by Marie Force
Linda closed her eyes and gave herself over to him and his adventure.
They rode for a long time, through town, up and down hills, past the bluffs and the southeast lighthouse. Finally, he downshifted and turned into a driveway she recognized. He brought the bike to a stop in front of Luke Harris’s house.
“What’re we doing here?” she asked when he cut the engine.
“You’ll see.” After he helped her off the bike and stashed their helmets, he produced a flashlight and held out a hand to her.
Linda took his hand and followed him to the stairs that led to the beach below. “Where’s Luke? Does he know we’re here?”
“I imagine he’s probably over at our house by now for the party, and yes, he was happy to loan us his beach for the evening.”
As they took the stairs to the secluded stretch of shore, Linda’s heart began to race with excitement. He knew how much she loved the beach, and it meant a lot to her that he’d taken that into consideration.
“Careful now,” he said as he led the way.
Linda held on tight to his hand and followed the faint beam of the light on the stairs. When they landed in the sand, they kicked off their shoes and stashed them next to the stairs. The sand was cool against her bare feet, the breeze soft on her face and the moon bright upon the water.
“Madame,” he said, bowing before her and extending his arm.
Linda settled her hand into the crook of his elbow and walked along the shoreline for a short distance until they ducked into a secluded inlet between two dunes.
“Wait here for a sec, hon,” he said.
A minute later, a fire striker flared to life, and he went around lighting a ring of tiki torches, ending up at a fire pit that he also lit. The flames shot high into the sky, casting a glow upon him that took her breath away. He was still, without a doubt, the sexiest guy she’d ever laid eyes upon, and he was holding out his hand to her.
Linda went to him, taking in the open-sided tent that had been staked to the sand. Underneath were two lounge chairs and a cooler. “When did you do all this?” Linda asked, astounded by the effort he’d gone to.
“I can’t take credit for the beach camp. It belongs to Luke and Syd. I guess they had Mac, Maddie and Thomas over for a cookout earlier in the summer. Mac told me about it and helped me get the cooler down here.”
“So Mac knows that things have been…”
He put his arms around her, drawing her into a hug. “Off.” The feel of his lips on her neck sent shivers cascading through her. “Things have been off between us, and I hate that. I hate that it’s my fault. I hate that I’ve been an ass to you, and I hate that our kids have noticed that we’re not getting along the way we usually do.”
Linda blinked back tears as his softly spoken words registered. “They’ve noticed that?”
“Apparently, there’s been some talk in the ranks about what’s going on between Mom and Dad. They’ve been worried about us.”
“I’ve been worried about us.”
“I hate that most of all.”
Linda pressed her face to his broad chest, listening to the strong beat of his heart and delighting in the caress of his fingers on the back of her neck. No matter how difficult things had been since the accident, she was so very thankful he’d survived. What would she ever do without him?
“In my whole damned life,” he said gruffly, “you’re the one thing I got totally right.”
Moved to tears, Linda said, “You did a pretty darned good job with those kids of ours, too.”
“Maybe so, but it all comes back to you.” He drew back to look down at her. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
“I think so.”
“You couldn’t possibly know, because there’re no words to tell you what you mean to me, what you’ve meant to me for so long.”
“Mac…”
“We’ve been so lucky, you and me. I could’ve whisked you off to Paris on a private jet tonight if that’s what I thought you’d want.”
“I’ve never wanted anything like that—and besides, you’d hate leaving the island. We both would. What fun would that be?”
“I used to worry, you know, about whether you’d take to island life. You were such a city girl when I met you, all polished and pretty. I worried for five long years after I brought you here that you were going to tell me one day you couldn’t take it anymore.”
“I had no idea! You’ve never told me that before!”
“I was afraid to say it out loud, but I was constantly watching for signs of discontent.”
“I’ve never been unhappy here. Not for one minute. I feel so bad you worried about that. All that mattered to me, all that’s ever mattered to me, was being with you. I wouldn’t have been happy anywhere else without you.”
He brought his lips down on hers for a soft, sweet kiss that made her heart pound the way it had the first time he kissed her, the moment she’d known for sure that he was the one for her.
“What would you have done if I told you I couldn’t handle island life?” she asked.
“I would’ve moved to wherever you wanted to go.”
“I can’t picture you anywhere but here.”
“Neither can I, but I would’ve gone anywhere in the world if it meant I got to be with you.”
Linda snuggled into his warm embrace. “I can’t believe we’ve never talked about this before.”
“I hope you always knew that if there was anything you wanted that we didn’t have here, I’d find a way to get it for you.”
“Of course I knew that. You got me my bug, right?”
“That silly car,” he said, shaking his head with mirth, the same way he had on the day he drove it into the driveway as a surprise for her birthday.
“What more could I want with you, five wonderful kids, two adorable grandbabies, our friends and the business? Heck, even my sister and her family ended up here after they came to visit and fell in love with the place.”
“Which gave you someone besides me to bicker with every day.”
