What Tomorrow Brings (Florida Keys Series) (4 page)

Jake didn’t need an invitation because he devoured her once again, leaving her clinging to him. Maggie struggled to stay upright and yet she couldn’t seem to get enough of him. She leaned harder into him, trying to get closer.

Then she just passed out.

Chapter Three

Maggie was not going to open her eyes, not yet. She could smell the ocean and hear the sounds of morning but she wasn’t ready to face life after a night of Tequila. She had indulged, that she knew, but was afraid to find out how badly. She could feel a body next to her and knew without looking it was Jake. Funny how she knew that. His arm held her close to him and she leaned in a bit wanting to snuggle. When she did so, everything moved all at once.

“It’s OK, don’t open your eyes yet,” Jake mumbled sleepily. “We’re in a hammock. Any movement with closed eyes and we’ll both go toppling to the ground.”

“We’re in a hammock on the beach? I remember dancing with you and then my mind is just blank.” She tried to lift her head. It hurt. “Oh Jake, what have I done?”

“I think you let your hair down, really down,” he said. “I'm just glad I was here. Who knows what else you would have done if I hadn’t come to your rescue.”

She groaned. “You probably should tell me everything so I’m not shocked when I find out later.” Maggie flung her arm over his stomach. She wasn’t ready to move yet. “Did we make out?”

“You made out that’s for sure. Just not with me.”

“What!” Maggie shifted and tried to sit up. She had one hand on Jake’s shoulder and one on his other arm, hanging on to him for fear of upsetting their bed. “Tell me Jake Hatfield! What are you talking about?”

“Your friends at the tiki bar, don’t you remember doing body shots with them?”

Maggie’s face turned bright red. She closed her eyes. “I think I do remember that, kind of.” Her shoulders started shaking and she layed back down. She laughed again because even though she was totally not herself, she had ventured out and did things that maybe her heroines would attempt. That should account for something. “At least the night wasn’t a total disaster, it gave me some material for my novel, if I can just remember everything.” She shaded her face with her arm. If only she had the energy to get up, but laying here beside him felt good at the moment.

Jake started swaying the hammock back and forth, then looked at her and winked. “Is that what you are looking for Maggie McCoy, novel material?”

“Kind of,” she replied a bit sheepishly.

“I can give you novel material, Maggie,” he replied. “If that’s what you want.”

“What I want is for you to stop rocking the hammock,” she teased and then rolled off of it onto the white sandy beach, landing with a plop. She reached up and grabbed the edge of it just at the right time toppling him out too.

He rolled over on top of her. “Maggie, Maggie, that’s not playing nice.” He pinned her arms up over her head and nuzzled her neck. “If romance is what you want, I can help you get that novel started,” he murmured. He nipped her earlobe then traced small kisses across her face. Stormy eyes looked into hers, his face so very close.

“Jake,” she whispered back. “If you don’t get off of me, I’m going to throw up on you.” He rolled. She ran up the beach, sand flying in the air as she headed for the ladies room.

<>

When Maggie finally emerged from inside, her face freshly washed and feeling a bit more alive, she found Jake at one of the outside tables sipping coffee. She sat down. “I’m so sorry, kind of.”

He grinned. “Ah Maggie, it’s been interesting. Here I thought this was just another night out in the keys and then you came along stirring up my whole world.”

“I stir up your world?” she asked, intrigued. “Really, Jake?”

He smiled and pushed a cup filled with red liquid towards her. “I did have fun, especially right before you passed out on me.” He leaned back in the chair, watching her.

“What’s this?” She picked it up and tasted it to avoid his stare. “Tomato juice?”

“Drink it down quick, you’ll feel better in no time.”

Maggie wrinkled her nose but drank it down. There was other stuff added to the tomato juice. She looked over the beach to see several others chilling in the sand. “I see we weren’t the only ones too drunk to drive.”

He leaned forward. “I was fine to drive. It was my passenger who was living a fantasy romance who was too drunk to put on the bike.”

Her head shot up. “Living a fantasy! What are you saying, Jake?” She sat forward in her chair and stared right back at him.

“After you passed out, I placed you on the hammock and you kept talking in your sleep or induced state, I should say.”

