by Marie Force
“Stop thinking about him and focus on the guy your friends were good enough to fix you up with,” she said as she threw her cell phone, keys, some cash and lipstick into a small purse and stomped down the stairs, wearing the lightest-weight dress she owned and not bothering with a sweater because she knew she wouldn’t need it.
She was far too out of sorts for a first date tonight, but it was too late to cancel. Besides, she had no desire to cancel. It was time to get back out there and meet people—men in particular—unless she wanted to spend the rest of her life alone. And that wasn’t what she wanted. She’d loved being half of a couple during the years she’d spent with Toby and hoped to experience that kind of special bond again someday.
The only thing she knew for sure was if she stayed holed up in her own little safe zone, she’d never achieve that goal, and she’d sacrifice any remaining chance she had of being a mother.
While the lighthouse was a popular tourist destination, single men weren’t lining up outside her door. Except for the one who’d come to cut the grass…
“You’re not thinking about him, remember?” Right… Easier said than done after the most explosive sexual experience she’d had in twelve long years. She would never forget the first time she’d had sex after Toby died. It had taken more than five years to even consider the possibility of doing that with someone else. The guy, Drew, had been nice enough. They’d gone out a few times, and he’d known her story, so he was patient and considerate, which had only made the whole thing more excruciating.
Afterward, she’d cried uncontrollably. He’d said and done all the right things, such as they were, before taking her home and promising to call. She’d never heard from him again, not that she could blame him. That was one of the reasons why she’d appreciated the anonymity with Alex. He had no idea he was supposed to be careful or patient with her, which was exactly the way she wanted it.
When she’d gone out with Mason Johns last week, her past had never come up, but she knew he was aware of it. Her friends would’ve prepared him to ensure he navigated her emotional battlefield with the utmost care. In truth, she hated being “tragedy girl,” and for a brief—albeit mortifyingly out-of-character—moment last night, she’d been “Just Jenny” for the first time in a dozen years. She’d rather liked being “Just Jenny” again.
She hadn’t seen “Just Jenny” in a very long time, and apparently she’d changed quite a bit over the years, if her behavior with Alex was any indication.
You are not thinking about him!
A sharp rap on the mudroom door startled her, and she took a deep breath in through her nose and blew it out of her mouth before she went down the spiral staircase to greet Linc. He was a good friend of Tiff’s new husband, Blaine Taylor. As Blaine was the Gansett Island police chief, Jenny took Blaine’s approval as a ringing endorsement.
She opened the door and absorbed the wave of heat that smacked her in the face. Oh, he looks good. Wearing madras plaid shorts with a pink polo, Linc directed an appreciative smile at her. Tall and broad-shouldered, he had close-cropped blond hair and friendly blue eyes. He was more than man enough to pull off the pink shirt. “Hot enough for you?” he asked.
“It’s brutal.”
“You look gorgeous.”
“Thank you, but I feel like a wilted flower.”
“Heat getting to you?”
“Big-time. No AC in the lighthouse, which is normally fine, but not this week.”
Executing a gallant bow, he extended his arm to her. “Right this way, madam. I promise you an icy blast of air-conditioning to go with dinner.”
“You had me at icy blast.” The instant she said the words, she began to second-guess them. Did saying he’d “had her” make her sound loose or easy? After her unprecedented behavior last night, she had cause to question everything.
But Linc just laughed at her comment and led her to a royal blue two-seater BMW and held the passenger-side door open for her.
“Nice car,” she said as he slid into the driver’s seat.
True to his word, he set the air conditioner to blast. “Thanks. It’s my one major indulgence.”
Jenny closed her eyes and let the cool air wash over her. “I suppose everyone has one.”
“What’s yours?”
“At the moment, it’s your air-conditioning.”
“Very funny.” Shifting the car into gear, he left a cloud of dust in his wake as he pulled away from the lighthouse. “What is it the rest of the time?”
“I’ve moved around a lot, so I don’t have all that much stuff I can’t live without, but I do love my e-reader.” She glanced over at him, appreciating his attractive profile and the scent of subtle but appealing cologne coming from him. He was exactly the type of guy she had always gravitated toward—handsome, a bit preppy, successful, confident, obviously witty and intelligent.
She made up her mind to give him a fair chance tonight, and the best way she could do that was to forget all about the moment of madness with Alex. It was in the past where it belonged, never to be repeated. There was no point giving it any more attention, especially when the perfect guy had just appeared at her door possessing all the qualities she looked for in a partner.
“So you’re a big reader?” he asked.
“I love to read.”
“What do you like to read?”
“Anything and everything. Mostly mysteries and suspense, some memoirs.” She didn’t mention that she’d recently been devouring the memoirs of 9/11 widows and widowers. Enough time had passed that she was able to read about the partners others had lost on that horrible day.
“I figured you were a romance type of gal.”
“I used to read a lot of romance, but not so much anymore.” He was only making conversation, and she didn’t want him to be uncomfortable, so she didn’t elaborate. The truth of it was she’d gravitated away from the genre she used to enjoy, because reading about fictional characters ending up happily ever after made her yearn for her lost love.
