He linked his hand with hers, guiding her down the subtle slope and back to the main trail.
“So you were a baseball player…”
He yanked her close to his side and draped his arm over her shoulders. “Just ball player. Drop the base.” He smacked a kiss against her wool-covered forehead. “But no worries, we’ve got a few months to teach you the ins and outs of the game. We’ll make you an aficionado before spring.”
She wiggled free and scooted a few steps in front of Sean. “Spring?” she called over her shoulder. “You are awfully presumptuous, Chief Taylor.”
He grabbed her hand. She stumbled over her feet, landing with a thud against his chest. “You can stop being difficult now,” he said, lifting her chin. “I’m not giving in, Maggie. You’ll just have to get used to the idea of us.” He tossed his backpack over one shoulder and hugged her against his other side with a tug. His stride was double the length of her own, and she struggled against running.
She planted her feet and leaned forward, gripping her thighs.
Sean grunted as he tumbled head first toward the edge of the trail. Wet leaves formed a smooth path like a slide. His hand thrashed forward and clutched at her ankle for support. The force yanked her toward him.
She skidded to a stop, grabbing hold of a sapling jutting out of the ground. Mud sloshed against her face; her heartbeat filled her ears.
“Hang onto the tree, Maggie,” Sean yelled. The pull of his weight lessened against her leg. He tossed his backpack on to the trail as he clung to a tree root with his opposite hand. Dragging himself against the slope, he threw a leg toward the path and lurched for a rock partially submerged under a pile of brush. Within minutes, both of his feet were flat on the trail and his hands were reaching toward her.
“Take my hand,” he said, his voice a rumble of a whisper.
She looked from the tree, strong and solid, certain it would hold her weight, to his waiting hands and hesitated.
“You’re gonna have to trust me, Maggie. I won’t let you fall.” He stretched his hand slightly closer to her. “I promise. Trust me.”
She closed her eyes and extended her left hand, grasping for his waiting palm. Gulping air, she felt his grip tighten around her wrist and her eyes snapped open. Her feet dangled high above the seemingly bottomless ravine. The bark scratched at her hand. A line of sweat dropped down her cheek disappearing into the pit below.
“Let go, Maggie. I’ve got you.” His voice was barely audible above the waterfall in the near distance.
She twisted, focused her gaze to his, and lunged.
He hauled her to him. The velocity caused them to stumble and fall in a heap just to the left of his backpack. His arms wrapped around her. Her face pressed tightly against his chest; his heart thumped against her cheek. His hands quickly trailed her arms and back. “Are you OK?”
She nodded her head. Words would be minutes or possibly hours, away.
“I’m so sorry.” He puffed a heavy breath. “I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you.” He gently kissed her forehead.
Staring into his eyes, she wanted to be consumed by the genuine concern and care she saw in their depths. The lump dissipated in her throat. She, too, was all in. She trusted him. He was her champion.
~*~
On Sunday, they attended church together. The forty-pew, white-clapboard church on the corner of Walnut and Spruce was the second-oldest building in town. The little corner landmark was the place where Sean’s family had worshipped decades earlier, in multiple pews. Now he was the lone remnant of the past, surrounded by the family of his heart rather than his blood, he’d told her. Sean beamed as he introduced Maggie to dozens of people she served daily in the coffee shop.
With each handshake and welcoming hug, she sensed a shift. She was no longer the anonymous new woman in town. She wasn’t the baker who made tasty treats and the best coffee. She was officially being branded a local and the potential girlfriend of the middle Taylor brother. The innocent act of walking through the church doors together as a couple vaulted them to “IT” status and the topic of the hottest gossip in town. But Maggie didn’t mind.
Since the day she sprinted from Maryland, she’d needed to hide and escape. She’d run stealth and off the grid. She moved often and with little notice. Strategically, she made surface-only acquaintances and kept her appearance nondescript. The lead actress in a play that only she knew was in production. And yet, since the day Jane sought her out at church, her self-appointed sequester had been eroding.
