Maid for Love Page 13

  Thanks to his connections with Joe, Mac was able to get his father's truck on the first boat off the island at eight the next morning. Joe invited them to join him in the wheelhouse, but Mac wanted as much time alone with Maddie as he could get, so he declined.

  "Whatcha got going on there, pal?" Joe asked with a grin as Mac bought their tickets.

  "Hopefully, the most important thing I'll ever do in my life."

  Joe's eyes nearly fell out of his head. "No way."

  Mac glanced over at Maddie, who was watching the seagulls with Thomas while she waited for Mac to drive the truck on the boat. "Yes way."

  Once onboard, they stood on the bow of the ferry where a light spray hit them every time the boat crested a wave. Thomas loved the air and the water and the motion of the ferry. Mac kept a firm grip on him as they stood at the rail.

  "This is nice," Maddie said, looking more tranquil than he'd ever seen her as they watched the northern end of the island disappear into the morning fog. He'd known that getting her off the island would be good for her. He hoped it would also be good for them.

  "When was the last time you were off-island?"

  Maddie thought about that. "About a year ago. Before he was born."

  "That'd make me nuts! Don't you ever feel confined?"

  She shrugged. "I've gotten used to it."

  "You know, it's funny, when I lived here as a kid, I couldn't leave if I felt confined. It would be totally different as an adult. I could leave any damned time I wanted to." He laughed at the somewhat major revelation. "That never occurred to me until right this second."

  Maddie flashed him a rueful smile. "The confinement used to drive me crazy, especially when I wanted to go to college. I didn't have the money to pay tuition and live there, too, and it wasn't like I could commute."

  "I've never thought about that before." Of course he hadn't. He'd gone to college on a full athletic scholarship and never once had to worry about paying for it. "What would you have studied?"

  "Maybe oceanography or biology. Something to do with the water. I've always been obsessed by anything involving the ocean."

  Fascinated by this new insight, Mac studied her face as she stared out at the water, lost in thought. "There're online courses you could take."

  "I was halfway through an online associate's program when I got pregnant." She took Thomas's hand and smiled warmly at the baby, making Mac jealous. "Now I have other priorities."

  He wanted her to direct that dazzling smile at him. What he wouldn't give for just one genuine smile, the one that engaged her eyes as well as her full, sexy mouth. "Maybe you can go back and finish someday."

  "Maybe."

  They docked just after nine in the fishing village of Galilee on Rhode Island's south shore. With Thomas in his car seat and Maddie riding shotgun, Mac drove the truck off the ferry into the crowded port.

  "How about some breakfast and then we can do whatever you want?" Mac suggested.

  "Sure, that sounds good."

  Over eggs and toast at a greasy spoon, he asked where she wanted to go.

  She hesitated, but only for a moment. "The mall," she said with a delightfully girlish grin.

  Thrilled to see her playful side reemerging after three days of distance, Mac McCarthy—a man who had never once willingly stepped foot in a shopping mall—took his lady to the biggest, brightest, busiest mall in the state of Rhode Island.

  Maddie loved the excitement and elegance of The Providence Place Mall. A ruthless bargain shopper, she haunted the sale racks in all the children's clothing stores and got some nice deals on summer clothes for Thomas. Worried, as always, about her finances, she bought nothing for herself.

  Pushing Thomas in the stroller they'd brought from the island, Mac followed her around with unwavering patience. He never rushed her or showed an ounce of displeasure, but she knew he had to be hating every minute of this. Mindful that he had things he needed to get done that day, she glanced up at him. "I'm all set if you want to go."

  His brows narrowed over those steel blue eyes. "We just got here. You haven't looked at anything for yourself."

  "I don't need anything."

  "Thomas and I are going for a walk. We'll meet you back here in an hour."

  "What will you do with all that time?"

  "Pick up a few things Janey asked me to get."

  Maddie nibbled on her thumbnail as she studied him. "Are you sure?"

  He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Go. Have fun. Spend some money. That's what credit cards are for."

