Eric said, "I'm fine with tomorrow night. Is it okay with you, Maggie?"
"Sure, sounds good. We need to get going. I'm showing off the town this morning."
"Have fun you two. I'll see you tomorrow, around seven." Julia waved to them from the window, and once they were out of sight, raced for her cell phone.
* * * *
Eric turned to Maggie and said, "Just how many millionaires do you know?"
"I guess...three, four with you included. With the rest being well off. The families have accumulated a lot between them. And speaking of money...the day before Thanksgiving the Graingers, Tremaines, and Carters have a tradition that started a couple years ago. We'll be taking boxes of food, the makings of a complete Thanksgiving dinner, to low income families in the area. Cody and Julia started it, setting up a charitable foundation kind of thing. They do surveys and have a sign-up for families the month before the holidays start. Anyone with kids will get presents along with food before Christmas, on top of the Thanksgiving thing. I planned to go out on the delivery days with them this year."
Eric thought about what she'd said for a minute. "You want to know if I'd go with you? Of course. I think it's a great idea. Maybe I can contribute something as well. I wonder if any of these families have computers? I could provide those, no problem."
"That is an excellent idea! What an awesome thing for a family who doesn't have one. Especially for the kids to have access to one. Do you think you can arrange it in time?"
"I'll need to make some calls. Definitely we should be able to get them here by Christmas." The idea appealed to him the more he considered it. He would like giving something back.
Maggie stopped walking and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him. "Thanks for doing this. You'll be making a big difference to some needy families."
He put his arms around her and pressed her to his body for a moment. Having her in his arms felt right, as if she'd always been there. He placed a kiss on her temple, and then she stepped back. She looked almost surprised that she'd hugged him. He smiled at her and she finally grinned back.
"Come on. Let's go introduce you to Lucretia."
"Another witch?"
"No, a jewelry designer. Hint, hint. I expect a Christmas present."
He stopped walking and stared at her. "Why you little..."
"Now, now, just a joke."
He laughed. "But you're right. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't give you anything for Christmas?"
She turned bright red. "Wait a minute. I really was kidding. You shouldn't get me anything. It's not like we're really--"
"Too late. I've already made up my mind."
"But this means I'll have to get you something."
"You don't have to give me anything, Maggie."
"Fair's fair. We are officially exchanging gifts, mister, and that is that."
Eric suddenly knew exactly what kind of jewelry he wanted to give her--sparkling diamonds with amethysts, earrings to match her eyes. "Let's go meet this jewelry designer."
By the time they left Lucretia's shop, he'd managed to get her phone number and to surreptitiously let her know he'd be calling. She had winked and nodded knowingly.
They made it through the wine and cheese store, run by George and Al, who would have kept them there forever if they could. Eric found a very nice bottle of cognac, along with a couple of bottles of wine to stock up his cabin. He could see that his choices met with George's approval, who had nudged Al to show him the tasteful picks. Both men looked at him with smiles, and he knew again a sense of, not relief, but a feeling of belonging, that these Sully Pointers liked him. He'd noticed it as he and Maggie went around the square, his desire that whomever they met seemed to like him and think he was good with her. There was something about it being a small town that made it feel like he was meeting one big extended family. And he wanted their approval.
"Let's go put that stuff in the car, and then we can get some lunch. Have you been to Deb's Deli before?" Maggie asked.
"Yes, I found that place the first day I was here. How about we get some sandwiches and drinks and then drive out to the site of the Sully Point Project? You can show me where everything will be located. We can have a car picnic."
She laughed. "A car picnic? I'm not sure I've ever heard that term before. But yeah, let's do that."
Soon they were on the road with hot steak and cheese sandwiches on long rolls of freshly baked bread. Maggie directed him and they ended up at a cliff site that overlooked the beach. Eric was impressed by how beautiful the area was, and liked what Maggie told him of the buildings that would be going up soon.
