“How the devil did that happen?” he asked, and she could practically see his perplexed expression.
“Is that really important right now?” she asked.
“No, I suppose it’s not. Give me a half hour.”
“Thanks, Will.”
“Where exactly are you? Do you have any kind of light you can flash, so I’ll be able to spot you?”
“I think if I turn on my cell phone and hold it up, you’ll be able to see that. And there’s a full moon rising, so that should help, too.”
“That’ll work. Don’t turn on the cell phone right away or the battery could die. Wait a half hour, okay? Give me time to get to your parents’ place and grab your brothers’ old fishing boat. It doesn’t have much of a motor, but it’ll get me there faster than my kayak would.”
“Thanks.”
He hesitated. “You okay, otherwise?”
“Other than feeling foolish, I’m fine.”
He laughed. “Foolish passes, trust me. I’ll see you soon.”
Even after she’d disconnected the call, Jess clutched the cell phone tightly. It made her feel less isolated.
No, she corrected herself. What had made her feel less isolated was hearing Will’s calm, reassuring voice, his immediate offer to come after her with no recriminations.
Of course, as nice as he’d been on the phone just now, she knew perfectly well he was likely to have quite a lot to say once he got here.
Will hadn’t panicked, at least not for Jess, when he’d heard her predicament. She was perfectly safe at Moonlight Cove.
No, what had flat-out terrified him was the thought of being there, alone, with her. He’d only gone there a handful of times as a teen and never with Jess. He knew, though, that Connor and Kevin had dragged her home from more than a few romantic trysts, always in the nick of time, to hear them tell it. Will hadn’t really wanted the details. Just knowing she’d been off with some other boy had been enough to make a knot form in his stomach.
At least that hadn’t been the case today. She’d apparently gone there alone. He’d find her on the beach, in some skimpy bathing suit, no doubt, maybe even cold and shivering now that the sun had gone down. With that full moon she’d mentioned already rising, this rescue had danger written all over it. How much could one man be expected to handle before he lost control of himself?
Forcing himself not to dwell on what he might find when he got to Jess, he went to the O’Briens, stepped onto the dock and borrowed the small fishing boat that Connor and Kevin kept there. It was always gassed up and ready to go, and over the years he’d taken it out on plenty of occasions. Though he usually asked first, he figured tonight was one of those times when discretion was called for.
As he stepped into the boat, he wondered why it was Jess hadn’t called either of her brothers, but he could guess. A rescue by either of them would have come with a lecture she obviously didn’t want to hear.
Ten minutes later, he found the inlet to Moonlight Cove and made his way toward the beach, the boat’s little engine chugging along nicely. He figured the sound on the still, quiet night would alert her. Sure enough, he saw a flicker of light on the shore.
“Jess?” he called out.
“I’m here,” she said.
“I’d probably better not bring the boat too close to shore. Think you can swim out a bit?”
“Of course,” she said. “The moon’s plenty bright enough to light the way. I can see you from here. I guess it doesn’t matter if I leave the kayak paddles and my towel behind.”
“Hardly,” he said wryly.
“Thank goodness I thought to put my cell phone into a waterproof pouch,” she added. “At least I won’t ruin that swimming out to the boat.”
He could hear her splash into the water, then the quieter splash as she swam toward him. He kept talking to guide her, his gaze following her sure, steady progress.
When she reached the boat, he pulled her up, then wrapped her in the thick towel he’d brought along. “Here, take my shirt,” he said, when she was dry but shivering.
Even then, though, he could hear her teeth chatter, so he sighed, muttered a silent curse and pulled her into his arms. She stilled at the unexpected contact, then snuggled close.
“You’re so warm,” she murmured, her breath soft against his chest.
Warm? He felt like he was in the blasted desert. And his body was starting to react to having this almost naked woman—a woman he’d loved for an eternity—plastered against him. This was bad, he told himself. It was hell. He swallowed hard and amended, no, it was heaven.
“Um, Jess, not a good idea,” he said, setting her away from him and securing the thick towel more tightly around her. “Take a seat. I’ll have you back at the inn in a few minutes.”
Thankfully, she didn’t cling or argue, because he wasn’t sure he could have maintained that noble stance for more than another heartbeat or two.
He steered the little fishing boat back out into the bay and along the shore until he spotted the inn’s dock. He pulled alongside it, secured the boat, then scrambled up on the dock and held out his hand for Jess.
She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight. “Thanks, Will. Do you want to come in for coffee or something? Maybe a glass of wine?”
He hesitated. “You should probably take a shower and get into something warm,” he said.
“That won’t take more than a minute,” she told him, her gaze still on his. “I really owe you for coming to my rescue. Maybe we could have that dinner we never got to have the other night. I think there’s more of Gail’s roasted chicken.”
He smiled. “You don’t have to bribe me with food and drink, you know.”
“I know. Actually I was hoping we could talk.”
He stilled. “Oh? About what?”
She looked away, clearly