Jane poked at Maggie’s evasive answers about her survivalist existence and in so doing, offered the possibility of a stable, serene life. One that could be filled with a modest business in a community that was safe and insulated. Maggie’s burgeoning friendship with Jane led her to Gibson’s Run, the quaint little bakery, and a whole new life out of the shadow of fear. Day after day, her true self revealed bits and parts until all that was left of her one-woman show was dyed hair and a newly minted name.
Now, for the first time in nearly a decade, Maggie’s life was moving forward, out of a state of anonymity and into a place of grace. In the centuries-old building, she found a piece of her heart that had been stolen along with her identity.
Over the next few weeks, their lives fell into a particular pattern. Sean continued to come by every morning for his coffee and bagel, but when she handed him his to-go cup he kissed her on the forehead. Each evening, he swung by the shop as she closed up and they chatted about their day as the floor dried from its evening mop.
She was almost ready to admit they were dating even though they hadn’t yet made it to the tablecloth and waiter restaurant dinner date.
On advice from Bitsy Grey, she reached out to Jenna Arnold to see if the young teacher would be willing to work part-time, after school and on weekends. The newlywed was thrilled. The added help allowed Maggie to breathe as her business quickly expanded, and more time to focus on her relationship with Sean.
With each passing day, Maggie was more excited to start and end her day with him. She was falling in love. She wanted to be completely honest, but not if her honesty put him in harm’s way. Since the night of the of the Policeman’s Ball, she hadn’t heard from her Uncle Jack.
The suspicious activities around town seemed to stop cold. No more manila envelopes. No more strange cars. No unexpected phone calls. The fact that Jack hadn’t tried one of his countless contact strategies meant that the monster must be where he was required to be by the State of Maryland.
But Maggie’s scarf was still missing. The explosion remained a mystery, and the gold sedan was a consistent topic of gossip when Sissy came in. The questions lingered, and her worry over the potential answer to those questions grew apace with her anxiety over when and how she was going to tell Sean her truth. And what that truth would mean for them and if Maggie McKitrick would be able to survive the honesty.
14
Jenna poked her head through the doorway adjoining the kitchen and the café. “Are the pies for the Smith brothers ready? Marshall just called and said he would be swinging by in a few minutes.”
“They’re boxed up in the walk-in cooler. I’ll be right there to help you.” Maggie made a final swirl of the meringue covering on the seventh of ten chocolate cream pies that had been ordered by Sissy Jenkins for her family’s Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe all the pie would keep Sissy quiet for a day.
If the sales came in similarly at Christmas, she would be able to afford a second industrial mixer or maybe a dough sheeter to help with all of the pie orders and fondant rolling for cakes.
She lifted two pies and slid them into the oven, flipping the egg timer to five minutes. Wiping her hands on her black apron, already plastered with flour, chocolate, and various other bits and pieces, she joined Jenna.
The past three days were a blur of butter, flour, and fillings.
Maggie, with the help of a few extra hands attached to Jane, her sister Molly, Jenna, and even Mi
llie—who mostly sat on a stool and doled out orders—had baked over three hundred pies ranging from pumpkin to custard to fruit medley. She’d shipped eight pumpkin pies, ready-to-bake with explicit instructions, to Jane’s sister, Emory, who was trying to impress her nearly mother-in-law. Another fifteen were going to a few different firehouses around the township and into Columbus early Thursday morning as a thank-you for working on a family holiday.
Her last sizeable order came from her favorite clients, the Smith brothers, who were hosting a family-business dinner for all of their construction workers and their loved ones. The brothers ordered twenty-five pies, fifteen dozen assorted cookies, and ten dozen brownies. She’d made two separate trips to the baking supply store, just for their order.
Jenna slid four pumpkin pies off the shelf and set them in the carrier on top of a stack of six pecan pies. “Those boys can really pack away the sweets.”
