The Long Way Home

by Shann McPherson

  “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Maggie managed a light laugh, tucking her hair behind my ear.

  “My name’s Fiona, and I’ll be your server this evening.” The woman introduced herself with a well-versed lilt. “Would you like me to go over the specials, or do we know what we’re having tonight?”

  “I would like the pizza please.” TJ took the lead. “Could I please have pepperoni on one half and three cheese on the other, with stuffed crust and ranch on the side?”

  The server offered an impressed smile, winking at him. “I like a man who knows what he wants.”

  TJ’s cheeks flushed.

  “I’ll have the grilled chicken sandwich with bacon.” Jack nodded with a tight smile that looked as if it almost pained him, then returned his attention to one of the flat screens, focusing intently on the ball game.

  Maggie cleared her throat. “I’ll have the bisque special, please.” She smiled as she handed their discarded menus to the woman, her eyes furtively glancing over toward the bar. She was only half surprised to see that Evan was now occupied with a heavily made-up woman who, leaning on the counter beside him, fluffed her blonde hair while openly flirting with him.

  “Okay …” The waitress repeated their order back, smiling sweetly. “I’ll be back soon with your basket of complimentary mozzarella sticks.”

  TJ’s eyes lit up at the mention of free cheese.

  “Oh, excuse me?” Maggie reached a hand out to stop her and, with a friendly smile, asked, “Can we order drinks?”

  “There’s a self-service soda fountain over by the condiment station for the kids.” The lady pointed to the area which was currently crowded with children. “And you can order adult beverages directly from the bar.” With another smile she indicated the bar with a jut of her chin before walking off in the direction of the kitchen.

  The bar? Maggie cringed at the thought while staring longingly at the bottles of liquor lined upon the shelves behind the counter, sparkling temptingly beneath the shine of the down lights. She’d never needed a glass of sauvignon blanc more than right at that moment, but she really didn’t feel like encountering Evan again. She didn’t know what it was about him but there was just something that made her nervous.

  She began idly twisting the gold band on her ring finger, considering her options. When her need for a glass of wine won the internal debate she stood, albeit reluctantly, and grabbed her purse. He was still there, head thrown back in laughter, completely engrossed by his female companion. He probably wouldn’t even notice Maggie. She rolled her eyes at her own ridiculous deliberations. This was absurd. She was a thirty-six-year-old woman, for goodness’ sake. She was entitled to a glass of wine.

  “You okay, Mom?” TJ asked, glancing up at Maggie with a curious look.

  She forced a smile, nodding at him as she clutched her purse a little tighter. “I’m just going to grab a drink from the bar. I’ll be right back.”

  With a deep breath, she began toward the bar, to where a young man, who looked to be in his mid-twenties, moved fluidly, smiling to himself as he sang along to the song playing from the Wurlitzer jukebox, which stood pride of place between the two pool tables. From the way he mixed drinks with the ease of Tom Cruise in Cocktail to the way he flashed the occasional dimpled, cocky smile, she could tell he must be the town flirt. Which was precisely when he set his sights on her. With a definite swagger to his hips, he approached from the opposite end of the counter.

  “You’re new.” He arched a brow, one hand placed upon the bar as he looked at Maggie with a curious smile. It was almost a greeting.

  She cleared her throat. “Yes. Yes, I am.” She tried to smile but the bartender had attracted the attention of the others standing around the bar, and when she felt Evan’s smiling gaze land on her, her cheeks burned with an involuntary blush. She hated the attention.

  “I’m Liam.” The bartender held out a hand. Maggie glanced down at it briefly before forcing herself to shake it. “And you are …?” he asked after a silent beat with a friendly laugh.

  “This is Maggie.”

  Both Maggie and Liam turned to see Evan watching on from his perch at the end of the bar, his blonde lady friend practically hanging off him while eyeing Maggie suspiciously.

  “I can introduce myself, thank you very much,” Maggie said matter-of-factly.

  “Oh really?” Evan chuckled. “You weren’t so forthcoming with introducing yourself earlier today. So, I thought I’d save you the hassle and do the honors.” He shrugged nonchalantly, flashing Maggie a wicked grin before turning back to Liam. “Maggie’s new in town, from Boston. Just moved into the old place over on Diamond Lake.”

