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One
Maggie
Maggie smoothed the fabric of her short red sundress over her legs and hooked her seat belt. Reid closed the Jeep’s passenger door, and she checked her appearance in the visor mirror. Again, her hair was a lost cause. The humid night air had turned her carefully blown tresses into a mess of unruly curls.
“Do you want me to roll the windows up?” Reid asked, lowering himself into the driver seat and placing a hand on her knee.
She smiled, feeling the heat his touch caused run up her leg. She shook her head. “It won’t make a difference. Plus, I want to smell the salt air. It’s one of my favorite things about living here.”
He cranked the Jeep and reached for something in the console under the dash. She thought she detected a nervous look on his face.
“This made me think of you.” He hurriedly handed her an oblong box with a blue ribbon tied around it.
“What’s this?” She took the gift and began to untie the ribbon. Reid had bought her a gift. Her heart skipped a beat, and she tried to stop her hands from shaking as she moved aside the tissue paper. She pulled a delicate silver chain from the wrappings and held it up to see the small charm on the necklace.
“A lighthouse! Reid, it’s beautiful,” she gushed, looking at him. He guided the Jeep down the island road with one hand on the steering wheel while keeping the other on her leg. She noticed he hadn’t moved it since they got in the Jeep. He had actually bought her a reminder of their first kiss. It couldn’t be a sweeter gift.
She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.
“Glad you like it.” He squeezed her knee as she eased back down into the seat.
They were approaching a curve near the midpoint of the island where a clearing revealed a perfect view of the sound. Maggie marveled at the shoreline bathed in the early evening light.
“Tonight’s sunset is going to be amazing,” she commented.
“Better enjoy the island air while you can. You only have a week before it’s back to the real world.”
Maggie’s chest tightened. Did he sound a little sad? This could be the opening she was looking for, and he had brought a gift. That had to mean something, right?
She assessed her date. He was looking especially sexy in a crisp white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. She only saw him wear the seemingly never-ending combination of khaki shorts and T-shirts or old work shirts. For tonight’s rehearsal dinner and after party, he was wearing full-length pants and he filled them out quite nicely.
She stared at his profile and reached out to touch his cheek. “Actually, that’s something I kind of wanted to talk to you about.”
“Uh-oh. Another one of your ideas? Should I be worried?” He grabbed her hand from his cheek and squeezed it. “The last involved christening my newest yacht.” He chuckled.
Ok, so he wasn’t freaked out by her statement, but maybe now wasn’t the right time. She didn’t want to ruin his playful mood or the evening ahead. This rehearsal dinner was shaping up to be the party of the season, which was saying a lot in a summer full of island revelry.
She and Blair had spent more than two hours getting ready for tonight. Finding the right dress for what seemed like their first fancy dates with the guys was no easy task. They’d cast aside many a sundress before settling on the final choices. Maggie, in a red halter dress that ended a couple inches above the knee and showed off her tan shoulders and back. Blair opted for another black strapless number.
She was still upstairs putting finishing touches on her makeup when Reid showed to pick up Maggie. Justyn was due at the house any minute. They had decided to break up the foursome for the night and travel to the party as couples. Maggie wasn’t sure whose idea it was, but she was excited for some more alone time with Reid.
She feigned a giggle, hoping it was enough to convince him that her intentions were as light and playful. “That was fun, wasn’t it? Let’s skip it for now and focus on tonight. Oh, I love this song.” She reached over and turned the radio up, content for a moment to enjoy the island breeze whipping through her hair and the nearness of Reid as they sped toward their destination.
Maggie took in the three-story house sprawling in front of her. Like many of the homes on the sound near the bridge, it was on stilts and topped with a cupola. She imagined it had been inspired by the coastal homes from hundreds of years ago that were outfitted with widow’s walks and lookout towers so wives could watch for their husbands. However, this house was definitely a modern twist.
She followed Reid around the side yard to where she could get a glimpse of the party under way on the lawn facing the sound. The event seemed to stretch across three adjacent yards with a white tent at the center as well as a steam pit to the left and a series of round tables to the right. Lanterns were strung from the gnarled island oaks and along three piers that jutted from the three houses.
“So this is where you grew up?” Maggie stopped mid-stride and looked up at Reid. “It must have been magical.”
“Well, it’s not always all decked out like this, but my mom and aunts do love giving a party.” He chuckled. “Come on. We don’t want to miss out on the fresh clams coming out of the pots.” He tugged at her hand.
Maggie’s feet stayed rooted to the ground. “Your mom? Oh, of course your mom will be here.”
The realization dawned on her that she would meet Reid’s family. It was his cousin’s wedding, and Josh’s parents along with Reid and Justyn’s families were hosting tonight’s festivities. All of a sudden Maggie felt herself quake at the knees at the thought of coming face-to-face with this guy’s mother. She’d had sex in an unfinished boat with him. She’d had sex standing up, lying down, and in places and positions she’d never dreamed of. To her it was more than just the sex. She was sure there was something else between them and was thinking about putting her career plans on pause to chase the feelings she was having for Reid. Suddenly, the thought of meeting h
is mother made it seem all too real.
“Hey, tiger.” He turned, circling his arms around her waist. He toyed with her hair and leaned in. “There’s no reason to be afraid. She will absolutely love you.”
Maggie’s heart thudded in her chest at the sound of his words. What about you? She tried to banish that from her head. She reached to her neck and toyed with the new silver charm.
Maggie sighed and buried her head in Reid’s chest, breathing in his intoxicating scent and trying to savor the feeling of his arms around her. She looked up and parted her lips.
“One kiss for courage?”
Reid’s answer came in the form of lips pressing against hers. She moaned as he pulled her in closer, enjoying the feeling of his hands running down her back. This was already shaping up to be another great night. If the way he was kissing her right now was a preview of things to come, she couldn’t wait to get this party over so they could be alone later. She heard him inhale a deep breath before pulling away.
“We’d better go join the party now, or we might not ever make an appearance, which would definitely make the wrong impression on my family.” He chuckled and put a hand at her back, guiding her in the direction of the blaring beach music and steaming seafood.
Two
Maggie
