Dragon Warrior (Midnight Bay)

by Janet Chapman

  “I know,” Maddy said with a sigh. “But I’ve had a lot of stuff going on lately.”

  “Maddy . . . ye know that if there’s anything we can do to help lighten your load, all ye have to do is ask.”

  Maddy shot him a thankful smile. “Eve lending me her car until I can save up to get a new one has been more than enough help.”

  “When is your brother leaving for school?”

  Maddy kicked her smile up another notch. “Rick heads out in two weeks.”

  Lois and Charlotte walked over to the counter. “We’re going to ask Doris if you can come with us,” Lois said. “I think we should have a nurse on our field trip.”

  Maddy shook her head. “I have meds to dispense and a couple of treatments to give. But I can see if Katy can go with you if you want.”

  “She’s a CNA,” Charlotte said. “What if Samuel’s pacemaker suddenly quits or my blood sugar goes haywire after lunch? We need a nurse.”

  Maddy slid the monitor toward her. “If you start feeling woozy, you can check your own sugar. And Samuel’s pacemaker isn’t suddenly going to quit. You’ll be in good hands with Kenzie and William.” She darted a look down the hall and immediately wished she hadn’t.

  Damn, the man was gorgeous. Now that his hair was shorter and he was clean-shaven—except for that sexy-as-hell goatee—she couldn’t seem to stop staring at him. And he certainly filled out a pair of jeans rather nicely. But it was the crisp white shirt he was wearing, spanning unbelievably broad shoulders that really got her heart to thumping. He’d rolled the cuffs back, and for some unexplainable reason muscled forearms and powerful, masculine hands were Maddy’s greatest weakness when it came to men.

  And that fancy new watch glistening on his wrist definitely finished the look.

  Damn, she was in trouble.

  “Come on, you two,” Elbridge called out. “We’re not getting any younger standing around here.”

  “Ladies,” Kenzie said, ushering the women ahead of him while giving Maddy an amused nod. “We’ll have them back for dinner. Enjoy your lunch with your cousin.”

  Maddy leaned over the counter to watch the turtle parade shuffle down the hall and out the front door. She rushed limping into the sitting room to look out the window and saw them gather around Kenzie’s large black SUV, where they immediately started arguing over who was going to sit where. She covered her mouth, laughing out loud when she saw William suddenly realize that getting any of them into the third-row seat was going to be about as easy as getting a newborn chick back in its egg.

  She cracked open the window to listen.

  “Charlotte and Lois,” she heard William say. “Since the rear seat is smaller than the middle one, why don’t ye let me pick up you two wee lassies and set ye inside?”

  Lois’s eyes widened. “I’m not that wee a lassie.”

  “Of course ye are, darling,” he said, sweeping her off her feet, chuckling when she gasped. “Why, I’ve lifted kittens that weigh more than you do.”

  By the time he reappeared from settling Lois in the third seat, Charlotte was positively giddy with anticipation. Maddy fought but failed to hold in her laughter when the tiny woman all but threw herself into his arms. “Oh, William, you are so strong,” Charlotte said, her arthritic hands clutching his broad shoulders.

  “What’s so funny?” Doris asked, coming to stand beside Maddy.

  “How many strong men does it take to load a truck with senior citizens?”

  Doris looked out the window and sighed. “I don’t know if those two are saints, or if they’re really sinners trying to worm their way into heaven. I can’t imagine what possessed Mr. Killkenny to offer to take them on a picnic.”

  Maddy grinned at the thirty-year veteran of nursing-home administration. “Maybe we’ll find out when they bring them home this afternoon.”

  “I know Kenzie Gregor married Eve Anderson a couple of weeks ago,” Doris said. “And whenever I go to Mabel’s shop to buy bread, she can’t stop raving about her new son-in-law.” Doris glanced at the nearly loaded SUV, then back at Maddy. “But I can’t quite get a handle on William Killkenny. He walked in here last Thursday morning and asked if it would be okay for him to visit with the residents.”

  “Did he say why he wanted to visit with them?”

