Finding Forever: Treading Water Series, Book 5

by Force, Marie

  Everyone laughed at that.

  “Are you guys ever going to forgive me for making you grandparents?”

  “We already have,” Jack said.

  Maggie drove back to Matthews House as the sun was coming up, casting a warm, rosy glow over the rolling hills. She couldn’t stop yawning as she drove and had the windows down and the music blasting to keep herself awake. She had a niece! Poppy. Maggie loved the baby’s adorable name so much.

  She hadn’t expected to be so emotional over the baby’s arrival, but today reminded her of the day her twin brothers had arrived, on the same day her dad had married Andi. She’d felt all the same things then—elation, joy, love, excitement… It was almost too much to process, she thought as she navigated the winding driveway that led to home.

  At some point in recent weeks, Matthews House had begun to feel like home to her, which she hadn’t realized until this very moment. She parked her car behind the stables and came around the corner to the driveway in a sleep-deprived daze to smack into an immovable object that knocked her right off her feet.

  Maggie landed hard on the ground with a loud oof.

  “Oh my God! I’m so sorry!” Brayden Thomas towered over her. Apparently, he was the immovable object she’d crashed into, and dear God, he was gorgeous in the morning, with scruff on his jaw and a plaid work shirt rolled up to reveal strong forearms. As he held out a hand to help her up, Maggie noted the perfect fit of his faded denim jeans. Yum.

  A second after the thought popped into her mind, she chastised herself for thinking such things about her employee. Knock it off.

  He gently pulled her to her feet. “Are you all right?”

  Maggie immediately released his hand to brush the dirt and grass off her clothes, the same clothes she’d left wearing this time yesterday. Figured she’d run into him looking like death warmed over and in bad need of a toothbrush, a hairbrush and a horizontal surface. She ran her fingers through her hair and tried to find a shred of composure.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

  “Not your fault. I wasn’t paying attention, either.”

  “Is everything all right?”

  “Everything is wonderful. My niece, Poppy, was born early this morning.” Why was she telling him?

  His face lit up with a warm smile. “That’s awesome. Congrats. How’s your sister?”

  “Tired but thrilled. Just like me. It’s been a long night.”

  “You look really nice for someone who’s been up all night.”

  For a moment, Maggie was struck dumb with pleasure from the unexpected compliment. Then she remembered the hair and makeup from the day before. “I did an interview with my sisters before Kate went into labor. That seems like a week ago, but it was just yesterday, thus the hair and what’s left of the makeup.” Oh my God, quit babbling. He doesn’t care about your hair and makeup.

  “I saw it last night. It was good.”

  “Oh, thanks.”

  “Derek asked me to drive the van to the bus stop this morning. Hope that’s okay.”

  “No problem. Is everything all right with him?”

  “He thinks he might have the stomach flu, actually.”

  Maggie had a brief, horrifying visual of the stomach flu whipping through the house. “Oh, the poor guy. I’ll check on him later.”

  The kitchen door opened, and a gaggle of mothers and children emerged, the children carrying backpacks and lunchboxes.

  Maggie was happy to see the McBride children and their mother among the group.

  “I’d better get the van,” Brayden said. “Get some rest.”

  “Probably not happening until later. Let’s talk after lunch about getting your program started.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll come find you.”

  Something to look forward to, Maggie thought, before again reminding herself that she could not lust after her employee. She wished she could attribute her lustful thoughts to being sleep-deprived, but she’d had the same lustful thoughts yesterday when fully rested. The man was gorgeous. She’d have to be dead not to notice that, and since she wasn’t dead, she noticed him. So what? It didn’t mean anything.

  “Keep telling yourself that,” she grumbled as she went inside.

  “You say something, Maggie?” Mitch asked from the kitchen.

  “Talking to myself.”

  “Ah, gotcha. You just getting home?” he asked with a teasing grin.

  “I am. My sister had her baby early this morning.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful news. What did she have?”

  “A girl named Poppy. She’s perfect.”

  “Congratulations, Aunt Maggie.”

  “That’s the first time I’ve been called that.”

  “Won’t be the last.”

  Teresa came into the kitchen. “Did I hear you say the baby came?”

  “Yes, Poppy arrived early this morning. She’s absolutely perfect.”

  “That’s fantastic! Congratulations.”

  “Thank you. I feel weird accepting congrats when I didn’t do anything.”

  “You became an aunt today. That’s a big deal.”

  “It sure is. Thanks.”

  After a quick trip to her apartment to brush her hair and teeth and change her clothes, Maggie shared the news with everyone she encountered over the next few hours. Friends from home, college and New York lit up her phone with a flurry of texts after Kate’s team released the news about Poppy’s arrival.

  She was drinking a cup of coffee when another text arrived from the last person she ever wanted to hear from again. Heard the news about your sister’s baby. Congrats.

  Maggie choked on the mouthful of coffee and nearly vomited from the revulsion that overtook her at the sight of his name on her screen. How was he still able to contact her? She’d blocked him, hadn’t she? Her hands shook as she tried to find her contacts to check. It took longer than it should have to locate her contacts and find his name still there. How could his name still be there? How could he think it was all right to send a casual text as if they were still friends?

