He rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, so yeah. That part is right. As far as it goes.”
“And you didn’t inhabit that apartment with the intention of getting information out of me?”
“No!” he replied forcefully, shaking his head. “Absolutely not. I didn’t move into that apartment to spy on you or anyone else.”
“You just wanted to slum around for a while? Ignoring your luxurious penthouse? Which is ugly by the way!” she told him. “I looked it up online. The decorator you chose needs to add more color to their designs. The place looks like a morgue.”
He chuckled. “Because you’ve been inside so many morgues lately?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Point made, but your penthouse is still cold and soulless.”
“I agree,” he replied easily. “That’s why I put it on the market.”
That surprised her. She blinked and her lips moved, but she didn’t speak for a moment. “Why?”
“Because I realized it wasn’t what I wanted. And because I didn’t think that you’d like living there.”
Her mouth fell open and he knew that he had her now.
“You’re right,” she rallied, looking away. “I wouldn’t like living there. Especially because you live there.”
“No, I live two doors down from you. And maybe,” he moved closer, “if you’ll listen to me, maybe we could find a place to move into, together.”
She’d stiffened at his softer tone, but when he finished that suggestion, Maggie was already shaking her head. “No! Not gonna happen. I don’t trust you.”
He sighed, nodding his understanding. “I know that. And I’ll work on earning your trust back. But Maggie, I didn’t move into the apartment to spy on you. That move was only to get to know you better. Although, I’ll admit that moving in with you and getting to know the residents around here, did change my plans for the neighborhood.”
Maggie snorted. She was losing the battle and wanted to step back. But he took her hand instead. “Will you come inside and look at the plans? You only saw one option. Which I’ll admit was the initial plan. It’s what I would have done here in the area if I hadn’t gotten to know you, and Louise and Nora, Mick, Eddie, and Jimmy, and the girls on the soccer team, and everyone.”
“What plans?” she asked, confused. She looked around, but only saw Molly and some stranger. They seemed to be arguing about something. But Molly? Arguing? That was strange.
“Will you let me show you?” Oliver asked, squeezing her hand.
Maggie was confused. “Okay, show me.”
He led her into the community center and she was shocked when several of the teenagers high fived him as they passed on their way to the basketball hoops.
She felt his hand on her back and wanted to lean into it. But she couldn’t! She had to be strong. She had to put Oliver in her past and…what in the world?
She stared at the big layout set up in the middle of the lobby. It was huge and incredibly detailed. This was similar to the other diorama she’d seen in Oliver’s office, but there were differences. There were no skyscrapers. In fact, most of the buildings looked…well, like they looked now. But cleaner. Different. More….interesting! There were trees everywhere. And the abandoned apartment complexes were different. Modernized. She stared. All of the apartments around the neighborhood shared similar traits to what she’d done at Rose Gardens!
“What’s this?”
“This is option three,” Oliver explained. “You only saw option one that afternoon. Matt was bringing in all three options for my review that day. And this was the winner.”
“But…the other buildings,” she stammered. “They were bigger. That would mean more business. More profits.”
“You’ve shown me that profits can be made by changing simple things. And taking out the buildings around the neighborhood would change too much. This is a better plan.”’
Maggie agreed, but…he would lose so much money. “What about your multi-use ideas?”
He shrugged. “The plans are good. We’ll just build that idea in a different area. One that doesn’t already have a vibrant community.” He sighed and moved closer, taking her hands. “Maggie, my goal isn’t to destroy communities. I prefer to go into areas that need help and make things better.” He nodded at the plan. “That’s what this idea does. It doesn’t destroy. It improves and revitalizes, without pushing out the people and families that are the heart of this community.”
She blinked, trying to remain tough and in control. But his plans…they sounded lovely! “So, you’re not going to tear everything down?”
