Book 27 Renewal After Dark #7
“That is nice of you to say, but—”
“No buts, Duke. It’s true. You’re a special person who’s become very important to me, and it hurts me to hear all the reasons why you think I’m too good for you. I’m not. Maybe I might turn out to be just right for you. Did that ever occur to you?”
“Ah, yes, it did, and I believe that might be why I behaved badly.”
“You didn’t behave badly.”
“Then why do I feel terrible about it?”
“I don’t know. Why do you suppose that is?”
“I think I hurt you, and that was certainly not my intention. That’s the last thing I’d ever want to do.”
“Do you hear yourself? Did you hear what you said about how hurting me is the last thing you’d ever want to do?”
His brows furrow in confusion. “What about it?”
“That, right there, is what makes you special, Duke, and you can’t even see it.
Most of the guys I’ve met, and most of the ones my friends have met, don’t care whether they hurt us.
They want whatever they can get from us without a single thought about anyone getting hurt. You care. That makes you different.”
“You could do better.”
“No, I couldn’t, so shut up with that.” She applies gentle pressure to his face, encouraging him to look at her.
When his gaze collides with hers, she can see how much he cares, how badly he wants her and how worried he still is about making a mistake that could hurt her.
She sees things she’s never seen in the eyes of any other man, which has her leaning in to press her lips to his.
The next morning, McKenzie wakes up still thinking about kissing Duke.
She’s getting Jax up when she hears loud noises outside.
She and Jax walk over to her cottage and find Mac and his cousin Riley working there.
Riley will be in charge of her rebuild. When they return home, Duke is pushing his motorcycle out of the garage.
He hugs her and tells her she and Jax are turning his world upside down.
She asks if that bothers him and he says, “Not in the least, which is rather incredible.”
He leaves her with the keys to his truck and invites her to stop by and see him at the shop. He waits until they’re inside with the door closed before he fires up the loudest engine she’s ever heard.
“Roooooom,” Jax says.
McKenzie sits on the sofa with him. “That’s right, buddy. Is that really going to be one of your first words?”
“Rooom. Rooom.”
Smiling, she claps his hands together. “Room, room.”
“Roooooom.”
She can’t wait to tell Duke that he inspired one of Jax’s first words.
Duke is working on a client’s ink when Sierra comes in looking for him.
She’s worried about him and how quickly he’s gotten close to McKenzie.
He says there’s nothing to worry about. She starts to leave but then turns back.
“I know she’s Rosemary’s granddaughter, and you feel loyal to her for being such a good friend to you, but you don’t owe her granddaughter anything. Be careful.”
With that, she walks out the door, leaving Duke wondering what the hell she’s warning him about. What sort of nefarious plot does Sierra think McKenzie has hatched?
She needs to get to know McKenzie, and then she’ll see what he does.
McKenzie is a good person, like her grandmother was.
She’s also a wonderful mother and has been nothing but honest and open with him about her past. What does he have to fear from her other than a broken heart if things don’t work out between them?
McKenzie comes in later with Jax and goes to work on Duke’s books.
He tried to warn her they’re a mess, but she reassures him that everyone’s books are a mess.
While she’s working, she receives a message from Kendall James with a copy of a letter she wants to send to McKenzie’s ex.
Dated September twenty-fifth, it includes the address of Eric’s employer in Warwick, Rhode Island.
Dear Mr. Norton,
I represent McKenzie Martin and her minor child, Jax Martin.
This letter is to inform you of our intention to sue to establish your paternity of Jax.
When paternity is proven, as we believe it will be, our next move will be to demand support for the minor child until such time as he graduates from college.
We understand that your wife and other children stand to be adversely affected by this action.
Thus, we are contacting you at your place of employment.
Should you fail to respond within fourteen days, we will reach out to you at your residence.
We look forward to resolving this matter promptly.
Sincerely,
Kendall James, Esquire
Of counsel
“Holy shit,” McKenzie says under her breath. Imagining Eric receiving that letter fills her with elation and a giddy sense of retribution. Ms. Kendall James, Esquire, is not screwing around. She responds to the text from her.
That letter is perfect. You have my approval to send it. Please let me know what I owe you.
No charge until we recover some money from him. I’ll keep you posted.
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.
Happy to help!
“What are you all smiles about?” Duke asks. “It sure as hell can’t be my bookkeeping.”
