sealed in plastic that lined the ferry’s cargo area. “They even bring the mail.”
“From what I see, a lot of beer gets consumed here.”
“Oh yeah. You know it.”
“By you?” she asked with a smile.
Winking at her, he said, “I’ll never tell.”
They drove off the boat onto the island, and Linda’s excitement faded slightly at the sight of the town, such as it was—two hotels, a few shops, a restaurant here and there, but not much of anything else.
“That’s The Beachcomber, which is a restaurant and hotel,” Mac said of the huge white building that served as the heart of “downtown” Gansett. “And that one there,” he said, pointing to a weathered Victorian-style building, “is the Sand & Surf. I’ve gotten to know the owners, Russ and Adele Kincaid, and their daughter, Sarah. Good people. They’ve owned the Surf for almost ten years, and they love it here.”
“They live here year-round?”
“Yep. About four hundred people do, believe it or not. We’ve even got a K-through-twelve school out here with twenty-five students.”
She noted his use of the word we, as if he were already firmly entrenched in the local community.
“So we came in at South Harbor, which is a manmade harbor.”
“How does man make a harbor?”
“Did you see the breakwater made of huge rocks?”
“I did.”
“That was built over a period of two years. The idea was to make it so the ferries landed in town, where most of the businesses are. My place is over in North Harbor on the other side of the island. North Harbor is also called the Great Salt Pond, and it’s well protected from the elements. I’d much rather be over there than in town, especially when it’s storming.”
As he drove, Linda took in the sights. She noticed a small grocery store, an even tinier post office and a place called Gold’s, which she realized was a pharmacy as they went by it.
“That’s the island’s only liquor store,” Mac said, pointing to a red building. “They do an extremely good business there.”
“I imagine they do,” Linda said, chuckling.
“I would’ve wanted in on that business if they didn’t already have a liquor store here.”
“From what you’ve said, the business you have is going to keep you plenty busy enough.”
“It is, and before we get there, I just want you to know… Don’t look at it the way it is today. Look at it and see the possibilities.”
“Okay…”
“It’s in pretty rough shape, but I have a plan, and I’m going to make it happen. I swear to you, Linda. I’m going to make a go of that place.”
She found his fierce determination and ambition extremely appealing. When these qualities were combined with his handsome good looks, they made for quite an overwhelming young man. None of the other boys she’d dated were anything like him. They were interested in partying and getting laid. Mac was thinking of his future.
“Do you think less of me because I never went to college?” he asked. “You can be honest.”
“I was actually just thinking how different you are—in a good way—from all the other boys I know. None of them think beyond next weekend.”
His hand tightened on the steering wheel. “I bet a lot of boys want to be with you.”
“But which one am I with today?”
The smile he directed her way told her he liked her answer.
“If I have my way, you’ll never date anyone else ever again.”
“Well, tell me how you really feel.”
“I just did.”
His self-confidence was another thing she found wildly attractive about him. He put it right out there and didn’t hold back. He didn’t play games or act like a fool the way so many twenty-year-old boys did. No, this twenty-year-old was already a man and fully in control of his own life.
“So here’s the marina.” He drove around deep potholes in the parking lot and brought the truck to a stop outside a barn-shaped building with a sagging roof, peeling paint and broken windows. Next to it, two smaller buildings were in similar disrepair. Beyond the buildings, an equally dilapidated pier slanted precariously in the middle.
The Great Salt Pond seethed with whitecaps as the wind whipped across the water, making Linda’s stomach turn at the thought of the ride home later.
“Like I said, it’s not much. Yet. But it will be. I’ll be working until the first snow to renovate the buildings and then, in the spring, I’m going to rebuild the main dock. We’ll be ready to open for business by next June.”
“It’s…” Linda didn’t know what to say.
“I’m crazy,” he said with a sigh. “It’s okay. You can say it. It’s nothing my dad hasn’t already said.”
He sounded so dejected that Linda leapt immediately to his defense. How dare anyone, even his own father, crap on his dreams? “It’s going to be beautiful.”
Brightening, he asked, “You think so? Really?”
“I know so. The place has good bones. Sure, it needs some work, but I can see the potential.” She released her seat belt. “Show me around.”
He met her at the front of the truck, holding out his hand to her.
As she joined her hand with his, she noticed his fierce expression. “What?”
