“Nah, get rid of them. Don’t need any reminders.”
“Good decision.”
It was a good decision. He’d been thinking about clipping off his dreads for years but couldn’t seem to do it. They had become a part of him. They represented something he couldn’t logically define.
A series of beeps came from the hallway as Mindy dropped his hair in the trash can.
“I better go see what that is. I’ll come back later to trim it up.” She rushed away without waiting for a reply.
Standing in the doorway, her mouth agape, Maggie’s eyes grew as big as moons. She was probably formulating a hell of a comment.
“How long have you been standing there?” Travis cleared his throat, his hand involuntarily brushing over his fuzzy head.
“Long enough.”
“Well? Are you coming in or are you going to stand there looking at me like I’m some alien?”
“Sorry . . . I’m stunned.”
“Obviously.” Maggie stayed in the doorway with her mouth hanging open. “So, what do you think?”
“I . . . um . . .”
“Ah, come on. You hated my dreads. You mean to tell me you have nothing to say?”
Chapter 11
What could she say? She felt like she was in the Twilight Zone, like she’d fallen through a dizzying time machine and landed in front of an eighteen-year-old Travis.
“Just don’t stand there, come in,” he said.
“You look so different.”
“I look hot, according to Mindy, the nurse who just ran out of here.”
“Mindy.” The young, pretty blonde who had been leaning over Travis with her cute, perky breasts in his face. Even her name was adorable. A sharp burn had spread in Maggie’s chest when she rounded the corner into Travis’s room and found the nurse hovering over him. She rarely saw him around women, but when she did, jealousy singed her like a hot iron. It was stupid—and unexplainable. They’d been divorced for years, and she’d been remarried twice. She shouldn’t get jealous because the nurse had her hands on him.
“Yeah, Mindy. She cut off my dreads for me.”
“I see that.”
“I was going to do it myself, but she was chomping at the bit to do it for me.” He pointed at the chair beside his bed. “Come on in and sit down.”
“I bet she was,” Maggie mumbled as she crossed the room and eased into the chair.
“She dumped them in the trash can. You can take one out and keep it as a souvenir if you want.” His laughter snapped her out of her jealous haze. The nurse was just giving him a hand and nothing more.
“Maybe I will.”
“You can hang them over the bar like garland.”
“Right, tie them together.” Maggie chuckled, coming out of her funk. “Or maybe I’ll scatter them on the backroom floor to keep the mice away.”
“Nah, they’d want to nest in them.”
They laughed together for the first time in years. Real humor, not their usual caustic, biting banter, and it felt good.
“I heard her say she would come back to trim it up.”
“Yeah, some trendy style.”
“I could . . .” Nervousness suddenly coursed through her. She fiddled with her purse strap.
“What?”
“It’s a little patchy. I can trim it for you.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I don’t mind.” Her gaze locked with his, and her stomach flipped. She wanted to do it. Wanted to run her hand over his close-cropped head. “I’d be happy to do it.”
“Okay then. Go for it.”
Maggie stood up, setting her purse on the floor, and circled the bed. She picked up the electric razor and turned it in her hand.
“Have you ever used one of those things?” Travis asked.
“No, but how hard could it be?”
“I’ve already got a gash in my head, I don’t need another one.”
“I’m not planning to cut you.”
“Good to know.”
There were three attachments on the tray and she had no idea which one to use. She knew they controlled the length of the cut, but that was about it.
“Does it matter which one of these I use?”
“I put a number two on it. That should do it.”
She flipped the switch, and the razor buzzed to life.
“Start on top, going from front to back,” he instructed, pulling the bedsheet to his chin.
“I kind of know what to do. Go from the front, up the back and sides toward the crown of your head.”
“Sounds about right.”
“Trying not to cut off your ear along the way.”
Maggie leaned in, and Travis grabbed her wrist. “If for some reason, you cut an artery, remember everything I have goes to Carly.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not planning to kill you today.” Travis barked a laugh and closed his eyes. Maggie’s hand shook as she made the first swipe with the razor. Tiny nibs of hair fell on his face and onto the sheet. She brushed her thumb over his nose and across the stubble on his cheeks. Sweet warmth came over her as her hand skimmed his face, remembering what it had been like to touch him. He opened his eyes and laid his hand on hers.
“I can do that when you’re done,” he said, lifting her hand from his face.
“Oh . . . sure, okay. I thought the hairs would bother you.” She went back to the task, her hands quivering even more. Travis let out a heavy sigh and shut his eyes. He obviously hadn’t felt the same stirring sensation she had. Continuing on, running the blade over his entire head until his hair was one super short length, she flipped the switch and the buzzing stopped. He opened his eyes and ran his hand over his head.
“Like a newborn puppy,” they said together, bursting out laughing.
“You always said that after I’d had a trim.” Travis chuckled, reaching for the mirror. She placed the mirror in his hands, and he slowly raised it until he saw his reflection. His head was neatly trimmed and clean-cut, reminding her so much of the young man she had married. Memories hit her like a tidal wave, emotions she hadn’t felt in years washed over her. She rushed into the adjoining bathroom, and braced her hands on the sink, taking in deep breaths. Travis looked just like he had the day he came back from boot camp and asked her to marry him.
