Present Day: Beacon Bay, Maine
“You ready?” Logan asked Emma as they prepared to step foot off the Coast Guard boat and face the music back at Beacon Bay Marina. It was a small marina with rows of docks that had mostly personal cruisers, sailboats, and a few speed boats tied up in slots the local citizens had rented for the summer. It was also home to seasonal fishing vessels of various sizes, but cruise ships and tour boats frequented the bigger harbors with better accommodations.
The water had grown rougher after they’d finished reading Kathleen and Joseph’s letters by the fire. Kathleen was a remarkable woman. She’d stood up to her husband, who’d turned out to be a real animal, even when the entire town was against her. Logan didn’t know how she’d handled that, especially given the time period she’d lived in. He had a feeling Joseph played a big part in her perseverance. Joseph was one hell of a man. He was a real hero, even though he didn’t think he was. He’d fought for his country and lived through unspeakable times, yet he still put others first. Kathleen was lucky to have him in her life, even if they were just friends.
Logan stole a glance at Emma and couldn’t help thinking how lucky he was to have her in his life. The wind had picked up several knots since this morning, and Logan was grateful the Coast Guard had found them when they did. Rowing off the island back to shore in ten-foot waves wasn’t something he’d wanted to even think about, yet the thought of spending another night in Emma’s arms had been even more terrifying. He didn’t think he could handle a repeat of the “dream” and not do something stupid. Whatever the sacrifice, he wouldn’t jeopardize their friendship. She’d become too important to him; a lifeline he hadn’t even known he’d needed.
He couldn’t lose her, too.
“No, I’m not ready,” she answered on a laugh, but she held out her hand to him anyway in a show of trust that warmed his heart.
His connection to her wasn’t just physical. They had been through quite an ordeal getting stranded on that island, but had somehow come through the experience closer than ever. He was relieved to see the Mandy Marie safe and sound in her spot at the marina without a scratch on her from what he could tell. He’d called Barry to let him know he was okay because he was afraid news of the rescue would leak, and he didn’t want his in-laws or son to worry. Especially since the Coast Guard had notified them shortly after that, that their boat had been found floating on its own. Emma had phoned home as well. She must have called her sister, because the woman on the dock bore a striking resemblance to her. As tough as their ordeal had been, a nagging feeling told him the toughest part of their adventure was yet to come.
Logan and Emma thanked their rescuers once more, and then he led Emma onto to the dock. All eyes turned toward them and immediately dropped to their joined hands. Logan and Emma glanced at each other. It had become second nature to touch each other without worrying how the other might take it. They’d needed each other to survive, plain and simple, but now reality had slapped them both in the face. They weren’t on the island anymore. They were home and under close scrutiny. No words were necessary.
They both let go immediately.
Trevor ran down the dock to greet them and vaulted into Logan’s arms, hugging him tight. His blond-headed tyrant looked up at him with wide-set blue eyes filled with fear. Knowing enough about the water, it was clear he realized the Coast Guard didn’t just rescue people, they were the water police.
“Did you get into trouble, Daddy?” Trevor whispered loudly.
Everyone chuckled, Logan being the loudest. Man, he had missed his baby boy. “No way, buddy. I was on an adventure like I promised.”
The worry left Trevor’s face, replaced by buzzing excitement and anticipation. “You were?” His voice was full of wonder.
“Yup.” Logan nodded in an exaggerated way.
“What happened?” Trevor shook Logan’s shoulders over and over in a silent plea of, Tell me, tell me.
“I can’t tell you because it’s not over yet.” Logan winked, making it clear he knew exactly what his son wanted. He’d promised him a full adventure, and the summer wasn’t over with yet.
“Oh, man.” Trevor stuck out his bottom lip, perfecting his pout, but then his eyes turned to Emma with curiosity sparkling bright. “What was she doing there?” He thrust his finger toward her.
“She was on the adventure with me,” Logan said in a conspiratorial tone. “She’s my assistant.”
“Partner,” Emma interjected.