  “He told me he was building a house down on Riley Cove and that he’d like to get their advice on how he should go about it. He said that if anyone knew what would work and what wouldn’t in this climate, they would.” Doris broke into a rare smile. “I have to say, my first instinct was to call the sheriff and have him removed from the premises. Lord,” she said, shaking her head, “the man was scary to look at; big as a barn, strong enough to stop a freight train, and so hairy I thought Bigfoot was standing in my office.”

  “What stopped you from calling the sheriff?”

  “Elbridge came in just then, and William’s face—at least what I could see of it—immediately lit up. He shook Elbridge’s hand, and I realized that very few of our visitors ever think to offer such a simple, respectful gesture. Just then Lois peeked into the office, and William’s eyes turned . . . well . . . tender. He tucked his hands behind his back, gave her a slight bow, and formally introduced himself to her.”

  Doris shrugged. “I’ve been in this business long enough to know that just like dogs and children, seniors have a sixth sense about a person’s character. So I told William I’d be willing to give him a chance, and in the four days he’s been coming here, I can only say that the atmosphere has been nothing short of electric.” She waved at the window. “Just look at them. They were up at the crack of dawn and waiting at the kitchen door for breakfast, dressed in their Sunday best. I haven’t seen them this excited since I lost my mind and gave them permission to paint their own rooms whatever color they wanted.”

  “We’re still scraping neon pink paint off of Janice’s mirror and windows.”

  “Oh, thank God you’re here!” Katy said, rushing into the sitting room. “Maddy, I need your help!”

  “Why, what’s wrong?” Maddy asked, going on full alert when she saw Katy’s hands and scrubs were smeared red. “What happened?” she asked, rushing toward her. “Who’s hurt?”

  “No, this isn’t blood,” Katy said. “It’s Passion Red nail polish!”

  The young CNA thrust something toward her, and Maddy gasped so hard she actually hurt her chest.

  “I was painting Mem’s toenails,” Katy continued in a rush, “when Janice asked me to go see if someone had accidentally unplugged the Wi-Fi again. I was only gone for a minute, I swear.” Katy thrust her hand out again. “But when I came back, I found Mem painting her dentures! I tried cleaning them, but I can’t get it off. And there’s no more polish remover; Lois used the entire bottle to clean the pitch off Hiram’s hands when he collected all those pine cones last week. What do I do? The polish is drying!”

  “Relax, Katy,” Maddy said calmly, trying her damnedest not to burst out laughing. She wrapped her arm around the teenager’s shoulders and headed into the hallway. “We’ll try denatured alcohol, and if that doesn’t work, you can run to the drugstore and get more polish remover.”

  “Welcome back to the most exciting place in Midnight Bay, Ms. Kimble,” Doris chortled, walking toward her office.

  “I’m quite impressed by your restraint this morning, Killkenny,” Kenzie said.

  William finished stowing Charlotte’s wheelchair and Samuel’s walker in the back of the SUV, closed the hatch, and arched a questioning brow. “How so?”

  “I half expected you to jump over that counter and demand that Maddy tell you who put that mark on her face.”

  “And if I had, do ye believe she would have told me?”

  “No. There’s a good chance she would have slapped your face,” Kenzie said with a chuckle. But just as quickly, his features hardened. “She told me she fell off her porch, hitting her head and wrenching her knee, in the wee hours of Thursday morning. What time did ye leave th
ere Wednesday night?”

  “About twenty minutes after you did, when I saw the kitchen light go out and assumed she’d gone to bed.”

  “Then it seems we weren’t the last people to see Maddy that night. A porch step doesn’t leave a handprint on a woman’s face.”

  William realized he must have looked somewhat lethal himself when he saw Kenzie stiffen. “Ye can’t think to extract personal retribution, Killkenny,” Kenzie growled. “That’s not how things are done in this century.”

  “Then what do you suggest I do? Let some bastard get away with abusing her?”

  “I can’t answer that until we find out who the bastard is.”

  “Most likely it’s her ex-husband.”

