What Tomorrow Brings (Florida Keys Series) Read online

  “You may want to wear something that covers your toes,” Jake mentioned.

  Maggie looked down at her sandals. “What’s wrong with these?”

  Jake grinned. “You’ll see,” he muttered then turned toward the front of the yard. “Change your shoes and then come out front.”

  Maggie ran into the house wondering why in the world she needed to change her shoes, but as a writer, she was very curious what adventure they were going on. Where in the world was this diner at that she needed closed toe shoes? Maybe there were bugs or snakes or worse where they were going that she didn’t know about. She quickly changed into a pair of flats, ran out the door and through the white gate, followed the path along the side of the house and turning the corner she heard the distinct roar of a motorcycle engine even before she saw it.

  Of course! Hot man has a Harley! Maggie now realized why the shoes were so important. Riding with open toes was just not smart. This was really starting to come together as the beginnings of a novel. Then a brilliant thought struck Maggie. Was it possible she could get some ideas for a best seller from her neighbor who rode a harley and looked like a steamy, rugged man of your deepest dreams and desires? Oh why not!

  She walked up to Jake where he was sitting on the bike, his arms crossed, looking the part of a bad boy for sure. “We’re taking your bike?” Maggie asked, a bit worried as she had never been on a harley. She was so focused on using Jake as a role model for her novel, she had temporarily forgotten how they were getting there.

  “Of course, you’ll enjoy the ride.” He winked.

  She sucked in a deep breath. Jake Hatfield was coming on to her, no doubt about it. As long as she just went with the flow, relaxed and had a good time, Maggie could use some parts of this night in her novel to get her writer juices flowing. So, she’d give it a shot and see what developed. Besides, she thought to herself, it was kind of exciting to get to ride a harley with a hot guy.

  “Here, put this on,” Jake said, handing her a black half helmet. Maggie turned it around feeling a bit helpless and began to place it on her head.

  All of a sudden, Jake chuckled. He idled the bike, threw down the kickstand and lifted his leg over the powerful harley. He reached out and grabbed the helmet right before Maggie put it on backwards. “The DOT sticker has to be in the back of the helmet,” he told her.

  At first Maggie was a bit flustered, but then she realized since she never rode a motorcycle before, how would she know there was a right way to put a helmet on? She laughed aloud, and let Jake set the helmet properly on her head. Then he took the long strap and his fingers brushed lightly across her cheek and neck while he adjusted it. Warm fingers made her gasp.

  “All done,” he said to her, his voice low and husky. “Look up, let me see.” Both hands were holding her helmet and he tilted her head upwards a bit. As he nodded his head in approval, Maggie chanced to look up into his eyes. She held her breath as she wondered how far to take this moment? She was the opposite of her heroine’s, but could Maggie close her eyes and pretend she was Allyson of Tempting The Winds, her very first novel and give him something to remember her by?

  Could she grab those muscular shoulders, pull him towards her and kiss him for all it’s worth? For research sake? Should she dare? She just had to conjure up the courage to do some of the things that her heroine’s did. She really wanted to but her hands couldn’t move, she was frozen in time, standing there like a lost puppy, unable to make a move on him.

  Then Jake abruptly turned and hitched his leg over the bike and patted the seat behind him. “Hop on.”

  Relieved in a way, Maggie adjusted herself on the back and placed her feet on the passenger pegs. Jake maneuvered the bike and they took off down the road. Maggie didn’t know what to do with her hands, so at first she held on to the bar behind her but it just didn’t feel comfortable. It was as if Jake knew what she was thinking, because he reached back with one hand and grabbed her arm and shouted for her to put her arms around his waist.

  She nodded and then did what she was told. Wrapping her arms around his waist, Maggie nestled close to his body, enjoying the ride. She raised her face into the air and laughed out loud.

  “What’s so funny?” Jake shouted above the thundering rumble of the engine. She shook her head and yelled back and then shouted in delight as she noticed a few key deer off to the side of the road in a low lying field feeding on grass.

