Her Last Best Fling

by Candace Havens

  “I thought so, too. That’s why I don’t want to make this decision, and it really is a life-changing one, without discussing it with you. I have no right...”

  He smiled. “I love you, Macy,” he told her. “I’m with you no matter what you choose to do.”

  It took a minute for his words to register. “I love you, too.” She put her arms around his neck and hugged him. “This is strange, right? We’ve only known each other a few weeks.”

  He agreed. “But I don’t think that’s anything we can control.”

  She shivered.

  “Let’s move to where it’s comfortable,” he said. “I think this conversation is going to need more wine, and maybe some of that casserole you made.”

  She frowned. “Except for the chocolates and wine, I haven’t been able to eat all day,” she said as he helped her up and into the large walk-in shower. The glass curved so that there was no need for a door.

  “Well, no decision should be made on an empty stomach—at least that’s what my mom always says.” As the warm water sluiced down their bodies, he gathered her close to him. “We will figure this out. I promise.”

  She smiled and squeezed him tight. “Why does life have to be so hard?”

  He kissed the top of her head. “Got to get through the bad to get to the good,” he told her. And he meant it.

  Could he support her if she went off to New York and left him and Harley behind? It was no place for a dog as big as she was.

  It wasn’t lost on him that he was prepared to sacrifice a great deal for that damn dog—and even more so for the woman in his arms.

  * * *

  AFTER A GOOD MEAL, which Blake insisted Macy eat, they snuggled on the couch. Automatically, she changed the channel to Nova. The dog watched entirely too much television, but she’d probably done so with her former owner.

  There had been times when the television popped on while Macy had been in the bath, or outside in the backyard or garage. And the channel always seemed to land on one of Harley’s favorites. When Macy arrived back in the room, the dog would look around as if she had no idea how it had happened.

  “This is where I want to be,” she said. “Next to you, with the dog watching our favorite shows. Well, her favorite shows.” She grinned as she looked up at him.

  “I’m kind of fond of our time together, as well,” he said. “But being comfortable isn’t the same thing as being happy. I care for you too much to let you turn down a lifelong dream.”

  She gathered her knees up under her and rested her chin on them. Could she handle a new relationship, and a very time-consuming job? What would she do with Harley? The thought of giving her up was just impossible. She loved the dog.

  “Tell me what the job entails.”

  She explained that she would be in charge of all of the online components for the publishing group’s papers. They would use a specific strategy to grow their online content, and use a more uniformed format. She’d have almost a hundred people on her staff located across several countries. Henderson wanted to bring her old-school principles to their online content, which was sorely needed.

  Stories went up too fast, a lot of facts went unchecked. They’d all agreed, after the very uncomfortable conversation about her ex and why she left, that it was time for them to create a place in Henderson Newspaper Group where people could go to find solid journalistic principles and legitimate stories online, in a timely manner.

  Blake whistled and put a hand on her shoulder. “That’s impressive. And you have to know it’s a huge honor that they think so much of you.”

  She nodded. Her ego, in between bouts of bone-crushing insecurity, had been buffed more than once during the meeting in New York. She questioned whether she was up for the job, but they believed in her so much that she stopped doubting herself. “Yes. But I’m really torn. I love the life I’ve created here with you and Harley. The town has even begun to accept me. And I feel like I’ve made a real difference with the paper.”

  “True, though now you can take your plans and strategies and ideas out to the wider world,” he encouraged. “Talk about making a difference.”

  She cocked her head to the side and glared at him. “I want you to say, ‘you can’t leave. You’re my woman.’ All cavemanlike.” She frowned.

  “I will, if that’s what you actually want. But what kind of man would I be if I kept you from fulfilling your dreams?”

  “The kind of man I usually fall for,” she snorted. “Many guys wouldn’t want their significant other running off to parts unknown to manage a company—at least, part of it, that is.”

  “Macy, if we’ve learned anything over the last few weeks, it’s that there’s nothing usual about us.”

  “You’re right.” She imitated her receptionist’s gesture and bumped fists with him.

  He chuckled, but it wasn’t a happy sound.

  “This relationship is just beginning,” he said. “We fell fast for one another. But maybe, like you said, it’s good that we slow down to figure out what we want to do next. I’m not sure myself. Moving to New York would be somewhat easy for me, since I own part of a security firm there. But I feel like my next step should be my own.”

  “So you think it would be good for us to be apart?” She chewed on the inside of her lip.

  He frowned at her. “No. I can’t stand the idea of being away from you, but I think it’s important that you at least try to do this. Dreams change, but this kind of opportunity is something that you’ve been dedicated to for a long time. There will be serious regrets if you don’t get out there and give it a chance.”

  She sighed. “Why do you have to be so smart and handsome?”

  He gathered her into his lap. “You’re the good-looking one. I’m going to check into chastity belts online. You can find almost anything on the internet these days.”

  She sputtered and laughed. “Trust issues, dude. Trust issues.”

  He winked at her.

