Shame filled her face and she bit back tears. Jake had been so, so good to her, even though her pride kept her from asking for the help she needed. If it were not for him, she had no idea where they’d have ended up, but oh how she wanted to break out of the cycle of lack. Maggie so wanted to teach her daughter the value of independence.
A flash of a football flying caught her gaze. Maggie squinted. Up ahead, a rugged guy with dark hair and a deep tan leapt upward and caught the ball, hugged it to himself, then landed hard on the ground.
Rafael.
Jake had mentioned that Colibri Beach’s own John Tucker—as in the movie, John Tucker Must Die—was still around. Apparently, he’d gotten a little too close to Daisy last month, much to Jake’s annoyance. Maggie didn’t care to let her brother know about her own encounter with the sexy Rafael …
She watched as Rafael rolled into a standing position, as if he had hardly grazed the ground, and then hold the ball into the air with one strong arm. The move, not to mention Rafael’s dark and brooding looks, took her back to when she had first run home to Mick. She had just had her heart broken in two by Luke and there Mick was, standing on the stoop of their apartment building, as if waiting for her. He had always been her fallback and she his, and this time, the timing aligned. He swept up the dust of her crumbled heart, and for a time, she thought their union could last.
Maggie bit her lip and looked across the divide to where a lithe blonde, hair billowing behind her, laughed as if Rafael’s move was the coolest thing she had ever seen.
Some things never changed.
“Mom!”
Maggie snapped her gaze away from Rafael and his latest conquest to where her daughter stood out among the crowd of newbie surfers. They all wore wetsuits, but she recognized Eva immediately by the way she continually rose up on her toes. “Ready?” she called.
Eva nodded and Maggie joined her quickly.
Her daughter scrunched her face. “Were you here the whole time?”
“You bet I was.”
Eva sighed, dramatically. “You shoulda gone and done mom things.”
Maggie tilted her head, a smile emerging. “Oh, yeah? What kind of mom things?” The thought of a mani-pedi tempted her deeply.
Eva shrugged. “Like laundry or making me lunch. Stuff like that.”
Maggie frowned. Those were mom things?
Eva cracked up.
Maggie dipped a look at her. “You think that’s funny, huh?”
Eva nodded. “Yup.”
Maggie reached into her bag and pulled out a wet-dry brush and a bottle of detangler. “Well, then, just you wait!”
Eva squealed and began sprinting toward home. With a laugh and a shake of her head, Maggie tossed her torture products into her bag and followed after her daughter, grateful not to run into Luke again.
The next morning, Luke scrolled up and down the spreadsheet in front of him, thankful for good advice. If Maggie’s father hadn’t offered him some when he was making money faster than he knew how to handle it, he doubted there would be much left of it now. Thankfully, though, he had managed to buy this building and stow away some savings for the lean times, which, by the looks of it, equalled right about now.
Good thing summer season was about to kick in.
He glanced at the time. Regardless of work to do, Luke needed to leave now if he was going to catch the end of surf camp for the day. Having a camp with his name on it was his way of blowing raspberries at his fears. He might have hung up surfing, but he recognized how knowing the art of balance and patience would benefit the kids out there.
On his way out of the shop, Luke glanced up at the bare spot on his wall—the reason he had missed yesterday’s camp closing. He sighed. The longboard that had hung there, one that he had torn up the waves with many times, was someone else’s adventure to ride now. He gave the wall one last lingering look and headed out the door.
When Luke arrived at camp, he scanned the beach. Maggie stood closer to the action today, shading her eyes from the sun. For some reason that he couldn’t explain, Luke lingered near the street, watching her. If he closed his eyes for only a few seconds, he could hear his voice in his head … feel the smile on her lips … smell the sugar from her kiss.
Honk!
Startled, Luke turned to see a couple of old-timers trying to pull into the spot that he was occupying.
“Get outta my space,” one of them called. “We’ve gotta board meeting to get to!”
