by Kelly Moore
“Your brother is gone, and yet you choose to walk away and do what? Work in a small-town market? Marry the school teacher?”
“You are some fucking piece of work, Dad.” Anger like sharp barbs forms on his words. “I happen to like my life, and yeah…maybe I will marry Maggie. I love her, but you don’t seem to care about any of that. You’re more worried about your prestige than you are about your son’s happiness. Did you ever stop to think that Patrick did drugs because of the amount of pressure you put on him?”
“Why you little bastard!” I hear and then a scuffling sound.
I run down the stairs, and Will’s father has him pinned against the wall with his fist balled up like an angry rock ready to hit Will.
“Stop it!” I scream and rush in between them, pushing his father away. My heart is banging inside my chest like a tiger raging against his cage trying to find its freedom. “Will is a better man than you will ever be! Now get the hell out of here before I call the police!”
“It’s okay, Mags,” Will says, moving from behind me. “I quit caring a long time ago about what you think of me. Maggie is the best thing in my life, and your head is stuck so far up your ass you can’t even see it.” He walks by him and opens the market door. “I’ll make sure Mom knows you stopped by,” Will says, waving his father out.
“Leave your mother out of this,” he snarls, stopping in front of Will.
He looks down and then back up at his dad. “It was nice of you to visit, Dad, but don’t come back again.” I know he really wanted to tell him to go to hell, but he held himself back.
The door slams shut, and Will leans his long frame against the wall. “Why didn’t you tell him what you really wanted to say?” I walk over to him and lay my hand on his heaving chest.
“Because it wouldn’t change a thing other than give him ammo against me.” He stands tall and takes me in his arms. “I’m sorry you had to hear any of that.”
“He’s lucky I didn’t put a buckshot in his ass.” We both turn to Hank standing on the landing of the stairs with a rifle in his hand. “If you were my boy, I’d never treat you that way. Someone needs to bring him down a notch or two.”
He starts walking to the front door. His face is boiling with anger. Will steps in front of him, blocking his path. “Hank, go put that thing away. You can’t go around shooting people that piss you off.”
“Like hell I can’t.”
Will grabs him into a hug and pats him on the back. “Thanks, old man.” It diffuses his anger, and Hank hugs him back.
“You’re a good man, Will. Don’t let him make you think otherwise. And, this one”—he points to me—“is a treasure.”
Will lets go of him and walks over to me and gets on his knees. “This is not how I planned this, Harper, Maggie Harper.” Tears start filling my eyes. “I wanted to ask you in the top of a lighthouse. I don’t have a ring yet and this is probably the worst proposal ever, but I love you, Mags. Will you marry me?”
I’m completely thrown off guard. I’m staring speechlessly at this beautiful man kneeling in front of me. His gaze is boring into me, waiting for an answer. My mind tells me to give it more time, but it’s battling with my heart that wants to say yes. I love him, and for the first time in my life, I know what love really feels like. It’s bigger than the both of us. It’s an intensity and an intimacy that seeps into every crevice of your being without warning. It’s knowing that I could never live without him in my life, nor do I want to. He’s the smile on my face and the warmth that fuels my heart. I adore his mind and the touch of his skin on mine. He’s that little hitch of breath I take in the morning, knowing he’s lying beside me. He’s in me, and I’m in him. That’s what love is, and I want nothing more for the rest of my life.
I swallow my thoughts, letting the words slip through my lips. “Yes, Will Taylor, I will marry you.” I fall to my knees and kiss him. My hands are wrapped in his hair, tugging him closer. “I love you, Will.”
“I love you too, Mags.”
The stairs creak behind us, and then in a few minutes, they creak again. We look up to see Hank holding out something in his hand. “It’s the ring I bought Alice. I want you two to have it.” The old man wipes a tear from his blue eyes.
Will stands, taking me with him. “Thanks, Hank, but I planned on buying her a ring.”
“No. This is perfect, Will.”
He takes it out of Hank’s hand and slides it on my finger. “It fits,” he whispers in complete surprise.
“I knew it would.” Hank’s face beams with pride.
I hold my hand out to look at it. It has a single diamond in the middle, and the silver sides are wrapped filigree entwined all the way around the band. “It’s beautiful. Thank you, Hank.”
“I know Alice would’ve wanted me to give it to our daughter if we ever had one. You’re the closest thing to a daughter that I’ll ever have, and I know you two will make it.”
I hug him to me, and Will engulfs us both in his arms.
Chapter 11
“I never thought I’d be planning a wedding two weeks from now,” I say while flipping through a bridal magazine. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait and have a big wedding?”
He slips his arm around my waist. “The only people I care about showing up is you, Hank, and my mom. I don’t need anything else.” He kisses the back of my head. “Did you get ahold of your brother?”
“Yes, but he’s in Germany on a mission and won’t be able to make it back. He said he would make sure he had service and could watch via his phone.”
“I’m sorry, baby. We can wait until he’s back if you want. I know he’s your only family and you’d like to have him here.”
I turn in his arms to see that his eyes look sad. “Phillip would be angry with me if I changed our plans for him. He nearly high-fived me through the phone, he was so excited and glad that I was doing something spontaneous.”