  Laughing, she didn't even mind the kiss that zipped through her like a live wire. "You're a bad influence."

  "Thank you. Now go."

  An hour to herself in a mall! Flitting from store to store, she bought a few new tops and some jeans. She gave herself one hour off from worrying about money and stocked up on underwear, bras and socks. Outside Victoria's Secret, she stared longingly at an ivory silk nightgown in the window that would look ridiculous on her. Still, it was fun to look and to imagine…

  When she met Mac at the designated spot, she discovered that he, too, had put the hour to good use. The basket under Thomas's stroller was full to overflowing with bags. She saw a baseball bat sticking out the top of one of them. When she raised a questioning eyebrow, he replied with a shrug and adorably sheepish grin. Mixed in with the others, a pink-striped bag caught her attention. "You bought something for Janey at Victoria's Secret?"

  "It's not for Janey," he said with a secretive smile.

  Maddie's knees weakened. What had he done? She had no idea, but she was not about to ask him. She'd learned not to encourage his outrageous behavior.

  "Ready to go?" he asked, sliding an arm around her shoulders.

  "Yes." As they walked to the parking garage, Maddie glanced up at him. "Thank you."

  He kissed the top of her head. "My pleasure, honey."

  Mac took the long way back to the ferry, driving them through Newport to stop at the carousel at First Beach. Thomas loved the merry-go-round, and Mac sprang for five rides before Maddie reminded him of the time. They had a ferry to catch.

  "You're totally spoiling him," Maddie said as they set out across the Newport Bridge to the lumber supply place. And me, she wanted to add but didn't.

  "So?"

  "I'd hate to get him used to it. This time next week, he'll be back to his boring life, wondering where his sugar daddy has gone." The instant the words were out of her mouth, Maddie regretted them. To refer to Mac as Thomas's daddy, even as a joke, was so wrong and unfair. She could see that Mac was becoming attached to her son and vice versa.

  "I'm not going anywhere," he said, but his hand tightened on the wheel.

  "You're going back to Miami."

  "Not anytime soon."

  Maddie didn't want to be relieved, but the more time she spent with him, the more she wished she could keep him forever. She'd never known a man so thoughtful and caring and sincere. Add that he was sexy as hell and he become one heck of an irresistible package. During their lovely day together, she'd begun to feel like a fool for resisting him. Maybe she should give in and have a rip-roaring affair with him. The whole town thought she already was, so why not go for it? At least then, after he went home to Miami, she'd have the memories to sustain her. But what would sustain her heart if she gave even a portion of it to him?

  Too late, the devil on her left shoulder said. You already have.

  Chapter 9

  Tucked into his stroller, Thomas slept on the ferry ride back to Gansett. Sleepy herself after the nicest day she'd had in years, Maddie let her head drop to Mac's shoulder. He put his arm around her and settled her against his chest. Maddie was letting her eyes drift shut when they connected with a familiar face on the other side of the ferry.

  He smiled at her.

  Maddie gasped.

  "What, honey?" Mac asked.

  "Oh my God," she whispered. "Thomas's father." Automatically, she brought the stroller closer to her.

/>   As the tall, dark-haired man approached them, Maddie straightened, and her heart began to hammer in her chest. She noticed he had more gray in his hair than the last time she'd seen him, but otherwise he hadn't changed.

  Mac tightened his arm around her.

  "I thought that was you, Maddie. How are you?"

  Momentarily paralyzed, she couldn't form a rational thought. "I'm … ah … I'm good."

  He glanced at Mac, and Maddie remembered her manners. "Tom Wilkinson, this is, um—"

  Mac extended his right hand. "Mac McCarthy, Maddie's husband." He gestured to the stroller. "Our son Garrett. Nice to meet you."

  Twisting her head, Maddie stared at Mac, but he just gave her a bland look that said, "Roll with it."

  "You're married," Tom said with the charming smile that had convinced her to part with her virginity—not that he ever figured that out. "Well, that's disappointing."

