by Jackie Wang
“Those can be arranged. Quite easily.”
“I’ve never been abroad.”
“I can supply you with anything you need once we land.”
“We barely know each other,” Maggie said, scraping off her plate into the rubbish bin. “This is insane. That you would even suggest something like this…it’s crazy.”
“Crazy in a good way,” I said, closing the gap between us. “The boys deserve it. You deserve it. I want to spend more time with you.”
“Why in the world—Roman, none of this makes any sense. It’s happening so fast…I just met you four days ago!” Maggie turned her back to me and began loading up the dishwasher.
I turned Maggie around, pulled her up against my chest and pressed my forehead to hers. I could hear her breath catch as I whispered, “I came here to do business, Maggie. You made it pleasure. I don’t want this feeling to end when I leave on Christmas Day. I want to get to know you better.”
“You’ve already poured all this money into the lodge, and helping my parents…I can’t accept any more of your generosity. We don’t deserve it,” Maggie croaked, licking her bottom lip.
I leaned in closer, until our noses were touching. My breath mingled with hers. Slow and steady. “I decide who deserves my generosity and who doesn’t. And I say your family deserves it.”
“Roman, I—”
I leaned in and claimed Maggie’s lips. They were even softer and warmer than I’d imagined. She let out a breathy hum that vibrated through me; a sound that fanned the flames of my desire. I parted the seam of her mouth like an unrelenting explorer, keen on discovering exactly what she tasted like. And when my tongue met hers, we did a synchronized dance that made my head spin with lust. Maggie’s chest rose and fell against mine, and I could feel her nipples harden against me.
I breathed in her heady scent: coconuts and a splash of something citrusy. Something irresistible.
She had to be mine. I needed to spend more time with her. And I only had nine days left to convince her that I could make her happy. I threaded my fingers through Maggie’s hair and tugged, then playfully nipped her upper lip. When I pulled away, Maggie gasped. “Roman!”
“Maggie, we’ll have so much fun in London, I promise.” I brushed my thumb across her chin. “Please, come away with me.”
“Mom, we’re ready for Roman’s story now!” Greg called out from the upstairs bathroom.
I grinned. “Duty calls.” I turned to the staircase. “Be right up, boys!” When I looked at Maggie again, her flushed skin spoke volumes. “Think about it. Now, I’ve got two boys waiting for a pirate tale.”
After I had left Maggie to mull over my invitation, I hopped upstairs to see the boys. They had already changed into their dinosaur pajamas. The only light in the bedroom came from Jason’s bedside lamp. I walked over to them and sat down on the edge of Jason’s bed. It sagged and creaked a little under my weight.
Greg scrubbed his freckled face. “I saw you kiss my mom.”
“Eww,” Jason said, hugging his pillow. “Are you in love with her or something?”
I laughed. “It was just a friendly kiss.”
Greg sat up. “There’s no such thing as a friendly kiss, Roman.” His earnestness made me laugh again. He was surprisingly insightful for his age. And he was right, that kiss was anything but friendly.
“You’re right, it wasn’t very friendly,” I admitted. “I like your mum. A lot. That’s why I invited you all to come back to London with me.”
“Mom won’t leave. She’s stuck here,” Jason said, fidgeting with a Transformers action figure. “Stuck forever.” He frowned.
“It’s like she’s superglued to the hotel,” Greg said. “She’s scared of everything. Grandma says Mom’s always got the jitters.”
“Maybe your mom just needs someone like me to shake her life up a bit. In a good way,” I said, grinning. “I can make her happy again. Erase her fears.”
“I think you’re exactly what the doctor ordered,” Greg agreed. “She’s been humming ever since she met you. I can’t even remember the last time I heard her humming.”
I laughed. “That’s good to know, mate. That’s good to know. Now who’s ready to hear about some pirates?”
Chapter 18
After I had finished the boys’ bedtime story, I tiptoed downstairs and saw Maggie hunched over the dining table, face buried between two stacks of paperwork. Her brows were knit together. If she were mine, she’d never have to tackle anything alone. I would never let her brows furrow.
“Greg says you’ve been humming more lately,” I said, coming up behind her and resting my hands on her shoulders. “Is that true?”
