Chapter 8 #2
“Maybe?” It’s a pitiful whine, and I’m forced to smother a grin.
I shouldn’t be laughing in the face of her fear, but she’s fucking adorable.
She’s only doing this for me, and if she does fail, I’ll never hear the end of it.
But she’s not going to fail, and she’s not going to get hurt. Not on my watch.
“Okay. Can you step off the platform and get to me? I’ll wait for you.”
Her cheeks puff out before she blows a breath and takes a death grip on her safety line.
“That’s it. Just like that.” I keep my voice low and soothing.
She steps onto the log and sets it swaying. One foot on the log, and one foot on the platform. “Good girl. Now, push off with that back leg and bring your feet together. No. Don’t look down.”
Of course, she already is by the time I get the warning out, and she squeaks my name.
“Eyes on me, Mags.”
Wide, terrified eyes meet mine, and her chest heaves with exertion. Or fear.
“Good job. Now, come to me.”
She brings her feet together and sets her log swaying. Before she loses control and falls, I hook an arm around her waist and pull her close. “I’ve got you.”
Our chests are pressed together, and I feel every ragged breath she takes. But as our gazes lock and hold, the fear bleeds away. Shifts into something far more dangerous than a simple fall into a net.
Her eyes drop to my mouth, and her tongue peeps out to wet her lower lip. It takes every ounce of willpower I possess not to lower my head and taste those lips. I have to get us across this bridge before I make a fool of myself and ruin this otherwise perfect day.
I clear my throat and wrench my gaze from hers, scanning the route ahead. “Okay, here’s how this is going to go…”
We’re loading up after a stop for road snacks before heading home when Maggie says, “Thanks for an awesome day.”
I hand her the bag with the extra candy I snuck behind her back and crank the Jeep. “I knew you’d love it once you got past being scared.”
She scoffs. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.”
“I think you loved the ropes more than the zip line, going by the way you laughed till you cried when I got hung up in that net,” I tease. “You just wanted a chance to touch my butt.”
“That was pretty epic.” The snicker starts and morphs into another full-on belly laugh. “I can’t decide if it was the pants around your ankles or your Red Hot Chili Peppers boxers that got me.”
I grin. “My favorite part was where you finally got the guts to do the bridge.”
“Well, the ground was lava, and I didn’t want to die.”
“You didn’t, though, did you?” But only because I caught her. If I’d known I’d spend the day fighting my attraction to Maggie, I definitely would’ve worn tighter underwear.
Maybe in another life, if I were any other man, a better man, I could fall for Magnolia Simmons. She’s adventurous and brave and so much fun to be around.
We’re both laughing when the phone rings through the car’s Bluetooth and Alice’s name pops up on the screen. Tamping down the warning bells that ring in my head at seeing her name now, when Maggie and I have had such a great day, I click to accept the call. “Hey, sis.”
“Guess who just got the reunion gig!” Alice yells into the phone.
“Oh my gosh, that’s awesome.” Maggie grins from the seat beside me.
“Maggie? Is that you?”
“Yeah,” I interject. “We just did a zip line tour and are headed home now.”
Alice dives into the details of what her new deal means, and she and Maggie talk endlessly about the plans. And all the while, we’re sitting still in a convenience store parking lot.
“So you two spent the day together, huh?” Alice chirps, and I can’t tell what the underlying tone is.
“Yeah. It’s been on my bucket list for a while, and they had a cancellation. Maggie took pity on me and didn’t make me do it alone.”
“Huh,” my sister replies. “It’s so weird to see you two hanging out together.”
Maggie’s gaze flies to mine, her eyes wide and full of knowledge. Something about that look turns my happy mood sour.
Alice continues, “But since I have you both, guess what other good news I have?”
I’m terrified to even guess, still reeling over Maggie’s expression after Alice basically shut down any possibility of there being anything beyond friendship between us. Even if I’ve been there in the past and know it’s not a good idea.
I’m suddenly acutely aware of the way Maggie’s T-shirt clings to her breasts.
The bag of candy is nestled in the crease of her thighs as she leans forward to talk to Alice, and it slips to the side.
I slide my hand along the curve of her thigh to rescue it.
At her wide-eyed shock, I shake the bag of candy innocently.
Am I jealous she’s giving my sister attention?
No. But at the same time, Alice is part of the reason we can’t consider exploring anything beyond friendship.
And I’m so torn between wanting Maggie and not wanting to jeopardize the truce we’ve come to, or damage all the work Alice and I have done to repair our relationship.
“Not only did I get the reunion gig. But I’m also moving back to town,” Alice exclaims, and icy-cold dread slices my stomach at the question rambling around in my head.
I don’t want to ask, but I need to know. “By yourself?”
“Yeah. Mom’s staying here.”
Cold, swift relief washes through me, quickly followed by a bitter afterburn.
Mom hasn’t been back since the divorce. She says there’s no reason for her to come back when I can just as easily come to her.
No reason. Like the fact her son is here doesn’t rate high on her priority list. Though she does see my sister and brother regularly.
Guess I know where I get my itchiness from.
She hit hard times and got the hell out of dodge.
“Jackson,” Alice starts, and I can’t tell if that’s remorse or warning in her tone. We’ve been through this a dozen times in the past.
“It’s no big deal. Just curious.”
“So where are you staying?” Maggie asks, breaking some of the tension that comes when talking about Mom .
“I’ve found a studio at the loft, but it’s not available until the end of the month. I’m hoping one of you will let me stay with you for a few weeks.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Of course.”
Maggie and I answer at the same time.
“Okay, I’ve got to say it. It’s weird, the two of you being together.
Like, I knew you guys went hiking and stuff.
I guess I didn’t realize you were actually spending time together.
But I’m going to let it slide for now because I’m getting another call that I need to take.
Maggie, I’ll take you up on your offer because you’re cleaner and we can plan the reunion, because of course, you’ll be doing all my baked treats!
” Her voice trills up at the end of that sentence. “Okay, love you, bye.”
The line falls dead, and that weird awkwardness is back between me and Maggie. Any thought of a friends-with-benefits deal dies a slow, agonizing death.
At least she’s talking to me again. And I have my job interview to look forward to. This sexual tension between us is just going to have to be one of those things I get over.
If things go my way, I’ll be leaving town soon, anyway.
Maggie and I are back to friends, and I never want to lose that. Bonus, my sister is coming back to town, and I’ve missed her, even if she’s an unintentional cockblocker.
“Wanna take the top off?” I offer, trying to return to the playful mood we had before that phone call. Truthfully, I just want to see Maggie’s eyes light up again, get us out of the heavy stuff and back in the fun zone.
Damn my sister for ruining a perfectly good afternoon.