When Tomorrow Ends (4 page)

Ben stood beside her. “Hang in for a bit longer. We’ll land on Garden Key with in minutes.” His voice was gentle and soothed some of her fears.

“Thanks Ben. This was one of the scarier events of my life. You have a good team of guys here.”

He grinned. “One of them? You’ve had scarier?”

“Yes, sure have. How about being kidnapped by a drug dealer, along with an undercover agent in your grandmother’s pink classic car?”

Ben roared. “Not sure I can beat that, I’m afraid.” He went out to help the others who were on deck to check for damage.

One of the crew spoke up before following Ben out the door. “Don’t let him fool you. My pal Ben’s been through things in Afghanistan most men would crumble up and die. He faced death in the face many times. The man is one of a kind.”

His words did make her feel safer. Even so, Maggie couldn’t wait until they landed and she could get off the water. Within minutes, as Ben promised, the charter boat slid in to the boat slip at the Dry Tortugas. Chaos began again as two of the men slipped down to the engine room to fix the damage. They took one of the lanterns along so Ben equipped them each with a large flash light and extra batteries. He dug out two tents from a storage cabinet.

“Let’s see if we can find some type of shelter. I’m sure the Fort is locked up, but there is a small camping area on the south side of Fort Jefferson,” he told the men. Maggie followed behind, the rain now a mist against her pale, cool skin. She shivered even though it wasn’t one bit cold. The night was dark tonight and she was getting weary. Since she didn’t go out to dinner as planned, Maggie’s stomach growled. Hungry, tired and lonely for Jake.

She stumbled a few times and before she realized, Ben was there with an arm over her shoulder to steady her. He brushed his mouth over hers in a quick kiss. She pulled away, uncertain what his intentions were. “I’m sorry, Ben, it’s awkward. I’m in love with someone.”

She heard Ben sigh. “I know, Jake. I get it Mag, I’m sorry, I knew that and still tried to win your heart. Let’s start all over as friends. I won’t hit on you unless you want me to.”

Maggie gave him a genuine smile. She giggled. “I think it’s adorable to be hit on and you’ve been doing your best. I agree. Let’s be friends. Since you call me Mag, should I call you B?”

Ben chuckled. “You can call me anything you like. B it is.” He gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder and placed his hand on her arm to help steer her through the dark night. Maggie felt better now they understood each other. She doubted he would try to hit on her again. Ben seemed like an honest guy and she could get through the night much easier now.

They made it to the camp ground where one lone camper was already hunkered down in a small tent. They could see a glow inside the tent and decided to set up right beside it. Maggie watched in fascination as the five men put up two tents within minutes. They didn’t mess around, but worked together like a team of experts.

She stood there with her arms around herself and watched. When they were finished, Ben told her they didn’t have much in blankets but if she stayed put, some of the men would go back and get the two sleeping bags and supplies on board. Before she knew what happened the men were gone and back within minutes. “That was quick! Why did it seem like it took forever to get here before?’ she wondered out loud.

“Because you’re tired and need to eat something,” one of the guys told her. He handed her a lightweight blanket, and she covered her shoulders with it. It felt warm and took the chill away.

The camper came out and spoke to Ben. He started up the grill the park provided with his own charcoal and offered to cook something for them. “Name’s Johnny,” he told the others. “Staying here for three days. Wife’s gone on a berserker again and I ain’t going home until she calms down.”

Ben and Maggie looked at each other and almost laughed out loud. Johnny had long, blonde hair that hung down his back. He wore a pair of cut off jeans that had seen better days and a tank top with a rock band emblazoned across the front. He stood at the grill and poked the embers, stirring them up with a utensil. “She gets in these moods every now and again, wants me to stop smoking my hootie hoot. This here is the only thing that keeps me calm when she’s around.”

Maggie listened to the guy go on and on. There was a picnic table in the camp and she sat on the bench, the solar blanket warming up her chilled body. Johnny offered his hootie hoot cigarette to her but she shook her head. The others declined as well.

