Chapter 19
Maggie and Zoey were headed out to the beach when Maggie’s phone vibrated from her cover-up pocket. She’d been waiting for
Josh’s call—Will Jennings had ridden along on this morning’s tour, and she was eager to hear what he’d discovered. But the
ringtone was her mother’s.
Maggie was currently loaded down with two chairs, a soft-sided cooler, and a beach bag, trudging through the thick Carolina
sand. But Mom had called while Maggie was in the shower, and if she didn’t answer, it would set off another round of silent
treatment, long-distance edition.
Almost to their spot, she quickened her steps and, once there, dropped her burden as Zoey, beach pail and shovels in hand,
rushed toward the wet sand.
“That’s far enough,” Maggie called.
Zoey dropped at the shoreline and Maggie, out of breath and prickling with sweat, grabbed her phone just in time. “Hi, Mom.”
“Well, it’s about time. For someone on summer break you seem awfully busy.”
“Sorry I missed your call earlier. I was in the shower.”
“That was three hours ago. Lucky for you I haven’t forgotten why I called.”
Maggie unfolded a beach chair, then plopped down and took the bait. “What is it, Mom?”
Her mother waited a full five seconds before answering. “I wanted to pass along the good news that Derrick will be getting
in touch with you soon.”
Maggie searched the archives of her brain and came up empty. “Derrick?”
“ Derrick Morgan. Honestly, Maggie, your memory is appalling for such a young woman. Maybe you should get that checked out.”
Maggie was only youthful until they discussed her single/widow status, and then she “wasn’t getting any younger.” The thought
tweaked a memory. Derrick Morgan...
Oh no, she did not.
“The son of our most esteemed board member, Maggie, for heaven’s sake. I ran into him at a fundraising gala last night. He’s
quite charming. It’s a good thing I called. I can’t imagine how insulted he’d have been when you didn’t even recognize his
name!”
Maggie gritted her teeth. “What do you mean he’ll be getting in touch, Mom? Whatever for?”
“Why, he’s interested in meeting you, of course. We discussed this in the spring.”
“Yes, we did, and I told you I wasn’t ready to—”
“Oh, enough already. It’s been five years and you’re not getting any younger. How long will you play the widow card? Do you
want to be single the rest of your life?”
Like you? She bit back the words. Mom and her smarmy boyfriend had broken up last weekend. Her decision, or so she’d claimed.
“Derrick is successful and attractive. He’s a renowned pediatrician and keeps excellent company. You’re lucky he’s interested in you at all. If you can’t bring yourself to do this one simple thing, maybe you should think of Zoey.”
“Zoey already has a stellar pediatrician.”
“Yes, Maggie, make jokes even though humor is not your strength. Meanwhile your daughter will grow up fatherless.”
“Just like me.” The filter kicked in late this time and she winced as her pulse raced with regret.
“Well, excuse me if I was too busy supporting you on a single mom’s salary to find you a father. But you don’t have that excuse,
do you? Ethan’s life insurance left you quite secure and you have half the year off work.”
“Summers, Mom. I have summers off.”
“And fall and Christmas and spring... I didn’t call to quibble. Just be ready for Derrick’s call.”
A call—great. Couldn’t just be a text. She’d never even met the man and now she’d have to make polite conversation over the
phone. Maggie massaged her temple and hoped a migraine wasn’t coming on.
He was probably a perfectly nice man, but Maggie hardly trusted her mother’s judgment. Likely she didn’t give a flying fig
about his character. He was the son of a board member whom she wanted in her back pocket. She probably expected Maggie to
not only date the man but marry him just so she could maintain the upper hand at work.
“Did you hear me, Maggie? Please put your best foot forward. I built you up quite a bit. He’s probably expecting nothing short
of a saint. What was I thinking? You’ll have to pull it together.”
She couldn’t even fathom what positive traits her mother might have extolled. She must’ve dug deep. “I realize you want me
to go out with this man. But maybe it can wait till fall. The timing is unfortunate since I’ll be two hours away for the rest
of the summer.”
“Two whole hours? Then maybe you can send missives on the stagecoach and later he can hitch up his horse and buggy and meet you at the train depot.”
“Okay, Mother, you’ve made your point.”
Mom gave a weighty sigh. “Oh, for heaven’s sake. I try to set my daughter up with a virtual paragon, and this is the grief
I get for my trouble.”
“I said I’d do it.”
“You’re welcome.” A click came through the receiver, then silence.
