Maggie's Way (Montana Bound Series Book 1)

by Bradley, Linda

  I strained the pasta then melted some butter in my sauté pan before adding garlic then the shrimp.

  The front door slammed shut then Chloe and her friend skipped into the kitchen.

  “Wow, wee, wow, that stove must be hot. You’re cheeks are flaming,” Chloe said, yanking on Voodoo’s string. “Where’s Bones? Bella wants to meet him.” She knocked herself on her head. “Where are my manners? Maggie, this is my best friend in the whole wide world, Bella. Bella, this is my bestest neighbor, Maggie.”

  I smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Bella’s my best friend from my old house.” She beamed.

  Bella smiled and came over to the stove. “Nice to meet you, too. Is that cake for dessert?” She grinned and pointed to the chocolate monstrosity my mother had displayed on the cake stand.

  “Yup,” I answered. “We should just skip dinner and have cake. What do you think?”

  “Really?” Chloe giggled.

  Bella tilted her head in Chloe’s direction. “She’s just yanking your chain.”

  Chloe hopped up on the stool to see what I was doing. “That smells good. My dad doesn’t cook like that.”

  Bella wiggled her way up on the stool next to Chloe’s. “Neither does mine. Neither does my mom.”

  Chloe yanked on Voodoo’s string.

  I guarded my food from the purple straggly cat that could end up anywhere, at any time. “Can I set a place for Voodoo and Bones? Voodoo wants to eat with him tonight. Just like me and Bella.”

  I stirred the shrimp one last time before setting aside. “Sure, if you can find him. “We’re eating on the patio. How about you take Bones’ dish out and put it next to the table.” I reached into the cupboard for a bowl. “Here’s a bowl for Voodoo.”

  “Thanks,” Chloe said. “Come on, let’s find that dog.”

  Mom came in with Brook. She had a purple party bag decorated with sparkling purple ribbon. Brook was wearing a plain cotton sundress and flip-flops. Her hair flowed over her shoulders like curly ribbons, her makeup flawless. I touched my hair remembering I hadn’t seen myself in a mirror all day. So focused on dinner and the fact I was going to have to say goodbye to Chloe, I forgot about taking time out for me and the five minutes at radiation did not count. They were used to seeing me in my not-so-fancy, faded checked blue hospital gown, and yoga pants.

  I sautéed the spinach then mixed in the orzo, shrimp tomatoes, and lemon juice. “Mom, would you mind taking this off the heat and putting it into this dish.”

  “Sure, honey, everything okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah, just need a minute to clean up.” I’d need more than a minute and a team of professionals to look like Brook. I scurried away from the kitchen.

  Hustling up the stairs to my bedroom, I didn’t have time for a revelation about my wardrobe choices. My favorite khaki shorts and white T-shirt would do. I washed my face then rubbed in some tinted moisturizer, brushed on some mascara, swiped my cheeks with blush, and raked my hairbrush through my messy tresses before pulling them back in a messy bun at the nape of my neck.

  My sandals banged against the wall when I kicked them off. I slipped my feet into beaded flip-flops then put on the necklace Mom had sent me. The half-a-heart hung around my neck on a silver chain. By the time I returned to the party, I hadn’t skipped a beat. John, Brook, and my mom were on the patio sipping drinks. The girls had Bones on his leash teaching him to heel, and the table was set beautifully.

  I poured myself a glass of wine, swirled it around as I leaned against the stone pillar at the corner of the patio. I studied the interaction as the adults mingled. Mom was her usual self, socially beautiful knowing exactly what questions to ask, knowing when to listen, and when to speak. John attended to my mother as if they were old friends. Mom could make anyone into an old friend in no time at all. I sipped my wine, letting it sit in my mouth, allowing myself to savor each swallow. Brook stood to the side watching the girls with her arms crossed. She shifted her weight from side-to-side as if she were nervous.

  Chloe told Bones to sit. He did. She unsnapped the leash from his collar. She told him to lie down. He did. I loathed the commitment to next week’s dog class. With Chloe off to Hollywood in a few days, I would definitely be going solo. Chloe touched Bones’ nose with her pointer finger then scratched behind his ear. He rolled in the grass and Bella clapped.

