Chapter 18 #2
She felt an overwhelming need to see him, to know he was all right, even if it didn’t make sense to her.
She barely knew him, and yet the need to be with him took precedence over common sense as she drove to the building he called “the barn” to see if his SUV was parked outside.
It wasn’t. Was he still at McCarthy’s? Possibly.
She headed toward North Harbor, telling herself she wouldn’t bother him at work.
She wanted only to see him, even from a distance, to make sure he was okay. After that, she’d leave him alone.
With McCarthy’s in view from a distance, she was relieved to see his SUV parked in the lot.
Until she realized she didn’t see him among the firefighters and police officers still working the scene.
As he was taller than most men, he would stand out in a crowd.
He wasn’t there. As a twinge of anxiety settled in her belly, she parked the car and walked toward the marina, steering clear of the scene where the first responders were still engaged.
At a picnic table outside the restaurant, she approached an older man with steel-gray hair and a towel wrapped around his shoulders. His clothes were wet. “Excuse me.”
“Hey, Nikki.”
“Um, I’m Jordan, her sister.”
He blinked, took a closer look and smiled even though he still looked troubled. “So you are. Apologies. I’m Mac McCarthy Senior, but everyone calls me Big Mac.”
Jordan shook his cold hand. “Nice to meet you. My grandmother loves you.”
“I love her right back. She’s a great lady.”
“Yes, she is. Are you all right?” She couldn’t help but notice his hands were shaking.
“We had a terrifying accident. My friend Luke’s family was in that car.”
“I can’t imagine how frightening that must’ve been.”
“One of the worst things I’ve ever seen. The car went right off the bulkhead over there and into the water. Happened so fast. And we couldn’t get the door or windows open.” He shuddered. “Too close.”
“They’re all right, though? The people in the car?”
“They will be once they’re warmed up. Mason and Blaine were amazing. They saved their lives.”
She was filled with an unreasonable feeling of pride. “Are they still here?”
“Blaine took Mason to the clinic. Cut his hands up pretty bad breaking the window.”
Oh no. He was hurt. Again. “I, um, do you think it would be okay if I went to check on him? He saved my life the other night.” She didn’t know what else to say to justify her desire to see him.
“I heard about that, and I think it’d be fine if you checked on him. In fact, would you mind giving me a lift over there so I can check on Syd and baby Lily? I’m a little too shook up to drive.”
“Of course. I’d be happy to.” Jordan led him to the car, casting a glance at the car in the water as she walked by. What a terrifying thing to be trapped in a car that was filling with water while your baby was strapped in a car seat.
“Nikki must be happy to have you here,” he said as she drove them into town to the clinic.
“She is, and I’m thrilled to be with her, too.”
“She’s a treasure. She’s done such a beautiful job running the Wayfarer for us.”
“She loves the job.”
“That’s nice to hear. She’s made my nephew so happy.”
“And vice versa. She’s crazy about him.”
“Sometimes things work out for good people.”
“It gives the rest of us hope.”
“You’ll have your turn, honey. You’re good people, too.”
“How do you know that?” she asked, amused by his certainty.
“You’re Evelyn’s granddaughter and Nikki’s sister. That’s all I need to know. And you’re far too good for that Zale guy, or whatever his name is.”
Jordan laughed at how Big Mac bungled the name of one of the world’s most famous musicians.
“He didn’t deserve you. Someday you’ll find a man who deserves you, who treats you like a queen, who loves and respects you the way you deserve to be loved. It’ll happen. I promise you that.”
His emphatically spoken words touched her deeply. What would it be like to have someone like him for a dad rather than the jerk she’d gotten? “Thank you, Mr. McCarthy. I appreciate that.”
“It’s the truth, and you should call me Big Mac, like everyone else does.”
“I will. Thanks.”
Ten minutes later, they walked into the clinic together, and Jordan immediately spotted Mason, standing next to a dark-haired man also in uniform. “I see Mason. It was really nice to meet you, Big Mac.”
“You, too, honey. Thanks for the ride, and remember what I told you.”
Jordan smiled and, in a moment of impulse, went up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “I’ll remember.” She walked over to Mason, who had blood-soaked towels wrapped around his hands. “Hey.” As she noticed his clothes were wet, she squeezed his forearm and tried not to focus on the blood.
“Hey. What’re you doing here?”
“I heard you got hurt, so I came to check on you.”
As he stared down at her, seeming stunned to see her there, Jordan wondered if she’d played this all wrong. She shouldn’t have come.
“That’s so nice of you,” he said, his face lighting up with a warm smile. He stared at her for a long, intense moment. “Ah, Jordan, this is Blaine Taylor, chief of police.”
“Good to meet you, Jordan,” Blaine said.
“You, too.” Returning her gaze to Mason, she focused on the bloody towels. “Your hands…”
“I’ll be fine. The only thing that matters is that Syd and her baby are okay.”
“That’s not the only thing that matters,” Jordan said, looking up at him. “Why haven’t they taken you back yet?”
“I told them to focus on getting Syd and the baby warm.”
“Since you’re in very good hands here—no pun intended—I’m going back to work,” Blaine said. “You’ll stay with him, Jordan?”
“I will.”
“Okay, then. I’m out. I’ll check on you later.”
“Thanks, Blaine,” Mason said.
Jordan led Mason to a chair and sat next to him, taking his right hand into her lap. She steeled herself and unwrapped the blood-soaked towel to reveal his pulpy palm and fingers. “Oh God, Mason. What did you do?”
“It’s okay. Doesn’t hurt at all.”
“It will.”
“I’m okay. Really.”
Jordan used the unsoiled portion of the towel to wipe away new blood.
“Don’t get it on your dress. You look so pretty.”
“I don’t care about the dress.” She dabbed at the wounds on his right hand and then reached for the left one. “How about your elbow?”
“It’s fine.”
Jordan glanced up to gauge whether he was telling her the truth. When her gaze collided with his, she found him watching her with an unexpected level of intensity. “What?”
“I’ve never had anyone come looking for me before.”
Touched by his sweetness, she said, “Never?”
“Not once ever.”
“Well, now you have.”
“Now I have.”