“Bring it up,” he said cheerily. “What do you want to know?”
“You told me before you’re over the end of your marriage. Do you … really feel as if you’re over … your wife?”
He didn’t hesitate to answer. “Yes.” When he turned to her briefly and their eyes connected, she could see his eyes were clear and sincere.
“How can you be so sure?” she asked.
He sighed. “Well, to be honest, it really wasn’t until recently that I realized that I am definitely over my ex.” She nodded, and he continued. “I’d be lying if I said she didn’t hurt me. She did. I have to admit I’m pretty old fashioned when it comes to relationships—at least when it comes to fidelity—or in her case, infidelity.”
Maggie gasped. “She … cheated on you?”
“Yes. Kim left me for the architect who helped us design an addition to our house.”
“John, I’m so sorry.”
He reached for her hand. “I was too—sorry for myself, that is. But then, I realized that Kim did me a favor when she left me for him. Our marriage wasn’t working out. If anything, it was as dysfunctional a relationship as I’ve ever been in. I was just too stubborn and prideful to see it.”
Maggie’s eyes widened. As he spoke, she heard the conviction in his tone.
“Don’t get me wrong,” he said. “I believe marriage is forever, and I tried to repair the marriage. I implored her to go to counseling and I promised to make changes, but…”
“She wasn’t willing to give you a chance.”
“No. She’d made up her mind, and frankly, at this point, I realize it was for the best. We just weren’t right for one another, and hadn’t been from the beginning.”
“Do you worry about starting another relationship?”
When he suddenly pulled into a parking lot of a convenience store, she eyed him curiously.
“I think we’re about to embark on a serious conversation, so I’d rather park the car,” he explained. When he turned off the car, he asked, “Are you asking me if I think it’s too soon to start something with you?”
She colored at the question, and he took her hand. “I know what you’re thinking,” he said. “You’re thinking I’m just out of a failed marriage and haven’t dated. I should tell you that I have. I’ve been set up on a couple dates by co-workers, but nothing came of them.”
For whatever reason, Maggie felt surprised, but relieved to hear that.
“You’re thinking you’re about to become my transitional relationship, or rebound relationship,” he said, while shaking his head. “I can promise you, that’s not the case. What I feel for you is … different. Mature,” he added, and then laughed at himself. “I do feel as if I’ve grown a lot lately. I know what I want.”
She remained silent, processing his words. He took her silence as cue to continue.
“And you’re thinking that if you were to fall for someone else—me—” he said, “then you’re betraying your husband. You were fortunate enough to have a solid, loving relationship, and you’re wondering if you’ll ever find that again. And mostly, you’re worried about your little boy. You don’t want him getting too attached to anyone, and you’re regretting that he met me, since it’s likely you would have postponed introducing your son to a potential boyfriend until you were confident the relationship was heading toward permanence—” He stopped speaking when he saw that Maggie’s eyes were as wide as saucers.
“How did you know all that?” she asked in an awed whisper, stunned at his grasp of the situation—her situation. “Have you been talking to Gloria?”
He laughed. “No, but apparently you have.” When her eyes widened with alarm this time—as if she realized she’d said too much—he quickly pulled her into a hug. “I’m teasing you. Of course you’re talking to your friend. You should be. And since I get the vibe that Gloria approves of me, I would encourage you to keep talking to her.”
Maggie laughed softly, and eased against him. “I like you, John. I respect you, and…”
“And you think you may have deeper feelings for me, but since we’ve really just met…”
She pulled back and met his gaze. “You’ve been doing a lot of thinking too.”
He nodded. “I don’t want to rush into anything…” He abruptly shook his head. “No, the truth is, I’d love to rush into something with you. I’d love for you to declare here and now that you love me, because my heart of hearts tells me you’re the one for me. But I know that’s not realistic. And I’m certainly willing to take things as slow as you need to.”
“If … we don’t end up…”
“Together?”
She nodded. “I’m afraid of what it will do to Rickey. He’s so taken with you…” She paused, but continued. “He asked me recently if it would hurt his daddy that he loves you.”
John’s heart gave a twist. The truth was, he already loved the little boy. He knew that some men seemingly weren’t capable of loving step children as their own, but he knew that he could. He loved the idea of a built-in family, and the idea of expanding that family. And Lord knew, he wanted all of it with Maggie and Rickey.
Maggie watched his face, noting the array of emotions criss-crossing his face. She braced for what was coming.
“Maggie, I promise you that no matter what happens, I’ll be involved in Rickey’s life to the extent that you want me to, or that you’ll let me.” He smiled softly. “He’s a great kid.”
Maggie smiled. “He really is. I’m lucky to have him.”
“And as I’ve said before, he’s lucky to have you.”
Maggie realized with a startling clarity, she and Rickey were both lucky to have found John.
Chapter Sixteen
Maggie stood back from the rack of toys at the local department store and considered each item. Would Rickey prefer the remote controlled fire truck or police car?
“Do you even have to wonder which one he’d prefer?” John asked, his eyes twinkling. “He’s made it clear—he’s going to be a police officer someday.”
