by Marie Force
“Oh, we are?”
“We are. Mom will be out until at least eleven, so we’re going out, too. Maybe we’ll even get totally fucking hammered.” As much as he couldn’t wait to see Jenny again, Paul needed him more.
“You’re on,” Paul said grimly, raising his beer bottle in Alex’s direction.
* * *
Grace ran up the stairs from the pharmacy, determined to shower before Evan got home. The air-conditioning in the store had been no match for the oppressive temperature, and she felt disgusting after the long day in the swampy heat. On the way upstairs, she noticed the motorcycle parked under the stairs and groaned.
“Hope he doesn’t get too close,” she muttered as she opened the door and stepped into their place, where she found him sitting on the bed, head in his hands. Forgetting all about how she might smell, Grace dropped her bag and keys on the floor and went directly to him. “Evan.”
He looked up, seeming startled to see her there. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“What’s wrong?”
Shaking his head, he held out a hand to her. “Nothing, honey.”
She sat next to him. “Please don’t lie to me. Whatever is wrong, we’ll figure it out, but if you lie to me, we have a much bigger problem.”
He leaned his chin on their joined hands. “Apparently, Buddy Longstreet has managed to wrestle my album from the Starlight bankruptcy proceedings.”
“Wait. So what does that mean?”
“It means it’s going to be released under the Long Road Records label.”
“Oh.” An astounding array of implications cycled through her mind in about thirty seconds of stunned silence. “When did you hear about this?”
“First heard it might happen last night, and Jack called today to confirm it’s a done deal. The judge ruled today that Buddy can take ownership of the album by paying the court for the rights.”
“You’ll have to promote it.”
“Probably.”
“Which means you’ll be gone for weeks at a time.”
“Possibly.”
“What about the studio?”
“I don’t know. That’s one of many things I’m sitting here trying to figure out, when I should be heading for the marina to meet Owen.”
Grace noticed his guitar cases lined up like soldiers next to the wall by the door. He’d brought them home from the studio for the gig tonight. What would her home be like without him and his guitars and his oversized shoes all over the place? Her stomach ached and her chest felt tight as she tried to get air to her lungs. “This is really good news, Ev. You worked so hard on it, and for no one to ever get to hear it would be horrible.”
With his head still propped on his hand, he glanced at her, smiling. “You always see the bright side, don’t you?”
“What’s the point of seeing any other side? It’s happening, so we have to deal with it.”
Evan caressed her face. “You’re amazing. My amazing Grace.”
She knew he’d written a song with that title, but he hadn’t played it for her yet. He’d said he was saving it for a special occasion.
“I don’t want to be away from you for one day,” he said, “let alone weeks on end.”
“You’ll do one tour to promote the record and then come home and pick up your life here. That’s what you’ll do.”
“I might be gone for months, Grace. And then what if it takes off?” He shook his head. “I don’t know if I can do it. Buddy will want me to tour with him, which means huge arenas.”
“You’re worried about the stage fright.”
“Yeah. Despite how insanely hot it is, I break into a cold sweat every time I think about performing in front of that many people.”
“Could you maybe refuse to do it?”
“After Buddy paid God knows what for the rights? You think he’s going to just let me get away with doing nothing to promote it?” He ran his hand over the stubble on his jaw. “I hate to say it, but I’ve got to go meet Owen. We’re on in an hour, and I need to set up.”
“We’ll talk about it later. Go have a good time tonight. Nothing’s going to happen immediately, so we’ve got time to figure things out.”
“True.” He leaned in to kiss her. “Try not to worry, okay? It doesn’t change anything that truly matters. I promise you that.”
Grace smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. “Take the car. I’ll get a ride from Laura.”
“Are you sure?”
“You can’t take all those guitars on the bike, Evan.”
“How do you think I got them home?”
Her mouth fell open.
“Psych,” he said with a laugh. “Owen picked them up at the studio and brought them here earlier. I didn’t want them exposed to the heat, so he didn’t take them to the marina.”
“I wouldn’t put it past you to try to bring them on the bike.”
Smiling, he kissed her one more time. “I’ll admit to giving it some serious thought.” He got up and went into the bathroom. As he brushed his teeth, he said, “Make sure you hydrate before you drink tonight. It’s hot as snot.”
“Believe me, I know. It was crazy hot in the store today. Will you be okay playing in the heat?”
“I’ll probably sweat my balls off, but I’ll be fine.”
“Don’t do that. I have plans for them.”
He froze, toothbrush in his mouth, eyes wide with shock.
“What?”
Removing the toothbrush, he said, “You never would’ve said that a year ago. I’ve been a terrible influence on you.”
“Nah, you’ve loosened me up. I’m a better version of my old self thanks to you.”
He spit out the toothpaste, splashed water on his face and combed his hair. Emerging from the bathroom, he came over to her and gave her hand a gentle tug until she stood before him. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her again. “I’m a much better version of my old self thanks to you, too.”
“Love you,” she whispered as she took a moment to wallow in the overwhelming love she felt for him.
“Love you more.”
“No way.”
“Yes way.”
