Staying Grounded (A Rocky Harbor Novel Book 1) Read online

  “Are you concerned about your practice? The reputation you’ve built? Your father is known for being a little too friendly with women other than his wife. Maybe his daughter has inherited his fondness for scandal as well.”

  Irish blood rose in a tsunami in her chest, ready to drown and mutilate the monster in front of her, yet Maggie’s pride and training prevailed. “I feel sorry for you, Mr. Legend. Maybe someday you’ll grow a conscience, a little pride, and a reputation for doing an honest day’s work. In the meantime, stay away from me and my family or you’ll find yourself with a restraining order and a lawsuit for slander.”

  Mustering up all the dignity she pretended to have, Maggie closed the door, started her engine, and drove away, her body shaking so fiercely she thought a mini earthquake was ripping through her car.

  She managed to make it to her house, quickly got out of the car, locked it and ran inside, constantly looking over her shoulder to see if anyone was lurking in the woods. Poor Sweetie Pie yipped and jumped, anxious to see her owner and to go outside. Maggie closed the blinds and the curtains to the front of the house and scanned the backyard through her kitchen window.

  “Make this quick, Sweetie. I don’t want you hurt in this mess either.” She picked up her dog, rubbed her cheeks in the white fluff, and gave her a quick kiss. “Hurry.” Maggie opened the door just wide enough for her dog and then slammed it shut.

  Guilt swept through her body. She couldn’t leave her poor, helpless dog to the hands of a gossiping troll. Putting on her big girl panties, she scoured her kitchen for a weapon, ignoring the knives—John Legend didn’t seem like a killer, just an arrogant ass—and opted for her cell phone. Armed and ready, she opened the door and stood on her back porch with more bravery than she thought she had inside.

  “Come on, girl. Do your thing.” Maggie’s eyes scanned the woods for strangers armed with telephoto lenses. The coast appeared to be clear and Sweetie Pie didn’t seem to pick up on any stranger danger scent. Maggie finally let out a breath of air she didn’t know was pent up inside her chest.

  Her adorable, faithful, loving little fluff nugget came prancing up the stairs and yipping at her feet, begging to be picked up. “Good girl. Your mama loves you, baby girl.” Maggie nuzzled her again and slipped through the back door, sliding the deadbolt and cursing herself for not putting up any blinds or curtains over the glass. Her backyard was completely private and she’d never needed the protection, yet now she felt voyeur’s eyes on her everywhere she looked.

  After feeding her dog and microwaving a frozen dinner for herself, Maggie finally settled in her bedroom, shades down and curtains drawn, when the shakes took over again. Her body convulsed with nervous energy. This Mr. John Legend dirtbag was drudging up false information on Graham just to sell papers, or advertising space or whatever people did these days to make money from trash magazines. How dare he.

  Graham had worked for years and years to rectify his sins from his childhood, to shed any signs of his abusive father’s genes from his body, and had turned into the most honest, kind, generous, caring man she’d ever met. And the cherry on top—he had a killer body and gave the most toe-curling kisses. He didn’t deserve to have his name and reputation dragged through the mud because some vengeful man’s ego got crushed when Graham put him in his place.

  Maggie supported him one hundred and ten percent and would fight to the end to protect him, or exonerate him, whatever it was that he needed.

  It wasn’t until the next morning, after a restless night’s sleep, as she was stepping out of the shower and thinking of all the final preparations she needed for her plan that she realized she wasn’t at all concerned about her own career. She should be. Her license could be revoked or her patients could leave her practice to go to someone else who wasn’t in the middle of a stupid scandal.

  Rather than obsess over her career, she got angry over the way the media was twisting Graham’s character.

  “I love him.” Maggie stared at her reflection in the mirror, at first horrified, and then her scared eyes opened wide as her lip quirked. “I’m so over-the-top in love with Graham Riley.” She’d come to terms a few weeks ago with the fact that that she loved him and had been fighting the emotions, but today she welcomed them.