  Jake slowed the bike down, then stopped at the edge of the road so she could get a closer look. The engine idled as they sat there watching the site of these amazing animals so close up. The deer never once jumped at the sound of intruders. “You’ll see this a lot,” Jake told Maggie. “Key deer are an endangered species so it’s important to drive very slow through this area. There are signs posted everywhere. They’re used to humans so they’ll walk right up to you. Not much scares them.”

  Maggie hadn’t noticed any signs posted because it was almost evening when she drove from the airport the first day and she hadn’t left the property once, until now...with a hunk...on a harley.

  Maggie felt elated as they rode down Watson Road towards their destination. The roar of the engine and the slight wind in her hair gave Maggie the feeling of a freedom she had never known. Holding on to Jake’s body wasn’t so bad either. Her biker landlord turned off down a small path into the boon docks. Then all of a sudden a structure came into view.

  Maggie jumped off the bike, clumsily unhooked the strap from the helmet and ran her fingers through her hair, smiling. “That was fun!” She shouted, feeling elated.

  “You don’t have to shout any more,” Jake said as he took off his own helmet.

  Maggie laughed out loud. “You’re right, but what if I want to?” she sang, turned and ran towards the the small building.

  “Wait up,” Jake ordered, laughter in his voice. He strolled over to the building in the middle of nowhere, grabbed the door and held out his hand for Maggie to go first.

  The darkness inside was a far cry from the bright daylight outside. Maggie stopped dead in her tracks. “Whoa! Will you take a look at that!” The walls and ceilings of the dingy bar were covered in hundreds of dollar bills. She walked over to one of the walls and reached out to touch the bills and began reading the different signatures and quotes. Her hands moved along the wall, touching every single bill within reach.

  Jake stopped behind her, brushing up against her back as he leaned over her shoulder. “It’s amazing, isn’t it? There’s thousands of dollar bills stapled to the walls and ceilings.” She turned her head to look up at him and her mouth all but touched his cheek. She sucked in a deep breath and shivered. This was no good, she was unable to get close to him without starting to hyperventilate. Maggie was all about having fun but unable to breathe in his presence was not one of the options she was going to deal with in this week of having fun.

  “I need food.”

  Jake laughed, an intense, deep-felt sound that rang in Maggie’s ears. “Come on.” He took her hand as he guided her towards the bar to where a young lady with some tattoos down her one arm was serving a few customers in the early afternoon. The bar stools were so tall that Maggie didn’t think she’d even be able to reach them. She was tall, but they were really high. Jake must’ve noticed.

  “We’ll grab a drink and take it out back,” Jake said, then asked Maggie what she wanted. She shrugged her shoulders because she didn’t really know what to say. She was never much of a drinker and hardly ever went into bars.

  “We’ll take two house ales on tap,” Jake told the bartender. “Can we get a pizza with some shrimp, bacon and pineapple?” He turned to her. “ Is that OK with you Maggie?”

  “Good choice, that sounds delicious,” Maggie agreed as she walked with him through the back of the dimly lit bar to a door that let out back. Scattered around the area was a bunch of fiesta green and yellow picnic tables with bright blue umbrellas opened for shade. They sat at the first empty one they could find. More people
were outside than in the dark interior inside.

  “A hidden gem,” Maggie mentioned, trying to store that thought as she could use it for her novel. She tried to picture her next scene, the heroine, a writer with a deadline, who slipped away to the Florida Keys for some much needed rest and relaxation and who needed a quiet place to finish her book and stay on top of her game. Then, along comes this dark, hot man to stir things up, distracting her from her work. Would it be her own story she would write? That would be a first.

  “A hidden gem it is. It’s also a stop along the keys for the tourists, and in a little bit this place will be wall to wall with them,” Jake remarked. “I’ll be right back. Our pizza is probably done.”

  While he went back inside, Maggie sipped on her beer relaxing for the first time in months, perhaps years. There was something about this kind of life that just made you feel as if time stood still. She didn’t feel the need to rush for anything, even her work. Today, Maggie McCoy was gonna have fun, oh and research of course.

