Maggie sat down on the sofa, across from her friend. “It was … fun.”
Gloria turned off the TV. “Was it?” She grinned impishly. “I heard you pull up, but then, to my dismay, you didn’t come right in. Doin’ some lip lockin’, per chance?”
Maggie gave her friend a rueful glance. “We talked for awhile.” She bit back a grin. “And yes, he kissed me.”
Gloria sat up taller in the chair. “Well, do you like him?”
She nodded. “I do. But I think he’s about as ready for a new relationship as I am.”
Gloria clasped her hands together. “Well, that’s great!”
Maggie shook her head. “No, I mean, neither of us is ready.”
“Oh, you are too. You just don’t know it yet.”
“Well, regardless, I don’t think he’s ready. He’s been divorced a year, but I think he’s still processing what went wrong.”
“That’s natural, isn’t it?” Gloria said. “Besides, it’s better to contemplate what went wrong, in order to fix things the next go-round.”
“I suppose…”
“Are you attracted to him?” Gloria asked.
Maggie bit back a smile, and then said honestly, “How could I not be? You’ve seen the man.”
“Ah, yes. Easy on the eyes,” Gloria said, arching her brows. “And there seems to be substance there too.”
Maggie nodded. “He seems like a good man.”
“But…”
“I guess it’s the same old story. I just need time.”
Gloria rose. “Speaking of time, I’d better go. Rickey has been asleep since eight-thirty. He was tired,” she commented. “Didn’t even put up a fuss about going to bed.”
“Great,” Maggie muttered. “He probably has another lamb under the covers.”
Gloria chuckled. “No sign of any four-legged visitors tonight,” she told her, and then headed for the front door.
Maggie followed and pulled it open. “I owe you,” she said.
Gloria shook her head. “You don’t owe me anything…” She paused and eyed her speculatively. “Actually, you can promise me something…”
“What?”
“Promise you’ll give John a chance.” She gave a shrug. “I don’t know. Something tells me he’s a good guy. And Rickey adores him. You should have heard the little guy going on about him most of the evening. Rickey’s going to be a police officer, you know.”
“That worries me—his attachment to John in such a short span of time,” Maggie admitted. “What if I continue allowing him into our lives and it doesn’t work out. Rickey will be devastated.”
Gloria understood her reservations, but felt compelled to point out the obvious. “He’s already in your life.”
“I know.” She forced a smile. “I guess I have some thinking to do.”
“Did he ask you out on a second date?”
“We’re going to dinner and a movie on Friday.”
“You’ll need a sitter,” Gloria said. “I’m free.”
“I love you for offering,” Maggie said. “But… I should probably call one of the neighborhood kids. You have a life, you know.”
“Well, I’m here if you need me.”
Maggie closed the door behind her friend, once again thankful to have found such a good support system in her new town. What would she have done without Gloria?
***
“Mama, do you see the sheep? We haven’t had a sheep visit us yet.” Rickey cocked his head in thought. “Well, we had a baby sheep visit us. A lamb is a baby sheep, right?”
“You’re right.” Maggie searched the nativity scene, and spotted the lamb. “There he is,” she said, pointing. “Right over there by his mama.”
“I miss him,” Rickey said softly. “I hope he visits us again.”
“How about we plan on visiting him again instead,” Maggie suggested.
“I wish John was here,” Rickey said.
As if on cue, Maggie heard a deep, male voice from behind them. She turned to see John striding purposely toward them. Dressed in jeans and a sweat shirt, he looked casual but so rough and rugged he took her breath away. As he drew near, she saw he hadn’t shaved and boasted a five o’ clock shadow that lent a rakish quality to his handsome face.
She bit back a gasp, surprised at the spark of attraction that practically ignited between them.
“Hey,” he said, obviously pleased, “I was driving by and thought I spotted you two.”
“We came to see the animals!” Rickey told him.
“I see that,” John said, smiling into his eager little face.
“See, John, the lamb that came Friday night is right … over there,” Rickey said.
“He sure is.” John turned to Maggie and smiled, almost self-consciously. “So…” he began. “Do you two have any plans for after…?”
“We’re going to have lunch at a restaurant and then we’re going to go to the park,” Rickey volunteered.
John nodded. “Oh, well, it sounds like you have a full day planned.”
“You can come with us!” Rickey cried. “Huh, Mama? John can come, huh?”
Maggie gave him a tentative glance. “You’re welcome to join us.”
“Are you sure? I hate to intrude.”
“We’re sure! Huh, Mama?”
Maggie nodded. “We’re sure.” She wondered though, was she sure? Was she certain it was a good idea to spend so much time with the handsome police officer?
***
After pizza at Rickey’s favorite pizzeria, and a couple hours at a nearby park, Rickey fell asleep in John’s truck as they drove home.
John smiled at the sleeping boy. “I guess all the activity wore him out.”
Maggie nodded. “I try to have him nap mid-afternoon whenever possible.”
As John pulled up in front of Maggie’s house and parked, he turned to her. “I’ll carry him in for you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“He’s getting so big,” she said, as John carefully lifted him out of the booster seat. “It won’t be long until I won’t be able to pick him up.”