He pulled her closer. “We’re not,” he emphasized. “I’m hoping that you will join me in changing things around here. This area has so much potential. The family owned businesses are what so many people crave. But the store fronts aren’t bringing in the business that they could be, if the area was a bit more interesting.” He tightened his fingers on hers. “Will you do it, Maggie? Will you help me? Will you work with me to improve things here?”
“Yes,” she replied, because there was nothing she’d rather do.
“And will you give me another chance? I know I wasn’t completely up front with you about what’s going on. But I promise, I wasn’t hiding something because I was being nefarious. It was only that I met you and you…well, you blew me away. I’d never met anyone like you. I wanted to get to know you. From the moment you showed up, I was completely lost. And never, not once, did I think about using you or spying on anyone. If anything, the residents around here changed my mind, showed me a different way. A better way.”
“Yes!” she laughed, tears streaming down her cheeks. Because his words were beautiful!
He moved even closer. “And will you marry me, Maggie? Will you share your life and your dreams with me? Will you grow old with me and make a life with me?”
Maggie’s happiness couldn’t be contained. “Are you serious?” she whispered.
“Completely serious. I love you, Maggie. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you!”
“Yes!” she sobbed. “I love you too. I didn’t want to love you. Not after Jerry, but you got to me, Oliver. Damn you!” She couldn’t say anything else since he kissed her. And she didn’t care that she couldn’t finish her thought. Because when he kissed her, every thought flew out of her mind.
Epilogue
Maggie stared at the diorama, not sure what to make of it. “That’s interesting,” she said, trying to be delicate. “What’s this?”
Abigail pulled herself higher, peering into the shoe box. “That’s the dinosaur egg,” Maggie’s seven year old daughter explained.
Gilbreth, their ten year old son, snorted in disgust. “It’s just a blob, Abby,” he sneered as he passed by, tossing a football in the air and catching it. “Mom, I’m going over to Marcus’ house, okay?”
Maggie nodded. “That’s fine, but be home in an hour. Dad’s cooking dinner tonight.”
Gilbreth grunted acknowledgement. “As long as it’s not Abby’s dinosaur eggs, I’m sure it will be good.”
Abby glared at her older brother’s retreating back. Maggie knew her daughter wasn’t going to let that insult slide.
Thankfully, Oliver appeared, distracting their mischievous daughter. She turned around and smiled, running across the hardwood floors to throw herself into Oliver’s arms. “Daddy!” she shrieked joyfully. “Gilly called my dinosaur egg a blob.”
Oliver looked around confused as he carried Abigail back into the great room. “And your dinosaur egg is…where?” he asked, glancing at Maggie for clarification.
She pointed to the show box where Abigail had created a scene for her science class. “There,” she said, pointing to the blob in the corner.
Oliver admired the box accordingly, silently agreeing that it did look like a blob. “Well, he just doesn’t know what dinosaur eggs look like, does he?”
Abby giggled. “You’re right! He’s just a dumby!”
Oliver’s gaze sh
arpened. “What did I say about calling people names?” he admonished.
Abby sighed. “Sorry Daddy,” she said, leaning her head against his shoulder.
Maggie watched the scene play out, rolling her eyes when Abby did the whole “Daddy” routine. She had him wrapped firmly around her little finger. He was such a sucker! But he was her sucker, she thought.
“How are you? Did you have a good day?” Oliver asked Maggie as he set Abby down so she could continue to work on her school assignment.
“I’m doing great!” she replied, wrapping an arm around his waist so she could lean her head against his shoulder. “Dinosaur blobs and all.”
He laughed and kissed her. “You’re going to explain that to me, right?” he asked, glancing over at the table worriedly.
“Not a chance,” Maggie replied, looking as mischievous as her daughter.
Oliver sighed as he tugged at the knot on his tie. “Didn’t think so.”
And in truth, he wouldn’t have it any other way!
A message from Elizabeth:
Thank you ladies! I received a record number of e-mails from all of you after you read “Heated Secrets” and I sincerely hope that Whispered Secrets didn’t let you down!
