“I won’t lie to her.”
“Then don’t say anything.”
“A lie of omission,” he muttered.
“Please, Jim.” She placed a hand on his arm. She could feel the warmth of his skin under his thick jacket. For several moments, they both stared at her hand. She wasn’t sure who was more surprised that she’d touched him.
“This has turned Griffin’s world upside down,” she continued.
“As his leaving did to Maggie’s,” he insisted.
She squeezed his arm, feeling the muscles under her hand go taut. “He cares about her very much, and I know he wants to make things right. He needs time.”
He continued to study her hand, and she pulled it away, self-conscious of the veins that threaded through the top of it. She’d been infatuated with Jim Spencer from the first day she’d arrived in Stonecreek, as a girl of seventeen. He’d been the most intoxicating combination of James Dean cool and Paul Newman sophistication, the scion of the most powerful family in town but also the artistic rebel. For an awkward girl from a barely blue-collar family who just wanted to fit in with the kids at her new high school, he’d been fascinating. Jim didn’t care what anyone thought about him. His confidence had drawn her in, and when he’d finally noticed her, she’d been a goner.
“I can’t forgive him for hurting her,” he whispered, “even if he thinks he had a good reason for it.”
“That’s understandable. You’re a good father.”
He glanced up at her, his brows quirking and an almost remorseful look flashing in his eyes. “Not really, but I’m trying.”
“It’s never too late.”
Her breath caught as he took her hand in his, the rough callouses on his palms making heat pool low in her belly.
“I hope you mean that,” he whispered.
She yanked her hand away, fisting it at her side. “I need to check on Joey,” she said on a rush of air. “And Trevor will be here any minute.”
As if on cue, a sleek Porsche appeared around the bend in the long gravel driveway that led to the house.
“Text me later,” Jim said. He held the file folder out to her and then turned away once she took it.
Jana swallowed, emotions she’d thought long buried bubbling up inside her as if from a dormant spring brought to life.
She waved to her younger son then took a step back and opened the front door. Griffin appeared in the entry. “Joey’s having breakfast. I’d like to tell Trevor about him before they meet.” He looked to where Jim was climbing in his old Volvo station wagon and frowned. “Why was he here?”
“I’m commissioning a sculpture for the flower garden next to the tasting room,” she said, forcing her voice to come out in a measured tone. “We discussed it before you went to Seattle.”
“What did you tell him about Joey?”
“Enough.”
“Mom, he can’t—”
“He won’t say anything to Maggie until you talk to her.” She turned to him, cupped his cheek with her palm. “You have to tell her, Griffin.”
“You trust him?” His jaw tightened. “He has no reason to keep this secret.”
“He will,” she said, as sure of Jim’s confidence as she was of her own name. “I’m going to sit with Joey. Talk to Trevor. Make sure he’s calm before you two come in again.”
Griffin nodded, and Jana walked past him into the house. She closed the door behind her, drew in a shuddery breath and dabbed at the corner of her eye.
It had been a spontaneous decision to invite Jim Spencer back into her life, and now she wondered if she’d opened herself to a second chance or simply unlatched a Pandora’s box of renewed trouble and possible heartache.
* * *
Maggie jumped at the knock on her door a few nights later. She stood in the kitchen, the only light coming from the glow of her cell phone screen.
The electricity had gone out almost an hour ago, and although it was only eight at night, her house was almost completely dark. The glow of lights from her neighbors’ homes shone from beyond the window. Bright strands of Christmas lights outlined the houses, which told her she was the only one affected by the loss of electricity.
But she’d checked the breaker box multiple times and could find nothing wrong.
Whoever was at her door knocked again. She hit the flashlight button on her phone and made her way to the front of the house.
To her shock, Griffin stood on the other side of the door.
He lifted a hand to shade his eyes when she shone the flashlight at him.
“How did you find me?” she asked, lowering the light and casting them both into shadows.
“Don’t sound so ominous,” he said with a soft laugh.
“I’m serious.”
“Morgan was out at Harvest after school today. She mentioned that you’d moved back in here.”
“Oh, she and I are going to have a talk,” Maggie muttered.
“Was it a secret? It’s a small town, Maggie May. I was bound to find out.”
“I guess,” she agreed reluctantly.
“So...um...” He glanced past her into the house. “I came to bring you a house-rewarming gift.” From behind his back, he pulled a ceramic pot that held a Christmas cactus. “Had you gone to bed extra early tonight?”
“My power’s out.” She took the plant from him, her heart skipping a beat. She’d been so happy to move back to her house, but she was the only one who seemed to think it was a big deal, a step in reclaiming her life.
The fact that Griffin understood made her sad for everything they’d lost.
“Did you check the electrical box?”
“I can’t find any tripped breakers,” she said with a nod.
“Want me to take a look?”
No. If she let him into her house, she was a little worried she’d end up climbing him like a spider monkey. She might tell herself that she wanted nothing to do with Griffin Stone, but her body clearly hadn’t gotten the memo.
