Authors: Stevie MacFarlane
Nick made cheese omelets, toast, and coffee and made sure Maggie ate it all. When Jason called, Nick found a reason to run out to the store, giving her the privacy she needed.
Jason assured his mother he understood. After talking with Nick and her Da, he’d come to the conclusion that she’d done what she felt was right at the time. Angry as he was, he was able to forgive her, a testament to the influence Nick already had over him. Maggie realized she could have lost her son over this. At his age, a judge was sure to give him the option of living with his father if he so desired, and she cried when Jason told her he and the kids would be home tomorrow.
Nick spent the night, knowing it would be awhile before they could be alone again. He told her she needed to be in Mason’s office at nine in the morning and not to set foot on the site until she had spoken with him. They tried to watch a movie, but Maggie was so fretful about losing her job, despite his reassurances, they finally gave up. Shutting off the TV, he carried her upstairs and loved her until the early hours of the morning. Exhausted, Nick spooned her until they fell into a peaceful sleep.
The alarm on his watch woke him, and he studied the beautiful woman in his arms. His hand was cupped around her breast, and her hand was holding it there. Every little while she would wiggle her butt against his now raging erection and sigh. This was how Nick wanted to wake up every day of his life. He loved everything about her, her scent, her taste, the way she snuggled up to him, even her obstinate nature. God willing, at the end of six weeks she would know that this was the way it should be and agree to marry him. He remembered telling Mason that if Maggie wouldn’t have him, he would deal with it, but now he knew that was a bunch of bull. Life without her was unacceptable. If his plan didn’t work, he would come up with a new one and a new one after that, until they were both old and gray and he was still trying to get her to marry him. He would never give up; it just wasn’t an option. Eventually the kids would be grown, and if Maggie hadn’t married him by then, he would kidnap her away to a tropical island and keep her there forever. He could feel the warm ocean breeze as she walked toward him over the white sand, her grass skirt swaying, the sun glinting off her waist length hair, a knowing smile on her lips…
“Nick,” she moaned, poking him with her elbow. “Aren’t you going to shut that off?”
Struggling up from the depths of his dream, Nick fumbled with his watch and shut the alarm off. Pulling her tight against him he whispered in her ear.
“I can never let you go, you know that right?”
“I know,” she sighed as she gave him one last wiggle and drifted back to sleep.
He dragged himself out of bed and headed for the bathroom, wondering if a cold shower would help. It didn’t.
Chapter Fourteen
Music was playing. Achingly sweet familiar music as Maggie yawned and slowly awoke from the deepest sleep she’d know in a long time. The puzzled look faded from her face as she stretched dreamily and smiled. George Strait was singing “Carried Away”. It had been their song so many years ago and still had the power to stop her in her tracks whenever she heard it. When the music stopped, she frowned looking around for the source. Almost immediately, it began playing again. Finally, seeing the cell phone on her nightstand, she picked it up, saw Nick’s face on the screen, and slid her finger down to answer it.
“Hey, sleepy head, time to get up,” he told her.
“Nick, thanks” she told him. “I love it.”
“Thought you might,” he replied. “I programmed it with all the numbers I knew, but you’ll still have to take some more pictures and finish it.”
“And the song, Nick, you remembered after all this time?” she asked in wonder.
“Darlin’, I can’t forget a single thing about you or us, you should know that.”
Maggie sighed.
“I wish things could have been different between us,” she told him, not realizing how wistful she sounded.
“I do too. I know we can’t go back and fix the mistakes we’ve already made, but from here on out things are going to change. We’re going to find the life we were meant to have, honey, and I plan on making sure nothing gets in our way.”
Even stubborn, foolish pride
.
In the morning light, things didn’t seem as uncomplicated as they had last night, but there was no sense in starting the day off with an argument. He said she had six weeks, and he always meant what he said. She found that out the hard way. At the end of his imposed timetable, would she be ready to commit to marriage? Maggie really didn’t know.
“You better get a move on if you plan on meeting with Mason at nine in the morning. I don’t think being late would be in your best interest.”
