by Mayer, Dale
“Well, it’s just about breakfast time, but chances are you’ll sleep right through it. With any luck, I will too.” He took a glance at his watch. “How long will you be at the station?”
She reached for his arm and checked his watch. “Probably at least two hours.”
He nodded. “How about I meet you outside the office in two hours then?”
She turned and searched his gaze. “What about going to sleep?”
He grinned. “Sleep’s overrated. I might catch a couple hours. But I might just come down to the station and wait for you.”
“If I’m lucky, and I work hard, I might be done in an hour.”
He held out his arm. “Then why don’t you get started. As soon as we get finished, we can come back here and sleep together.”
“That’s all you want to do? Sleep?” she asked in a teasing voice. “Are you sure something else isn’t on your mind?”
“When we get back, it will be sleep on my mind,” he said in a firm voice. “When we wake up again, that’s a whole different story.” He stopped, pulled her into his arms, tilted her head up, and kissed her gently. “I’m very glad that’s over with.”
She smiled and pulled his head back down. “Hold that thought. Let’s get through this next hour. And then we can enjoy life and all it has to offer.”
He kissed her deeply. When he lifted his head, he said, “Now that’s a date worth keeping. Promise?”
She chuckled, hooked her arm through his, and said, “Promise.”
Epilogue
Corey woke up, surprised to find it as late as it was. He rarely slept in. But it was already six-thirty. He rolled over, checked his cell phone to see if there was a text from Macklin. Corey was not at all sure what had gone on last night, but he had a suspicion his friend was taking a step that might not be in his best interests. He sent a quick text. “Where are you?”
There was no response. He frowned, got up, had a quick shower, and put on some coffee. His phone rang.
It was Mason. “Did you hear the news?”
“What news?”
“They caught Marsha’s killer.”
Corey let his breath out with a heavy gust. “Thank God for that.” He frowned. “Who was it?”
“Marsha’s girlfriend.”
“But nobody said she had one.”
“Marsha kept her a secret, even though the girlfriend lived there. She wasn’t allowed to tell anybody where she stayed. She went in and out of the patio so no one would see her.”
“Ouch. That makes it a little hard to have a relationship. Always going out the back door, hiding. How long were they together?”
“Off and on for over a couple years but steady for the last year.”
“And how did you get all this information?”
“Alex gave me the heads-up on some of the details. She and Macklin were heading to bed.”
“So that’s why Macklin didn’t answer his phone.” Corey chuckled. “Well, I could see that one coming.”
“It’s about time. It’s good for Macklin. He’s waited a long time to find somebody.”
“Yeah, he has. And Alex is definitely a Keeper, although I’ll wait a day or two before I tease him.”
“She is, indeed. It’s your turn, Corey,” Mason said. “Isn’t it time for you now?”
“There’s nobody in my life.” Corey walked to the window and stared out. “Maybe it’ll happen one day.”
Mason smiled, his voice laughing as he said, “Pretty darn sure I saw you with somebody at a coffee shop a couple days ago.”
“You did. But that wasn’t a girlfriend. That was my sister’s best friend.”
“What did she want?” Mason asked.
Corey hesitated.
“If you don’t want to tell me, that’s all right,” Mason said. “I’m just curious.”
“The thing is, I don’t know what she wanted. She called me and wanted to ask a favor. We had coffee, talked about my sister, then she suddenly stood, as if she saw something that upset her. I tried to talk her into staying, but she wouldn’t. She just said she had to go.”
“Is she okay?”
“I don’t know. I called my sister, left several messages, but I haven’t heard from her either. Then she’s in the middle of exams.”
“Do you suggest we track her down? Make sure both are okay?”
“I should have heard something by now.”
“Was she looking for help?”
“I don’t know. She must have changed her mind because she told me that she was fine, sorry for having bothered me, stood, and left. I tried to stop her. I walked out to the car with her. But she wouldn’t have anything to do with me. She just brushed me off. Honestly, she pissed me off.”
“So it’s not like she was being followed or anything dangerous?” Mason asked in a sharp tone.
“No, if anything, I think she was kind of peeved at me.”
“So tell me. Who is she—really?”
Corey sighed. He turned to face his small room, walked over to the coffeepot, set to automatically brew, poured himself a cup, and said, “Someone from my past. Honestly I haven’t seen her in ten years.”
“That doesn’t mean much. Look at Merk.”
Corey gave a bitter laugh. “Yeah, but he at least married his girlfriend. In my case, a whole lot of other emotions were tied up.”
“Anything you want to talk about?”
Corey shook his head. “Nothing to talk about. She was my little sister’s best friend. We went out for a few months.”
“That happens,” Mason said, his tone neutral. “Then what?”