As usual, I’m asking for reviews on your preferred retail site. Reviews are so painfully important and I read all of them. Here’s a QUICK LINK to the review page – and I thank you – as do so many other readers who are looking for a story to escape from their problems.
(As usual, if you don’t want to leave feedback in a public forum, feel free to e-mail me directly at [email protected]. I answer all e-mails personally, although it sometimes takes me a while. Please don’t be offended if I don’t respond immediately. I tend to lose myself in writing stories and have a hard time pulling my head out of the book.)
Thank you! Seriously – a big, huge hug for your help in making this book, and all of my stories, a success! I can’t do it without you!
Elizabeth
(Keep scrolling for a fun excerpt from next month’s “Breathless Secrets”!)
Excerpt from “Breathless Secrets”
Release Date: September 17, 2021
Get Molly’s story HERE!
Should he step in and save her?
James Morgan watched the chaotic scene in front of him, listening to the frenzied screams and cringed when another small being galloped around the corner of the building. Ouch! One of them literally jumped on top of the dog pile happening on the ground! That thud looked pretty painful but…what did he know?
Regardless of the person’s pain threshold, the maneuver was definitely undignified, he thought, stepping to the side to see the scene from a different angle. Yes, definitely painful. And amusing! Okay, hilarious, he mentally corrected as yet more unruly screams sounded. There were a few noises that seemed to be somewhat maniacal in nature…and some other incongruous sounds that he couldn’t identify.
And yet, James continued to stand by the curb, watching the insanity play out with fascination.
A hand reached from the pile of bodies. Should he grab it? Offer assistance? That would be the gentlemanly thing to do.
Probably not a good idea. He didn’t want to enter the fray.
He felt someone step up behind him. “Sir, we have a very tight schedule and we don’t…,” his manager began in a hushed, urgent voice as he moved to stand beside James. But even the never-frazzled Bryan McGregor came to an abrupt halt as he realized what was happening.
Apparently, Bryan’s thoughts moved along the same route as James’. “Should we…help maybe?” Bryan asked doubtfully.
James shrugged, angling his head in an effort to make sense of the scene in front of him. “I have no idea,” he replied, his tone voicing his confusion.
The screams seemed to grow louder. James peered at the pile of arms and legs from a different angle. Unfortunately, that didn’t help and he simply shook his head, sighing with confusion. “It looks a bit painful.”
Bryan nodded. “I must agree.”
They stood on the sidewalk, watching with horrified fascination.
“That’s the woman?” James asked, chuckling when a box of…something…was lifted victoriously into the air by a pretty, feminine hand.
Bryan groaned, nodding somberly. “I think so.”
James chuckled. “Probably a good thing that the press didn’t find out about our excursion today.”
Bryan nodded again, watching silently. Both men hissed, visibly cringing, as they watched an elbow slam into an exposed expanse of pale skin. James suspected that the skin was part of the woman’s stomach, but he wasn’t positive.
“This isn’t exactly going as planned,” Bryan commented lightly, then pulled his eyes away from the mess of tangled hands and feet, checking his ever present tablet. He touched the screen and James’ schedule came up. “We have only ten more minutes here, then you are scheduled to speak at a luncheon for…”
“Bryan,” James muttered, stopping his manager’s recitation of the day’s schedule.
“Yes sir?” Bryan asked, his finger hovering over the tablet.
The corner of James’ mouth curled up. “Shut up and let me enjoy this,” James muttered.
Bryan blinked, then looked back at the pile of tangled, laughing bodies. With a sigh, Bryan put his tablet behind his back, resigned to James’ odd interest.
“I really should help her, shouldn’t I?” James asked, his tone almost contemplative.
Bryan shrugged. “I have no idea. You’re the one with the manners.” James glanced at his friend and manager, one eyebrow lifted in question. Bryan shrugged, grinning as he continued, “I’m the guy with the ruthless personality.”
