“No,” Maggie said. “My parents were both pretty old when they had me, so, well, it’s just me.”
Maggie couldn’t believe she was getting choked up sitting in bed with Reid after all that had happened tonight. She hadn’t thought about her parents or childhood in forever. Her dad had made it to her graduation, and she hoped he had been proud even though he was still upset she decided not to follow in his footsteps and go to business school.
However, her mother was a different story. She just wanted her only daughter to be happy whether she made money, a difference in the world, or wove baskets. Her hippie roots seemed to spread more deeply as the years went on, and she latched on to liberal cause after cause.
Yet Maggie’s parents filled each other out and always seemed to make it work. They could argue for hours on end and still end up holding hands as they walked upstairs to bed. Maggie may have spent many hours with babysitters, but she could never forget the way her dad looked at her mom. She wanted someone to look at her like that one day. Maybe that was why she could never settle for any of
those college boys. None of them had looked at her with that kind of fiery gaze that could bridge the gap between an ocean of differences.
For the first time, Maggie thought that maybe she had found a similar connection. She remembered what Reid said about Josh and Missy at the party. She had to tell him about her dad, but she didn’t know where to begin. She’d never meant to keep the secret this long. She also had never imagined she would be having such feelings about her summer lover. She sighed, trying to build up the courage. Was tonight the night to strike up such an important conversation? Should she wait until she could get her thoughts organized better?
She stood and strolled to the open sliding glass door to get some air. She sucked in a deep breath of the salt and rain mix. The moist island air, rich with salt, always seemed to make her feel better. She loved this place and was sure of her decision to stay a few more weeks. There was still so much she wanted to do with Reid.
Reid quietly crept up behind her and put his arms around her waist.
“You ok?” he whispered.
She could only manage a nod and continued to stand facing the door. She didn’t want him to see her like this.
“Hey,” he said. He touched her cheek and caressed the side of her face. His hand moved to her neck and he turned her toward him.
Maggie looked up and flashed him a timid smile. She was sure she’d made the right decision to stay.
Reid leaned down and kissed her forehead, cheeks, and then her lips, getting a taste of salt and rain. He pulled away briefly.
“The name Maggie definitely fits you,” he said and nibbled her ear. “And on this island, you never have to be lonely.”
Four
Reid
“Hey, Maggie.” He dotted a kiss near her ear then another on her cheek. She fluttered her eyes open. His face hovered over hers. Even in her sleepy state, she was damn sexy. “I’m off to the boathouse.”
She kissed him back. “Don’t leave,” she pleaded. “It’s Saturday. Stay with me.”
“Mmm,” he groaned, and managed to pull himself away from the girl he was finding it harder to say no to with every passing day. “I just have to work a couple hours before heading over to the wedding.” He smiled. “I’ll pick you up this afternoon. I promise we’ll have the whole night together. I won’t dance with anyone else.”
“You promise?” She ran her hand along his cheek, making it difficult for him to break away.
“I promise. Now go back to sleep, tiger.” He kissed her on the forehead, tucked the covers around her shoulder, and was out the door.
Reid eased the Jeep into its spot near the boathouse and cut the engine. He was thinking about the sizes of juniper planks that needed to be cut this morning and the invoices that needed processing before he headed over to Josh’s. He didn’t want to complain about having so much work on the schedule, but spending time with Maggie made him wish that there were a little more free time in his days. I’ll get this knocked out and then start on my best man duties.
With the growing list of responsibilities on his mind, he didn’t notice the big red SUV until he rounded the corner on his way to the back door. The sight of the garish red and black Z Power logo emblazoned across the vehicle’s passenger door set his teeth on edge. He would know that Z surrounded by flames anywhere. What in the hell was someone from Denny Zeal’s shop doing snooping around here? I don’t have time for this shit today.
Reid strode toward the door to see what was going on and spotted a salt-and-pepper-haired man peeking in the window. The man was wearing a red polo shirt, and when he turned at the sound of Reid’s footsteps, the islander spotted the Z Power logo embroidered over the heart.
“Can I help you with something?” Reid realized he was still gritting his teeth as he spat out the words. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, unwilling to offer a handshake.
“I was looking for Reid or Justyn. Reid or Justyn Strait that is,” the man said, looking down at a note card. He smiled, looking up, and Reid registered something familiar through the haze of anger. Holy shit. It was Denny Zeal. Reid had only seen him in ads and in television interviews, but he was sure this was the speedboat mogul in the flesh.
“I’m Reid Strait. What’s it to you?” He dug his hands deeper inside his pockets and straightened his back so that he was towering over the unwelcome visitor.
“Forgive my manners, I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Denny Zeal and—”
“I know who you are,” Reid cut him off. “What are you doing at my boathouse?”
Denny offered a smile, but it seemed condescending to Reid. “Well, I just wanted to learn a little more about the Strait cousins’ custom luxury boats.” He pulled out his note card again, and held it a little closer to his face. “I hear they make one-of-kind pleasure boats with unparalleled attention to detail. At least that’s what my sources tell me.”