It was difficult not to notice how handsome he was in the canvas coat that made his shoulders appear even broader than normal. Stubble darkened his jaw, and although his eyes were still in shadow, she could feel the intensity of his gaze.
“Sure. That would be great.”
She lifted the light again and he followed her into the house, through the narrow hall to the staircase that led to the basement.
“Careful, it’s steep,” she advised, starting to reach out a hand for the railing only to realize she was still holding the plant Griffin had given her.
Turning around, she ran right into the solid wall of his chest.
“I’m going to leave the plant upstairs,” she told him, her voice annoyingly breathless.
“Good idea,” he murmured and she heard rather than saw his smile.
Between the darkness and her body’s reaction to him, Maggie had become totally discombobulated in a matter of minutes. Giving herself an internal lecture on how to not be a ninny, she hurriedly placed the plant on the kitchen table then returned to the top of the stairs.
“I can go down on my own,” he offered.
“It’s my house.” She held her phone up high. “I want to be the one to take care of things.”
“Got it.” He followed her down the stairs then flipped on the flashlight from his own phone to study the breaker box. “It’s a tripped breaker.” He flipped the switch, much as she’d done earlier. But now the lights turned back on, leaving Maggie both frustrated and embarrassed.
“I did that,” she told him, frowning at the row of switches. “I swear I did that exact thing.”
“It hadn’t been pushed all the way to the off position before you flipped it on again,” he explained. “You’ll know for the next time.”
“It’s still annoying,” she grumbled, staring at the bre
aker box. “But thank you.” She glanced up to find Griffin grinning down at her. “What’s so funny?”
“You’re cute when you’re mad.” He brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “Actually, you’re beautiful all the time. I miss that about you, along with everything else.”
Maggie stepped back, flustered as color rushed to her cheeks. “You’ll get used to it,” she told him and whirled around to escape up the basement steps.
She reached the kitchen and turned off her flashlight then stepped forward to get a better look at the plant he’d brought. It was a perfect size, with delicate red flowers blooming on the ends of several stems.
“I thought you had renters until the spring.”
Griffin stood on the opposite side of the kitchen, slowly closing the door to her basement.
“The husband got a job offer in Alabama, where they were from, and the wife wanted to move back there. I was happy to let them break the lease, although I think my dad’s actually disappointed I moved out before Christmas.”
“He wanted to have the whole family under the same roof for the holidays?”
“I guess.” She smoothed a hand along the butcher-block counter she’d loved since childhood. The house had belonged to her grandmother before Maggie bought it, so she’d spend hours here as a girl. In the four years she’d owned it, she’d done little to update things, but that was about to change.
As if reading her mind, Griffin moved toward the oak table, holding up a sample of subway tile. “Remodeling?”
“It’s my Christmas present to myself. I’m starting with the bathroom upstairs. It still has the pink toilet my grandma installed when she moved in.”
“Who’s doing the work?” Griffin asked absently.
“Me,” she reported, trying not to fidget when his gaze sharpened on her. “I’ve checked out lots of tutorials on YouTube and read about a million DIY blogs.”
“You’re going to renovate a bathroom based on what you’ve read on the internet?”
She made a face. “Don’t be so old-fashioned. You’d be surprised what you can learn online. Plus there’s HGTV. Based on the hours of renovation shows I’ve watched, I’m pretty much an expert.”
“Clearly. It’s a big job, Maggie.”
“I can handle it,” she told him. “I have extra time now that the election is over and could use something to keep me...”
He lifted a brow.
“...busy,” she finished, crossing her arms over her chest.
“What about the competition for LiveSoft?” he asked, thankfully ignoring the fact that she had so much time on her hands in part because he was no longer in her life.
“I’ll manage both.”
“Maybe the stuffy CEO will want to help.”
“Christian isn’t stuffy, and why would he want to help me remodel a bathroom?”
“I got the impression he’d be happy to help you change a lightbulb or watch paint dry or whatever...” He scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “He’s interested in you, Maggie.”
“He might be moving his entire company here, Griffin. Of course he’s interested in me. I’m the mayor.”
“Not because you’re the mayor.”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Maggie.”
“I mean it.” She threw up her hands. “I told you we’re over. If I want to date someone else...Christian Milken or Mikey at the barbershop, you have nothing to say about it.”
He shrugged. “Mikey’s wife might have an opinion.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Don’t date the CEO,” he said softly, and the edge of desperation in his tone shocked her.
“I’m not planning on it,” she admitted after a long moment.
Griffin walked toward her.
“I’m not planning on dating anyone,” she said, pressing a hand to his chest when he’d closed the distance between them.
“I had to leave.” His heartbeat was steady under her hand as he spoke. Although touching him had the usual effect of spinning her senses out of control, she couldn’t force herself to pull her hand away. “But I came back.”
“For how long?” she asked then pressed her lips together. She told herself it didn’t matter, but that wasn’t true and they both knew it.
“Forever.”
