by Marie Force
He drew her into his embrace. "You know where I am. You know how I feel. You know what I want."
He felt her nod.
"No time limit, no statute of limitations, no pressure."
She looked up at him again, slaying him with the array of emotions that danced across her expressive face. "Thank you."
Gratitude was the least of what he wanted from her, but being the needy fool he was, he took what he could get. He kissed her forehead, and even though it cost him more than he could bear, he let her go.
Chapter 6
With Joe's steady presence giving her courage, Janey stepped off the ferry onto Gansett Island. She immediately noticed her brother pacing back and forth, filled with restless energy.
He looked up, saw them coming and rushed over, stopping short in front of them, his hands opening and closing into fists.
Janey smiled at his restraint and uncertainty. No doubt he wanted to toss her over his shoulder, carry her off and hide her away until he'd disposed of David's dead body. She put him out of his misery by reaching for him.
Mac put his arms around her and lifted her right off her feet. "Hey, brat."
"Don't call me that," she said as she always did.
He set her back down and took a good long look at her face. "What can I do? Tell me what you need."
Joe placed her bag at her feet and took a step back.
Mac finally seemed to register that his friend was there, too. He reached out to shake Joe's hand. "Thanks, man."
Joe shook Mac's hand. "Sure."
Janey turned to Mac. "Will you give us a minute? Please?"
Mac's sharp eyes shifted from Janey to Joe and then back to his sister. "Okay. I'll wait for you in the truck." With one more wary glance at Joe, Mac picked up her bag and took it with him.
"You'll make him suspicious," Joe said when they were alone.
"Because I want to say a proper thank you to my good friend?"
"He knows, Janey. Don't forget that."
"I won't forget anything. That's all I wanted to say."
His eyes went soft. "Neither will I. Take care of yourself, you hear me? It's all about you and whatever you want and need. That's the only thing that matters."
Overcome by his softly spoken words and the emotion behind them, Janey nodded and hugged him one last time.
"I'll send your car over as soon as it's ready."
"Thanks. Would it be okay if I called you?"
"Yes, Janey," he said with a laugh, "it would be okay if you called me."
"Well," she said, taking a deep breath, "here goes nothing."
"You'll get through this. You can do anything you put your mind to."
"I guess we'll find out."
Joe gave her a little nudge. "Go. Before I kidnap you and take you back home with me."
She gave him a last reassuring smile. "See ya around, sailor."
He returned her smile, but she noticed it was tinged with sadness and didn't engage his eyes. "See ya."
Janey slid into Mac's black SUV, preparing to answer a million questions. However, her brother surprised her with his silence.
"Where're we going?" she asked as he drove them out of town.
"My place. I figured you might not be ready to be alone just yet."
Janey appreciated his thoughtfulness. Her house was full of pictures of her with David that someone would have to get rid of before she could return there. "Thanks."
"So what was all that just now with Joe?"
Her stomach rippled with nerves. She should've known he'd tune right into any secret she tried to keep from him. He always had. Except for times like this when he stepped back into the role of overbearing big brother, the seven years between them had disappeared once she reached adulthood. "He was really great. I just wanted to thank him."
"And that's all?"
"What else would it be?"
Mac studied her for a long moment before accelerating through an intersection. "David called Mom again."
Janey was glad her brother had moved on from interrogating her about Joe. "What did he want?"
"Since he still can't reach you, he said he's coming over tomorrow."
"Fabulous." She'd hoped to have some more time to prepare for that confrontation, but at least this way she could get it over with sooner rather than later. "I have to work tomorrow."
"I saw Doc Potter at the liquor store earlier," he said, referring to the island's veterinarian. "I told him you were dealing with a situation, and he said to take the rest of the week off. It's slow because of the Fourth anyway."
"Oh. Okay."
"I hope you don't mind that I talked to him."
"It's fine." His interference, which would've irritated her under normal circumstances, was the least of her concerns at the moment. "What'd you do about Mom?"
"I told her you'd call when you're ready to talk about it."
Janey glanced over at her handsome brother. He was tanned from long hours at the marina, his dark hair was damp from an earlier shower and stubble sprinkled his jaw. Being in love clearly agreed with him. He'd never looked better. "What makes you suddenly so good at Mom management?"
He grimaced at the backhanded compliment. "Fighting with her over Maddie."
Their mother hadn't approved of his relationship with one of the housekeepers who worked at the family's hotel. Mac had knocked Maddie off her bike by accident and then insisted on caring for her and her infant son until she was recovered—including taking her shifts at the hotel until she could work again. Unlike their mother, who had since come around, Janey had been delighted to watch her stubbornly single brother fall flat on his face in love.
"How's it going at the marina?"
"Surprisingly well."
"I still can't believe you're really taking the place over and moving home to the island."
"Some days I can't believe it, either, but I seem to be exactly where I belong. Finally."
"I'm happy for you, Mac. I really am."
He reached over and squeezed her hand. "I know you are, brat. I'm sorry all this is happening to you, especially with our wedding just around the corner."
