by Marie Force
“As soon as I had the signed papers from him, which Roseanne delivered to me with my mail. I was going to bring them to you tonight.”
“Why didn’t you tell me the day it happened? We’re right back to you keeping things from me!”
Mac forced himself to stay calm. “If I’d told you that he knew about Thomas, you wouldn’t have been able to breathe or sleep or eat for the two weeks it took him to get these papers to me.”
“Is this how it’s going to be?” She threw up her hands. “You’re going to take care of everything and leave me out of it?”
“Stuff like this? Absolutely.”
“That’s not how I want to live, Mac. That’s not the kind of marriage I want.”
“This is me, Maddie. It’s who I am. I see something that’ll make you sick with worry, and I make it go away. I love you too much to watch you suffer like that, and you would’ve suffered over this.” He went to her, slid an arm around her waist and brought her in close to him. “You would’ve suffered.”
She expelled a deep, shuddering breath as all the fight went out of her. “Yes. I would have.”
“Now you don’t have to. He signed his way right out of our lives.” Mac pressed his lips to her forehead. “Are you mad?”
“No,” she said softly. “I’m sad.”
“Because of what I did?”
She shook her head. “Because his father cares so little about him that he’d sign him away without ever even knowing him.”
Mac stepped back from her, picked up Thomas from the floor and hugged them both. “His father cares so much about him that there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for him. His father will love him and care for him and give him his name and protect him every day of his life.”
Maddie looked up at him with her heart in those caramel eyes.
He brushed a gentle kiss over her lips. “His father will love him and his mother forever.” He kissed her again. “Now about those conditions you mentioned...”
“Will Thomas’s father try very hard to not keep things from his mother?”
“He’ll do his best, as long as he’s allowed to occasionally surprise her.”
She raised that eyebrow of hers. “And these will be good surprises?”
“The very best surprises he can think of.”
“In that case, my friend, you’ve got yourself a family.”
“I guess it’s official, then.”
“Our engagement?”
“That, too.” Mac leaned in to kiss her once more. “Knocking you off your bike was the best thing I ever did.”
She smiled. “I couldn’t agree more.”
Epilogue
Driving away from the palatial home Mac had bought for them, Maddie looked back at it, her greedy gaze taking in every detail until they drove out of sight. She still couldn’t believe that incredible house was going to be her home. She’d started this day like all the others for the last two weeks, devastated by the loss of her relationship with Mac, as well as his love for her and Thomas, his entertaining personality, the nonstop laughter. She’d missed everything about him. And when she’d seen another woman wrapped around him, enthusiastically kissing him, and Mac appearing to return her kisses, what’d been left of her heart had been shattered.
Despondent, she’d left work that afternoon and gone home to face the rest of her life without the only man she’d ever loved. And then he’d come flying into the driveway, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake, desperate to make things right with her. Now they were engaged, and the past two weeks of hell faded into the past, replaced by the kind of bone-deep happiness Maddie had never known before.
Mac McCarthy is going to be my husband. He’s going to adopt Thomas and raise him as his own. Someone please pinch me. This cannot be happening.
Mac reached across Thomas’s car seat for her hand. “What’re you thinking about over there?”
Maddie linked their fingers, and the feeling of rightness, of being exactly where she belonged, overwhelmed her. “I can’t believe everything that just happened. We’re engaged. You’re going to adopt Thomas. We’re going to live in that amazing house. It can’t all be true, can it?”
Smiling, he glanced over at her. “It’s happening, baby, and nothing has ever made me happier than you saying yes to me.” He returned his attention to the road but kept his hand wrapped tightly around hers the rest of the way back to her place.
Mac pulled into the driveway and parked in his usual spot, right where he belonged. “Let me get him,” he said when she would’ve carried Thomas and his car seat inside. He was always so attentive to her son, and Thomas adored him, kicking his pudgy legs in excitement when Mac lifted him into his arms.
Maddie went around the truck to help him with the seat and nearly ran smack into her sister, who appeared out of the darkness.
“What’s going on, Maddie?” Tiffany asked.
“Well, it appears I’ve gotten myself engaged.”
“To him?”
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Mac’s amused expression. “Yes, Tiffany, to him.”
“But he broke your heart! You’ve been crying over him for weeks.”
“We’ve worked things out, and I hope you’ll find a way to be happy for me—and for Thomas. Mac is going to adopt him.”
“I’m going to take very good care of your sister and nephew, Tiffany,” Mac said. “You can count on that.”
“This is what you want, Maddie?” Tiffany asked.
“It’s what I want. He’s what I want.”
After a long pause, Tiffany stepped forward and hugged her sister. “I just want you to be happy.”
“I’m so happy,” Maddie whispered. “It’s all good. I promise.”
“You’d better be good to my sister or you’ll answer to me, Mac. I mean it.”
“I know you do, and you have nothing to worry about. I promise.”
“We need to get Thomas to bed,” Maddie said to her sister. “He’s up way past his bedtime. We’ll see you in the morning?”
Tiffany nodded and turned to go back to her house, her shoulders curving in, a sign of her sister’s deep discontent. Maddie hoped that one day, Tiffany would know the kind of happiness Maddie was feeling at this moment.
