Whatever Love Means

by Leigh Fleming

  “I want to go back to that part about if anyone should have anything to say.” She turned toward the judge and pointed at the book in his hand. “Read that part again will you?”

  “I, well, sure, if you want.”

  “Maggie!” Buddy grumbled as he glanced out at the nearly empty courtroom. She was embarrassing him, poor soul.

  “Go ahead, Judge.”

  “If there is anyone present who, um, has reason to believe these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

  “Bingo.” Maggie perched her hands on her hips and glanced toward the back of the courtroom, rocking back and forth on her tippy-toes until she saw the double doors open. Chief Kirk and Officer Pete walked in. They stood in front of the doors at ease.

  “Oh, shit,” Buddy moaned, tucking his head between his hands.

  “Come on now, Buddy,” Maggie said, turning him around to face the officers. “Is there something you’d like to tell them? Something about a convenience store holdup, by chance?”

  Buddy wrenched loose of Maggie’s grip and made a dash for the side door of the courtroom. The judge reached out and caught the shoulder of his suit jacket, but Buddy jerked free. He took off toward the door to the judge’s chambers as the officers ran up the aisle. Travis dodged across the courtroom and blocked Buddy’s path, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back until he folded in half.

  “I believe these officers may have a few things to say to you,” Travis growled at Buddy, who was whimpering and struggling to get loose.

  “After I have my say.” Maggie lifted her chin high and walked toward Buddy. He was bent over and had sweat dripping from his nose. “Let him loose, Travis.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.”

  “He won’t get away,” Chief Kirk said.

  Travis released his hold on Buddy and took a step back, still blocking the door to the judge’s chambers. Travis folded his arms over his chest and nodded to Maggie.

  She stood in front of Buddy, her eyes trailing from his balding head to his stubby feet and back again. What had she been thinking when she agreed to marry him? She shook her head and poked him in the chest.

  “How long do you think it would’ve taken me to figure out that you are a no-good, lying, criminal?”

  “Wha—Maggie,” he whined. “I don’t know what you mean, darlin’.”

  “You’re up to your chubby chin in debt.”

  “What the hell?” he moaned, wiping his jacket sleeve across his mouth. “Who told you that?”

  “One of your ex-wives.”

  “Maggie, listen to me.” He reached out a sweaty palm, but she didn’t take it. She stood tall and strong and sure of herself.

  “With the help of a friend . . .” Maggie glanced behind Buddy and gave Travis a wink. “. . . I found out you’ve been married and have a couple of kids. Don’t you think you should’ve told me that?”

  “It’s not what you think.”

  “You’ve had some trouble paying child support in the past.”

  “I can explain.”

  “Of course, your second wife, Tiffany, told me that you’d recently paid up on your child support to the tune of five hundred dollars. The same amount of money I lent you. It’s also nearly the same amount of money that had gone missing at the Brass Rail.”

  Penny shouted. “I knew it. You son of a—”

  “Easy, sister.” Maggie glanced over her shoulder at Penny, who was on her feet, pointing at Buddy with one hand while her other arm was wrapped around Carly’s shoulder.

  “I didn’t steal that money,” he protested.

  “Maybe not.” Maggie turned her attention back to the small, sniveling man that somehow had tricked her into believing he was a good person and truly loved her. “It’s possible you could be telling the truth about the missing money from our bar, but I doubt it.”

  “I swear, honey.” He grabbed her hand, but she jumped back as if she’d been bitten by a snake. “I never stole money from you and your sister.”

  “What about a case of tequila?”

  “Maggie, you know I don’t drink. Why would I do that?”

  “Okay, you might be right. But what about the money you stole from the Stop and Go Convenience store?”

  “What? What are you talking about?”

  She stepped around Buddy, knocking her shoulder into his as she glanced toward the back of the courtroom. “Mr. McIlheny? Are you here?”

  A tall, white-haired man stepped through the open double doors and made his way down the aisle. Buddy muttered under his breath as he watched the man come forward. Maggie laid her hand on his shoulder once he reached her side.