  “Nice.” Liam nodded, regarding Maggie with silent approval.

  Maggie guffawed. It was like she wasn’t even there. She butted in, “Excuse me, Liam? I hate to interrupt but …” She threw Evan a pointed look before continuing to the young man behind the counter. “Could I bother you for a glass of sauvignon blanc? Anything from New Zealand, if you have it.”

  “Sure thing, Miss Maggie.” Liam nodded with a devilish grin, turning away to pour her drink.

  She waited patiently, tapping her fingers against the bar while staring straight ahead at nothing in front of her. She was fully aware of Evan’s weighty gaze still fixed on her from the other end of the bar, but she pretended not to notice. Once again, she began twisting the wedding band around her slender finger, something she knew full well she was doing, yet couldn’t seem to stop herself. It was almost like a tic. Anxious more than nervous. That wedding ring had been like a shield for her over the years; she wasn’t sure she could step out from behind it.

  “Nice to see you again.”

  Startling from the overwhelming warmth brushing against her, Maggie pulled back just enough to see Evan sidle in beside her, his strong chest grazing her shoulder. He casually rested his elbows on the countertop, the same glass of beer still clasped between his big hands as he stared straight ahead.

  “Are you stalking me?” she asked, only half-joking.

  He simply chuckled, shaking his head, and she rolled her eyes.

  “So, how’d you go with those porch steps?” he asked with a knowing side smirk.

  She looked down at her hands, at her wedding ring glistening beneath the lights hanging down over the counter. “I didn’t get around to it. But I will. Tomorrow,” she said with forced confidence.

  “My offer to help still stands, you know.”

  She glanced sideways from the corner of her eye to find him staring straight ahead, lips smiling over his glass as he took a big swig, Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat with a hard swallow.

  “Thank you.” She nodded when he looked at her. “But, as I said today, I can manage. I don’t mean to be rude, but this is just …” She paused, contemplating herself a moment, her newfound independence wavering with every single sliver of relentless self-doubt. Suspiciously, that taunting self-doubt began to sound more and more like Tom’s voice the longer she listened to it.

  Swallowing her nerves, Maggie looked into Evan’s eyes, a little more vulnerable than she’d intended as she admitted, “This is just something I have to do.”

  Evan nodded slowly, his gaze flitting down to her wedding ring before focusing over her head. “They your boys?”

  Maggie glanced over her shoulder finding TJ and Jack seated at the table. TJ was innocently sipping from a glass of soda, taking everything in with wide eyes full of intrigue. Jack was still totally transfixed by the baseball game playing on the television. Her heart tugged in her chest at the sight of them, and she smiled.

  “Yeah. Jack’s fifteen, and a total pain in my butt at the moment,” she explained with a humorless laugh. “And TJ is ten. He’s my baby.” She turned back to Evan just in time to see a flicker of emotion glaze over his eyes, an emotion she couldn’t quite place. But it was gone almost instantly, replaced by that same cocky smirk.

  Liam returned, drawing her attention to him and the glass of wine i
n his hand.

  The charming bartender placed the wine glass on the counter, and Maggie reached into her purse for her wallet but he waved a hand at her. “First drink’s on the house.” He half bowed with a little dramatic flair, adding, “My welcome gift to you, Miss Maggie.”

  Evan sniggered and Maggie caught him shaking his head, hiding his smirk behind his beer glass. She ignored him, accepting the wine from Liam with a smile and a thank you.

  She turned away but then stopped. Meeting Evan’s eyes once more, she jutted her chin in the direction of his female friend who was now glowering at him for being left to wait so long. “I think your date’s waiting on you.”

  He followed her gaze, glancing casually over his shoulder and Maggie watched on as the blonde woman tried so hard to play it cool, like she hadn’t just been shooting daggers into the back of his head.

  “Oh, umm … absolutely not my date,” Evan said out of the corner of his mouth before forcing a small smile and waving at the woman. She flushed profusely, waving back with a coy smile before taking a sip of her sickly-sweet looking cocktail.

  “Well, then … enjoy your not-date.” Maggie smirked at him when he looked back at her, and with her glass held aloft in silent cheers, she nodded once at Liam before turning and heading back to the table, feeling both men watching her as she walked away.

