Chapter 25 #2
“No one believed he didn’t know about it, so they put him on administrative leave and set out to prove he’d been complicit.
The local paper had a field day with the biggest story to hit the town in years.
Basically, by the time he was able to prove he’d had nothing to do with it, his reputation was in tatters, and he had no choice but to resign. ”
“God, what a nightmare.”
“Seriously. He lost the girlfriend he’d loved and trusted, and the job he’d loved, too. It was a tough time for him. We all worried about him for a long time, but then he seemed to land on his feet when he got this job.”
“Does the mayor and the council know about his past?”
Mac nodded. “That’s why they made him serve a probation period before they gave him a long-term contract.”
A lot of things suddenly made sense. This was why he was so angry about what she’d been doing at the store.
He’d already had one girlfriend derail his career.
He could hardly afford another similar incident.
And she could see now why his mother was so upset.
The realizations, one on top of the other, had her reeling.
She’d never forgive herself if she caused him to lose his hard-won second chance.
“Tiffany? What’s wrong?”
“I…”
A knock on the sliding door that led to the deck drew her attention as Blaine came in.
Her heart leapt at the sight of him, and she noticed right away that he looked tired and stressed and surprised to see her—and maybe a tad bit happy?
It took all the fortitude she could muster not to go to him and throw herself into his arms. In that moment, she knew with absolute certainty that she would never love another man the way she loved him.
And after what Mac had told her, she also knew with the same certainty that she should probably stay away from him.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” she said, brushing past Blaine on her way upstairs to find her sister.
Maddie was in the bedroom, nursing Hailey.
Tiffany’s composure broke the minute she made eye contact with her sister.
Maddie held out a hand to her. “Oh, honey, what is it?”
Tiffany crawled into bed next to her sister and covered her face with her hands. “I love him.”
“Of course you do.”
Tiffany raised her hands and looked at Maddie. “Why do you say it like that? Like you’ve known all along?”
“Because you’ve been in love with him for more than a year. You’ve only recently gotten the chance to act on it.”
“That’s not true!”
“Tiffany,” Maddie said in her best chastising mother voice, “it’s absolutely true.” Maddie ran her free hand over Tiffany’s hair. “If you love him—and he clearly loves you—why are you so miserable?”
“He doesn’t love me. He likes having sex with me.”
Maddie laughed hard enough to dislodge Hailey from her nipple. She switched the baby to the other side and got her settled.
“Why’re you laughing at me?” Tiffany asked.
“Because you’re so silly. Of course he loves you. Anyone can see that. Did you see him with Ashleigh the other night? He loves her, too.”
“He’s mad at me—and I’m mad at him. He actually wrote me a ticket for wearing a sexy sailor suit on the sidewalk.”
Maddie’s mouth fell open, and her eyes danced with mirth. “Did he really? How funny is that?”
“It’s not funny! I don’t want him thinking he can tell me what to do or throwing his badge around whenever I refuse to obey him.”
“I want you to know that I’m absolutely on your side—always—but if I pranced around town in my underwear, Mac would lose his freaking mind and do a lot worse than write me a ticket. He’d lock me to the bed and keep me there until I agreed to never do it again.”
“That’s sort of what Blaine threatened to do, too,” Tiffany grumbled.
“Because he loves you, and he doesn’t want you showing off your body to other men.”
“Why does it sound so ridiculously rational when you say it, but when he says it, I want to clobber him?”
“I have a feeling he’s a little less diplomatic about it than I am. The ticket would be Exhibit A.”
Tiffany thought about what Maddie had said. “The whole time I was married to Jim, I let him call the shots. I let him be in charge and never thought to speak up for myself until it was too late. I don’t want to make that mistake again.”
“Then find a way to compromise. Maybe you can give him what he wants without feeling like you’ve rolled over and played dead, you know?”
“I’ll think about it as soon as I get past the town council meeting on Monday.”
“What town council meeting?”
“The one where they’re going to make me fight for my business.”
“Oh, honey,” Maddie said with genuine dismay that quickly morphed into anger. “If they want a fight, we’ll give them a fight.”
“What do you mean?” Tiffany asked, alarmed by the calculating look in her sister’s honey-colored eyes.
“You just wait and see.”
“She’s driving me crazy.” Blaine paced from one end of Mac’s living room to the other.
“Every time I think I’ve finally gotten through to her, I find her dressed in something even more scandalous, and it’s all I can do not to take her over my knee right there in public and spank the living shit out of her. ”
Mac busted up laughing, which only made Blaine madder. “What the heck are you laughing at?”
“You. You’re hilarious.”
“It’s not funny! How would you feel if Maddie was walking around town in her underwear?”
Mac’s smile became a frown. “A. That would never happen. B. If it did happen, I’d feel the same way you do—and I’d have no hesitation whatsoever about spanking her ass until it was bright red.”
“Then maybe you can tell me what the hell is so funny?”
“Can’t talk right now. I’m still thinking about spanking my wife.”
“Mac!”
“Sorry,” he said, not seeming the slightest bit sorry. “I’m wondering if it’s occurred to you yet why her sex-kitten act makes you so bloody mad.”
“I don’t follow.”
“Blaine…”
“I’m not in love with her, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
“No?”
“No! Half the time I want to strangle her!”
“And the other half?”
“I want to do stuff to her that I’m not about to tell you.”
Mac laughed—hard. “No need. I get the picture.”
Hands on his hips, anger coursing through his veins, frustration gripping his chest like a vise, Blaine stared at Mac as the truth hit him like a punch to the gut.
“Oh Jesus,” he whispered. “You’re right.
You’re so right.” Blaine felt foolish for needing to be led to the obvious conclusion.
After all, he’d been in love before. He remembered what it felt like to have absolutely no control over his emotions.
“I usually am,” Mac said smugly.
“Shut up.” Blaine glanced up the stairs, debating whether he should go after her. He dismissed that thought the same second he had it, knowing that in his current state of mind, he’d only make things worse—if that were possible. “I cited her for public indecency the other day.”
“Always a surefire way to win a woman’s heart.”
Blaine glowered at him. “Are you this much of an asshole all the time or only after near-death experiences?”
“According to my siblings, I’m an asshole most of the time.”
“They’re absolutely right.”
Mac seemed to take that as a compliment. “So what’re you going to do?”
Blaine thought about that for a long, long moment. And then he knew exactly what he needed to do. He made for the door.
“Is that why you came over? So I could point out that you’re in love with my sister-in-law?”
Blaine stopped and turned back to his friend. “Are you feeling better?”
“I’m feeling fine and very thankful to be alive.”
“Good. I gotta go.”
“Thanks for the visit!” Mac’s laughter followed him all the way down the stairs.