  "Excuse me?" Maddie asked in a strangled tone.

  "I was on my way to see you."

  "Oh."

  "Yeah, my bad," he said with what seemed like genuine regret. "I guess I waited too long."

  "Maddie's not the kind of girl you let get away," Mac said.

  Maddie's breath got caught in her throat when Tom leaned over to peek in at Thomas.

  "Beautiful baby."

  "Thanks," Mac said. "We like him."

  Good answer, Maddie thought, grateful that he could speak, since she was incapable at the moment. Her heart beat so fast she wondered if it would explode in her chest.

  "You're a lucky man," Tom said to Mac.

  "Believe me, I know."

  "It's good to see you, Maddie."

  She cleared her throat and stuck her shaking hands between her knees. "Yes, you, too."

  "Good luck to you both."

  "Same to you."

  Tom walked away, and Maddie sagged with relief. She'd imagined this moment a million times, expecting him to take one look at his son and just know. But he hadn't. Because Mac had been so quick to say just the right thing, Tom had never even entertained the possibility.

  Mac held her tight against him. "Breathe, baby," he whispered in her ear, raising goose bumps on her suddenly sensitive skin. "It's all over. Take a deep breath."

  Maddie did as he said, and it helped to slow her galloping heart.

  "You gave him his father's name."

  "I wanted him to have something…"

  "I understand."

  She glanced at him, the contact with his beautiful eyes filling her with an overwhelming awareness of him, of what he seemed to feel for her, of what she was beginning to feel for him. "I've been saying this a lot lately, but thank you. What you did—"

  He tilted her chin and laid a soft, wet kiss on her lips. "Was also my pleasure."

  After Mac got Thomas settled in his crib to finish his nap, he turned to Maddie, who had followed him into the bedroom. "Go out with me tonight."

  She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth. "Like on a date?"

  He took a step toward her. "Uh huh. A real date."

  "We were out all day, and I can't leave Thomas."

  Another step. "My sister will watch him. She'll love it." To hell with giving her space. He wanted her in his arms. Right now. Mac took a final step to close the distance between them and rested his hands on her hips, drawing her in close to him. "I want to take you out. Buy you a nice dinner. Woo you."

  Maddie's face flushed. "You've already done so much…"

  "I haven't done nearly enough." He leaned in, brushed his lips over hers, and reveled in her sharp intake of breath. Encouraged, he went back for more. As he kissed her, his hands traveled down her back to her bottom. When her arms encircled his neck, Mac lifted her and groaned into her mouth as her legs curled around his hips. Worried about disturbing the baby, he walked them to the hallway where he pressed her against the wall and kissed her as if he'd been starving for her, which, of course, he had.

  Her fingers fisted in his hair, keeping his mouth anchored to hers. Wiggling tight against him, she made his legs go weak and stars dance in his eyes.

  Mac kissed her until he had no choice but to come up for air. He buried his face in her fragrant hair and breathed in the scent he would recognize anywhere as hers. "Now that we've gotten the good-night kiss out of the way, what do you say? Will you go out with me?"

  She smiled. "Are you sure Janey won't mind?"

  "I'm positive."

  "Then yes, I'd like to go out with you."

  "Have I told you lately," he said, skimming kisses over her neck and face, "how much I like being married to you?"

  That earned him the genuine, lusty laugh he'd grown to adore, and it was all he could do not to say the words right then and there. I love you. I love you so much I ache with it.

  She caressed his face. "What are you thinking? Right now?"

  Caught off guard, Mac had no idea what to say. "I can't tell you."

  "Why?"

  He kissed her lightly, fighting for control of his desire and emotions. "Because it would scare you."

  "Oh come on. Just tell me."

  "I'll make you a deal: if you still want to know what I was thinking after our date, I'll tell you."

  "You'll tell me the truth?"

  "Always." He kissed her again before he reluctantly lowered her to her feet. "I have to go drop the wood and stuff at the marina and get my dad's truck back to him. Will you be okay for a little while?"

