The Marine's Secret Daughter Read online

  Just like that it was a done deal. Meg made a grab for the mask, but Riley stopped her. “What part of keep this on did you not understand?”

  Fine. She’d talk through the stupid mask. “You don’t have to go to any trouble. I can take care of myself and see that my basement is cleaned up.”

  He bent over her, one hand resting next to her head, the other near her hip. “Tonight I issue orders. You follow them.”

  Before she could form a protest, he leaned closer. Dear Lord, was he going to kiss her? Her heart beat erratically and her eyes closed, as if she’d lost control of them. His firm lips touched her forehead. What did he think he was doing? How dare he! How...how... Her protests went unspoken as she tried to process his actions. Riley had kissed her. A peck on her forehead, but she’d liked it. Oh, God, she’d liked it. She had plans and Riley Cooper was not part of those. At one time he had been, but then she’d tried to tell him about Fiona and he hadn’t bothered to open, let alone read, her letters. But what about those dreams of finding someone to share all of life’s ups and downs? She shoved those thoughts aside. Why go looking for trouble or heartache?

  Jan moved the curtain, jangling the rings against the metal rod. Riley straightened and stepped back. Great, now it would be all over town that Meg McBride not only sent her daughter away so she could carry on a raging affair with a hot stranger but ended up in the ER with him. A story begging for embellishment.

  “Let’s get you ready to go.” Jan dropped a stack of papers next to Meg’s feet and bustled around, unhooking the oxygen and handing Meg the bra, T-shirt and her hoodie safely sealed in a plastic bag.

  Riley straightened up and stepped away from the stretcher. “Ma’am, could you direct me to the nearest head...uh, restroom?”

  “The head? Are you saying I run a tight ship?” Jan laughed.

  Riley grinned. “Land or sea it’s the same to a grunt.”

  She stepped into the hall. “I prefer the tight ship theory, but here, let me get you started in the right direction.”

  Meg began dressing while Jan was giving Riley directions. Her fingers shook as she tried to get the bra on and she knew the shakes weren’t entirely due to the asthma meds. Try as she might, she couldn’t block out the fact that Riley had kissed her. She should be furious with him. So why wasn’t she?

  “Here, let me help.” Jan helped her get the hooks threaded into the loops. “I must say, everyone is admiring your...uh...um...”

  “He’s a friend of Liam’s and just happens to be renting the cottage next to mine.” Meg left out the part how Riley had sometimes spent summers as a child at the lake with his parents and then later as a guest of her family. That was close to ten years ago; no need to remind everyone of a silly childhood crush she’d gotten over a long time ago.

  “Yeah, Lorena down at the Pic-N-Save said a hottie in a big black pickup had stopped for gas at that shiny new station off the interstate at the same time she was fueling up.” Jan straightened the papers she’d left on the bed. “Lorena was asking everyone who came in if they knew anything about him. Won’t those girls be jealous when they find out I know something they don’t.”

  “Mmm.” Meg pulled the cotton scrub top over her head.

  “Oh, but look at me. Goodness, I shouldn’t be talking about your...uh, friend like that.” Jan helped Meg pull her hair from beneath the shirt.

  “He’s my brother’s friend,” Meg said through gritted teeth. Who was she trying to convince...them or herself?

  Jan picked up the papers. “Yes. Yes. Of course. Your...um, Riley said he’d meet you at the nurses’ station.”

  Meg sighed. Her life would be a lot simpler if everyone would just stay out of her business.

  * * *

  Riley thanked the young, dark-haired nurse at the desk. While the one motel in Loon Lake was closed for renovations, she’d suggested one not too far away and had even called to check availability.

  With the room booked, now all Riley had to do was get Meg there. He knew she’d fight him on it, but he wasn’t letting her go back to either cottage tonight, nor was he leaving her alone. As far as he knew, her dad and brother were living three hours away in Boston. He might not want to admit it, but she’d scared him. And he’d been in some terrifying situations during his time in the sandbox. When he returned to his men, he wanted to do it knowing Meg was here in Loon Lake, safe and happy.

  And is that your explanation for your boneheaded behavior back there, Marine?

  The kiss had been spontaneous and it was a toss-up who’d been more surprised by the gesture. For a split second, the emotions he’d bottled up had threatened to consume him. He’d been afraid she’d pass out or worse before he could get her help. But he was glad he’d been there, able to help her, and that he’d finally helped someone rather than watching them die.

  Look on the bright side, Marine—giving her a quick peck was preferable to clinging to her in relief.

  “Here’s your confirmation number.” The nurse handed him a yellow sticky note.

  He shifted the bag in his hand and took the paper. “Thanks...uh...”

  She blushed. “Ellie.”

  “Appreciate it, Ellie.” He turned toward the footsteps coming down the hall and went to meet Meg.

  He thanked God Meg’s color had returned, but those bruising circles under her eyes and the oversize scrub top gave her a fragile appearance. His gut clenched as he fought the urge to scoop her up and carry her off. To where? The nearest cave? Had he lost his mind? He had obligations that didn’t include Meg and he needed to remember that.

