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“I have plans.” Maggie crossed her fingers behind her back. While she’d set boundaries with Jack over the last few months, she still wasn’t comfortable saying no to him. Not my circus, not my monkey, she reminded herself. Not anymore.
Maggie untied her apron. This was it. Her next-to-last shift. One more tomorrow and she’d be done. It had come quicker than she’d thought it would. She looked around at what should have been hers, but instead of sorrow, she felt relief. Everything worked out like it was supposed to. Just as it should.
“For what it’s worth, Maggie, if I could do it over again, I would. I should have believed in you.”
“It’s okay, Jack,” she said, patting his arm and seeing the relief on his face. “I have plenty of other people who believe in me.” Including me. “And I don’t think owning Brewster’s was ever in the cards for me. If it was, then I wouldn’t have hesitated like I did.”
“Okay, then. Have a good evening and I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jack opened the front door for her as she hefted the bouquet and slowly walked across the scarred floors, drawing everything in.
Even if Brewster’s had been the right place for her, she wouldn’t have jumped at it. She pondered that as she breathed in the bouquet on the slow ride up the elevator. Her hands full, Maggie focused her attention on her door’s security keypad. She’d practiced all week and was relieved when the door opened without touching it. No more mediocre Maggie in her craft or her career.
“I’m the type of person who needs a gentle nudge, right, George?”
Will my answer impact how quickly you feed me? I’m starving.
“Your bowl is half full.”
Yet empty of fresh food.
Maggie huffed as she pulled open a can, scooping a third of it into a fresh bowl for his highness. She set the bowl down. “Happy?”
Eh. He swished his tail. You’re more of a hard shove between the shoulders or a swift kick in the butt kind of person.
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” She didn’t need her cat to tell what she already knew, which was why she opened her laptop, pulled out her credit card, and hit the Enroll Now button.
Shouldn’t you be getting ready? Maggie squeaked and ran to her room. She didn’t need Elspeth’s help to pick out clothes. Penny had already been there and laid out the perfect outfit—dark skinny jeans and a cream-colored, V-necked, cable-knit sweater. A thin box rested on top, and Maggie blushed when she opened it. Inside was a pale pink, lacy bra and matching panties. Penny’s note read: In case you lose your shirt again ;-)
“From your mouth to God’s ear,” Maggie prayed as she fingered the delicate pieces before rushing into the shower.
An hour later, Maggie paced her small living room. She was clean, shaved, primped, and ready to go, but Lucas wasn’t there yet. You’re making me nervous. Sit and I’ll let you pet me.
“How kind.” But she did as George suggested. He curled into a ball on her lap and his ferocious purrs helped calm her. His head popped up and turned toward the door. He’s here, he said, racing across the room and leaping on to the countertop. He skidded to a halt as her door buzzed. Maggie checked the security camera, and Lucas’s smiling face filled the screen. All right then, she thought as she buzzed him in. It will happen as it’s meant to be.
She opened her door and leaned against the doorjamb, aiming for casual, but most likely looking awkward. But Maggie didn’t care as she watched Lucas stride toward her with a picnic basket over one arm. “When you said casual, did you mean snowsuit?” she asked, eyeing the basket.
“No. We’re not going far. And you look perfect,” he said as his eyes raked over her body. “Gorgeous, actually.”
“Thank you for the roses. I assume they were from you, since the card only had the letter L on it,” she teased, feeling at once nervous but also like they’d never been apart.
Lucas rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “The card wasn’t big enough for everything I wanted to say.”
“Will you say it tonight?”
“I hope so, but I have a lot of questions first.”
“That’s fair,” Maggie fought to keep her smile in place as the excited butterflies in her stomach quieted.
“But your answers won’t change my feelings, sweet bean. I just need to understand some things.” Maggie released the breath she’d held, and he reached for her hand. “Ready?” She nodded and slipped her hand into his, but pulled it back quickly.
“Wait.” She slipped into her apartment and grabbed the bottle of whiskey and the unbreakable cut-glass tumblers Harper had given her for Christmas. She locked the door behind her, tucked the items into the basket, and slid her hand into his. “Now I’m ready.”
She stole glances at him as they walked down the hallway. He’d tamed the waves in his hair, and Maggie hoped it was with a subpar product that would give up and release them. She loved his wavy hair, and the way it could wrap around her fingers, but not nearly as much as she loved it when he wrapped himself around her. She was starving for one of his full-body hugs. The butterflies in her stomach zoomed around in anticipation.
Snow fell heavily outside the windows as they strolled down the stairs. The large basket bumped Lucas’s leg with each step. He waved at Elspeth and Penny as they walked past Get Lost, and from the looks on their faces, they didn’t know what he’d planned either. “Why are we stopping in front of Woodstock Gifts and Papercrafting?”
“You’ll see.” He unfolded a piece of paper and punched in the door code. He pushed it open and ushered her in.
“You weren’t kidding when you said we weren’t going far.” Maggie followed him into the room and gasped when she saw the blanket and large pillows scattered in the middle. “Did you do all this?” she asked as he turned on the camping lanterns placed around the blanket. They cast a romantic glow and almost hid the fact they were in the middle of a store.