Maggie smiled his way. “Hey, I’m not sure how I feel about either profession,” she said. “Both are dangerous.” She returned the toy vehicles to the shelf, turned to the toys behind her, and selected a kiddy-sized doctor’s bag.
John laughed. “I still think he’d prefer the police car.”
“Oh, all right,” Maggie said with a mock, frustrated sigh, as she returned the bag to the shelf. She retrieved the police car. “I’ll buy him this.”
John took it from her. “Let me. But come and look at this.”
She followed him several aisles over to the ride-on toys. He pointed out a police car. “He’d love this,” he said, his eyes glittering with excitement.
“Yes,” Maggie acknowledged, as she checked out the price tag. “But I’m afraid I don’t love the price.”
John made a hopeful face. “May I get it for him?”
Maggie sighed and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. “You’re sweet to want to, but I’m going to have to say ‘no.’ I know he’s still little, but I want him to learn the value of a dollar, and that it’s important to live within our means.”
“I understand,” he said.
When he gave the car a final, longing look, Maggie chuckled. “Are you sure you don’t want to buy it for yourself?”
He laughed. “I have the real thing, so I don’t need it.” He checked his watch. “Are you hungry? It’s lunchtime.”
“You know, I am,” she said. “We’ve done a lot of walking this morning.”
He took the items from her arms and together they walked to the checkout. “Did you find everything you were looking for?” he asked.
She nodded. “I think so. I’m just about done with my shopping. I still need to pick up a gift I ordered for Gloria. Fortunately, I’ve already mailed off gifts to my parents, and my in-laws. How ‘bout you?”
“All done,” he said mock-smugly. “Everybody is getting gift cards.”
“
That’s probably smart,” Maggie said, nodding her head. “Let them pick out what they want.”
They paid for their purchases and then walked out to John’s car. They stowed the gifts in the back of his sedan, and he opened her door for her. “Are you hungry for anything in particular?” he asked, as he came around and dropped into the driver’s seat.
She grinned. “A cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate milkshake.”
He smiled. “I know just the place.”
Soon, he pulled into a new, fifties, retro-themed diner that Maggie had yet to visit. “I’ve been wanting to come here,” she told him.
They entered the restaurant and were promptly seated by a waitress dressed in a uniform reminiscent of those worn by wait staff sixty years before. The girl’s hair was piled high on her head, her pink cotton dress sported a frilly white apron affixed to the front, and she wore black and white saddle shoes.
“May I take your beverage order?” she asked.
“Two chocolate milkshakes,” John said.
She smiled and scurried off to retrieve their shakes.
Maggie glanced around the restaurant, admiring the space. It featured booth seating, gleaming silver-rimmed tables, and a black and white checkerboard floor. “Cute,” she observed.
“The burgers are great,” John told her.
The waitress reappeared with their shakes and took their food order. As they waited for the food, Maggie attempted to drink the thick, frosty shake through a straw. John grinned at her as he passed her a spoon.
Soon, their food was placed in front of them. Maggie savored the delicious burger and fries, which were a rare treat. Typically, if she craved either, she prepared them at home. She couldn’t justify the expenditure, when she knew she could cook six burgers at home, for the price of one out. But today was a special occasion, and when the waitress deposited their check on the table, she quickly snatched it up.
John watched in surprise as she laid it on the seat beside her and began pulling bills from her purse. “What are you doing?” he asked. “It’s my treat.”
She shook her head. “Today, it’s my treat.” She placed the bill and payment on the edge of the table. John stared at it, as if uncertain what to do. When he reached for it, she grabbed his hand and smiled into his face. “Don’t you dare.”
He shook his head, still seeming uncertain. “I guess I’m kind of old fashioned. I feel as if the guy should always pay.”
“That’s very noble,” she told him. “But it’s still my treat.”
He stared into her eyes and realized she meant business. She wasn’t going to back down.
“Okay,” he said agreeably. “But I’m getting it next time.”
“Fair enough,” she said. “And thank you for bringing me here. I’ll have to bring Rickey back as a treat one day. He’ll love it.”
“Well, where to now?” John inquired.
“I need to pick up Gloria’s gift from a store at the mall, and then I’m done. Well, except for…” Her words trailed off. The only person she had yet to buy for was him. And she wondered, would it be appropriate to buy him a gift?
She was pondering the question as she and John left the restaurant and headed for his car.
“To the mall?” he clarified.
She nodded. “If you could park at the north end, I can run in really quick and pick up her gift. It’s at a little boutique near the north entrance.”
“Okay,” he said agreeably, and then his eyes narrowed. “If I remember right, isn’t there a candy store nearby?”
She furrowed her brow. “I think you’re right.”
He smiled. “I’m going to grab Rickey a pound of fudge.”
Maggie laughed. “You’re going to spoil him.”
John watched her face briefly. Was he? Was he trying to spoil the little guy? All he knew was that he adored the little kid and wanted to make him happy. He wanted to make Maggie happy too.
She read the uncertainty on his face. “It’s sweet of you to want to buy him candy. He’ll love it. But let’s make it a quarter of a pound.”