  “There’s only one man allowed to touch me,” she whispered as she kissed his neck.

  “And who’s that?”

  “A certain marine who has me going every which way so that I’m constantly confused.”

  He tapped her chin with his fingertip. “Hey, I’m trying to make this easy on you.”

  She put her palms to his chest. “It would be easier if you’d just tie me to the bedpost and make me a kept woman.”

  “Hmm.” He looked as if he were genuinely contemplating the idea. “I didn’t know you were into that, but I’m sure we could work something out.”

  Suddenly, she hopped from his lap.

  A moment of clarity hit her. “I’m scared,” she said.

  “You wouldn’t be human if you weren’t,” he spoke softly.

  “No, not about the job. About losing you.” How long would he wait while she was supposedly achieving her dreams?

  “Hey, I’ll be here. And maybe at some point I’ll join you. That is, if we can sort out what to do with you know who.”

  Macy’s heart jumped to her throat. She’d momentarily forgotten about Harley, she’d feel awful leaving the poor dog behind. They really had become family.

  “That’s going to be hard. I don’t think there’s a dog park big enough in the city to contain her.”

  “Well, you won’t have to worry about it for a few months. Take the job, and give yourself time to get settled. Once things are in order, then we’ll discuss what happens next for us.”

  “You always say you aren’t so great with compromises,” she said as she kissed the stubble on his chin. “And yet, you’re a lot better at them than I am.”

  “Only when it comes to you. So, are you going to call Henderson?”

  She shrugged. “I will call him, but not tonight. This is our time, yours and mine.
His newspaper can wait. In fact, I have until Friday to let Aaron know of my decision and I’m going to take those days. Once I say yes, things will move very fast.”

  “We have two whole days?” His eyebrows waggled. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that a lot of those hours would be spent trying to make sure she had the Tranquil Waters paper seen to. She wouldn’t allow it to fail, especially since they’d all worked so hard. Her gut churned. There was so much here that she’d have to leave behind now.

  Blake might believe her mind was made up, but she wasn’t so sure. There had to be another answer, she was just too tired and wired to think clearly.

  “Yes!” she said and kissed him smack on the lips. “So have your wicked, wicked way with me, Marine.”

  “How about those ropes and bedposts you were talking about,” he joked and sent her a naughty grin.

  “Oh? What would your mother say?”

  “Are you going to tell her?”

  She lifted her T-shirt over her head. “Do I look like a girl who would kiss and tell?”

  And with that, she was lost in the sweet company of the man she loved.

  16

  WHEN HE JOINED the marines any hint of a distracting emotion was driven out of him. The words, “Separate yourself from the situation and get the job done,” had been seared into his brain.

  But that concept wasn’t working so well today. While Macy packed, he’d made her eggs, bacon and waffles. He’d taken Harley out for a walk, and added a new playlist to her phone.

  He did these things to keep his mind off the fact that in ninety minutes he’d be driving her to the airport, and there was every chance it’d be a month, maybe more, before he could see her again. The gnawing in his gut reminded him of those timely words from the military, even though he was trying to ignore the raw tension.

  Whenever his brain began playing the what-if game, he occupied his mind by thinking of other gifts Macy could unwrap when she got to New York. She’d been given a corporate apartment in a fancy building with a doorman, so at least her place would have proper security. And Henderson had insisted she accept the car and driver he provided. He didn’t want her wasting valuable time in the subway tunnels with no internet. The car had been specifically outfitted to be a mobile office for her. In the first few weeks she’s be traveling to New Jersey, Upstate New York, Virginia and D.C., and after her most recent flight home, she wasn’t thrilled about all the travel.

  Henderson arranged for the car, and told her when she had to go to the Midwest and Pacific Northwest, she’d have use of the company jet. She had her boss on speakerphone when all of this was discussed, so Blake couldn’t help but listen in. He’d never seen someone’s eyes almost pop out of their head, but hers were close.

  “So, Ms. Corporate Executive how does it feel to be traveling in style?” he asked after she hung up.

  “Weird. I’m used to being the one in the middle seat in coach between the lady with the snotty two-year-old and the guy who’s decided to be my new best friend on a fourteen-hour flight because the paper didn’t have it in the budget and my reservation was made at the last minute. I’ve been in a jeep with no air-conditioning outside of Iraq when it was nearly a hundred and twenty degrees. There was about two years early in my career, when I didn’t come back to the States. I existed with two pairs of khakis, four T-shirts and one pair of boots. I’d start every day not knowing where the story might take me. I usually had to bum rides and barter for taxi rides.

  “So yes, it’s weird.” Then she’d taken his hands in hers. “Everything is changing so fast.”

  He’d kissed her fingers and smiled, even though it was forced. “Yes, but we have each other. And we’re good.”

  She looked as if she were searching for courage. “I’ve never really had someone I could depend on before. It’s—hard for me to—”

  “Trust,” he finished her sentence.

  She nodded.

  “After what you went through before you came here, it’s understandable. But you have to realize, I come from a mind-set that we are a team. Harley and I are here for you. We’ll video chat and text. And we’ll both be so busy we won’t even notice how long we’ve been apart.”

