“Are you okay, John?” Rickey asked, watching him with concern.
He shook his head to clear it and turned to the little boy. “I’m fine,” he answered, smiling reassuringly.
“Oh, I see Mama!”
John glanced ahead and spied Maggie watching them, her face lit with a wistful smile. He could see she was watching Rickey bouncing alongside him.
He wondered, was she remembering her husband? Was she seeing him walking alongside their little boy? He couldn’t begin to imagine the pain she must have endured. While divorce was painful too, it couldn’t compare to a death. Death was final. There was no undoing death.
Not that he wanted to undo his divorce. That reality struck him like a mallet upside his head. He wanted nothing more to do with Kim. It was time he put her squarely in his past.
He gave a small smile. Who knew a trip to the home improvement store would end up ‘improving’ him.
“I see you found a cart,” Maggie noted, struggling to hold onto an exuberant Pocomo.
“Yep. We got one of the big ones,” Rickey told her. He gave a sly grin. “We almost ran over a mean lady with it.”
“Rickey!” Maggie scolded.
John bit back a chuckle. “It’s okay,” he assured her, and then glanced at Rickey.
“She was mean,” the little boy added. “Really mean.”
Chapter Five
“We’re done putting the siding on, Mama!” Rickey called through the open back door. “John wants to know if we have any of the ex… Ix…” He frowned and gave a shrug. “Some kind of paint.”
“Exterior paint,” she said, enunciating carefully.
He repeated the word and then said, “Yeah, that.”
“I think we have a couple cans in the garage. Will you tell John that I’ll check and be right out?”
“Okay, Mama!”
Maggie reached for a kitchen towel and wiped her hands, before she dashed to the door to the garage. She flipped on a switch, bathing the small garage in light, and then began a visual search of the space. She finally spotted the paint cans in a far corner.
She hurried over and checked them. She was relieved to find a can of the neutral-toned exterior paint. Hoisting it into her arms, she carried it outside.
As her eyes passed over the repaired siding, she gasped. “It looks perfect!” she declared.
“You sound surprised,” John said, chuckling.
“No, no, it’s not that. It’s just…”
“Yes?” he prompted.
“I guess I’m just relieved and so grateful. If I had had to hire someone to fix it…” She spread her hands. “It probably would have cost a fortune.” Suddenly, her eyes widened. “John, I have to pay you, at least until whomever ends up reimbursing me for the damage.”
He waved off her worries. “You do not. I offered to help out.”
He saw she looked wholly uncomfortable. He rose from his crouched position and crossed the distance between them. Taking the paint from her, he glanced up at the sky. It was gray, but there were no threatening clouds hovering above.
“I checked the weather report and we’re not supposed to have any rain for a couple days. It’d probably be a good idea to get the siding painted while the weather cooperates with us.”
Maggie nodded, and then seemed to register something of import.
“What is it?” John asked.
“Oh, I just realized that the trim paint is a different color, but I didn’t find any leftover in the garage. I’ll have to pick some up later.”
He nodded. “I’ll go ahead and paint the new trim the same color as the siding for now, in order to protect it from inclement weather. We shouldn’t wait too long before finding the right color, however.”
She digested his words and then folded her arms across her mid-section. “It’s getting chilly,” she observed.
“Maybe we’ll have a white Christmas,” John commented, looking up at the sky again.
“You mean snow!” Rickey said. “I want snow for Christmas!” His little face scrunched up in thought. “I want to build a snowman—maybe even an igloo.” He gave a wistful sigh. “Oh, I hope it snows for Christmas.”
“We’ll just hope it doesn’t snow until we’re done painting,” John told him.
Rickey nodded. “Yeah, we don’t want it to snow until we’re done painting.” The little boy angled a glance at his mom. “By the way, Mama, John wants you to make those same Christmas cookies… You know, the ones you baked for the camel…”
John’s mouth abruptly dropped open and he gave a nervous chuckle. “Uh, well, Rickey!” He burst out laughing and raised a clarifying finger. “Actually, Rickey asked me if I liked those cookies, and I happened to admit that I loved those cookies, and he said…”
Maggie chuckled with good humor. “No explanation necessary. I know exactly how Rickey’s mind works, as well as his propensity for putting words into other people’s mouths.”
John gave a sheepish, almost guilty look. “Well, I am partly to blame.” He reached down and tousled Rickey’s hair. “We were talking about our favorite holiday treats and…”
“Really, I understand,” Maggie interjected, laughing. “I’m going inside and I’m going to…”
“Start baking!” Rickey cried.
Maggie laughed. “Yes.”
“Oh, you don’t have to…” John protested.
“Oh, yes, I do,” she cut in. “If you won’t take cash, maybe you’ll accept cookies for all your hard work.”
He smiled into her eyes. “I will most definitely take cookies.”
Maggie entered the house and retrieved a cookbook from a top drawer in the kitchen island. After finding the particular recipe, she hurriedly assembled all the ingredients, and then got to work making the batter. When John and Rickey walked into the house later, they were immediately struck by the delicious smell of cookies baking in the oven.
