Chapter 34 – Clay
December
“Is this going to be weird for you?” Jovie asks, glancing over at me as I grip the light blue box with tiny blue bows on it a little tighter.
“Nah, not at all.” And that’s the truth. I’ve settled my demons. Made peace with the past and this is the remaining step to give Savannah closure. I don’t need it, but from what Jovie’s shared, it sounds like she might.
She smiles, looping her arms around my waist in a half hug. “I’m happy for you. Are you excited to see Maggie tonight?”
Excited doesn’t even cover it. Maggie’s coming home from school for her graduation party tonight. She’s missed everything—Halloween, Thanksgiving, her twenty-first birthday, the autumn harvest at Cameron ranch, and my return to the fighting ring.
Winter’s here now, mild as it is, and I can’t wait to finally see her and hopefully, have her back.
I’d run into McKenna at the Co-op a few weeks ago, and she’d mentioned Maggie had officially accepted the job at the hospital in Lonestar Junction. Maggie hadn’t told me herself yet, but if that was true, it meant she’d be coming back. For good. At least, that’s what I’m hoping.
“I can’t wait,” I sigh as Jovie smiles again.
“Y’all make a great couple.”
Before I can respond to that, the door swings open, and there stands my ex-girlfriend, Savannah, her arms full of two tiny, identical babies.
“Jovie, Clay! Get in here!” she squeals, handing one of the babies off to Jovie with a quick hug, then wrapping her free arm around me.
“Brought gifts and dinner,” I say, motioning to the food and the large box in my hands, filled with what seems like a mountain of supplies—about one hundred seventy-five size two diapers, eighty packs of baby wipes, and the biggest jug of Aquaphor I’ve ever seen.
“Come on in, thank you so much!” she says, beaming.
Jovie had asked me to join her on this trip to visit Savannah and her new twins and to drop off dinner, and it had felt like the right thing to do. The ultimate step toward making peace with the past before moving forward.
We split the spaghetti dinner, garlic bread, and salad that Jovie and I had made, passing Savannah’s newborn twins between us.
It feels a little like old times, catching up on life, hearing all about her dive into marriage and motherhood.
And for the first time in a long time, it feels good to be around her again.
Peaceful. I hold no ill feelings or regrets against her.
I'm happy that we've both moved on to better things. Better people.
“It’s been wild having two babies at the same time, but I guess it’s good I have nothing to compare it to,” Savannah jokes.
Jovie nods her head, “Twins are insane for the first several years of their life. Now you can see why Nash and I never had more after Wilder and Cody. But it gets easier. The teenage years feels a lot like the toddler years in some ways. Except when they were toddlers, you didn’t have to drive them around everywhere and they weren’t interested in girls. ”
Savannah laughs and shakes her head gently. “I’m excited for all the firsts that are to come. I feel like I was made to be a mother.”
She shifts her attention to me, a playful glint in her eyes. “So, Clay, what about you? I know you and Maggie were together over the summer. Have you two talked about marriage or starting a family someday?”
All eyes are on me now. The question hangs heavy, and I take a moment to consider it.
I’m almost thirty-six years old—still plenty of time to find someone, settle down, and have kids. But the truth is, it doesn’t feel like it’s about having enough time; it’s about finding the right person. And the only person I’ve ever imagined that future with before is Maggie.
“Maybe,” I reply casually. “It depends on if Maggie’s up for that and when she feels the time is right.” This isn’t something I’m comfortable discussing with anyone but Maggie. A decision I’d want to remain private between the two of us.
Savannah and Jovie exchange approving smiles before diving back into their conversation about diaper genies, colicky babies, and baby rash remedies. I zone out, glancing at my watch—Maggie’s flight should’ve landed by now.
“Well, it was great catching up, Savannah,” I say, standing. “But I’ve got to head out—Maggie’s graduation party is tonight.” Both women exchange knowing looks as I head for the door, but I’ve already forgotten the conversation. I’m halfway to Maggie in my mind.
A few minutes later, I’m pulling up to her father’s house. The temperature has dropped and there’s a crispness in the air as I step out of my truck. The door swings open before I even knock.
“You’re here,” Maggie breathes, eyes wide as she takes me in.
Her hair is longer now, a darker shade of brown but still falls in those familiar, beautiful curls.
She’s wearing a fitted, forest green sweater dress that hugs her curves, making her look even more radiant than I remembered.
Her eyes sparkle with that familiar warmth, her full lips are curved into a smile that feels like home.
She looks healthy, vibrant—alive in a way she hadn’t been before she left.
Before I can say a word, she’s rushing toward me, wrapping her arms around me, her whole-body sighing against mine. “You’re here,” she whispers again, this time into my neck, her voice filled with relief.
“Of course. I told you I would be. Where else would I be?”
When we pull apart, she’s smiling, her eyes twinkling with joy. “I’m so happy to see you. I did it, Clay, I graduated.”
“Hell yea, you did.”
She beams. “Come on in. My dad ordered catering and there’s plenty of food to go around.”
She pulls me inside, and for a moment, it feels like we’ve slipped back into old times.
But now, she’s being tugged in every direction by old friends, family, and what seems like half the town, all here to congratulate her on her achievement.
