Tangled Hearts

by Tea DeLuca

  “Tomorrow. I want to stay with Grandma tonight.” Meltdown eminent, Mark was ready to let it happen.

  “No, not tonight, Liddy.” She let out a wail and turned right into Melissa’s skirt with his mother fast approaching.

  “It’s all right, honey.” Melissa hugged her and stroked her hair. “Daddy will think about it.”

  “No, he won’t. You’re coming home with me, Liddy.” She screamed louder and threw the stuffed dog at him.

  “Mark, you’re upsetting the child,” his mother scolded. “Let her stay tonight. Pick her up in the morning.”

  “No, and I’d appreciate it if you’d let me parent my own child.” He swooped a screaming Liddy up in his arms and headed for the front porch. Her tears tore at him, but he had to stand his ground. First, she was his daughter, but, more importantly, he hated being manipulated, and using Liddy against him was inexcusable. He dropped into the rocker on the porch and set a slow pace till Liddy wrapped her arms around his neck and hiccupped the last of her tears. “Daddy, loves you, princess. You know that, and you can stay with Grandma another time. Mommy has you more than I do. I’ll ask her to bring you over for a sleepover.” His mother had managed to maintain a good relationship with Stacy for the sake of her granddaughter.

  He was bone tired, and he missed Mags. He couldn’t even talk to her about this but holding her would go a long way right now to calming him down.

  “I’m hungry, Daddy.”

  “Me, too.” He brushed her damp cheeks and once again was overwhelmed with the strength of his love for his half-pint. This child that had taken his heart. “Let’s sneak another cookie.”

  She grinned and pressed a finger to his lips. “I know where Grandma hid them.”

  “Show me.” She skipped ahead of him through the front door. She’d always be his little girl, but one day another man would steal her heart. He thought of Mags and her father, feeling his age, threatened by the future, and trusting him to take care of his daughter. He understood Pete completely, his need to be sure his daughter would be loved when he wasn’t there anymore. There was no greater love.

  Chapter 38

  It took all her will power not to call or text Mark that weekend. He had things to do that didn’t include her. After the way they had ended, seeing his mother probably wouldn’t be a good idea anyway. She had been nice enough at the time, but Mags never thought she approved of her. She wasn’t good enough for her son. Calling off the wedding confirmed it.

  Besides, she had her own things to do. She slapped the book impatiently on her lap. She needed to study before she failed her class, but it was hard to concentrate on corporate financing when all she could think about was Mark. She stirred uncomfortably and reached for a pencil. Concentrate. Rufus nudged her leg and whined quietly. She didn’t feel like a walk, though she had taken the dog behind the building earlier. Maybe a walk would do her good, and she’d take her book with her.

  Tossing her backpack over her shoulder, she leashed the dog and was grateful for the slight breeze left over from the earlier rain. She had spent most of the day with her parents, keeping her father occupied and quiet. He seemed to be recovering well but was anxious to get back out in his yard. Mags played cards with him, reminiscent of her childhood, with the goal of convincing him there’d be no digging in the yard till after his fishing trip with Mark. He was so looking forward to that.

  The dog tugged harder inside the park, and as she approached a bench, she thought of the new inventory she was expecting tomorrow. Summer clothes for little girls, little sundresses, bathing suits, and shorts sets. It had been fun, selecting from the manufacturer’s catalog, but she longed for a child of her own.

  She almost missed the text alert from her phone in her pocket.

  Miss you. Are you free?

  Her heart skipped several beats as she typed quickly. Missed you, too. Studying. Any good at corporate financing?

  We’ll figure it out. Be there in twenty minutes.

  She laughed softly as she tugged the dog toward home. She might as well shelf the book, because the odds weren’t good she’d get much studying done especially since all she wanted to do was shove him in the bedroom and strip him naked. Damn, she needed to rein in the hormones and give the man time to walk in the door.

