by Marie Force
"The word 'condom' never came up. Not that I would've minded…"
"You're very funny."
"I just don't get…" Joe stopped himself.
"What?"
"Nothing. It doesn't matter."
"Tell me. Come on, Joe."
"Why do you think that guy who supposedly can't wait to marry her never shows his face on the island?"
"He's finishing medical training. You know how that can be."
"All I know is if she were mine, wild horses wouldn't keep me away."
Mac winced. "You ever think about just telling her that?"
Joe released a bitter laugh. "Right. Like I can compete with Dr. David and all their history. That'd be a suicide mission."
"Maybe if she knew, it'd make a difference."
"It wouldn't, and she's never going to know, you got me, Mac? Don't say a word to her. I mean that."
"I never would, but you should. What've you got to lose?"
"Her friendship, and that would be truly unbearable."
"I'm sorry it's so hopeless," Mac said with a sigh. "I have a whole new appreciation for how hard this must be on you."
"It is what it is. Hey, I gotta split, but do let me know how the rubber run goes, huh?"
"Go to hell." As Joe laughed at his own joke, Mac slapped the phone closed. His stomach clutched with nerves when he realized that Janey really was his only other option. His father would do it for him, but he couldn't ask him. Even at almost thirty-five, he just couldn't. Swallowing hard, Mac flipped open the phone and called Janey.
"Hey, brat, what're you doing?" Mac considered telling her about their mother's visit that morning but decided against it. He wanted to forget the whole unfortunate encounter.
"Heading into work, why?"
"I need another favor."
"You want to go out again tonight?"
"Not exactly."
"Then what?"
"I need you to, um, well… If you could go to Gold's," Mac said, referring to the island drug store, "and just, you know…"
"What, Mac? Spit it out, will ya?"
"I need you to buy condoms for me. A lot of them."
Dead silence.
"Janey?"
"You gotta be kidding me."
"I can't do it! It'll be all over the island in ten minutes, and Maddie can't deal with that."
"Get Joe to do it."
"He's off-island until tomorrow."
"So abstain for one night!"
"Janey, please. I'm desperate here."
"You can't ask me to do this. It's too embarrassing."
"How do you think I feel about asking my baby sister to do this for me?" He let out what he knew was a pathetic wail. "Janey … I need you."
"Don't do that. Don't you dare play the need card."
"Pretty please."
She let out a swear that shocked him to his core. "Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "But you'll owe me forever, do you hear me? There's no statute of limitations on what you'll owe me."
"I understand."
"I don't think you do. For the rest of your natural life, anytime I say, 'Jump', you say, 'How high, Janey? How high can I jump for you?' Anytime I snap my fingers, you come running. Any. Time. Am I clear?"
"Crystal."
"I'll need at least a hundred dollars."
"What the hell for?"
"Buffer items, you buffoon. I can't just go in there and buy a gross of condoms and walk out."
"So you're going to soak me for a year's supply of nail polish and tampons?"
"That's the very least of what you owe me."
"Fine. I'll bring it to the vet clinic."
"Pay me later. I can't look at you right now. Meet me at noon behind the Beachcomber, and do not look at me. Just take the bag, give me the money and walk away."
"I love you, Janey. Have I mentioned that lately?"
"Screw you."
Holding back a laugh, he said, "Get the extra large ones, okay?"
"I hate you."
Mac returned to Maddie's and found her and Thomas still sleeping. He checked his watch and decided this would be a good time to take care of something else he'd been putting off. Taking his keys off the table, he tiptoed out of the apartment. In the driveway, he rolled the motorcycle to the street before he kick-started it. Driving along the south coast, he noticed dense fog—an island staple in June—clinging to the horizon as the sun fought to break through. Mac pulled into the parking lot at the South Point Light and killed the engine. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and called his brother Evan, who was on speed dial along with Grant, Adam and Janey.
"Hey, man," Evan said.
"Did I wake you up? You sound rough."
"Nah, late night, but I'm on the way to the studio now. What's up with you?"
"This and that. How're you? How's the recording going?" After years of struggle and toil, a small Nashville label had recently signed Evan.
"It's the most fun I've ever had in my life."
"That's awesome. Been a long time coming."
"You know it. So Janey emailed me that you're on the island. What brought that on?"
"Did you hear about Dad selling the marina?"
"No way!"
"Yep. I'm doing some repairs for him and toying with the idea of relocating and maybe keeping the place in the family."
"Seriously? You won't go nuts stuck on that island?"
"A few things have changed lately."
"What could've possibly changed to make that place look good to you?"
"I met someone—someone you know, in fact."
"Who?"
"Maddie Chester."
"Oh. Really? Wow."
"I hear you've got some history with her."
"Mac, wait. You don't understand—"
It took everything Mac had to keep from yelling at his brother. "You're damned right I don't understand," he managed to say calmly, even though he churned inside. This whole thing made him sick.
"It was Darren. He started it and told us to go along with him or else."
"Or else what?"
"He was like a god in high school. No one wanted to piss him off. When he told us to do stuff, we did it."