“He’s tall for his age, isn’t he?” John whispered.
Maggie nodded. “His dad was tall.”
She led him to the front door and opened it, stepping aside to allow him past her. “Upstairs?” he whispered.
She nodded and John carried him to his room. She stood back as he laid the little boy on the bed cover. He gently tugged off his sneakers, and then glanced around. “Should we cover him up?” he asked.
She retrieved a blanket from a chest at the foot of the bed and laid it gently over the sleeping child. She kissed her fingertips and pressed them to his forehead, before turning and leading John from the room.
Downstairs, she asked him if he wanted a cup of coffee. “If you’re having some, that would be great,” he said.
She quickly brewed a pot, while he sat at the island and watched her. As she poured him a cup, she noticed him glancing at the cookie jar. “You’re as bad as Rickey,” she chided, smiling.
His face reddened. “Sorry,” he said, laughing. “But you do make excellent cookies.”
She pulled two from the cookie jar and set them on a small plate. She passed it to him, and their hands bumped in the exchange. Once again, she felt a jolt of awareness, and her eyes lifted to his face. His eyes met her, and she watched as the brown depths appeared to darken, reminding her of liquid chocolate.
She pulled her eyes away and smiled self-consciously. “Thank you again for lunch. I didn’t mean for you to have to…”
He waved off her words. “It wasn’t a problem at all. I’m glad I spotted you and Rickey at the nativity scene.”
“Would you … like to sit down in the family room?”
“Sure.” He rose with his coffee and cookies and followed her into the cozy space. He sat down on the couch, and she took the other end. He smiled and glanced around, before turning back to her. “I really li
ke your place.”
She smiled in return. “It’s small but it’s mine.”
“It’s homey,” he observed. “You’ve done a great job with it.” And she had, he thought. Maggie had managed to create a warm and inviting space, utilizing an array of colors within the small room. The family room walls featured a rosy hue, and splashes of additional colors featured on the wall art and in the couch pillows enlivened the space. Even the blue-striped chair melded beautifully, without overpowering the room.
Kim had favored bold, modern art prints against a pristine, white wall. Furnishings had sharp edges and featured cold, metallic tones. He hadn’t liked his wife’s choice of furnishing or wall art, but had gone along with her, so as to avoid the inevitable fight if he had asserted himself.
It was odd, he thought, that on the job, he was tough and decisive. He always stood his ground, yet, with his ex-wife, he had always deferred to her. It had been a mistake.
If he ever married again, he would seek out a partner who would be that, a partner—someone with whom he could communicate and with whom he could make decisions—as a team.
“Would you like another cookie?” Maggie asked, interrupting his thoughts. “Or, I can offer you a slice of pie.”
“Oh, no, thank you. The cookies are fine,” he said. He picked one up and took a bite.
When he offered her the second one, she declined with a laugh. “I’m afraid I’ve eaten too many sweets lately.” She grinned. “I’ve always loved the holidays, with all the delicious foods. Well, until…” She frowned.
John gave her a tentative glance. He didn’t press her to complete her thought, but changed the subject instead. “Do you have any plans for Christmas Eve?”
“Gloria asked Rickey and me to join her family, but I don’t want to intrude. My in-laws invited us too, but they live out of state now and I’m not much for travel over the holidays. My folks asked us to come home too, but to be honest, I think we’ll just stay home and spend a cozy evening together. I’d like to start establishing our own traditions.” She chuckled. “I promised Rickey pizza. He’d eat it every day if I let him.”
He nodded. He was going to ask her if she and Rickey would join him at a friend’s holiday party, but sensed something in her voice—that she wasn’t open to celebrating with others. He remembered the night he’d first met her, and that she’d been invited to Gloria’s for a holiday party. He’d sensed her reticence to join the festivities then and remembered that she hadn’t actually gone to the party.
“Would you…?” He gave an awkward smile, wondering if she’d want to spend a quiet evening with him. “I’d planned to attend a party at a friend’s place, but I was wondering if you and Rickey might…?”
Maggie picked up a pillow and pulled it against her, as if bracing for the question. John noticed her discomfiture. He hesitated to complete the question. To his surprise, Maggie spoke first.
“Would you … like to spend Christmas Eve here? With Rickey and me?”
He hadn’t expected the invitation and smiled. “Are you … sure?”
“It’ll be a quiet evening, but…”
“Sounds perfect to me,” he said, as he took her hand and held it.
She glanced down at their entwined hands, noting how his larger hand engulfed her. She felt the strength in his fingers, the warmth of his palm, and realized, she missed the comfort of having a man in her life.
She lifted her face to his, and he leaned in and kissed her, pressing with a gentle insistence. She found herself responding to his kiss.
When he pulled back and searched her face, he smiled, and then draped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her safely into the crook of his arm.
To her utter surprise, she felt as if she’d come home. The closeness felt … right.
Thoughts of Shane threatened to intrude, but she forced them away. Shane was gone. She had loved him dearly, and would always hold him in her heart, but he was gone.
Chapter Fourteen
“Is there any way you and Rickey could meet me for dinner?” John asked.
Maggie, who was in her kitchen loading the dishwasher, paused momentarily. “You’re at work, aren’t you?”