  This was true love. When you didn’t care about yourself and were more concerned for the person you loved. She wasn’t throwing her career away, rather her mind was more focused on Graham. And when he came into her office yesterday he wasn’t throwing his career away either.

  Graham loved her. He put Maggie’s career before his because he loved her as well, whether he realized it or not. Giddy with happiness, she quickly dressed and got ready for her plan.

  It had better work, and if not, she was done with following her heart. Forever. Not that she’d ever followed it before. Hell, it never beat so erratically as it had the past few months. Basically whenever she saw or thought about Graham.

  In other words, All. The. Time.

  Maggie and Rachael’s relationship was two-fold, one they both agreed on and were happy with. When Rachael needed professional counseling, she’d call Tiffany and make an appointment with Maggie. In the office they were therapist and patient. When Rachael wanted to try her hand at going out in public, she’d call Maggie and they’d meet for coffee or ice cream and even dinner.

  Since Rachael didn’t have a car, Maggie had picked her up a few times at her house and met the famous Doreen Riley. They didn’t mention Graham but had polite and friendly discussions about Rocky Harbor, animals, and plants. Doreen gave her advice on pruning back her rose and hydrangea bushes for the fall and when to plant bulbs for a beautiful spring bloom.

  It was no wonder how Graham and Rachael, despite their pasts, had grown into wonderful, caring adults. If only Joan had modeled her mothering skills after Doreen Riley. They’d made progress over the past few days, exchanging texts, her mother learning how to take pictures with her phone, and promising to work on their relationship when she returned.

  Maybe her family had hope after all. In the meantime, being part of the Riley family, even a small, small part, gave her confidence to push forward with her plan. And while she didn’t want to bring him up with Doreen, she did cave and ask Rachael for help. She didn’t normally use people for her personal gain, but Rachael appreciated being part of a matchmaking scam by deceiving her brother into thinking he was going fishing for the weekend with Luke.

  There were a few Riley siblings involved in her scheme. Rachael talked to Luke, who talked to his friend Brian, who had a house on the lake he volunteered as the meeting place. All Maggie needed was Graham, solitude, and no escape route. She finished her water and tossed the bottle in the recycle bin by the back door, nervously pacing back and forth, looking out the window for Luke and Graham.

  Surprisingly, her mother gave her decent advice. The only way to tell if she and Graham were meant for each other was to have an honest to goodness blowout of emotions. A no-holds-barred lay-it-on-the-table discussion of their future hopes and dreams and whether those dreams included each other. One way or another, he would open up to her. The therapist in her knew he’d been repressing his feelings and emotions for decades as a way to cope with his childhood tragedy. His use of humor and sex as a way to avoid personal relationships was destructive as well.

  Graham would never be truly happy, or completely healed, until he learned to express himself…in a nonsexual way. He had no problem expressing himself in the bedroom. Or bathroom. Or kitchen. Maggie shivered at the memories of all the locations they’d made love. Of all the places he’d touched her. Including her heart.

  The stubborn man needed a major intervention and she hoped she was the right one to do it. Maggie even went so far as to take Kenzie’s Prius to the lake house, so Graham wouldn’t recognize it when Luke dropped him off. She bit the inside of her cheek and ran through all the possible outcomes.

  Graham could get pissed at the trap and shut down for good. Forever. Or he
’d break down and confess his undying love for her and they’d live happily ever after. Or he’d flash his charming smile and her panties would come off in seconds, diminishing any chance of talk.

  Maggie was sure there were other options as well, but these were the only ones she could think of under the pressure. The sound of tires on the dirt road caught her attention and she ran to window and peered out. Graham and Luke stood next to the truck, laughing about something. Luke made a big show of his hands and pointed toward the house.

  Crap. Maggie crouched and waited until she heard the car drive away before duck walking backwards down the hallway, out of sight from the front door. Graham entered, whistling. She heard a bag drop on the kitchen counter and the door to the fridge open.

  “Bastard said there’d be beer.” Graham rummaged through the cabinets and Maggie took a cleansing breath before making her presence known.

  “Hi.”

