Hoping for Love by Marie Force Read Free Book Online

in on seventy. “I’m pissed. I’m sick of this goddamned cast, and I’m sick of everyone looking at me like I’m addled, especially you.”
    Okay, that was totally unfair. Keeping a lid on her own anger, Linda stood to face him. “I am
not
looking at you like you’re addled, but you’re certainly not yourself. In fact, you’re so far from yourself I don’t even know who you are anymore.” She went to him and rested her hands on his chest. “I miss you, Mac. I miss
us
. I can’t bear the tension between us.” Tears clogged her throat, which infuriated her. Linda McCarthy wasn’t a crier.
    His good arm curled around her, drawing her in close to him. The loving gesture shocked her. It’d been so long since he’d held her that the sheer relief of being near him overwhelmed her. As his fingers caressed the back of her neck, her eyes burned with tears. “I hate this,” she said.
    “I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”
    “It’s not yours, either.” She ran a hand up and down his back, breathing in the familiar scent of him. “I wish we could go through this together. There’s no need for you to feel alone with whatever you’re thinking or feeling. You’ve never felt the need to keep things from me before.”
    “It’s not intentional.” His body was riddled with unusual tension. “I don’t know what I’m thinking or feeling. Everything in my head is so scrambled. Nothing makes sense.”
    As much as it pained her to pull back from his embrace, she had to take advantage of the first opening he’d given her in weeks. Steeling herself for his outrage, she looked up at him. “Do you think we ought to go see David?”
    The roll of his eyes was more in keeping with the Mac McCarthy she knew and loved.
    “You gotta be kidding me, Lin. You want me to see the guy who
cheated
on my daughter?”
    “He also saved your granddaughter,” she reminded him. “It’s either him or we trek to the mainland.” The fact that he didn’t shut down the conversation and storm off was a positive sign, but then again, he hated leaving his precious island for any reason.
    “That’s playing dirty.” It’d been so long since she’d heard that playful tone of voice or seen the hint of the devil in his eye that she wanted to jump for joy.
    “Should I make an appointment with David?”
    Scowling, he said, “I don’t think it’s come to that. I’m just in a bad mood. I’ll try not to take it out on you anymore.”
    She rewarded him with her best smile. “That would be very nice. Thank you.” If things didn’t change, she
would
call David whether her husband liked it or not.
    The stroke of his hand over her cheek nearly stopped her heart. “I’m sorry for putting you through this.”
    “It’s going to be okay.”
    “Promise?”
    She nodded and curled her arms around his neck. “Will you do one other thing for me?”
    “Sure.”
    “Would you kiss me, Mac?” Combing her fingers through his hair, she drew him down to her. “I’ve really missed kissing you.”
    “Aww, Lin, I hate that you had to ask.” He wrapped his good arm around her and did his best to make it up to her.

Chapter 5
    Tiffany Sturgil unbuckled her three-year-old daughter Ashleigh from the car seat and carried her up the stairs to her sister Maddie’s deck.
    “See Thomas, see Thomas,” Ashleigh squealed as she kicked her legs and tugged on Tiffany’s hair. The cousins, born a few months apart, used to see each other every day when Maddie and Thomas lived in the apartment behind Tiffany’s house.
    Since Maddie married Mac, they saw each other a few times a week, which wasn’t nearly enough for her daughter. Ashleigh would spend every minute of every day with Thomas if she had her way.
    Lately, it took all the energy Tiffany could muster to get up, get dressed, feed her daughter and get through the day, so she was looking forward to a few relaxing hours with her sister, nephew and new baby niece.
    Maddie met them at the door and slid