Luke grimaced and shook his head. Pull yourself together. He hopped up on the curb, threw out a wave to the guys, and headed toward the water. Maggie had not moved by the time he joined her. “How’s Eva liking camp?”
She spun around, a splash of her Perrier landing on his arm. Maggie bit her lip. “Sorry about that.”
He chuckled. “I’m the one who should apologize.”
She frowned.
“For startling you.”
“Hm. Okay.” Maggie looked out to where a dozen or so young surfers clung to boards, most on their knees. “It’s scarier than I remembered.”
He brushed a glance over her, noting how well a decade looked on her. “For Eva … or for you?”
Maggie sighed, noticeably. “Eva’s not afraid of anything. I’m the one who could barely sleep last night.”
“Really? Why’s that?”
“Well, it’s one thing for them to pretend they’re surfing while safely on the sand. But it’s another entirely to send your baby out into that treacherous sea.”
With his gut, Luke knew he should assure Maggie that Eva was perfectly fine. He ran a surf shop … shaped boards for a living. Not to mention, his name was on the surf camp, and he had a piece of himself riding out there as well. His head told him that surfing was not only safe, but a great workout for both the body and the mind.
But that same old gut-clenching began the minute he opened his mouth. So he clamped his mouth shut.
“I’m surprised you’re not out there,” she said, suddenly.
Her voice pulled him back to reality. “What was that?”
Maggie turned and looked more fully at him than she had since the day they had run into each other at the shop. She tilted her head the way she always had, scrutinizing him. “How often do you surf these days, Luke?”
Luke’s gaze washed over her eyes that stared up at him. They were brown and lush and he wanted to tell her the truth. But could he? She still had those freckles across the bridge of her nose, still needled her bottom lip as she waited for him to respond. Always patient. Why hadn’t he appreciated that about her more?
“I hung it up.”
“Hung up what?”
He swung his gaze to the sea, to the newbie surfers learning the sport under his company’s banner, then back to those loam-colored eyes of hers. It was as if time had halted. He was barely twenty again and she … the love of his life. Luke swallowed his dread of answering her question. “I stopped surfing years ago, Maggie.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Her expression told him that was true. He’d broken her trust years ago, and though her sudden appearance after so many years away had prickled his hope—of what, he wasn’t certain—he knew she was telling the truth. She saw him as the same guy she had left. A jerk who surfed.
Luke crossed his arms in front of his body. “Surfing is a rush. I love watching it and I suspect that I always will. But, I’m done.” He looked down at the toe of his running shoe as he stabbed it into the sand. “Wasn’t all it was cracked up to be,” he said, quietly.
“You’re serious.”
“I am.”
“And the women? Were they all they were cracked up to be?”
Her tone had turned biting, and it stung. But he had changed. He believed they both had. Luke’s jaw clicked and he licked his lips, ready with a retort.
“Luke?”A young woman in a wetsuit called out to him. Tara. One of the surf camp staffers he had hired. He could almost feel Maggie’s I told you s
o gaze burning into him.
He held his expression in check and turned his attention to his employee. “Yes?”
“We’re running over. Some of the kids aren’t done with the drills. Is that okay?”
He began to nod when Maggie spoke up. “Actually, I need to get going because I have an appointment. Is Eva finished?”
Before Tara could answer, Luke said, “I’m happy to keep an eye on her for you. I can bring her by the house later.”
“I couldn’t ask that.”
“It’s not a problem. She and Siena can get to know each other better.”
“Siena?”
“My daughter.” He swiveled a look out to the campers, pointing. “She’s … well, she’s actually standing on the other side of Eva right now. I’ve heard they’re already becoming friends.”
Maggie didn’t answer. A confused expression crossed her face, followed by something he could not exactly name. Fear, maybe. Did she not trust him? True, he hadn’t exactly let things end well, but that was years ago and they were standing here as adults. Full-fledged parents. Surely she knew he could be trusted with her daughter. Especially since he was a father himself.