As they ate and drank and talked and laughed, Eric was struck by how comfortable he felt with her. There was no awkwardness, but there was an occasional glance at each other that made him think their relationship was possibly heading into real relationship territory. He liked her laugh and how direct she was about everything. She jumped into life with both feet, and being with her energized him.
Of course, she was also exasperating. She was regaling him with a tale of living in the city and being out late at night by herself. She found it hilarious that she'd almost been caught by a guy lurking near where she'd lived. He found it appalling. She was so certain her martial arts skills could handle anything, he was afraid she'd never realized there were times when it might not be enough to protect her.
"Maggie, don't you see how reckless that was?"
"What was I supposed to do? I had to walk that way to get to my home. And he was this slob of a guy that I could have run circles around and he still wouldn't have caught me."
"My point is why didn't you take a cab home, right to your door?"
"I was perfectly capable of walking, and I could have handled myself if something had happened."
He shook his head at the thought, and wanted to shake some sense into her. "You need to be more careful." As she opened her mouth to retort, he continued. "I wouldn't like it if anything happened to you. You're becoming too important to me."
Which effectively shut her up. There was a kind of wonder in her eyes and face as she stared at him. Then she shook herself and pointed out the window, speaking briskly about the community that would grow there.
He thought about what he'd just discovered. She was important to him. And he wanted her, more every time he saw her. But he could be patient. He smiled at her, which caused her to get flustered for a moment. Yes, he could definitely be patient.
* * * *
Maggie was aware of the way Eric was looking at her. There was a glint to his eyes that made her stomach quiver with anticipation. The inside of the car suddenly seemed too close and intimate a setting.
"Would you like to get out and walk around the area?" she asked.
"No, I don't think so," Eric replied, his gaze pinning her in place.
"I guess we should go see some more of the town."
"I think we're fine right here, for now."
"Eric, I--"
"Maggie. Come here." He moved toward her on the big front seat. There was no separation between them in this kind of vintage car. He was next to her and she felt like she couldn't catch her breath, until she realized she had stopped breathing. She took a gulp of air.
"Eric, what are you doing?"
"I'm about to kiss you."
"But--"
"Maggie. Hush." He bent his head to hers and kissed her, igniting her desire for him. They were entwined in each other's arms, kissing passionately for what seemed to her to be forever. Or maybe she just wanted it to be that long. The kiss ended and Eric was running his hand through her hair.
"I've wanted to do that all day," he said.
She rested her head on his shoulder. "We barely know each other, but I feel so connected to you. Do you feel that way?"
"Yes, like I've known you forever."
She ran her hand over his chest, the feel of the soft sweater and his warmth making her feel as if she'd like to spend the day there.
His nearness acted like a drug on her, making her relax for what seemed like the first time in days, making her feel content and safe and cared for in his arms. "Can we stay like this all day?"
He chuckled. "For a while anyway. Remember, we have dinner at your brother's house later on."
She sat up abruptly. "He'll know! Sam will take one look at me and know something is going on with us."
Eric burst out laughing. "Maggie--that's what you wanted him to think all along."
"Oh. Yeah. Right." She shook her head and began to laugh.
"No more pretending, okay?"
"Agreed. But I still can't quite believe this is happening."
He leaned in. "Believe it, darling," he murmured, right before his lips pressed against hers. She felt herself melt against him in a very sweet, soft kiss.
They drove back to town about thirty minutes later, and the whole time, Maggie wondered at how quickly the world had become such a beautiful, incredible place. Eric took them to his place so she could get her car. Their good-bye kiss went on for a while, and ended with the promise of more when they had time later.
Maggie got home and flopped into her brocade chair. Then she started to giggle. She covered her mouth with her hand, but she just couldn't stop giggling with delight. Finally she got up and went to the kitchen to grab a drink of seltzer water from the fridge. She was filled with nerves, anticipation, excitement, awe, and a lovely sense of confusion at the thought of that night with Eric. What might happen after dinner?
