Hold Me Cose: Ryker Falls Series

by Vella, Wendy

  She was outside seconds later.

  “Wait, Maggie. I’ll drive you.”

  Ignoring Fin, she kept walking. Head down, putting one foot in front of the other. Of course, he may be angry and hurt by what she’d done, but he’d still want to make sure she was safe. That was the kind of man he was, always thinking about the other people in his life.

  “Damn it, Maggie. Wait!”

  The sound of a car had her turning. It was Joe. She didn’t stop to think, just ran to the passenger side and wrenched the door open.

  “Take me home, Joe. Please.”

  He looked from her to the large, angry man standing a few feet away as she climbed in. He then threw the pickup into reverse and backed out of the driveway.

  “You want to explain to me what the hell that was about and why I’m driving you away from one of the best men I know?”

  It was warm, as the heater was pumping out hot air, but Maggie was shivering.

  “No.”

  “Try again.” He drove past her driveway to his.

  “I want to go home, Joe.”

  “Tough.” He turned off at the ranch driveway and kept going until he pulled up outside his and Bailey’s house. Getting out, he rounded the hood, then opened her door and hauled her out.

  “In you go.” He placed a hand against her back and urged her forward and into the house. They found Bailey in the living area, playing the piano.

  She had her hair in a tail, wore jeans and a sweater. On her lap was Benjamin, who seemed mesmerized by the sounds his mother was making. Maggie watched Joe walk to stand behind his wife. Bending, he kissed the top of her head, placing a hand on his son’s curls.

  She could never capture the absolute love in that scene even if she was a famous artist. The sheer beauty made a small sob slip from her lips. Until that moment, she’d not realized how much she’d wanted that kind of love for herself.

  She swallowed, pressing a fist to her mouth, not wanting to let the sobs out. Not wanting to scare the boy or his mother. She loved Fin. It was all startlingly clear to her now. And she’d betrayed his trust. He’d never forgive her for that.

  “Maggie?” Bailey saw her.

  “I’ll take him.” Joe lifted Benjamin into his arms. “Is Ella asleep?”

  “I just put her down.” Bailey leaned up to kiss Joe and her boy.

  Maggie swallowed down another sob.

  “Okay. I need to go see a certain ranger and check how he’s holding up, seeing as when I last caught sight of him, he looked pretty pissed. “Everything will be all right.” Joe pulled Maggs close briefly, and then he was gone.

  “What’s happened, Maggs?” Bailey came close, easing her arms around her as if she was breakable.

  Maggie let the sobs go then. It was like a dam had burst.

  “Sssh, now.” Bailey led her to the sofa, nudged her down, then hurried from the room. She was back in seconds with tissues.

  The arms came around her again, and she simply lay against her friend and cried.

  “Wait!” They heard a door bang, then the sound of feet thudding.

  “Ssssh, Pip, the baby is sleeping,” Bailey said as her sister-in-law appeared with Rory.

  “Sorry.” Pip waved a hand, then tiptoed closer.

  “You can walk normally; it’s the yelling and banging,” Bailey drawled.

  “We come bearing chocolate. Joe said you were up here and needed cheering up,” Rory said. “We were at the main house, eating Aunt Jess’s cinnamon buns. We brought you some.”

  Maggie looked at her friends and felt the tears well up again, but she pushed them back down.

  “Those eyes must be hell to look through,” Pip said, dropping down on the floor before Maggs. “All swollen and puffy.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Welcome.” A piece of chocolate was pushed into her hand.

  “I’ll put the coffee on,” Bailey said.

  Soon they were gathered in a close huddle, chairs pulled up, drinking from thick white mugs and eating cinnamon buns and chocolate.

  “So, spill. Joe said you were up here brokenhearted and that you may need girl time,” Rory said. Her hair was a crazy mass of curls, jeans ripped, a thick flannel shirt rolled at the wrists. She looked like a sexy elf to Maggie.

  Pip was her usual elegant self. Jeans, black body-hugging sweater, hair pulled back in a messy bun.

