The Renegade (The Moorehouse Legacy #3)(47)

It was all catching up to her. The not sleeping, the not eating.

Bottom line? She was losing weight as well as her mind.

And all that was before she’d realized she had fallen in love with Alex.

The sound of a car pulling up to the house brought her head around. Actually, the low growl was more like a diesel truck. So it was probably one of the plumbers coming back for something he’d forgotten.

As the plastic wrap moved aside, Cass had to blink several times.

Holy…that was definitely not one of the plumbers.

The woman in the doorway was easily six feet tall, and her face was right out of the movies, all eyes and lips. She was dressed in tight blue jeans and a dark fleece and her long, black hair fell down her back.

She glowed with good health, positively radiated strength and vitality. Next to her Cass felt like a shrub with frost burn.

“Hi, I’m looking for Alex Moorehouse. He said he lived here.” The woman looked around with sapphire eyes. “But I must have the wrong address.”

“He, ah, he lives in the shop.”

“You mean the barn? Oh, great. Thanks.” The woman turned away.

“Who are you?” Cass asked quietly.

“Madeline Maguire. I’m his navigator.” She flashed a smile. Naturally, her teeth were perfect and as white as tile.

“Mad Dog.”

The woman laughed, a deep, husky sound. “You must be a friend of his.”

“Not really. No.”

Mad Dog gave her an odd look. “Well, anyway. Thanks for the redirection.”

Cass went to one of the few windows that had some glass left in it and watched the woman jog up to the shop, her body moving with the power and agility of a superior athlete.

Just like Alex’s did.

Cass collected her things and shut off the generator. She was about to leave when the plastic flap was thrown to the side again.

Madeline smiled, warmth and apology combined. “If he’s not there, you wouldn’t happen to know where he might have gone?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t.” But then she remembered seeing Spike arrive and leave about an hour ago. “Wait. He probably went into town. He shouldn’t be long.”

At that moment the Honda came down the drive and pulled up to the shop.

“Here he is.”

The woman glanced over her shoulder. “I wonder how this is going to go,” she said softly.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s been a while and a lot has happened,” Madeline murmured. “God, look at him move. So carefully.”

Alex eased out of the car and leaned on his cane while he waved Spike off. Before he started for the shop, he eyed the black Dodge Viper the woman had evidently come in.

“Mad Dog!” he called toward the shop. “Where are you?”

Mad Dog, Madeline, whatever her name was, burst out of the plastic and jogged with that awful grace across the lawn.

Cass followed, going to her car.

“I’m right here,” the woman said.

Alex looked over his shoulder. The woman stopped about ten yards away from him.

“Hey, girl,” he said, as he turned around.

“Captain.”

He smiled slowly. “So you gonna hug me or just keep staring at me like you’ve seen a ghost?”

The woman let out a soft sob and galloped into his arms.

As their bodies melded, Cass closed her eyes.

Fumbling for her keys, she got in the Rover and drove to Gray’s. When she was parked in front of the house, she put her head down on the steering wheel. The car was freezing cold by the time she went inside.

She gave Ernest a brief hello and skirted the issue of dinner by telling Libby she’d eaten a big lunch with the workmen.

“And this might sound antisocial,” she continued, “but I really want to lie down. Even though it’s only six o’clock.”

“You head on up to bed, then,” Libby said. “You look exhausted. Oh, by the way, we’re having visitors again. Alex’s sister Frankie has asked everyone to come up here. Well, everyone being Joy and Gray, that is.”

Cass frowned. “I hope she’s not worried about the progress we’re making at White Caps. I talk to her at least once a week to update her.”

“I’m sure she’s perfectly happy. Now get on up to bed, will you? You make me tired just looking at you. And if you wake up hungry at midnight, there’s plenty in the fridge to snack on.”

Upstairs, Cass took a quick shower and climbed between the sheets.

So why aren’t you with your Miracle?

It can’t work between us.

She’s not in your life?

Not the way I wish she was. Not the way…I want her. It would be inappropriate.

Of course it would. Alex couldn’t have a personal relationship with one of his crew, his navigator. And if the woman was indeed one of the strongest assets on his boat, he wasn’t going to let her talents go to someone else. Clearly, he’d rather forgo the relationship for the winning. Which made him the professional, the champion, he was.

Madeline Maguire was his Miracle.

God, this hurts, Cass thought, massaging her chest. This really hurts.

*

Later that night Alex lay back against his pillow and glared at the ceiling. “I don’t want you on my floor.”