Magic Man

by Ashley Hastings

  “Oh, and Millicent? In the interest of full disclosure, I’m not really sorry I didn’t put on a condom. I mean, I am sorry, but I’m so glad we are having a baby. So glad.” Maxwell ran his nose down my cheek, making me sigh. “Did that make any sense?”

  I laughed. “Yes, it did. I love you, Maxwell.”

  “I love you, too.” He breathed those last words into my hair as he hugged me closer to his body.

  We undressed each other in the dark, taking our time. Maxwell rained kisses all over my naked body, lingering over my abdomen for a while, getting down on his knees in front of me.

  Maxwell looked up at me, his eyes dark and mysterious. “I am going to take such good care of you and Ivy, and now this baby, too.” I was touched when his eyes filled up with tears. “I promise to love all three of you with everything I have.”

  I ran the back of my hand down his cheek, wiping away a stray tear. “I know you will.”

  He encouraged me to lie down on the bed, and then he moved his big, beautiful body over mine. Every brush of his fingers took me to new heights, and my orgasm was so sweet and full of pleasure that it squeezed my heart.

  Afterward, we laid side by side, breathing heavily in the dark. Our fingers were linked together, and I rolled so I could rest my cheek over his heart. His heart thundered underneath my ear, and I took comfort from the sound.

  Twenty Eight

  Early the next morning, Maxwell slipped out of my bed with a soft kiss. He was gone before Ivy woke up, and I took her to school. There was a spring in my step, despite the fact that I had slept very little the night before.

  I came back to the barns and worked extra hard to make up for taking the afternoon off the day before. I loved this job, and I continued to take pride in my work. During my break, I worked briefly on my first school assignment.

  I paused my work and looked out over the duck pond. Life was going to get very interesting, balancing a pregnancy and a new baby with two years of college. I had every confidence that I would figure it out, however. I was determined to set the example for my children and further my education. I also wanted Ivy to see me set goals and meet them.

  Maxwell surprised me with lunch, which he delivered with a kiss. After greeting me, he pulled me out onto my screen porch to eat. I turned on the fans to make it bearable for us, and he laid out the food.

  He studied me. “Are we still okay?”

  I smiled at him, reaching over to stroke his face. “Yes, we are okay.” I didn’t want him feeling any lingering anxiety over our big fight. I loved him too much to do that to him.

  The clouds rolled away from his expression, and we dug into our lunch with enthusiasm.

  “After you get off work, I would like to take you and Ivy out to my property. I need your input on a special project I’ve been wanting to start.” He handed me another napkin.

  “Oh?” I raised my eyebrows at him as I wiped my fingers, wondering how we would possibly be of help to him.

  “After the stunt my dad pulled last night, I really got to thinking about making some changes to the place. I’ve kept that old trailer around as some sort of weird monument to my sad childhood. I don’t feel the need to do that anymore, so I think I will have it torn down.” He dipped a french fry into some ketchup.

  “I think that’s a great idea.” Secretly, I thought the best way for him to get over his lousy childhood would be to provide his own child with lots of love and attention, the very things he was denied growing up. But removing that falling down trailer was a substantial first step.

  “Thanks. I want to do something positive with the place, and that’s where you and Ivy come in. I’ll explain more when we get there.” He smiled when I wrinkled my nose at him.

  He was so good at being mysterious. Lucky for him that I liked it.

  Maxwell had to cut our lunch short because he had a meeting, and I decided to go back to work, too. A few hours later, he surprised me as I was tightening a loose screw on a hay rack in a stall.

  “What are you doing, baby? We can get one of the guys to do repair work. You don’t have to do that stuff.” Maxwell took the screwdriver away from me, frowning. He stuck the offending tool in his back pocket.

  I smiled at him. “I tightened a loose screw. That doesn’t fall into the category of repairs, silly man.”

  He grabbed me by the belt loop and pulled me up against his body, causing me to let out a surprised breath. At the same time, he reached behind him and closed the stall door. “Are you getting sassy with me?”

  Wondering what answer would get me the best possible result, meaning which answer would get me under him, I rested my hands on his shoulders. “Um, maybe?” I couldn’t stop the grin that spread across my face.