He said the word with such conviction it made her heart break all over again. She’d thought she and Griffin were on their way to forever. Then he’d disappeared, and it had taken every bit of strength she had not to fall apart completely.
How could she open herself up to that kind of pain again, no matter how much she wanted to believe he meant it this time?
“You should go,” she told him, dropping her hand to her side.
“Maggie.” The word was a whispered plea on his lips as he leaned in, his nose almost grazing the sensitive skin of her neck.
“Thank you for the plant,” she said, shifting away from him. “And for helping with my breaker.” She moved to the kitchen table. “I’m starting demo this weekend, so I need to pack up that bathroom and make sure I have all the tools I need.”
“More blogs and YouTube on the docket?”
“Tonight I’m updating my Pinterest board,” she told him, earning a small smile.
“I did have something I wanted to talk to you about.”
She frowned. In the span of a few seconds, his entire demeanor had changed. He looked sheepish and contrite as he shifted his gaze to the plant he’d brought, like he couldn’t quite stand to look her in the eye.
Once again, the urge to offer comfort for whatever was plaguing him rolled through her. But she ignored it. That was simply her being weak, and she was done with weakness.
“Whatever it is won’t change things,” she said before he could speak.
He was silent for what seemed like an eternity. “Alright then,” he said finally, his voice rough. He stepped away from her, and she drew in a deep breath. “Call if you need anything. I understand you want space, but I’ll be here if that changes. Always, Maggie.”
She inclined her head and he walked out of the kitchen. It took every bit of willpower she possessed not to run after him, but she didn’t move. Only lifted a hand to her cheek to wipe away the tears that once again fell.
Chapter Four
For Maggie, the following few days were a whirlwind of balancing her normal life with managing the aftermath of the latest video uploaded to LiveSoft’s social media platforms. The remodeling project had taken a backseat as most of her time was spent answering questions about her particular involvement in the decision about a new headquarters. Christian Milken’s assistant, who’d filmed the tree lighting, had edited the footage so that it hinted at a possible spark igniting between Christian and Maggie.
While more unwanted attention on her personal life was embarrassing, Maggie had to admit that LiveSoft’s followers seemed to love it. Stonecreek had been named one of the two top contenders for the new headquarters. She’d spent the better part of the morning reviewing and responding to comments on the town’s Facebook page and Twitter feed, many of which talked about what a cute couple she and Christian would make.
Elsie German from Blush Salon had brought her a basket of skin-care products, to “liven up your complexion” for the next time she’d be on camera. Several other business owners had stopped by to see her, with advice ranging from the length of her skirts to how much lipstick to apply.
In fact, her office had become a revolving door of well-meaning members of the community, all of them excited by the town’s chances of winning and annoyingly supportive of her pursuing the charismatic CEO.
“You might want to go shopping for a new bra or two,” Irma Cole from The Kitchen restaurant suggested, her smile gleeful. Irma and Grammy had come to talk about plans for the weekend’s big event, the
annual Stonecreek Christmas pageant. Irma had offered to donate food for the reception after the pageant. She didn’t want anyone to be “hangry” while on camera.
Grammy harrumphed from where she sat in the chair across from Maggie’s desk. “Don’t be ridiculous,” Grammy told her longtime friend. “Maggie isn’t selling her body to solidify the win.”
“Of course not,” Irma said with an eye roll. “That would make her a prostitute. Maggie is far too classy for that.” She adjusted her own ample cleavage. “But if she likes him, there’s no reason she shouldn’t have matching lingerie for when things go to the next level. I may be old, but I know men still like some fancy bits when the clothes come off.”
“I’ll admit you have a point.” Grammy pinned Maggie with a stony look. “Do you have nice underwear?”
“I’m not discussing that with either of you,” Maggie answered through clenched teeth.
“Even if she didn’t get anything new when she was with Griffin,” Irma said, ignoring Maggie’s affronted tone, “I’m sure she bought nice things for her honeymoon.” She glanced at Maggie. “Isn’t that right?”
“Still not talking about it,” Maggie whispered.
“But you like him,” Grammy said, as if it were a predetermined fact. “You agreed to have dinner with him this week.”
“We’re going to talk about the town,” Maggie clarified for what felt like the fiftieth time since she’d mentioned her plans to have dinner with Christian.
“That can’t be the only topic you’ll discuss,” Irma insisted.
“Maybe he’ll want to talk about how strange and inappropriate it is that everyone in Stonecreek seems so interested in the two of us dating.” She picked up one of the bottles of fancy moisturizer then set it down again.
She couldn’t imagine what he thought of the spotlight on his personal life.
“People are excited that we could win,” Irma explained, almost apologetically. “And for you to have a new man in your life, of course.”
“There’s no new man in my life.”
How could Maggie consider a new man when she couldn’t seem to get over the old one? She’d spent almost every night since Griffin had come to her house dreaming of him. It was as if her heart couldn’t let go of him, despite what her brain instructed.
A Stonecreek Christmas Reunion Page 5