  “You know this man, don’t you, Buddy?”

  “Maggie, what have you done?” Buddy laced his hands on top of his head and groaned.

  “Long time no see, Fred,” Mr. McIlheny said.

  “Shit.”

  “Yep, you’re in deep shit, my friend.”

  Maggie shuffled past Buddy and his old friend to stand in front of the railing.

  “Let me bring everyone up to speed. Have a seat, take a seat.” Once Penny, Carly, Riley, and Derek were settled, she continued while Travis and McIlheny surrounded Buddy. Chief Kirk and Officer Pete stood silently beside the judge. “You see, my dear Buddy is a con artist. He’s got warrants out for his arrest for passing bad checks and larceny. He goes by several names—Buddy, Fred, Gene, and Martin. I have no idea where he got the name Martin.” She threw her hands in the air.

  “Anyway, I learned he wasn’t quite the stellar guy I thought he was, so I decided to dig a little deeper. I went to visit both of his ex-wives and met his three children. Through those conversations, I learned that he owes several people quite a lot of money. I guess he figured by marrying me he’d have access to ample cash at the Brass Rail. Thought I’d be too stupid to know what he was up to.” Maggie glared at Buddy as he shook his head in denial.

  “His exes told me about his best friend, Mr. McIlheny, and where I could find him. I called Chief Kirk, who notified the state police.

  “Buddy has a gambling problem. You might have seen the surveillance photo in the news about the hold up at the Stop and Go. That’s Buddy in the long wig and moustache holding up the cashier. His friend here, Mr. McIlheny, knows all about Buddy’s antics. He was there the night he robbed the store and plans to testify against him for a reduced sentence of his own.”

  “That’s a lie,” Buddy snarled.

  “Settle down, or I’ll put you in a choke hold,” Travis threatened, taking a menacing step. Buddy bumped against Mr. McIlheny.

  “How about we let the police decide if you’re lying or not.” Maggie stepped in front of Chief Kirk and Officer Pete. “Thanks, guys, for letting me tell the story.” She should be angry or hurt but felt weightless and relieved. Thankful she had learned the truth about Buddy before it was too late.

  “Are you finished, Maggie?”

  “Sure, Pete. He’s all yours now.”

  “Maggie, how can you do this to me?” Buddy screamed.

  She glided across the room and stepped in front of him, looking him straight in the eyes. “It’s been surprisingly easy, Buddy.”

  “But I love you.”

  “If I had a dollar for every time some low-down, lying piece of crap like you had said that to me . . .” She twisted the engagement ring off her finger. “You can have this back. It’s cubic zirconia, but you knew that.”

  “I didn’t rob that store, I swear. None of this is true.”

  “Save it for your lawyer because you’re sure going to need one.”

  She stood aside as Officer Pete snapped handcuffs around Buddy’s wrists. The lying weasel had somehow conjured up some tears as he was hauled out of the courtroom, but he’d get not an ounce of sympathy from her. She felt liberated and proud she had stood up to the third—and last—man who would ever hurt and humiliate her. Her heart was racing, but it was the best feeling in the world
. It may have been a bit dramatic the way she did it, but she’d needed to stand up to him in front of her friends—witnesses—to prove to them and herself that she would never get walked on again.

  As soon as the police officers were gone, with Buddy in tow, Maggie turned toward her friends and family, all waiting in shock and silence. Travis took a few uneven steps toward her, but she held up her hand. Any other time, she would’ve run into his arms but not now. She planned and executed this trap on her own and she wanted to celebrate alone.

  “Penny was the only one who knew what I had planned. I’m sorry if you thought you were coming to a wedding instead of an arrest, but I . . .” She let her eyes glance over her daughter and her dearest friends who were obviously shocked at what had just happened. “. . . it was something I needed to do.”

  “But why, Mom?” Carly stood alone with her arms wrapped around her middle, shaken and confused. “Why didn’t you just call the police?”

  “I guess I . . .”

  “Buddy is a terrible man, but why go to all this trouble?”