I know that I should give her space, let her soak in the celebration of her big accomplishment, but I can’t help the jealousy that creeps in.
Four months apart, and all I want is to have her to myself. I’m itching to steal her away, to ask her what’s next, to tell her I love her—but the chance never comes so I make my rounds, making small talk and catching up with her father, the chief who I see almost daily already.
Later in the night, after the last guests have left and I’m sitting on the couch, back to chatting with the chief again, Maggie reappears.
“Hi,” she says, sliding onto the arm of the chair I’m sitting in, her eyes sparkling as she smiles down at me.
“Hi.”
“You wanna… get out of here?” she asks, and her dad’s eyes flicker between us. He claps his thighs with a knowing grin.
“Don’t be home too late,” he says with a wink.
Maggie laughs, shaking her head. “I’m not gonna be home at all, Dad. See you in the morning.”
I smile and take her hand, relieved that we’re finally on the same page.
As we head to my car, the drive to my apartment feels thick with unspoken tension, a quiet energy simmering between us built on the time apart over the last several months.
I know exactly how I feel, but what about her? We left things unfinished, undefined.
Has she been seeing anyone else?
The thought creeps in, tightening my grip on the steering wheel, but I shove it aside. Tonight, I’ll get the answers I’ve been waiting for. It’s time to find out where we really stand.
“So…” I start, trailing off as soon as we get inside my apartment. I toss my keys on the counter, and head to the fridge, swiping two chilled bottles of water for us.
I feel incredibly vulnerable, nervous, and worried that this won’t go the way that I planned it out in my head for the past few months. It’s a strange feeling, and I start to question whether I should have let her go at all.
“Are you seeing anyone?”
“Really, Clay?” she responds with an eyeroll.
I shrug. “I don’t know.”
She steps towards me, her fingers thread into the fabric of my shirt as she pulls my face closer. “There’s been no one since you.”
I rake my fingers through her soft hair. “Fuck, Maggie. That’s good to hear.”
She cocks her head to the side. “What about you?”
“There could never be anyone but you for me, Maggie.”
She smiles as she reaches up on her toes and kisses me. It starts slow, but before I know it, I’m pulling her hair, pressing her closer and squeezing her breasts, completely lost in her taste and smell that I’ve missed so much.
Her arms loop around my neck as I scoop her up, carrying her to my bed just like the night I picked her up from Lucy’s in May and placing her down gently.
“I have something exciting to tell you,” she whispers, her eyes are dancing with excitement, and I hope it’s that she’s here to stay - for good.
“What?”
She rubs her hands together eagerly. “I got the job at the Lonestar Junction hospital.”
“That’s amazing,”
She nods and crawls backward on the bed, slipping under the covers as I follow. My hands find the hem of her dress, and I pull it up and over her head, needing to get rid of the layers between us just like I intend on removing any other barriers tonight.
Piece by piece, her bra and underwear join the growing pile of clothes on the floor, along with mine, until there’s nothing left separating us.
Pressed skin to skin, I wrap myself around her, my fingers tracing the familiar curves of her body.
She feels different now—healthier, softer, fuller.
So much stronger than the last time I held her after her surgery.
She’s come back to me in so many ways, and I can’t help but savor every inch of her.
“So, you’re here to stay then?”
“Well… there’s one catch.”
My stomach flips but I maintain a neutral expression.
“I was offered an incredible opportunity to work in the hospital system in Madrid, Spain for two months before I take the job here. The hospital in Lonestar is covering all of my costs because they want me trained in this new robotics technology that they have there. I’ll bring the skills back with me. ”
“Okay...” I say, sensing there’s more.
“So,” she bites her lip, a little nervous, “I have to fly to Madrid in three days. I’ll be back for good in February.”
I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of her words. But I can do this. What’s a couple more months when she’s worth everything?
“Okay.”
Her eyes widen. “Okay?” she repeats, her lips curving into a smile.
“Yeah, okay. I’ve already waited four months for you, Maggie. What’s another two? If you haven’t noticed, I’d wait for you for an eternity.”
Her smile falters for a second, something deeper flashing in her eyes as she stares at me. “What do you mean, ’for an eternity?’”
I lean in, brushing my thumb across her cheek. “You know exactly what I mean. I’m talking forever, Maggie. I’m done pretending this was anything but real.”
She gasps softly as I scoop her up, rolling her on top of me so she straddles my thighs.
“Let’s give this a real shot. No more games. When you get back, you and me, a real date. I’ll take you to Rex’s Rodeo House and show you off like Wylie did to Stevie,” I joke.
She giggles, her face lighting up in that way that makes everything worth it.
I reach for a condom, rolling it down my length then lifting her hips until she’s hovering over me. This time, when we move together, it feels different. It’s never been fake to me, sure, but now she knows how I feel too.
I squeeze her breasts, lean forward, and draw one taut nipple into my lips before biting gently. She squeals, lifts her hips and slides down my length again. And just like that, it feels like no time has passed.
And when she falls apart minutes later, shattering in that beautifully orgasmic way that I know I’ll enjoy the rest of my life, I tell her I love her so that she remembers, no amount of distance between us will change how I feel.
She’s with me for good.