Book 22 Rescue After Dark #6
Laughing, he says, “Your imagination is creative. Wait for it.” He navigates another bend in the dirt road. “This is what I wanted to show you.”
When they clear the last curve in the road, they’re treated to a view of the water, which is brightly lit by the full moon. It’s truly one of the most beautiful things Jordan has ever seen. “Wow.”
“Right?”
“How’d you find this place? I’ve been coming here all my life and never knew this was out here.”
“Technically, this road isn’t open to the public, but we had a brush fire out here one night on a full moon. Now I come out here every time there’s a full moon.”
She asks if it’s part of his first-date formula. “Huh, well, I’ve never had a first-date formula, and I’ve never been here with anyone else for the full moon.”
Jordan gives him the side-eye. “Really?”
“Really,” he says, laughing. “You’re so jaded.”
“Wouldn’t you be if your husband released a video of you having sex so the whole world could see what you look like when you come?
” The words are out before she takes even a second to consider what she’s saying—or who she’s saying it to.
They’d been having a nice time, and she had to go and ruin it. “Sorry, that was a bit intense.”
“I’m sorry that happened to you, and I don’t blame you for being bitter.”
“Did you watch it? When you looked me up before, did you watch the video?”
“I didn’t, and I won’t. I swear.”
“Good.” She releases a deep breath full of relief. “He took down the original, but there are bootleg copies all over the place. It’s like a game of whack-a-mole. We get one taken down, and another pops up. I’ve begun to accept that this is my life now.”
“I can’t think of anything worse than someone I love violating my trust that way.” Mason reaches over and places his big hand on top of hers, infusing her entire body with warmth. “I’m sorry for what he put you through. You deserve better.”
Jordan appreciates that he expresses only regret, not pity. She can’t bear to have him pity her.
They talk about her show and how she’s being pressured by the network to return to filming, but she isn’t sure what she wants to do. “Can I ask you something else?”
“Anything you want.”
“Last night, when you were, you know, saving me, did something weird happen between us, or was that just me?”
“It wasn’t just you.”
Tiffany arranges for everyone to come hang out at Mac and Maddie’s house for dinner.
It’s easier for Maddie now that she’s on bed rest. The others notice that tensions are running high for both Mac and Maddie.
Kelsey, their wonderful new nanny, has been terrific with the kids, who quickly bonded with her.
She’ll be back in the morning, providing a much-needed lifeline for Mac and Maddie.
Janey comes in from the deck and sits in a chair next to the couch. “Did you ask her yet?” Janey said to Tiffany.
“Working up to it.”
“Ask me what?” Maddie says.
“We have an idea,” Janey says. “We want you and Mac to get out of here for a while, just the two of you.”
Maddie shakes her head. “We have three children, Janey.”
“I know that but hear me out. We can all see that you two are having a tough time of it. So, get in the car, take the ferry to the mainland and stay at Joe’s place for a few days to recharge.”
“Mac would be stressed being unable to get to the kids. I would be, too.” That’s the major downside of island life.
Tiffany looks at Janey. “Did you ask your mom?”
“I did, and she said they can make it work.”
“Make what work?”
“We had a feeling you might not want to go off-island and leave the kids here, so I checked with my mom, and she’s holding a room at the inn starting tomorrow afternoon through Friday. It’s all yours.”
“It’s so lovely of you guys to want to do this for us, but the kids…”
“Between Kelsey, Mom, Ned, Mac’s parents and the two of us, we’ve got you covered, Maddie,” Tiffany says.
“We arranged for Shane to cover the construction company, and Luke’s got the marina along with Dad,” Janey says.
“They were more than happy to help because they’ve noticed how tense he is, too.
Mom and Francine are fully on board, as are Abby, Steph and Grace,” Janey said of their sisters-in-law.
“Go to the hotel. Have a couple’s massage.
Sleep all day. Get breakfast in bed. Relax while we take care of everything here. You need it, Maddie. You both do.”
Maddie’s eyes fill with tears that make her feel silly, but pregnancy hormones are a bitch that way. “Everyone is stressed this time of year. We’re no different.”
Janey stares at her, astounded. “You are different. You’re expecting twins and are on full-time bed rest after having suffered the tragic loss of Connor. None of us is in that boat.”
Mac asks what’s going on and why she is crying.
When Janey and Tiffany tell him what they’ve arranged, Maddie watches Mac process the information.