“I can’t wait to meet him.”
“You two going to do that kissy stuff all day long or is someone going to work around here?” Hank thunders down the stairs.
It’s only been a week since Hank’s heart attack, but he’s going stir crazy. Neither one of us has let him lift a finger. “I think someone is well enough to run the register today.” I giggle.
“I’m well enough to run the whole damn store. Why don’t you kids get out of here and go have some fun.” He shoos his hand at us.
“He does seem better, minus the crankiness,” Will snickers. “Maybe just a couple hours. The weather is beautiful, and there is not a cloud in the sky. Besides, I saw that hot little bikini you ordered online, and I happen to know it was delivered yesterday.”
“I was saving that for our honeymoon.” I laugh. “Where are we going to spend our honeymoon?” I ask, releasing him from my arms.
“Where do you want to go?” He hops up on the counter by the register.
“Take her to Paris. Alice loved Paris.” Hank, all of a sudden, has a faraway look in his blue eyes.
“I’m not the Paris kinda girl. I’d rather spend the rest of our time right here in Southport.” I move between Will’s parted legs, and he squeezes his knees against me, not allowing me to move.
“We can stay here and go to Paris later,” he says.
Hank leans his elbow on the counter and rests his head on his hand. “She was beautiful in Paris.”
Will waves his hand in front of Hank’s eyes, but he doesn’t blink. “I think we’ve lost him to some old memories.”
“I love that he still loves her. I want us to be that in love when we are old and gray.”
He places both his hands on either side of my face. “I’ve loved you from the moment I met you, and I will love you until the day I die.”
My heart melts, and I wrap my arms around his neck and draw him in for a tender kiss.
“That’s it. You two need some time alone. You’ve worked hard during the day, and you’ve taken me home with you every night. Enough is e
nough.” He slaps his hand on the counter.
“Hank, we’ve loved every minute of it, and you staying with us has been no problem at all.”
“Speak for yourself.” Will hops off the counter. “She won’t have sex with me with you in the cottage.”
“Will!” I gasp and swat him in the chest. He does nothing but laugh.
“My Alice was the same way at her parents’ house. She was afraid they would hear us.” He has a broad smile on his face.
“Yeah, and as much noise as you make, poor Hank here would have to wear earplugs.” Will slaps me on the ass. They are both roaring with laughter, and I feel my face grow beet red.
“Keep that up, Will Taylor, and there will be no honeymoon for you because you’ll be sleeping on the couch for a really long time.” I cross my arms over my chest, which in turn makes my breasts swell to the top of my low-cut blouse. Will doesn’t have to say a word. His gaze turns carnal as he blatantly stares at them.
I tug my blouse together and storm out the screen door. Childish, I know, but I’ve had enough of their banter at my expense.
“Maggie, wait up!” I hear his feet pounding on the soft sand behind me. “We were only teasing with you,” he says as his hand catches my elbow.
“You act like not having sex with you is an easy thing to do. I’m just as frustrated as you are.”
“Wow, that was not at all what I was expecting to hear.” His eyes have turned darker like I lit a fire in them, and he smiles at me like the devil grinned at Eve. “Come on.” He tugs my hand, and I follow his quick pace down to an old dock, still learning over the ocean. He stops when we are underneath it. He pins me against a wooden column and starts unbuttoning my blouse.
“What are you doing? People can still see us out here.”
His lips find that tender spot below my ear. “There’s nobody out here right now, Mags.”
I look around, and he’s right. Not a soul walking within sight. There are people walking around town, but nobody is paying any attention to us. He nips at my bare collarbone right before his hands slide under my skirt.
“I want you so bad,” he says as his teeth clamp onto my bottom lip.
I answer him by wrapping a leg around his hip. He quickly unsnaps his jeans and tugs them below his hip. Then he lifts me up and pushes my back against the wet wooden column of the dock.
“Push your panties out of the way,” he says as he draws my nipple into his warm mouth.
I hiss and do as he says. As I reach between us, I can feel my own wetness already soaked through. I push them aside and linger at my entrance, toying with myself.
He braces his hand on the column and leans back to look down.
“Fuck me,” he groans and watches as I insert a finger. He presses his body against mine, causing me to go in deeper.
My hips start their own rhythmic movement. He then reaches down between us and removes my hand, placing my finger in his mouth.
“Fuck me,” I mimic, but my voice is so raspy I don’t recognize it.
He then picks me up slightly and slams deep inside me with his cock. Bracing my hands on his shoulders, I hang on for the ride. He thrusts as my back scraps the wood behind me. It’s a little painful, but with him thrusting, the pain is nothing compared to the pure pleasure. He’s never been inside me without a condom, and the sensation is unbelievable. Skin on skin, in and out, hitting a deeper part of me. My eyes go blurry as my head falls back, waiting to ride out my looming orgasm. He sinks to his knees in the sand, taking me with him and I lose all control. I’m pulling at his hair as wave after wave rolls through me. I feel Will shudder the moment he can take no more. He pushes up and throbs inside me as I continue to squeeze around him. I’ve screamed his name at least a dozen times, hoping like hell nobody has heard me and at the same time, I really don’t care.