McKenzie hadn’t seen him coming or that his client had left. “Your bookkeeping needs my help, for sure. But I’m smiling because Kendall James wrote an incredible letter to Eric.” She calls it up on her phone and hands it to him.
“Wow. A letter like that would make me quake in my boots, especially if I had a wife and kids at home who had no idea what I’d been getting up to on the side.”
“I know, right? He’ll shit himself.”
“Least of what he deserves after the way he lied to you.”
“I’m afraid he’ll be angry more than anything. He doesn’t expect me to do something like this.”
He convinces her to call her mother and warn her just in case Eric tries anything.
Then he offers to take Jax for a walk down by the ferry landing while she works.
As they go outside together, McKenzie is aware that there’s no greater demonstration of trust than to let him take her child out of her sight.
But she does trust him, and not just because her grandmother did.
No, at this point, it’s because he’s repeatedly shown her that he’s worthy of her trust and respect.
When McKenzie goes next door to Refresh and Renew, Sierra is at the reception counter with a customer. She leans around the client to say hello to McKenzie. “Be right with you, McKenzie.”
“No rush.”
“McKenzie has come to save my ass. She’s a whiz with QuickBooks.”
McKenzie never would’ve used the word whiz, but before she can say so, the blonde woman at the desk turns to her.
“I’m Laura Lawry, owner of the Sand & Surf Hotel, and if you know QuickBooks, I want you to work with me like yesterday. Or actually more like last year…” She adds a sheepish grin that makes McKenzie laugh.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Will you help me? Please?”
“Of course. I’ll stop by in the next few days if that works.”
“That’d be perfect. This is truly turning out to be the best massage I’ve ever had.”
“We aim to please,” Sierra says.
“I have two friends who work out of the hotel who will want you, too. Is it okay to tell them about you?”
“Sure, thank you.”
“No, McKenzie, thank you. This will change my life! Give me your number.”
As McKenzie recites her number, Laura punches it into her phone.
“You’ll definitely hear from me.”
“Sounds good.”
After Laura leaves, McKenzie steps up to the reception desk. “This must be what it feels like to be the Good Witch of the North.”
Sierra laughs. “For sure. It’s something we’re sorely lacking here, and everyone runs small businesses. Once the word gets out, you’ll have more business than you can handle.”
“That would be incredible. It never occurred to me that I might be able to do something like this here.”
“Well, now you know. Let me show you my setup, and we’ll see if you can straighten me out.”
“Sounds good.”
In Providence, Kelsey is surprised to find Jeff sitting up in the chair next to the bed. He has a blanket over his lap, and his face is pale and pinched with pain.
“Look at you out of bed!”
“And what a treat it was getting here.”
Jeff is a recovered addict and has refused anything stronger than Tylenol and Advil for pain.
He asks Kelsey why she looked so irritated when she came in, and she complains about the cast on her arm.
She can’t dry her hair correctly, and it looks terrible.
He reassures her she’s as beautiful as ever.
“My mom would’ve helped you with your hair, you know. ”
“I didn’t want to ask her for that.”
“Why not, hon? She’d have been happy to do it. She’s a professional mom.”
“I know. It just feels weird. I mean, I wonder if she’s mad at me that you’re so badly hurt.”
“What? Of course she isn’t.”
“You got hurt protecting me.”
“Which I’d do again in a hot second, and she knows that. She’s not upset with you. She’s incredibly thankful we both survived. She wouldn’t have wanted to deal with me if something had happened to you.”
“You’re very sweet.”
“It’s the truth. You said I jumped on top of you without thinking. I don’t remember that, but I want you to know that I’d do it again a thousand times if it meant keeping you safe.”
“Let’s hope this is the only time you’ll ever have to protect me that way.”
“I’ll do it any time it needs to be done.”
She receives an alert that her cell phone bill is overdue.
She checks her bank account to see if she can make a partial payment and is shocked to find her account has one hundred thousand dollars more than she thought.
She shows Jeff, and when he checks his account, he finds the same amount.
They realize Mr. McCarthy gave them the money.
Although they don’t blame him for what happened, they’re thankful for his kindness.
Sarah pokes her head in. “Is it safe to come in?”
Jeff waves her in. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“You kids are madly in love. I don’t want to see anything that can’t be unseen.”
“I think you’re safe in that regard,” Jeff says. “Since I can barely move at the moment.”