  Kenzie shook his head. “I have every reason to believe Maddy and Billy Kimble are on good terms with each other. In fact, Eve told me he’s marrying a young woman from Oak Harbor who is carrying his child.”

  “Billy Kimble? Are ye saying Maddy still uses his name?”

  “I asked Eve about that, and she said Maddy kept it out of concern for Sarah, so they wouldn’t have different surnames.” He shook his head again. “I haven’t heard Eve or Maddy mention there being any other man in Maddy’s life.”

  “There’s her brother,” William said with a frown. “And I recall seeing an old pickup truck as I was leaving there Wednesday night, a few miles from Maddy’s house. It was speeding, and I remember thinking that whoever was driving must have a death wish, because it was weaving all over the road.”

  “It’s possible it was Rick, as he has an old blue pickup,” Kenzie offered. “And he could have been drunk. From what I’ve seen since moving to Midnight Bay, there’s not much for the young men to do at night around here, other than drink and get into mischief. Word is it was a bunch of teenagers who painted that dragon on the front doors of the library.”

  William snorted. “They must have been drunk, if that was supposed to be a dragon. Do ye think Maddy’s brother would actually strike her?”

  “If he’d been drinking, he might, if she confronted him. It would certainly explain her not saying anything to anyone, including Eve. Maddy has been the head of their household since her papa died several years ago.” He nudged William toward the passenger’s side of the truck. “Come on, we better get going before these folks decide to drive off without us. We’ll deal with this problem tonight. Maybe Eve can help us decide how to approach Maddy.”

  William walked up to the passenger’s door, but stopped and looked toward the nursing home. Kenzie should be impressed by his restraint. Hell, it was a wonder he’d managed even to wink at her, when he’d really wanted to pull her into his arms, kiss that bruise off her face, then demand the name of the bastard who’d put it there.

  William finally got into the truck and immediately turned to smile at the very people who could likely tell him about Maddy’s brother. “Just to make the day truly interesting,” he said, “I thought I’d offer a prize to anyone who spots the dragon living in my cove.”

  Chapter Four

  Maddy was caught off guard a second time that day when a tall, rather imposing man silently walked up to her nurses’ station at ten minutes to four. Apparently realizing that it took her a moment to recognize him, her cousin’s mouth lifted in the beginning of a smile—only it disappeared when his sharp, piercing gray eyes suddenly narrowed on her face.

  “Who in hell hit you?” he growled instead of the warm greeting she’d expected.

  Maddy touched her cheek. “I, um, tripped and fell off my porch last week. And it’s wonderful to see you, too, even if you are four hours late.”

  Instantly contrite, Trace stepped behind the counter, pulled her up out of her chair, and hugged her fiercely. “I’m sorry for growling at you like that, and for missing our lunch date.” He blew out a sigh. “Damn, Peeps, I’ve missed you. Every time I caught a whiff of antiseptic in the last five years, I saw your beautiful face.”

  “My signature cologne,” she said with a laugh, hugging him back just as fiercely. She leaned away to look at him. “Oh, Trace, it’s so good to see you. Are you really home for good?”

  “I’m not leaving Midnight Bay ever again.” His eyes crinkled at the corners with another hint of a smile. “Except to drive my two favorite girls over to Port Stone. Just as soon as you get off work, we’ll strap Sarah’s booster seat in my truck, and the three of us will go pig out on lobster down at the pier.”

  Maddy stepped away with a laugh. “Sarah hasn’t used a booster seat in four years; she’s nearly ten, Trace, and already quite a young lady. And I’m sorry, but old man Walsh died three years ago, and rumor is they buried him in his lobster shack.”

  Trace stared at her in disbelief, but then his gaze strayed to her cheek, and his eyes hardened again. Maddy laced her fingers through his and started down the hall, stopping to peek into the sitting room.

  “Katy, I’m heading out back to the gazebo for a few minutes. If you need anything, just give me a holler.”

  Katy looked up from the newspaper she was reading to some of the residents, her eyes widening when she noticed the man holding Maddy’s hand. “Oh. Sure. I’ll give you a holler,” the young girl stammered. “Um, shouldn’t the others be back by now?” she asked—though Maddy wasn’t sure if she was asking her or Trace, as the poor girl couldn’t seem to stop staring at her cousin.