We both finally regain our control and burst out laughing. “I think the entire town heard you,” he says, brushing sand off my shoulder.
“God, Will, will it always be like this between us?” I comb a piece of hair off his forehead with my fingers.
“If I have my way it will.” He softly kisses my lips. “Now button your blouse and let’s get back to the market.” He helps me off the ground, and I straighten my shirt. He buttons my blouse as I zip up his pants. Both of us grinning from ear to ear and feeling like nobody could ever snatch the smile from my lips.
We walk arm in arm back to the market, where Hank is ringing out a customer. He looks around the customer and winks at me. Then he points his finger in an up and down motion at my shirt. I look down, and it’s buttoned up wrong. Will is smirking at me as he bites into an apple he took from the produce box.
I squint my eyes at him. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
He shrugs. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Gah. I swear you two are toddlers.” I storm off with the two of them laughing at me again.
“Are you still angry with me?” Will says as he comes in the front door.
“Nope. I had a glorious day soaking in the sun.”
“Is that what you did when you didn’t come back?”
“Yep. I figured two grown-ass men, who were acting like children, could handle the store alone.” I playfully smack his cheek.
“Well, Hank is a handful.”
“Ha. I think you two make a great pair.”
He grabs me to him. “I think we make a great pair, especially under that dock.”
I push away and look up at him. “You do know that we got carried away and didn’t use a condom?”
“I don’t care, Mags. We’re getting married in two weeks, and if we start a family right away, I’m okay with that.”
I smile because I feel the same way. I’ve not thought about having kids, but with him, it feels right. “I would like to have you to myself a little longer.”
“It takes nine months to have a baby, Mags.” He chuckles.
“I meant a couple of years.”
“I don’t need to wait. I want to start our lives together, and that includes kids. At least a dozen.”
My mouth gapes, and he laughs again.
“Okay, how about we cut that in half to six?” He wags his eyebrows.
I hold up my fingers. “Two.”
“Oh, good, three.” He dives in for a quick kiss.
“You need to learn to count,” I say as I melt into him.
“Mmmm, you taste sweet. What have you been baking in here?” He stops kissing me and heads to the kitchen.
“Red velvet cupcakes,” I say, following him.
He picks one up and licks the cream cheese frosting off. “How did you know they were my favorite?”
“Your mom told me.” I sit at the kitchen table. “I realized there were a lot of things I didn’t know about you, so I asked your mom.”
The chair scratches across the tile as he pulls it out, joining me at the table.
“What all did she tell you?”
“About your love for cupcakes, that you take long, hot showers when you’re upset, your favorite candy bar is Baby Ruth, and at Christmastime, you love to watch White Christmas. And, oh yeah, that every time you see a homeless person, you give them all the cash you have on you.”
“I’ll have to speak to her about sharing all my secrets,” he says, biting off half the cupcake.
“I forgot to mention the porn you used to stash in your brother’s bedroom.”
He laughs. “She knew that was mine, did she?”
“I don’t think you boys got much past your mother.”
“You’re probably right about that.” He eats the other half of the cupcake and licks his fingers.
“About this stash of porn…”
“Don’t worry. I don’t need it anymore, but you’re welcome,” he adds.
“For what?” I laugh.
“Where do you think I got all my moves from?” He hops up and grabs a second cupcake.
“I don’t think I want t
o hear any more.” I place my hands up in surrender. “Please tell me you got rid of them.”
“Of course I did. Now I can watch it on the internet.” He winks at me and walks out of the room.
He’s playing with me, right? I’ve never seen him watch porn.
His head pops around the corner, and he laughs. “It’s just too easy.”
I stand and pick up the plastic spatula and lob it at him. He ducks around the corner as it smacks the wall.
I pick it up and walk over to the sink and start running the hot water. While I’m washing the dishes and staring out the window down at the water, Will slips his hands around my waist.
“I forgot to tell you that a friend of Patrick’s is stopping by. He wasn’t able to make Patrick’s funeral, but he stopped by to see my parents, and they told him I was here.”
“Is he coming tonight?”
“Yeah, and if it’s okay with you, he’s going to spend the night. Hank says he’s tired of us and wants to stay in his own house tonight, so it frees up a room.”
“Do you think Hank will be okay by himself?”
“Yes. He has strict instructions to not lift anything and to call if he doesn’t feel well.”
“What time will Patrick’s friend be here? Do I need to go to the market?”
“I’ll order us a pizza. No need to cook for us.” He picks up another cupcake.
“I think you’re going to fill up way before dinner.” I laugh.
Chapter 12
The minute Derrick walks in, I don’t know why, but I feel a little uneasy.
“Hey, Maggie. Will’s mom has told me all about you.” He engulfs me in a hug, and the smell of his cologne is overwhelming.
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” I pull away and stand next to Will. I take in his appearance. He’s tall and lean with a mop full of sandy blond hair. He has a couple days’ worth of scruff on his face and deep green eyes. He’s attractive, but not my type at all.