  “Do you want to talk about it now, Maggs?” Bailey said.

  “Of course she’s talking about it,” Rory said. “Keeping all that crap inside you is not healthy, as is evidenced by keeping that London stuff a secret. Besides, it’s killing us not knowing what happened with Fin.”

  “Rory, don’t push her.” Bailey patted Maggs hand.

  “No, it’s okay.” Her voice sounded like she’d scrubbed her tonsils with sandpaper. She drank more coffee and took a large bite of bun.

  “Fin and I, we’ve been…” She waved a hand about.

  “Doing the horizontal mambo?” Pip added. “We figured that out when you drove away together last night.”

  “Was it good?”

  Maggs found her first smile at Rory’s question. “So good. He’s… well, he’s—”

  “Sexy as hell and has the body to match?”

  “Yes, all of that, Pip. It’s no secret apparently that Fin and I have been striking sparks off each other for years.”

  “I think you two were the only ones who didn’t realize that, actually,” Bailey said, which had them laughing.

  “So we’ve done that, and yes it was great. He was the one who saw my scars and made me tell you.”

  “We’re not getting into that, because I’m still angry there,” Bailey said. “But I have forgiven you. I’m now mainly angry that someone hurt you.”

  “Oh, Bays.” Maggs sniffed again.

  “We love you.”

  “I love you guys too. I missed you so much.” Maggs squeezed the hands that reached for hers. “I think that’s why I never really formed close bonds with anyone. I always knew you were all here waiting for me, and that this was where I would come back to.”

  “We’d have come to get you if you hadn’t,” Bailey said.

  “Fin, he made me go and tell my parents. Nash was furious.”

  “I’ll bet,” Rory said.

  “Then we did the knitting club thing and picked Fin’s puppy out.”

  “We’re getting one too,” Pip said. “Grace is hysterical about it and changed the name seven times. At the moment she’s going to be Pixie Dust.”

  “Nice,” Rory added.

  “Fin took me home after that and said he wanted me to stay at his because of the break-in.” She went on to explain about the missing note and the theories that were thrown around by Joe and Fin.

  “Well, hell.” Pip sat back in her chair. “That’s a scary thought to have over cinnamon buns and coffee.”

  “I know. It almost seems unreal,” Maggs agreed. “But then that was the only thing missing. Plus it is all around town that I found it and recognized the handwriting from somewhere.”

  “So it’s possible that the note could be connected with Simon Linbar’s death? Or was it just a love letter written between a couple that may or may not have left their other halves, and now want the letter destroyed for fear of discovery?” Rory said.

  “It all sounds a bit far-fetched,” Bailey said.

  “Exactly,” Maggie agreed.

  “Back to Fin now,” Pip said. “We’ll work on the other stuff later. Now, do you love him, Maggs?”

  “What?”

  “Simple question; no need to panic.”

  “I’m not panicking.”

  “What did you argue about?” Bailey shot Pip a look that was meant to shut her up. Maggie knew it would be easier to go outside the front door and command a storm.

  She told them, parts of it, because Fin was sensitive about his family and she didn’t want him hearing she’d told anyone about what happened when his mother passed away.


  “I think it’s love,” Pip said, ignoring Bailey’s sigh.

  “He’s irrational and overreacted,” Rory said.

  “No,” Maggie shook her head. “He didn’t overreact. He sees what I did as a betrayal of trust and he’s right, it was. I-I’m not sure he’ll ever forgive me for it.”

  And that hurt. Deep inside it caused a pain that she thought would likely be with her for a long time if Fin never forgave her. It would match the ache in her heart.

  Chapter 33

  “Snow’s started,” Fin said, entering the rec center. “Not heavy, but I think that’s going to

  change over the next few days.”

  “Well, well, well, it’s the invisible man.”

  “What?” He met his friend’s eyes, well aware what he was getting at.