Linc took her to dinner at the Lobster House and regaled her with stories about the Coast Guard, including some amazing tales of his tenure with the search-and-rescue teams, and had her laughing about life as the older brother to four conniving younger sisters.
“I’m being a total bore talking about myself,” he said as he poured the last of their bottle of chardonnay into her glass.
“Not at all. I enjoy your stories.”
“I wouldn’t mind hearing some of yours, too.”
“My life is nowhere near as interesting as yours. No searches, no rescues, but I do have two younger sisters, so I feel your pain there.” She made a joke, but her sisters were her best friends. “Yours sound a bit more spirited than mine, who married their high school sweethearts and have made me an aunt five times over.”
“I bet you have pictures.”
Charmed that he would ask, she withdrew her phone from her purse and found the latest pictures of her nieces and nephews. “Matter of fact, I do. Meet Michael, Lacey, Brent, Tyler and Mackenzie.”
He flipped through the pictures with genuine interest. “They’re incredibly cute, and clearly, blond hair runs in your family.”
“Yep. We’re all blondes.” She found another picture of the entire family taken last Christmas and showed it to him. “Here’s one with all of us. My dad, the one with the dark hair and eyes, is king of the blonde joke.”
Linc cocked a brow that only added to his rakish good looks. “You let him get away with that?”
“In a house full of women, he put up with a lot more than we did. He deserves to take his fun wherever he can get it.”
“Beautiful family. Where do they live?”
“They’re all in North Carolina.”
“How’d you end up so far from home?”
She suspected he already knew but was hoping to hear it from her. “That is a very long story.”
“I don’t have anywhere to be. Do you?”
He was
charming and easy to talk to and funny. It would be too easy to share her story with him, but she wasn’t in the mood for a trip down memory lane. “If it’s all right with you, I’d like to pass on telling you that very long story, for now anyway. I’m having fun tonight, and it’s not a fun story.”
“Fair enough,” he said, running his fingers over the stem of his wineglass. “As long as you know I’m interested.”
She couldn’t miss the double meaning in his words and smiled at him, grateful for his kindness, his interest and the fact that he didn’t try to cajole the story out of her despite her obvious reluctance. That had happened before, and it was an instant turnoff for her. Anxious to change the subject, she said, “Some friends of mine are playing at the Tiki Bar at McCarthy’s Marina. How do you feel about live music?”
“I love it, especially when Evan and Owen are playing together. I was going to ask if you wanted to go.”
“Great,” Jenny said, excited to continue the date and see their mutual friends.
He paid the check and casually reached for her hand on the way out of the restaurant.
Jenny curled her fingers around his much bigger hand, marveling at the strange twenty-four hours she’d had. Last night Alex had been arriving at the lighthouse right around this time, and… Well, there was no need to go over all that again.
And here she was tonight, holding hands with Linc Mercier during what was turning out to be one of the better dates she’d had since Toby died. As much as she liked Linc, though, he didn’t inspire the same level of edgy, gut-wrenching desire she’d experienced with Alex.
Oh for God’s sake! Give the guy a chance, will you? She admonished herself all the way back to the car, where Linc once again held the door for her and waited until she was safely settled before he closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side.
On the drive from South Harbor to the marina in North Harbor, it occurred to her that she’d already known Linc for longer than she’d known Alex, and still, she wasn’t climbing all over him the way she had Alex.
That thought made her mad—at Alex. If she’d never met him, she wouldn’t be sitting here comparing him to Linc, who was exactly the kind of guy she needed in her life. Unlike Alex’s man-of-mystery act, Linc was straightforward, forthcoming and handsome as hell. Not that Alex wasn’t handsome… That was hardly an issue where he was concerned.
Determined to push all thoughts of him to the far corners of her mind, she recommitted to enjoying her evening with Linc.
He reached across the center console for her hand. When they pulled into a parking space near the marina, he turned off the car but didn’t let go of her hand. Sitting in the waning daylight a couple of blocks from the marina, she was acutely aware of him and the fact that he intended to kiss her.
If he made the move, she decided, she would let him. She glanced over to find him watching her.
“You’re incredibly beautiful, but you probably hear that all the time.”
What might’ve been a cheesy line from another guy actually sounded sincere coming from him. “No, I don’t.”
“Well, someone should tell you that every day, because it’s true.”
Once upon a time, a wonderful young man had told her she was beautiful every day.
“Did I say something to upset you?”
Jenny shook off the moment of melancholy. “Not at all.”
Turning toward her, he raised his hand to her face and leaned in to kiss her. While it was happening, Jenny felt removed from the situation, as if she were watching someone else kiss the sexy Coast Guard officer. The kiss was nice. He moved slowly and didn’t go for broke at the first sign of interest from her. He showed restraint that she appreciated.
And when he pulled away and smiled at her, she smiled back.
Walking hand in hand with him to the Tiki Bar, it occurred to her that she’d felt absolutely nothing during that perfectly lovely kiss.
That, too, was Alex’s fault.
Chapter 7
Mac, Maddie, Abby, Adam, Luke, Sydney, Grant, Stephanie, Tiffany, Blaine, Grace and Laura had commandeered a large table at the Tiki Bar.