  She found the link to block him and pressed it firmly before dropping the phone on her desk and covering her face with her hands as a torrent of unwelcome thoughts and memories swamped her tired brain, leaving her devastated all over again.

  Approaching footsteps had her scrambling to wipe tears from her face and control her rampaging emotions.

  “Um, is this a bad time?” Brayden asked from the doorway.

  Once again, he’d caught her in a less than professional state.

  “I can come back later.”

  Maggie forced herself to rally, to stuff the traumatic memories back into the box where she kept them sealed off so she could function. “No, it’s fine. Come in.” She took a deep breath and held it for a second before releasing it slowly, trying to center herself and find some calm amid the storm raging inside her.

  Apparently, she failed miserably.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Maggie stared up at his handsome face and couldn’t form a single sentence. Words jumbled about in her brain, but she couldn’t make sense of any of them. Between the exhaustion and the reopening of a still-healing wound, she had nothing.

  “You want to ride?”

  Maggie nodded. She wanted that more than anything.

  “Let’s go.”

  Somehow, she managed to stand, to follow his direction to get her boots and meet him at the stables, where she stood idly by like a helpless fool while he quickly and efficiently saddled his horse and Thunder before leading them both outside.

  “You need a leg up?”

  Shaking her head, she swung herself up into the saddle and immediately found the calm she’d been unable to locate until now. Riding Thunder always made her happy and settled her in a way that nothing else could. Since her horse Destiny had died years ago, Maggie hadn’t been able to bring herself to look for a new one. When she’d come to Tenness
ee, she’d immediately bonded with Thunder, which had worked out well since Kate had given up riding while pregnant.

  Maggie followed Brayden around the stables to the same well-worn path she’d traversed the night before. They rode for miles in quiet communion with the horses and the natural beauty of the Matthews estate. She appreciated that Brayden didn’t try to get her to talk. He simply kept her company as they rode toward a wooded area she hadn’t yet explored.

  They slowed the horses as they continued toward the woods.

  “Have you ridden in there before?” he asked.

  “Not yet. I had a phobia about going in there alone.”

  “Too much Little Red Riding Hood as a child?” he asked, cracking a small grin.

  “Something like that.”

  She’d encountered her own version of the Big Bad Wolf, this one wearing a Brooks Brothers suit and Italian loafers. The memory sent a shudder through her.

  Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to ride into the woods with another man she barely knew. How could you know which ones were trustworthy and which ones weren’t? “Let’s stop here,” she said, her voice sounding higher than usual and far more uncertain than it should have, which infuriated her.

  Right when she wanted to be projecting a serious, professional demeanor, her insides felt like they’d been put through a paper shredder. Goddamned Ethan and the freaking text that had set her back months.

  When they reached the creek that ran through the property, they dismounted to let the horses drink.

  “I want you to know…” Maggie said the words before she thought them all the way through.

  “What do you want me to know?”

  “That I’m not always a hot mess at work. Just when you’re around, or so it seems.”

  He laughed. “No judgment. I promise.”

  “Thank you, but still… I wasn’t sleeping the other day. I often close my eyes when I’m thinking.”

  “What happened today?”

  “Something I’d much sooner forget.”

  “Ah, yeah, I know how that is.”

  “Do you?”

  He nodded.

  Maggie wondered if he was referring to whatever had happened to land him in juvie, but she couldn’t ask. He’d already put that off-limits. “After Kate’s baby was announced, I got a text from a guy I thought I’d blocked. Someone I should have blocked.” Why was she telling him this? What was it about him that made it so easy for her to talk to him?

  “Oh damn. That sucks.”

  “You have no idea how much that sucks.”

  “I hope you’ve blocked him for good this time.”

  “Hell yes, but I can’t believe that all this time, he was right there in my phone, able to pop in any time and remind me of why I can’t bear to hear from him. I feel like I’ve been walking around with a grenade that’s had the pin pulled and could’ve blown up at any second.”

  “You must’ve been pretty rattled after whatever happened if you forgot to block him.”

  “I was. Rattled, that is. Still am if a simple text can screw me up all over again.”

  “There was nothing simple about that text, which he must’ve known.”

  “Yeah, he knew that.”

  “I’m sorry he ruined such a happy day for you.”

  Maggie forced herself to raise her chin, to keep soldiering on the way she had for months now. “He hasn’t. I won’t let him steal this day from me or Poppy.”

  “Good,” Brayden said.

  “Thanks for suggesting a ride. It helped.”

  “It always helps.”

  “You want to have our meeting out here?”

  “Works for me.” He went to his horse, opened a saddle bag and pulled out a sheet that he spread on the ground. “Have a seat in my office.”

  Maggie smiled. “What else have you got in there?”

  He waggled his brows. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

  Yes, I would like to know. I’d like that very much.

  Brayden sat next to her on the sheet, which he’d positioned so they could keep an eye on the horses.