  He’d known Joe would come back to see him after he’d taken Maggs wherever she’d wanted to go. Knew it, and coward that he was, he left the house and drove around aimlessly until he had to come here. Here, he’d thought, there would be other people, so Joe wouldn’t start in with the questions.

  “What’s the deal, Fin? What the hell happened with Maggie?”

  Seems I was wrong about that.

  “My business, and I don’t want to discuss it.”

  Joe planted his feet before Fin, hands on hips, brows lowered. A traditional “I’m not moving and don’t try the BS with me” stance. This he knew, as he’d done it a time or two.

  “Your business.” The man who was the best friend he’d ever had snorted. “Since when do you have business I don’t know?”

  “Can we do this another time? I’m not real keen for everyone to hear this.”

  They eyeballed each other for several heated seconds.

  “Whatever the hell that was, it broke her,” Joe said softly. “The woman I left with my wife was sobbing uncontrollably.”

  Christ, that hurts. She’d betrayed him yes, but now he’d calmed down he knew she’d never have done it intentionally.

  “I know you, Findlay Hudson, and you’re one of the good guys, so it’s my belief you wouldn’t have done that without provocation. I want the reason why when we’re done here.”

  “I’m not talking about this, Joe.”

  Joe ignored him and headed back to where the others stood throwing a ball around.

  “My toes aren’t going to thaw out till next month.” Dylan jogged in and then proceeded to stomp his feet.

  “Wear your leather boots then,” Luke said.

  “For basketball?”

  “Here’s a random thought: bring them and change into them.”

  Dylan looked at his brother-in-law. “You’re an ideas man, Luke.”

  “Bas will have to clear the roads soon,” Joe said, taking a pass from Jack. “So how’s Mallory?”

  “Really good thanks.” And she was. At least in that he could tell the truth. He and his little sister were building a relationship.

  I never stopped loving you. His father’s words had rolled around and around inside his head since he’d spoken them.

  Maybe some of his reaction had been fear too. It wasn’t just his father that had thrown him off-balance. The feelings he had for Maggie had done that. The lovemaking, having her in his house. The fact she fit him in every way. Her humor, zany nature, love of art. He loved all of her.

  Christ, is it love?

  “Your face looks like it’s been bleached all of a sudden, Fin. You feeling all right?”

  “He’s screwed up and realizing that fact, is my guess,” Joe said.

  “What’s he screwed up?” Luke asked.

  What he felt for her was new and fresh, and mix that with his father and you got one hell of a headache.

  “Not sure, but we’ll leave it there for now,” Joe said, much to Fin’s relief.

  “Did you see Calvin Harding has returned?” Luke said.

  “Calvin Harding who grew up here and had a big thing for Maggs?”

  The words gave Fin a jolt, but he kept his expression calm.

  “Arrived a few days ago. Apparently Maggs and Bailey were at Phil’s, and he just walked in. Shocked the hell out of Maggs. She squealed, he smiled, and then they hugged,” Joe said.

  “Pip said he was back to visit his family. I think he has other reasons,” Luke said.

  “What reasons?” Fin didn’t like the acid that had started swishing about in his gut even though he knew they were deliberately messing with him.

  “The ‘I missed you Maggs and didn’t realize how much until I saw you again’ reason,” Luke added.

  Stay calm.

  “Nice enough guy,” Dylan said, “if a bit slick.”

  “He has that thing too.” Jack clicked his fingers.

  “Thing?” Fin snapped.

  “Thinks he’s a bit special. A bit cooler than us.”

  “Which is not hard, to be fair,” Luke added, looking at his brothers. Joe’s hair had yet to meet a brush, and Jack’s shorts were ripped and his toe poked through his sneaker.

  “We can do style when we need to,” Jack protested.

  Fin would make sure he hunted this Calvin Harding down now, but that was after he’d talked to Maggs.

  “You need to move quicker there, bud. The handsome prince has swooped into town and could mess with your plans,” Jack said.

  “Nice for Maggs then, having her friend back,” he said.

  “Real nice. Especially as they were so close.”

  The anger was so fast, it nearly dropped him to his knees.

