Michael started the car. “Maggie, I wish you wouldn’t be like this. I want us to be together, I just didn’t think that we had to live here.”
“And what is so wrong with here?”
“Well, nothing really, it’s just that, well, hell, I don’t know.”
Maggie huffed out loud. “You don’t know? Well, until you do, I suggest that maybe you go stay with Liam.”
The moment the car parked in front of the O’Brien home, Maggie practically jumped out, leaving Michael behind. There was no point in running after him. She had made it more than clear that she didn’t want him anywhere near her. He still had a few things to figure out.
***
Michael
He pulled away from the house after watching Maggie shut the door, and his heart sank. He had thought things were going well, they were kissing again, and she was in his arms. Suddenly, just because he didn’t say he wanted to live in this tiny little place, she was pissed. Did she really think that Birch Valley had anything to offer him or their family? Granted, he could admit it was a nice enough place. But there was nothing there. Honestly, Michael just didn’t see what Maggie saw. Of course her family lived here, and they were great, but could they actually live in Birch Valley? What would they do there? Could they be happy? He owed it to her to try.
His car found its way to Liam’s cabin, but he remained inside of his car. There were many things to consider. He rubbed his face, frustration ringing throughout his body. He hadn’t slept well for what felt like weeks, months, maybe even years. He closed his eyes and let his worries rest. Not like there was a whole lot he could do right now. Tomorrow was a new day, and he hoped to prove to Maggie that their marriage meant everything to him.
Chapter Twelve
Maggie
Dew drops sparkled as the sun cast its morning rays brightly on everything. The day was already warm, the best kind of spring days, when everything is full of promise. Maggie had shoved away the dark, angry thoughts she had from last night. It was a new day. As she walked with Melanie, hand in hand, answering the silly questions that children ask, she couldn’t help but appreciate the simplicity of their life. She wished Michael could see that and cherish it. This was why she had moved; things weren’t so complex in Birch Valley. People just lived and pursued their basic needs.
Maggie could see the school in the distance, the outline of the aging brick building standing strong and waiting. She felt Melanie quicken her pace; she could tell her daughter was excited to get to school. Such a difference from over a month ago, when her daughter had been stomping her feet, defiantly refusing to enter the very grounds she was practically running toward. Then Maggie saw what Melanie saw. Michael. He stood there in a pale blue sweater and dark jeans, and his face still wasn’t shaved. His hands tucked into his pockets, and a broad smile as he saw them approaching.
“Daddy.” Melanie tore from Maggie’s hand and ran toward him. He dropped down and scooped her up into his arms.
“My little ginger snap.” He kissed the top of her head.
Maggie was standing there, more than a little surprised to see him there this morning.
“Good morning, Maggie,” he said, his brown eyes looking up at her.
“Good morning.”
Melanie reached for Michael’s hand and started to drag him toward the school. She extended her other free hand to Maggie. “Come on, Mom.” Maggie took her daughter’s small hand, and the three of them made their way inside.
Michael let out an appreciative sigh once they were in the foyer, his eyes scanning everything. “Melanie, wow, what a great school.”
“Thanks, Dad. Mom went here when she was a kid. Uncle Liam is a teacher here too.”
Karen smiled at Maggie and rounded the counter quickly, extending her hand out to Michael, she said, “Hello, you must be Melanie’s father, Michael. So nice to meet you. I’m Karen, the school secretary.”
He shook her hand and gave her one of his killer smiles. Maggie almost laughed out loud as she took in the encounter. Her husband had the ability to charm just about anyone, and apparently Karen wasn’t immune. “The pleasure is all mine.”
The shrill of the bell echoed loudly against the walls. Melanie looked up at Maggie and Michael, reaching up on the tips of her toes to give them both a kiss and hug. It was a surreal moment, standing with Michael, watching Melanie hurry to class, just being together as a family in Birch Valley.
Out of the corner of her eye, Maggie saw Rachel making her way down the hall.
“Hey, guys,” Rachel called out happily. She looked at Maggie with a curious expression.
“Good to see you again, Rachel,” Michael said as he gave a slight wave.
“Likewise.” Rachel turned to Maggie. “Do you think you can sneak away for lunch sometime this week?”
“Yeah, sure.” Maggie tried to act nonchalant. She knew that Rachel had questions for her, and Maggie had some things she needed to ask Rachel herself.
“Well, I just wanted to say hello, you guys have a great day.” Rachel’s perfect smile beamed at them brightly.
They started for the exit. Maggie waved at Karen as Michael held the door open.
Once they were outside, Michael asked, “You want to get something to eat?”
“Actually, I need to get down to the shop.” She glanced at her watch. “Lunch, maybe?”
He smiled. “That would be great.”
It felt strange, almost like they were dating again.
“Can I give you a ride to the shop?” Michael offered.
“I like walking, it’s good exercise and helps clear my head. But thanks.”
“Okay then, can I walk you to work?” Persistent devil.
“Sure, why not, even if I told you no you still would anyway,” Maggie said, feeling herself smile a little.