“What you said, about seeing the potential… That means so much to me. Thank you for saying that.”
“I mean it. With a little TLC, it could be magnificent.”
He raised his free hand to stroke her cheek, setting off all sorts of fireworks inside her. “I think you’re magnificent.”
Linda had never thought of herself as the kind of girl who swooned, but damn if he didn’t make her feel capable of such theatrics. “Thank you. You’re quite magnificent yourself, with all your lofty dreams and a
mbition.”
“I’m glad you think so. I was afraid after the way I came on to you yesterday that I’d never see you again.”
“It takes more than a little intensity to scare me off.”
“What would scare you off? Tell me so I never do it.”
“Making promises you have no intention of keeping would scare me off.”
“I’ll never promise you anything I can’t deliver. What else?”
“A wandering eye would scare me off.”
“Why would I look at anyone else when I have you to look at?”
He said this as if it was the most preposterous thing he’d ever heard, and she lost a tiny piece of her heart to him right then and there.
“What else?” he asked.
“I can’t think of anything else off the top of my head.”
“Let me know if you think of any other deal breakers.”
“I will.”
Mac released her hand to withdraw a set of keys from his pocket and unlocked the door of the main building. They stepped inside, and he flipped a switch on the wall. Nothing happened. “Aw, come on. The power was supposed to be turned on today. Hang on a second.”
While Linda stayed by the door, he ventured into the building. She heard rustling before a flashlight beam cut across the darkness.
He went to another set of doors to unlock and open them. They were huge garage doors that opened most of one side of the building to the pier. “There. Now at least you can get a sense of the place.”
She saw dust and dirt and a lime-green countertop and spiders that scurried out of the light. Linda moved a little closer to Mac.
“Let me guess,” he said, sliding an arm around her. “Spiders will run you off.”
“They aren’t my favorite thing.”
“I’ll get rid of them. Don’t worry.”
“What’s behind the counter?”
“Nothing right now, but I was thinking someday it might be a restaurant. We could sell clam chowder and hot dogs and burgers to the customers.”
“And clam cakes and fried clams and all things Rhode Island and New England.”
“Yes,” he said with another of those wide smiles.
“My mom makes the most incredible sugar donuts. I bet you’d sell a million of them in a place like this.”
“My mouth is already watering.”
She held out her hand to ask for the flashlight.
He gave it to her.
Braving the spiders and other creepy things, she moved toward the counter, going around behind it to check out the available space. She could envision a full kitchen back there as well as tables and chairs on the other side of the counter where people could sit and eat.
“What’s back there?” she asked, pointing the beam toward a corridor.
“Go take a look.”
“Only if you come with me.”
“I’m right behind you.” He put his hands on her shoulders, providing immediate comfort.
In the hallway, she discovered a small room with a bed frame and nothing else. “Is that why you have the mattress?” The back of his truck was full to capacity with things he’d brought from Providence. “You’re going to live here?”
“Yep.”
“For how long?”
“Until I open and start making some money. Then I’ll rent something in town. But for now, this is home sweet home.”
“It’s, um, kinda rustic.”
His bark of laughter made her smile. “I prefer the word cozy to rustic.”
“You’re going to freeze here in the winter.”
“No, I won’t. I’ve got good heaters and lots of warm clothes. I’ll be fine.”
Linda shivered just thinking about spending a winter in a creaky, saggy building that was also home to an army of spiders. “What’re you thinking about doing with the other buildings?”
“One of them will be the dock office and the other a gift shop, maybe.” He took her by the hand to lead her back into the main part of the building. “How’re you feeling?”
“Fine, now that I’m back on land.”
“So you might be up for a late lunch?”
“I could eat.”
“Let me unload the truck real quick, and then there’s a place you’ve got to see. They’ve got a thousand painted oars on the walls. You’ll love it.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Mac came in from shoveling snow, clomping his boots on the mat inside the sliding glass door. In the summer, they left that door open most of the time to let the sea air in through the screen. This time of year, they kept it closed except for when he went out to remove the heavy snow from the deck.
“It’s freaking freezing out there.”
Seeing that he was dripping all over her wood floor, Linda got up to fetch a towel.
“Thanks, babe. Sorry I’m making a mess.”
“It’s okay. At least the deck won’t collapse.”
“Remember that?”