Maggie chuckled as she added three cherry and one black raspberry pie to the carrier. She sealed the lid and lifted the pie to the wheeled cart housing the additional desserts. “I think they’re feeding close to one hundred people tomorrow. They’re having the whole thing catered by one of Bitsy’s friends. At least we don’t have to cook tomorrow. All of the baking will be done and the sweets will be in their respective homes, while all we have to do is stuff our bellies with turkey and oyster dressing.”
“I can’t wait. My mother-in-law is cooking and Tyler has promised not to study for the whole day, so we can sleep in and arrive with a pie and two smiles.”
The buzzer sounded from the egg timer and Maggie stepped out of the cooler. She slid gloves onto her hands, removed the pies from the oven, and rested them on a rack to cool. “Jenna, you’ve been invaluable these last two days. I am so thankful the school district gives the whole week off and you were able to run the store so I could bang out all of these extra orders. You’ve been a real lifesaver.” She swirled more pies with meringue and slipped them into the oven.
Jenna placed a pie box on the cart. “No need to thank me. I really enjoy working here. It’s a nice balance to elementary kids every day.” Jenna maneuvered the cart out of the walk-in and into the café.
Maggie followed. “I am glad Bitsy recommended you. I really needed help.”
Jenna lifted the top carrier, shifting it to the counter. “Thank you. So, what are you doing for Thanksgiving? Are you spending it with the chief?”
Shoving the matching carrier on the counter, Maggie could feel her cheeks burn a hot pink. She still wasn’t fully accustomed to people knowing her business. “Yes. Actually, I…we’re going to Bitsy and Henry Grey’s. It seems that the Greys have unofficially adopted Sean and his brothers. I’m to bring desserts.”
“I’m guessing pies are on the menu?”
A shudder ran through Maggie’s body. “I’m not sure I could eat a pie. At least not for a few weeks. But I’ve been testing out a few things that I haven’t wanted to start selling in the shop, because I wasn’t sure if I could maintain consistency. So, I think I might just spring something a little fancy on them.”
“Well, I’m sure it will be delicious whatever you bring. How many people are the Greys expecting? They have a pretty big family, right? I get confused. Tyler grew up here, but I am fairly new to town.”
Maggie draped an arm over Jenna’s shoulder and gave her a side hug. “Welcome to the club.” She turned and packaged up the assorted cookies and brownies that would complete the Smith brothers’ order. “They have three daughters, but only Molly and Jane will be at dinner with their families. Their youngest daughter is staying in South Carolina for the holiday.”
“That’s right. She had that big shipment of pies. So is it just Molly, Jane, and their families?”
“Nope, Millie and her husband will be there and both of Sean’s brothers arrive tonight for the weekend.” Maggie’s stomach clenched and twisted. The Taylor brothers were coming.
Jenna leaned her hip against the back counter and laced her arms over her apron. “Meeting the in-laws? That’s rough.”
“It’s not like that, not really. Sean and I are not…” What were they?
Her new friend lifted a single eyebrow. “You and Sean aren’t what? Crazy about each other? With each other every free moment?”
“I know it must seem like we are….well…a couple.”
“Oh Maggie, you are the chief’s girlfriend, just accept it. Everyone else in town has.” Jenna chuckled and squeezed Maggie’s hand. “Girl, you’ve nothing to worry about. Everyone in this town knows how crazy that man is about you and his brothers will love you too.”
“If it were only that easy...”
“Just remember to breathe. That’s how I endure the holidays.” Jenna gave her a little wink as she sauntered to the front door and flipped the lock. Twisting to face Maggie, she smiled. “Well, Miss Maggie, you better shove those worries in a basket on a tall shelf, because it’s show time. Are you ready for today?”
Maggie folded the top of the carrier and glanced at her watch. “Better be. It’s seven-thirty and we have a full one ahead of us. It’ll be kind of exciting to hear the cash register ding.” She squatted behind the counter and selected a music mix for the day. She wasn’t quite ready for Christmas, but her Broadway mix was filled with upbeat melodies and would act as a livewire through her system until she could prop her feet up after close.
The front bell chimed.