"How could you be part of something like this, Ev? After everything Dad was always hammering into our heads about how to treat women?"
"Believe me, it's eaten at me over the years. I never felt good about it."
"What you guys did to her ruined her life. Do you realize that? It ruined her."
"It was high school. How could it ruin her life?"
"Because she's never shaken it! The whole island thinks she's a tramp, and until last night, she'd had sex twice in her life!"
"God," Evan said softly. "I had no idea…"
"You're going to fix it."
"What do you mean?"
"Here's what I want you to do."
Mac's next stop was Darren Tuttle's body shop. The place looked well kept, and judging by the cars lined up out front, it was busy. At the front desk, Mac asked for Tuttle.
"Who should I tell him is calling?" the dowdy-looking receptionist asked.
"An old friend."
She got up and went through the door to the work area, returning a few minutes later with Darren, who was greasy, dirty and thirty pounds overweight. His hairline had receded into unattractive baldness. The "god" who'd once been able to intimidate a legion of boys into going along with his every plan had clearly fallen a few notches in the twelve years since graduation. From the quirk in his lips, Mac could tell that Darren recognized him.
"What do you want?"
"A word outside." Without waiting for Darren to reply, Mac turned and went out the door.
"I heard you were back in town," Darren said as he followed Mac outside.
Mac kept his back to the other man, planning to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Darren snickered. "You and Maddie Mattress, huh? Have you ever seen knockers quite like those?"
Knocked to the dirt, Darren flopped like a fish out of water. Blood poured from his nose. "What the hell?" he sputtered. "What's your problem?"
Mac reached down with one hand and hauled Darren to his feet. Speaking right into his fat, red face, Mac said, "What you did to her—that's my problem."
Darren tried to wriggle free. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes, you do." Mac tightened his hold. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."
Darren wiped at the blood on his face and winced when he connected with his bloody nose. "I'll have you arrested."
"No, you won't." Mac released him abruptly, and Darren stumbled backward. "Do you have any idea what you did to her? What your stupid-ass-she-rejected-me-so-I'll-make-her-pay crap did to her life?"
"I rejected her."
"Rewriting history now?" Mac raised an eyebrow. "She didn't want you, so you trashed her all over town."
"That's not what happened."
"My brother Evan confirmed her account. Right now he's contacting everyone else who was involved." The bead of sweat that appeared on Tuttle's brow pleased Mac. "You married, Darren?"
"Yeah," he muttered, sending a nervous glance at the office where the receptionist watched them anxiously through the window.
"That your wife in there?"
"So what if it is?"
"What version of this story you want her to hear? Mine or yours?"
"Are you threatening me?"
"You bet I am. Here's what you're going to do."
Chapter 12
Mac returned to Maddie's bearing a handful of wildflowers he'd picked by the side of the road.
She was on the floor with Thomas, who was engaged in a battle with the baby gym propped over him. When she saw the flowers, her eyes went soft with emotion. "They're beautiful," she said, getting up to find a vase. "What's the occasion?"
Mac came up behind her, nuzzled her neck and planted a kiss on her warm skin. "To say thank you for the best night of my life."
"Oh."
"What?" he asked. "It wasn't good for you, too?"
"You know it was."
"But?"
She turned to him, her face unreadable. "I can't stop thinking about the things your mother said."
Mac wanted to scream with frustration, but he showed her none of that. "Forget it. She can't get to us unless we let her, and I have no plans to let her."
Maddie linked her hands behind his neck and brought him down for a kiss. Running her tongue back and forth over his lips, she had him fired up and ready in two seconds flat.
He groaned. "That's more like it."
"Did you take care of our problem?"
"All set."
Pressing against his straining erection, she said, "Who's doing it? Joe?"
Mac was having trouble thinking, let alone talking. "He's off-island."
"Then who?"
"It might be better if you didn't know."
Her face slackened with shock. "Tell me you did not ask your sister."
"It was either that or wait for Joe to get back tomorrow." He cupped her bottom to pull her in tighter against him. "I didn't think that would work for us."
"I'll never be able to look at her again."
"Sure you will." Remembering the meeting with Janey, he checked his watch.
Maddie gasped. "What happened to your hand?" She ran her fingers softly over purple, swollen knuckles. "Did you hit someone?"
"Of course not. I banged it."
She raised a skeptical eyebrow. "On what?"
"I ran up the stairs earlier and connected with the rail. It was stupid." He kissed her nose. "Don't worry about it."
Hands on hips, she said, "I want to know who you hit and why."
Taken aback, Mac studied her. "Is this the kind of wife you're going to be?"
"Yep. Who'd you hit? It wasn't your mother, was it?"
Mac laughed and then squirmed under the heat of her glare. "It was a misunderstanding."
"Over me."
"Nothing like that."
"You're lying, Mac. I'm not a child who needs you to protect me."
"Maybe I need to protect you." He rested his hands on her shoulders and tried to massage away the tension. "Please don't make me tell you about it. It's over and done with."
Maddie studied him for a long moment. Then she went to the freezer, retrieved an ice pack and wrapped it around his hand. She looked up at him with those potent eyes. "Don't keep things from me, and do not lie to me. Ever."