“How could I forget?” The first winter they’d lived in this house, they found out the hard way that keeping the snow from accumulating on the deck was critical to keeping the deck attached to the house. “Most awful sound I ever heard.”
“It was the sound of more money down the drain and more work.”
“Ah yes, those were the days of two money pits—the marina and this house,” she said.
“Hard times, but the best of times, too.”
“I was just thinking about the first day you brought me here.”
He wiped his wet hair with the towel before he used it to mop up the mess on the floor. “When you got seasick and then they canceled the ferries? I thought for sure you’d be done with me forever after that day.”
“It was a great day.”
“I’ve never forgotten the look on your face when Carolina’s dad told us they’d stopped running the ferries and you realized you were stuck here with me for the night.” He laughed at the memory. “I swear you thought I’d arranged that so you’d have to spend the night.”
“Still not convinced that you didn’t.”
“I wasn’t that clever.”
“You were the most clever boy I ever met. You still are.”
“But I wasn’t that clever. It never occurred to me that they’d cancel the boats. That was the first time the ferry schedule got in the way of my plans.”
“But not the last.” Linda eyed the whitecaps in the Salt Pond. “I sure do hope the kids can get here later.”
“The boats are still running, as far as I know. If they aren’t, Slim will get them here. He’s due back later today.”
“Not so sure I want my kids flying in this weather, either.”
Mac kissed her forehead. “Try not to worry. They’ll get here.”
She put her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. “Remember that first night together at the marina?”
“How could I ever forget?”
Chapter 5
Did he remember? In the shower, warming up after spending an hour in the cold, shoveling snow, Mac recalled that long-ago afternoon. He and Linda had arrived at the ferry landing planning to take the five o’clock boat back to the mainland only to encounter a sign that said, “Ferries canceled until tomorrow.”
His heart had sunk when he thought about her telling him she wouldn’t spend the night on his island. Now she had no choice.
“Oh Lord,” Linda said. “What now?”
Determined to put a positive spin on the unfortunate turn of events, Mac said, “Now we find you a hotel room.” He’d spend money he didn’t have to ensure her comfort.
She eyed him shrewdly. “Neither of us can afford a hotel room.”
“It’s okay. I’ve got it covered.”
“Mac, we can stay at the marina. We’ll make it work.”
“Oh, um, well…” He ran his fingers through his hair, torn with indecision. Though she was trying to be helpful, he hadn’t missed her freak-out over the spiders. They fre
aked him out, too, and getting rid of them was at the top of his to-do list. But he wouldn’t achieve complete eradication between now and bedtime. And the thought of spending a night in close quarters with her… He couldn’t think about that or he might embarrass them both.
“I need to find a phone somewhere so I can tell my roommates what’s happened,” Linda said. “Otherwise they’ll send the state police after me.”
“I have a friend with a phone. Let’s go see him.”
He drove them to his new friend Ned Saunders’s place and was relieved to see Ned’s station wagon in the driveway. Bringing Linda with him, Mac knocked on Ned’s door.
“Hey,” Ned said, smiling when he came to the door. “Yer back. Wondered if we’d see ya round here again.”
“Told ya I’d be back, and you’re looking at the official owner of McCarthy’s Gansett Island Marina as of this morning.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks. This is my friend Linda. She came over with me for the day, and now the ferries are canceled. I wondered if she might use your phone to let her roommates know she’s staying.”
“Sure thing. Come in.”
Ned showed Linda to the phone, and she thanked him as he blushed profusely.
While she made her call, Ned said to Mac, “Pretty gal ya got there.”
“I’m going to marry her,” Mac said, keeping his gaze trained on Linda as she talked to her friend.
“How long ya known her?”
“About twenty-four hours now.”
Ned snorted with laughter. “Ya got big brass ones to go along with yer lofty ideas.”
“Including the marina that almost everyone told me I shouldn’t buy.”
“Ya won’t regret that. Prime real estate. Took a look at it myself, but it needed way more work than I wanted ta do.”
“Glad you approve. My dad thinks I’m insane.”
“Yer not. Not about the marina, anyway. That gal? Ya might have yer work cut out fer ya there. She’s a fancy one.”
“That’s okay. I’m not afraid of a little hard work.” Especially when Linda was the prize. “Who do I talk to about getting the power turned on at the marina?”
“Ya call the power company?”
“Yeah, they were supposed to start my service today, but so far nothing.”
