Chapter 14
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 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 self-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, honey”.
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 with some caveats.
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 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.”
“Smart 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. For a brief moment she forgot her day sucked.
“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 O’Connor, 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.