  Thunder wouldn’t go anywhere without her. She assumed his horse was the same. “What’s your horse’s name?”

  “Sunday Morning.”

  “I like that. Where did she get her name?”

  “My mom’s favorite song was ‘Easy Like Sunday Morning’ by the Commodores. She used to play it all the time. It was the first song I ever knew all the words to.”

  “You said ‘was’ her favorite song. Did you lose her?”

  He nodded. “Somewhat recently and very suddenly.”

  “Oh God. That’s awful.”

  “It’s been rough.”

  “What happened?”

  “Car accident.”

  Maggie gasped as memories of an accident she wished she could forget assailed her. “I’m so sorry, Brayden.”

  “Why did you suddenly go completely pale?”

  “Did I?”

  He nodded.

  “My mom was hit by a car when I was nine. I saw it happen.”

  “Oh damn, Maggie.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Did she… Was she…”

  “She survived it but was in a coma for three years.”

  He snapped his fingers. “I’ve heard this story. I saw your sister on TV years ago. She talked about how that accident changed her life and her family’s life.”

  “It sure did, but we were talking about you and your mom. I didn’t mean to hijack the conversation.”

  “You didn’t. It’s fine. I’m sorry that happened to your mom.”

  “I’m sorry for what happened to yours.”

  “Thanks. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that she’s really gone.”

  “I’m sure. It takes a while for things like that to sink in.”

  “So I’m told.”

  Maggie turned so she could see him. “If you… If you want to talk about it with someone who gets it, I’m around.”

  “Thanks. That’s really nice of you.” He took a moment and seemed to make an effort to shake off the grief. “I meant to tell you I signed the contract at your lawyer’s office yesterday. He said he’d get the signed copies to you.”

  “He’s not just my lawyer. He’s also my future brother-in-law. He’s marrying my sister Jill in July, and his dad is Kate’s husband.”

  “Ah okay. Well, let me tell you what I’ve got planned for the kids, and you can give me a yay or nay.” They’d talked in higher-level specifics during the interview process and had agreed to get further into the details once he was on board.

  “You’re the expert. I’m not going to micromanage you.”

  “Still, I’d like your approval.”

  “Okay, I’m listening.”

  Chapter 8

  “First thing, I assess the horses to determine which ones would be best for the program,” Brayden said.

  “I’ve identified a number of horses that I think would be ideal, but I’ll defer to you on that. I also secured an insurance policy just for this program.”

  “Good. I was going to ask about that. The first week or so with the kids is all about acclimating them to the stables, to being around the animals and learning the rules. I teach them about respect and safety, about understanding the horse’s physical and emotional cues. Once I feel they have a good understanding of the basics, I’ll teach them about the tack and how to prepare a horse for riding. They’re involved in every aspect and will saddle a horse ten times before they ever ride one.”

  Maggie found herself mesmerized as he explained his process in a calm, even tone of voice that projected quiet authority.

  “They’ll learn how to feed and water them, how to lead them properly, how to approach them, how to touch them. The goal is that by the time they’re finally astride, they won’t be afraid. They’ll have become accustomed to being around the horses, hopefully tuned in to their various quirks and the need for safety at all times. After t
hey ride, they’ll learn how to care for the horses and put everything away where it belongs.” He glanced over at her. “Does that sound okay to you?”

  “It sounds amazing. It’s just what I had in mind for this program.”

  “The goal is to show them they’re part of something bigger than themselves. Research has shown that equine therapy can help children and adults cope with a wide variety of emotional and physical traumas. Not only does it give them a new hobby, but it also instills self-confidence, which is often lacking in people who’ve suffered trauma.”

  “Yes, I learned about it in a class I took in college, and I’ve been a fan ever since. I wrote the grant that’s paying for the program here.”

  “Oh, I didn’t realize the program was funded by a grant.”

  “Reid and Kate were willing to fund it, but I wanted to keep it separate from the larger program. This is my baby.”

  “Ah, gotcha. Okay. Is it okay to call or text your cell if I need you for anything?”

  “Of course,” Maggie said, her heart fluttering. Stop it. Just stop. He’s your employee. “I use my phone for work.”

  Brayden typed something into his phone. “I sent you a text. Now you have mine, too.”

  “I already have yours from your application.”

  “Oh, right.”

  They sat in silence for a long time, watching the horses, enjoying the quiet, peaceful sound of the gurgling creek, the buzz of insects and the sweet smell of the grass.

  “I love it here,” Maggie said.

  “I can see why. Is that an actual airfield we can see from the house?”

  “It is. Reid and his son, Ashton, are both pilots. They keep a plane in the hangar.”

  “That’s cool.”

  Maggie looked over at him. “Thank you for this. I really needed it.”

  “Can I say something that might be totally inappropriate in light of the fact that we only just met and I work for you?”

  “You work with me, and yes, speak freely.”

  “I’m a really good listener if you need someone to talk to who isn’t going to judge or condemn or question or do anything other than just listen.”

  His kind words brought tears to her eyes, which she instantly brushed away. “I suck at being a boss.”