Chapter 13
He was almost to North Harbor when he took a call from Blaine on the Bluetooth. “What’s up?”
“Heard you pulled another one back from the brink.”
“Yep. As Dermot said, it was a matter of inches. Again. I’m on my way to the marina to talk to Big Mac. Upton isn’t going to do anything about it, but maybe if it comes from the council rather than us, that’ll make a difference.”
“Good call. Let me know how it goes with him.”
“I will.”
“I wanted to let you know that I got roped into helping out with my niece and nephews while Mac and Maddie take a break. I’ll be at their house but available if you need me for the rest of the week.”
“Yikes. Five kids.”
“And a wife who’s puking all day.”
“Damn.”
“It’s for a good cause. Mac and Maddie are super stressed out, and it’s really getting to them. Tiffany and Mac’s sister Janey hatched a plan to give them a break from it all.”
Mason had heard about the baby they’d lost a couple of years ago. “Good of you guys to do that. I’m around if anything comes up. Take care of your family.”
“Thanks, Mase. I’ll talk to you later, I’m sure.”
“No doubt.” They talked multiple times a day in season and covered for each other whenever one of them needed time off or had to be off-island for whatever reason.
If there was one thing Mason knew for certain, it was that he wouldn’t want to do this job without Blaine Taylor as his partner in all things public safety.
He was fairly confident Blaine felt the same way.
He was also thrilled to have added Blaine’s brother Deacon to their team when he joined Blaine’s department as the summer harbor master.
Deacon was a seasoned law enforcement professional who’d brought a wealth of knowledge to the island after having worked for the Boston Police Department.
And, not for nothing, the brothers were hilarious together, as they constantly pushed each other’s buttons.
Mason pulled into the parking lot at McCarthy’s Gansett Island Marina, which was quiet for a weekday in June. By Friday, just about every spot in the marina would be filled with boats and people looking forward to a weekend on Gansett.
With his distinctive mop of gray hair, Big Mac McCarthy was easy to find.
At six-four, he was one of the few men Mason encountered on a regular basis who was almost as tall as him.
Big Mac spotted him coming and walked toward him from the main dock, where he’d been conversing with a boater.
He wore a faded Gansett Island T-shirt with khaki shorts, boat shoes and sunglasses.
He reached out to shake hands with Mason. “Always good to see you, Chief.”
“Likewise.”
“How’s the arm?”
“It’s a pain in the ass.”
Big Mac laughed. “Worst thing I ever went through was having to keep an arm immobile for weeks on end.”
Mason would never forget the day they’d nearly lost Big Mac in an accident at the marina. “I’m hoping it heals quickly, because the sling is a drag.”
“Can I buy you a coffee?”
“I won’t say no to that.” He followed Big Mac into the marina restaurant and stirred cream into the coffee Big Mac poured for both of them. “Doughnut?”
“Don’t tempt me. I’m not working out while my arm is screwed up.”
“You can have one. Doctor’s orders.” He brought a plate of the marina’s famous sugar doughnuts to a table and sat across from Mason. “What’s going on?”
Mason told him the details of the latest rescue at the bluffs.
Big Mac swore 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. ”
“Jeez.” Big Mac took a big bite of a doughnut and pushed the plate across the table toward Mason, who was powerless to resist when it came to McCarthy’s sugar doughnuts.
He took one and bit into the fried deliciousness. “Goddamn, that’s good.”
Big Mac laughed. “Damn right they are.” He wiped the sugar off his lips with a paper napkin. “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 asked, speaking for himself and Blaine.
“Of course. No worries.”
Big Mac certainly knew how Upton could be, and Big Mac could be trusted, which was why Mason had come 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.”
“It does get sporty round about this time every year,” Mason said with a grin. “As Dermot said, it keeps the blood pumping.”
“I imagine so.”
“How’s the family?” Mason asked.
“Everyone is great. We’re about to have a baby boom the likes of which this family has never seen. My daughters-in-law Maddie, Abby, Grace and Stephanie are all pregnant, as is Maddie’s sister. And Maddie’s having twin girls.”