  Chapter 39

  He used his key, though the door was unlocked as usual. “I thought we had this conversation about locked doors,” he tried to say sternly, but she saw right through him. The look in his eyes, the tension in his shoulders, and the approval as he looked her over. How could he be angry when all he wanted to do was get her out of those cute white cropped pants, that yellow tank, and the flipflops? He was barely in the door when she launched at him, finding his lips with deadly accuracy. He pulled her deeper, sending shockwaves through both of them, his fingers tightened in her hair. “It won’t work,” he whispered against her lips, his smile stretching from ear to ear. “You’re going to study.”

  “Later,” she mumbled, “or tomorrow. Maybe next week.” Damn, the fire was lit, not now.

  “We’ll study in the bedroom.” She met his eyes. Right. Picking up her book, she shot him a ‘come hither look’ as she deliberately swayed into the bedroom. He was up for a challenge. “When is the test?”

  “Tomorrow night.”

  “Fine.” Chapter ten was marked with a list of study questions. “If you know the answers, this will go quickly. If you don’t, this is going to be torture. Now, sit up, and let’s get started.”

  She shook her head. “You’re serious about this? Now you want to do this?”

  “Seriously, you think we’ll do this later?” He settled on the bed in front of her. “We’ll test your self-control as well as your knowledge of corporate finance.”

  “My self-control?” she retaliated. “How about yours?”

  “I’m not the one who attacked me before I got in the door,” he teased.

  “You didn’t exactly back away either,” she countered. “Besides, it’s no big deal. I can last longer than you.”

  “We’ll see, won’t we?” His hand glided gently up her thigh. He cleared his throat and studied the questions. “Question number one. Limited liability is a characteristic of what form of business ownership? Easy question.”

  “A corporation,” she said confidently. “Did you study this stuff?”

  “A little of everything. Your answer was right.”

  “Thanks, professor. You sound surprised. I do know something.”

  “We’ll see. Tougher question,” but Mags couldn’t stop the attraction that was pulling her toward him. Her hand glided up his chest, resting against his throat. She wanted to kiss…

  “Self-control?” he taunted, setting her hand aside. “Now, question number two. What are the potential risks to a company that fails to follow government regulations?”

  “He doesn’t get any sex,” she grinned, laying back on the pillows. “Just kidding. Fines, penalties, and something else.”

  “When you lose it all?”

  “Bankruptcy. That’s it. Next.”

  “Who has the fiduciary responsibility to make decisions on behalf of a company’s shareholders?” He set the book aside and concentrated on the questions, though his hand played with the ties on her tank.

  She couldn’t think. The decorative ties between her breasts were too close, and she wanted his hand lower, maybe a little to the right or left.

  “Mags?”

  “The uh, board of directors.” Self-control slipping, she covered his hand and moved it to cup her breast. Her soft sigh undid him. “I admit it, Mark. I want you.”

  He laid beside her, pulling her closer, the papers falling to the floor. “Call it a tie, because I want you, too.” He kissed her hard, his hands holding her head at just the right angle. When her lips parted, he was lost in her taste, in the moist heat, and his body’s response to hers. “We’ll study later,” he groaned as his lips slid down her neck to the v between her breasts. He lifted t
he tank, made short work of the pretty lace bra, and, in turn, cradled each breast in his palm. The peaks hardened quickly at his touch, at his kiss as he sucked and rubbed with increasing insistence. Her body arched, and she tugged his shirt over his head. A man shouldn’t be this incredibly beautiful. She pushed him back, eager to kiss those muscles and caress his body in loving touches. She pulled at his belt, freeing him of the rest of his clothes. She stroked him, watching him enjoy yet struggling for that elusive self-control. He shoved her back, pinning her hands on the bed beside each side of her head. His body over hers, lining up against her entrance, he pushed in. Completely filling her, struggling to hold on the blazing fire, he met her eyes. “Too fast, baby, but I’ve missed you. Later better.” He groaned as she adjusted and thrust against him.

  “Promises from the man who preferred to study,” she teased, the heat spirally her higher and higher.

