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“Yes, please.” She nodded and turned back to him. “Take me home.”
He tsked his tongue. “No. Can. Do.”
Her eyes widened. “But you just said—”
“I said we’re leaving here. If you’d been paying attention, you’d know I didn’t specify a destination.” He opened the passenger door. “Remember, I’m under doctor’s orders to take you to a motel tonight.”
“What? Why that’s...that’s... No. Take me home.”
He risked an elbow in his stomach but hovered as she pulled herself into the truck. Once she was seated, he grinned and said, “Can’t. The doc and I shook on it and everything.”
“Why... I... You...”
“Hold that thought.” He slammed the door and hustled around the front of the truck. Getting under her skin felt good. Too good. His hand tightened around his key. He had men counting on him to return at 100 percent. If he wasn’t careful, the one woman he couldn’t get out of his system might distract him from that goal.
* * *
When was the last time someone had left her speechless? Meg buckled her seat belt with a loud click. She brushed her hand over the bear’s plush fur. If she wasn’t careful, Riley would crawl right back into her heart. She needed to remember he was here for thirty days, and as a single mother to an impressionable little girl, she couldn’t do temporary.
And she wasn’t going to look at his hands on the steering wheel...she wasn’t. She—Damn. Her short nails dug into the palms of her hands and her mother’s words echoed in her head. You need to be careful how much attention you pay to that boy. He’ll get the wrong idea about what kind of girl you are.
Sorry, Ma, but he got the wrong idea. But now she was on a good path, a smart path and—
“I can hear you all the way over here.”
“What?” She jerked her head back, warmth spreading across her cheeks. “I didn’t say anything.”
“No, but you’re busy thinking it.” He draped his hand over the wheel, giving her a sidelong glance and a devilish grin.
If he wasn’t the most annoying... She sighed. No other man in her acquaintance sparked her nerve endings the way Riley did. Not that Loon Lake was crawling with eligible men, but enough to convince her that what she felt for Riley didn’t come along every day. “I wasn’t thinking anything.”
“Just like you weren’t talking?” He glanced over and quirked his eyebrow.
Meg sighed and shifted in the seat. Ugh. He used that one eyebrow like a sexy weapon, as if he knew that simple action tied her in knots.
“I was—Hey, you missed the turn.” She dragged in a tight breath. Good heavens, was he serious about a motel?
He gave her a dimpled grin. “I told you. We’re going to a motel.”
Those dang dimples—yeah, more ammo in his sex-on-a-stick arsenal. She shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere dressed like this.”
“Sorry, but you’ve already been somewhere dressed like that.”
“Well, thank you, Captain Obvious.” She turned her head toward the passenger-side window. As if the asthma meds hadn’t made her squirrely enough, the sight of his hands had her squirming. “But that was an emergency.”
“Ah, but the motel is an extension of the original mission.” Slowing for a red light, he turned his head to study her. “Marines don’t stop until the job is finished.”
“You got the job done. I can breathe and—” she rattled her bag “—I have more meds if anything happens.”
“You heard the doctor. No exposure to mold tonight.” The light changed and he drove through the intersection. “Afraid you won’t be able to resist me?”
She snorted. “Oh, please. If anything, I’m more likely to strangle you in your sleep.”
“Hmm...” He wiggled both eyebrows at her. “Considering you’d have to climb on top of me to have that sort of access.”
As if she needed that picture in her head. “I’m serious, Riley.”
He leaned sideways toward her. “So am I. I plan to stick to you like a foul odor.”
She rolled her eyes. “Which reminds me. I need a shower. I spent the whole day cleaning that cottage.”
He grinned, all white teeth and dimples peeking out from the stubble. “You can shower at the motel.”
She still had an ace up her sleeve and brought out her sweetest, fakest smile. “But these clothes have mold and dust and who knows what clinging to them. You heard the doctor. No more exposure means I need clean clothes.”
“That nurse gave you a top to wear.”
“Yeah, but what about the rest of my clothes? My sneakers and—”
“You’ve made your point. I should’ve remembered you don’t play fair.” He barked out a laugh, but pulled onto the shoulder of the road. “We’ll get whatever you need and you can argue with me all you want, but we’re still going to a motel.”
She swallowed hard, remembering the last time they’d ended up in a motel room together.
“Why were you cleaning the cottage?” He checked for traffic before easing back onto the road.