  “Holy shit!” Graham dropped the package of Oreos on the floor and two precious cookies spilled out. Maggie’s heart dropped.

  “No need to take it out on the cookies. You know these are my favorite.” She scooped them up, brushed off the invisible germs, thanking God she hadn’t counted to five yet. Not knowing what to do or say, she twisted the cookie and put the unfrosted wafer in her mouth.

  “You know the way you eat chocolate turns me on.”

  And charming the panties off it was. No, she wouldn’t let him use his panty-dropping sweet talk to distract her from her purpose. Maggie delayed again by scraping the frosting off the cookie with her teeth and made the mistake of looking up at him. His piercing eyes stripped her naked and touched her girly parts. If her panties dropped to the floor she’d forgo the five-second rule and keep them there. She shoved the rest of the cookie in her mouth, tossed the second one on the counter—there was no way it was going to get wasted—and brushed her hands on her shorts.

  “We need to talk.”

  “Wasn’t it just last week when you told me you never wanted to see me again?”

  “Yes. And that’s probably still true, but the therapist in me couldn’t let your…problems go untreated.”

  “Yeah?” He smirked. “What part of me do you want to treat first?”

  Maggie cursed her Irish hormones—because that was surely the reason why she’d so easily become brainwashed by his charm. “You have issues, Graham.”

  “Don’t we all?”

  “Yes, but most are more forthright with them.”

  “Are you playing doctor? You know how hot it makes me when you talk all…professional.” Graham lifted his arms and held on to the door frame, his biceps flexing, his grey T-shirt pulling up just enough to taunt her with a glimpse of his six-pack and landing strip that lead to his powerful…no, she wouldn’t think about what was so-not-hiding in his jeans.

  Maggie backed away from him and sat at the tiny kitchen table. “I meant what I said at my office. You’re always on autopilot—no pun intended—every word scripted to be the funny guy or the sexy guy. Every move, every word calculated. For once I’d like to see you let go and actually say what’s on your mind and not worry about how you’re going to be perceived.”

  “You’ve seen me let go many times, Maggie.” He drawled her name and she clenched her thighs together. “There’s nothing scripted or calculated about the way we come together.”

  “Yes, you’re very original in the bedroom, but unless you plan on sleeping your way through life—”

  “It’s not the sleeping I was referring to.”

  “Dammit, Graham! I know what you’re talking about. Not every situation can be solved or handled with sex.”

  “Okay, tell me what situation you want me to deal with, Doc.” Graham dropped his arms and turned a seat around, straddling it and resting his forearms on the back.

  ***

  Graham

  Suddenly uncomfortable being alone with Maggie, Graham straddled the chair and breathed deep, trying to make himself appear relaxed. Truth be told, the second he walked into the camp he swore he could smell her, but he figured it was his overactive imagination and under-used libido.

  When Maggie appeared in the kitchen his heart nearly stopped. Hell, he’d nearly dropped to the floor and had a heart attack. Luke had to have been in on the plan, claiming to need to run to the store to get bait for their evening of fishing. He’d been set up and damn if it didn’t make him a little weak in the knees. So Maggie O’Fallon hadn’t been completely immune to him.

  He needed to play his cards right. Not knowing any other way to react, he’d done what came naturally, turned everything she said into a sexual innuendo. And hell if Maggie didn’t look adorable all hot and bothered with his cool comebacks. He’d hoped to have her naked and splayed on the kitchen table by now, but the thing looked ancient and probably not able to withstand all that he wanted to do with Maggie.

  “I want you to tell me about your feelings.”

  Hell, he could do that. “I’m feeling pretty horny right now.” Maggie picked up a banana from the fruit bowl and chucked it him. He caught it, laughing. “Hey, you asked. And it’s your fault anyway. You know how much I love your hair down. And that glimpse of cleavage you flashed me when bending down to pick up those cookies…damn, you trying to torture me or what?”

  Maggie pulled at the slight dip in her T-shirt. He actually hadn’t seen any cleavage, her shirt being too modest to reveal her prefect, pillowy breasts, but she was fun to tease.