  Chapter 13

  Maggie woke early—before the sun—and, unable to go back to sleep, she decided to get a start on a few of the tasks from her seemingly never-ending to-do list.

  Before coffee, she’d removed the remaining boards from the downstairs windows and scrubbed years’ worth of grime and dirt off every pane of glass; the natural light now allowed in was ethereal and made a huge difference to the inside of the house.

  After coffee, she drove TJ and Jack into town to see the early session of some new action hero movie that was playing at the cinema. She came home and got straight back to work, tearing down the tattered porch screening ready for Ned to come and replace it with the screening she’d purchased from the hardware store. Although, she still wasn’t completely convinced she wanted screening at all. It was an ugly green color and hindered the spectacular view, so that was a maybe.

  Annoyingly, Evan had been right. YouTube had failed her. It was impossible to replace the porch steps with a Phillips head screwdriver. She had tried and failed, and received multiple blisters in the process. Another job she would need to forfeit to Ned. But she was able to replace out all the kitchen cabinet handles with newer, sleeker styles, which she’d done using the Phillips head screwdriver; so at least it hadn’t been a completely wasted purchase.

  It was while she was unfastening the screws on the only hinge that was holding the porch screen door in place that she heard the murmur of an approaching engine. Craning her neck, she noticed a white SUV break through the trees that lined the property. She watched on as the vehicle came to a rolling stop, her brow furrowing when a blonde head of hair hopped out from the driver’s side.

  “Hi, hello!” Jane, the friendly lady from the café, walked around the car holding a huge basket in her arms as she navigated the unsteady ground, lifting her sunglasses to rest upon her head. She smiled warily as she made her way up the wonky steps.

  “Oh, hi,” Maggie said, trying to conceal her confusion. She had no idea why the woman was at her house, but she wasn’t mad about it.

  “I hope you don’t mind me dropping by. I wanted to bring you this.” Jane’s smile beamed when she made it onto the porch. She huffed breathlessly, holding out the basket which was laden with items like breads, cakes, homemade jams, boxed chocolates, soaps, wine. “It’s just a little pack a few of us local business owners put together to welcome you to town.”

  “Oh wow! Thank you.” A little overwhelmed by such generosity, Maggie accepted the basket which was almost as big as she was, and struggled as she carried it through the open front door. “Come on in.”

  “This place looks incredible,” Jane chimed as she stepped over the threshold, following closely.

  Maggie smiled, following the direction of Jane’s gaze to the front sitting nook which was almost finished. “Yeah. It looks a lot better now, but there’s still a long way to go.”

  “I love that!” Jane pointed to the statement fuchsia wingback armchair with its contrasting turquoise ottoman. The seat was surrounded by shelves of books, their spines organized by color to display a rainbow. Something Maggie had kept herself busy with late last night when she couldn’t sleep.

  “You have a gift,” Jane added with a slight air of awe.

  Maggie laughed as she felt her cheeks heating at the compliment. “I love decorating. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed. In fact,” she continued with shy uncertainty, “I was featured in House and Home magazine a few years ago. They did a spread on the redecorating I did at our old house.” She wanted to add that it was the only thing she’d ever been good at, that it was what she’d initially been studying in college before falling pregnant with Jack, but she didn’t. Because regardless how genuinely kind Jane seemed to be, she was still a stranger she needed to keep at arm’s length until she knew she could trust her. So, instead, she offered a nonchalant shrug, continuing through to the kitchen.

  Placing the big basket of goods onto the counter, Maggie pointed to the coffee machine in the corner. “Can I get you a coffee?”

  “You won’t ever hear me say no to a cup of Joe.” Jane laughed, watching Maggie as she grabbed two mugs from the overhead cabinet. “Cream, no sugar.”

  “Same as me.” Maggie smiled as she went to work, making their coffees.

  ***

  Maggie and Jane sat out on the Adirondack chairs at the end of the floating dock overlooking the lake. The sun was warm as it shone down from the blue sky that was smattered with fluffy white clouds. Birds were chirping high above in the canopy of trees. Gulls squawked noisily overhead. Somewhere in the distance a boat’s horn honked through the harbor. It really was a beautiful setting. Maggie couldn’t help but bask in the serenity. It was still so hard to believe that this was all hers.

