Fool for Love (19 page)

Janey stared at Maddie. "How do you
know
all that? You just met us recently!"

Maddie snickered with laughter. "I
was guessing, but judging by the expression on your face, it looks like I hit a
bull's eye."

"You've certainly given me something
to think about."

"Don't think too hard, Janey. He's a
good guy, and he loves you. He really loves you. Why does it have to be any
more complicated than that?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure I'll
think of a reason."

Maddie laughed and hip-checked her.
"Just run with it and don't ask any questions." Her cell phone rang,
and she tugged it out of her back pocket. "It's Mac," she whispered
to Janey. "Hey, babe. About like I thought it would. I know. You don't
have to do that." Maddie laughed softly. "Okay. I'll see you then.
Love you, too." She ended the call and turned back to Janey. "He's
meeting the boat so she can see Thomas."

"That's good of him."

"It's more than she deserves."

One of Joe's employees signaled that it
was time to back their cars onto the ferry.

Janey started toward her car but turned
back. "When we get on the boat, how'd you like to introduce your future
sister-in-law to your mother?"

"You know what?" Maddie said
with a big grin. "I think that would make my day."

"Mine, too," Janey said.

After receiving the deep chill from Maddie's mother, Janey felt sad for Mac and
the reception he'd no doubt receive from his future mother-in-law. Why couldn't
people just be nice and get along? She tried to imagine a scenario whereby she
wouldn't at least
try
to be happy for her daughter if she was marrying
the man she loved.

The entire situation saddened her, and she
suddenly couldn't wait to see Joe. He always made her feel better. Maddie had
been right about that much. The rest of their conversation kept replaying in
her mind. Had she been halfway in love with Joe even when she was still with
David? Was that even possible?

With her thoughts continuing to churn,
Janey drove off the ferry and parked in the thirty-minute lot next to Maddie.
When her friend stepped out of the truck, Janey went over to her, squeezed her
shoulder and walked with her to where Mac waited with Thomas.

Maddie stepped into his embrace, and they
whispered softly to each other.

Janey stood back to give them a moment
alone.

"What's going on?" Joe
whispered.

Janey startled and turned to him.
"Maddie's mom." She nodded to the bitter-looking woman walking off
the ferry. "Not good."

Joe scowled. "What's her
problem?"

"God only knows."

As if she owned the island and everything
on it, Francine strolled over to them. "There's my grandson! Oh, look how
big
you've gotten!"

"Mom, this is my fiancé, Mac
McCarthy."

As if Maddie hadn't spoken, Francine
reached for the baby.

Maddie stepped between them. "If you
can't be civil and say hello to the man I intend to marry, then I'm afraid your
grandson isn't available to spend any time with you."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Francine
sputtered. "I haven't seen him in three months!"

"Then I would think you'd do the
polite thing and say hello to the man I just introduced you to." Maddie
crossed her arms, but Janey could see she was trembling.

Apparently, Mac saw it, too, because he
reached out to rest a hand on her shoulder.

The two woman stood locked in a standoff
for a long moment before Francine rolled her eyes and looked up at Mac
disdainfully. "Hello. Now, may I have my grandson?"

Maddie shook her head with disbelief, and
her eyes shone with tears, but she stepped back to give her mother access to
her son.

Mac handed the boy to his grandmother.

Francine hugged the baby close to her and
walked away from them to get reacquainted.

"Well," Maddie said, her voice
wavering, "that was pleasant."

"It's okay, babe." Mac drew her into
a hug and stroked a hand over her hair. "It's okay."

"It's not okay. I'm sorry she was
rude to you."

"You have nothing to be sorry
about."

Feeling like she was intruding on an
intensely private moment between her brother and his fiancée, Janey strolled
away to lean on one of the wood pilings.

Joe followed her. "That was screwed
up, huh?"

"I feel bad for Maddie."

"I feel bad for her mother. She's so
busy being bitter that she's willing to risk missing out on what should be one
of the happiest times in her life."

Janey studied his handsome face.
"You're a good guy, Joe Cantrell. And a generous guy to feel bad for her
after the way she just behaved."

 He shrugged off her praise and
glanced at the ferry preparing for departure. "I gotta go. See you at the
party?"

"Yes, you will."

"I'll be there around eight
thirty."

"Right in time for the
fireworks," she said suggestively.

He groaned under his breath. "I
really, really want to kiss you right now," he whispered.

Janey smiled up at him.
"Really?"

"
Really
."

She chuckled at his tortured expression.
"I'll make it up to you."

"Mmm, you sure will."

The burst of heat that traveled through
her body took Janey by surprise. "Hurry back." When he walked away
without touching her, Janey felt the loss just as acutely as she'd felt the
desire.
Oh, my
.

Janey spent the few hours until the party making potato salad, taking a bath
and blow-drying her hair. As she applied jasmine-scented lotion, she told
herself she was
not
putting it on because Joe loved it so much. He went kind
of nuts over it, to be honest. She couldn't wait to be with him again.

Maybe she was in love with him. Maybe she
had been for a long time but didn't allow herself to acknowledge it while she
was with David. Maybe it was time to just run with it, to throw herself
wholeheartedly into a relationship with him, to tell the world and let it
happen.

Then she thought of Mac and what he would
have to say about her involvement with Joe.

Maybe the world didn't need to know quite
yet.

