Page 24 of Maggie’s Match

Now, most of the older historic buildings had plywood covering their windows. He noticed Maggie’s Jeep parked in front of the fried chicken place and parked next to it.

When he walked in, Maggie and Becca were sitting in a booth along with two guys. One of them had his arm around Maggie’s shoulder and was whispering into her ear.

Maggie laughed and slapped the guy playfully on the chest, and Rick’s jealousy spiked.

What the hell?

He ignored the hostess who asked if she could help him, his temper controlling his march across the diner.

He stopped at the table, and Maggie glanced up and straightened.

“There you are,” she said with a smile.

Suddenly, Rick wondered if she’d planned this entire situation to make him jealous. To see how he would react. After all, the last time he’d kissed her or laid claim on her in any way was months before.

Shit. This was all his fault. He was a complete ass.

“Here I am.” He tried to sound relaxed, but he could tell he hadn’t fooled Maggie. “Got room for one more?” he asked. Not waiting for a response, he pulled a chair up to the end of the booth and sat down. “Rick Graham.” He held out his hand for the guy sitting near Becca first.

“Colton Brigs,” the dark-haired man said easily, shaking his hand. Rick turned to the blond man and waited.

“Royce,” the man said, hesitating a moment before offering his hand.

“Royce…?” Rick asked, waiting.

The man glanced around. “Are you a friend of the family?”

Rick’s eyes narrowed. He never trusted a man who didn’t willingly offer up his last name. After all, this was the south. You didn’t keep things like that to yourself unless you were hiding something.

“Maggie and I go way back,” he said, trying to give the guy a hint to back off.

The conversation turned after a large bucket of chicken and several sides arrived. The server delivered his iced tea, and he watched during the entire meal as Maggie flirted with the blond man.

Part of him—the brain cells that were not working at the moment—knew that she was only doing it to spite him or teach him a lesson. But that logical voice was being drowned out by other more powerful emotions, and he said and did dumb things to poke at the guy as much as possible, even though he knew it wasn’t the man’s fault.

After all, Maggie was… well, Maggie. She was kind, warm, and very easy to talk to, not to mention sexy as hell.

Rick knew he had it bad for her. He’d had a lifetime of being around her to get to know her. When he thought about it, he knew possibly everything there was to know about Maggie. And she knew him just as well. Didn’t she?

He thought about all the times he’d left town. Left her behind. He’d never given her reasons why or hinted at his own feelings.

Shit. The longer he thought about it, the more disgusted he became with himself.

No wonder Maggie was enjoying attention from someone else. He’d basically spent years ignoring her or leading her on. Women needed commitment. Didn’t they?

He thought about his own parents. They had married years before anyone else knew about it, but it was only when his dad returned to Fairplay that their relationship had turned into what it was today.

By the time lunch was finished, his heart was in the bottom of his stomach. All the anger he’d felt earlier had been deflated by the realization that he’d been such an idiot.

“We’ll see you around,” Maggie said cheerfully to the two other men when they stepped outside.

Royce asked if he could talk to Maggie alone, but Rick jumped in and reminded them that they had an appointment to head to.

Royce scowled at him but took the hint when Maggie turned to whisper something to Becca. Royce and Colton jumped into a large black suped-up truck, with Royce at the wheel. He sneered when Royce peeled out of the parking lot, leaving behind a plume of black smoke and the smell of burned tires.

“Does any woman find that hot?” he asked dryly.

“No,” Becca answered quickly. Maggie elbowed her. “What? I don’t know anyone who thinks a man jamming his foot down on the pedal of his gas-guzzling machine, which someone else built and he paid way too much for, is attractive. Or am I wrong?” She tilted her head slightly.