  “I know what you’re doing,” he snarled.

  “What?” Joe raised a brow.

  Fin looked down at his sneakers. Stay calm. He knew how they worked if they sensed weakness, because he was the same. Until now, he’d not been the recipient.

  “Nothing. Just drop it.”

  “So it doesn’t bother you that he asked her out to dinner?” Jack bounced the ball.

  “No.”

  “Really? Because your face has gone red.” Luke looked at him.

  “Is there a point to this?” Fin snapped.

  “You and Maggs is the point,” Joe said. “Do something about it, you dickhead.”

  “That’s been brewing for years,” Luke said. “What’s he done to piss you off, big brother?”

  “That, I don’t know yet. But I do know neither of them are happy and something went down,” Joe said. “In fact, if I had to put a word to what they were when I saw her leaving Fin’s house, it would be devastated.”

  Fin’s chest burned at the thought of Maggie devastated.

  Jack stepped closer to Fin and drilled a finger into his chest. “Fix whatever happened, Fin, because Maggs is special.”

  “What about me? Maybe she hurt me.” Fin wished those words hadn’t left his mouth.

  “Well now I’m sorry if that happened but knowing both of you, I can’t imagine it was intentional.” Jack leaned in and kissed Fin’s cheek. “But we love you as much as her, so you play nice now, Fin, and sort out whatever the hell is going on.”

  “You kiss me like that again, and I’m decking you!”

  The others laughed, and the tension eased a little—but only a little.

  “She’s your girl, Fin. You know it just as we do,” Luke said.

  After those words, the Trainers all started doing layups, leaving Fin standing raw and exposed with his emotions lying in a bloody pool at his feet.

  They were right, of course; she was his girl. He’d known it even as he’d tried to deny it. It was and always had been different with her. He needed to see her after the game.

  They were up against another Ryker Falls team today; younger, they were college boys who had approached Luke at the fire station and asked if they could join the competition as they needed the practice.

  “You got any more dirt on this musical chairs for adults, Dylan?” Luke asked. “Sounds kinky.”

  “I talked to Mom yesterday about it,” Dylan said. “Reading between the BS, it’s just a huge game of mus
ical chairs for adults. Somehow you partner up, but I’m not sure of all the details as the plans haven’t been finalized. Knowing this town, or even just the people in this room, it will sink into carnage in a matter of minutes.”

  “They didn’t think they should have a solid plan in place before they strung a banner across the main street announcing the date?” Jack asked.

  “Mom’s not big on facts. She goes for the grand gestures, then lets her minions sort out the rest,” Dylan said.

  “What if we don’t get our woman?” Joe asked. “I’m not having Bailey sit on another man’s lap.”

  “I asked her that. She waved it away and said if it’s love, you’ll find each other. I said she was cracked. She sniffed.”

  “I know that sniff,” Joe said, lobbing the ball into the hoop.

  “Everyone pretty much knows now that the real reason for this entire event is my sisters. They will be paired with two of the single guys of her choosing,” Dylan added. “Not sure how she’ll manage it, but my mom’s resourceful.”

  “That’s a lot of work to go to just to get your sisters paired up with men,” Luke added.

  “It is, but Mom never does anything a simple way if there is a complicated route to navigate first.”

  “We could just not enter,” Luke said.

  “Bro,” Joe slung an arm around his neck, “you know better than to go up against the town committee, especially as I’m on it. They’ll have you blacklisted and run out of town if you don’t participate.”

  “True that. Can’t you do something about this?”

  “The entertainment subcommittee got this passed when I went to the bathroom.”

  “I hate committees, sub or otherwise,” Dylan muttered.

  “Pip and Bailey made Maggie show them her scar,” Joe said, changing the subject. They always talked like this, leaping from one topic to another.

  “Hell of a scar,” Fin said without giving the words a great deal of thought.

  The silence around him was suddenly deafening.

  “Back it up, ranger boy. When did you see Maggie’s scar?” Joe demanded.