He grabbed her hand, and they set off in the direction of the shop. Neither of them talked. It was comforting just walking, keeping in a synchronized rhythm as their legs carried them. They used to always be in sync, what had happened?
“Maggie, I’m sorry about last night,” Michael started to say as he switched from holding her hand to placing his hand on the small of her back as they crossed the street.
She relished the firm placement of his palm against her, the affectionate, yet protective gesture. Maggie felt the baby move, as if it acknowledged that its father was near, reminding her that there was so much more at stake.
***
Shutting down her computer, Maggie grabbed her purse and jacket when Michael walked in.
“I got a little caught up in something, sorry for being late.”
“That’s okay.” She was curious what had kept him, after all Liam was at work so Michael hadn’t been hanging out with him.
Michael leaned against the counter, and his body relaxed itself unintentionally into a sexy position. Maggie’s insides stirred. Would she always have this reaction to him?
“So, where are we going to eat lunch?” His eyes stared quietly, consuming every inch of her. She could see the flame of desire licking inside of them.
“Um, H-Herrick’s?” she stammered. Her throat was dry, her body tingled, betraying her as it quickly warmed to him being close.
“Wherever you want.” The swagger and confidence had returned. She was dying to know just what he had been up to since that morning. Something had shifted, he was more like himself. The man she saw yesterday, that was the broken version. She felt herself smiling again as they left the shop. Maybe she needed to reconsider how stubborn she was being.
***
Michael
Just being around her drove him crazy. He wanted to take her somewhere other than Herrick’s. Preferably somewhere with a bed.
He woke up early that morning with a plan, after weighing all the options life was offering, he figured on one option, truly the only one at that point that would solve everything. He set his plan in motion after he had walked Maggie to work.
He opened the doo
r for her and waited as she slid onto the leather seat. She looked beautiful today, hell, she looked beautiful everyday. He had missed that when she was gone. Her chestnut hair was in a loose bun, several rebellious pieces straying and curling around her neck. He fought the urge to tug at a strand. The pale green skirt that swirled against her legs, the snug white v-neck shirt, it was a simple spring outfit, but to Michael it highlighted her gorgeous figure. He could see the soft outline of her belly protruding just a touch through the shirt. Knowing that she was carrying his baby inside that beautiful body of hers only increased the desire he felt for her. It also spurred on feelings of wanting to protect her. He loved her so much.
Michael walked around the car and let himself in, reclining in the comfortable seat. He started the engine. It purred down the road.
Maggie was quiet and looked to be deep in thought before she finally spoke. “You know, Michael, maybe I’m not being fair to you.”
“How so?” Michael wondered where this conversation was headed. He eased up on the gas; he didn’t want to blow his surprise.
“Well, about not giving you a choice in the matter about where we will live. I guess I just don’t really want to go back to Seattle. I love being with my family, I like that Melanie is thriving here now.”
“Yes, she does look happy, it has to be pretty neat to go to a school where your uncle teaches.”
“But I’m sorry for just refusing to even compromise.” She placed her hand on her curved belly.
Michael swallowed. What was she saying? That she wanted to go back to Seattle?
“Maggie, I want to show you something.” He turned down a road in the opposite direction of Herrick’s.
Pulling up to a vacant building on a corner, he stopped the car. The building was an older brick home, but had been converted into a piece of commercial property. Two large maple oak trees stood proudly on either side.
Maggie’s brow creased in confusion as she asked, “Why are we here?”
Michael quickly hopped out of the car and raced around to open her door. She moved slowly, cautiously as he extended his hand to her.
They followed a sidewalk up to a porch where a thick wood door with frosted glass panes stood. Michael fished out a set of keys from his pocket, fiddling with them as he located the one he needed to open the door. He turned the key, and he felt adrenaline course through his veins. He tried to understand her expression after he let them in. Maggie stood still, looking as though she had missed the punch line to a joke.
“What do you think?” Michael wrapped his arms around her hips, bringing her closer to him, but her body was stiff and rigid.
“Michael, I don’t understand.”
“Well, I think it’s safe to say we are going to stay here in Birch Valley.”
Maggie softened and turned around, throwing her arms around his neck, kissing him suddenly. The heated friction surged through him as her warm lips grazed his. He could have only hoped for such a reaction.
***
Maggie
After leaving what would be the home of Michael’s new practice, Maggie sat across from him at Herrick’s. They were dining on club sandwiches as he explained his plans for the future. He told her how he planned to take his time even opening up the business, that they had more than enough money, especially since he had gotten his inheritance. He wanted to even possibly wait to start practicing again until after their baby was worn. She watched as excitement radiated from him, and couldn’t help but be affected. The plans sounded great. It was everything she could ask for and more. Maggie just wasn’t used to Michael wanting to be home and not work. Maybe he really had changed his priorities, and she silently sent a prayer of thanks to God.
“So now we need to look for a home here soon,” said Michael as he took her hand in his own, dislodging her from her thoughts. “I guess that means we need to put the condo up for sale.”