  “We’d better eat before it gets cold,” I announced, gesturing to the table.

  John pulled out a chair for my mother then pulled out a chair for me. The girls sat beside each next to Mom.

  Brook’s eyes flashed with caution as John helped her with a chair. “I got it, but thank you,” she said.

  The brush off sent a thread of relief down my spine as I’d spent so much time trying to decipher their feelings for each other. I did a better job at second-guessing the facts than anyone I knew. John backed away without hesitation. He sat down and put his napkin in his lap. Mom offered to dish the girls up. Chloe rubbed her belly as she sniffed the food.

  “What’s Voodoo having for dinner?” I asked, inspecting the dinner bowls set for the animals.

  “Tuna and cheese,” Chloe answered.

  I smiled. “Yum. And when will Bones get to eat?” I pointed to the yard. He was still lying where Chloe told him to stay.

  Bella craned her neck to see.

  Chloe giggled. “I almost forgot. Bones, come,” she called, hitting the side of her leg.

  He popped up and trotted to the patio then went straight to his dish, stuck his wrinkly nose in, and gulped his food.

  “Good boy,” Chloe praised him. “I’m really sorry I can’t go to dog class with you.” She looked to her mom who was sitting quietly with a gleam in her eyes. “Did they tell you?” Chloe asked, taking a bite of pasta and shrimp. A few grains of orzo dropped from her lip, bounced off her chin, and went onto the ground. She began talking with a mouthful. “Bones will get that, don’t worry.”

  “I’m not worried,” I said, “and yes, they told me. California is a long way away. I bet you’re excited,” I added with a smile.

  “I sure will miss you, Chloe,” Bella said, buttering her bread. “Can I come see you there, too?” She took a bite, chewed, swallowed then continued talking. “You sure do move a lot.”

  Chloe shrugged.

  Mom asked her questions about packing. I tuned her out and thought about Chloe. Did she mean what she said about her mother earlier? She said she knew her mom was not reliable. She cried about moving and leaving Bella behind. She seemed happy now with her mother’s invitation. I raised my glass. “A toast. Here’s to new adventures,” I said as everyone raised their glasses to mine. Chloe and Bella couldn’t reach so John leaned in their direction to make sure to clink glasses with them. Bones gave a little woof, snatched up the spilled orzo, and waited patiently for more.

  Brook remained quiet.

  A disconnect flickered in her eyes when I leaned in her direction to clink my glass. What was she possibly thinking? I ignored it and held my plate out for my mother to fill.

  She smiled. “I knew you’d find something to whip up. You always do,” she said with a wink.

  Brook nibbled at her dinner. Her appetite made mine look ferocious. Although mine had gotten better, thanks to Mom’s intervention, I couldn’t help but sense Brook’s uneasiness. So, I did what Mom did. I smiled, chatted with the girls, and thought about the hot kiss in the kitchen.

  Chloe spotted the purple present bag. “Hey, who is that for?” she asked, nibbling at the end of a shrimp she was holding with her fingers.

  Mom put her fork down. “It’s for you, a going-away present. I think you already know what it is.”

  Chloe shoved the rest of the shrimp into her mouth and wiped her hands on her napkin. “Can I open it now?”

  “I guess so. If it’s okay with your mom and your dad.”

  I was sitting between a man and his ex-wife whose child spent most her time hanging with me or spying o
n me. This weird scenario nagged at me, but the kiss in the kitchen didn’t seem weird at all. It was anything but weird. I let go of my own uneasiness when John winked at me. “I say, open it now.” I handed the bag to John, who handed it to Chloe.

  Brook forced a smile. It wasn’t a smile I’d seen when snapping her portrait.

  “It’s just what I wanted.” Chloe wiggled off her chair and hopped over to kiss my mom.

  Bella smiled. “Now, that’s a hat with pizzazz. I wish I had one just like it.” She wiped her hands on her napkin then touched the beaded flower. “It’s so pretty.”

  The willingness to make Bella’s wish come true sparkled in Mom’s eyes. She couldn’t hold it in. “I can make you one, too. It may not be exactly the same, but then you will each have one, like sisters.”