“I am, but I was hoping you two could meet me at the diner on St. Johns Road.”
Maggie smiled. “You’re spoiling us,” she told him. “Why don’t you come by here? I’ll cook something.”
“I don’t want you to do that,” he said. “It sounds like a lot of work.”
“It’s dinner—which I have prepared almost every night during my adult life. Besides, I enjoy cooking,” she assured him. “Can you come by around six? I’ll have the food on the table, so you can eat and run.”
“I don’t want to eat and run,” he said, and his voice held a disappointed tone.
“Is there something wrong?” Maggie asked, picking up on the subtle change in his manner.
“Oh, no,” he said. “It’s just…”
“What?”
“Well, I used to work a day shift, but went to swing shift because…”
“Because it’s more exciting,” she filled in for him. “There’s more action in the evening,” she added knowingly.
“Yeah, okay,” he said, chuckling. “You’re on to me. But…”
“What?”
He gave a self-deprecating laugh. “I’d give my right arm to be back on a day shift,” he admitted.
Maggie understood why. If he was still working a day shift, he’d have his evenings free to spend with her and Rickey. Her heart gave a flutter. If she were being honest with herself, she’d have to acknowledge that she wished he was working day shift, as well.
Fortunately, despite the restrictions on his time posed by his work hours, they’d managed to spend time together. He had dropped by Monday evening after Maggie had gotten off work. He’d also invited her and Rickey to dinner last evening. It was now Thursday, so tomorrow marked the end of his work week.
Maggie looked forward to spending Sunday with him. The two planned to go Christmas shopping together, while Rickey played with a school friend at his home. Maggie marveled at the ease with which she and John interacted. The more time she spent with him, the more she realized he was a good man.
He was great with Rickey, answering the little boy’s myriad questions with patience and humor. Rickey was enthralled by the idea of John being a law enforcement officer, and told his school and daycare friends all about him.
During dinner the prior evening, they’d run into one of his fellow officers, who had shown Rickey the interior of his patrol car—introducing him to all the gadgets. When Rickey had been allowed to climb behind the wheel, he had been in seventh heaven.
All in all, John treated Rickey with the utmost care and kindness, and Maggie was grateful. Of course, had he not, she would never have continued spending time with him. And he knew that. He understood her little boy came first.
“Well, can you stop by?” Maggie asked.
“I’ll see you at six,” he said cheerily.
When six rolled around, John arrived right on time. As promised, Maggie had dinner on the table. “I hope you like meatloaf,” she said with a wince. After suggesting he stop by for dinner, she’d discovered her freezer wasn’t particularly well-stocked and her dinner choices limited.
“I love meatloaf,” he said with a smile, and kissed her on the cheek.
Rickey came charging into the foyer. “Hi, John! Have you arrested anybody yet?”
John draped an arm around the little boy’s shoulders and pulled him into a hug. “Not yet. But it’s still early.”
“Yeah, it’s still early,” Rickey said seriously. “Come on! Dinner is ready.”
John followed mother and son into the kitchen and sat down at the dinette table. “Looks good,” he said, meaning it.
“Well, I do happen to make a pretty good meatloaf,” Maggie said.
“Everything looks good,” John said with a smile, his eyes lingering on her face.
She
understood his meaning. It was no secret he felt something for her, and she in return had feelings for him. But she resolved to take things slow, for all their sakes.
After they had filled their plates, Maggie sat down to eat. John bit into the meatloaf and his eyes widened with surprise. “This is great!” he enthused.
“Thank you.”
“Mama makes good meatloaf,” Rickey told him. “She uses a secret ingredient.”
“Oh, yeah?” John said, leaning forward and arching his brows. “What is it?”
“If I tell you, it won’t be secret,” Maggie pointed out.
John laughed. “Well, since I don’t know the secret ingredient, I can’t make it for myself. So I guess…”
“You’ll just have to come here to eat mama’s meatloaf!” Rickey cried happily.
“I guess you’re right,” John said, smiling at the earnest little boy. He turned back to Maggie, and a silent communication passed between them. She smiled, still marveling that she felt something for John, when no one save Shane had ever made her heart quicken.
Rickey spoke up, commanding his attention again. “If it snows on Christmas day, will you make a snowman with me?”
John smiled uneasily, since Maggie hadn’t mentioned spending Christmas day together. They’d talked about Christmas Eve, but…
To his surprise, she smiled. “Do you … have any plans for Christmas day? We plan on staying home, but you’re welcome to join us.”
He searched her face, hoping she hadn’t felt coerced to extend the invitation because Rickey had brought it up. “Are you sure I won’t be intruding?”
“No!” Rickey cried, and then frowned. “What does in-trud-ing mean?”
“It means I might be in the way,” John said with a smile.
Rickey gasped in surprise and said sincerely, “You could never get in the way, John!”
A wide smile spanned John’s face and he reached over and tousled Rickey’s hair. “Well, it’s nice of you to say so.” He glanced over at Maggie again and smiled. She could see he was touched by Rickey’s obvious affection for him.
“Will you come?” Rickey persisted.
The Happiest Season Page 12