Chapter 14
Ian
Current day - June
Adjusting my sunglasses against the bright June sun, I glance around the crowd. It’s a relatively calm political rally. Nate and I are recently back from the tour. We finally hired and trained enough people to allow us to send a couple of the other guys in our place.
Nate eventually got the flight attendant he’d been pursuing.
Olive came back home with him to help care for her brother as he goes into rehab for his drug addiction and deals with some legal issues with a drug dealer he got mixed in with.
I’m happy for Nate. He’s always believed in true love and soulmates, and it seems he and Jack have proven that maybe he was onto something.
I want to think that all hope isn’t lost for me, but it makes me despondent because of a certain blonde who immediately comes to mind whenever I think about it.
I nod a greeting when Jack joins me, forcing my mind back to the reason we’re here today.
“I cannot even begin to tell you how glad I am that you and Nate are back.” Jack crosses his arms over his chest, his eyes constantly scanning the crowd for any sign of an issue.
“You and me both, buddy,” is my mumbled, gruff reply. “I know Nate is especially glad to be back. Especially now that Olive is with him. Pretty sure he’s already moving all her stuff into his house.”
Jack chuckles. “He absolutely has. I’m surprised he didn’t ask you for help moving. He called me last night.”
“I was wondering why he called me while I was at the gym. I didn’t call him back when I got home because it was late.”
Jack is quiet for a moment, then says, “So, Gisella wanted me to invite you to our Fourth of July party next week.” His tone gives me the impression that there’s something he’s leaving unsaid.
“Okay, can I bring anything?”
Tilting his head, his brow furrows. “Maggie will be there.”
I nod in understanding. “Ella wants to make sure I behave myself?”
He grimaces with a shrug. “Pretty much. She’s a little pissed at you after the engagement party.”
When Maggie left me, she was pretty upset. I hate myself for how our interaction ended, so I can’t blame Ella.
I don’t get a chance to respond when we hear the speech concluding, and we get into position to escort our client to the waiting vehicle. I’m grateful for the opportunity to focus on something besides my personal issues.
Getting help for my trauma was long overdue, but sometimes I miss the simplicity of my life a year ago.
I just walked around with two emotions—anger and, occasionally, a slim glimmer of happiness.
Now there are so many feelings swirling around within me at all times that I don’t even know what to do with them.
All I do know is that I’ve spent the last few weeks since I saw Maggie at the engagement party thinking about how to handle this situation.
I keep making it messier between us, but staying away from her seems impossible.
And I don’t mean staying away by not seeing her in social settings.
But not having her by my side feels even more unfathomable.
Like being with her was completing me in a way I never knew possible, and now that she hasn’t been in my life, the part of me that connects to her is just drowning in seclusion.
Now, how to convince Maggie that being together is a good idea is another question altogether.
My feet hit the pavement, and I reach back into my Bronco to grab the bottle of wine for Ella and the beer I brought as my contribution to the party.
As I cross the street, I notice Maggie’s car parked down the street.
Nerves run through my body at seeing her again.
I’m not sure how she’ll react to me after the last time I saw her, but I want to try to make up for it.
It’s the first step in convincing her to give us another shot.
The doorbell echoes through the house, and it isn’t long before Ella whips the door open with a wide smile on her face.
“Ian!” She steps back and waves me enthusiastically into the house. I texted her and apologized after talking to Jack last week. I’m glad to see she was telling me the truth when she said she forgave me. Ella is a wonderful person. Jack lucked out when she fell in love with him.
I hand her the bottle of wine. “I got you this.”
“Oh, my goodness, you’re so sweet. Thank you!” Shutting the door behind us, she walks toward the kitchen. “Come on in. Nate and Jack are out back. Grab a cold beer from the fridge, and you can join them. Tyler should be here soon.”
Tyler is Jack’s cousin. He’s worked with us for the last few years and is a good kid. Tyler’s grandmother raised Jack when his mom dropped him off at her sister’s house and never looked back.
Walking into the kitchen, knowing Maggie is here, brings me back to a few months ago, when I saw Maggie again for the first time since she ripped my heart out. Said organ picks up half a beat as she comes into view.
Her back is to me while she is chatting with Nate’s girlfriend, Olive. She’s wearing a long sundress that looks amazing on her, from the back anyway. Her shiny blonde hair brushes against her shoulders as she laughs at something Olive’s telling her.
My stomach jumps when she turns and our eyes connect.
“Ian! It’s so good to see you again.” Olive steps away from Maggie, and I give her a one-armed hug, never taking my eyes off Maggie.
A smug smile threatens to split my face when Maggie’s eyes narrow in a glare directed straight at Olive for a brief moment before she quickly recovers and smooths her expression.
As I release Olive, I decide to take a chance.
I sling an arm over Maggie’s shoulders and pull her in to my side.
Before she can push me away, I plant a quick kiss on the top of her head, not wasting the opportunity to inhale the scent of her shampoo.
I nearly laugh at the gasp that leaves Ella from across the kitchen.
“Hey, Mags, glad you’re here,” I say quietly against her head.
She seems to be too shocked to respond when I see her staring at me, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly ajar.
I give her a wink and walk to the fridge, putting the beer I brought next to the multiple twelve-packs already inside.
Grabbing one of the colder cans, I turn back to find Ella looking amused, Maggie looking annoyed, and Olive looking confused.
With a chuckle, I raise my beer in a mock salute. “Ladies.” Then, with my nerves bouncing all over the place, I walk outside to find Nate and Jack sitting around the table out back.
“Ian!” Nate calls out, throwing his hands up in greeting.
I slap him on the shoulder as I pass his chair to take the one on the opposite side of him. “I see you haven’t scared Olive off yet with your insane romantic notions.”
He smirks and grabs his beer off the table. Before taking a sip, he says, “Nah, she isn’t going anywhere. Unfortunately for her and thankfully for me, she’s stuck with me.”
His blissful expression has me reining in my jealousy.
I’m happy for both of my best friends. For most of my life, I didn’t think falling in love or having a long-term relationship was in the cards for me.
Pamela has helped me recognize why I feel that way.
It still makes me skeptical that it’s something that’ll happen for me, but thanks to these two men, I have much less negative feelings toward all of it.
But if it did happen for me, Maggie would be it. For that, I’m sure.
I just have to convince her. Again.