Chapter Five Meeting the Future
Maci
A week later, Maci let out a little squeal as she pulled up to their home with her grandmother seated next to her. Her recovery had been textbook, and the doctor had discharged her with orders of rest and relaxation. “I’m so happy you’re home. Nothing around here is the same without you.”
Kalina cupped Maci’s face. “Thank you, my darling. I feel horrible that I scared everyone.”
Maci ran around and opened the car door. “Be careful, Grandma. You don’t need to fall and end up right back in the hospital.”
Maci held Kalina’s arm and steadied her as she exited the car before they started the walk into their house situated on the backside of the resort.
At first glimpse, it seemed to be all the same building.
Malo had taken great pains to create the illusion with trees and decorative trim to keep their home private, including a small fenced in lawn and patio area, but inclusive in the overall aesthetics of the resort.
“I’m not an invalid, my girl. I had a mild heart attack, not a fractured spine. I don’t need you twittering around like a scolding chickadee; you’ll drive me crazy.”
“A mild heart attack is nothing less than a heart attack,” Maci scolded. “And if I want to worry about you, then just go with it. You know how determined I can be.”
Kalina chuckled. “I think you mean stubborn. Just like your mother.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Maci had done a lot of thinking about her mother lately, although she wasn’t exactly certain why.
She had no memories of her, only photographs scattered around their home and the resort.
What made even less sense was that thoughts of a woman she never knew all revolved around her sensations of flying.
Maybe I had an out of body experience. I must have seen her on the other side.
Her grandmother puttered around the kitchen. “I’m going to put on a pot of tea. Would you be a sweetheart and find your grandfather for me?”
“What do you need? I can do it for you.”
“Maci! I don’t need you to do anything for me. What I do need to feel better about myself is to make sure that your grandfather is taking care of himself. He was looking a little worse for the wear hanging around the hospital. See if he wants a nice cup of tea. That’s all.”
Maci laughed. “Sorry, Gram. I’ll go find him.”
Malo stood at the front desk in the lobby talking to a man with the guest reservation book in front of him. “You’re in luck. We have one of the cottages available that overlooks the ocean. Would that work?”
“Sounds perfect.” He handed over a credit card. “I don’t know how long I’ll be staying, but money isn’t an issue.”
Maci gave him a slow once-over since they hadn’t seen her yet. Tall, muscular, extremely tan, with a full head of dirty blond hair that curled on the ends. He needs a trim. She giggled at herself. There’s always something to nit pick with every guy you see.
The man suddenly stiffened and turned to look straight at her.
She hadn’t moved, so she knew he hadn’t heard her.
His bright greenish eyes bore right into her own and had an unexpected sense of familiarity in their gaze.
Rugged, scruffy, and extremely handsome, he gave her a smile that almost melted her knees.
“Hey.”
She tried to catch a breath as she moved toward them. “Hey. Umm, Grandpa? Grandma is making tea and thinks you need a cup.”
Malo snorted. “She’s worried I’ve not taken care of myself since she went to the hospital.”
The man made a murmuring sound. “I hope she’s okay?”
Malo continued filling out the registration screen on the computer. “We had a fire here last week, and she had a bit of a heart attack due to the stress. She’s fine now. Ornery as ever.”
Maci stomped her foot. “There’s no such thing as a bit of a heart attack. She could have died. There’s nothing to downplay.”
“If there was a fire, the resort could have burned down too, but obviously it didn’t.”
Anger flared as she turned her gaze to the stranger. “And just who are you?”
“Dev Striar. You?”
“Maci Moynahan. I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t undermine my concern for my grandmother’s health.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “I am in no way doing that. I’m just saying. You can’t live as if the worst happened when it didn’t. It keeps you from moving forward.”
Shock at his audacity rendered her incapable of speaking. Too many retorts accumulated at once and made issuing even one impossible.
Malo snickered, which further irritated Maci. She narrowed her eyes at the source of her ire. “I hope you enjoy your stay, Mr. Striar.”
She heard her grandfather before she reached the front entrance. “You accomplished something there, buddy. I don’t see her speechless very often.”
He may be hot, but he’s nothing but trouble. She knew the type and had spent her entire adult life avoiding it.
Liam waved from the pool area as she rounded the corner. She waved back and headed toward him. She hadn’t seen him since the day of the fire.
“Hiya, Mace. How are you feeling?”
“I’m great. No residual effects as far as I can tell.
” She helped him pull some deck chairs out of a storage shed.
“Hey, I asked Grandpa but he wasn’t sure, but what happened with the fire?
I don’t even remember leaving, but from what I do remember, the fire was completely out of control. How did you guys save the resort?”
Liam gave her a look and handed her another chair. “Hell if I know. One minute the entire world was burning, and the next minute, it was out.” He shrugged. “Well, maybe not that quick, but it was out pretty quickly.”
“Did you happen to see who pulled me out of the field?”
“I caught a quick glimpse of you being carried, but the smoke was so thick. It was a firefighter,” he hesitated and pointed at her, “which was weird because I hadn’t seen this guy before, and I thought I knew everyone at the fire department.”
“And he took me to the hospital?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t see where you two went.” He rushed to explain. “I tried to get away to help, but your grandfather...well….he…”
“Needed you?” She finished for him. “It’s okay. I ended up at the hospital, so all's well that ends well.”
“Everything got a little crazy when he found your grandmother. I feel horrible that I didn’t even realize you were in danger.
But the guy never came back as far as I know.
I never saw him again, anyhow. The whole situation was very unreal.
I never want to…” He looked past her. “Well, I’ll be damned. ”
She turned to see Dev walking toward them. “What? You know him?”
Liam frowned. “Don’t you? He’s the guy. The firefighter that I saw carrying you.”
Her heart dropped. Great. Just what I need. “No, I don’t remember anything about it.”
But I have a feeling I’m about to find out.