Staying Grounded (A Rocky Harbor Novel Book 1)

by Marianne Rice

  “I’m not ready to let you go.”

  Then don’t leave. She entered into this relationship with eyes wide open and knew it wasn’t going to be her happily ever after story. But they could have one more night.

  “Come inside.” She reached for his hand and led him toward her bedroom, Sweetie Pie happily following.

  In the early hours of the morning, long before she needed to be up, she got dressed and went to work.

  Slipping away and avoiding the emotional goodbyes was a family trait she had down pat.

  Chapter Eleven

  Graham

  Graham hadn’t expected to wake up alone in Maggie’s bed. He rolled to her side and inhaled the delicious fruity sex goddess goodness. Damn. What had he gotten himself into? Maggie was right to kick him out last night; he wasn’t meant for relationships and she deserved better than him.

  He wouldn’t call himself completely worthless, but he wasn’t the man for her. Maggie O’Fallon deserved stability and class, two things Graham Riley was not. From the little she shared about her family, she’d been alone for most of her life, and alone didn’t suit her. While she may not have come right out and said it, she was looking for a family man. Someone who wouldn’t get up and leave on a whim, abandoning her for weeks on end like her father had.

  Graham knew too well about family dysfunction. Sure, Keith and Doreen had put stability in his life and shown him how a family unit should function, but he and his siblings still had their demons to battle. The skeletons they wanted to keep hidden. Obstacles they needed to overcome. Obstacles Graham was still struggling with.

  The sexy therapist knew what she was doing. Throwing him out last night, walking away from him this morning. Smart lady. He’d be an idiot to chase after her and make empty promises. Better to have love and lost than to…no. What he and Maggie shared wasn’t love, just crazy, amazing chemistry, lots and lots of laughter, and the most mind-blowing sex he’d ever experienced in his entire life. And hell, he’d had a lot of sex.

  Graham rolled out of bed and slid on his shorts and shirt, forgoing a shower, keeping her lingering scent on him for a little longer. After a poor attempt at a game of fetch with the dog, he cleaned up the kitchen and let himself out of Maggie’s house. And out of her life.

  Hoping to get in one last round of pick-up basketball with his brother and his buddies before leaving Maine, he hopped in his Jeep and headed toward the fire station. Unfortunately Luke was out on a call, so Graham sent him a quick text, promising to keep in touch better, and drove home to say goodbye to his mom and sisters.

  Doreen didn’t lay a pile of guilt on him for not spending much time with her, but the disappointment was clear in her eyes. He should have opened up to her, talked to her about…his feelings? No, he had a therapist for that. No need to share the crap inside his head with the people he loved. His mom didn’t need to know all the shit that was dealt to her kids. She took on too much stress when they were teens. Now that they were older and stronger they could deal with their own burdens without taking off more years of Doreen’s life.

  Besides, his problems were all pretty public now anyway. She had Rachael and Lucy at home to contend with. Another dose of guilt twisted in his gut. Lucy. He still didn’t know a thing about the newest sister. Newest. She’d been a Riley for five years and all Graham knew was that her birth parents were into some heavy drugs and gave Lucy away when she was seventeen.

  Lucy had piercings in some strange places the last time he saw her. Her ears had more holes than a politician’s promises, her nose had a stud thing in it—must have been fun during allergy season—even her eyebrow donned a piece of hardware. Knowing the wild child, she probably had piercings in some other unmentionable places that he’d rather not think about. Luke mentioned something about Sage influencing Luce to get rid of her hardware. Thank God.

  He sent her a text telling his sister the next time he came back to Rocky Harbor he’d block out some time to hang with her. Lucy’s response consisted of an emoji flipping him off and a demand for him to bring her out flying the next time he was in town. Graham sent a hasty reply with promises he hoped he’d be able to keep.