Linda snorted out a laugh. “So true.” She ran a hand over his chest and looked up at him. “I want to tell you something I’m sorry about.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What do you have to be sorry about?”
“The day of the accident… That morning…I was late for a hair appointment, and you were in the shower. I left without even saying good-bye. All I could think about during the long hours at the clinic was what if that was the last chance I’d ever have to talk to you, to kiss you, to tell you I love you, and I’d missed it?”
“We’d both gotten complacent about that stuff. I was just as guilty about coming and going without a thought as to what might happen.”
“We can’t do that anymore. If we’ve learned nothing else from the accident, it’s that we never know what’s going to happen. I think about that call from Stephanie… You could’ve been taken from me so suddenly… I may never get over that.”
“I’m right here, and I’m fine.” He kissed her forehead, her nose and then her lips. “We’ll get back on track, babe. I promise.”
“I’ve missed you so much, Mac. I never imagined I could be so lonely for you when you were right there next to me.”
He released a deep sigh filled with regret. “I wish I could tell you it’s going to be fine from here on out—”
Linda pressed a finger to his lips. “You don’t have to tell me that. All I need to know is that whatever happens, we’ll deal with it together.”
“That much I can promise.” He kissed her again, more intently this time, and the passion they’d always shared roared back to life. “How about some dinner?”
Linda slipped her fingers under his shirt, making him shiver when she caressed his back. “Remember what we did after we got Mac and Grant through the chicken pox?”
“Vaguely.”
“We were so relieved to be getting a break from sick kids. We hired a babysitter, got a pizza and went
to the beach to celebrate surviving the siege.”
“I do remember that night. As I recall, there was also a bottle of wine and skinny-dipping.”
“Among other things. How about a do-over?”
“It’s kinda chilly for skinny-dipping tonight.”
She ran a finger straight down the center of his chest and hooked it on the waistband of his jeans. “We could skip that part and go right to the other things.”
He seemed somewhat scandalized by her suggestion, which she loved. “Here?”
“Why not? We’ve got a houseful at home—just like the old days. We’ve got to be creative, the way we used to be.”
“Linda McCarthy, you never cease to surprise me,” he said as he tugged the sweater over her head and reached for the button to her jeans.
“I hope I never do.” As he urged her down onto a blanket he produced from the darkness, Linda was overcome with relief and desire and love. He was the best thing that’d ever happened to her, and as he made love to her for the first time since the accident, she felt like he’d finally come home to her.
Chapter 19
“I thought Mr. and Mrs. McCarthy would be here,” Abby said.
The women had gathered in the family room while the guys wandered onto the deck to drink beer and swap stories. Tiffany tried to concentrate on the conversation, but all she could think about was the argument she’d had with Jim when she’d dropped Ashleigh off with him earlier. Once again, she’d had no luck engaging him in civilized conversation.
“They’re out on a date,” Maddie said of her in-laws. Baby Hailey slept in her arms as Maddie rocked her. It was their first outing since Hailey’s birth. Abby’s party had messed with the plans for a girl’s night out, so she and Mac had decided to postpone it until Hailey was sleeping better and Maddie wasn’t so tired.
“Isn’t that so sweet?” Stephanie said. “I’ve never known anyone who’s been married as long as they have, and they’re still gaga over each other.”
“They’ve had a rough time since the accident,” Maddie said. “Mac said his dad had this night already planned so they could reconnect. Otherwise, you know they’d be here, Abby.”
“I totally understand,” Abby said.
“Speaking of reconnecting,” Sydney said, “I saw the most hilarious thing on TV this morning. They had this couple on that had reconciled after nearly divorcing. You won’t believe what she did to get his attention.”
“What’s that?” Grace asked as everyone hung on Sydney’s next words, especially Tiffany.
“She handcuffed herself to him and wouldn’t take the cuffs off until they worked out all their issues. She said it took three hours of fighting and crying and talking and compromising, but they finally scored a breakthrough. After she told one of her friends about it, the story ended up on Facebook, which led to the interview. Isn’t that great?”
Long after the others had discussed the lady with the handcuffs and moved on to other topics, Tiffany was thinking that if Jim were cuffed to her, he’d have no choice but to listen. She’d have all the power.
Tiffany grew more enamored of the idea with every passing moment. Where can I get a pair of handcuffs on this island? Just as she had the thought, Blaine Taylor stuck his head into the room. Speaking of handcuffs…
“I’m looking for the guest of honor,” he said, zeroing in on Tiffany rather than Abby. Per usual, he wore the sex-on-a-stick uniform that made her want to drool.
Under the heat of his intense gaze, Tiffany felt like he’d burned off her clothes, leaving her naked and vulnerable.
Abby got up to give him a hug, which broke the spell he’d cast over Tiffany. She took a couple of deep breaths to calm her raging hormones. The reaction she had to that man every time she saw him was positively indecent.
“Thanks for coming, Blaine,” Abby said. “I really appreciate it.”
“I couldn’t miss the chance to wish you well.”
“Let me get you a beer.”