  Jane blathered on between sips of her coffee, “I was born and raised here. Met my husband, Brad, in high school. He’s fire chief at the county station. We were married at twenty-three. We had Katie not long after. She’s fifteen. And then Sam came a few years later. He’s twelve. Ben’s seven; my baby.” She gushed at the mention of her three children. “I took over the café from my mother. Back then it was Viv’s Café. When my father passed, Mom decided to sell up and she moved to South Carolina to be closer to her sister. These northern winters were wreaking havoc on her arthritis.” Taking a sip of her coffee, Jane glanced at Maggie. “Well, look at me talking your ear off. You haven’t managed to get a word in edgewise. I have a bit of a habit of talking too much. Brad’s always giving me grief for it. Sometimes, he’ll time me on how long I can stay quiet. I swear, I never even make it to a minute and a half.” She laughed. “So, tell me about you, hun.”

  Trepidation flooded through Maggie. She swallowed hard, clearing her throat and offering a casual shrug. “Well, there’s not really a lot to tell.”

  “Sure there is.” Jane giggled. “Did you grow up in Boston?”

  Maggie shook her head. “No. Michigan, just outside of Grand Rapids. I moved to Rhode Island to go to art school, which is when I met Tom, my … my husband.” Instinctively, her fingers moved to her wedding band, toying with it subconsciously. “I fell pregnant at nineteen. Tom and I got married. Then we moved to Boston a few years later so he could attend law school.”

  Jane nodded, but she remained silent, her gaze flitting down to the gold band Maggie was currently twisting around her finger.

  Maggie knew what she was thinking, what she so desperately wanted to ask but had the good grace not to. But she also knew that it was only a matter of time before it would get out. So, with a deep breath, she managed a small smile. “Tom passed away a couple of months ago.”

  “Oh my go
odness.” Jane gasped, placing a hand against her chest. “I’m so sorry. I noticed your ring yesterday, but I didn’t … Well, I assumed he wasn’t in the picture but I didn’t know he—” She stopped herself, shaking her head. “I’m sorry.”

  “Thank you. But it’s okay,” Maggie assured her. “This is our new start. Well, at least, that’s what I was hoping for, but this damn house …” She scoffed, glancing back at the house with a look of disdain. “It needs a lot of repairs done. Almost twenty thousand dollars’ worth and I don’t—” This time, it was Maggie who stopped herself when Jane’s jaw dropped in pure shock. Suddenly, she regretted admitting that piece of information. The last thing she wanted was a pity party; a dead husband was bad enough. But the house repairs, too? She’d never been one to open up to people about her problems. And she’d always been told not to talk about money in front of people; it was considered rude and tacky.

  Maggie smiled, offering a casual shrug. “I guess I just didn’t realize it was going to be this difficult.” She decided on another route to steer the conversation, one she already knew Jane could relate to. “Jack is just … horrible at the moment. He’s been an unstable nightmare since the accident. He resents me for taking him away from Boston. He even told me the other day that he wished—” A sudden lump formed in her throat at the memory of what Jack had said to her in the car. They hadn’t spoken about it since, and it was weighing heavily on her. She cleared her throat and rolled her eyes as if it wasn’t a big deal, continuing, “That he wished it’d been me instead of his father.”

  “Oh, Maggie, he didn’t mean that!” Jane reached out, touching Maggie’s arm. “If there’s one thing I know, it’s teenagers. And they’re horrible at the best of times.”

  Maggie laughed, nodding in agreement.

  “How’s your youngest doing?”

  Maggie sighed. “Poor TJ. He’s just now starting to come back to me. He told me yesterday that he’s finally ready to go back to little league. TJ was obsessed with baseball, but after Tom died he couldn’t even look at a ball. And it’s a huge deal now that he wants to play again, but I don’t even know where to take him to sign up. That was always Tom’s job. The doting dad standing on the sidelines on Saturday mornings, cheering on his kids.” She threw a hand in the air in frustration. “I searched the internet, but couldn’t find anything. I don’t even know if they have a league here.”