After slipping on a red sundress, she
contemplated going over to Mac and Maddie's early to help them finish getting
ready but dismissed that idea. They needed some time alone after the day's
drama. With an hour to kill, she sat down at her computer workstation and
thumbed through the files in the drawer. Finding the one she wanted, she pulled
it out and opened it on the desktop.

Memories came flooding back. Transcripts
and letters of recommendation and applications and essays. Her professors in
the school of animal sciences at the University of Connecticut had written
glowing letters. Enclosed in the folder was the rejection letter from the
top-ranked Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. But she had
gotten into number two Colorado State and number five Ohio State. She'd all but
settled on Doc Potter's alma mater, Ohio State, when David convinced her they
couldn't possibly both go to medical school.

"What an idiot I was," she
whispered as she read over the letters from her professors. Remembering her
trip to Columbus, Ohio, Janey smiled and thumbed through the catalog of
courses. A zing of anticipation raised goose bumps on her arms. She'd been so
excited, so certain of her calling in life. And then David had stepped in and
changed her plans.

"Never again," she vowed.
"I will never again allow a man to make decisions for me." She
skimmed through the catalog twice more. "But if I'm in Ohio, how can I
start a relationship with Joe?"

"Why not?" she heard him say as
if he was right there in the room with her. "Why couldn't we have it all,
baby?"

Janey smiled. That's exactly what he'd
say. Encouraged by his imaginary support, she fired up her laptop and, before
she could lose her nerve, sent off e-mails to the three UConn professors who'd
recommended her, asking if they'd be willing to endorse a
better-late-than-never applicant.

She couldn't wait to tell Joe.

As she was getting ready to leave, her
cell phone rang. Kay Lawrence. Again. Reluctantly, Janey took the call from the
woman who'd been like a second mother to her.

"Hi, Kay."

"Oh Janey! Thank goodness you finally
picked up. I've been really anxious to talk to you."

"I know. I'm sorry. I've just needed
some time."

"Please don't apologize to me. I
should be apologizing to you."

"It's no reflection on you."

"Could we get together, honey? I'd
love to see you."

"Things are so crazy this week with
Mac's wedding."

"You need to talk to David, Janey. He
has something he has to tell you."

"I have nothing to say to him."

"You can't mean that—"

"I mean it, Kay." Janey
regretted taking the call when she'd been in such a good mood. "I know
that's not what you want to hear, but I can't possibly marry him now."

"Would you please wait until you talk
to him before you make any decisions?"

"I've already made my decision, and I
won't change my mind."

"You might when you hear what he has
to tell you."

Janey's stomach began to hurt. "I
have to run now, Kay. I'm due over to Mac's for a cookout."

"We both love you very much,
Janey," Kay said, her voice thick with tears. "Please let David tell
you what he needs you to know."

"Bye, Kay."

By the time Janey arrived at Mac's, the setting sun had cast a warm glow on the
yard and the meadow that stood between Mac's property and the coast. Sitting in
chairs sprinkled around the yard were her parents, Luke Harris from the marina,
her dad's friend Ned, Maddie's sister Tiffany and her family, Maddie's
coworkers from the hotel, and some of the other guys from the docks, all of
whom greeted Janey with hugs and words of encouragement that touched her heart.

She had to give Maddie credit. No one
would ever know she'd been traumatized earlier by her mother's
less-than-favorable reaction to her engagement. Wearing a white top over red
shorts, she flitted about making sure everyone had drinks and passing trays of
hot and cold appetizers while Mac worked the grill. He looked so happy and
content that Janey was almost tempted to tell him about her and Joe.

Almost.

Her father came up to her and slid a
tree-trunk arm around her, tugging her in close to him. "How's my
princess?"

"Hanging in there, Dad."

"I'm proud of you."

She glanced up at him. "For?"

"Holding your head up. The gossips on
this island can be vicious when they get a bone to chew on. You're not hiding
out."

"What else can I do?"

Big Mac kissed the top of her head.
"That's my girl."

"Could I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Remember a few years ago when I was
thinking about going to vet school and David was worried we couldn't afford for
both of us to go?"

Big Mac's normally amiable expression
shifted to a scowl. "I don't like to think about that."

"I know it was upsetting to
you."

"I would've given anything to see you
in vet school. It's where you've always belonged."

"I was kind of hoping you'd say
that."

A white brow lifted in question.

"Are you still willing to float me a
loan?"

"Really?" he asked softly.

She bit her lip and nodded.

"Oh, baby." He enveloped her in
a tight embrace. "No loans."

Surprised, she pulled back to look up at
him. "I know you just retired—"

"Don't say another word," he
said with a playful scowl. "I will not loan you the money. I will gladly
and happily
give
it to you. It would give me great pleasure to see my
daughter become a veterinarian. Allow me to do this for you. Please."

Janey smiled at him, knowing she could
argue all day and he wouldn't budge. "You're sure you can swing it?"

"I might have to switch to hamburger
instead of steak," he said with a teasing grin, "but I've got you
covered, Princess."

She hugged him again. "Thank you."

"Now I'm even more proud than I was
before. This is the best news since your brother's engagement."

"Don't say anything about it yet. I
still have to get in."

"My lips are sealed."

Janey eyed him skeptically. The news would
be all over the docks in the morning, and they both knew it. "Sure they
are."