James threw back his head, laughing at Bryan’s assessment. He was correct…sort of. “Right,” he said, his laughter trailing off slightly. “That’s why I won the three billion dollar settlement against that pharma company?”
Bryan grunted, shrugging slightly. “You have your ruthless moments,” he acknowledged.
Another man, about the same height as James and Bryan, stepped out of an expensive sedan. The guy looked vaguely familiar, but there was a tension in the man’s shoulders that whispered of anger. Or maybe fury? Were the two emotions different?
James turned when the man stepped forward, glancing over at the dog pile of writhing limbs.
“Can I help you?” the guy asked.
James extended his hand. “James Morgan,” he greeted the other man. “And you’re Oliver Fenton, correct?”
The other man nodded sharply, his eyes narrowing on James. “You’re that hot shot attorney, right?”
“That’s me,” James chuckled, amused as he always was by the various adjectives that people used to describe him. Hot shot? He didn’t really consider himself to be that hot. Angry when big companies abused consumers? Yeah. Ready to take on any injustice in the world? Absolutely! He turned back to the scene on the rough green area that someone might describe as grass, but was really a mix of various weeds that had been mowed to grass height. “I was just…”
The woman in peril suddenly stood up, laughing and pushing her long, blond hair out of her eyes. “Okay!” she declared, laughing. “You guys win!” A moment later, the kids jumped up and down with victorious delight, and greedily held out their hands while the woman distributed…popsicles? The chaotic dog pile was about popsicles?
“That’s Molly,” Oliver explained unnecessarily. “She’s the director here at the Center. Would you like an introduction?”
James watched, his lips twitching with amusement as the kids greedily ripped open the paper and joyously started consuming their icy treats. Slowly, they moved away, forming small groups as they perched on the steps of the Center or just crossed their legs and sat down on the green, “grassy” area.
“Yeah,” James replied, unable to rip his gaze away from the fascinating woman. She had grass stains on her ragged tee shirt and the soft material hugged her breasts like a loving glove,
revealing that the woman had lush curves. The loose jeans rode low on her hips and had definitely seen better days…as well as other owners. They were long and loose around her beautiful hips that weren’t slim, but nor would he consider those feminine curves fat either. Her hips were…perfect! Absolutely, amazingly, mouth wateringly perfect!
The man beside James chuckled, and clapped him on the back in a friendly manner. “I know the feeling,” he said as he walked away. James couldn’t tear his gaze from the laughing beauty. James was content to simply stand here and watch her. Her brown eyes seemed to shimmer with joy and her long hair shimmered around her lovely features which were alive and animated with some sort of inner glow. She seemed so happy, surrounded as she was by the passel of rambunctious children.
His body tightened urgently, wondering what she’d look like with her own children surrounding her. Their children.
That terrifying random thought seemed to shock him out of his lust-induced stupefaction. His children? What the hell was he thinking? He didn’t have time to date, much less marry and have children! No way! Marriage and children definitely were not on his agenda, he reminded himself. He had a plan for his life. Marriage and children simply weren’t in his future.
Bryan sighed and started forward. Despite the uncharacteristic thoughts about marriage and children, James was utterly entranced by the woman. So instead of allowing his manager to start the introductions, James put a hand on Bryan’s shoulder. “I’ve got this,” James murmured.
“But…” Bryan hesitated, obviously sensing a deviation. James ignored his manager’s startled expression. It wasn’t as if he planned to sleep with the woman! He wanted Molly Bradshaw’s endorsement for his campaign. A simple enough request, James told himself. Especially considering his competition. The other candidate for the US Senate seat was pathetically lacking in moral character.
Molly closed the cardboard box over the last few popsicles, looking around to ensure that every child had a treat. That’s when she spotted the two large men standing on the sidewalk, watching her. Swallowing hard past the sudden tension, her gaze moved from the tall one with the hard jawline to the other man. Then back to the first one.
Whispered Secrets (Rose Garden Apartments Book 2) Page 14