  “This was a bad idea. I’m leaving.”

  “Hang on a second, Maggie. You tell me why you set this up. Why you had Luke drop me off, leaving me stranded, at your mercy.”

  “Because you run, Graham. You’re a flight risk. You don’t face your problems, and choose to run away. Instead of arguing over the anger management classes—which you obviously didn’t need—you were complacent and attended counseling and the dreadful sessions. Instead of taking on this Stockton guy you’re letting him win. And you never called me, letting me slip away too.” Maggie rubbed her cheek against her shoulder, wiping away a tear.

  He wanted to reach out and kiss the wet track her tears had made. Instead he held on to the chair and leaned back. “Just because I didn’t put up a fight doesn’t mean I ran away.”

  “Why didn’t you fight it then?”

  Graham shrugged. “It wasn’t worth it.”

  “Oh.” Maggie flinched and pushed back her chair. “Well, then. I hope someday you find something worth fighting for.” She stood and walked to the kitchen counter, grabbing her purse.

  “Maggie, wait.” He trapped her between the counter and his body.

  “No, don’t.” She shook her head and pushed at his chest, but he didn’t budge.

  “Talk to me.”

  “Don’t you see?” She looked up, tears in her eyes. “That’s what you’re supposed to do for me.”

  “What do you want me to say?” Graham stared down at her blotchy cheeks and runny nose and wrapped her in a tight hug. Her arms remained limp at her sides but he wouldn’t let her go. “I’m not going to yell and scream, Maggie. That’s not me. I saw what yelling did to my parents and I don’t ever want to become that person.” He rested his chin on her head. “I don’t ever want to get so angry that I lose control. So I avoid confrontation.”

  She tensed and tried to pull away. “Let me go.”

  “Now who’s running? Don’t you see, it’s not me running, Maggie. You ran away from me in your office, left me alone in your bed, and walked away from me in Hawaii. I never left you, sweetheart. You’ve been pushing me away, and I keep coming back for you. This is how I fight for people I love. Not with loud words, with actions.”

  He felt her body relax again and soon her hands found his waist. He sighed at her touch and nuzzled her neck. “I’m going to keep barging my way into your life, Maggie O’Fallon, and I think, deep down inside, you actually like me coming in and rustling things up again and again.”

  “And then you leave and d
on’t call me,” she said, resting her cheek against his chest. “I can’t handle that inconsistency in my life, Graham. I told you that from the beginning.”

  “I didn’t call because I didn’t want to need you. Every time I talked to you, saw you, heard your voice I fell a little bit deeper and it sacred the shit out of me. I tried distancing myself from you but you’re like a freaking beautiful magnet pulling my heart back.”

  “When we’re together, everything seems right. Almost too perfect. You cloud my judgment with your easygoing smile and those ridiculously talented hands.” He moved those hands up and down her back, trying to work the tension out of her muscles.

  “And that’s a bad thing?”

  “We’re good when we’re together and I’m a mess when we’re apart. The silence is what kills me. I imagine the worst, you with other women, having the time of your life while I’m home…missing you.”

  “Oh, sweetheart.” Graham’s chest swelled with pride and love. “I figured if my heart stopped beating it wouldn’t hurt so much. I didn’t mean to hurt you with my silence. I guess it was my way of…trying to stay detached.”

  “You’re going to leave again.”

  “What if I stick around for a while?”

  “It just makes it harder when you leave.” Maggie pulled away and he let her this time so he could see her.

  Graham cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lightly on the lips. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “That’s only because you have no ride.”

  He smiled at her joke. “True. But I’m not leaving Maine either.”

  “For how long?”

  “I don’t know. I’d like to go back and visit Hawaii again, but my new job is going to keep me pretty busy.” Maggie lowered her head and he tilted it up again, kissing her slowly, savoring the taste of chocolate and her.

  She pulled back. “Wait. I thought you quit your job.”

  “I did. From Global Air. And I already found a new one. I’m a pretty hot commodity, you know.” Graham drew her body back into his and nibbled her ear.