CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Two weeks later, Maggie arrived at the beach house for Adam and Jenny’s engagement party. Doc was visiting from North Carolina and had come with her. It was Friday, and the party wasn’t until Saturday afternoon, but most of the family planned to stay for the weekend.
As the maid of honor, Maggie was in charge of setting up, handling the caterers, and keeping peace amongst the nieces and nephews. Luckily, everyone was pitching in to help, so her job was easy. By late Saturday morning, everything was set up and ready.
As the best man, Mitch only had to show up. Which, as of four o’clock, he had failed to do. The party had been in full swing for about an hour, but there wasn’t much formality to it, so no one noticed his absence—except Maggie.
She’d been both dreading and anticipating seeing him again. After a long mental debate, she decided she would act aloof and disinterested upon seeing him again. Like she didn’t have a care in the world and wasn’t bothered at all that he hadn’t called.
They’d gone years without meeting while still having relationships with Jenny and the boys.
They could go back to that, only on purpose this time.
After this party and the wedding, she’d never have to see him again.
She just had to hide her pain and irritation for a few hours, and then she’d be free of him. That was, assuming he showed up at all.
***
Mitch was both dreading and anticipating seeing Maggie again. It took him a while, but he’d finally worked up the nerve to make his move. The entire drive out to Long Island, he thought about what he would say and how he would say it. He was going to woo the hell out of her.
Since he was pretty sure wooing didn’t involve throwing up on her, he took several deep breaths to calm his nerves just before entering the wide-open door at the beach house and making his way to the kitchen.
Drawn by an unseen force, he found her right away.
She was wearing a light blue sundress that hit just above the knee.
Her legs were toned and tanned and looked fabulous in a pair of high-heeled sandals.
Backlit by the sun, her hair glistened, and she looked like a goddess sent from heaven.
She was holding a baby, cooing at it and getting a sweet, wet smile in return.
She tossed her head back to laugh, and his heart swelled a little.
Of course, she would be great with kids.
Seeing her with a baby scared him for a second. Was this where things would lead if he pursued a relationship with her? Was he ready for that? Calm yourself, man. Just telling her how you feel isn’t going to make babies. He got a grip and began walking toward her.
“Mitch! Oh my God, I’m so glad you came.” Jenny came from out of nowhere and wrapped her arms around him. After a long, hard hug, she leaned back to look at him, blond hair blowing in the breeze, and a massive smile on her face.
“You look so happy, Jen.”
“I am, Mitch. I really am. I never thought I would fall for anyone again, but, well, Adam is so great!”
“He’s all right.” He laughed when Jenny playfully slapped him on the arm.
“You look pretty happy yourself.” She gave him a look that indicated Adam had spilled the beans about Maggie.
“We’ll see. I’ve been pretty stupid about it so far. I need to talk to her before I lose my nerve.”
A small, blond girl tugged on Jenny’s dress. “Aunt Jenny, the man that came with Aunt Maggie is looking for her. Do you know where she is?”
“Oh, honey, he’s not really…”
Mitch left to find Maggie before he heard the answer. She’d come with someone? Shit. What if he was too late? He had to find her before this other schmuck did. Scanning the crowd, he once again found her instantly. She was staring right at him. His breath caught at her beauty.
He made a beeline for her, waving off people trying to say hello. Once in front of her, his mind went blank.
“Hey,” was all he could muster.
Maggie looked over her left shoulder and then her right. “Oh, are you talking to me?” She was irritated. Of course she was, who wouldn’t be?
“I know I’m an idiot. I should have called.” There were people everywhere, many within earshot. “Can we take a walk? I really need to talk to you.”
“I’m a little busy running the party. You think you can just waltz in here, after three weeks of radio silence, and I’m supposed to drop everything to talk to you? You haven’t changed at all.” She turned to go, but he gently grabbed her arm.
“That’s just it, Mags. I have changed. It took me a couple of weeks to get my head on straight and process everything, but I…well, I…I really want to talk to you. But not here with all these people around. Can I please have a minute of your time?”
His earnestness must have convinced her. With a mildly surprised look, she nodded toward the walkway to the beach. “After you.”
She stopped to take off her sandals and then followed him down the short, windy trail to the beach. They walked in silence, breathing in the fresh, ocean air, both lost in their own thoughts.