  Rachael would like that too. She’d shown a glint of a smile the other day when he told her about running into Bill and taking the Cessna out for a spin. He’d left out the part about Maggie, not wanting his sister to make a big deal out of it. She’d always been the romantic, tagging along with Graham, Luke, and Colton as a kid, asking about their friends, getting that dreamy look in her eyes when their friends would come over and swim in the lake.

  His brothers made damn sure none of their friends ever laid a hand on Rachael. They’d made it quite clear that their sister was off limits. Even looking at her was out of the question. Although, they had little control over the gawking that happened once Rachael hit puberty and grew into her long limbs. A looker she had been and a looker she still was.

  The ashen, hollow cheeks and purple half-moons under her eyes had disappeared since the last time he saw her. Granted, that wasn’t the best of days. Her asshole boyfriend had knocked her around pretty bad and Rachael did her best to hide behind her bangs, obviously ashamed at being a victim. She’d called Luke and he’d called Graham to work his connections and get them a flight to California to rescue their sister from the monster. It took all the willpower in the world to not go after the boyfriend and give him a taste of his own medicine.

  Even Luke, the grounded, stable brother, nearly blew his lid. If Rachael hadn’t needed their support, emotionally and physically, both of them would have gotten a piece of Dylan, and they would probably have ended up in prison as well.

  Their funny, strong, sassy sister had been a punching bag and emotional doormat for the douche. She didn’t want to file charges, but Luke and Graham were not leaving California without him paying for what he did to their sister.

  Graham clenched his fists in frustration. How could Rachael have let him abuse her for so long? They’d all experienced some kind of abuse from their lives prior to becoming a Riley, but Rachael was the last one they’d expected to fall victim. She’d always been so strong and…snarky. Graham shook his head and sighed. He wanted the old Rachael back. According to his mom, she’d been pretty quiet in the months she’d been home. The first sign of light was when Graham returned; they’d always had a strong connection.

  Maybe if he returned more often he could help Rachael get her life back instead of staying home all day—the only outing she’d made was to the grocery store. He could bring her up in the sky where she could experience the freedom from everyday life and take in the beauty that attracted millions of people to Maine every year.

  Once he got home, Graham jumped in the shower, then tossed his clothes in his duffle bag. The original plan was to spend the weekend driving back to Texas, but damned if he was going to turn down twenty-four hours rolling around in a bed with a beautiful redhead. His appointment with his attorney and Global Air execs was first thing Tuesday morning. Cursing his groin for altering his weekend plans—not that he minded one bit—Graham called a sister airline and booked a seat on the next flight out of Portland and then asked his mom for a lift.

  “Thanks for dropping me off at the airport, Mom.”

  “You know I’d do anything for you, Graham. I worry for you and have tried real hard not to hover.”

  “You’re doing a great job. I feel bad about not spending time with you all while I was home. I just…needed some time.”

  Doreen patted his hand. “I’m happy when my kids are happy. You tell me what you need, sweetie, and I’ll give it to you. And then some.”

  Sweetie. He’d never be able to hear the endearment without thinking of Maggie and her fluff of a dog. Forcing his thoughts back to his mom, he replied, “I know. You’ve always put our needs ahead of yours. Unfortunately your sons are all meatheads and haven’t learned to do the same. Well, except for Luke. He turned out all right.”

  Doreen pulled in to the loading
zone and put the car in park. “You’ve all turned out wonderful. I only wish I could see you more often, but I understand your need to fly. Blake’s sense of adventure. Colton’s need to serve and protect overseas. My children make me proud and have turned my hair gray before its time. I know I worry too much and won’t apologize or change that. You’re my babies and I’ll love you forever. You know how badly I want all of you to settle down. Not to settle, but to find the life that makes you happy.”

  “Flying makes me happy.”

  “And that’s all? Just flying? Or is there something or someone else that has brought that beautiful smile back to your eyes? Maybe a woman?”

  “Fishing are you, Ma?” he teased.

