Chapter 7 #2
His father’s eyes went shiny. “It’s about time,” he said softly. “Wow, just like that?”
“I took one look at her and that was that.”
“And we’re talking about Maddie who cleans up the hill?”
“Yeah,” Mac said, still awed by the wonder of it all. Two days ago, he was in Miami. Two days ago, he didn’t even know she existed. And now his every hope and dream was somehow mixed up in her and her son.
“I don’t know her real well, but she seems like a sweetheart of a gal,” Big Mac said. “Had some tough breaks, though.”
“She sure has. And because of that, she’s kind of. . . skittish.”
“Can’t really blame her. That father of hers. . . No one could believe it when he just walked away from his wife and kids. That’s the thing about this place—you can jump on a ferry and run away from it all.”
“I don’t think she ever recovered from that.”
“Who would?”
Mac decided to level with his father. “I’m kind of in uncharted territory here.”
“How’s that?”
“You’re gonna laugh. . .”
His father did just that. “Spill it, boy!”
“It’s just that usually when I like someone, they tend to. . .” Mac combed his fingers impatiently through his hair as he searched for the words. “How can I say this without sounding like a total jackass?”
This time Big Mac howled. “They tend to fall at your feet in gratitude that Mac McCarthy has chosen to give them the time of day?”
“That is not what I was going to say!”
His father continued to laugh at his own joke. “Am I warm?”
“Sort of,” Mac said begrudgingly.
That set his father off again.
“I’m glad you’re getting such a kick out of this.”
Big Mac wiped the laughter tears from his eyes. “I’m very sorry, but I think it’s a riot that you finally find one who makes your head spin and she could take or leave you.”
“Well,” Mac said, thinking of their passionate kisses, “I wouldn’t say that exactly. But she doesn’t seem to be jumping for joy that she’s attracted my interest.”
Big Mac had the good grace to at least try to hide his smirk. “She’s probably overwhelmed. A good-looking, self-assured guy like you would scare the pants off a gal who’s been treated the way she has by other men.”
“None of the stuff they say about her is true, Dad.” He thought of his brother Evan and the conversation they needed to have—soon. “None of it.”
“That so? Interesting.”
“What do I do? If she had her way, she’d send me packing, and I’d never see her again.”
Big Mac ran a hand over the white stubble on his jaw. “You gotta keep showing up, prove to her that you’re different from all the others who’ve let her down.”
“Make a nuisance of myself?”
“If that’s what it takes.”
“I can do that,” Mac said, settling into the idea. He’d done a pretty good job of it so far.
“’Course you can. But don’t grovel, son. Any woman would be lucky to have you. You remember that.”
Mac smiled. He could always count on his father to be on his side. “So, would it be okay if, while I’m making a nuisance of myself with her, I try this place on for size for a while? No promises or anything.”
Big Mac squeezed his son’s forearm. “That’d be more than okay with me.”
“Don’t say anything to Mom about what I said about Maddie. She’s got something against her, for some reason.”
“I won’t say a word.”
Mac downed the last of his beer. “Mind if I borrow your truck for the night? I’m bringing Maddie and her son over to the house for dinner.”
Big Mac withdrew the keys from his shorts pocket. “Have at it.”
Mac gave his father the key to the motorcycle. In an impulsive move, he leaned in and kissed his father’s cheek. “Love you.”
Big Mac hugged him for a long moment.
Mac realized he’d rendered his old man speechless. “Thanks for the beer. See you at dinner.”
Mac parked the truck in Maddie’s driveway and went up the stairs to the small deck where Libby was stretched out in a lounge chair, reading a book.
“Hey,” she said. “Back already?”
“How’s it going?”
“It’s been great. They’re both sacked out at the moment.”
“Thank you so much for hanging out today. I really appreciate it.”
“I enjoyed it. She’s really very lovely. I’m sorry I haven’t taken the time before now to get to know her better.”
Mac glanced at the door. “She could use a few friends in this town.”
Libby stashed her book in her tote bag and got up to give Mac a kiss on the cheek. “She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s damned lucky to have you in her life.”
Hit with an unusual burst of insecurity, Mac rolled his bottom lip between his teeth. “If she had her way, she’d never see me again.”
“I don’t think it’ll take all that much to change her mind. You know what you need to do.”
“Yeah.” He thought of what his father had said about showing up and proving that he’d never let her down. “Thanks again, Lib.” He gave her a hug and watched her walk down the driveway toward town, where she lived in a suite of rooms at the Beachcomber with her husband and two children.