Maggie rolled her eyes. “Is that what he said? I don’t think—I suppose I have been humming more. That doesn’t mean anything.”
“Hum for me,” I said.
Maggie pushed her chair back and angled her body toward mine. “Why would I—”
I squeezed her shoulders, massaging the knots there. “I enjoy listening to humming.”
Maggie put down her pen. “You’re—”
“My mother used to hum to us, my sister and I,” I said. “Until she didn’t.”
“Why did she—I’m sorry,” Maggie said, looking away.
“She’s still alive,” I explained. “She just…doesn’t hum anymore. Doctors say she’s got one, maybe two years left. Lymphoma.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Maggie said. “I—would you like me to hum ‘Faded Roses’? It’s one of my favorite songs.”
I sat down in the chair next to her and closed my eyes. “Sure, that would be lovely.”
Maggie leaned back, chin lifted. And when her humming filled the air between us, it haunted me. I’d never heard this song before, but the notes moved me with their inconsolable sadness. Layers of sorrow washed over me, a glacial tide. The vibrations sent chills down my back, and I sighed. I buried my face between folded arms and pressed my cheeks to her wooden dining table. “Keep going,” I encouraged.
So Maggie did. For several minutes, she hummed while I listened, body paralyzed, every sense acute. The song was uplifting, then it wasn’t. Overflowed with hope, then it didn’t. By the end of it, I murmured, “I thought you’d hum a happy song. I thought humming meant you’d become happier since you met me.”
Maggie’s watery eyes held mine. “Happier, and sadder too,” she said. “They played this at Adam’s funeral. It was his favorite song. I’ve been humming it a lot lately.”
I was about to open my mouth when I stopped myself. I’d promised not to pry anymore. “I’m sorry about what happened in your past,” I said. “I hope it doesn’t taint our future together.”
Maggie reached for my hand, her thumb tracing the lines and veins along my palm. “Roman, we can’t have a future together. We’re from opposite ends of the world. Opposite ends of the social ladder. You know this won’t end well. These things never do.”
I leaned down to kiss Maggie’s knuckles. “Are you always so pessimistic, Magnolia Summers?”
Maggie withdrew her hand. “Not pessimistic. Realistic.”
“Maybe I don’t want realism. Maybe I want fantasy.”
“Then you’ve come to the wrong place,” Maggie said. “This island is as stark as the ice that encases it. We’re all dead-ends. You deserve a through-road.”
“My niece tried to commit suicide when she was only twelve,” I blurted out. “Izzy thought her world was too stark to fight for. That every road was a dead-end for her. She was a victim of abuse who internalized all her problems. If I hadn’t found her, she would’ve bled to death. She was just a child.”
“Oh my God,” Maggie gasped, pulling back so hard her chair squealed. “Why…are you telling me this?”
“I saved Isabella’s life. Then I saved Amelia’s. Amelia is my twin sister. The one who married an abusive man. I dragged them out of the wolf’s den and slayed the beast that kept them enslaved. I convinced her to get a divorce and end the cy
cle of tyranny. They think I’m a hero, Maggie, but I’m not. Sometimes I think the only reason I saved them was because I was selfish. I didn’t want to be alone. I couldn’t afford to let anything happen to them, see?” I paused to take a breath. “Though I saved Amelia and Isabella, I couldn’t save my mother, Alice. Mum is wasting away, and I can’t do much to ease her suffering. Sometimes I wonder what would’ve happened if I’d checked up on her sooner. Maybe they would’ve been able to cure her. But by the time we got her to the doctors, the cancer had metastasized. Now every day could be her last. And then there was my brother-in-law, Harold. I let his alcohol addiction drive him to an early grave. He might’ve lived a long life if I’d found him some help. Sent him to rehab, perhaps. But I didn’t. He was pathetic, and I let him destroy himself. He took his own life when he was only thirty-six. His suicide still haunts me. I didn’t help him when I probably should have. Does that make me a villain? Or just someone who had to make tough decisions in life? Nothing is black and white, Maggie.”
Maggie was speechless. “I don’t understand, Roman.”