“I was repaying a favor.” She shrugged. “I guess karma didn’t get that part of the message.”
“Yeah, good deeds and all that.” He completed the U-turn and sped up. “So you’re living in Loon Lake full-time?”
“Yup, I’m a permanent resident.” Tomorrow, when the worst of the asthma meds were out of her system, would be time enough for the rest of the story. She had her application in with the school system, where she’d done her student teaching. She wouldn’t let Riley’s sexy dimples blind her to her priorities. She had a daughter to raise, a career to start and a life to live.
“Living at your dad’s place makes it convenient.”
“Except it’s not my dad’s place.” She was proud of owning a home and wanted to make sure he knew about it. “It’s mine. I own it.”
“Really?” His eyes widened. “You took the place on by yourself?”
That’s nothing. I lost my mother, nursed my broken heart and had your baby all by myself. “Don’t sound so surprised. In case you hadn’t noticed, I grew up while you were gone.”
He turned toward her, his gaze sweeping over her. “Oh, I noticed. All I’m saying is the winters can be harsh. That alone would create a lot of upkeep.”
“I can handle it... I am handling it.” Okay, so she was going to have to prioritize her projects due to her car dying and the flooding. Homes on the other end of the lake and ones right on the water had it worse, so she considered herself lucky.
“Your dad wasn’t interested in keeping the place for retirement?”
“No, he signed the deed over to Liam and me. I bought my brother out.” She had grabbed the chance to own a home and raise Fiona in a small town noted for its excellent school system. Here, they had a yard where Meg planned to put up a swing set and, as soon as she found an affordable one that didn’t set off her asthma, she’d get Fiona a puppy. “Neither one of them had much interest in the place after Mom died.”
Riley cleared his throat. “I was sorry to hear about your mother’s death. By the time word got to me in the sandbox, it was too late. I wish I could’ve been there for you, Meg.”
“Thanks, but I didn’t expect you.” But that hadn’t prevented her from searching each new face that came through the door.
“How has Mac been doing?”
“He’s doing great. He’s remarried and—”
“Wait. Mac remarried? Wow, I...” He shook his head. “I guess that shows how long I’ve been gone.”
She clenched her jaw. And totally cut us out of your life while you were at it. “You’ve been gone for nearly six years.”
“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.” He reached over and squeezed her hand. “Tell me about Mac.”
The calluses were new...and sexy. Oh, God, she needed to stop this. Riley might press all her buttons, but she needed to remember that whiskey on his porch. Needed to remember their chemistry wasn’t enough to bind him to her. She’d tried that and failed. Their one night together bound her to him in the form of their daughter, but he didn’t know that...yet. “As I was saying, a widow moved in next door about two years ago and they hit it off right away. They got married at the end of last year when Dad retired.”
“Mac retired? I thought they’d have to wheel him out of the fire station.” He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “Do you like his new wife?”
“I like her very much. Doris is sweet and she’s been a great...” She hesitated.
“Great what?”
“Influence on my dad.” She’d been going to say “grandmother,” but this wasn’t the time or place for that explanation. “Getting him to retire and all.”
Riley squeezed her hand. “Is it hard watching him with someone else?”
“A little at first, but I’m glad he’s happy.”
“What about you, Meggie? Are you happy living here?”
“Yes, I am,” she said and meant it. She’d taken a chance thirteen months ago, uprooting Fiona from Boston to settle in Loon Lake, but they’d made a life for themselves in the quintessential New England town. The wood-covered bridge, pre-Revolutionary War architecture and town green with summer band concerts in the gazebo were the things the tourists saw, but Meg knew firsthand about the caring and kind people who inhabited Loon Lake. Fiercely independent, they never asked for help and yet assisted anyone one who might need it. She still wasn’t sure who to thank for making sure her driveway was plowed after each snowstorm last winter.
Here she could give Fiona community and recreational opportunities that might have been out of reach in Boston. She glanced at Riley, wondering what it would be like to share this life she’d made with him.
She pushed that thought aside, too tired to deal with the enormity of it tonight and the role she and her wounded pride had played in keeping father and daughter apart. She regretted that decision, but it was too late to take it back. All she could do now was hope Fiona didn’t pay the price for her selfishness.
Call me Scarlett, but I’ll worry about that tomorrow.