Taking a deep breath, Mac opened the screen door and stepped inside.
Maddie lay on the bed with her uninjured arm hooked over her head and the sheet pulled up to her shoulders.
It was the first time, he realized, that he’d seen her so unguarded.
Moving carefully so as not to disturb her, he went to the bathroom, quickly showered off the grime from the long day and, wearing just his boxers, crawled into bed next to her, intending to sleep for at least an hour and a half of the two hours they had before they were due at his parents’ house.
But then she turned toward him, slipped an arm around his waist and drew him in close to her.
Steeped in her scent and softness, Mac was suddenly wide awake and fully erect. He had no idea if she was awake or having yet another of her vivid dreams. Curious as to what she would do, he put an arm around her and brought her as close to him as he dared.
Her breath skittered across his chest, stirring him even more.
With his heart beating a rapid staccato, he couldn’t move or breathe. This is love. Finally, he understood. This was what made sane men into fools. He smoothed his hand over her hair and down her back.
She released a contented sigh and burrowed in closer, until her lips were pressed to his bare chest.
Mac had never been happier in his life.
In her dream, Maddie was falling. From where or what she didn’t know, but the falling sensation had her flailing for traction. She woke up suddenly to find her face pressed to a hard male chest. His now-familiar scent found its way through the sleepy fog in her brain.
Mac.
Where had he come from? She studied his strong, handsome face, slack with sleep, and wanted to kiss him all over.
Had she ever felt that way about any man before?
No. Never. He was so big and strong, and he held her just right.
She couldn’t even think about the pain radiating from her arm and leg when she was so wrapped up in his embrace.
But then she remembered all the reasons why this was a bad idea and began to work her way free of him.
His arms tightened around her. “Stay,” he muttered, his voice groggy and sexy with sleep.
“I can’t.”
“Shh.” He kept his eyes closed as he combed his fingers through her hair. God, she loved when he did that. “Stay with me. I need you.”
All the fight went out of her when he said those words. No one had ever needed her before. Only Thomas, and as wonderful as that was, it wasn’t the same as being needed by Mac McCarthy.
Maddie didn’t exactly relax, but she stopped trying to get away from him.
After a long period of silence during which she reveled in the feel of his fingers spooling through her hair, she said, “How was it today?”
“Enlightening.”
“What do you mean?”
“I see now why you think they’re bastards.”
Maddie winced. “Mac, when I said that, I didn’t know—”
“S’okay, honey. They treat you like crap, but that’s going to change.”
“What’s going to change?” she asked, nervous about what he’d done.
“You won’t get the worst rooms anymore.”
“What did you do?”
“Had a little talk with my mother. It’s all taken care of.”
“You’re going to get me fired.”
“They wouldn’t dare. Don’t worry about that.”
“Libby mentioned a job today.” Maddie hadn’t even allowed herself to think about the possibility. . .
Mac drew back so he could see her face. “What kind of job?”
“Head of housekeeping at the Beachcomber.”
“Really? That’s awesome, honey!”
She wanted to remind him once again that she wasn’t his honey, but as they were lying in a bed together, it didn’t seem like the right time to mention it.
“The woman who does the job now is retiring after this season. When Libby found out I’d worked at McCarthy’s for eight years, she offered me the job.
It’s full-time, year-round, with benefits. ”
“Wow. What did you say?”
“I told her I had to think about it.”
“What’s there to think about? It would take care of a lot of your worries.”
“She only offered it to me because of you.”
“No way. Libby’s totally turned that place around. Remember how it was on the brink of bankruptcy ten or so years ago?”
Maddie nodded.
“Libby brought it back to life. In fact, not too many people know this, but the owners made her a partner two years ago.”
“Good for her.”
Mac linked his fingers through hers, careful as always not to touch her sore palm. “And good for you. If she offered you a job, it’s because you’re right for it.”
“You really think so?”
“Of course I do. I got a good idea of how hard you work today. Wouldn’t it be nice to make more money and not have to work that hard?”
“It’d be different, that’s for sure.”
“So you’ll do it?”
“I have friends at McCarthy’s. People I’ve worked with for years.”
“Nothing says you couldn’t hire them away to work at the Beachcomber.”
Maddie smiled. “Then your mother would hate me even more.”
“She doesn’t hate you.” He released her hand and looped a strand of her hair around his finger. “She just doesn’t know you very well. Yet.”
“You aren’t really going to make me go there for dinner, are you?”
“It’ll be fun.”