“Worried about cavities?” he asked with a wince.
She shook her head. “Worried about your wallet. Have you seen the price of that candy?”
After they exited the car, he took her hand as they entered the mall. Just inside the entrance, she gestured toward the boutique, where she’d ordered Gloria’s gift. “I’ll be just a minute.”
He nodded toward the candy store. “I’ll see you in just a bit then.”
Both walked off to their respective stores. Maggie found the boutique bustling with customers, and got in line to pick up her package. She heard a woman’s voice from behind her. “Are you here with John?”
She turned around, wondering, was the question directed at her?
Her eyes fixed on a woman behind her. Tall, wispy and beautiful, she watched her with barely concealed disdain.
“I’m sorry,” Maggie said. “Are you … talking to me?”
She nodded. “I just saw you—with John Dutch.”
Maggie nodded her head slowly, noting that the woman looked furious. She took an instinctive step back.
“He isn’t who you think he is,” she said, her voice filled with venom.
“Who … are you?” Maggie asked uncertainly.
“I’m Kim. His wife.”
Maggie felt as if she’d sustained a physical blow. “His … wife?” she repeated shakily.
The woman nodded. “We’re going through a rough patch,” she said haughtily, “but you need to understand, you’re wasting your time. We’re getting back together.”
“I…” Maggie swallowed. “I thought you two were…”
“Divorced?” She gave a cruel, brittle laugh and lifted her chin. “He has a child, you know?”
Maggie felt as if she’d been struck. “What?”
The woman nodded. “A little boy.”
“You two have a child together?” John had never mentioned having a son.
The woman shook her head and spat, “No, not with me!” She gave Maggie a pitying stare. “He’s not the man you think he is.”
Maggie turned when a salesgirl called her forward. “Miss, may I help you?”
“Uh, yes.” She stepped forward, but glanced back at the angry brunette. She was gone.
Maggie received her purchase and left the store, determined to hold herself together.
John was still in line at the candy store, which gave her time to gather her thoughts. The encounter with the angry woman had shaken her to an extent that she realized something startling. Having this woman characterize her own relationship with John had forced her to truly acknowledge her own feelings for him. She was falling in love with him.
But if he was still involved with this woman… And he had a child…
He’d never mentioned having a son. How could he neglect to mention having a child? He seemed to care so much about Rickey, but had nothing to say about his own child? Was he a con man?
And he said he was divorced. This woman had suggested otherwise.
This woman. She was movie star gorgeous. So poised and elegant. So put together. Nothing like Maggie. If this woman was John’s type, he certainly had no business spending time with her. She felt frumpy and unkempt by comparison.
Maggie felt like a fool. She’d let a man into her life—had let her guard down for the first time since Shane’s death. She hadn’t intended to open her heart to him, but it had happened nonetheless.
No more. She resolved to endure the ride home with John, but to return to life as normal when he dropped her at her house. Thank the Lord she had discovered who he really was before she fell more deeply in love with him—and before Rickey became so attached he wouldn’t be able to let go without sustaining severe emotional trauma.
Letting go.
It was becoming a theme in her life. And she resolved never to put herself in the position of having to do it again. It hurt too much.
***
John had just dropped Maggie off at her house. She hadn’t asked him in. She’d even seemed reluctant to accept the candy he’d purchased for Rickey.
What had happened between their arrival at the mall and the intervening moments before their return to the car?
He racked his brain. All had been well on the drive to the mall, but when Maggie had met him outside the candy store, her entire demeanor had changed. It was as if she’d shut down.
He’d noticed it right away. She’d become stiff, robotic, with the exception of her hands. He’d seen her fingers tremble. When he’d reached for her hand out of concern, she had pulled away. When he’d implored her to tell him what was wrong, she had insisted everything was fine.
Inside the car, she barely responded when he’d attempted to talk to her, and back at her place, she’d practically bolted from the car.
He felt unsettled and worried. What had happened to change everything between them? They’d been getting along great. He had enjoyed spending time with her at the mall, and lunch had been relaxing and fun.
When he arrived back at his apartment, he immediately spied the button on his answering machine blinking, alerting him to a message.
He crossed the room and looked down at the button. He held his finger poised above it and suddenly remembered the church service he’d attended earlier. The pastor had spoken about faith, and about God answering prayer. He hoped desperately that the good Lord was doing that right now.
“Please be Maggie,” he prayed.
He pressed the button and to his horror, Kim spoke to him. Her voice held a triumphant note. “I met your girlfriend today,” she said. “Pretty little thing. I did manage to offer her some clarity where you’re concerned.” He heard her laugh then, a bitter, spiteful sound. “You didn’t tell her about me, did you? And you certainly didn’t mention your child!”
He heard his ex-wife take a deep, shoring breath and lower her voice seductively. “Baby, she’s not for you. You know that. You love me. You know you do.” She sighed deeply, and gave a chuckle, reminding him of tinkling ice. “You know where to find me. Don’t take too long. I won’t wait forever.”
The Happiest Season Page 14