  Maggie suddenly felt foolish. Her heart dropped to her feet when she saw her daughter’s disappointment. She rushed across the room and gathered Carly’s shoulders in her hands.

  “Carly, I just needed to—”

  “You humiliated him.”

  “Honey, it’s hard to explain. I’ve been hurt and humiliated so many times myself. I guess I—”

  “Wanted him to know how it feels?”

  “Yes,” she whispered. “I wanted to show everyone I could be strong.”

  “You’ve always been strong, Mom.”

  Maggie shook her head, her eyes welling with tears. The last thing she wanted to do was disappoint her daughter. She thought by pulling this stunt in front of Carly and her friends that they’d be proud of her. Now she just felt stupid.

  “You’re the strongest person I know.” Carly wrapped her arms around Maggie, kissed her cheek, and whispered in her ear. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, baby.”

  Carly held her at arm’s length and smiled—the same playful smile as her dad’s. “He got what he deserved.”

  They fell into a tight hug and laughed. Soon, they were surrounded by their friends murmuring encouraging words, “It’s okay, Maggie” and “We’re here for you” and “So proud of you.” These friends had been with her through the highs and lows of her life, and they understood. For that, she’d always be grateful. She hugged Riley and Derek and Penny, shook the judge’s hand, and rushed up the aisle. She turned to wave to Carly. “I’ll be back next week, Car. I love you.”

  “I love you too, Mom.”

  Maggie ran out the double doors. A black stretch limousine waited at the base of the courthouse stairs with its engine running. Her suitcase was already stowed in the trunk. The driver came around the back of the car and opened her door. As she was about to step in, Travis called out to her.

  “Maggie, wait.” It saddened her to see him hobble down the steps to catch her. She planned to be whisked away quickly but she owed him at least a proper good-bye.

  She walked away from the limo and met Travis at the bottom of the stairs.

  “What the hell?” He huffed and puffed as he came off the last step. “Where are you going?”

  “Jamaica, remember? And Grand Cayman and—”

  “Alone?”

  “The honeymoon’s paid for, by Buddy as a matter of fact, so why not go?”

  “But—”

  She took a step closer, laying her hand on his warm cheek. “I’m glad you were here today, and that you stopped Buddy from escaping.”

  “Maggie, we—”

  She placed her finger against his lips to stop him from saying anything else.

  “Thank you for everything, Trav. I know you want to help me right now, but I’ve got this. I don’t need you this time.”

  Turning back toward the limo, she gripped the door and climbed inside.

  Chapter 25

  Miami in the summer. Travis had never felt such heat and humidity. The steady breeze did nothing to prevent his shirt from sticking to his back. He leaned his elbows on the long, white railing, looking down at the steady stream of passengers, and took a sip of his cocktail. It was some fruity concoction with a paper umbrella that did little to cool him down or steady his nerves. He’d taken a hell of risk coming here.

  Then he spotted her. Wearing a strappy little number with her hair pulled up in a ponytail, his eyes followed Maggie up the gangway and watched her disappear inside the belly of the ship. Passengers were encouraged to head up to the lido deck where they would accept a drink from the wait staff’s trays. She would soon walk through that door, and he had to be ready.

  He’d been rehearsing his lines, words he’d held deep inside for fifteen years, things he hoped Maggie wanted to hear. After their amazing afternoon spent in her bed, and then her courageous confrontation with Buddy inside the courtroom, he knew he couldn’t hold it in any longer. She was brave and strong, the love of his life, and the woman he could no longer live without. She might not need him anymore, but he damn sure needed her.

  All at once, there she was. Strolling through the door with a smile on her face, looking young and fresh and happy. She slipped her purse in the crook of her arm and lifted the fruity drink to her lips and . . . stopped. The straw popped from her mouth, and her eyes bugged out of her head. A colorfully dressed couple bumped into the back of her, apologizing as they worked their way around.

  “Travis?” Heads turned when she screeched out his name. “What’re you doing here?”

  He limped over, grabbed her by the elbow, and guided her to the railing. She was blocking the entrance and drawing attention. “Shh, come on over here.”

  “But . . . what the . . . you’re here? On the cruise ship?”