"Okay."
"Those are deal-breakers for me, Mac. I mean it."
He swallowed hard. "I understand." Caressing her cheek, he leaned in to kiss her. "I need to go meet Janey. After that, you want to go to the beach for a while?"
"I don't do the beach."
"You live on an island. How can you not do the beach?"
She shot him her now-familiar withering look. "I'm not big on giving out cheap thrills."
"I'll be there to scare the mean boys away."
"They'll still be gawking."
"So let 'em gawk. They can't touch you if you don't let them—and you know I mean that entirely figuratively."
"And you'll be just fine with the gawking?"
"I'll ignore it."
"Well," she said, "I suppose you can't punch anyone else today with your hand all bruised and battered."
He flashed his most charming grin. "I've still got a mean left hook."
Janey was waiting for him when he arrived at the back steps to the Beachcomber.
As Mac approached, her eyes narrowed. Uh oh.
She swung the bag and smacked him right upside the head.
"Hey! That hurt!"
"Mrs. Gold herself was working the resister. You know what she said to me?" Without taking a breath, Janey launched into Mrs. Gold's nasally New York accent. "'My oh my, Janey, Doctor David must be coming for a good long visit this weekend.'"
Mac knew it wasn't a good idea, but he laughed anyway.
She pelted him again with the bag. "It's not funny! I have to live in this town!"
He attempted to wipe the smile off his face and withdrew a wad of twenties from his pocket.
Janey snatched the money and thrust the bag at him. "It's going to take years of therapy to recover from this."
"You're the best, Janey." Mac gave her a noisy smooch on the cheek.
She pushed him away. "I hate you more than anything."
He poked her ribs. "Do not."
"I'm off to get a brain scrub to erase this unsavory incident from my memory."
"Come by Maddie's this weekend. Let's hang out."
"No way I'm coming near the two of you until the supply is exhausted."
Mac grinned. "We'll be giving thanks to Janey McCarthy every time."
Hands over ears, she shrieked and stalked off.
Mac laughed all the way home.
Even though Maddie wore a conservative one-piece bathing suit, sure enough every guy on the beach checked her out. Mac told himself it didn't matter, but he was lying. He wondered if he'd ever behaved so stupidly around a full-figured woman. Probably. A nearby group of young men were particularly enthralled, and Mac glared at them.
"Lucky man," he heard one of them say with a snicker.
It took every ounce of self-control Mac possessed to keep from going over there to smack the smirk off the guy's face.
"Told you," Maddie said.
"What?"
"That you wouldn't like it."
"They're idiots."
"Men will be men. They can't help themselves." She reached for her T-shirt to cover up.
"Don't," Mac said, resting his hand on her arm. "Don't let them bother us."
"Easy for you to say. They're not gawking at you."
Mac's cell phone rang, and he dug it out of his backpack. He didn't recognize the Gansett number but took the call anyway.
"Hi, Mac," a breathy female voice said. "I hope it's okay that your mother gave me your number."
"I'm sorry, who is this?" he asked, even though he had a sneaking suspicion.
She giggled. "Doro. We met the other night at McCarthy's? Your mother said—"
"Whatever she told you, it was bad information. I'm seeing someone."
"I heard about that. Maddie, right? I don't know her, but then again we don't exactly run in the same circles."
"Lucky for her."
"Excuse me?"
"Listen, Doro. I'm not interested. Sorry if that hurts your feelings, but please don't call me again." Regretting taking the call, he closed the phone before she could reply and stashed it in his bag.
"She doesn't give up, does she?"
"Who? Doro?"
Maddie rolled her eyes at him. "Your mother."
He shrugged, knowing he needed to act fast—again—to minimize the damage with Maddie. "That's her problem, not ours." He scooped up Thomas and reached out to Maddie. "Come on, let's go swimming."
She hesitated for only a second before she took his hand.
At the water's edge, she eyed the waves with trepidation. "He's never been in the water before. I don't know if he'll like it."
"We'll take it nice and slow." As they waded into the surf, Mac dipped the baby's feet into the cool water. Thomas bicycled his legs and let out a happy squeal that made them laugh. "Just like the bathtub, buddy, only bigger." After half an hour of wave jumping, Mac stretched out on the wet sand at the water's edge and dug a small hole for Thomas to sit in. The waves rushed to the beach, making a pool out of the hole. Thomas splashed and shrieked as Mac drizzled wet sand on his chubby legs.
Mac looked up at Maddie, who was taking pictures of them. "I think it's safe to say he likes the beach."
"We'll be washing sand out of his crevices for a month."
Mac laughed and plopped an even bigger pile of wet sand on Thomas. They played until Thomas began to yawn and rub at his eyes with sandy hands. "Whoa, dude," Mac said, grabbing the baby's hands. "Don't do that."
Thomas let out a lusty wail of distress.
Mac took him back in the water to rinse off as much of the sand as he could. Removing Thomas's tiny bathing suit, he cleaned him up and carried him back to Maddie for a diaper.
"You've become an old pro."
"He makes everything fun."
Maddie smiled at him. "So do you."