“Something smells good,” John said.
“Mama’s cookies!” Rickey said eagerly. “Can John and me have a cookie when they’re done?”
“John and I,” Maggie corrected.
“Well, sure, you and John can,” Rickey said with a frustrated snort. “You’re the mama. You can do what you want.”
John bit back a chuckle as Maggie sent her son a scolding glance, and then checked the clock over the stove. John misread her intent.
“I should get out of your way,” he said.
Maggie chortled. “You fixing my siding hardly puts you in ‘the way.’
“Well, I’m sure you have things to do.”
She nodded. “Yes. I need to make another dozen cookies to send home with you.”
He smiled. “I won’t argue the point,” he said agreeably.
“It’ll take awhile to bake the second batch,” she told him. “Why don’t you…?”
“Sit with me in the family room,” Rickey said eagerly. “We can watch cartoons!”
“No, you can watch an educational program,” Maggie told him, and was surprised when even John looked disappointed.
“Do you … want to watch cartoons?” she asked uncertainly.
He gave a shrug. “Well, I used to really like them when I was a kid. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings to…”
“Yay! Cartoons!” Rickey cried, as he turned to the channel that aired cartoons.
John settled in the family room to watch the television. When Rickey dropped onto the couch beside him, he smiled at the little boy.
Maggie watched out of the corner of her eye. It was obvious Rickey was enamored with John, but the officer seemed fond of Rickey too. How did she feel about that?
She gave herself a shake. Analyzing the situation wasn’t warranted, she decided. She’d just met John, who happened to be a Good Samaritan, but one she probably wouldn’t see again. Sure, he looked awfully comfortable on the couch, and sure, Rickey clearly adored him, but a brief few hours spent with a stranger certainly didn’t portend a relationship to come.
Bes
ides, she wasn’t looking for one. Despite the fact that her friends and family constantly asserted that she should start dating, she simply wasn’t ready. It had only been two short years since Shane’s passing and to consider going out with anyone at this juncture seemed like a betrayal of his love.
When she’d recently said as much to her mother, her mother had scoffed, and had told her that the duration of a mourning period after the death of a spouse wasn’t set in stone. She’d insisted that moving on was more about finding the right person, and less about the passage of time. She’d warned that Maggie might very well overlook a wonderful person if she insisted on sticking to some arbitrary time frame.
Still, she disagreed. Her love for Shane ran too deep. She would always love him. To move on felt as if she would diminish that love.
When both Rickey and John broke out in laughter over the antics of “Tom and Jerry,” she was glad for the distraction. When the timer on the oven dinged, she was equally glad. She pulled the cookies from the oven, not the least bit surprised when Rickey suddenly appeared beside her. She was, however, a bit dismayed when John joined him.
“Don’t you want to wait for the cookies to cool?” she asked, glancing from one to the other.
“Nope,” they said in unison.
Maggie met John’s gaze. Their eyes held, and she felt the charge of something electric—a jolt of attraction. Her eyes widened in shock. John, she was certain, felt it too. His eyes lingered on her face, his eyes briefly questioning.
She cleared her throat. “Okay, then, have your cookies now.” She pulled two small plates from the cupboard and a couple glasses. After pouring milk for each, she passed them to the eager men. “Enjoy.”
Rickey sat down on a stool, and John followed suit. They watched Maggie as she formed the next batch of cookies into balls, rolled them in sugar, and placed them carefully on the cookie sheet. Soon, she slipped them into the oven to bake.
John watched her movements, noting she seemed at home in the kitchen. Her movements were crisp, efficient, and he liked watching her. His ex hadn’t enjoyed spending time in the kitchen. It had never bothered him. He actually found cooking relaxing, so when they hadn’t eaten out, or ordered takeout, he had cooked. He’d developed quite a repertoire of meals that he had prepared often.
He had never tried baking, however, and reached for the cookbook on the island top. He opened it and began reading through recipes. He finally looked up when he sensed he was being watched.
Maggie grinned at him. “Planning on doing some baking?”
He grinned back at her. “You never know.” He sat up taller on the stool. “I happen to be a pretty good cook.”
“I’m sure you are,” Maggie said.
“I am,” he asserted, with an impish grin.
“Maybe you can cook for us sometime,” Rickey suggested.
Maggie laughed uneasily, but John seemed unfazed. “I’d be happy to,” he said, and meant it. He would gladly cook a meal for Maggie and her son. In fact, he hoped he might be able to spend time with them again.
It was an epiphany. He’d been so isolated, had turned inward, and become a loner of late. It really wasn’t his nature. He’d always enjoyed time with friends and family. It was as if losing Kim had flipped a switch in him—to ‘off.’ He silently berated himself for giving her that kind of power over him.
“Maybe you’ll let me cook you dinner sometime,” he said, meeting Maggie’s eyes. He smiled, but braced for her answer. He hoped he hadn’t overstepped.
He feared he had when her eyes widened with alarm. She hurriedly blanked her face, so he was unsure if he’d read her correctly. Nonetheless, she smiled.
“Dinner would be nice.”
***
“Gloria! John offered to make dinner for Rickey and me sometime.”