Deciding to quiet her mind, she pulled out a box filled with items she was using to make Christmas presents. Ever since high school she'd loved doing arts and crafts projects. One of her favorites was to decoupage. This year she planned to give several wooden boxes that she'd decorated with decoupage to family members. Each was padded inside with velvet. The outsides were covered in a variety of photographs. For Anna, she had a box with photos of her son at various ages. She'd done the same for Julia with her daughter. It had been tricky to sneak the photos out of photo albums, and in one case off a hard drive, to make copies, but she'd managed it. Sam's decorated box had photos of Anna, and Cody's had his wife, Julia, on it.
She loved the detail work of making crafts like this. It gave her busy mind a place to settle and focus. This time as she worked, she wondered just what to do for Eric for Christmas. He was yet another person in her life who could afford to buy himself whatever he wanted. Maybe she could do something like the boxes for him. Something to do with music would be good.
When it was time to get dressed for her dinner date, she couldn't decide how fancy to dress. On the one hand, she wanted to have an effect on Eric, but on the other, it was just Sam and Anna. Eventually, she broke down and called Anna to ask if it was okay that she dress up a bit. Anna agreed to the idea, and Maggie took her new dress off the hanger. It was made of Georgette material, in black with dabs of sparkly color in lime green, royal blue and silver. Long-sleeved, it had a V-neck and fitted bodice that flowed into a floaty short skirt. Silver earrings and a silver bangle bracelet worked well and black high heels gave her three inches in height and made her legs look longer. She'd smoothed her curls out into waves and done her eye makeup so that it enhanced their color. Smiling in the mirror with pink lips, she knew she looked good.
The knock on her front door had her pulse jumping. She grabbed a heavy wool cape and gloves on her way to open it.
Eric stepped in and said, "You look amazing. Do we have to go out?"
She laughed, and held out her cape for him to hold as she put it on. "Yes, we do. If I can get down the stairs in these heels, we'd better get going."
They held hands the whole way out to the beach house where Sam and Anna lived. Maggie kept glancing at Eric's profile, noticing his smile. He'd pulled his hair back again, and was wearing a black sweater that felt like cashmere to the touch. Black pleated wool pants and a black jacket completed the look. The black outfit made his eyes stand out even more than usual.
When they arrived, he turned off the car and faced her. "Ready?"
She nodded. He squeezed her hand and they got out. She knocked on the front door and Sam opened it.
"Come in. This must be Eric."
Eric shook his hand and said, "Eric Stanton. Thanks for having us over for dinner."
Sam laughed. "That should be me thanking you for coming. Let me take your coats, and then you can head on into the living room."
Maggie led the way and they ended up standing by the large window that looked out onto the ocean.
"It's incredible. They have a great view," Eric said.
"Yes, it's a terrific house. Sam lived here when he first came to Sully Point. But the house was burned down. After they got together, he and Anna redesigned it to be exactly what they wanted."
"And it turned out just like we wanted it to be," Anna said from behind them. "Wine anyone?"
Maggie introduced Eric to her, and Sam returned. They all sat down in the living room. Maggie noticed that Sam and Anna were a bit more dressed up than normal for a weeknight dinner.
"Eric, we've heard that you used to work with computers," Sam said. "Do you expect to go back to that?"
Maggie jumped in before Eric could answer. "Did Julia call you guys? Does everyone know who he is?"
"Well, only the family for right now. Although, if anyone in town Googles him..."
Eric sucked in a breath. "Good grief! I didn't even think of that. And here I was, thinking I'd be all incognito."
Sam laughed and Anna looked at him fondly. Sam said, "I know what you mean. I came here in the beginning without anyone knowing who I was. Somehow that doesn't end up working too well in Sully Point."
Anna said, "Sam paved the way for anyone dealing with fame, celebrity, or money. The town is quite protective of us now."