Abruptly, she moved past him, sand kicking behind her. “No. Thank you. She’s done with the course, so I’ll grab her now and head home.”
Four
His daughter. Of course. How could she forget—or in this case, put aside—the fact that Luke had a child? And a … wife.
Maggie continued to massage shampoo into Wren’s hair, her mind fixated on the fact that Eva and Siena had spent the past few days of surf camp together like old pals, while she had nearly forgotten the child’s existence. A pang of guilt stabbed at her, her own secret weighing on her. Until now, the truth she kept hidden—that nobody but her mother and Mick knew about—began to gnaw at her.
She hadn’t intended to hurt anyone. That fact alone was why she had kept the truth hidden all these years—to not disrupt anymore lives.
Maggie bit back a sigh. She had to focus on what was in front of her and not on the past. She flipped a look at Wren. Though her client was nearly asleep, Maggie had learned long ago that she felt most at peace when working. Yesterday, she dashed to the next town over and picked up an inflatable hair washing station from a salon supply store. After rinsing Wren’s hair with water from a pitcher, Maggie massaged conditioner into her locks, but the woman’s eyes kept lolling shut.
Oh to be that relaxed … ever.
For the next half hour or so, Maggie put aside her worries. She clipped, dried, and styled Wren’s hair, often having to help her stay awake in the process. By the time she was done, the elderly woman’s eyes shone.
“I look beautiful!”
Maggie squeezed the woman’s shoulders in a hug. “You absolutely do, Wren.” She smacked a kiss on Wren’s cheek. “Can I do anything else for you before I go?”
“You have already done more than you know! Your mother would be so proud of you, Maggie.”
An hour later, as Maggie rolled another swath of paint on the downstairs bathroom wall, she thought about what Wren said about her mother being proud of her. She twisted her lips, the thought of those words bringing an old ache to her heart. Her parents had gone out to Arizona to visit many times, always showering Eva with love, but Maggie often found herself unable to look them in the eyes. It was as if her failings might mirror back to her.
Was that selfish? To justify pushing her parents away because of her own feelings of inadequacy?
“Mom?”
Eva’s voice snapped Maggie to the present.
“Hm?”
“How come you’re painting over the mirror?”
Maggie frowned. Slowly, she swiveled her gaze back to where she had been working and her daughter was right: She had painted right over the edge of the mirror. The brand new mirror that Jake had installed. She sighed and grabbed a rag.
“So anyway,” Eva continued, “I was thinking that maybe I should get another swimsuit.”
Maggie scrubbed harder, biting back a laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Eva’s impish face wore a confused expression, her forehead scrunched.
“You,” Maggie said, pretending to dot Eva’s face with a paintbrush. “You’re so funny. One minute you’re telling me I messed up, and the next, you’re talking about swimwear.”
“Oh.” Eva batted her eyes. “Does that mean we can go shopping?”
Maggie sighed and leaned against the bathroom counter. She didn’t have the money for this, but then again, how long would that old suit of Eva’s hold up with daily surfing lessons in that salt-laden water. “Fine. Give me a half hour to clean up and then we’ll go.”
Eva shot a fist into the air. “Yes!”
An hour or so later, Maggie and Eva wound up at Brooke’s Bakery for an afternoon snack.
“Looks like you two have been shopping,” Lea said, pointing at the bag in Eva’s hand.
Eva bounced up on her toes. “I needed another one ’cause the one I had was wearing out.”
Maggie hooked a tendril of Eva’s hair behind her ear. “I’m rewarding her for the fact that it took her all of ten minutes to pick one out.”
Lea gasped. The pony-tailed woman came around the counter to high five Eva. “Wow. You’re my inspiration,” she said with a laugh.
Maggie laughed too. “Seriously.”
Lea was still smiling when she went back around the counter. “What can I get you ladies?”
Eva asked for an eclair, while Maggie opted for a cinnamon-and-sugar muffin top and a cup of coffee to go.”