“We’re all flawed. We’re all mortal. We all make mistakes, Maggie,” I said. “Don’t let Adam’s death be a Reaper that sucks away every ounce of your vitality. We all have demons. We’ve all made mistakes. You deserve to live again. It’s been five years.”
“You don’t even know what happened,” Maggie said. “I might’ve murdered him.”
“I doubt that,” I said.
Maggie stood up and walked toward the sink. She flicked on the faucet and filled up a glass of water. “What if I told you I was a stone-cold killer? That the only reason I escaped prosecution was because they didn’t have enough evidence to convict me?”
I arched my brow. “Again, doubt it.”
“Would you still take me to London if you knew the truth about me?” Maggie asked. “The whole truth?”
“Depends on what that truth is,” I admitted. The steeliness in Maggie’s eyes vexed me. “So, what is the truth, Maggie?”
“The truth, Roman Finnegan, is that Adam Summers was my youngest brother. And I killed him.”
Chapter 19
“What do you mean, you killed him?” I asked. “Surely, you don’t mean—”
Maggie gulped down half a glass of water. “I was twenty-three. Overworked out of my mind. Sleep-deprived.” Maggie began. “One day…it was so cold that day…Mom had to go out of town. I volunteered to babysit Adam. Greg was with my dad. I just had to look after Jason. Jason was one. He’d just started walking. Adam was ten at the time. Old enough to be low-maintenance. Old enough to know better. It was supposed to be easy. But Adam, he had this—this fascination with birds. Birdwatching was his thing. He asked if he could watch jays on Vernon Bluff. I was distracted by Jason, so I said yes.” Maggie stopped, choked back sobs and began coughing. Her cheeks were blotchy.
I stood up, reached for her glass and refilled it. She took it and gulped it down. “Let’s have a seat,” I said, guiding her to the dining table.
“It was so icy…the coldest winter in years. Adam didn’t care. He-he climbed to the peak, even though I told him not to. I warned him about how dangerous it was.” Maggie buried her face in her hands. “I told him not to go there.”
I brought Maggie close to my chest and whispered, “Take your time.”
Maggie reached for a tissue and blew her nose, which had turned bright red. “I-I got Jason bundled up, and we went out to check on Adam. Adam had climbed this tree…He was so high up I could barely see him. So I put Jason down for a minute. Just so-so I could convince Adam to come down. But—”
I kissed Maggie’s hair and didn’t say a word. This was her cathartic moment. I needed to be patient now.
“It was windy. A storm was coming. I wanted Adam to come down from the tree, but he wouldn’t,” Maggie said. “I grew frustrated with him. Said I was leaving. When I turned around to check on Jason, he was gone. I panicked. I ran into the woods to look for my baby.” Maggie collapsed onto the table, tears streaming down her stricken face. Her fists thumped the wooden table, causing her glass of water to shake. “I was scared for my baby. I cared more about my own son than my little brother.”
“That’s not true, Maggie. You tried to help Adam.”
“I abandoned Adam. Left him in the tree.”
I shook my head. “You couldn’t have known.”
“I found Jason about fifty feet away. His shirt had snagged on a bush. I was so relieved. I’d been a terrible mother. I’d left my baby boy, thinking he wouldn’t run away, but of course, he did. When I came back to get Adam, he’d—he’d disappeared. I—I was—I thought Adam had gone back to the house. Or to the lodge. I looked everywhere. Eventually, I had to call the police. They found him—fuck—they found his body, at the bottom of the cliff. He’d fallen over eighty feet, and he broke nearly every bone in his body. Died on impact, they said.”
“I’m so sorry, Maggie. I—”
“I killed my own brother, Roman,” Maggie said, eyes glistening. “That is a burden I will bear for the rest of my life. Now you know why I’m this way. Now you know what keeps me up at night. Why I’ve barely slept for five years. Why my family is broken.”
“It was an accident,” I said. “You didn’t kill him, Maggie.”
“I should’ve coaxed him down from the tree before I left to find Jason. I made my son priority number one…at the expense of my brother’s life.”
Now that I knew what demons haunted Magnolia Summers, I was even more determined to heal her. Adam’s death wasn’t her fault. I had to make her see that. How could she continue to blame herself for his death? How could her family let her live like this?