“What did I say?” Maggie shifted. Her stomach was starting to feel sick but not from the booze.

His brow shot up. “You were glad it was me who was going to be the hero in your new novel. You said there was plenty of material that you think you could write a whole series.”

Maggie shot out of her chair. “You’ll have to excuse me again,” she told him, her face crimson. She couldn’t look him in the eye. She needed to make a fast break away for a few minutes to compose herself.

“Maggie,” he said softly and she turned slightly because his voice was so serious all of a sudden.

She waited. “Hot man will be right here waiting,” he dead panned. She ran, once again through the sand, heading for the bathroom she was beginning to know way too well.

<>

Maggie hid in the stall for a few minutes, furious with herself for over doing it. She heard some others enter the ladies room talking away in familiar voices. It was Charity and Hope. They sounded like they were ready to start their partying again.

“Well, if it isn’t the two entertainers of the month,” Cari’s voice suddenly rang out. “You two put on quite the slutty show.”

Charity and Hope laughed. “Drop dead, Cari. You’re just jealous. Look at you, what are you still doing here? Boyfriend kick you out again.”

That seemed to make Cari furious and Maggie heard a commotion. The girls started yelling at each other. Maggie flew out of the stall. “That’s enough!” She stood between the three of them before they wound up hurting each other when the girls noticed who she was.

“Hey Maggie. You survived!” Charity and Hope gave her a hug. “Just ignore this one, she wishes she’d be half the woman we are.”

Cari and furious seemed to go arm in arm, then she spotted Maggie. “Aren’t you a piece of work!” Cari yelled. Her battle seemed to shift all at once.

“What’d I do?” Maggie was not in the mood for a fight, verbal or physical.

“It’s not what you did, it’s what you will never do and that’s have Jake! He’ll just toy with you and then toss you out like the piece of trash you are.” Cari slammed the stall closed as Maggie turned to go into the stall after her. Little did Cari know calling her dirt was not a wise move.

“Come on, Maggie, she’s the one who's dirt. Don’t give her the satisfaction of getting angry. She’s not worth it. ” They looped arms and led her out of the bathroom but she was steaming by now.

“I want to go back in there and kick her righteous ass,” Maggie said, furiously. #”Dirt, I’m not dirt.”

Jake was walking towards them when he saw how mad Maggie looked. “What’s wrong Maggie?” He stopped in front of her and reached out to touch her.

She turned and headed towards the parking lot. “I’m ready to go Jake. Obviously, not all the witches live in Boston!”

Charity and Hope’s goodbye’s rang out as Maggie stomped through the parking lot and Jake, taking long strides, tried to keep up. Calling her trash brought up an old childhood memory. She thought she was over it, but that just wasn’t the case.. She stopped and turned, Jake almost running into her. “I know she is your brother’s friend or girl or whatever, but I don’t have to take that from anyone!”

Jake hooked his thumb in his jeans. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about. What happened in the ladies room?”

“Your friend Cari cornered the twins and then when I jumped in she called me trash.” She didn’t tell him what else was said.

“She’s trouble Maggie. I’m sorry you had to deal with her. My brother has been trying to get rid of her for awhile, but nothing seems to work. Of course, she lays a little loving on him and then he gets sucked right back into her web.”

“Your brother is no where around, Jake. I think she wants you.”

He nodded. “I was afraid of that. I can go talk to her, tell her to leave you alone.”

She shook her head. “No way! Let’s get out of here. I’m ready to go back to my little bungalow.”

The ride back was uneventful and Maggie clung onto Jake a little tighter than usual. Her body felt as if it worked for two weeks without sleep. “I’ll never drink again,” she shouted to him over the loud roar of the harley.

He nodded and reached back and patted her thigh as if it were the most natural thing to do. She was getting used to his touching her like that. Jake was starting to rub off on her, even if they only knew each other for a day. How could that be, she wondered. She never, ever let anyone get too close to her. Writing was all she knew, it was all she cared to do, at least that’s what she thought.

When they finally got back to his house Maggie thanked him for taking her and then ran for the shelter of her bungalow. At first while they were riding the rain had come down in tiny drops but now it poured down in a steady stream. As soon as she got inside, she headed for a much needed shower.