“She found out she was pregnant.” Corey winced, feeling the same old feelings of frustration and pain flow through him. “We didn’t have much of a chance to sort out our feelings and what we would do before she had a miscarriage. Next thing I know, she didn’t want a thing to do with me. When I saw her two days ago, it was the first time I’d seen her in ten years.”
“And yet she looked you up after all this time?”
“Yeah. She did.” He frowned. “I wish I knew why though.”
“But you saw her after the miscarriage? No chance you have a son or daughter about to show up out of the blue?”
“Yeah, she had to finish school. I saw her, so it’s not like she had the baby, and I didn’t know anything about it.” He shrugged it off. “It’s old water under the bridge.” He talked another couple minutes with Mason. “I’ll catch you later.”
He hung up, picked up his cup of coffee, and stepped outside on his little deck. The old memories were hard. He’d wanted that baby something awful. He’d always loved children, had always planned to have children. No, he hadn’t been ready for it back then, but that was what he’d been handed, so he would make the best of it. And he had been damn happy, even with his plate full at the time. When she’d lost the baby, he’d lost a little of himself too. He had never expected to experience grief like that when it wasn’t even his body, when the child hadn’t been born yet.
Angela had barely been through her first trimester. But it had been a keen loss that, even ten years later, still with no children, he wondered and worried what would have happened if the child had lived. He thought back to seeing Angela at the coffee shop, his shock, his surprise.
Also joy, a bittersweet joy. It had been so good to see her. Now, if only he had an idea what the hell she wanted.
His phone rang, and he picked it up. It was Bridget, his sister. “Hey, sis, there you are. I almost ran up there to check on you.”
“Sorry,” she said, fatigue in her voice. “It’s been a hell of a couple weeks.”
“Work?”
“Work and studies.”
His sister was almost done with law school. It was a brutal schedule, but she was coming through with flying colors. “Hopefully this will be done soon.”
“Well, it would be. But two days ago, something else happened.”
“For you too, huh?”
Her voice
piqued with interest. “What happened to you?”
“Angela walked into my life again.”
She gasped. And then a sudden silence came afterward.
Instincts on alert, he said, “Why? What is that reaction for? What’s wrong?”
“She told me that she might stop in and see you,” Bridget said quietly. “I don’t know why she wanted to, but I know something was really bothering her.”
“Well, she came, but she got up after a few minutes, saying she had to go, and it was a mistake to see me. I walked out to the car, trying to talk to her, but she wouldn’t have anything to do with me.”
“Yeah, I was afraid of that.”
“So why did she come?”
“Somebody was sending her death threats. She thought maybe you could help.”
He frowned. “Why me?”
“I don’t know, except I’ve told her about you over the years.” She gave a bitter laugh. “To make things worse,” she said, “Angela has gone missing.”
This concludes Book 15 of SEALs of Honor: Macklin.
Book 16 is available here.
Corey: SEALs of Honor, Book 16
Buy this book at Amazon.
SEALs of Honor Series
Mason: SEALs of Honor, Book 1
Hawk: SEALs of Honor, Book 2
Dane: SEALs of Honor, Book 3
Swede: SEALs of Honor, Book 4
Shadow: SEALs of Honor, Book 5
Cooper: SEALs of Honor, Book 6
Markus: SEALs of Honor, Book 7
Evan: SEALs of Honor, Book 8
Mason’s Wish: SEALs of Honor, Book 9
Chase: SEALs of Honor, Book 10
Brett: SEALs of Honor, Book 11
Devlin: SEALs of Honor, Book 12
Easton: SEALs of Honor, Book 13
Ryder: SEALs of Honor, Book 14
Macklin: SEALs of Honor, Book 15
Corey: SEALs of Honor, Book 16
Warrick: SEALs of Honor, Book 17
SEALs of Honor, Books 1–3
SEALs of Honor, Books 4–6
SEALs of Honor, Books 7–10
SEALs of Honor, Books 11–13
Author’s Note
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This is why authors keep asking for reviews. So please consider taking a moment to click on the links when offered and write even a handful of words. Writing a review only takes a few minutes of your time. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy book report, just a few words (as little as five is acceptable) expressing what you enjoyed most about the story is a huge help.
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Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed Macklin, and I look forward to hearing from you.
I love to hear from readers, and you can contact me at my website: www.dalemayer.com or at my Facebook author page. To be informed of new releases and special offers, sign up for my newsletter or follow me on BookBub. And if you are interested in joining Dale Mayer’s Fan Club, here is the Facebook sign up page.
Cheers,
Dale Mayer
Heroes for Hire
Welcome to the first 3 books in Heroes for Hire reconnecting readers with the unforgettable men from SEALs of Honor in a new series of action packed, page turning romantic suspense that fans have come to expect from USA TODAY Bestselling author Dale Mayer.