“Helper,” Logan clarified with a hushed tone and his hand cupped over his mouth as if he were speaking for Trevor’s ears only, though he knew his whisper was loud enough for them all to hear.
“Don’t let him fool you.” Emma shook her head, fighting her own grin. “I brought the adventure to him.”
“Okay, fine.” Logan rolled his eyes in mock annoyance, but he lost the battle and tipped his lips up. “We’re part of a team.”
“Like me and Grandpa Barry?” Trevor asked, his eyes darting between the two of them, clearly not wanting to miss anything.
“Sort of,” Logan said, thinking they weren’t anything of the sort. The way he had kissed Emma was a whole lot different than the way Trevor kissed his grandfather. Logan shifted uncomfortably, thinking about it. Clearing his throat, he said, “Trevor, this is my friend, Ms. Hendricks.” He set his now squirming son down.
Trevor, who at only six nearly reached a short Emma’s shoulders already, gave her a high-five. “Cool.” He wrinkled his nose. “You guys got dirty, too. Awesome.”
“It is cool, isn’t it?” Emma laughed. “You can call me Emma. All my friends do.” She couldn’t stop smiling at him, and every ounce of her smile was sincere, endearing her even further to Logan.
He sighed, repeating friend, friend, friend to himself, hoping like hell his traitorous body would listen.
“Wait until you hear about the things we’ve done,” Emma went on. Her sister had taken her private jet as soon as Emma had called her. Now she eyed Emma with a raised brow, and Emma’s smile slipped a little. But like Kathleen, Emma was a remarkably strong, independent woman. Ignoring her sister, she added with her own conspiratorial tone, “Maybe I’ll get to see you at the end of the summer when your dad tells you all about our adventure. You know, to make sure he gets all his facts straight.”
“His facts?” Trevor blinked up at her in confusion.
“It means the details. I’ll make sure your father gets the story right and doesn’t try to make up anything or make anything seem more exciting than it is.”
Trevor’s eyes dawned with realization. “Like when Grandpa Barry and me fish, and sometimes the fish gets away. Grandpa likes to tell people he caught a fish that was this big.” Trevor spread his arms as wide as he could, then let out a huge huff as he rolled his eyes and shook his head, worthy of a Tony Award on Broadway. “I have to tell everyone the real truth—er, the straight facts.” He beamed proudly.
“Exactly.” She tweaked his nose, and he giggled. “How about I watch my partner and you watch yours, then we’ll compare stories later. Deal?” She held out her hand.
“Deal.” Ignoring her hand, he threw his arms around her and hugged her hard, making her lips part in surprise. She barely had time to hug him back before he ran off to check on the Mandy Marie with his grandfather, their exchange probably already forgotten.
“He’s not shy,” Logan said by way of apology. Not everyone was comfortable around children. He’d seen that firsthand from a few women who had been interested in him. All he’d had to do to deter their affections was sic his bumbling bundle of joy on them. He frowned. Why wasn’t it working on Emma? Every time he thought he had her figured out, she kept surprising him, and that was more disturbing than anything he’d faced in years.
“No, he’s definitely not shy.” She stared off after his son with a tender expression on her face. “He’s adorable.”
“Thank you.” Logan studied her profile, softening toward her. Well, hell.
She must have sensed his gaze because she locked eyes with him, but then her eyes widened and her gaze quickly turned to the woman next to her. “Dr. Mayfield, this is my sister, Stacy Dresher.”
“Please call me Logan.” He held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Stacy gave him the once over, raising her perfectly waxed eyebrow in contemplation over the word doctor, but she obviously wasn’t quite ready to give her approval as she shook his hand weakly almost as if she expected him to kiss it. She might look like her sister, but they were worlds apart. He knew Stacy’s kind. Doctors, lawyers, and CEO’s were a dime a dozen where she came from. It would take more than a mere title to impress her, like having the right lineage and ranking at the top of his class. One out of two wasn’t bad, but once she learned of his humble beginnings, it would all be over with Emma. Not that he planned to get anything started with Emma in the first place, he reminded himself, mentally shaking his head.