  “They’ll be here soon. When they arrive you should probably check them for sunburn, and if anyone’s tired, tell them they can have supper in their rooms.”

  “I’ll get them settled in for the evening,” Katy promised.

  Maddy gave her a nod and started down the hall again. “Instead of taking us out to eat, you can follow me home when I get off work in an hour, and I’ll feed you,” she told Trace, leading him outside into the bright August sun. She stopped to make a face at him. “Mom said you bought a fishing boat. Mind telling me what in hell possessed you to become a fisherman?”

  “There’s not much call for soldiering around here,” he snapped. “And I’m sure as hell not going to work at the textile mill.”

  “That mill closed two years ago,” Maddy whispered.

  He gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m sorry, Peeps. That was an uncivilized response to a very reasonable question.” He started them off again, and they walked across the lawn in companionable silence. “Do you have any plans for this Saturday?” he asked when they reached the gazebo overlooking the river.

  “Nothing pressing. Why?”

  “Can you get a babysitter for Sarah?”

  “She stays with Billy most weekends. Why? What’s up?”

  He sat down on the gazebo step and stared out at the gently flowing water. “I’d like you to spend the day with me on my boat.”

  She snorted. “You know I love you to pieces, and that I’m dying for us to catch up, but you also know that the smell of bait makes me puke out my guts. Why don’t we just take a ride to Acadia National Park? I’m sure we can find a lobster shack in Bar Harbor that’s falling-down dirty like old man Walsh’s.”

  Trace shot her a quick glance before looking away again, but it was long enough for Maddy to see the guarded look in his eyes. “Because what I want to show you is out on the water,” he said quietly. “And because you’re the only person I can trust to tell me the truth.”

  “The truth about what?”

  “About whether or not I’ve gone insane.”

  “Excuse me?” She reached out to grasp his forearm. “Trace, what are you talking about?”

  “Have you heard a rumor going around town about a . . . mermaid being spotted ten miles offshore early last week?”

  “I’ve only heard bits and pieces.”

  “Well, I’m the one who started it.”

  Caught completely off guard again, Maddy could only gape at him.

  He looked down at her hand on his arm, then took it between his callused palms and turned on the step to face her. “When I was out putting my new boat through its paces last
Monday, I spotted something splashing in the distance off my port side, so I headed toward it. But when I reached where it should have been, whatever had been making those splashes had vanished. Only it reappeared not fifty yards off my stern, and I saw . . .” His hands tightened on hers. “I saw a woman in the water, watching me.”

  “A woman? Ten miles out? Were there any other boats around?”

  He shook his head. “And when I shouted at her to hold on, that I’d throw her a buoy, she looked as startled as I was, and suddenly started swimming away. I dug around for a buoy, but when I went to throw it, she’d disappeared again. So I stripped down to just my jeans, and dove in.”

  “Trace! The ocean is freezing!”

  “It sure as hell wasn’t bathwater. But what else could I do? I had no idea how long she’d been out there. She was in a lot more danger of getting hypothermia than I was.” He shook his head, dropping his gaze to her hand still clasped in his. “I dove again and again searching for her. I swear I’d catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye, but when I swam toward it, there was never anything there.”

  He looked up at her, and if he’d been guarded before, he appeared positively haunted now. “One time when I came up for air, I found her treading water not twenty feet away from me and realized she was as naked as a newborn. And dammit, Maddy, she smiled at me,” he growled, squeezing her hand. “I was so stunned I just bobbed there like flotsam, completely speechless. She suddenly laughed, and then dove under the surface again. I got my wits back just in time to put my face in the water and see her swim underneath me, so close she actually tugged on my toes. And then . . . then she simply vanished again.”

  “She vanished?”

  Trace stood up, his hands balled into fists as he faced her. “I swam back to my boat and put out a Mayday to the Coast Guard and to any other boats in the area. I told them there was a woman in the water, gave the coordinates, and then started scanning the waves again.”