  Meg pointed to the white plastic bag in his hand. “Been shopping?”

  “I heard the nurse say there was mold on your hoodie and it’s getting chillier out there.” He pulled a pink hooded sweatshirt from the bag and a teddy bear fell out, but he caught the stuffed animal before it landed on the floor.

  She raised her eyebrows at the bear but didn’t say anything, and he regretted his impulse buy. And you thought this was a good idea why, Marine?

  “Here,” he muttered and handed her the bear.

  “What’s this for?” Her glance bounced between him and the toy.

  “It’s to replace the one Liam and I used for archery practice.” He cleared his throat. “I’ve...uh, been meaning to replace it for a long time now.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “I knew you two had something to do with it.”

  “I wanted to tell you but Liam threatened me.” He shoved his hands in the pockets of his cammies.

  The corners of her mouth twitched up. “Threatened you? With what? You were always bigger than him.”

  “He said he’d end our friendship.”

  “Liam’s friendship meant that much to you?”

  “Being with your family meant that much to me.” His time with the McBrides had been his escape when things got ugly between his parents. Meg’s family talked to him without giving him the third degree, expecting him to rat out the other parent, depending on which one was asking. At Christmas, while the McBrides gathered around their tree, he’d been dragged to destinations one parent had picked to make it difficult for the other to visit. Now his relationship with them had devolved into awkwardly polite phone calls on birthdays and holidays.

  She lifted a tag attached to the bear’s ear. “I don’t believe it.”

  “What?” Did he leave the price tag on?

  “It says his name is Jasper.” She sounded incredulous.

  “That’s what made me think of it.”

  “You remembered my bear’s name was Jasper?” she whispered and her eyes lit up.

  “I wanted to fix it and give it back to you, but I had no clue how, and anyway Liam would’ve known it was me...” He shrugged.

  She gave him a smile that made the embarrassment worth it.

  They’d reached the nurses’ station an
d Meg signed the paperwork, took the small bag of meds Jan handed her and began marching toward the exit before his brain kicked back into gear. With a nod to the nurses gawking at him from behind the counter, he caught up to Meg and placed his hand against the small of her back.

  “Why was she giving you her phone number?” Meg increased her pace, but his stride was longer and he easily kept up and maintained contact as they exited the building.

  “Who?” He pulled his keys out of his pocket with his free hand, the other still planted against her back.

  “Ellie Harding. I saw her giving you that slip of paper.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder and settled the teddy bear in the crook of her arm.

  She must mean the confirmation number. Where was she going with this? “What paper?”

  “The one you put in your pocket.” She stopped short, but he managed not to mow her down. “Don’t try to deny it. I saw it.”

  “According to you, all I am is a neighbor.” He kept his tone casual, not wanting her to know how she’d hurt him by denying their connection. “So why would you even care?”

  “Pfft.” She restarted her brisk pace through the parking lot. “I don’t.”

  “And yet you mentioned it.”

  She shook her head. “Forget I said anything.”

  He opened the passenger door. “That’s hard to do since you insist on talking about it.”

  “I’m not talking.”

  “Then what is that thing you’re doing with your mouth?” He cocked an eyebrow, knowing his ability to lift one would bug her. She’d been around twelve when he’d caught her practicing in front of a mirror, trying and failing to imitate him by raising just one eyebrow. He shouldn’t be goading her, but falling back into their good-natured teasing felt good and helped melt away some of the distance the years had wedged between them.

  She rolled her eyes at him, and the rays from the sun sitting low on the horizon fell on her face, causing the amber ring circling her pupils to glow. He’d never met another woman with eyes as beautifully sexy as hers.

  “I love your eyes.” He hadn’t meant to say that, but the words had catapulted from his mouth like a fighter jet off the deck of a carrier. He might not have set out to say anything like that, but he wasn’t sorry.

  “Wha-what?”

  Placing his thumb under her jaw, he closed her mouth. “I was remarking on your eyes.”

  She stuck her chin out. “The medical term is sectoral heterochromia.”

  He understood what she was saying, or rather, what she wasn’t saying. Her reaction reminded him of his when the doctors talked about his survivor’s guilt. “People like to label things.”

  “Kids made fun. Said I had freckles in my eyes. Except—” she clutched the bear tighter, but didn’t look away “—you. You never did.”

  “I was too busy teasing you about this red hair.” He ran his fingers through the soft, springy curls.

  “It’s not red.” She glared at him, but her lips twitched, telling him she wasn’t angry. “It’s golden copper. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

  “Golden copper, huh?” He wrapped a curl around his index finger, gave a gentle tug and let go, grinning when the corkscrew sprang back. “Sure looks red to me.”

  “Well, there’s a difference.” She brushed the hair off her face. “And you’d know that if you’d been paying attention.”

  “Oh, I paid attention, Meggie. As a matter of fact, I—”

  An ambulance, its sirens blaring and lights flashing, passed and he followed its progress as it pulled under the portico of the emergency entrance. When he turned back, she was watching the ambulance, her brows drawn together over the bridge of her nose. He smoothed his thumb over the deep grooves. “Let’s go.”

  “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.”