“Are you sure?” Maggie asked, still reeling from the shock that Michael had leased a building to open his own practice. She hadn’t expected that at all. In all honesty she figured he was going to give her some long-winded argument and try to convince her to move back, so the whole thing had thrown her for a loop. She was worried it wasn’t real, and she wanted to pinch herself.
“Of course I’m sure. Our life will be here now.” His stare burned into her, and she couldn’t help but feel giddy and terribly attracted to him in that moment. These were all the things she had longed to hear him say. She was willing to compromise that day. After she had gone to bed angry and frustrated, she woke up and realized one thing: at least he had finally come to her. That was worth its weight in gold.
Michael went on to discuss the available properties in the area according to the town realtor, Cheryl. Maggie’s head was swimming with all the details and various options. He showed her photos of the properties on his cell phone. There weren’t a ton of listings, but the ones that Michael were entertaining the idea of buying were incredible. Some had a lots of land and were far too large for their small family, and a couple others were located right in the heart of town and completely adorable. She felt herself leaning more toward those possibilities because she enjoyed walking Melanie to school. Granted, a home on the lake would be amazing. She couldn’t help but feel it was all a dream. It was too much to hope for, and she couldn’t shed the feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop.
***
After lunch was consumed and dreams of the future were shared, Maggie went back to work. She sat staring at the blank computer screen when Patrick walked in.
“Hey, Maggie,” Patrick said, handing her a stack of new invoices to process.
“How was the job?”
Patrick and Daniel had just been giving an estimate to a Russian-owned farm on the outskirts of town to possibly build an enormous shop. The Belsky family was well known in the community for the goods that came from their farm. They had two daughters; Maggie had gone to school with them. At fairs and open markets they sold canned preserves, and beautifully handcrafted garments and quilts. Recently, on a trip to one of the farmer’s markets, Maggie had asked the older of the two, Hannah, about making a baby blanket for her. Hannah was kind and shy. Her sewing skills, with their bold and intricate designs, were flawless, and her creativity was impressive to say the least. There was a stigma about the Russians who had migrated to Birch Valley, that they opted to live outside of town, owning and operating their own farms, and that they kept to themselves in general.
“It went well. They have a nice piece of property out toward Lilac Lake.”
“Where’s Daniel, by the way?” Maggie asked.
Patrick smirked. “Oddly enough, still there. He got to talking to one of the daughters there. You know how he is, if he sees an opportunity he’s all over it.”
Maggie smiled. “Well, good for him. So, I had lunch with Michael today.”
“Yeah, how did that go?” Patrick leaned against the counter, scanning through a thick pile of mail that had been dropped off. He didn’t seem very interested in the subject of Michael, all things considered. Maggie didn’t get into deep conversations about her life with Patrick; she never had. Liam was her confidant. Given that Patrick wasn’t exactly keen on Michael at the moment, she proceeded with caution. He kept his thoughts to himself, but he wore them on his face. Maggie knew that Patrick played the part of big brother, protector and defender, very well.
“Well, actually, he leased a building here in town.”
Patrick’s eye went wide. “What? Seriously? So you guys are going to stay here then?”
“I guess so, he talked about selling the condo and looking for a home to buy here. He already signed the lease and got the keys. He’s going to open up his own practice eventually.”
“Wow, that was quick. Well, you know, I’m glad that he finally figured it out.”
“You and me both.” She laughed. Since she started to work at the shop, Maggie had learned more about the how her oldest brother worked. He was a comp
licated, moody guy who really had a heart of gold. She knew he still mourned Beth, but she hoped that someday he could find peace, and possibly happiness, with another woman.
***
Melanie giggled harder than Maggie had ever seen before. Michael sat across from their daughter and made silly faces at her as they shared a pizza at the only pizzeria in town. It was called Steve-o’s, and they made killer calzones and had the most heavenly sauce. Maggie had never found a better pizza in all of Seattle, and she had tried. Pizza was one of her staples.
“Dad, you are so silly.” Melanie squealed with delight.
Stringy cheese was hung out of his mouth, and he crossed his eyes. Michael’s little performance was just for Melanie.
Maggie relished the moment; things were finally falling back into place. Melanie had her father, Maggie had the love of her life, and they were all together.
She was taking a sip of water when Michael asked, “So who is excited to go and look at houses?”
“I am!” Melanie exclaimed. “But will I still get to go to see Grams?”
“Of course, sweetie.” Maggie chuckled as she patted her arm. “That is the wonderful thing about us all living so close. You will be able to even have your cousins come over to play.”
Michael smiled. “Speaking of cousins, you going to have lunch with Rachel soon?”
Maggie raised her eyebrows at him, signaling that Melanie didn’t know about Liam and Rachel’s unexpected surprise. “She sent me a text, we are going to meet up this weekend actually.”
“Liam asked me to go fishing, that okay?”
He was asking her permission. That was new. “Yeah, I’m so glad you are going to finally go. It’ll be good for Liam too. You guys thinking of fishing on his lake?”
Maggies Marriage (Cloverleaf #2) Page 15