Levi’s Legend: Heroes for Hire, Book 1
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Stone’s Surrender: Heroes for Hire, Book 2
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Merk’s Mistake: Heroes for Hire, Book 3
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Heroes for Hire Series
Levi’s Legend: Heroes for Hire, Book 1
Stone’s Surrender: Heroes for Hire, Book 2
Merk’s Mistake: Heroes for Hire, Book 3
Rhodes’s Reward: Heroes for Hire, Book 4
Flynn’s Firecracker: Heroes for Hire, Book 5
Logan’s Light: Heroes for Hire, Book 6
Harrison’s Heart: Heroes for Hire, Book 7
Saul’s Sweetheart: Heroes for Hire, Book 8
Dakota’s Delight: Heroes for Hire, Book 9
Tyson’s Treasure: Heroes for Hire, Book 10
Jace’s Jewel: Heroes for Hire, Book 11
Rory’s Rose: Heroes for Hire, Book 12
Brandon’s Bliss: Heroes for Hire, Book 13
Heroes for Hire, Books 1–3
Heroes for Hire, Books 4–6
Heroes for Hire, Books 7–9
COMPLIMENTARY DOWNLOAD
DOWNLOAD a complimentary copy of TUESDAY’S CHILD? Just tell me where to send it!
Touched by Death
Adult RS/thriller
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Death had touched anthropologist Jade Hansen in Haiti once before, costing her an unborn child and perhaps her very sanity.
A year later, determined to face her own issues, she returns to Haiti with a mortuary team to recover the bodies of an American family from a mass grave. Visiting his brother after the quake, independent contractor Dane Carter puts his life on hold to help the sleepy town of Jacmel rebuild. But he finds it hard to like his brother’s pregnant wife or her family. He wants to go home, until he meets Jade – and realizes what’s missing in his own life. When the mortuary team begins work, it’s as if malevolence has been released from the earth. Instead of laying her ghosts to rest, Jade finds herself confronting death and terror again.
And the man who unexpectedly awakens her heart – is right in the middle of it all.
By Death Series
Touched by Death – Part 1 – FREE
Touched by Death – Part 2
Touched by Death – Parts 1&2
Haunted by Death
Chilled by Death
By Death Books 1–3
Vampire in Denial
This is book 1 of the Family Blood Ties Saga
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Blood doesn’t just make her who she is…it also makes her what she is.
Like being a sixteen-year-old vampire isn’t hard enough, Tesla’s throwback human genes make her an outcast among her relatives. But try as she might, she can’t get a handle on the vampire lifestyle and all the…blood.
Turning her back on the vamp world, she embraces the human teenage lifestyle—high school, peer pressure and finding a boyfriend. Jared manages to stir something in her blood. He’s smart and fun and oh, so cute. But Tesla’s dream of a having the perfect boyfriend turns into a nightmare when vampires attack the movie theatre and kidnap her date.
Once again, Tesla finds herself torn between the human world and the vampire one. Will blood own out? Can she make peace with who she is as well as what?
Warning: This book ends with a cliffhanger! Book 2 picks up where this book ends.
Family Blood Ties Series
Vampire in Denial – FREE
Vampire in Distress
Vampire in Design
Vampire in Deceit
Vampire in Defiance
Vampire in Conflict
Vampire in Chaos
Vampire in Crisi
s
Vampire in Control
Vampire in Charge
Family Blood Ties Set 1–3
Family Blood Ties Set 1–5
Family Blood Ties Set 4–6
Family Blood Ties Set 7–9
Sian’s Solution – A Family Blood Ties Short Story
Broken Protocols
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Dani’s been through a year of hell…
Just as it’s getting better, she’s tossed forward through time with her orange Persian cat, Charmin Marvin, clutched in her arms. They’re dropped into a few centuries into the future. There’s nothing she can do to stop it, and it’s impossible to go back.
And then it gets worse…
A year of government regulation is easing, and Levi Blackburn is feeling back in control. If he can keep his reckless brother in check, everything will be perfect. But while he’s been protecting Milo from the government, Milo’s been busy working on a present for him…
The present is Dani, only she comes with a snarky cat who suddenly starts talking…and doesn’t know when to shut up.
In an age where breaking protocols have severe consequences, things go wrong, putting them all in danger…
Charmin Marvin Romantic Comedy Series
Broken Protocols
Broken Protocols 2
Broken Protocols 3
Broken Protocols 3.5
Broken Protocols 1-3
About the Author
Dale Mayer is a USA Today bestselling author best known for her Psychic Visions and Family Blood Ties series. Her contemporary romances are raw and full of passion and emotion (Second Chances, SKIN), her thrillers will keep you guessing (By Death series), and her romantic comedies will keep you giggling (It’s a Dog’s Life and Charmin Marvin Romantic Comedy series).