“No, you’re welcome,” Maggie muttered as she dropped her phone into the beach bag.
She checked on Zoey, who was making limited progress on her sandcastle. Maggie shrugged out of the cover-up and made her way
toward the shoreline. The beach wasn’t very crowded as it was a weekday and the sky was overcast.
She sank in the sand across from Zoey. “Need some help with your castle?”
“It’s not a castle, it’s a carousel. See? Here’s my favorite horse.”
“Oh yes, I see. Very nice. Did you know your daddy and I used to make sandcastles when we were teenagers? He was very good
at it.”
“Were they big?”
“Not so much big as very detailed. He’d make the moat and fill it with water and even have a drawbridge.”
“Like Cinderella’s castle!”
“Exactly. I teased him that he should become an architect—that’s someone who designs buildings.”
“But he was a medic.”
“Yes, and a very good one.”
Zoey worked in silence for a minute. “Can you fill the bucket with sand, Mommy? It’s heavy.”
“Of course.” As Maggie went to work, the sun came out, hot and bright, making her glad for the cool, wet sand beneath her.
Zoey pressed her small hands into the sand, molding the carousel. Her delicate brows drew into a straight line as she focused.
A few freckles had popped out on her nose, and her skin was bronzing up despite the sunscreen Maggie applied religiously.
Her thoughts returned to her conversation with her mother. Zoey was already four but would likely have only a few memories
from these early years. If Maggie found a good man relatively soon, it would seem to Zoey as if she’d always had a father.
She wouldn’t feel that prick of jealousy when a friend’s dad gave his daughter a piggyback ride or miss daddy-daughter dances
at school. She wouldn’t wish for a father who’d hold her tight when she had a nightmare or sometimes pretend her daddy was
just at work.
Maggie had gone into this summer with the goal of laying down the past and moving forward. She’d expressed to Erin and Josh
her desire to begin dating. And while the random sighting of that young man—Will Jennings—had distracted her from those goals,
there was no reason not to move forward now.
She didn’t relish her mother’s connection with Derrick Morgan. But he’d apparently weathered years of college, internships,
and residencies. Surely he wouldn’t be a man easily pushed around by her mother. Maybe he’d even stand up to her. Wouldn’t
that be fun?
“Well, there’s a wily smile if ever I saw one.”
“Uncle Josh! Come help me with my carousel.”
All smiles, he approached in his work uniform—khakis and a white polo sporting the Island Tours logo—carrying his tennis shoes
in one hand.
“Hey,” Maggie said, then addressed her daughter. “You forgot the magic word.”
“ Please , Uncle Josh?”
He squatted beside them. “Wish I could help you, Cupcake, but I only have a few minutes, and I need to talk to your mom.”
“Aww...”
“Tell you what. Maybe I can stop by tonight after my sunset tour.” He glanced at Maggie and mouthed, Pizza?
She nodded.
“I’ll bring pizza and you can show me pictures of your carousel. I’ll bet it’s gonna turn out great.”
“Can I get cheese?”
“Yes, ma’am. Cheese it is.” With a jerk of his head to Maggie, he gestured up the beach, then stood and reached out to help
her up.
As he drew her effortlessly to her feet, he quickly eyed her form, making Maggie hyperaware of the skin exposed by her tank
suit.
Once she was standing, he dropped her hands and followed her up the beach.
Maggie was blessed in the physical department. She’d always been tall and slim, and years of swimming had left her with strong
shoulders. But her tummy was no longer perfectly taut and her hips had widened a bit with age. Did Josh find her attractive?
Just because a man’s gaze swept a woman’s form didn’t necessarily mean he did. She was in a bathing suit, after all. Probably
just a reflex.
Josh stopped beside the beach chairs.
Maggie slipped into her cover-up and crossed her arms. He wasn’t here to ogle her in her swimsuit but to tell her about the
tour with Will. “So? How’d it go?”
Josh flashed a smile at her. “He took the job.”
“Really?”
“And he filled out an application. I have his birthday, address, you name it. He lives in Wilmington, which explains why we’ve never seen him around here before.”
The city was thirty minutes away. “We can run a search, maybe discover who his mom is, what his home situation is like.”
“That’s right. Thought maybe we’d do that tonight after Zoey’s in bed.” He cocked a brow. “If you can wait that long.”
It wouldn’t be easy. Now that they had such easy access, she wanted answers . But this was about Josh’s parents now and he deserved to run point on this.
“I’ll be waiting for you.”