“We’ll fight about that later. Go to work.”
“See you there?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
“Good, because I never have stage fright when you’re there.”
Grace hid her surprise at hearing something he’d never told her before. Watching him pick up all the guitars and somehow get them through the door, she felt a crushing sense of fear that everything they’d managed to achieve together could be threatened by this unexpected change of plans.
* * *
Jenny’s day had been dreadfully unproductive thanks to the nagging guilt and shame over her behavior with Alex. Everything she’d attempted to accomplish had been derailed by her lack of attention as much as the blistering heat that was literally sucking the life out of her.
At three o’clock she’d surrendered to the heat-induced exhaustion and gone upstairs to her bedroom to lie down for a while. She’d dozed off and slept fitfully, plagued by odd dreams that had her tossing and turning only to wake up throbbing with unfulfilled desire.
That was when she realized she’d been dreaming about Alex. “Oh God,” she whispered through dry lips. Every cell in her body was on full alert, the way it had been last night when he’d driven her out of her mind with desire so potent she’d been unable to shake off the sex-induced stupor all day.
Glancing at the clock, she gasped at the late hour, then dashed out of bed and ran for the shower with only twenty minutes until Linc Mercier was due to arrive. After a quick and very cold shower intended to cool her body temperature as well as her suddenly ravenous libido, she kept one eye on the driveway watching for Linc and another on the bathroom mirror as she attempted to do something with her hair.
But the heat and humidity had other ideas, and she gave up on trying to tame the curls that had formed around her face i
n the heat since she was a little girl. Toby had called them her banana curls for some strange reason, she recalled with a pang of nostalgia. She hadn’t thought of that in years.
Her face was so shiny with perspiration that she decided not to bother with makeup but applied some powder to combat the shine. This date was doomed to disaster status before she even left her own bathroom, and it was all Alex’s fault. He’d fried her circuit board with a gruff voice, sexy body and incendiary kisses.
“Stop thinking about him and focus on the guy your friends were good enough to fix you up with,” she said as she threw her cell phone, keys, some cash and lipstick into a small purse and stomped down the stairs, wearing the lightest-weight dress she owned and not bothering with a sweater because she knew she wouldn’t need it.
She was far too out of sorts for a first date tonight, but it was too late to cancel. Besides, she had no desire to cancel. It was time to get back out there and meet people—men in particular—unless she wanted to spend the rest of her life alone. And that wasn’t what she wanted. She’d loved being half of a couple during the years she’d spent with Toby and hoped to experience that kind of special bond again someday.
The only thing she knew for sure was if she stayed holed up in her own little safe zone, she’d never achieve that goal, and she’d sacrifice any remaining chance she had of being a mother.
While the lighthouse was a popular tourist destination, single men weren’t lining up outside her door. Except for the one who’d come to cut the grass…
“You’re not thinking about him, remember?” Right… Easier said than done after the most explosive sexual experience she’d had in twelve long years. She would never forget the first time she’d had sex after Toby died. It had taken more than five years to even consider the possibility of doing that with someone else. The guy, Drew, had been nice enough. They’d gone out a few times, and he’d known her story, so he was patient and considerate, which had only made the whole thing more excruciating.
Afterward, she’d cried uncontrollably. He’d said and done all the right things, such as they were, before taking her home and promising to call. She’d never heard from him again, not that she could blame him. That was one of the reasons why she’d appreciated the anonymity with Alex. He had no idea he was supposed to be careful or patient with her, which was exactly the way she wanted it.
When she’d gone out with Mason Johns last week, her past had never come up, but she knew he was aware of it. Her friends would’ve prepared him to ensure he navigated her emotional battlefield with the utmost care. In truth, she hated being “tragedy girl,” and for a brief—albeit mortifyingly out-of-character—moment last night, she’d been “Just Jenny” for the first time in a dozen years. She’d rather liked being “Just Jenny” again.
She hadn’t seen “Just Jenny” in a very long time, and apparently she’d changed quite a bit over the years, if her behavior with Alex was any indication.
You are not thinking about him!
A sharp rap on the mudroom door startled her, and she took a deep breath in through her nose and blew it out of her mouth before she went down the spiral staircase to greet Linc. He was a good friend of Tiff’s new husband, Blaine Taylor. As Blaine was the Gansett Island police chief, Jenny took Blaine’s approval as a ringing endorsement.
She opened the door and absorbed the wave of heat that smacked her in the face. Oh, he looks good. Wearing madras plaid shorts with a pink polo, Linc directed an appreciative smile at her. Tall and broad-shouldered, he had close-cropped blond hair and friendly blue eyes. He was more than man enough to pull off the pink shirt. “Hot enough for you?” he asked.
“It’s brutal.”
“You look gorgeous.”
“Thank you, but I feel like a wilted flower.”
“Heat getting to you?”
“Big-time. No AC in the lighthouse, which is normally fine, but not this week.”
Executing a gallant bow, he extended his arm to her. “Right this way, madam. I promise you an icy blast of air-conditioning to go with dinner.”