  Chloe and Bella laughed. “I gotta go look in the mirror,” Chloe chimed. “Come on, Bell.”

  Bella wiggled out of her chair and the two girls disappeared into the house.

  “I bet we won’t see them until dessert,” I said.

  Brook rearranged her food on her plate while the three of us finished our dinner.

  Chapter 32

  I’ll be over in a few, John’s text read.

  I checked myself out in the foyer mirror then went into my library. I sequenced the cow photographs. Today, the Fourth of July Cows and the Christmas Cows were my favorite. When the doorbell rang, I hollered, “Come in.” I glanced over the top of my glasses, then back down again, reveling in the color. Part of me felt silly for what I was about to request.

  John peeked around the corner. “Sundays are good. No work. Not on call.”

  “I agree. No radiation.” I smiled, liking the way my project was coming along.

  “What’s this all about?” John asked.

  I took off my glasses and leaned back in my chair. “I feel silly. I know Chloe is about to leave with Brook. And I was wondering—” I paused. “I was wondering if she and I could have a sleepover before she left,” I said, fidgeting with my hands.

  John smiled a sheepish grin. “She eventually wears you down and you have no choice, do you?”

  “Pretty much. I don’t have a going-away present for her and I thought it might be fun. Do you think Brook will let us? I wanted to run it by you first.” His expression soured as I said Brook’s name. “What?” I tucked my hands under my thighs to keep myself from playing with them.

  “It might be better coming from you, but I think it’s a great idea. They leave in three days.”

  “How about tomorrow night? That will give her time to spend with you before she goes.” Like a kid, I crossed my fingers.

  “She and Brook are out right now getting a few things. Why don’t you give her a call in an hour or so,” he said, taking a breath. “You really don’t have to do this,” he added, leaning against the desk and crossing his arms. His biceps flexed, filling his sleeves.

  “I want to. It’s going to be strange not having her around,” I said, fidgeting with the brushes on my desk. “Bones will miss her.”

  “I will miss her. As much as a handful she is, this is going to be hard,” John said, straight-faced, his temple twitching.

  “Not to go all Maggie on you, but do you think Brook will actually keep her out there full time?” I asked.

  His eyes grew serious as he contemplated the consequences.

  “I hope not, but I don’t know,” John said, shifting his weight. “Chloe needs to find out on her own what it would be like and Brook badgered me into trying this.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You should be.” He pointed his finger straight at me. “She wouldn’t have ever done this if it weren’t for you.”

  “What did I do?” I asked cautiously.

  “She told me about your conversation at the beach, about how mommas love their children and what her motives were for the visit.” John paused. “It doesn’t help that Chloe likes you, really likes you.”

  I tried to hold back the smile. “She likes me?”

  John came around the back of the desk. He took my hand and pulled me up. I kept my eyes focused on his emerald-green beauties. “Just about as much as I do. She adores you, even if you are difficult, but then again, so is she.”

  With his hands wrapped around my waist, he tilted his head, and put his lips on my neck. Heat waves ravished my body. I closed my eyes and let him nibble. A soft moan escaped my lips.

  Breathy words tickled my neck.

  “There’s more where that came from,” John whispered.

  “I bet there is,” I said, rubbing his forearms.

  “Maybe we can have our own sleepover,” he suggested, running his fingers across my collarbone.

  “We’ll see,” I answered, picturing him naked. I still didn’t think it was a good idea.

  “You pick the day and the time,” he said, “and I’ll be there.”

  “I don’t know if I can do that to Chloe. What if it doesn’t work out?” I pictured tears, revenge, or a missing dog. What was I doing, egging him on like this? Suddenly aware that hearts could be broken, most importantly, mine, I stopped. The thought of living next door to a jilted lover left a foul taste in my mouth. “I couldn’t stand it if our relationship turned ugly.”

  Uneasiness shrouded John’s determined eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” I said.

  “Would you quit being sorry? Maybe you should decide what you want. Maybe you’re still not ready.”