“You haven’t said a word,” Maggie pointed out. “I understand if you don’t want to—”
“Maggie, it was a tragic accident. But five years is long enough penance for whatever sins you may have committed. It’s time to move on. Live in the present.” I reached for her hand and repeated, “It wasn’t your fault.”
Maggie threw her hands up in the air. “Move on? To what? It’s like I have this heavy veil that’s always draped over my body. Dragging me down. People still talk. My parents…they’re still grieving. How can I move on when everyone else hasn’t?”
“Is that it? You feel guilty about moving forward with your life? Maggie, that’s what normal people do: they heal and move on.” I hugged Maggie against my chest again. “Surely your parents don’t blame you.”
Maggie drew in a shaky breath. “Not only do they blame me, they constantly remind me that I will never be free of my past. Dad is passive-aggressive about it. Mom…suffers from bouts of hysteria. You haven’t seen the true face of this family yet, Roman. It’s hideous and scarred, just like my soul.”
“I know a thing or two about scars, Maggie. I can handle your family. And this—you sharing your burdens with me—this makes me want to bring you back to the UK even more. I don’t care what mistakes you’ve made, Maggie. I see into your soul, and it calls out to mine. I love everything about you and your sons. You’ve been strong all these years, fighting these battles alone. But that ends now.”
“Y-You’re not put off by my past?”
“Just the opposite. Your past shaped you into the woman you are today.”
“Pathetic and prone to tears?” Maggie whimpered.
“Fragile at heart, but hard-working and loyal in spirit.”
“I don’t deserve your praise. You make me sound like a saint, when really I’m a she-devil. Everyone here thinks so, anyway.”
I tilted Maggie’s chin up and held her gaze. “There’s no rhyme or reason to life’s madness. All I know right now is, I want you, just as you are for who you are. No one else. Nothing you’ve said tonight has changed my opinion of you. I still want to give you everything you deserve and more. If you’ll let me.”
“Roman, we’re not characters in a holiday romance novel,” Maggie said. “I’m not the girl who gets whisked away to a foreign coun
try and falls in love with a fabulously wealthy entrepreneur.”
“Why not?”
“That’s fiction. Real life works a bit differently.”
“How so?” I asked. “Why couldn’t your real life play out like a romance novel, complete with a happily ever after?”
“I stopped believing in happily ever afters a long time ago. Even when I was a little girl, every time I saw my parents arguing, it just reaffirmed that perfect romances didn’t exist.”
“Perfection is not a requisite of happily ever afters,” I pointed out. “I’m as imperfect as they come. I bite my nails and leave my socks everywhere. I never knew my dad. My family is broken too. I curse a lot, and I don’t have any delicious, rock-hard abs or perfect hair. I’ve got this weird—”
A tiny grin tugged at Maggie’s lips. “I don’t need to hear all the nitty-gritty details.”
“My point is, Magnolia Summers, even flawed as I am, and flawed as you are, we could still be perfect for each other. We could make our own happily ever after. With Greg and Jason in tow.”
“I can’t—”
“Enough with the ‘I can’t’s and more with the ‘I can’s,” I said. I grabbed Maggie’s hand and placed it over my thundering heart. “My heart goes buck wild every time I’m near you, Maggie. The first time I laid eyes on you, I knew you’d be trouble. You’ve stolen my heart, and my sanity with it.”
“Roman…” Maggie leaned in and drew my lips to hers. She tasted like rosemary and honey. “Enough talking,” she whispered.
I obeyed her wishes and lifted her up off the ground until her legs wrapped around my waist.
I never wanted to see her cry again. As long as she was with me, I intended to erase all her sadness and replace it with joy. “More kissing?” I asked, wiping away her tears.
“More than kisses,” Maggie groaned, her arms circling my neck. Her nails dug into my scalp. “More than words.”
I pressed my forehead against hers. “Are you sure you want this?”
“I’ve been sure since the first time you stepped foot in my house,” Maggie panted, sucking on my earlobe. “Since the first time I saw the tent in your towel.” She kissed my left cheekbone and whispered, “Since the first time you tickled me. When I’m with you, I feel things I haven’t felt in years.”