  “I promise to get this right no matter how many times we have to do this,” he smiled. “Better?”

  Faster, harder, they struggled to find their stride, wanting to not only be connected, but to reach the pinnacle together—always together.

  “I love you, Mark,” she whispered against his shoulder.

  His control gone; he sent them both over the edge. “I love you, too, Maggie.”

  The fire burned slowly till only embers remained. Her face relaxed and tranquil, so beautiful and content at least for the moment. Her arms held him in place. The connection important enough to extend the contact just a little longer.

  “Mags, I don’t want to hurt you.” He was so serious that an alarm went off in her head, but she dismissed it quickly.

  “You won’t. You couldn’t.”

  She curled up against him as he settled into the pillows and covered them with a blanket. He was trying to fix things. He had kept Liddy with him all weekend and hadn’t answered Melissa’s texts earlier, but it was definitely time to tell Mags about Liddy before he blew his second chance, his second chance at love.

  Chapter 40

  Mags forced her attention back to her computer and sipped her coffee. She didn’t notice the prying little eyes, curiously staring at her. She recognized Liddy, bright blue eyes and husky puppy clenched in her hands.

  “Hi, are you taking good care of the puppy?” Mags asked.

  Her smile brightened. “I take her with me everywhere. My mommy said I should thank you.”

  “You’re very welcome. Does your mommy know you’re back here?”

  “No, she’s looking at dresses.” Mags remembered her mother; the pretty blond with a hunger for pretty clothes. She dialed the front desk and told Sandy to let her mother know she was safe. “What are you doing?” She wiggled between the wall and the computer to see her screen.

  “This is how I buy clothes for the shop. Would you like half of my sugar cookie?”

  Liddy smiled and took Mags by surprise. “Up.” She set her on her lap with half her cookie and was completely surrounded by her strawberry vanilla scent. Her soft baby fine hair brushed her cheek, and Mags held her a little tighter.

  “Are you and your mommy on a shopping trip today? That sounds like fun.”

  She sat up a little straighter and tipped her head at Mags. “With Aunt Melissa.”

  “Oh, you brought your aunt with you today? That’s even more fun. Why don’t we go back out front.” Thank you, Stacy, for bringing in another customer. With the puppy in one hand and the last of the cookie in her mouth, Liddy slipped her hand in Mags. Her heart swelled with longing for a sweet little girl like this one.

  Stacy was holding a maxi skirt in front of the full-length mirror. It was mostly a vibrant rose color with touches of pink and purple. “What do you think?” she asked Mags as she stepped around her.

  “Didn’t you buy that ivory silk blouse with the pearl buttons recently? They would be a perfect match.”

  “You’re right, and I have to buy it,” she smiled happily. “I hope Liddy wasn’t bothering you.”

  “Not at all, and she thanked me for the dog. Besides, I needed someone to share my sugar cookie.”

  “The dog was a sweet gesture. She loves it and takes it everywhere as you can see, to bed, to the kitchen table at meals, and shopping.” She stroked her daughter’s pretty curls.

  “And to Daddy’s,” Liddy added.

  “And to Daddy’s. She does love my ex, and he is a good father. I don’t usually go this clothes crazy, but he has been generous with more than Liddy’s child support. He’s a good guy. I wish things would have worked out, but we were doomed.”

  “Doomed?”

  “We weren’t in love,” her voice lowered to a whisper, “but I was pregnant with Liddy. We tried, but he was in love with someone else.”

  “I’m sorry. That must have been tough.”

  “The divorce was tough, but we both love Liddy. No regrets,” she smiled.

  “No, regrets about what? Magnolia?”

  “Dr. Stratton, so nice to see you in my shop and not in your office.”

  She laughed easily. “Stacy is always talking about your shop. I had to check it out. Feeling all right?”

  “Fine,” Mags said quickly. “I can ring those up for you Stacy.”