What was wrong with him?
She smiled cordially, yet it looked stiff and fake as she responded with the obligatory, “Likewise.”
“Well, it’s been real. Thanks for the crazy night, Doc.” Emma stepped between them. “Stacy and I have some catching up to do. We’ll talk soon.” She didn’t wait for his response as she took her sister’s arm and walked away.
“My, my, my. She’s certainly interesting,” Rebecca said, startling him into realizing he was still staring after Emma, a part of him not wanting to let her go. It had been so nice having someone to talk to, someone who really listened and was going through pain of her own. For the first time in a long time, he hadn’t been lonely, which shocked him.
He looked at his mother-in-law, saw her expression, and crossed his arms. “Oh, no you don’t. Don’t even think of going there.”
“Going where?” Rebecca tried to look innocent, but he knew better.
“We’re partners.” He scrubbed his face. “Or, maybe friends. Hell, I don’t know what we are, but we’re not what you’re thinking. That’s all.”
“Whatever you are, apparently that’s enough.” She squeezed his arm gently. “You’ve changed.”
“How do you mean?”
“You’re not so sad anymore.”
She had been trying to fix him up for years to no avail. But she also knew him too well. She could see the way he looked at Emma was different than how he had looked at any other woman in a very long time. If he could erase the touch of Emma’s silky, soft skin from his fingertips and the sweet honey taste of her kiss from his lips and the feel of her warm, pliant body pressed firmly against his, he might stand a chance of returning to his normal life. But she’d awakened something inside of him he’d thought would never stir to life.
And he feared nothing would ever be normal again.
A couple hours later, Emma and her sister Stacy sat out back on the patio of her oceanfront beach house, watching the sun set over the rolling waves, drinking sake and eating Chinese food. Emma had showered and changed into yoga pants and a tank top, leaving her feet bare. The breeze had finally died down, and the warm July evening was heavenly. Speaking of heaven, Emma couldn’t stop thinking about Logan. He’d been so heroic and manly and attentive in taking care of her, which went against everything she thought she was. But she could no longer deny she liked when he did chivalrous things for her. They made her feel special and appreciated and cherished.
She’d come to the conclusion it was okay to be a strong, independent woman and still enjoy the chivalry of days gone by. Kathleen would have given anything for treatment like that, and she was the strongest most independent woman Emma had ever known. Not that she had actually “known” her, but she felt like she did. Like they were one and the same in many ways, except Kathleen had had to fight so much harder for everything she’d ever gotten.
Emma was obsessed.
She had to find out what happened after Joseph came home on leave. He was so kind and caring and encouraging. It was like reading a great novel you couldn’t put down, except Emma had no choice. She couldn’t keep reading if they didn’t find more letters. If there weren’t any more, she didn’t know what she would do. It would be like watching a TV show you love suddenly get cancelled and there’s no closure. She’d always felt that wasn’t right. The network should have it in their contract when a show is cancelled that they will film enough episodes to wrap up the story and give their fans closure.
Emma frowned. The thought of closure made her think of Mark. He had hurt her deeply. Maybe not physically like Kathleen’s husband William, but Mark had scarred her emotionally and she wasn’t sure she would ever be the same. Would she ever be free to move on from him? She didn’t even want to think about Logan, because he reminded her way too much of Joseph. He too loved to help people and was always trying to make the world a better place, but he also had been through great tragedy. Was he even in a place to move on himself?
Everything was such a mess, and kissing him had only made things worse. Now she knew how wonderful it felt to wrap her legs around his hard, massive body, and smell his manly scent and taste his mouth that left her begging for more. Don’t even get her started on what his big, muscular hands had felt like as they’d roamed over every inch of her. Emma shivered and earned a curious look from her sister, which snapped her back to reality and common sense.
“Thanks for coming, Stacy. I know how busy you are with the kids.” She had married an older, wealthy man, had given birth to twin girls and then divorced the boring, selfish lug, taking him for half of what he was worth. Her ex had the girls on vacation for a couple weeks, so the timing had been perfect.