* * *
Riley stopped his truck in front of Meg’s place, glad she had no idea what he was thinking. Of course, she couldn’t call him any names worse than those he’d called himself during the drive from the hospital. Every time she’d shifted in her seat, he responded, thinking how she’d felt underneath him that night, how no other woman since had made him feel so special.
Nice going, Marine. The woman has a life-threatening asthma attack and all you can think about is jumping her bones.
But then he laughed to himself because that was pretty much the number one objective for a marine on leave.
Meg was white picket fences and family dinners on Sunday, and he was forward operating bases and MREs. She needed someone who was emotionally stable and reliable, not someone chasing an adrenaline rush in the latest battle zone. Putting the truck in Park and killing the engine, he said, “Tell me what you want and I’ll get it.”
“What I want is to stay home. I’ve lived with asthma all my life. I can take care of myself.”
She could fight him all she wanted, but she was staying in the motel tonight if he had to put her over his shoulder. He was keeping her safe at all costs. No more deaths on his watch. Or his conscience. “So why did I find you at the bottom of the stairs, gasping for air?”
“It wasn’t that bad. I was catching my breath before climbing back upstairs.”
“Yeah, well, life sucks. You’re coming with me to the motel. I came here because you said you wanted to get a change of clothes. You can do that or we’ll leave right now.” He hated sounding like such a hard-ass, but he wasn’t taking any chances with Meg’s safety, so he restarted the truck’s engine as a demonstration.
“All right. All right.” She unbuckled her seat belt, filling the cab with that insistent pinging noise. “But I go in and get my own stuff. I don’t want you pawing through my things.”
“Afraid of what I might find hidden in your underwear drawer?” He raised his eyebrows.
“Don’t you have something on your front porch that you need to bring inside?”
“Touché.” Earlier, he’d toyed with the idea of getting acquainted with one of those bottles tonight, but now he wasn’t taking any chances. He needed to be alert in case she had a relapse. “I’ll go take care of my stuff while you get what you need.”
He cut the engine again and she scrambled out of the truck. Her swaying hips and cute butt presented a nice view, lightening his mood without the threat of a hangover.
Remember, returning to your squad was the original mission, Marine.
“And don’t forget to come back out. Locking your door won’t stop me, Meggie. I’m very good at gaining access to barricaded buildings,” he called after her.
She paused on her way up the porch steps to look over her shoulder. “You would come in, knowing you weren’t welcome?”
He barked out a laugh. “I’ve spent much of the past six years in Afghanistan. I’m used to being where I’m not welcome.”
He loped across the distance separating their houses. Putting his bag of clanking bottles on the floor inside the door, he opened his gear bag and pulled out a bottle of ibuprofen. This was the only painkiller he was allowing himself tonight. He grabbed the duffel off the couch and grunted at the twinge in his shoulder. If lucky, Meg wouldn’t force him to take extreme measures to get her to the motel.
To his surprise, and his shoulder’s relief, she was waiting next to his truck with an overnight case. He lifted his chin toward her bag. “Your nebulizer better be in there.”
She rolled those beautiful eyes at him, but nodded. Oorah. He might be calculating Red Sox batting averages in his head before this night was over, but for now he’d savor his victory.
* * *
Checking into their room at the motel ran so smoothly, he suspected Meg had run out of steam. She hadn’t even given him more than token grief over sharing a room. Once inside, she threw her overnight case on one of the double beds, pulled out some items and headed for the bathroom.
“Calling dibs,” was all she said before shutting the door. The lock engaged with a click that echoed.
Despite the utilitarian pressboard furniture, brown tweed carpet, ugly orange drapes and matching bed covers, the room was spotless.
The shower came on and images of a naked Meg filled his head. He fisted his hands at the thought of exploring those new curves. Barely out of her teens when he’d last seen her, she’d been coltish, all legs and arms. But now...
With a muttered curse at the direction of his thoughts, he grabbed the television remote, flipping through channels until he found a baseball game. Not that he’d be able to concentrate, but at least he’d try. Lying on one of the beds, he pretended the game interested him.
The water switched off and he swung his legs off the bed and stood. Clearing his throat, he went closer to the door. “I was thinking of ordering a pizza. You interested?”
“Yeah...o-okay sure.”
She didn’t sound sure and—
Damn. How could he have forgotten they’d fed one another pizza that night? He rubbed his palms on his pants. “Look, there’s a burger joint down the road. I can—”
“Pizza is fine.”