Has he ever looked more tired and drawn than he does now?
Not that she’s seen. He tries so hard to keep his turmoil hidden from her because he always puts her ahead of himself.
“We gratefully accept,” Maddie says before he can come up with a reason to decline their generous offer.
Jordan asks if what happened between them when he was saving her was a random thing. Mason says the only way to see if it was random or not is to save her life again. He zeroes in on her lips. “Last night, something happened that’s never happened to me before.”
Mesmerized by the intense way he’s studying her, she says, “What was that?”
“I can’t describe it, but it started when I did this.” He touches his lips to hers. “You remember that?”
“I remember,” she says, truly breathless now for reasons that have nothing at all to do with asthma.
“All day today, I kept thinking that couldn’t have actually happened.” He continues to gently rub his lips against hers. “But it did, didn’t it?”
She nods, eager for more of his sweet kisses.
He ends the kiss in slow increments and then holds her until they’re breathing normally again. “So tomorrow night, then? Yes?”
“Absolutely.”
When Jordan wakes up the next morning, she calls her best friend, Gigi. “Oh, my God, bitch,” Gigi moans when she accepts the FaceTime call. “It’s four thirty in the morning here!”
“Whoops.”
“Don’t whoops me. You knew that.”
“I also knew that you’d take my call no matter what time it was.”
“Yeah, yeah. Clearly, I’ve spoiled your ass.”
They’ve been best friends since grade school and have been through everything together. Jordan considers herself lucky that Gigi has stuck with her through the Brendan mess, because she, too, had been furious when Jordan went back to him after the video nightmare.
“What’s up?”
“Where are we with the divorce?”
Gigi, who’s a lawyer, tells her it’s still on hold while Brendan is in rehab.
Jordan wants it done sooner. She’s done putting his needs ahead of her own, causing her best friend to question why she’s suddenly in a rush to get it done.
Jordan tells her about Mason and how he saved her life.
“He’s very handsome and sweet, and he makes me laugh. ”
“Aw, Jord. This is the best news I’ve had in years.”
“Don’t get too excited. I’ve only seen him a couple of times.”
Gigi wants to come to Gansett to check him out.
Jordan laughs at the idea of Gigi and her stilettos, fake lashes and fancy everything taking Gansett by storm. The place won’t know what hit it. She was as LA as LA got. “Hey, Geeg?”
“What, honey?”
“Get me out of that marriage, will you, please?”
“I’ll do everything I can.”
After another hiker takes a bad fall at the Bluffs, Mason decides it’s time for a different approach. He takes his plan to make the area safer to Big Mac McCarthy, president of the town council.
With his distinctive mop of gray hair, Big Mac is easy to find at the marina he owns. At six-four, he’s one of the few men Mason encounters on a regular basis who’s almost as tall as he is.
He shakes hands with Mason. “Always good to see you, Chief.”
Mason explains what happened that afternoon at the Bluffs. Big Mac swears under his breath. “What is wrong with people that they get close enough to the edge to fall off?”
“I believe it’s directly related to the selfie craze.”
“Stupidest thing I ever heard.”
“Agreed, but it’s happening so often that Blaine and I think the town is looking at a real liability if we don’t do something sooner rather than later to limit access.
As you know, the mayor is adamantly opposed to putting any kind of fence out there.
We were hoping we might call upon you to try to talk some sense into him.
It’s only a matter of time before someone is killed.
The guy today was inches away from certain death. ”
“I get the argument about preserving the natural beauty of the bluffs, but we gotta do something.”
“Please, before we lose one of our guys saving some tourist who can’t read. Blaine and I have discussed it in depth. If we did some sort of wire fence, you’d hardly notice it.”
“That’s a good point. I’ll bring it up with the council.”
“And you’ll leave our names out of it?” Mason asks, speaking for himself and Blaine.
“Of course. No worries.”
Big Mac certainly knows how Mayor Upton can be, and Big Mac can be trusted, which is why Mason came to him in the first place. “Appreciate it.”
“Whatever you guys need. That’s my philosophy. Not one of us would want to do your jobs, especially this time of year, so we’ve got to keep you well supported.”
After work, Mason picks up Jordan and takes her to his house so he can shower and change.
At his house, Mason parks and turns to Jordan.
“I like you. I like this, whatever it is we’re doing here.
I liked last night—a lot. But what I wouldn’t like is to let this go on only to be left crushed when you go back to your real life. ”