sauna and the pool room and the stairs leading to the bed! She sighed.
“It’s bliss, isn’t it, the things we did last night?”
“Mm, yes. We made great memories.”
Jake laughed. “One’s we can’t tell our kids or grand kids someday.” All of a sudden he got quiet. He must have realized what he said and clamped up. Any time he talked about a permanent situation he struggled with something inside.
She reached over and rubbed his arm, letting him know it was all right. “Stop torturing yourself Jake. I don’t expect anything more than what we have right here, today. So don’t worry.”
“You don’t want me to propose to you?” He slammed the gear shift in to third, slowing the engine down.
She turned to face him. “Yes I do but I know something is holding you back from asking and I want to tell you it’s all right. I know when you’re ready to do it, you will. No worries.”
“You sure?”
She nodded. “My contract with my current publisher is up at the end of the month. I’ve been with them since I was eighteen and although they treat me well, I decided not to sign on again.”
Jake raised a brow and looked at her. “You’re a great writer. What will you do?”
Maggie leaned back in her seat, pushing her sunglasses down. “I’m going to self publish future work in my own name, Maggie McCoy.”
“After hiding under a pen name for so many years, that’s a big step. What made you decide to change?”
Maggie shrugged. “You did. When I saw the office you fixed up for me, it gave me a feeling of accomplishment. I belong in that office now and I’m ready to take the next step in my life, revealing who I am. My readers know the author was a pen name, but they never knew who was behind the name. Now they will all soon know.”
“You belong with me, Maggie. In the Keys, in that space. It’s your home now.”
His words meant so much to her. It was enough for now, but someday, she knew he would be able to ask her to marry him. Meanwhile, she would build her publishing business so big, the world would get to meet who was behind those saucy romantic novels at last.
Chapter 5
The pink Impala cruised down 95 through Washington DC and Virginia, making great time in the late afternoon. “I think we may be able to hit the Carolinas this evening sometime. That’s if we don’t get stuck in work traffic.”
“Well, I made reservations at SOB, so let’s hope we can get there tonight.” Maggie shut off her cell phone and turned up the music, feeling around until she found the lever to push her seat back. She stretched her legs and then let them dangle out the window, her bare feet hanging over the side of the car as they sped along in the passing lane. She closed her eyes and hummed to the music.
The roar of a motorcycle sounded so close by. Maggie opened her eyes as the car began to slow down and then she screamed as loud as she could, right before Jake’s booming laugh reached her ears. An old biker, long grey hair and beard, a ragged band around his head, reached out and brushed her foot with his hand, trying to tickle her feet.
He roared, a hearty laugh she could hear over the rumbling of the bike’s engine. Maggie jerked her feet inside of the car and shook her head, a smile creeping on her face. The biker lifted his hand in a salute and revved his engine, roaring off down the highway.
The two laughed over the crazy biker and after a while, Maggie pointed out the window. “There it is, the signs I’ve been waiting to see.”
“Pedro signs?” Jake asked.
“Yes, here’s a great one, Chilli Today, Hot Tamale . I read a lot about South of the Border, never been there before. The owner was ingenious to launch these crazy signs all along the highway for hundreds of miles.”
“When you said SOB, do you mean we are staying at South of the Border tonight?”
Maggie nodded.
“It’s bliss, isn’t it, the things we did last night?”
“Mm, yes. We made great memories.”
Jake laughed. “One’s we can’t tell our kids or grand kids someday.” All of a sudden he got quiet. He must have realized what he said and clamped up. Any time he talked about a permanent situation he struggled with something inside.
She reached over and rubbed his arm, letting him know it was all right. “Stop torturing yourself Jake. I don’t expect anything more than what we have right here, today. So don’t worry.”
“You don’t want me to propose to you?” He slammed the gear shift in to third, slowing the engine down.
She turned to face him. “Yes I do but I know something is holding you back from asking and I want to tell you it’s all right. I know when you’re ready to do it, you will. No worries.”
“You sure?”
She nodded. “My contract with my current publisher is up at the end of the month. I’ve been with them since I was eighteen and although they treat me well, I decided not to sign on again.”
Jake raised a brow and looked at her. “You’re a great writer. What will you do?”
Maggie leaned back in her seat, pushing her sunglasses down. “I’m going to self publish future work in my own name, Maggie McCoy.”
“After hiding under a pen name for so many years, that’s a big step. What made you decide to change?”
Maggie shrugged. “You did. When I saw the office you fixed up for me, it gave me a feeling of accomplishment. I belong in that office now and I’m ready to take the next step in my life, revealing who I am. My readers know the author was a pen name, but they never knew who was behind the name. Now they will all soon know.”
“You belong with me, Maggie. In the Keys, in that space. It’s your home now.”
His words meant so much to her. It was enough for now, but someday, she knew he would be able to ask her to marry him. Meanwhile, she would build her publishing business so big, the world would get to meet who was behind those saucy romantic novels at last.
Chapter 5
The pink Impala cruised down 95 through Washington DC and Virginia, making great time in the late afternoon. “I think we may be able to hit the Carolinas this evening sometime. That’s if we don’t get stuck in work traffic.”
“Well, I made reservations at SOB, so let’s hope we can get there tonight.” Maggie shut off her cell phone and turned up the music, feeling around until she found the lever to push her seat back. She stretched her legs and then let them dangle out the window, her bare feet hanging over the side of the car as they sped along in the passing lane. She closed her eyes and hummed to the music.
The roar of a motorcycle sounded so close by. Maggie opened her eyes as the car began to slow down and then she screamed as loud as she could, right before Jake’s booming laugh reached her ears. An old biker, long grey hair and beard, a ragged band around his head, reached out and brushed her foot with his hand, trying to tickle her feet.
He roared, a hearty laugh she could hear over the rumbling of the bike’s engine. Maggie jerked her feet inside of the car and shook her head, a smile creeping on her face. The biker lifted his hand in a salute and revved his engine, roaring off down the highway.
The two laughed over the crazy biker and after a while, Maggie pointed out the window. “There it is, the signs I’ve been waiting to see.”
“Pedro signs?” Jake asked.
“Yes, here’s a great one, Chilli Today, Hot Tamale . I read a lot about South of the Border, never been there before. The owner was ingenious to launch these crazy signs all along the highway for hundreds of miles.”
“When you said SOB, do you mean we are staying at South of the Border tonight?”
Maggie nodded.
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