“Damn, I almost forgot,” she groaned. “I don’t suppose you have any suggestions on how I might get through this unscathed?”
Nick laughed.
“You might try being contrite, apologetic, remorseful, anything along those lines…
and mean it
. And I think
unscathed
is pretty much out. It is possible you’ll keep your job if you accept responsibility for your actions. Not doing the background check on Harley was a major mistake, but you already know that. Sometimes, sweetie, you just have to face the music, and I think this is one of those times. In any case, I don’t want you to feel alone. No matter what happens, I’ll be here for you, understand?”
“Yes, I understand and thanks, Nick. I better get going before I’m late. I’ll see you tonight?”
“I already spoke with your mother, and I plan on picking up the kids from her house after school. We’ll see you when you get home. Oh, I almost forgot, the gift bag on your dresser is for you too. Talk to you later, ’darlin.”
Maggie slid out of bed and padded barefoot across the room. Picking up the pink gift bag, she returned to the bed and pulled out the contents. Panties of every style and color she could think of fell into her hands. Thongs, bikinis, hipsters and high cut, some so delicate they weighed almost nothing. Lace trimmed or not, they were all lovely. There was even a pair that said
Spank Me
, which she had no intention of wearing at all, even if they did make her smile.
What am I going to do with that man, she thought? And is it really possible that I’m going to
need
all these panties?
* * *
Mason was actually pretty decent about the whole mess. Although he scolded her for what seemed like an eternity, she kept her job. She would no longer be doing the hiring. While she would continue to interview applicants, the final decision would be made by both of them, after all paperwork was completed
including
a complete background check. When he informed her that she would be leaving work no later than five-thirty each night, she promptly jumped to her feet and just as promptly sat back down when his eyebrow shot up. If something came up that required her crew to stop work early, such as poor weather conditions, she was to leave with the rest of the employees and not hang around alone for any reason whatsoever. No paperwork was so crucial that she would be expected to stay and put herself at risk. There would be no more skipping lunch breaks and no extended overtime. If a supervisor was required to stay late, Charlie or one of the other senior workers would stay.
“I believe I’ve covered everything, Maggie. Do you have any questions?” Mason asked, his cool blue eyes never wavering from her.
“Just one. Did Nick put you up to any of this, or are they your ideas?”
“These are the rules for your continued employment at Kord Contracting,” he told her firmly. “Any conversations I may have had with Nick, or Rory for that matter, have only reinforced my own opinions. If these rules are unacceptable to you, I would be glad to give you a reference so that you may seek employment elsewhere,” he ground out holding onto his temper by a thread.
He promised Nick he would go as easy on her as he could. She’d had quite a weekend, and he had no desire to hurt her pride, but she needed to know that he meant business. Maggie was strong-willed and pretty determined to get her way, but today that wasn’t going to work. Much as he cared for her, it would be his way or the highway. He owed it to her family and Nick to do everything he could to help keep her safe, even from her own poor judgment.
“Well, what’s it going to be Maggie?”
“You already know. I need this job, and as far as I can tell, I don’t have much choice. I’ll do as you say, Mace. Not because I think you’re right, but because you’re the boss.”
“Good move, honey,” he told her smiling. “I’m glad you see it my way.”
"Be sure to let Nick and Rory know,” she replied sarcastically as she pulled her hat on and turned to leave. “Maybe you guys can meet later to congratulate yourselves with some good ole’ boys’ backslapping.”
She could hear Mason swearing as she shut the door. Thank God he didn’t come after her. She was definitely out of line. Damn, would she ever learn to keep her mouth shut?
* * *
Promptly at five-thirty, Mason stuck his head out of the site trailer and spotting Maggie, jerked his thumb in the direction of her truck. Rolling her eyes, she stomped her way across the yard but restrained herself from flipping him the bird. No sense in pushing her luck.
Nick’s van was parked in the driveway and she could smell garlic the second she opened the door. She didn’t know what was better, the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen or the sight of him with his sleeves rolled up wearing one of the Grandmother’s aprons. How he could look so masculine in gingham, she didn’t know.