“Hey, can you bring me a damp washcloth and hand towel while you’re in there?” he called out to her.
“Sure.” Her back straightened, then she sucked in a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror. This was now, not nineteen years ago. Just because he looked like the handsome man she had married, he wasn’t the same.
She wet a washcloth and went back to Travis, finding him shaking the bedsheet and sending the little hairs into the air.
“The housekeeping staff is going to be furious with you,” she said, handing him the cloth.
“There’s a housekeeping staff? I haven’t seen anyone pushing a broom around here.” He swiped at the back of his neck and winced.
“Here, let me. You’ll pull all your stitches out.”
She sat on the edge of the bed, her hip pressed to his side, and leaned across him to wipe the tiny particles from the back of his neck. His breath tickled the bare skin where her blouse gaped open. The closeness awakened butterflies in her belly, and her hand began to shake.
“Nice rack,” he muttered.
Maggie snapped back, folding her arms over her breasts. “Travis,” she scolded.
“Couldn’t help myself. They were right there in my face.”
“I’m trying to get you cleaned up.”
“Hey, don’t let me stop you.” His eyes lowered to her chest and smiled. “Go ahead. I’m sure you missed a spot.”
“Forget it.” Maggie stood up, fighting back a grin, and shoved the damp cloth in his hand. “You can do it yourself.”
“Come on. I was just messing with you.”
“You shouldn’t have.” She gathered her blouse in her hands, closing the gap, feel
ing a blush in her cheeks.
“They’re still your best asset.”
“Would you stop it?” Maggie turned her back to him, feeling embarrassed, and a bit thrilled, if she was honest with herself. His comments were inappropriate and crass, but they made her whole body quiver. The momentary closeness and his crude flirtation stirred emotions she hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Hey,” he said, “I’m sorry.”
She cleared her throat, tugged on the gap in her blouse, and turned around to find him with a crooked smile on his face.
“Would you please wipe the back of my neck?” He held out the cloth. “I promise to behave.”
She snatched the washcloth from his hand and released a sigh, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. “You better.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
This time she remained standing, making sure not to bring her chest anywhere close to his face as she cleared the tiny speckles from his neck. She folded the washcloth and used a clean section to wipe the dried blood from behind his ear.
“I’m not hurting you, am I?”
“It’s a little tender, but it’s okay.”
“I’ll go rinse this out.”
Maggie hurried into the bathroom and let the water run over the cloth, rinsing the tiny hairs and bloody residue down the drain. She took a moment to draw in a deep breath to settle her racing heart. Being alone with him, touching him in such an intimate way, and that damn crew cut bringing back all kinds of memories, was making it hard to breathe. And through it all, he was completely relaxed, unaffected by their closeness. Sure, he had commented on her breasts, but it was all in fun. What was the matter with her that she felt so giddy?
She rung out the washcloth and looked at her reflection. “Get it together, girl,” she reprimanded herself, and grabbed a handful of paper towels, running them under the faucet. When she returned to the room, Travis was lying back with his eyes closed.
“Travis?”
“Just resting my eyes.”
“I thought I should wipe your face.”
“I’ll do it.” He opened his eyes and reached for the washcloth.
“No, it’s still a little bloody. Use these.” She held out the wet paper towels, and he ran them over his face.
“Let me clean around your stitches one more time.”
He rolled his head to the side, still wiping his face with the paper towels, and Maggie cleaned the last of the dried blood from his head.
“So, what do you think?” he asked.
“About what?”
“My hair.”
“What hair?” She chuckled as she clutched the bloodied cloth in her hands.
“Funny.” He handed her the paper towels and folded an arm behind his head. “Seriously, how do I look?”
“You look . . .”
“Scary?”
“No, your dreads were scary.”
“Oh, come on.”
“You look younger. More like the Travis I—” Maggie stopped herself and walked around the bed, keeping her head down as she rushed to the bathroom. She dropped the paper towels in the trashcan and slammed the washcloth in the sink. She had almost said “like the Travis I fell in love with.” What was the matter with her?
“Hey, Mag,” he called.
She wiped her wet hands on her jeans as she came back into the room. “Need something?”
“I need to ask you something.”
“Carly told me.” She dropped into the chair beside his bed. “You need a place to stay without any stairs.”
“I told the doctor I could get up to my apartment, but she wouldn’t listen.”
“No, she’s right. You need to heal up before you tackle stairs. Someone should be with you, at least for the next few weeks.”
“I could go to a rehab facility.”
“We have an extra bedroom. You can stay with us.” She reached for her purse and started to dig. For what, she didn’t know. But she couldn’t look him in the eye right now. “Carly and I will take care of you.” She found a tube of lip balm and scrubbed it across her lips. “Of course, she will be gone a week down to Myrtle Beach after graduation. It’ll be just the two of us, but it should be fine.”
“Afraid to be alone with me?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” She slammed the lip balm back in her purse. “It’ll be fine.”