One of the guys working on the engine stumbled over to the site and when Johnny saw more men, he threw a few more hot dogs on the grill. “We don’t want to take your food,” Maggie told him.

His head nodded up and down in slow motion. A grin went from one ear to the other. “No problem. I bring plenty of food along each time, more than I ever need. I loaded up two coolers this time. I usually run in to someone who needs food and you are the lucky people this time.” He called for everyone to grab a dog off the grill.

Maggie was surprised when Ben got her a hot dog and brought it over to her. He sat down on the bench opposite her and watched as she ate. A resigned look came over his face. His elbow leaned against the table and he tilted his head. “If you ever dump Jake, look me up Maggie.”

“Ah Ben, you are a sweetheart but I’m lost on Jake. All I want is to be in his arms right now.”

“Hey, can’t blame a man for trying,” he joked in a serious way.

Maggie laughed. “I think it’s more like flirting, B. As I get to know you, I see the type of man who takes what he wants. You’re like the thunderstorm we went through. A cyclone that comes in and sweeps a lady off her feet.”

“I sense there’s more to this than what you are saying.”

She nodded. “Then when you get what you want, you slip away into the abyss and on to the next adventure.”

He stretched and flexed his muscles, on purpose, Maggie was certain. He couldn’t help be a flirt even if she didn’t want him.

“You are perceptive. What makes you think you know me?” he asked. He leaned across the table and stared in to her eyes.

Maggie sighed. “B, I’m a romance writer and I’ve written about guys like you many times.”

He grinned. “Then what’s in store for me Mag? Can I be helped? Will I ever have a love like I want with you?”

She put her hot dog down and leaned closer to him. “I’ve got news for you B. One of these days you will meet someone who will knock you to your knees and your flirting ways will come to an end. She’ll have your heart where you can’t take a breath without thoughts of her. Your heart will ache with wanting her in your arms and the world around you will cease to exist.”

B looked doubtful. “Like I am feeling towards you?” he said but she knew his words were shallow. He wanted her because she belonged to someone else.

“No B. I’m taken and you know this. Nice try.”

He grinned again. “I’m glad we met Mag. You tell me like it is. Your Jake is one lucky guy.”

“I hope he isn’t out in this storm. It would be like Jake to hunt me down.”

“I doubt he can. No one is fool enough to go out in this weather until the sea calms down. We got lucky and are now behind the storm, but we’re almost ninety miles from Key West. It’s still too strong to leave the island, although it could stop as fast as it started.”

Maggie shivered. She hoped B was right.

Chapter 4

Maggie woke to hear the sounds of birds as they chirped away and the ocean waves splashing against the sandy beach. She peeked out of the tent to see the men already awake, sharing a cup of coffee Johnny made. He was still in his blue jean shorts and now wore a colorful tie-died tank top. His hair hung down his back in a pulled back pony tail.

Johnny stood at the grill again, cooking up what smelled like fresh fish when she stumbled over to the picnic table. “Welcome to this beautiful morning,” Johnny shouted as he held the spatula up in the air and smiled at the sun. “It’s a great day to be alive!”

Maggie groaned. Her hair was a mess and certain muscles ached from head to toe. She spent an uncomfortable night in the tent as she tossed and turned until she fell asleep from sheer exhaustion. “Coffee, help.”

The other men laughed and before Maggie knew it, a fresh cup landed in front of her. She wrapped both hands around the tin cup and lifted it to her mouth. She closed her eyes to take the first sip. “Heaven,” she moaned.

When she opened her eyes, Ben stared at her, a pained look on his face. He shook his head. “Dam, he’s one lucky guy.” He turned away and headed towards the moat walls, where he could snorkel off the coaling docks. She noticed before he went in the water he put on snorkel equipment and plunged in to the water. “That looks like fun.”