  “You came to Maine to attend anger management therapy for a crime you shouldn’t be charged with, yet I’ve never seen you so…free. So…happy. Granted, I haven’t seen much of you this week, but I’m willing to sacrifice my time with you if the person you’re seeing is able to put that look on your face. Don’t deny it,” she said when Graham opened his mouth to do just that. “Your personal life is yours to keep private and I truly respect that. All I want in life is for my kids to be happy. Whatever it takes. If that means Colton overseas fighting this never-ending war, Blake running and building and staying a kid forever, Lucy dying her hair a different color every day, Rachael baking so much she’s going to need to open a bakery, and you up in the air, never settling anywhere or with anyone, so be it.”

  “Luke’s found his happiness, hasn’t he?”

  Doreen’s smile lit up her entire face. “Our first wedding. I’m so excited he talked Sage into a big event. Next will be grandkids.”

  “Luke said something about being foster parents.” Graham could picture Luke as a dad. He had the even demeanor of Keith and always talked about settling down, raising a family. Hell, he built his log cabin down the road from their family home even before finding his woman so that Doreen could be close to his future bride and their future children. It made sense that he’d fall in love with another planner.

  “Yes. You know Sage was a surrogate mother for her sister. She gave birth almost a year ago to the most precious little twins. I consider her sisters and their families part of our family as well and I’d love for them to have cousins running around here in the near future.” Doreen gave him the all-knowing-mother stare that had him shifting in his seat.

  “That’s never been on my agenda. Pressure the other kids, not me.” The heaviness in his chest had nothing to do with his mother’s pestering and everything to do with the woman he was leaving behind. The woman was everything Doreen was looking for in a wife for her son and Doreen was everything Maggie wanted in a mom. Too bad Graham didn’t fit anywhere in the scenario.

  “I’m not pressuring. A mother knows these things.”

  “What things?”

  “When her kids are ready to nest.”

  As if. Fly, yes. Nest, no.

  “What are we, birds?” He tried to lighten the moment and evade. Graham reached in the back seat and dragged his bag into his lap.

  “And I’m a mother hen. I love you, Graham. Be safe. Be happy. Come home soon.”

  “I don’t know how you do it.” Graham leaned over the console and kissed his mom on her forehead. “I love you. And I promise to come home more often. Maybe even before Luke’s wedding.”

  “I’d like that. And so would Rachael. She enjoyed cooking for you.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Graham opened the door and slid out. “Graham?” his mother called. He stuck his head back in, grabbing his duffle. “Whatever happens with the airline, the attorneys, the media…you’ll always have a place at home. Always.”

  He nodded and blew her a kiss before closing the door behind him.

  The flight home—no, not home, but back to Texas—was long. He opted for a window seat even though his legs needed the aisle to stretch. His head and heart needed to see the skies. Being three thousand feet in the air didn’t hold a candle to flying low over the coast of Maine, listening to Maggie’s laughter and excitement as she pointed out landmarks and wildlife.

  Instead, he saw endless blue sky and far, far below, tiny specks that were cities and farmland. The true beauty of each got lost so high up in the sky. Global Air didn’t fly into Portland, Maine, so he didn’t recognize the flight crew, and that was perfectly fine with him. Today he was a passenger needing his anonymity.

  After exiting the plane, he fought his way through thousands of people rushing to make their flights. The sterile feel of the Dallas airport used to give him a sense of freedom and independence, but today he felt like another ant crammed in a busy world of nobodies. Since he landed in a different terminal than Global Air’s, many of the vendors didn’t know him and he walked among the throngs of suits and families toward baggage claim. Only he didn’t have any, besides the emotional kind.

  Hailing a cab, Graham slid in the backseat and rattled off his address, only ten miles from the airport. Convenient and in the center of the city, cose to bars, restaurants and hotels—

  there was always something happening in his neighborhood. He paid the driver and got out in front of his building, noticing the sidewalk littered with chewed gum and spills from the millions of people who carelessly walked the streets. Horns blared, traffic lights changed, people walked by him on their cell phones.