"I certainly don't want what's happening to me to detract from your happiness. Please don't give that a thought."
"Are you still up for being Maddie's maid of honor?"
"Absolutely! I'd be heartbroken if she asked someone else."
"Good," he said, sounding relieved. Clearly, they'd given that some thought since they heard about what had happened with David.
It occurred to her just then that Mac had asked Joe to be his best man, since he'd refused to choose one of their three brothers. Her stomach took a nervous dip at the thought of serving as maid of honor to his best man at the upcoming wedding. That ought to make for an interesting day. Fortunately, it was almost two weeks off, and a lot could happen in that amount of time.
Mac took the last turn onto Sweet Meadow Farm Road, to the house he and Maddie had only recently moved into.
"How's the unpacking going?"
"We're getting there. My stuff arrived from Miami the other day, so it's a bit of a disaster area," he said with a note of apology. "We're praying for clear skies on the Fourth so we can have the party outside."
"Even if it rains, everyone knows you just moved in." Janey didn't care if the place was a disaster area. Even chaos would be better than stewing alone in her house full of memories from her long relationship with David.
"Thomas is all about the bubble wrap," Mac said, chuckling. The ten-month-old had captivated his new daddy from the instant they first met. "He goes crazy when it pops."
Janey smiled at Mac, appreciating his efforts to take her mind off her troubles. "I'd like to see that."
They pulled up to the house, and Mac killed the engine. "Hey."
Janey looked over to find him gazing intently at her. "Whatever you need, anything at all, just ask me—or Maddie. We'll do whatever we can to help you through this."
She lean
ed into his one-armed hug. "Thanks. I'm glad you're here. I couldn't have dealt with Mom tonight."
He planted a kiss on the top of her head. "That's what big brothers are for." Retrieving her bag from the back of the truck, he guided her to stairs that led to an expansive deck. "You're sure I'm not allowed to kill him?"
"May I put that offer on hold until after I hear his lame excuses?"
"By all means."
After Mac and Maddie had wined and dined her and allowed her the privilege of giving Thomas his bath and bottle, Maddie tucked Janey into the guest room. Her soon-to-be sister-in-law had fawned over her, surrounding her with love and friendship that touched Janey's battered heart.
"I'm sorry it's kind of blah in here," Maddie said of the unadorned walls and windows.
"Don't be. You're still settling in. I can't believe how much you've already gotten done."
Maddie flushed with pleasure at the compliment. "We're working on a tight deadline. Mac is determined to have the downstairs presentable in time for the wedding."
Janey held out a hand, encouraging Maddie to join her on the still new-smelling queen-size bed. Maddie had corralled her long caramel-colored hair into a messy bun that Mac had teased her about earlier.
Keeping hold of Janey's hand, Maddie stretched out next to her.
"Thanks for everything tonight. It helped to come here rather than my empty place."
"Mac figured it might."
"With a little encouragement from you, I'm sure."
"Maybe just a little. You wanna talk about it?"
Janey shrugged. "Not much to say. He was with someone else."
"And you saw him?"
"With my own eyes."
Maddie shuddered. "I can't imagine."
"And you never have to. Mac would die before he'd ever do something like that to you." As she said the words, Janey knew all the way down to her bone marrow that she spoke the truth. Mac had waited forever to find the love of his life and was utterly devoted to her and her son. Janey wanted that kind of certainty for herself, too. Until this week, she'd never realized just how important it was.
Thoughts of Joe resurfaced all at once, infusing her with heat and desire as she remembered his passionate lovemaking. After two days with him, she knew without a doubt that he'd never do what David had done.
"What, Janey? What is it?"
She glanced at Maddie. "I need to tell someone…"
Maddie pushed herself up on one elbow. "What?"
"You have to promise you won't tell Mac."
Maddie's eyes narrowed, and she swallowed hard. "We have a rule about keeping things from each other, but I suppose I could make an exception this once. He'd want me to do anything I could to help you."
"It's big, Maddie. Huge, in fact, and you're going to want to tell him, but you can't."
Maddie groaned. "I should run out of here right now while I still can, but now I have to know."
Janey smiled at the torment on Maddie's face. "I was counting on your female need to know."
"Spill it. Right now before I change my mind."
Her eyes darting to the open door, Janey whispered, "I slept with Joe."
Maddie's mouth fell open and then closed just as quickly. "Are we talking slept or slept?"
"Both."
"Wow," Maddie said on a long exhale as she fell onto her back. "You weren't kidding. That is huge."
"And you're already trying to figure out how you'll keep it from Mac."
Maddie turned her head so she could see Janey. "He can't ever know that, Janey. He'd totally flip out at Joe."
"I know, and it wasn't even his doing." Janey's face heated with embarrassment. "At least not the first time."
"It happened more than once?"
Janey swatted at her. "Shhh, will you?"
"Answer the question!"
"It happened a lot, actually."
"Oh, my God! I can't believe it. How was it?"