Laura nudged Jenny’s arm as she sat down next to her. “Having a good time?”
“Very good.”
“Oh yay.”
“Shush,” Jenny said. “Don’t let him hear you.”
They introduced Jenny and Linc to Grant’s friend Dan Torrington and his girlfriend, Kara Ballard, when they joined the group. Jenny had met Dan but not Kara.
Evan and Owen were playing “Home” by Phillip Phillips. The combination of the awesome music, the glorious sunset over the Salt Pond, the table full of good friends and the handsome man sitting next to her had Jenny relaxing a bit. She was determined to enjoy the perfect evening despite the lingering disquiet over last night’s events.
The conversation flowed easily, as did the laughs. Mac and Grant grilled Adam about his trip with Abby to the mainland to visit Janey, Joe and baby P.J. in the hospital.
“The baby is so cute,” Abby said.
“I think he looks just like me,” Adam said. “He’s got my strong, handsome jaw.”
“Grant, will you please punch him in his strong, handsome jaw?” Mac said from the other end of the table.
“Oh, I’d love to,” Grant said, “but I can’t endanger the tools of my profession.” He wiggled his fingers dramatically.
Adam snorted and nearly choked on a mouthful of beer. “He doesn’t dare risk his digits on this jaw.”
Abby made a fist and playfully landed it against her boyfriend’s jaw.
“You’ll pay for that,” he said meaningfully as the others groaned.
Up on the stage, Evan picked up a banjo and gave it a quick tune.
“He plays the banjo, too?” Jenny asked, incredulous.
“He plays everything,” Grace replied, watching her fiancé with pride. “He’s so talented.”
“Always has been,” Mac said. “He used to drive us crazy when he was learning how to play the guitar and the piano. He didn’t always sound as good as he does now.”
“Haven’t played the banjo in a while, so here goes nothing,” Evan said into the microphone as he launched into the complicated banjo intro to “I Will Wait” by Mumford & Sons.
“They haven’t played this before,” Mac said.
“It’s new,” Laura said. “They’ve been working on it.”
“They’re so good,” Maddie said.
All eyes were fixed on Evan and Owen, which was how Jenny didn’t immediately notice when Alex walked into the bar. It took Grace calling out his name for Jenny to realize he’d come in with another guy who looked an awful lot like him.
“Over here,” Grace said, gesturing for them to pull up chairs at their table. “You guys all know AM and PM, right?”
“Can’t say I do,” Linc said.
“Alex and Paul Martinez,” Grace said. “Evan’s friends from high school.”
Alex Martinez. So he was at least a co-owner of the business… Jenny registered a pang of disappointment at losing the anonymity she’d shared with him and then just as quickly chastised herself for caring. She couldn’t deny he looked really good in a slightly rumpled white shirt that was rolled up over his tanned forearms along with olive green cargo shorts. His dark hair shone in the late-day sunshine, but his eyes bore signs of disquiet, which had her wondering if something was wrong. Of course, she instantly hated herself for caring.
Linc stood to shake hands with the brothers. “Do you know Jenny?” he asked, gesturing to her.
Jenny wanted to curl up in a ball and dive under the table. But she calmly met the intense gaze Alex directed her way and even managed to shake his hand when he said, “Can’t say I’ve had the pleasure.”
She wanted to smack him when he gave her hand an extra squeeze, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
“My brother, Paul.”
“Hey, Jenny.” Paul leaned across Alex to shake her hand
. “Nice to meet you.”
“Same to you.” He was every bit as handsome as his brother but seemed to lack Alex’s rough edges.
“We need some beverages,” Alex said. “Another round for the table?”
“I won’t say no to that,” Mac said. “We’ve got a tab going. Buy yourself one on us.”
“Thanks.”
Was it her imagination, or was he staring right at her? And why did Linc choose that moment to put his arm around her? Alex directed his dark-eyed gaze at the hand that cupped her shoulder before continuing on to the bar, waving hello to Evan and Owen as he went by the stage.
Her gaze riveted to him, she watched his every move as he approached the bar and exchanged greetings with the bartender, a young blonde who lit up at the sight of him and seemed to know him well. Of course she did. Jenny would bet most of the young, single women on the island had made his acquaintance. A guy like him probably got around.
“How’s your mom doing, Paul?” Maddie asked with a kind, concerned smile.
“Good days, bad days. Mostly bad days. Today was brutal, which is why we’re out drinking.”
“I’m so sorry,” Maddie said. “If there’s ever anything I can do to help, I hope you won’t hesitate to call.”
“I appreciate that. Everyone has been so great. We just had a promising interview with a potential nurse who we’re hoping to hire to help us out.”
“I so hope that works out for you,” Grace said. “I don’t know how the two of you have managed this long without professional help.”
“Thanks to the generosity of many, many friends and Dr. David, who has been a rock.”
Jenny’s mind was spinning as she listened to the conversation while Evan and Owen played “Cool Change” by Little River Band. What was wrong with his mother? Was that what he’d meant by female problems, but not the kind she thought? She startled when she realized Linc was talking to her.
“Excuse me. What did you say?”