“That’s great,” Gloria said, sounding very pleased. She had just called Maggie regarding an upcoming office holiday party, since she’d forgotten to speak with her about it earlier. She found her friend in a state of agitation.
“It’s not great! I think I said ‘yes.’” She began breathing rapidly, almost hyperventilating, and Gloria attempted to calm her down.
“Now, Maggie, listen. Take a deep, slow breath and count to three.”
“Okay.”
Gloria heard her trying to shore her breathing. “Now tell me, what are you worried about? Specifically.”
Maggie heaved a beleaguered sigh. “I’m not ready to date.”
“Well, did Officer John actually pin you down on a time and place? Wait a minute,” she said. “He included Rickey in the invitation. In light of that fact, maybe you’re reading a bit much into the offer.”
“Maybe,” she mused. “But…”
“What?”
“We had a…”
“What?”
She groaned. “A … moment.”
Gloria laughed. “What does that mean?”
“Our eyes connected over a tray of cookies.”
“All right!” Gloria cried. “That’s terrific news.”
“It is not. Gloria, my husband just…”
It was Gloria who took a deep, shoring breath this time. “My friend, your husband didn’t ‘just’ do anything. Honey, he passed away two years ago. You have to move on. He would want you to. Rickey needs you to.”
Maggie sighed again. “I know, but…”
“No buts,” Gloria interjected. “It’s time to consider moving on. Having dinner with John is a good way to start, if you ask me—with or without Rickey along.”
“Oh, I’m probably overreacting anyway,” she acknowledged. “I’ll probably never see him again anyway.”
“You sound … disappointed at that possibility.”
“Do I?’ She moaned. “I’m awful. Just awful. How could I betray Shane like this?”
“You haven’t betrayed Shane in any way, shape, or form,” Gloria said testily. “What you have done, Maggie, is take one small step for yourself, by actually interacting with the opposite sex. Do not, and I mean, do not, shut the door on the possibility of a date with Officer John.”
“A date,” she repeated numbly, and Gloria was certain she heard Maggie’s head thunk solidly against the island top. She knew she was right when she heard Maggie groan as if in pain.
“Did you just hit your head?”
“Yes. I didn’t mean to. I underestimated the distance between my forehead and the countertop.”
“Happens to the best of us.” Gloria was silent for a moment. “I want you to promise me something…”
“What?”
“If John asks you out, go. If nothing else, you’ll get a free dinner out of the deal.”
“Gloria!”
“You know what I mean. It’ll be a chance to test your wings—to enter the dating world again. Even if things go nowhere with John, it’ll be good practice for you.”
“Practice doing what, specifically?” she said shrilly.
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. But just give the man a chance. Who know? Maybe he’s the first of many men you’ll end up dating, but then, he could be the…”
“What?”
“The one,” she said simply. “He could be the one.
“Yeah, sure,” she replied. “I’ll probably never see him again.”
Chapter Six
Maggie glanced at a clock that hung on a far wall across from her desk at her workplace. It was a couple minutes before five. She spent the time tidying her desk, and then when the big hand touched the twelve, she burst out of her seat, grabbed her coat and purse, and charged out of the office.
She was eager to pick up Rickey, who was waiting for her at his daycare facility. Enrolling him in daycare had been difficult for her, since she hadn’t had to rely on childcare when Shane was alive. During the year following his death, Maggie’s mother had watched Rickey for her, so she could finish up a degree at school, but when that degree had enabled her to secure a job with the state, it had
also required that she make a move. As such, she needed childcare for her son.
He seemed to be doing well at the facility she’d chosen, but she was still having a bit of trouble adjusting to the long hours away from him.
When she arrived at the daycare and hurried in, she was greeted by Rickey, who waited for her nearby the main entrance. A few of his little friends were waiting along with him for their own parents to arrive.
She smiled at the little ones, and then ooohed and aaahed over a picture Rickey showed her that he had painted. After signing him out for the evening, they walked together to Maggie’s car.
“It’s Friday, right Mama?” Rickey said, as she strapped him into his booster seat.
“Yes, and I’m very happy the weekend’s here,” she said smiling.
“Me too!” His features abruptly went from happy to troubled.
“What’s wrong, honey?”
“I thought Officer John might stop by our house and see us sometime, only, he didn’t.”
“Sweetie, he works too. But while I work a day shift, he works swing shift.”
“Does he get to swing on a swingset?” Rickey asked eagerly. “Cuz, if he does, I want to work swing shift.”
Maggie laughed. “No, honey. Swing shift means he works different hours from mine. For example, I work from eight in the morning until five in the afternoon, but Officer John works from three in the afternoon until three in the morning.”
“Wow,” Rickey said, puzzling over his work hours. “So, he works a long time, huh?”
“Yes, but then he does get more days off than I do.”
“Well, that’s good for him.”
As Maggie backed out of the parking space and pulled into street traffic, she happened a glance in the rearview mirror. She saw that Rickey’s mouth was downturned in a pronounced frown. His eyes appeared downcast and sad.
The Happiest Season Page 5