“I have equipment here if you want to explore. It’s going to be another forty five minutes or so until we can leave,” one of the other crewmen told her. He was about to take down their tents from the night before.

Maggie placed the flippers on her feet and grabbed the mask and snorkel and ran to the moat walls. She stripped off her top and shorts to reveal a two piece bikini she wore underneath her clothes. She put it on as an after thought yesterday before heading out in case she wanted to get some sun in Key West. Glad now she thought to wear a suit, she adjusted the mask over her eyes and plunged in to the water.

B swam ahead of her, his muscular body close to the coral reefs. She swam down a bit more and came up behind him. Maggie thought he didn’t see her but realized this was a man who was aware of his surroundings.

He nodded to her and then pointed towards a school of grey snapper that whizzed by. Maggie swam among the brilliant display of fish around the coral reef. There were so many yellow small mouthed grunts and gravy angelfish that swam through the reefs ignoring the humans who watched.

After some time, B pointed to his watch. She nodded and headed back to the surface. The rush of morning air hit her in the face and the sun and sea breeze kissed her skin. Johnny was right, it was a great day to be alive. B surfaced and removed his mask.

“After the ordeal last night, this is heaven,” Maggie told him. She looked over to find Ben’s eyes on her. A chopper sounded in the distance but Maggie didn’t pay much attention.

“Seems as if the world is alive,” Ben mentioned. He let his eyes drift from Maggie’s face down to her toes.

“B, don’t even start your flirting ways with me,” she joked. She punched him on the arm, her playful mood catching. Ben grabbed her around the waist and swung her in circles in the water until she became dizzy. “Put me down, you fool!” she cried out.

When he let her go she flew through the air in to the ocean with a splash. As she came up out of the water, laughing and shouting, she noticed a helicopter land on the helipad a few hundred feet away. “We have visitors,” she shouted over the noise. In the back of her mind she knew it had to be Jake. He would come for her. A smile the size of the Mississippi River crossed her cheeks when she realized she was right. She pushed through the heavy water towards her love.

He stood on the moat wall, his feet planted inches apart, his arms at his sides. A gentle breeze whipped his white tee shirt as it rippled across those hard muscles she loved. “Jake!” she yelled, waving her arms back and forth as she tried to move faster through the water. He didn’t wave back and the closer she got to the coaling dock, she saw the angry look on his face.

She stopped in the water, then took slow steps towards him. “Jake?” She heard B behind her as he got closer.

“I think he’s pissed,” B said. She whipped around to stare him down when she noticed he wore a pair of skin tight trunks that showed off every single muscle on his drop dead gorgeous body.

“Why should he be pi-” The realization of how it must look to him dawned on Maggie. “No Jake, it isn’t what you think.” She cleared the water and ran towards the moat, then ran into his arms. Except his arms stayed at his side.

She pulled away and stared at him. “Jake?” She followed his stare which led right to Ben, who strolled up to the two of them.

“You must be Jake,” Ben said. He placed both hands on his hips and smiled, a cocky grin that said to the world he didn’t mind if Jake were jealous or not. Was B trying to stir up trouble?

Maggie felt Jake go rigid. He pulled her to his side and kept his arm around her waist. It felt like a steel rod. His hand gripped her hip in a tight clasp. She gasped at the intensity when she looked at him. “Jake,” she whispered. “It’s innocent, I promise.” She reached up and splayed her delicate hand on his cheek and forced him to turn his head. His eyes were so angry but they did soften when he looked in to hers for a moment before a shield dropped over his face.

“I’m Jake Hatfield,” he told Ben in a dark tone Maggie didn’t recognize. He was so angry yet all she wanted to do was fall in to his arms, her safe place. She ached inside and so she turned in to his arms and forced him to hold her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her body up against his, her bare skin crushing him. He stiffened for a moment and then wrapped his arms around her. His head dipped then he crushed his mouth to hers.