  Maggie and Jake devoured their pizza as more and more tourists filled up the bar just like he said it would. Jake drank the last of his beer and put down his glass. He looked into Maggie’s eyes. “Want to really escape?”

  She gazed right back at him. “How did you know?”

  Jake winked. “Let’s go to the full moon party tonight. It’ll take us about an hour to get there. It’s quite a ride but if you’ve never rode a bike on Highway One, it’s going to be a whole new treat for you. Say yes.”

  “Yes.” she whispered and laughed aloud when Jake looked surprised at her quick response. If she were going to let her hair down, really let her hair down, then Maggie McCoy was going to experience a little bit of night life in the Florida Keys. With a hunk...on a harley...during a full moon. That description alone was a novel in itself. Wouldn’t that be what her heroine would do? Maggie was about to kill two birds with one stone. She was willing to have some innocent fun with this gorgeous landlord biker and perhaps get some great ideas to open her mind to a best selling novel. With her history of never getting serious with any man, Maggie knew there was no chance of ever falling for a guy like Jake.

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  Maggie clung on to Jake once again as the bike rolled up Highway One towards Islamorada. The roaring sound of the v twin engines vibrated on the paved road and at times it felt like the winds pushed the bike a bit, especially over the open bridges, but she wasn’t afraid. Jake seemed to be a good rider. He propped his feet on the foot pegs and Maggie peeked around his shoulder and looked in the side mirror. She saw her hair flapping in the wind under her helmet and laughed aloud. This was more fun than she’d had in a long time.

  He took his left hand off the handlebar and reached back to pat her on the leg. “Are you enjoying the ride?” he shouted. She shook her head and actually didn’t mind on occasion if he reached back to pat her, but then he would let his hand linger for a few moments before grabbing the handle bar again.

  Jaked geared down the harley as they came to the island of Islamorada. Maggie was almost sad the ride was soon over but was anticipating this full moon party he spoke about. As they made their way in and parked, she saw lots of people walking towards the beach. Jake grabbed her hand as they went in and she squeezed it gently. “What a fantabulous ride, thanks,” Maggie said and giggled. She seemed to have a case of them today for some reason, which was not her personality at all. Most who knew her, would be surprised that Maggie giggled at all.

  Jake laughed. “If you enjoyed the ride, then I promise you will love this even more.” As they paid their way in and walked onto the beach it was almost dusk. Crowds of people were scattered across the beach, some in small groups, drinks in their hand and swaying and dancing to the sound of a reggae band.. Maggie looked on in amazement.

  “I’ve never seen anything like this!” she gasped, taking it all in. She noticed a young couple on the beach lighting a bonfire and it’s yellow and orange flames sent a few sparks up in the air. They stretched out a blanket and sat down, a perfect place for lovers. “This is incredible,” Maggie whispered. She looked over at Jake to find him staring at her. She shivered. He was looking mighty serious and sexy right now, and although that frightened her, it also intrigued her too. Maybe it was time for Maggie McCoy to let her hair down.

  She slipped her hand from his. “Come on, Jake, let’s follow this parade.” They fell in behind a Bahamian Junkaroo parade where everyone dressed in elaborate and colorful costumes. Bright varieties of colored feathers stuck out on top of the dancers heads while some of the costumes barely covered beautiful bodies tanned from the sun. Some shook their instruments and played lively music while dancing around the beach. Maggie joined in behind the dancers with others who followed along, her hips swaying and hands clapping to the reggae style music. She couldn’t help it, Maggie loved to dance.

  She lifted her face up and noticed how the stars dotted the sky. How did it get so dark already, she wondered. Suddenly, his hands were on either side of her waist and he fell in step behind her. Maggie almost jumped out of her skin, then relaxed as they danced for awhile, smiling and having a good time following the crowd down the beach, swaying their hips to the incredible music. All at once, Maggie turned and stopped, separating them from the crowd of dancers.

  “Thank you for bringing me Jake,” she whispered and touched his cheek with her left hand. This is incredible.” She really meant it.