“I’ll try not to be a bother.”
“You won’t be.”
“What about Buddy?”
She froze. She felt her eyes grow large. “What about him?” She had totally forgotten about her fiancé.
“Will he mind me being there?”
Dropping her purse to the floor, she folded her arms around her middle and crossed her legs. Her chin tipped up in defiance. “It’s my house. I say who stays and who doesn’t.”
“Fine. Okay.” He threw his hands up in surrender. “I’ll try to stay out of his way. Carly said he likes to hang out at your place and watch old movies while you’re at work.”
“He’s only done that once. She’s exaggerating.”
“I’m just saying if he’s used to coming and going at your place, I’ll be sure to steer clear.”
“It’ll be fine.”
“I mean, when he stays over, just forget I’m even there.”
Her hands shook as she grabbed a hunk of her hair and braided it. How in the world would she explain this to Buddy? He was going to be furious knowing Travis was living with her. Juggling time with her former husband and future husband could get a little tricky. And what if Buddy were to spend the night?
“The spare bedroom is next to mine,” she mumbled.
“I’ll put on some headphones. You two just go about your business. I won’t hear a thing.”
“Jesus.” She dropped her head in her hands. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.
“Whatever it is you two love birds are into, don’t let me stop you.”
“Oh my God, Travis, shut up.” Maggie stood up with her fists on her hips and her eyes blazing. “Don’t be an ass, or I’ll call the whole thing off.”
“I don’t want to be a burden or cause any trouble, that’s all.”
“Thank you.”
“You just tell little Buddy nothing needs to change just because your ex-husband is sleeping in the room next door.”
“You’re impossible.”
She snatched her purse from the floor and stormed toward the door, brushing shoulders with Brody.
“Hey, Maggie,”
She ignored his greeting, needing desperately to get away before tears fell.
Chapter 12
Damn these tears. Why did she let Travis get to her? He had looked so young and vulnerable lying in that hospital bed, his closely-shorn hair reminded her of when they first got married. It was like she’d gone back in time. They’d had their first conflict-free moments together in years, had even shared a laugh. She had hoped the accident had knocked the smartass out of him. But it hadn’t. In no time, he reminded her that he wasn’t the sweet guy she’d married in the judge’s chambers, but a bitter, hateful man who enjoyed making her suffer.
No more!
She would let the old goat stay at her house during his recovery for Carly’s sake. With graduation looming and her daughter leaving for college at the end of the summer, it would be good for Travis and Carly to spend time together. Maggie would simply have to suck it up and not let his snide remarks get to her. Maybe if she and Buddy reset their wedding date and she stayed focused on the planning, Travis’s nasty comments wouldn’t sting so much.
Maggie stepped outside the hospital into the warm evening. There was a hint of summer on the breeze—the smell of freshly mowed grass and flowers blooming. She put in a call to Buddy. He was on an overnight trip to Columbus, and she suddenly missed him.
“Hey, darlin’, to what do I owe this pleasure?” His sweet-talk settled her jagged nerves. Buddy’s love was just what she needed after Travis’s cruelty.
“I was m
issing my man. How’s your trip going?”
“Successful. I have one more sales call tomorrow, and then I’ll head home. Are you free tomorrow night?”
“I’ll make sure I am.”
“How about we try out that new Italian restaurant in Clarksburg?”
“Sounds great.” Her voice quivered with emotion. Buddy was such a dear, and she suddenly felt guilty about running out on him.
“You okay, sweetheart?” Buddy was so sweet to worry. Travis certainly wouldn’t care.
“I’m fine. Just missing you. Let’s talk about rescheduling the wedding tomorrow night.”
“I’m all in. Just tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.”
“Okay.” A calming laugh gurgled up from her heart. She really was the luckiest woman to have Buddy in her life. “I can’t wait to marry you.”
“Same here, darlin’. You have a good evening and dream about me.”
“Absolutely. Be safe. I love you, Buddy.”
“Love you more. See you tomorrow night.”
Maggie held the phone to her chest, soaking up the love she felt from this amazing man. She’d had so much heartache in her other marriages, and she just knew Buddy would bring her the respect, tranquility, and security she craved. He was an honest, salt-of-the-earth kind of guy who would make a great husband. So what if he wasn’t funny or spontaneous or a dynamo in bed? He was a solid rock she could lean on.
A few minutes later, she was back in her car, heading south on the interstate when Penny called.
“Hey, I’m at the bar and down to only one bottle of tequila. Did you order any?”
“No, we had a whole case of Cuervo in the back.”
“There was only one bottle left in the case, and I don’t see any others. That won’t get us through the weekend.”
“That’s impossible. There were eight bottles of Patrón and a full case of Jose Cuervo on Thursday night when I worked. You can’t tell me we went through all that tequila.”
“I’ll ask the other bartenders, but my guess is we have a thief among them.”
“No way.” Maggie pulled to the shoulder, unable to talk shop and concentrate on traffic at the same time. A passing semi shook her car as she shut off the engine. “Look again. I’m telling you the case was there.”
Whatever Love Means Page 11