“Whew,” Mac whispered. “I feel like I just passed an important test.”
“You did. She loves me and wants the best for me.”
“She and I have that in common.”
They went up the stairs and into the apartment that wouldn’t be their home for too much longer.
“Would it be okay if I gave him his bath?” Mac asked. “I’ve missed that so much.”
“Of course.” She’d been too despondent to bother with Thomas’s bath earlier, intending to take care of it in the morning. Now she wouldn’t have to.
Mac hooked his free arm around her neck and kissed her, lingering despite the squirming toddler he held in his other arm. “While you’re waiting for me, change into something sexy. We’ve got a lot of time to make up for.”
Maddie’s body heated from the inside at the promise of pleasure she heard in his words. She couldn’t wait to be alone with him.
Mac sat by the tub and watched over Thomas as he splashed and played with his toys, making a huge mess of the bathroom and soaking Mac’s T-shirt. As far as Mac was concerned, there was nothing the baby could do that wouldn’t be fine with him. He was so damned glad to be back with them, overseeing bath time the way he used to, and looking forward to spending the night wrapped up in Maddie.
His cell phone rang, and he took the call from his mother.
“Mac, thank goodness you answered! We’re going crazy wondering if you found Maddie and—”
“Relax, Mom,” he said, chuckling. “It’s all good. I found her, I explained about Roseanne and I asked Maddie to marry me. She said yes.”
The shriek from the other end of the phone had him holding it away from his ear.
“They’re engaged!” Linda said, presumabl
y to Big Mac. “Oh, Mac, I’m so happy for both of you. I’ve hated how sad you’ve been the last few weeks. I never want to see you that way again.”
“As long as I have Maddie and Thomas,” he said, tapping one of the toy boats so it bounced off the baby’s foot, making him giggle, “I’ve got what I need.”
“I won’t keep you, honey. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. In case you were wondering, I won’t be home tonight.”
“I figured as much,” Linda said, laughing. “Talk to you tomorrow.”
“Bye, Mom.”
Maddie appeared in the doorway, wearing the silk nightgown that made his mouth go dry when he looked at her. “You broke the news to your parents?”
“Uh-huh,” he said, staring.
“I take it they were happy?”
“Thrilled.”
“Your mom offered me a new job today as the director of housekeeping.”
Mac forced himself to look up at her eyes, which were shining with amusement at the greedy way he’d looked at the rest of her. “That’s great, honey. You deserve the recognition after all your hard work. Are you going to take the job?”
“I haven’t decided yet. Let’s get Thomas out of there before he turns into a raisin.”
Mac took the baby-sized frog towel from her and wrapped Thomas up in it. Staring down at his adorable little face, tears burned Mac’s eyes. He was so damned grateful to have him back in his arms. Taking him into the apartment’s only bedroom, Mac laid the baby on the changing table and expertly diapered and dressed him, marveling at the things that now came so naturally to him. He’d never changed a diaper in his life until he met them.
He picked Thomas up and snuggled him into his chest, the baby nuzzling into the crook between Mac’s neck and shoulder the way he always did. Though he was desperate to be with Maddie, Mac wasn’t ready to put him down yet, so he rubbed his back and held him close until the baby’s body went slack with sleep. Only then did Mac tuck him into his crib and pull a light blanket over him. “Love you so much, buddy, and I always will,” he whispered.
He was still staring down at the sleeping baby when Maddie came into the room and slid her arms around his waist.
“He missed you as much as I did,” Maddie whispered. “He’s been miserable without you.”
“He’ll never spend another day without me.”
Maddie took his hand and gave it a gentle tug, encouraging him to leave Thomas to sleep.
Mac ran his hand over the baby’s silky hair and adjusted the blanket one more time before he let her lead him from the room. While he’d been busy with the baby, she’d lit some candles and pulled out the sofa bed for them.
“I wish I had something better than that crappy bed for us tonight,” she said wistfully.
“All I need tonight is you and Thomas sleeping in the next room. I don’t care where we are or what we do as long as we’re together.”
“You don’t care what we do?” she asked, arching a brow. “Hmm, as I seem to recall, you rather liked what we did, but if you don’t care—”
Grinning like a fool at the return of the playful, funny Maddie he loved so much, he kissed the rest of that sentence right off her lips. “I care,” he said, running his hands over her silk-covered curves. “I care desperately.” He couldn’t take his eyes off the abundant breasts that were the bane of her existence and the thing of fantasy for him.
“Don’t look at them,” she said, crossing her arms.
He took her hands, lowered her arms and kissed her. “I love to look at every part of you, because every inch of you is beautiful to me.”
She worked her hands free and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her mouth opened to his tongue, and like gas thrown on fire, the desire simmering between them for the last few hours exploded. They came down on the flimsy bed, arms and legs entangled, lips devouring, tongues plunging, both equally desperate to be reunited in every possible way.
Mac tried to slow himself down, to savor, to appreciate every sigh and moan, but it was too late for slow as they tore at clothes while never missing a beat in the most erotic kiss of his life.
“Mmm, wait,” he said. “Condom.”
“We’re getting married, right?”