  “Yes, keep your voice down.”

  “I don’t understand.” She jerked her arm from his hold and turned her angry green eyes on him. “You’re supposed to be in Highland Springs. Carly is staying with you.”

  “She’s at Penny’s now.”

  “I had everything arranged. This trip was for me. My time away. Alone.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “And now you’ve messed it all up.” She stomped her foot for emphasis. This little reunion wasn’t how it had played out in his head. He shouldn’t have come but had to.

  “Let me explain.” He drained his glass, the syrupy drink making him nauseous.

  “This better be good.” She handed her unfinished cocktail to a passing server and folded her arms over her chest—battle-ready.

  “I couldn’t let you go on this cruise alone.”

  “See, that’s it. There’s the problem.” Her pointy fingernail jabbed him in the chest. “I’ll admit, I’ve always called you anytime I’ve had a problem or needed something fixed, but the minute I am ready to fix this myself, you step in and mess it up. I hate to tell you this, Travis.” She threw her hands up and splayed her fingers out like a fan. “New flash. I’m a strong woman. Carly said so. I don’t need you this time.”

  Her words cut him like a knife. But if she could be so brave, he could, too.

  “I’m sorry to hear that, Mag, because I need you.”

  She blinked rapidly, glancing over her shoulder, seeming confused by his words.

  “Did you hear me?” Travis stepped closer and took her hands in his. “I said I need you. I can’t live without you anymore. I’ve been waiting fifteen years to say it.”

  Her lungs filled with air, her chest puffed out, and her eyes grew dark. She snatched her hands from his and shoved them into his chest, rocking him backward.

  “Fifteen years?”

  A steward rushed over and asked, “Is everything okay, here?”

  “We’re fine, thank you,” Travis said. “She’s just pissed I’m here.”

  “You bet I am,” Maggie snarled at him. Then she turned and smiled at the steward. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to keep it down.
”

  The steward walked away, shaking his head, and Maggie turned her anger back on Travis. “Let me get this straight. All these years of you teasing me, making your snide comments and ridiculing me, and you haven’t been able to live without me? Are you serious right now?”

  “Dead serious.”

  “I’m sorry, Travis, but I’m having a hard time believing that. Why haven’t you spoken up before now?”

  “You didn’t give me a chance. Every time I turned around, you were marrying someone else.”

  “Gee, thanks for the reminder.” Turning toward the shoreline, she gripped the railing in her hands, shaking her head.

  Travis stood beside her, looking out across the parking lot outlined with swaying palm trees. He nudged his elbow into her side. “If you want me to leave, there’s still time for me to get off. But I’m not going until I tell you something.” He laid his hand on her shoulder, forcing her to look at him. “I love you, Maggie.”

  She shrugged and rolled her eyes toward the sky, a move he’d seen Carly do a thousand times. “Whatever love means.”

  Now she’d pissed him off. He declared his love for her, and she tossed it aside with a roll of her eyes? No way would she brush him off like that.

  “I’ll tell you what love means.” He held her shoulders in his hands and dipped down to meet her eye-to-eye. “It means I busted my ass to get on the last flight to Miami, paid $2,000 for a crappy windowless room on this tin can, and got up with the roosters to be the first one on the ship so that I could find you and tell you that I’ve loved you since the day you spilled that Coke on me and I’ll love you until the day I die. Now if that’s not what love means, I don’t know what does.”

  “Oh?”

  “Is that all you have to say?”

  “So, you lost a little sleep and spent a bunch of cash. Is that really what love means to you, Travis?”

  “Christ.” So much for a romantic reunion. “You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?”

  “No.” She pursed her lips as she crossed her arms.

  “Damn you, woman.” He sighed as he untangled her arms and took her hands in his. “I love you, Maggie. Always have. I’m ready to make it work this time. You said something about selling your businesses so you can start a whole new life. I want to be a part of that. Even though I’m adding on to the garage, I’m going to delegate more of the work, hire some new mechanics. I’m giving up plumbing, lock-smithing, and any other side job people call me for.”