  "I'm fine. You don't need to hover over us like a mother hen anymore."

  Kissing her nose and then her lips one last time, he said, "I love hovering over you. I'll be back to pick you up in an hour."

  "And you'll call Janey?"

  "Already taken care of."

  "Awfully sure of yourself, weren't you?"

  "I was hopeful. That's all." Framing her face, he kissed her once more. "I'll be back."

  Mac unloaded the lumber from the back of the truck into a pile in the parking lot. Sweating under the late afternoon sun, he pulled off his T-shirt and reached for another sheet of plywood. He was just about finished when a willowy blonde approached him from the direction of the Tiki Bar, wineglass in hand. She sported a dark tan and wore a white tube top over hot pink shorts.

  "You must be Mac," she purred in a voice that sounded like pure sex. "I've heard a lot about you."

  Mac used his forearm to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage."

  She released a sultry laugh. "Where are my manners? I'm Doro Chase."

  He remembered the name from dinner the other night—the dinner he wanted to forget. "Ah, yes, you're a friend of my mother's. Good to meet you."

  Her gaze traveled up and down his torso in obvious approval. "The pleasure is all mine."

  God, she was so ridiculous! Had he ever seriously gone for this type? Well, yeah, but that was then, and this was now. He thought of the sweet, unassuming woman who waited for him in town, and all he wanted was to get back to her as fast as he could.

  "Your mother says you'll be here a while," Doro said.

  "That's right."

  "We should get together sometime."

  "I'm going to be really busy." As he put his shirt back on, he swore he saw disappointment in her blue eyes. He gestured to the sagging roof on the main building. "Lot of work to get done."

  Her lip rolled into that foolish pout women did so well, but it had no effect on him. "You can't work all the time."

  "You're absolutely right." Glancing at his watch, he said, "In fact, I have somewhere I need to be. You have a good night now."

  As he got in the truck and drove away, Mac checked the rearview mirror to find her still standing where he'd left her, probably trying to figure out how she'd managed to let a live one slip away. He suspected that didn't happen very often to good old Doro.

  At the top of the hill, Mac pulled into his parents' driveway where his motorcycle waited for him. He parked the truck and went into the garage to grab
a helmet. Blowing the dust off, he strapped it to the back of the bike and gave the house a quick look. He'd love to say hello to his father but didn't want to run into his mother and have to answer fifty questions. As he weighed the pros and cons, she appeared at the door. Mac suppressed a groan.

  "Hello, stranger."

  "Hi, Mom. I was just dropping off the truck."

  "I see that."

  "Is Dad around?"

  "In the shower." She opened the screen door and stepped onto the porch. "Want to come in? Have a beer?"

  "Got to be somewhere."

  "Of course you do."

  "Look, Mom—"

  "I don't know what kind of power that woman has over the men in this town, but it's apparently quite formidable."

  Fighting to control his temper, Mac looked up to the heavens in search of patience. "You have no idea what you're talking about, and once again I'll remind you to be very careful."

  "Or what?"

  "Or I'll take her and her son and go back to Miami tomorrow. I'm far too old to be justifying myself to my mother."

  "Oh, Mac. You could do so much better!"

  He released a bitter laugh. "Like your good friend Doro Chase?"

  "For one."

  "I just had the pleasure, and she reminds me of a hundred other women I've known. Nothing about her interests me."

  "And you know that after what? Five minutes?"

  "Actually, it only took thirty seconds."

  Before Linda could reply to that, Big Mac stepped onto the porch. "Hey, buddy. How was the mainland?"

  Mac smiled, relieved to see his father. "It was a great day. I got everything I need to hit it hard on Monday."

  "Sounds good. I appreciate that."

  "Happy to help." Mac walked up the sidewalk to hand his father the keys to the truck.

  "Yours are in the bike."

  "Thanks. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

  Big Mac slid his arm around his wife. "You have a good night, son."

  "You, too."

  Linda said nothing as Mac started the bike and drove off with a wave and a smile.