“I got it.” Stephanie jumped up to take Blaine’s arm. “Stay with your friends, Abby.”
“Thanks, Stephanie.”
Stephanie led Blaine into the kitchen, got a beer and opened it for him. Once she’d sent him outside to join the other guys, she refreshed the food and cleaned up discarded plates and cups. Since “the big fight” with Grant, she’d focused on staying busy so she wouldn’t lose her mind.
Last night, she’d been so furious over what he wanted to do with the story that she’d said some things she probably shouldn’t have, and so had he. It’d gotten quite ugly and heated, and they’d gone to bed mad. The incident had her questioning everything she’d come to believe about them.
She was terrified that their fledgling relationship would come unraveled. What would she do then? He’d become essential to her, as critical as air and water and food. If they broke up, she’d have one hell of a time rebuilding her life once she got past the devastation of losing him. She’d do it if she had to. It wasn’t like she hadn’t done it before, but the thought of being without him made her ill.
Stephanie rested her hands on the sink and let her head fall forward, stretching out the tension that had gathered in her shoulders during the long day. She had no idea how long she’d been there when strong, capable fingers began kneading the knots from her muscles. She’d know those particular hands anywhere. If she traveled around the world and back again, she’d never find anyone whose touch affected her like his did.
“What’s the matter?” Grant’s lips skimmed over her neck from behind as he continued the heavenly massage. “Is this too much for you? Hosting a party for my ex-girlfriend?”
“No, it’s fine. Everyone’s having a good time.”
“Everyone but you.”
“I’m having fun. I always do with this group. You know that.”
Turning her to face him, he ducked his head to force her to meet his gaze. “Talk to me, Steph. Are you upset about what happened last night?”
Because she couldn’t lie to him, she nodded.
“Aww, baby, come on.” He hugged her tight. “It’ll be okay. We’ll figure it out.”
Her hands landed on his hips. “What if we don’t? What if it all falls apart—”
“That’s not going to happen. We won’t let it.”
“You don’t know that for sure.”
“Yes, I do.” He rested his forehead on hers. “I love you more than anything. I can’t remember what my life was like without you to argue with. I love everything about us, even the fighting.”
That drew a reluctant laugh from Stephanie. She never got tired of hearing him tell her how much he loved her.
“You know what’s the best part about fighting?” he asked, his lips vibrating against her ear.
“There’s a best part?”
“Mmm-hmm. Making up.”
She linked her arms around his neck, molding herself to him in a move that had become as natural to her as breathing. They fit together so perfectly, like two halves of a whole. “Is that what we’re doing now?”
“Hell, no. That’s what we’ll do when we get home later.”
She closed her eyes and relaxed into his embrace. It was going to be okay. “I’m already home. You’re home.”
“Does that mean you love me, too? Even when you think I’m unreasonable and pigheaded and stubborn?”
As he tossed out all the words she’d thrown at him the night before, Stephanie smiled. “Despite your many negative traits, I do love you.”
“Good,” he said, sounding relieved.
It occurred to her that he’d been worried, too.
“Steph?”
“Hmm?”
“I don’t want you to worry about us breaking up, okay?”
One of the things she loved best about him was that he always seemed to know exactly what she needed to hear. “Okay.”
“It’s not going to happen.”
“You don’t know that for sure.”
“Yes, I d
o.”
“Get a room,” Evan muttered as he came into the kitchen wearing board shorts and a ripped T-shirt.
Stephanie pulled free of Grant and let out a gasp. “What happened to your face?”
Grant turned to his brother. “Holy creature from the black lagoon! What the hell, Ev?”
“A little surfing accident. Face versus the bottom.”
“Ouch,” Grant said with a grimace.
Stephanie guided Evan to a chair at the kitchen table and went to get some wet paper towels. “Is there a first aid kit somewhere?” she asked Grant.
“I’ll get it.”
“It’s no big deal,” Evan said. “I’ll grab a shower and clean it up in there.”
Stephanie kept a hand on his shoulder to stop him from getting up. “You need something more than soap and water on that mess.”
“Is it really that bad?”
“It’s worse than bad.”
“Gee, thanks a lot.”
“I’m seriously pissed with you, by the way.”
Startled, Evan looked up at her. “What’d I do?”
She made an effort to keep her voice down. “You spent the night with Grace and then split this morning without a word.” Stephanie didn’t mention that she’d done the same thing after the first night she spent with Grant, because that was different. It hadn’t been the first time for either of them.
“How is that any of your business?”
“Because she’s my friend, and I expected better from you.”
“That’s where you made your first mistake.”
“You need to fix this. She’s not someone you use and discard. For reasons you can’t begin to understand, what you did was the worst possible thing you could’ve done to her.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’m not at liberty to say.”
As Evan glowered at her, Grant returned with the first aid kit and handed it to her.
“Don’t leave me alone with her, bro,” Evan said. “She’s in a mood.”
“You’re on your own, pal,” Grant said with a laugh. “I’ve got to get more ice.”