“That’s a lot of babies.”
“We can’t wait. Linda and I canceled our travel plans for the fall and winter so we can be here for all the excitement.”
“Not sure if this island can handle that many new McCarthys all at once.”
Big Mac barked out a laugh. “Speaking of getting sporty.”
“That’s the best kind of sporty, I’d imagine.”
“Indeed. We’re thrilled to see all the kids so happy with their families. That’s all we need to be content.”
“Happy for you all.”
Big Mac gave him a fatherly look. “Everything good with you?”
“Yeah, it’s good.”
“Heard you made one hell of a rescue out at Evelyn’s place the other night.”
“I did. Thankfully, I saw the flames before they could do serious damage.”
“Which wouldn’t have taken long with the way the wind was howling that night. Did you figure out how it started?”
“Best theory we’ve got is the sparks came from the neighbor’s fire pit.”
“What’re they doing having a fire on a night like that?”
“Who knows? People don’t think.”
“Nope, they don’t, and then you and your team get to clean up the mess. Thank goodness you were there to get Evelyn’s granddaughter out. Jordan, right?”
Mason nodded and popped the last bite of doughnut into his mouth.
“Her sister, Nikki, is doing such a brilliant job for us at the Wayfarer. She’s a sweetheart.”
“Jordan is, too.” Mason realized his error when Big Mac’s eyebrow arched upward.
“That right?”
“Uh-huh. Well, I’d better get back to the station. The paperwork doesn’t take care of itself.”
Big Mac walked him out and shook Mason’s hand. “Thanks for all you do to keep us safe.”
“Appreciate your support. Means a lot.”
“Any time. You know where to find me—and my doughnuts.”
Mason laughed. “Those things are dangerous.”
Big Mac patted his still-flat belly. “Best kind of danger, my friend.”
“If you say so.”
Still smiling, Big Mac waved him off as Mason pulled out of the lot to head back to town. He glanced at the clock and saw it was nearly three thirty. He had another hour, maybe two, before he could escape and get to the best part of his day.
After he’d parked at the spot reserved for the chief at the station, he took a minute to text Jordan. Trying to get out of here in an hour. Gotta go home, shower and change. I’ll let you know when I’m headed your way.
She replied right away. Come get me before you go home.
Will do.
That she wanted to see him as badly as he wanted to see her ramped up the urgency to get done with work so he could be with her.
It’d been a very long time since any woman had ever made him feel like he was going to die if he couldn’t see her as soon as possible.
Only the woman he’d almost married had ever gotten to him this way, which made his growing obsession with Jordan that much more dangerous to a heart he’d patched back together more times than he cared to count.
He’d known her for two days, and he already knew she could crush him. Not to mention her life took place three thousand miles from where he lived and worked. But even being painfully aware of the many ways this could end badly for him, he couldn’t stay away from her.
Mason rushed through the paperwork that absolutely had to be done that day, including submitting timesheets for payroll, a summary incident report for the mayor and making final preparations for a water safety training he was running for his team and Blaine’s later in the week.
He’d been coordinating that with Deacon Taylor, who would be presenting most of the material.
An hour and fifteen minutes later, he walked out of the station without a word to anyone. They knew how to reach him if they needed him. If he told them he was leaving, that would’ve slowed him down. He got into the SUV and texted Jordan.
On the way.
Hurry up.
Two words had never turned him on more than those did. I’m hurrying.
As Mac drove himself and Maddie away from their house in his truck, he tried not to worry about leaving the kids behind in the capable hands of their sisters and parents. Whatever came up, they could handle it, and if they couldn’t, Mac and Maddie would be five minutes away.
“Are you feeling guilty about this?” Maddie asked as he brought the truck to a stop at one of the three intersections between their house and his parents’ hotel.
“Super guilty.”
“Glad it’s not just me.”
“Definitely not.”
“It was nice of them to make this happen, though.”
“Very nice. I just hope the kids don’t make them regret it.”
“I’m sure they will,” Maddie said, laughing.