  Maxwell made me giddy with happiness sometimes.

  He noticed my smile and stopped with his stern act. Instead, he brushed the hair back from my face tenderly, and then he took my face in both of his hands. Leaning forward until his forehead was pressed against mine, Maxwell held me, and we merely breathed the same air for several long, peaceful moments. “I love you, and I love being with you.”

  I squeezed him in response, wrapping my arms around his waist and enjoying the moment.

  His lips found mine, and he pressed gentle kisses on my mouth, jawline, and neck. My eyes drifted closed as I surrendered myself to Maxwell completely, just breathing in the essence of this handsome man of mine.

  Reluctantly, Maxwell drew back from me. “It’s almost time to go get Ivy. Are you ready to go?”

  Sad that the spell had to be broken, even if only temporarily, I nodded. “Let me run upstairs and change clothes first.” I was grungy from an afternoon of riding in the round pen, and I wanted to be ready for wherever the afternoon might take us.

  Soon enough, Maxwell drove me to pick up Ivy from school, and we grabbed a quick after-school snack together. Then we made our way to the land where Maxwell grew up.

  Ivy’s eyes grew round when she saw the rusty old trailer. Wanting to head her off before she blurted out something tactless, I said, “Mr. Maxwell grew up here, and no one has lived in the trailer for a long time. It’s just been sitting here, rusting in the heat. Now he’s thinking about tearing it down.”

  Ivy nodded. “So nobody’s lived here for a long time?”

  My eyes twinkled at Maxwell. “Not for a long, long, long, time. That’s how long it has been since Mr. Maxwell was a child.”

  Maxwell grabbed me in a bear hug and tickled me. Squealing, I tried to get free, but Ivy turned traitor and helped hold me in place. Breathless, I begged for mercy, and Maxwell finally relented.

  Ivy surveyed the property that stretched out before us, seeming to stretch for miles without a house in sight. “I kind of like it here. Look at that old oak tree, Mom. That would be a great place for a swing. And if the weeds were trimmed away from the barn, it would make a cool painting.” She looked at Maxwell. “I think this place is worth saving. It might be old and run down, but all it needs is a little love.”

  Maxwell cleared his throat. “I’ve been thinking the same thing, little monster.”

  He led us over to the oak tree and looking up, I saw he had added my initials beneath his. I caught my breath.

  And Maxwell dropped to one knee in front of us, causing me to grab my throat with both hands in shock. “I was feeling old and run down before I met you two ladies. But now you have breathed new life into me. Turns out all I needed was a little love. Now that the two of you have fixed me up, maybe you will help me fix this place up, too.”

  He reached into his pocket and drew out two boxes. One was a ring box, and the other was long and narrow. He opened the long box first, and it contained a delicate necklace with three small diamond heart charms on it.

  Maxwell presented this necklace to Ivy. “I saw this, and I thought of the three of us, and how we work together as a great team. I would like to give this to you, Ivy, as a sign of how much I have grown to love you.”

  Ivy ooh
ed. “I love you, too, Mr. Maxwell.” He helped her put on the necklace, and we admired how it looked on her for a brief moment.

  Then he turned to me, and I swear my heart stopped. Just stopped right in the middle of a heartbeat, as I waited to hear what he would say to me.

  “I love you, Millicent.” Maxwell opened the ring box, and he presented to me a platinum ring with one large oval diamond, and its sides were encrusted with smaller jewels. “Will you marry me and make our family complete?”

  Ivy jumped up and down. “Say yes, Mom! Say yes! I think Mr. Maxwell is worth shaving your legs for!”

  Maxwell cut his eyes her way in confusion, but I gently turned his cheek back toward me. “I think you are worth shaving my legs for, too. Yes. I say yes.”

  Maxwell got to his feet and drew me into a tender embrace. We both had tears in our eyes when we pulled apart from one another.

  “What are you guys crying for? This is a happy moment!” Ivy hugged us both at the same time, and we all started laughing together.

  Maxwell hugged her back. “I think it’s time you called me something other than Mr. Maxwell, Ivy. I’ll let you pick what you think is best, okay?”