After Maggie had paid, Lea said, “I’ve been meaning to call about my hair, but I know you’ve been busy.”
“I’m happy to make time for you.”
“I appreciate that, girl!” Lea wagged her head slowly, as the bakery’s front door dinged. “You sure have had a lot on your plate, what with painting, and surf camp, and doing Wren’s hair.”
Maggie nearly spit out her sip of coffee. She swallowed it back and tilted her head to one side. “Is my schedule posted on Facebook somewhere?”
Lea wrinkled her brow before dawning came over her. “That’s funny.” She batted the air with a hand, as if knowing Maggie’s daily schedule was a given. “Word travels around here, you know.”
“So,” Maggie said, “would you like to come by tomorrow after lunch? I can do your hair in our guest bath, if you don’t mind that I’m still painting it.”
“Aw, really? That would be so great but I promised Brooke I’d work the afternoon shift for her.”
Maggie slid to the side, aware that someone had stepped up to the counter. She thought for a second. “What time are you done here?”
A familiar voice cut in. “Excuse me,” Luke said. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but if you’re busy tomorrow, Siena and I would be happy to bring Eva home after camp.”
Eva spoke up. “That would be fun! Can I, Mom?”
A sheet of ice formed inside of Maggie. Luke stood there, waiting for her answer, being kind as could be, and another piece of her insides tore away. “Oh, I don’t know—”
“C’mon, Momma, please?”
Maggie’s mind spun as her daughter jostled next to her with that impish expression on her face. At home, she wasn’t used to so much help. Maggie usually had to barter for Eva’s rides, and sometimes even beg a little. If her mother hadn’t flown to Arizona to help her through her postpartum depression after Eva was born and the sudden defection of her husband, she might not have survived.
She pulled her mind to the present. If only things had not been as they were … if only …
Eva continued to tilt her chin up. “Please?”
It was only a ride home, a ride that would take all of five minutes. Six, tops. Mick was never helpful with things like that, even before the baby was born. And when he had decided that marriage and parenting weren’t for him, he walked away from them both, as if they had never even existed.
In some way
s, it reminded her of the way Luke had walked away from her once, too.
Maggie glanced warily at Luke, keenly aware of the dark eyes trained on her, a question held in them. “Sure CeCe won’t mind?”
An odd expression crossed his face. “No, she’s—uh—well, she’s not around much these days.”
Maggie frowned. What did that mean?
“Honestly, Mags,” he said, “I don’t mind at all.”
He watched her in earnest, his brows knit together, that dimple in his chin becoming increasingly unavoidable.
“Okay. I guess that would be fine. Thank you.”
Eva squealed.
Maggie turned to Lea. “My morning suddenly opened up.”
“Hooray! Should I come by around ten?”
“Perfect.” Maggie turned to leave, aware that a line had formed, though by the steady look in Luke’s eyes, the one she was trying to avoid, he didn’t seem to have noticed. “Thanks, again.”
As Maggie brushed past him, Luke tapped her on the shoulder. She lifted her chin, their gazes colliding. “My pleasure.”
“You’re a miracle worker.”
Maggie laughed at Lea’s compliment. In her experience, women were usually on a high after having their hair done. Time would tell if her new friend would still think the same of her skills a few days from now.
“Seriously, Maggie, this has been the most fun I’ve had in ages.” Lea sighed. “Unfortunately, I have to work sixty hours a week just to make enough to live, let alone have fun.”
“I hear you. Rent’s not cheap.”
Lea turned around. “Any thought of keeping this place? Then we could be neighbors and you could do my hair for me all the time!”
Maggie smiled. “Sadly, no.” She sighed, looking at Lea in the mirror. “Fact is, I’m without a chair at the moment, so as soon as Eva and I leave here, we’re heading into the great unknown.”
“Why go back then?” Lea paused. “Oh. Is it because of a custody issue?”
Luke's Second Chance Family Page 5