"In answer to your question, Sam, I do plan to go back to computers in a way. I want to explore robotics and artificial intelligence. That may require my returning to school. I was planning to look in at MIT as a possibility."
"Fascinating."
"Maggie, what dish are you bringing to Thanksgiving dinner?" Anna asked.
"One of my specialties--green bean casserole. There's no way I can screw that up."
"The one with the fried onions on top?" Eric asked, rather wistfully.
"Yep, it has to have those. You know, Anna, we should have Eric do lasagna. That's one of the things he cooks."
Anna's eyebrows went up as Eric's face flushed. "I think this year we'll let Eric just be a guest," she replied.
"Is the kiddie monster in bed?"
"Maggie! Don't call my son a monster," Sam said, but with a small smile on his face. "Joshua went to bed willingly tonight."
"That's because he was exhausted after destroying my kitchen earlier," his wife said. "And it's all Sam's fault. Don't even try telling them it was an art project of our little prodigy."
"Who knew he could spread peanut butter across the cabinets that fast? I swear I only took my eyes off of him for a minute..."
They all laughed, and then Anna encouraged them to go into the dining room. Within minutes they were sitting down to a meal of swordfish with lemon and crabmeat cream sauce, roasted green beans, and dinner rolls.
"It's a very light cream sauce, Maggie."
"It's fine, Anna," she said hurriedly, spooning some over her fish.
"I know how important it is to you to eat healthily."
Eric choked and coughed, and then said, "What did you say?"
Maggie shook her head at Anna, but she didn't seem to see it.
"We always try to cook as healthy as possible with Maggie around. She can be so strict about what she eats."
Eric's eyebrows rose as he turned to stare at Maggie. She smiled weakly at him. "I thought she loved desserts," Eric said.
Sam laughed. "Oh, she does. But she only ever indulges when she's upset. The rest of the time she is the picture of good eating. We always know when Maggie has been angry or sad, or emotiona
l in some way, because she goes for the sugar."
"I see," Eric said thoughtfully.
"You let go of the rules at the holiday meals, though. Right?" Anna asked.
"Yes, yes, I'll have pumpkin pie. Now let's change the subject. Sam, how's the latest book going?"
The rest of the meal was filled with light, yet interesting, conversation. The four of them were comfortable with each other very quickly, and the evening went by in a flash. As they left, Eric thanked Anna for a great meal, and reminded Sam of their plan to check out Cody's Bait and Tackle Shop in the morning.
The car was quiet as they drove back to Maggie's place. Maggie waited, sure that it was coming, and finally Eric said, "I have to know. Here I was thinking you were the most irresponsible eater I'd ever seen and then I find out just the opposite. What's been going on?"
She sighed. "I got so angry at everyone about all the matchmaking. And I was upset with myself for not standing up to them all. That was what was going on the night we met. Then I was nervous the next day--which is what accounts for the two mornings of pastries."
"Are you still nervous?"
"Kinda," she said quietly.
"Pastry nervous?"
She laughed. "Not really."
"Good," he said, and reached over to caress the side of her face for a moment.
The electric feeling inside the car built as the silence grew. Maggie felt like she could barely catch her breath by the time Eric parked the car behind her apartment. They got out and raced up the stairs. She dropped the keys and Eric picked them up and unlocked the door.
Once inside, she threw off her cape and he tossed his jacket to one side. His arms were around her pulling her body against his, and they were kissing passionately. Maggie loved the way he kissed her, so powerful and firm, like he was taking her over. She felt his kiss down to her toes.
He began to kiss along her jawline to ear lobe. "Bedroom?" he whispered, as she shivered with delight. She turned and led him into her room, which was filled with candlelight.
"You left candles burning?"
"No, they're on a timer--flameless candles."
"Ah, now that is a good idea. I want to see you naked in the candlelight. I want you Maggie."
Love Promises (Sully Point, Book 4) Page 5