Stacy waved her hand in the air. “Don’t be silly. We’re sisters. I might not always agree with you, but I will always be there for you.” She sipped her sake from a crystal glass, wearing designer loungewear and sandals. Her hair was the same shade of auburn as Emma’s but it was much longer. Stacy had hers scooped high in an artful messy bun she must have spent hours perfecting to appear as if she had thrown it up, when in reality, she looked perfect.
There was a time Emma had been jealous of her sister, but she knew everything Stacy did was calculated for appearance’s sake. Once Emma realized she wanted no part of that world, she let the jealousy go. That was when she’d noticed the sadness surrounding her sister’s beautiful amber eyes. Stacy might have gotten everything she’d ever wanted, but she wasn’t happy. While Emma was content with her life. Or at least she had been…
Until Mark had come into it.
“Still, I’m glad you’re here. It’s been too long. I miss you.” Emma reached out and squeezed Stacy’s hand. At times their relationship had been strained in the past, but neither one had ever doubted they loved each other.
“Me too.” Stacy held her hand a moment and gave her a sincere smile—not like the one she’d given poor Logan—before letting go.
“That reminds me, why the frost treatment toward Dr. Mayfield?” Emma raised a brow at her sister in disapproval.
“Hello, he’s a married man.” Stacy scoffed. “Didn’t you see the ring on his finger? Not that it would matter to me, but I know you.” She pointed at Emma. “You have scruples. You’re not the kind to steal another woman’s husband.”
“He’s widowed.”
“Oh.” Stacy frowned. “Still, he’s so…big, and manly, and…I don’t know. Common.”
“He is big and manly and gentle and kind and compassionate and caring and…passionate.” Emma was horrified to feel her face flush pink. “Maybe common is exactly what I need.”
“Oh my God, you’re blushing.” Stacy curled her legs beneath her. “What exactly happened on that island?”
This time Emma waved her sister off. “Nothing.”
“Don’t you dare tell me nothing. My life sucks. I want the scoop. I’m talking details, darling.”
“There is no scoop.” Emma’s flush deepened. “We kissed. That’s all.”
“That’s plenty, apparently. You n
eed a cold shower, honey.” Stacy laughed softly. “I’m curious. Mark was anything but common.”
“Exactly my point.” Emma felt her anger rise all over again. “After what he did, I don’t want anything to do with the men from our world. Maybe common’s a good thing. Not that I’m looking to start up anything with a man from any world.”
“Oh, please. Are you kidding yourself? I saw the way you looked at him, and don’t even get me started on the way he worshipped you with his eyes. And that, my darling, is why I gave him the frost.” Stacy stared down into her drink with a wince. “I hate to admit it, but I was jealous of you.”
Emma gasped. “Jealous of me? What on earth for?”
Stacy met her eyes. “I have been jealous of you my whole life.”
“Oh my God, why?” Emma stared at her sister, seeing her in a whole new light. “I’m the one who has been jealous of you. You’re so perfect.”
Stacy laughed harshly. “I’m not perfect. I’m plastic. Fake in every way possible. I’m a Barbie Doll creation of what they all expect me to be. You, on the other hand, are real.” She looked at Emma with such pride and admiration, it brought a lump to Emma’s throat. “You don’t give a shit about what people think. You don’t care about living up to Mom and Dad’s expectations, you do what you want. I envy that. I landed the perfect husband like I was supposed to, but not a single day of that was happy. The only joy I got out of my marriage is my girls.”
“And half his fortune.” Emma held up her glass, not knowing what else to do or say.
“Cheers to that.” Stacy clinked her glass against Emma’s with a soft laugh. “Still, no man has ever looked at me the way the doctor looked at you.”
Emma had filled Stacy in on everything that had happened since she’d arrived in Beacon Bay. “He’s not over his wife, and frankly, I’m not over what happened with Mark. I feel like I’m stuck. Like I can’t move on until I find out what happened to him. I don’t understand what went wrong between us that made him want to pack up and take off, ditching me and our families and our future.”
Until Tomorrow Page 12