“Hey, how was your day?” he asked as he pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her neck.
His hands slipped down to her bottom and snagged her tight against him. “Was Mason a bear? I hope he wasn’t too rough on you, even if it was exactly what you deserved.”
Maggie, who had closed her eyes and sighed in pleasure quickly pushed back against his hard chest and tried to tamp down her desire.
“Mason’s always a bear, but then you all are. I swear if you had your way women would be permanently stuck in the fifties.”
Nick just grinned and refused to let her go, kissing her neck and rubbing her back in mock sympathy.
“Poor baby,” he crooned. “You’ll feel better after you eat. We’re having lasagna, salad, and garlic bread. I hope you like it. I’ve been slaving in the kitchen for hours,” he stated dramatically.
“You made it?” she asked in disbelief.
“Well I bought it, and I cooked it. Doesn’t that count?”
Maggie laughed.
“Anything I don’t have to cook counts,” she told him grinning. Peering over his shoulder she could see that the kitchen was sparkling clean, the table was set and there was a beautiful vase of pink roses sitting on the counter.
“Nick,” she cried, wiggling out of his arms, making her way to the flowers. “What are these for? They’re lovely.”
“I just wanted to see you smile, and besides, I’m wooing you,” he informed her with a crooked grin.
“Wooing me?” she laughed. “Really?”
“Yup,” he informed her as he went to the stove and pulled the garlic bread out of the oven. “I got some stellar advice from your parents today when I picked up the kids,” he continued a wicked gleam in his eye. “Your Ma said I needed to woo you. Take you on dates, send you flowers, buy you trinkets, that sort of thing. She said if I did it properly, I could probably get you to come around, even though you’re a stubborn wee lass.”
Nick held his hand up before Maggie could erupt.
“Her words not mine,” he qualified, taking off the oven mitts.
“Oh, she did, did she?” Maggie questioned slipping off the stool at the counter where she’d been admiring her roses. “I’m afraid to ask what my Da told you,” she told him crisply, planting her hands on her hips.
“Ah…” he said with a grin. “Now your Father had quite a different approach in mind,” he informed her as he steadily advanced on her until he was able to snatch her off her feet and twirl her around. “He told me I should give you a good licking for keeping Jason from me and tote you off to see Father Donovan, over my shoulder if necessary, and not to put up with any of your nonsense.”
Maggie squealed and buried her face in Nick’s shoulder, mortified that her father would say such a thing.
“I must admit, although I have no problem following your Ma’s advice, I do think your Da’s advice has a great deal of merit,” he whispered in her ear as he set her on her feet, keeping his arms firmly around her waist.
Maggie was in full blush as she slapped him briskly on the arm.
Nick laughed and kissed her nose.
“Hmm… funny, that’s exactly how your Ma felt about it. Now go get cleaned up for dinner,” he told her turning her toward the door and delivering a smack on her backside.
“I’ll get the kids.”
* * *
And so the wooing began. On Thursday she came home just as the carpet cleaning company was finishing up. They managed to get the stain out, and Maggie was very thankful not to have to replace it. Nick reached for his wallet, but she snapped up the bill for the cleaning and immediately wrote the check. Even the eyebrow didn’t deter her this time. It was her carpet, her wine, and her vomit, she informed him. And he just threw up his hands and walked away, swearing softly.
Maggie had to admit it was nice to come home to a clean house, dinner ready, and happy kids. She no longer spent hours each night arguing with Todd to get his homework done. Apparently the eyebrow worked on him too, although certainly not for the same reason. Nick only had to tell him once “no gaming until your homework is done”, for Todd to decide he should do it as soon as he got home from school.
Jason seemed a little quiet, and she often felt him watching them. He and Nick got along well; they were so much alike, it was uncanny. At times, Maggie had the feeling that Jason was waiting for something to happen. When she mentioned it to Nick, he just smiled and told her she was imagining things. Maybe she was.