  “I’m not ready? What does that mean?” I asked, pulling back. I didn’t consider myself, not ready. “I just want to be sure.”

  John rubbed his chin and shot me a look. “I don’t think that’s possible. How can you ever be sure?” he asked, lowering his gaze and the tone of his voice.

  “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m not ready.” How would I ever be sure?

  “When you figure it out, let me know.” John exited the room then turned just outside the library door, and walked back to where I stood.

  I crossed my arms, bracing myself.

  He put his hands on my shoulders. “I know what I want.”

  He held me close and kissed me softly, letting his lips linger, even after the kiss was over. My hands found his waist. My heart took a nosedive as he left the room. I picked up my phone to text Brook. Can you please call me when you get home? Maggie.

  I went back to my photos. They’d morphed into quite a summer project. Actually, the summer itself had turned into quite a project, leaving little time for wallowing in self-pity, until right now. I’d never expected to fall for the guy-next-door, let alone the guy-next-door with a seven-year-old daughter, and an ex-wife. I wondered if Beckett’s partner would ever look at me with judging eyes. Who was I to make such criticisms? Rash scenarios flashed through my brain like a crazed teenager. Maybe John was right, maybe I wasn’t ready, but damn, he was making it impossible not to think about him.

  I heard the rumblings of his Harley Davidson. I cringed to think that I caused this episode of engine revving. “Really? If you’re gonna have that thing, learn to ride.”

  The doorbell rang.

  I left my desk to see who was there. Brook waited for me on the porch twirling her sunglasses in expected supermodel mode.

  “Hi there, come on in,” I said.

  “Are my photos ready?” she asked with a glint of intrigue behind her crystal-blue eyes.

  “Kind of. I wanted to talk to you about something else,” I said. My clammy palms started to sweat so I jammed my hands in my short pockets and admired her freshly painted gray metallic toenails. “I like your toes.” You geek, I said to myself.

  “Thanks, Chloe and I just got back from getting pedicures,” she replied.

  I braced myself then said, “I was wondering if you would let Chloe have a sleepover, here with me before she leaves. I didn’t get her a going away present and I thought it might be, fun.”

  “Aren’t you a little too old for that sort of thing?”

  Ouc
h. “I don’t think you’re ever too old for a sleepover,” I said, trying to read her thoughts. “I was thinking tomorrow night so she’d have time with John before you flew out.” I hoped she’d go along with my plan. “I’m really gonna miss her,” I said, my voice barely audible. Brook pressed her lips together and stared at me. That little voice inside my head prepared me for rejection. How could she be so cold? It was for Chloe.

  Who was I kidding? It was for me, well, for both of us.

  Bradley hadn’t had a sleepover since he was twelve. It seemed so long ago when I’d pray that he and his friends would just go to sleep, I’d be the one all out of whack the next day, and crabby. I didn’t know if I had it in me. Was this one of those things that just sounded like a good idea?

  “I’ll think about it,” Brook said.

  “Fair enough,” I said.

  “Can I see the photos?”

  I thought that was a bold request after making me wait. But, really, what was the harm? She would have many nights with Chloe, maybe I should have suggested she go out and celebrate at the bar, cause you can’t do that with a seven-year-old in tow. “I have them on my desk.” I showed her inside my workroom.

  “I remember,” she said quietly.

  Was it me? Tension seemed to plague our every conversation. I treaded lightly. I didn’t want to anger the beast. I studied her expression as she picked up the photographs one-by-one inspecting the images. Fierce lines defined her profile. A prickly heat came over me, and beads of dew formed on the nape of my neck. This was crazy. She was just a woman, the most unpredictable kind, the kind of woman with apprehensive motives. I wasn’t sure if Brook wanted her daughter to herself or worse, her husband. John reassured me that wasn’t the case, but Brook’s moods swung to and fro like a pendulum on steroids.

  “You did a fabulous job,” she said quietly.

  I detected shame. “You didn’t think I could take the photos?”

  “No, it seems you do everything well.”

  Goose bumps covered my arms. Thank you,” I said, not so sure that was a compliment. Brook didn’t say anything else. She fixed her attention on the photographs. I stood back, letting the air settle between us.