Twenty minutes later, Maggie was curled up in her bed, covers to her chin. She just needed to rest, it had been a wild night for a girl like her. She never went out, hadn’t drank since one night in high school and that was quite awhile ago. Maggie McCoy was one sick woman in need of a bit of pampering. She was going to sleep until everything she had done in the last twelve hours wore off.

Chapter Four

Sunlight filtered through the wooden blinds and Maggie shifted the bedspread to cover her face. How long had she been sleeping? She snuggled into her covers until a hard knock on her door made her leap out of bed. Man, she was so jumpy lately! Grabbing her short robe off the bathroom hook, Maggie opened the front door. No one was there until she heard a little doggie sound and looked down.

She laughed and shifted herself to Jax’s level. He sat there on his hind legs, tongue hanging out, his ears perked. “What’s going on, little fellow? ” Maggie instinctively reached out to pet him and then saw the little bag attached to Jax’s collar. “What’s this? What is your master up to?” She reached in the bag to retrieve a note.

Maggie smiled when she saw who it was from. She sat on the floor in front of Jax and read the note while he tried to jump on her.

Maggie McCoy...you have just been invited to breakfast on the veranda. I’ll see you in twenty. Take the steps to the second floor balcony. Don’t say no, the view is amazing up here! Jake Hatfield

Exactly twenty minutes later Maggie was taking the steps one at a time smiling. She felt pretty good today, her mind was clear and focused. Breakfast with Jake would be just the thing to start her day. When she got to the top of the steps she stopped dead in her tracks. Set out before her was a very romantic scene overlooking the bay. A white cloth was draped over the round table, it’s edges hanging a bit on one side, but that’s what made it so crazy cool. Jake put a lot of time and thought into staging a romantic themed breakfast. The table was set for two with square yellow plastic plates and matching plastic flat wear the color of a bright sun. A bunch of flowers of different varieties in purple, pink, white and orange were plopped in a glass vase, a bit crooked but to Maggie it was perfect. Two small candles sat on a large saucer, it’s light flickering back and forth the wax dripping here and there..

“Very nice Jake,” Maggie gushed. He pulled out a chair that was covered with another white sheet tied with rope to keep it in place.

“Sit,” he ordered. “It’s my treat today to make up for the way you were treated the other night.”

Maggie looked at him. “The other night? You mean last night?”

He shook his head. “I’m afraid not. You slept for about a day and a half.”

Maggie groaned. “I don’t think I ever slept that long in my life,” she mumbled. She reached for the cup of coffee he set down and took a sip. It had a slight taste of hazelnut. “This is good Jake, thanks.”

He winked at her. “You haven’t seen anything yet, Maggie. I’ll be right back.”He grabbed their plates from the table, letting the screen door slam as he went inside. She sat looking over the deck at the beautiful sky. The clouds were so white and big and seemed so close she wanted to reach out to touch them. It truly was paradise and he was making it even more so by his kind gesture this morning.

Jake came out carrying two plates and placed them on the table before he sat down. He was in his famous low cut shorts that hung tight and low on his hips. A sleeveless white cotton t shirt clung to his abs for dear life. Maggie was thinking she didn’t know where she wanted to start first and then laughed to herself. Get your mind out of the gutter, girl!

She shook her head at this amazing man. Thick french toast dripping with chocolate sauce and topped with fresh ripe strawberries sat before her. “This looks delicious!” She dug in as Jake sat back in his chair and watched her take the first bite.

He grinned when she moaned. “I feel famished! It’s really good,” she mumbled, her mouth full.

“I figured you would be very hungry as long as you slept, Maggie.”

“How did you know I slept so long Jake? You got a peep hole in your floor somewhere?” He laughed out loud.

“Afraid not, but thanks for the idea. I came down a few times yesterday to make sure you were OK but didn’t see any lights or movement. It’s usually the case when Tequila is involved.”

“You talking from experience?” she asked as she downed the waffles. They were delicious and she was going to eat every last forkful, even lick the plate if necessary. She looked up to see that Jake hadn’t even touched his yet.

“In my Army days you could say there were a few times. But we didn’t have the luxury of sleeping in for a day. You had to fall right back into your routine and work, hangover or not.”