“You had me at icy blast.” The instant she said the words, she began to second-guess them. Did saying he’d “had her” make her sound loose or easy? After her unprecedented behavior last night, she had cause to question everything.
But Linc just laughed at her comment and led her to a royal blue two-seater BMW and held the passenger-side door for her.
“Nice car,” she said as he slid into the driver’s seat.
True to his word, he set the air-conditioner to blast. “Thanks. It’s my one major indulgence.”
Jenny closed her eyes and let the cool air wash over her. “I suppose everyone has one.”
“What’s yours?”
“At the moment, it’s your air-conditioning.”
“Very funny.” Shifting the car into gear, he left a cloud of dust in his wake as he pulled away from the lighthouse. “What is it the rest of the time?”
“I’ve moved around a lot, so I don’t have all that much stuff I can’t live without, but I do love my e-reader.” She glanced over at him, appreciating his attractive profile and the scent of subtle but appealing cologne coming from him. He was exactly the type of guy she had always gravitated toward—handsome, a bit preppy, successful, confident, obviously witty and intelligent.
She made up her mind to give him a fair chance tonight, and the best way she could do that was to forget all about the moment of madness with Alex. It was in the past where it belonged, never to be repeated. There was no point giving it any more attention, especially when the perfect guy had just appeared at her door possessing all the qualities she looked for in a partner.
“So you’re a big reader?” he asked.
“I love to read.”
“What do you like to read?”
“Anything and everything. Mostly mysteries and suspense, some memoirs.” She didn’t mention that she’d recently been devouring the memoirs of 9/11 widows and widowers. Enough time had passed that she was able to read about the partners others had lost on that horrible day.
“I figured you were a romance type of gal.”
“I used to read a lot of romance, but not so much anymore.” He was only making conversation, and she didn’t want him to be uncomfortable, so she didn’t elaborate. The truth of it was she’d gravitated away from the genre she used to enjoy, because reading about fictional characters ending up happily ever after made her yearn for her lost love.
Linc took her to dinner at the Lobster House and regaled her with stories about the Coast Guard, including some amazing tales of his tenure with the search-and-rescue teams, and had her laughing about life as the older brother to four conniving younger sisters.
“I’m being a total bore talking about myself,” he said as he poured the last of their bottle of chardonnay into her glass.
“Not at all. I enjoy your stories.”
“I wouldn’t mind hearing some of yours, too.”
“My life is nowhere near as interesting as yours. No searches, no rescues, but I do have two younger sisters, so I feel your pain there.” She made a joke, but her sisters were her best friends. “Yours sound a bit more spirited than mine, who married their high school sweethearts and have made me an aunt five times over.”
“I bet you have pictures.”
Charmed that he would ask, she withdrew her phone from her purse and found the latest pictures of her nieces and nephews. “Matter of fact, I do. Meet Michael, Lacey, Brent, Tyler and Mackenzie.”
He flipped through the pictures with genuine interest. “They’re incredibly cute, and clearly, blond hair runs in your family.”
“Yep. We’re all blondes.” She found another picture of the entire family taken last Christmas and showed it to him. “Here’s one with all of us. My dad, the one with the dark hair and eyes, is king of the blonde joke.”
Linc cocked a brow that only added to his rakish good looks. “You let him get away with that?”
; “In a house full of women, he put up with a lot more than we did. He deserves to take his fun wherever he can get it.”
“Beautiful family. Where do they live?”
“They’re all in North Carolina.”
“How’d you end up so far from home?”
She suspected he already knew but was hoping to hear it from her. “That is a very long story.”
“I don’t have anywhere to be. Do you?”
He was charming and easy to talk to and funny. It would be too easy to share her story with him, but she wasn’t in the mood for a trip down memory lane. “If it’s all right with you, I’d like to pass on telling you that very long story, for now anyway. I’m having fun tonight, and it’s not a fun story.”
“Fair enough,” he said, running his fingers over the stem of his wineglass. “As long as you know I’m interested.”
She couldn’t miss the double meaning in his words and smiled at him, grateful for his kindness, his interest and the fact that he didn’t try to cajole the story out of her despite her obvious reluctance. That had happened before, and it was an instant turnoff for her. Anxious to change the subject, she said, “Some friends of mine are playing at the Tiki Bar at McCarthy’s Marina. How do you feel about live music?”
“I love it, especially when Evan and Owen are playing together. I was going to ask if you wanted to go.”
“Great,” Jenny said, excited to continue the date and see their mutual friends.
He paid the check and casually reached for her hand on the way out of the restaurant.
Jenny curled her fingers around his much bigger hand, marveling at the strange twenty-four hours she’d had. Last night Alex had been arriving at the lighthouse right around this time, and… Well, there was no need to go over all that again.
And here she was tonight, holding hands with Linc Mercier during what was turning out to be one of the better dates she’d had since Toby died. As much as she liked Linc, though, he didn’t inspire the same level of edgy, gut-wrenching desire she’d experienced with Alex.
Oh for God’s sake! Give the guy a chance, will you? She admonished herself all the way back to the car, where Linc once again held the door for her and waited until she was safely settled before he closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side.