“You bet your sexy ass we are.”
“Then maybe we could, you know… risk it?”
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
She laughed at the face he made at her as she nodded.
“Hold on, baby. This is gonna be fast.” He thrust into her, gasping from the sweet relief, the tight squeeze, the heat, the overwhelming sense of rightness. “Maddie,” he whispered against her lips. “I never would’ve survived without you and Thomas. You can’t ever leave me again. Promise me.”
Wrapping her arms and legs around him, she made him her prisoner, which was totally fine with him. “I promise. I was so lonely for you.”
“You’ll never be lonely for me again. I’ll drive you so crazy, you’ll wish I’d go away and leave you alone.”
“Never.”
Fully seated in her, Mac raised himself up on his arms so he could look down on her face, which was rosy with the heat they generated together. Her beautiful honey-colored hair was spread out on the blanket, her lips swollen and her eyes filled with love for him. She was a miracle come to life, and her love made his life complete.
“You and me, Madeline,” he said, his lips brushing against hers as he began to move in her again, “we’re going to be epic together. Are you ready for that?”
“I’m ready, Mac. I’m ready for everything with you.”
“That’s all I need to hear to be happy for the rest of my life.”
Did you love Mac and Maddie’s story? Well, their story is JUST beginning! They appear in every book in the Gansett Island Series, so you can watch their lives together unfold from one book to the next. Take the ride with them from marriage to babies to all the highs and lows, and watch their friends and family fall in love along the way.
Turn the page to read Fool for Love, Joe and Janey’s story!
Chapter 1
The phone call Joe Cantrell had waited half his life to receive came in around nine on an otherwise average Tuesday evening. He’d put in a twelve-hour day on the ferries, done four round-trips to the island, and had just sat down to eat when his cell phone rang. Since he’d been in a foul mood all day, tortured by images of Janey in Boston with her fiancé, he’d almost ignored the call. Thank God he grabbed it on the last ring before voicemail picked up.
“Joe.”
One word set his heart to racing. He’d know that voice anywhere. “Janey? Why are you calling me when you’re visiting David?” He kept his tone light, but just saying the guy’s name made Joe sick. He couldn’t stand the way David went weeks, sometimes months, without so much as a visit to his fiancée. Sometimes Joe wished he didn’t have front-row access to who came and went from the island. Some things he was better off not knowing.
He’d seen her earlier in the day, skipping onto the ferry on her way to surprise her doctor-in-training for their anniversary. Thirteen years together. Lucky thirteen, she’d joked. Joe had found nothing funny about it.
“I need. . .”
Was she crying? “Janey, honey. What do you need?”
“You.”
Joe almost swallowed his tongue. How long had he fantasized about hearing those very words from her? Forever, or so it seemed. “What’s wrong?”
“My car broke down on 95, just south of Foxboro.”
Why was she south of Boston when she’d gone to visit David for a few days? “Where’s David?”
“I’m calling you, Joe. Can you come?” More sniffling. “What was I thinking? It’s too far—”
He was already leaving a cloud of dust behind his red pickup as he peeled out of the driveway. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll be there in less than an hour.” Under normal circumstances, it would take much longer to reach her, but these were anything but norma
l circumstances. Something had happened. Something bad. If the bad thing was between her and David, then all of Joe’s dreams had finally come true. But hers had been crushed. He had to remember that. No matter what this night might bring, he couldn’t forget that she’d been with David for almost as long as Joe had harbored a secret, burning love for his best friend’s little sister.
On the way, he tried to keep her talking and his heart from leaping out of his chest. “You want to tell me about it?”
“No.”
“You aren’t hurt or anything, are you?”
“Not physically.”
Oh, man. What the hell happened? Joe was dying to know, but he didn’t ask again. He drove as fast as he dared and was stymied half an hour later by traffic in Providence.
“Are you still there?” she asked in a small voice. Janey McCarthy, his Janey, didn’t have a small voice.
“I’m here, honey. I’m coming. Hang in there.”
More sniffling.
Jesus H. Christ. Why the hell wasn’t anything moving? Even knowing it wouldn’t do an ounce of good, Joe laid on the horn. That earned him a raised middle finger from the guy in front of him. As his desperation to get to her inched into the red zone, he wished he could call Mac and get his take on things, but until he knew more about what had happened, he didn’t think Janey would appreciate him cueing in her older brother that something was wrong.
As if she had read his mind, Janey said, “Don’t tell Mac.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Traffic inched along, and Joe was certain his blood pressure had to be approaching stroke level.
Twenty minutes later, he flew across the border into Massachusetts. “Here I come.”
“Good.”
When he finally reached her location, Joe wanted to die when he saw her sitting in the front seat of her old blue Honda Civic, hunched over the wheel. Janey didn’t hunch. She barreled through life with exuberance and optimism that brightened every room she entered.
He had to drive past her to the next exit, where he endured two of the longest red lights of his life before he was able to merge onto the southbound ramp. By the time he came to a stop behind Janey’s car, his hands were sweaty, his heart was racing and he realized he had absolutely no idea what to say to her. Women in crisis were hardly his forte. He took a deep breath and got out of the truck.