  The humid air hung oppressively low today, the buildings blocking any breeze that attempted to make its way downtown.

  Knowing he had no food in his condo, he stopped at the corner deli for dinner. Even though he’d lived here for five years, and people may have recognized him and said hello, hoping for his business, he didn’t have any relationship with anyone in the city beyond that. Graham ordered a steak and cheese, grabbed a bag of chips and a bottle of water, and made his way back to his condo.

  There was no barking dog to greet him, no family members barraging him to spend more time with him, and no scent of cherry vanilla lingering in the air.

  How was it that just a few weeks ago this life appealed to him?

  ***

  Maggie

  Maggie waited all day for Graham to call, or text, or stop by. But he didn’t. She expected him to be angry with her for slipping out without waking him. Apparently their double session of lovemaking didn’t mean as much to him as it meant to her. Or maybe this was how he treated all his women. Love them tenderly all night then leave them in the morning.

  Only she was the one to leave. Maggie listened to her patients, took notes, doled out advice she had no business giving—even though the degree on the wall claimed she did—and finally shut her laptop.

  “Need me for anything else, boss?” Tiffany called from the doorway.

  “No thanks. You can go. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “You okay?” Tiffany leaned against the door jamb and studied Maggie.

  “Tired. Typical Monday.”

  “Does this have anything to do with a particularly hot former patient?”

  Maggie ignored her friend and slid her laptop into her bag. “See you tomorrow, Tiffany.”

  “Message delivered. Butt out. I’ll try, yet I make no promises.”

  Once Tiffany left, Maggie let out a loud sigh, blowing her hair off her face. She needed a long run, and knowing Sweetie Pie would be jealous if she left the house in running gear without her—even though the poor thing couldn’t make it a quarter mile—she went into the office bathroom and changed.

  Three miles later, she rounded Main Street and nearly made it past Coast & Roast before bumping into Mackenzie.

  “I’ve been waiting for you.” Her friend stood on the sidewalk near the chalkboard sign advertising the daily specials, arms crossed and a deep scowl on her face.

  “I’ve been running.”

  “Yeah. Saw you go by not long ago. When were you going to tell me?”

  “I didn’t think you’d want to go for a run with me.” Maggie took the water bottle Mackenzie
offered and guzzled nearly half of it before coming up for air.

  “That’s not what I’m talking about.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.” She pulled her ankle behind her butt, stretching her right quad, then switched to her left leg.

  “Your pilot left town.”

  Maggie shrugged, put the cap on the bottle, and handed it back. Kenzie shook her head. “Since when do you run on a Monday, after a long day’s work, when it’s still 80 degrees out?”

  “Just felt like it.”

  “Oh honey.” Kenzie wrapped her arms around Maggie, drawing her into a deep hug. “I’m so sorry. You fell in love, didn’t you?”

  Shaking her head, Maggie pulled away. “No. Absolutely not. I like him. He’s a good guy. Too bad he’s not for me.”

  “I don’t believe you, but I’ll let it go. For now. And by the way, we’re going out this weekend. I’ll not allow moping. I’ve never seen you mope before and it’s kinda depressing.”

  “Gee, thanks, Kenz. And thanks for the water, but I need to go. Sweetie Pie’s probably gnawing her foot off by now.”

  “Friday night. We’re going out. Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  The rest of the week she got up every morning and played with Sweetie Pie, went to work, came home to play with the dog, nuked her dinner, and lay in bed, smelling the pillow Graham had used almost a week ago. His masculine, clean scent was everywhere. Yup, Maggie O’Fallon had pathetic written all over her.

  Stepping out of the shower, she dried off before wrapping her robe around her body, remembering all too clearly the time they’d spent in here together. Determined to strip him from her thoughts, she yanked the sheets from her bed and threw the linens in the wash before getting ready to go out with Kenzie.