  “Do you genuinely believe that last bit?”

  “No. But we can pretend our hearts aren’t breaking while we’re apart.” He’d taken her in his arms. “There’s a lot going on here, as well, but I’ll find a way to come see you.”

  As it had done so many times in his life, opportunity was knocking. When he talked to Rafe and Will a few days ago he’d learned about their new idea that involved protection for wireless service in rural areas.

  Their strategy was attractive to him, especially after listening to a frustrated Macy grumble about bad connections and loss of online access.

  “Promise to never leave Harley on her own?”

  He laughed. “Wherever I go, she does. I don’t think I’d have a choice. We’ve seen what she does when she wants something.”

  “It’s a big responsibility to dump on someone,” she said guiltily. “I’m the one who adopted her.”

  “You did, and she’s grateful. And I have lots of dog sitters if I ever need a break, though I doubt that will happen. We’ve become pretty good friends.”

  Macy snuggled into his chest. “Hold me really tight,” she said.

  He did.

  She kissed him hard. “You are the most thoughtful man. And I saw the songs you added to my phone. I’m going to cry all the way to New York.”

  He stroked her back and recognized her sweet scent again. Though he doubted he’d ever forget it.

  “I don’t think I can do this,” she choked out.

  A lump of emotion sat in his throat. He swallowed hard, it didn’t work. “You can, and you will. When you get scared, call me or focus on the adversity you’ve known in the past and overcome.”

  Her exploits seemed legendary to him. He had such respect for her and he knew she felt the same about him.

  “Got your bags, ready to go?”

  There was a tiny sob against his shirt.

  Damn. He was just grateful it wasn’t him doing the crying.

  “Hey,” he murmured, and he affectionately tapped her chin.

  “I feel like I’m abandoning both of you,” she said, glancing down at the dog. Harley was never more than two feet away from Macy since she’d brought her suitcases out of the closet.

  “No. Don’t think of it like that. You’re going on your best adventure yet. You live for that sort of thing. You’ll call us each night and tell us about everything that happened, and we’ll do the same.”

  Her phone rang. She handed it to him, too choked up to answer.

  “Hello?”

  “I’m calling for Ms. Reynolds,” a man stated.

  “Yes, she’s indisposed at the moment, can I help you?”

  “This is Mr. Henderson’s assistant. He has sent the jet to pick her up so that she doesn’t need to fly commercial. The plane is at a small private airfield about four miles outside of Tranquil Waters. The thing is, it’s there now, waiting for her. So if she wouldn’t mind bumping up her schedule to accommodate—”

  The assistant left the rest up to him to decipher.

  “We’ll get her there as soon as possible.”

  “I’ll text the address,” the assistant said and hung up.

  “Macy, there’s good news and bad news,” he told her. “The good news is you don’t have to worry about any plane with crying babies or folks who want to adopt you. The bad news is that Henderson’s jet is waiting for you out at the Jones airstrip. They’d like you to leave right now.”

  Her eyes flashed big. “But—but I’m not ready. I wanted to stop by the paper and make sure—”

  “The gang has it handled
and I’ll be checking in with them often. Come on. I’ll get your cases. We’ll bring Harley with us.”

  A half hour later they drove straight up to the plane in his pickup. The sleek jet was luxurious and impressive.

  The pilot met them at the door, and the steward took her luggage to stow in the back. The interior had rich leather seats and the walls had dark wood paneling. It reminded Blake of the exclusive club in London where he and Rafe had had Will’s bachelor party. Coincidentally, the club wasn’t far from his soon-to-be-wife’s modeling show. They’d given him a hard time about modeling the jeans in the finale of her show, but he’d said there was nothing he wouldn’t do for his woman.

  At the time, Blake hadn’t understood Will, but he did now. He would do anything for the woman he’d followed into that jet. Harley barked at the bottom of the steps. She and Macy had already said their goodbyes. She was probably worried he was leaving, too.

  “Wheels up in ten,” the pilot said. “There’s a storm brewing over the Atlantic, and we want to get you there before it hits.”

  That was the last thing poor Macy needed to hear.

  “Sit here,” he encouraged, and she claimed one of the cushy chairs. Her pink cheeks had gone pale at the mention of the storm. “You’re going to be fine. You’ll get there before the storm, that’s why you have to leave now.”

  “It’s going to be okay,” she said as if she were trying to convince herself.

  “I love you,” he said as he knelt down on his good knee.

  “I love you, too.” She gathered his hands in hers, and he passed the small gift into her palm.

  “What’s this?” She opened her hand and revealed a silver chain with four charms on a ring.

  “The Great Dane charm is self-explanatory. The saber represents me. The typewriter—I looked for a computer but they didn’t have one—represents you. And then the heart is us.” He turned the heart over so she could read the inscription. “‘You are mine.’” He slipped the necklace over her head.

  “This way, we’ll always be with you, no matter where you are.”