  Ivy thought for a moment, and for once, her impish little face was serious. “I would like to call you dad unless you think that’s weird or something.” Shyly, she looked away.

  I knew this was a big moment for her and not one she took lightly. Neither did I. My breath caught in my throat, and Maxwell swallowed hard.

  He knelt back down beside her, cupping her cheek with one of his large hands. “I think I would like for you to call me dad, too.”

  Maxwell stood back up and kissed me again. “Now, let’s take a look around. I was thinking we would build a house for our family once the trailer is gone. But it doesn’t have to go right here, if you find a spot on the property you would like better. I have slowly been buying the surrounding land anytime a parcel went up for sale.” He motioned to one side. “The boundary for Peacock Alley is right there, of course, but I now own three hundred acres that stretch in the opposite direction, so we can take our pick of any number of potential building sites.”

  Ivy was so excited that she started chattering right away. I didn’t hear any of what she was saying, however, because as I watched the two of them walk towards the old barn together, I had to stay behind a moment to push the happy tears back.

  I remembered when I first drove into tiny Peacock, Mississippi, I was amazed by how green everything was here, and I wondered how anything could grow in this heat. Now I know better. Some things grow well in the summer heat. Tomatoes and kudzu and sunflowers, for example. And love. I think love grows best of all.

  I patted my still-flat tummy and joined my future husband and my daughter on their evening stroll.

  Twenty Nine

  The day I married Maxwell burned bright and hot, but I barely noticed. I dressed in a cool room in the hallowed halls of Peacock Alley, with Lucy, Casey, and Darby chattering around me.

  Ivy was resplendent in a dark green gown that set off her dark red hair with dramatic flair. A ring of simple wildflowers decorated that fiery hair, and a tiny, miniature bouquet that matched mine perfectly rested nearby. She was busy sketching me in my wedding dress, surrounded by my attendants.

  My bridesmaids wore gowns in the same dark green but with a more grown-up style. As I put the last touches on my makeup, my heart filled with joy to see the three women bustling around in their beautiful dresses. I couldn’t believe I had found such amazing friends so quickly in this tiny town.

  My wedding dress was a romantic, lacy confection that Casey said reminded her of buttercream icing on a wedding cake. It had a slight train that dripped and flowed behind me, and Ivy had agreed with enthusiasm to make sure it was spread out to display it appropriately when I arrived at the altar to meet my husband.

  My husband! I pressed a hand over my pounding heart at the thought of Maxwell. I couldn’t wait to be his wife and walk hand in hand with him for the rest of our lives. We had planned the simple wedding together.

  It was Maxwell who had suggested I pick bridesmaid’s dresses with flowing waistbands to accommodate Lucy’s pregnancy. “She’s having twins for sure, although she doesn’t know yet.” He had winked at me with those words, still shocking me even though he had talked before about her having twins, and I had searched for the perfect dress with that thought in mind.

  If Maxwell said it, it had to be true. That man was magic, after all.

  Lucy stared at herself in the mirror. “I just feel so fat. Darby, were you showing this much when you were at this point in your pregnancy?” She turned sideways and looked at herself with a critical eye, and I bit back a giggle, missing Darby’s reply. Because, twins, right?

  Maxwell and I (and Ivy) had enjoyed a cake tasting at Casey’s bakery. She made the cake, of course. We had all enjoyed tasting all the different flavors before finally settling on a cake that tasted just like chocolate chip cookies. Ivy had given the flavor two thumbs up. After looking at my wedding dress, Casey did ruffles all over the cake that mimicked my dress. It was a gorgeous cake reflecting my friend’s tremendous talent in the kitchen.

  Nathan, Grayson, and Cade were going to stand on Maxwell’s side. They had been friends before, but the tight bond I had formed with their women had all but ensured they would be friends of Maxwell’s for life. Nathan, of course, was best man, as he had stood by Maxwell since they were only five years old.