  Jake smiled and winked. “Let’s go let our hair down even more, shall we?” She giggled and followed him to the closest tiki bar where he ordered two drinks. Then they strolled over to where some people were gathering and saw a young, beautiful woman in a bikini with dark, exotic hair that fell below her hips. She twirled two lighted torches in the air to the sound of music, twisting and turning the fire poles around her body as she danced. A crowd of onlookers circled around her and watched in awe as she practiced her art.

  “She is breathtaking Jake, isn’t she?” Maggie normally wasn’t much of a drinker but the smooth fruity drink was going down quite easily. It didn’t take much to give her a buzz.

  “Want another?” Jake asked. “You did say yes to letting your hair down?”

  She smiled, “Jake Hatfield, are you deliberately trying to get me drunk?”

  He shrugged and actually looked offended at her remark. “Nah, Maggie. That’s not my way, but you did say you wanted to have some fun. I just thought you would want another drink as you downed that one pretty quick.”

  She didn’t need to drink one drop of alcohol to be sucked into his charm. “Do you know how sexy you are Jake?” Where did that come from?

  He laughed out loud and grabbed her hand drawing her closer to him. His hips started swaying to the music and he twirled her around the sandy beach in a slow, seductive dance. The night air was warm, the bonfires crackling noise filled the air and suddenly all of the voices sounded so far away as Maggie and Jake danced. It was just the two of them in the moment.

  “I could dance the night away with you, Maggie McCoy,” Jake’s low, husky voice resonated in her ear. At that, she trembled and then jumped up in horror as a loud crack and bang filled the air.

  The night sky lit up with a powerful burst of sparkling lights and colors. Fireworks! Maggie and Jake stood there side by side watching the display, she laughing in delight like someone who was seeing them for the first time. She could feel Jake’s eyes on her, and wanted to turn and kiss him, but didn’t. She was going to have to suck it up and take some chances if she were going to use this night as a writing tool for her novel. Does she want to make the first move or let her “hero” do it?

  He moved first, just like the hero always did in most of her books, kind of. She turned to him and was going to kiss him on the cheek, just to thank him again but he shifted. Their lips touched and although startled at first suddenly his mouth devoured her, right there on the beach in the middle of the Full Moon Party! Maggie could barely breath, it was the lure of the florida keys, the
night, the island drink, the full moon and seductive music that was drawing her to a man she barely knew. She ran her hands across his shoulders, digging this first kiss with hot guy.

  “Jake!” a woman’s voice cried out. “Jake! Over here, how are you?” He reluctantly let her go and gave her a wink. Maggie shook her head, trying to compose herself, trying to stop the shaking inside. Deep breath, girl!

  A petite blonde, barefoot and wearing a short, tight black mini grabbed Jake and gave him a big hug. “It’s so good to see you out and about,” she cried. “I can’t wait to tell Jon I saw you here.” Jake turned to Maggie.

  “Maggie, this is Cari, a friend of my brothers.”

  Cari barely glanced at her but just kept on talking. “Jake, you must meet some of my friends.” She then turned to Maggie. “I’m just going to borrow Jake for a few minutes and then you can have him back,” Cari said, unsmiling. She tried to steer him along, but he stood rock still.

  “I’m with Maggie tonight, Cari. I don’t go unless she’s welcome too.”

  Wow, oh wow, what a man, Maggie thought, impressed. She was liking this moment best of all because it was obvious that Cari was looking very uncomfortable, or furious. Cari was just like one of those demon women in her novels and who wasn’t about to include Maggie one bit. She could tell that before any words came out of the woman's mouth.

  “Jake, it’s fine. I’m going to go get us another drink. I’ll be right over at the tiki bar,” and she turned and fled before he could refuse or see the disappointment in her eyes. She was having such a good time, but she wasn’t going to get in the middle of family or be somewhere she wasn’t welcome. Her first gut instincts were always right and she had a bad feeling about his brother’s friend. It was time to pull herself together anyway, she was falling in pretty deep with Jake under that moonlit sky.