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The only time Maggie was malleable with him was when she was in his arms. There, she’d melt around him like a chocolate bar left in the sun, making him happy. And a happy Lucas made for a happy Maggie. Total opposite of a vicious cycle, he thought, remembering the feel of her against the barn door and her quiet gasps. He shifted in his chair.
“Almost forgot, a Jane Khan stopped in and told me to say hi to you,” Bash told Cal.
“How’s she doing? Last time I saw her, she didn’t look too good, and she mentioned she was thinking of selling and moving closer to her daughter.”
“I make it a habit of not asking strangers, especially people who look older than dirt, how they’re doing.” Bash sounded like his old snooty self. “She said she came over to be reminded of what a busy store looked like.”
“I’m guessing if she sold, she’d be more upbeat,” Cal said.
“The paper and scrapbooking place?” Lucas guessed since it was the only business in Marketplace that rarely had customers in it.
“Yeah, if she wants out, her only hope is to sell the space. The business probably isn’t worth anything,” Bash said.
“Think it could fit a small commercial kitchen?” Lucas asked. Bash shrugged his shoulders and when Cal didn’t respond, he tossed the pillow at him. Cal’s hand snatched it out of the air.
“Nice to see you catch something. Maybe I should switch to pillows,” Bash said, and Cal frowned. They’d been in sync at the start of the season. But in the last two weeks, they’d lost their mojo, and with the end of the season looming, they needed it back. As much as he looked forward to working at Thistlestone, Lucas didn’t want football to end.
“Easy to catch a decent throw.”
“Cal, do you think the paper store could fit a commercial kitchen?” Lucas asked while Bash watched in horror as Cal folded the corner of the page before closing his book. He scratched his chin.
“I think so, but it would be tight, and I don’t think there would be a lot of space for customer seating.”
“Who said anything about seating?” Cal and Bash laughed at Lucas’s question.
“Dude, you’re about as subtle as a fart in church,” Cal said. “You’ve been after Maggie to open a bakery all fall. Why else would you ask me if the paper store had room for a kitchen?” Lucas didn’t realize he’d been that open and vocal about it. But maybe she’d complained about it to him or he’d overheard her complaining to Penny?
“I think Maggie would prefer limited seating,” Lucas said, remembering her grumbling about people who lingered and used Brewster’s as an office or endless study spot. “Would a drive-thru work?”
“That’s a question for my mom. They own the building, but the city owns the parking lot. I don’t know how that works.”
“Sounds like lots of red tape in your future,” Bash said, finishing the last of his drink. “If I were you, I’d check with the Tetons’ front office and see if they have a contact at city hall you could call. They must have had a point person they worked with when they built the stadium and now with the owner building the apartments out back.”
“That’s a good idea. Thanks.”
“You want another good idea?” Cal asked.
“Sure.”
“Don’t do it. Until Maggie’s on board, you’ll only waste your time and piss her off.”
That’s what he was afraid of. She wouldn’t like his interference and she wouldn’t start anything on her own. She needed a crash course in Confidence 101. If Maggie was confident in something, and believed in herself, she dove in headfirst. But if she wasn’t? It was like watching a kid scared of the water on their first day of swimming lessons.
But the baking contest was something new, and she’d handled that. Although who knew how she would have done without the trial run at Thistlestone, the one he’d arranged. He was cocky enough to believe his support had gotten Maggie through her fears. Plus, at the end of the year, she’d be unemployed. She’d have the time, the skills, and him. All he needed to do was make the paper lady an offer she couldn’t refuse—which shouldn’t be too hard—and prop up Maggie’s confidence until she soared on her own.
Chapter 24
“Not much to pack up,” Grandad said, rubbing his hands together. “We’ll get home early today and can start warming these old bones.” He gave Nanna an affectionate pat on the butt and winked. Maggie was torn between eww and woohoo at Nanna’s blush. She liked the idea of having an active sex life in her seventies. She just didn’t want to know about her grandparents’ or parents’.
The sound of a tuneless whistle caught her attention. She knew only one person who did that, Lucas. It was as if thinking about sex had conjured him up, but her powers weren’t that potent. Maggie knew she could be more powerful with practice and discipline, but her meager skills served her well. Unlike Harper, Maggie didn’t see the need to spend time and energy on her practice when she was perfectly happy being a mediocre witch.
He made a beeline toward her as people scurried out of his way. In his dark herringbone suit, lilac shirt, and the team’s tie, he didn’t look like a professional football player, except for his size. He would have fit in perfectly at any of the fancy offices downtown. He hadn’t completely stopped in front of her before she grabbed him by the lapels and pulled him in for a kiss.
“That will keep me warm for a while,” he said, looking a little dazed. Maggie resisted chastising him for not wearing a coat, but if he had, she would have missed the solid feel of him under her hands. “But I’ll probably need another in about five minutes.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Maggie was slightly embarrassed about her soft attack. But he hadn’t seemed to mind. “Shouldn’t you be at the hotel?” The team always stayed in a hotel the night before a home game, and everyone hated it. The players complained about not sleeping as well, but the coaching staff preferred everyone under one roof with a strict curfew.
“Soon, but I wanted to see you first,” he leaned in and gently kissed her. It was the opposite of her lip-attack but just as powerful. His was sweet and promising. Maggie would have stood there all day, until Grandad’s loud, obnoxious throat clearing startled her.