A bolt of heat traveled through Janey's body as she thought of being with Joe. "Amazing. I had no idea it could be like that. No idea at all."
"So what now? Are you guys like together or something?"
"No, nothing like that. He knows I have a bunch of crap to deal with."
"And then?"
"I don't know." Janey's stomach ached with dismay. She'd made a huge mess of things by getting involved with Joe, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to call what they'd shared a mistake.
"He's very … you know … devoted to you," Maddie said.
"It's much more than that, and you know it."
Maddie at least had the good grace to look guilty.
"You weren't kidding when you said you tell each other everything."
"Mac was worried about you both when he heard you were staying there."
"I was in such a fog after what I saw at David's. Then my car broke down. I probably shouldn't have called Joe, but he was the first person I thought of. And he was on the mainland while the rest of you were out here."
"And he came running."
"Yes." Janey filled her in on how they'd ended up in bed together. "I'm not proud of how I acted that first night, but he was so there. And even though I knew it was probably a mistake, somehow it helped."
"Wow."
"I know you must be thinking I'm a heartless slut."
"That's not at all what I was thinking."
"Then what?"
"I was wondering about Joe and how he's coping with all of this."
"He said he'd wait until I got myself together. However long it takes."
"That's good of him."
"It's probably far more than I deserve after he waited years for me to get a clue about how he felt about me."
"How do you feel, Janey? About both of them?"
She thought about that for a moment. "When I saw David under her while she rode him hard and fast—just the way he likes it—it was like something in me shut down. Everything I'd ever felt for him went away in that moment, and I don't think I can ever get it back."
"That's understandable. Anyone would feel the same way after seeing that. What about Joe?"
Janey glanced at Maddie. "When I said good-bye to him tonight at the ferry?"
Maddie nodded.
"All I could think about was how long I had to wait until I could see him again."
Chapter 7
Reeling from everything Janey had told her, Maddie checked on Thomas one last time in his big new room before heading to the master suite she shared with Mac. She still wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming about living with her own handsome prince in what could only be called a palace compared to the tiny apartment she used to call home.
Mac was already in bed, but he sat up when she came in. The covers fell to his waist, and Maddie took a moment to appreciate his splendid chest. She never got tired of looking at him.
"How is she?"
"Okay." Maddie released her hair from the bun and shook it loose. "Don't forget she's already had a few days to absorb the blow." In the gorgeous new dresser that matched the king-size bed he'd insisted on, Maddie found one of the half-dozen silk nightgowns he'd bought for her the same day they'd gone to the mainland to order furniture.
After a quick trip to their spacious bathroom to change and brush her teeth, she shut off the light and slid into bed next to him. Like he had every night since the huge bed was delivered, he met her in the middle and wrapped his naked body around her. Maddie had never known bliss like that which came from sleeping in Mac's arms every night. "Can you tell me again why we needed this massive bed when we only use about three feet of it?"
He kissed her bare shoulder, sending goose bumps all the way to her ankles. "When we wake up some morning in the near future surrounded by kids, you'll know why." His big hand found her flat stomach and branded her with its heat.
She knew exactly what he was thinking. They'd come close a few times recently to disregarding caution, but so far, caution had prevailed. Maddie tur
ned so she could see him, wishing she could share with him what Janey had told her.
"You're not going to tell me what my sister said, are you?"
Startled, Maddie met his gaze, astounded as always by how easily he read her. "I … ah…"
Mac laughed and kissed her. "It's okay. You girls are allowed to have your secrets."
"We are?"
"Sure. I know you wouldn't keep anything monumental from me. We have rules."
Guilt pinged through her. Yes, they had rules—rules she'd insisted on. But telling Mac what had happened between Janey and Joe would set off an explosion that could ruin a lifelong friendship, not to mention what it might mean for their wedding.
Mac would never understand that Janey had been the aggressor. He would only see that his best friend had betrayed his trust and taken advantage of his baby sister when she was vulnerable. She knew him well enough to be certain of how he'd react. So she said nothing. Instead, she reached for him and kissed him, hoping to get her mind—and his—off what she wasn't telling him.
"Mmm," he said against her lips. "I wait all day for this."
"Me, too. I don't know how I ever lived without it."
That seemed to fire his passion as he devoured her with heated kisses, shifted her under him and settled into the valley of her legs. "All this stuff with Janey," he said, kissing a path from her mouth to her neck to her breasts, "makes me realize how incredibly lucky we are."
Her fingers burrowed into his soft dark hair, and her legs curled around his hips in encouragement. "We're so lucky. So very, very lucky." And she hoped against hope that she wasn't risking everything by keeping a huge secret from him.
Using both hands, he brushed the hair back from her face and gazed down at her in the milky darkness. "I love you, Madeleine."
Her heart still tripped over itself whenever he looked at her that particular way. "I love you, too."
He started to reach for a condom, but she stopped him. She told herself it wasn't guilt that had her wiggling out of the nightgown while keeping him trapped between her legs.
"What're we doing?" he asked with a bemused expression.
"Throwing caution to the wind."