  “That’s Aunt Melissa,” Liddy whispered to Mags. “She spends a lot of time with my daddy and me.”

  Mags understood. Melissa wasn’t really her aunt, but the man who had fathered Liddy was her new man. Melissa and Stacy were apparently good friends. The doctor held up a bathing suit that left little to the imagination. “Can I try this on, Magnolia?”

  “Of course. The dressing room is down the hall. Would you need a little coverup for it?”

  “Please, could you find me something in this shade?”

  Mags searched the rack. She was sure there was an eyelet coverup in that lavender shade somewhere. Maybe in the backroom. While she searched, she couldn’t help overhearing Melissa and Stacy talking through the dressing room door. “I know we’ll really connect when we get to Italy. Away from all the day to day stresses, he’ll see how good we are together.”

  “You’ll knock him on his ass in that red dress. He won’t be able to keep his hands off you.”

  “It would be such a wonderful memory that we could share with our children, if we came back engaged or God, married. I’m crazy about him, Stacy.”

  “There’s no one else I’d rather see him with where Liddy is concerned.”

  Mags gave the garment to Stacy. Her doctor was so hopeful, so in love. She hoped it worked out for her, because she understood all too well loving a man and not having him. She thought of Mark and smiled. That wouldn’t happen again. This time she’d make sure they got their happily ever after. Then maybe she’d be blessed twice with a child just like Liddy.

  Chapter 41

  Over the next two weeks, she saw him every night. She was dizzy with the breath of the emotions, the absolute high, knowing she would see him, share with him, and love him. It was perfection as it had once been, spontaneous, hot, and fun, but Mark didn’t mention the future. He didn’t explain where she fit in his life. Could they accelerate the process and move in together? It wasn’t like they hadn’t once shared a life. Would she give up the apartment for his? His apartment she hadn’t even seen yet. She wondered why and wondered what he did those couple of days on the weekends when he was busy. Maybe more time with his folks, or maybe time with his friends. Whatever he was doing he kept her off his radar, not sending texts or making a phone call. And knowing Mark as well as she did, she respected his space and waited for him to reconnect them on Sunday nights.

  She had only seen Craig once when he stopped by the shop and took her to lunch. It was fun but came with a request. Tammy’s leg had healed, and she was back at dance. She had rehearsals tonight and asked her to come. Apparently, Ryan was feeling pretty special, and Tammy wanted her shot at impressing Mags. She had nothing better to do, and she liked Tammy so she drove to the Arts Center several miles away. She settled into her
seat as pandemonium reined over the young cast. Only a rehearsal, the instructor was still tweaking the performance, shouting orders and reprimanding several dancers but not Tam. Who would have thought the rebellious teen would be the graceful ballerina now on the stage? Her moves were beautiful, her lines perfect, her twirls and leaps precise. She had a moment when she and a male dancer moved flawlessly within the same space. Extending and lifting, telling the most beautiful story. When they took a well-deserved break, Tammy approached her shyly. “What did you think?’

  Mags shook her head. “You’re beautiful and so talented. How long have you been dancing?”

  She blushed under the praise. “Since I was three. My mother was a dancer, a real dancer. Perfect execution, perfect timing, but she gave it up when she married my dad.”

  “Is this something you would like to pursue?” Mags asked.

  “In college, yes, if I go, but I’ve been thinking about New York and trying there. Thing is my dad will kill me if I don’t go to college.”

  “You could go to college in New York, honey, and schedule auditions around your classes.”

  “Do you think I’m good enough?”

  She was only fifteen. Still trying to find who she was and what was her style. She needed a mother at least for a few more years to guide her, to ground her, and to help her find her confidence. “You’re amazing, honey, and you still have three more years of high school. Time to work on your dance skills. Can I make an observation, though?”

  “Sure, I guess so.”

  “You’re so graceful on the stage, so light and beautiful. It’s a sharp contrast between that and your black lipstick and black hair. It’s just a suggestion, but a lighter softer makeup would be prettier on you.”