  I had sent my mom an invitation, but I never got a reply. I chuckled darkly. She must not have Googled my groom’s name. If she had, she would find some idea of his net worth, and she would come running. Maxwell, on the other hand, had declined to invite his father. He still hadn’t forgiven him for sneaking around the barn that night, scaring me so much.

  Ivy stretched and put her drawing away for the time being. “You look beautiful, Mom. I can’t wait to finish my picture of you. Maybe it will be the first painting I do in my new art studio.”

  Darby had finally decided the perfect location for Ivy’s art studio was in my apartment. We were moving into the silo with Maxwell, of course, while we waited on our new house to be built. So my old apartment would be a combination of a break room for me when I was working and Ivy’s art studio. Maxwell was moving his office out of the silo in order to make room for Ivy to have her own bedroom there, and he was putting an office in my old apartment, too.

  I was glad we were going to find a way to use the apartment on a daily basis because I loved that beautiful space so much.

  “Thank you, baby. You look beautiful, too.” I hugged Ivy to me.

  “Hey, be careful. We don’t want to mess up your dress.” She eyed my gown with concern.

  “Pfft. That’s ridiculous. You will always be the most important priority, you know that, right?” I drew her closer to me, willing myself not to cry.

  My beautiful little girl was growing up more and more every day.

  “I know. We can still be best friends, Mom, even after you get married. You will just have two best friends now.” She hugged me back, holding on for a shade longer than she usually would.

  I touched my forehead to hers and sent up a prayer of thanks for all the blessings in my life.

  Amen.

  “Millie?” Darby picked up her bouquet and headed for the door. “It’s time. Are you ready?”

  I stood up so fast that Lucy laughed. I laughed, too. “Oh, yes. I’m ready. Let’s do this thing.”

  And we all headed for the tiny chapel that adjoined the main house. I had known when I toured the house that any bride would be lucky to get married here. The pews were golden wood that had been polished by the backsides of too many generations of Randolphs to count. Breathtaking stained glass windows glowed on all sides, letting in the glorious sunshine, but holding back the heat. It was a beautiful place to marry my true love.

  I heard the music start, and one by one the ladies slipped out before me and made their way to the fr
ont of the chapel. Ivy gave me a play by play of all the action. She was spying on events through a crack in the door. I stayed just out of sight.

  “Ms. Lucy looks so pretty. I think Grayson has a tear in his eye. Isn’t that cute?” Ivy whispered back to me. “Now Ms. Casey is walking, and Mr. Cade can’t keep from staring at her. I bet they get married next.”

  When Darby slipped through the doorway to take her walk down the aisle, I grasped my bouquet tightly, feeling the first burst of nerves. Oh, my. I couldn’t believe this was my wedding day.

  “Mr. Nathan looks kind of scary sometimes, but I swear he has hearts in his eyes like a cartoon character when he watches Ms. Darby.” Ivy continued her reporting, making me smile.

  The music changed. “That’s our cue, Mom.” Ivy held out her arm, and I took it, trembling. Ivy was going to give me away, of course. Who else?

  We stepped to the threshold, and my heart thudded away in my chest as the nerves threatened to take me down. Then my eyes met Maxwell’s. He was standing at the altar, waiting for me, patient as always.

  A feeling of peace descended over me, and I stepped forward. I never took my eyes off my groom. I walked step by step until I found myself at his side, taking his hands. The love that shone from his eyes warmed me. I was ready to become his.

  We repeated our vows before the minister, and when it came time to exchange rings, I was touched when Maxwell produced a simple diamond band for Ivy and slipped it on her finger. He held one of her hands while still maintaining a grip on my own.

  Maxwell looked at us both. “I promise to love both of my girls forever. I take you, Millicent, to be my wife, and I take you, Ivy, to be my daughter. Not of my blood, but forever of my heart.”

  I melted. If he had let go of my hand, I would have dropped to the floor. I could hear someone sniffling behind me. Probably it was Lucy, and we would blame it on the pregnancy hormones later, but Maxwell’s simple words were sniffle worthy, for sure.

  The minister pronounced us man and wife, and Maxwell pulled me in for a dizzying kiss. I clutched at his strong shoulders and kissed him back with a fierceness I had never known before. Two had become one.