After a few minutes, Mitch stopped and offered her a seat in the sand.
He wasn’t surprised that she didn’t care about getting dirty or that the wind was messing up her hair.
Add it to the reasons why he loved this woman.
She was facing the ocean, her knees pulled up to her chin, and her dress pinned between her legs. He knelt in front of her.
“I’m not sure how to say this.” He paused. “Everyone says I’m in love with you.”
One eyebrow crooked up, and her incredulous look let him know he wasn’t off to a great start.
“I mean, everyone says it, but I think it’s true.
These last few weeks have been torture for me.
I’m so sorry I didn’t call. I’ve never had feelings for anyone like I do for you, Maggie.
You’re funny and smart, easygoing and kind.
You’re clumsy, na?ve, and sexy as hell. I didn’t know what the feelings meant or how to keep a relationship going, so I panicked and just avoided the situation.
“I know I don’t know everything about you, but I want to.
I want to see you in my kitchen making fun of me and in my living room sipping wine while reading a book.
I want you in my bed. I want to talk to you for hours and find out what makes you tick.
I want to make love to you for hours and find out what makes you tick there, too.
“I have baggage. I can be a real jerk sometimes, but I’m working on it. You make me want to work on it, to be a better person. I want to deserve you.
“We were only together for a short time, but in that time, I realized that something, someone, was missing in my life, and that person is you. I need you, Maggie. I feel,” he searched for the right word, “incomplete without you in my life. Like I’m an unfinished puzzle, and you are the missing piece.
You complete me.” He hung his head, spent after spilling so much emotion.
He waited for her to tell him she’d moved on or that he was an idiot to think that after only one week, she would know enough about him to want to be with him. What if the sex really was all she wanted, and he was making a damn fool of himself?
There was also the fact that she was way too good for him. What could she possibly see in him? This was all a big mistake. Well, at least he’d said his piece. The ball was in her court now.
“Hey, Jerry Maguire.” Mitch looked up, brows furrowed in confusion. “You had me at hello.” Tears filled her eyes, but a giant smile lit up her whole face. “Well, you had me at ‘hey.’” She mimicked the way he’d greeted her minutes earlier.
Understanding came slowly, but when it did, a grin spread across his face. “You mean?”
“Yes, I mean. I love you, dumbass.” She jumped into his arms, sending them both tumbling.
Landing on top of him, she looked down, eyes shining with love and want.
“I love you, Maggie. I do.”
“Oh yeah, well prove it!” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. They made out like teenagers, not caring about the few beachgoers, until one of them yelled, “Get a room!”
“Great idea,” he whispered in the ear he’d been nibbling on. “You staying at the beach house tonight?”
“Yeah, I have dibs on a room upstairs. You?”
“I didn’t know that’s how rooms were reserved.”
“Hm, rookie mistake. It’s first come, first served. You claim a room by putting your stuff in it. I don’t think there’s anything left, though. You could sleep with the kids in a sleeping bag in the living room,” she said with a grin.
“How about I squeeze in with you instead?” He wiggled his eyebrows and then remembered she’d come with someone.
He immediately stiffened and started to roll off of her.
“Oh, I forgot, you brought a friend. Is that serious?” He tried to feign a casualness he didn’t feel.
She said she loved him, but what exactly did that mean?
“Huh? You mean Doc?” She laughed out loud. “Doc’s my friend from North Carolina, you ninny. I told you about him.”
Mitch remembered she’d said he was like a second father and over sixty years old. He heaved a sigh of relief. “Oh, good, so I don’t have to kick anyone’s ass to sleep in your bed then?”
“Well, not so fast. He may still put up a fight. My dad, too. Also, my grandpa and possibly a few uncles, maybe some nephews. You’ll definitely have to sneak in after everyone’s asleep. We’re an old-fashioned family.”
“I’ll find a couch to sleep on. I don’t want to piss off your whole family straightaway.”
“I’m not sure I can wait,” she said as she rocked her pelvis into his. Her voice was heavy with lust.
“Geez, Mags. Keep that up, and I’m gonna do you right here on this beach. Come on.” He reluctantly stood and offered a hand to help her up.
They strolled back to the beach house, hand in hand, talking and laughing about nothing in particular.
Huh, Mitch thought. Mr. B. was right. The wooing actually worked—hot damn!