She stood and her heart warmed as Marshall Smith ambled through the front door. Even in the early throes of winter, Marshall’s subtle late-summer tan glowed against the collar of his white polo shirt. He was handsome and a charmer, but she wasn’t tempted. A wave of realization washed over her. She wasn’t tempted, she was taken. Her heart belonged to Sean.
“Good morning, sugar.” A subtle grin twinkled in his clear blue eyes.
“I think we have everything pulled together for you.”
He glanced over the boxes. “I think this will do it.”
Jenna dropped the final coffee dispenser in its holder. “Are you feeding all of Fairfield and Franklin Counties, Marsh, or just seventy percent?”
“Hey, Teach, you and that undeserving husband of yours are welcome to join us, but I imagine Momma Arnold has you in your assigned seat at the family table tomorrow afternoon at three o’clock, sharp.”
“You know her too well. We were instructed to arrive no later than two twenty or we would throw off the appetizer portion of the meal. I love my mother-in-law, but she’s a little intense.”
“Sounds like Momma Arnold. Ty and I got into our fair share of trouble with that woman for our tardiness after baseball games. She really went nuts when we didn’t take off our cleats before we entered her perfectly perfect house. When I was twelve, she forced my dad to tan my hide about the mud I got on her fancy white rug one time. I don’t think I sat down for a week.”
“Sounds like Nan. She keeps bugging Tyler and me to have kids, but I’m afraid she’ll need to resort to plastic covers for the furniture.”
“Yep, she had those when we were kids. Her furniture will look like it’s two years old by the time you have grandkids.”
“Who knows? She could go rogue on us and allow grandchildren to rule the world. Even wear their dirty shoes in the house. Stranger things have happened.”
“Well, I’d love to see it. You and Ty will make great parents.”
“Thanks. Do you need help carrying the load to your truck?”
“Naw, just need to pay the pretty lady here,” he said, turning back to Maggie. “And try to convince her that she is with the wrong man and should run away with me.”
“Marshall, you are trouble with a capital T.” The front bell jingled as Maggie giggled.
“Marsh, are you bothering Maggie?” Sean asked from the doorway.
Maggie’s cheeks burned, but her heart glowed at the sight of his tall frame, his face shadowed by his GRPD baseball cap. “Good morning.”
He gave her a quick nod, bu
t focused his attention on Marshall. “Don’t you have something to build or destroy, Marsh?”
“Heard Mac and Joey are coming in tonight.”
“So?”
“Just wondering how long they’re planning on being in town. Thought I might see if JT wanted to grab a drink or shoot some pool.”
Sean closed the gap between them in two strides and seemed to tower over Marshall even though he was only a hair taller. “Stay away from Joey.”
“He’s a big boy. Doesn’t need Momma Big Bro to play protector, not anymore.”
“Just stay away.”
Marshall put two fingers to his forehead and offered Sean a mock salute. “Got it, Chief.” He turned back to Maggie and handed her his credit card. “Sorry about this, sugar. Some of us can’t handle being cordial this early in the morning.”
She dropped her gaze to the counter and swiped his card.
Both men stood facing each other, arms crossed, jaws clenched, and eyes focused. The café seemed to shrink.
Jenna snapped a dishcloth at Marshall and hugged Sean from the side. “OK, boys, stop being boys and making Maggie feel as if she is a rope and you two are playing tug-a-war. Agree to disagree. Wish each other a nice Thanksgiving. And then you get going, Marshall Smith, before I tell Nan on you.”
Marshall’s Cheshire grin returned and he slipped his credit card in the front pocket of his polo. Lifting the large carrier with ease, he swiveled to face Maggie. “You have a delightful Thanksgiving, sugar. And know you are always welcome to join your favorite customers for a big spread rather than some take out with the Taylor boys.”
“Happy Thanksgiving to you and your brothers. I’m grateful for the invitation, but I’m excited to spend my first Thanksgiving in Gibson’s Run with the Taylors and the Greys.”
From Scratch Page 14
