Page 84 of 6 Clues Your Nemesis Loves You

I have no doubt this fine sir has had the time of his life. The memory of staring at Maggie’s boobs will keep him happy for weeks to come. At least, that’s the effect her full breasts have on me.

She straightens and swishes my way. “To what do I owe the honor?”

I kiss her cheek. “Just needed to see you.”

Her face softens, but she takes my elbow and leads us to a quiet lamppost. “You’re nervous about the meeting.”

As always, Maggie reads my mind. “It’s either that or I drank six Red Bulls without realizing it.” My jittery heel bounces, proving just how strung out I am.

“Will everyone be there?”

“The whole messed-up Bower clan.” Cheers come from the square, capturing our attention. Another rush of pride swamps me. “The event looks like it’s a hit, as I knew it would be.”

Maggie beams, taking in the clusters of seniors smiling by the bookstore. A few other pairs leave galleries and boutiques with shopping bags. “Honestly, it’s been amazing. They’ve been having fun and spending money. I even think the winery was a better lunch venue in the end.”

“Of course it was. They had to earn your firstborn.” She gives her head a rueful shake. I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You won’t have to worry about seeing Shannon’s bland face after this.”

“I think she’ll be pleased. But back to you.” Maggie thrusts her shoulders back, hitting her army-general posture. “Whatever happens with your family, it’ll be fine. You’ll be fine. You have your brothers, and they have you. The Bowers are a force to be reckoned with.”

“Will you come with me?” The question’s out before I think better of the request. She’s already told me she needs to be here. This event is important for her career. “Sorry,” I say quickly. “Ignore me. I know you can’t come.”

I glance away from her, rub the back of my overheating neck. She’s right. The meeting will be fine. I’ll be fine. If Dad’s sick, nothing changes. He’s still an asshole out for himself, but my throat tightens and my eyes burn. I bite my cheek and study my shoes, unsure what the hell is wrong with me.

“I’ll come.” Maggie threads her fingers with mine, pulling my attention from the cobbled stones to the compassion in her searching eyes. “The event’s almost over. All that’s left is loading the seniors onto buses, and each bus has staff to help.”

“You’re sure?” I hold my breath, too relieved to believe her.

She nods. “I want to be there for you.”

“God, I love you,” I say on an exhale and immediately tense.

Maggie’s eyes go unpleasantly wide—shocked wide, deer-in-the-headlights wide—and I curse myself. She’s not ready for I love you, but I won’t apologize for blurting out my true feelings. I love this woman. Real love. Not nineteen-year-old infatuation. The kind of love that grabs you by the chest and squeezes.

“I know you’re not ready to say it back,” I tell her softly. “The words were just too big to keep in.”

She nods and touches her neck, her attention darting to my face and away. “I wasn’t expecting… We’re just out here, and—”

“Mags?”

She looks at me desperately, like I might hold the answer to world peace. “Yeah?”

“Do you want a lift to Des’s, or will you drive yourself?”

She startles at my off-topic question, as per my plan. Distracting her with tangible issues is better than her overthinking my confession into oblivion.

“Right. Yeah.” She surveys the street again, her moves jerky. “I have a couple last-minute things to do. I’ll meet you there.”

I pull her against me, hold her until she relaxes slightly. “I can’t thank you enough for coming with me. And look out for the gramps in the fedora. He was eyeing your boobs.”

She laughs, but the sound is stilted. With a quick cheek kiss, she returns to her duties.

I watch her a moment longer. Wait for her to glance at me again and give me her soft eyes. She keeps her back to me and doesn’t turn once.

chapter twenty-nine

An hour later, Desmond and Sadie’s house is full of Bower boys, each of us antsy in our own special way. Des is wearing his resting mad-at-the-world face, alternating between gnashing his teeth and looking wistfully at the ceiling. Sadie just flew in from a stint of work in Arizona and is upstairs with Max. Des gets extra ornery when she’s not in touching distance.

E and Delilah are at the kitchen counter, all over each other. Or more to the point, Delilah is rubbing E’s back and whispering to him while he leans on her and destroys his cuticles. Jake is standing solo with his beefy arms crossed and face hard—the oldest brother and Bower bouncer. One wrong move, and he’ll haul your ass out of here.