Chapter 13 #2
“I never wanted to hurt his feelings, so I didn’t say anything. Honestly it wasn’t a big deal until Aaron came along. There I am, seventeen and getting ready to go to college, and they’re starting over with a brand-new baby.”
“You felt replaced.” Her hand reached for his, the understanding in her tone making his throat tighten.
“A little,” he admitted. “I left for school and got my criminal justice degree. While I was there, I went to a career fair and talked to a recruiter for the FBI. It sounded good. I didn’t want to go back home and interrupt their lives so when I graduated, I started at the Academy.”
“You had to go back to school?”
He nodded. “It’s a short training program for agents. You have to have a degree already.” He paused, sipping at his water. “But the FBI recruiter made it sound like I’d belong there. And for a kid who felt like an outsider in his own family, that was a big draw.”
“How do you like it?”
“It’s… tiring.” She squeezed his hand, encouraging him to continue. “I love how what I do makes a difference, but I’m tired of being sent undercover and not being able to live my life, you know?”
“Can you tell me about your cases?”
“Ehhh…” he made a so-so motion with his hand. “I can’t get specific. A lot of them are classified and I can’t talk about anything that’s an active investigation.”
“That makes sense.” She pulled her hand back, and he almost reached for her again, but the server was laying their plates down. Steam rose from their steaks and Luke’s stomach grumbled.
“Let me know if you need anything,” the server said.
“Thank you,” Maggie replied, then lifted her silverware. “This smells divine.”
Luke hummed in agreement as he cut the first bite. Then he decided to flip the tables on her and find out more about Maggie.
“What drew you to the diner?”
She didn’t look up from cutting into her steak.
“I went to several businesses when I got to town, but no one was hiring. It was lunchtime, so I stopped in the diner to grab a bite. Your mom was trying to cook and wait on tables at the same time. I just sort of jumped in.” Maggie chewed her bite and swallowed.
“I used to do social media marketing, but that was a long time ago.”
“Did you go to school for that?”
Maggie made a so-so gesture with her hand. “Not really. I got my degree in communications and ended up doing the social media for the startup I landed at. But they failed, as many do.”
“Is that why you left Oklahoma?”
She stilled. “No. That’s not why I left. But I haven’t had a full-time job since then.”
Luke thought back to that first day in the diner when she’d gotten injured. The scars on her arm, the way her wrist seemed … wrong. His instincts were telling him that had more to do with why she left.
“Do you think you’ll go back to that?”
Maggie nodded. “Actually, I already have. I got a laptop and I’m doing the social media for Too Sweet. I mentioned something about it to Grace and she jumped at the opportunity to pass that off to someone.”
“That’s great! So, you’re freelancing?”
“Yep. I have a couple other clients but they’re virtual. Grace is the only one from town.”
“Awesome! What do you enjoy about it?”
“There’s so much to talk about!” She lit up as she explained, her hands waving about.
“Creating the graphics is a lot of fun. It feels like art even though I can’t draw a stick figure.
And coming up with content ideas and ways to highlight these businesses is super rewarding.
It’s really gratifying when your posts and engagement bring more customers to the little guys, instead of the big box companies.
Just the other day, when I was at Too Sweet… ”
Luke leaned his chin on his hand as he listened. Her passion shone through like a stained-glass window hit by the sun. This was the real Maggie, he realized. He didn’t know what had happened to dim her light, but she was here now. She’d come out of the dark and he was so happy to get to see it.
Could he let her go after his time was up? Luke pushed the thought away. He didn’t want to think about that. He’d meant what he said about being tired of the life of an agent. When he’d first started out, he’d had this same enthusiasm for it, but time and experience had dulled it.
Perhaps he should consider all his options.
Luke tried to talk her into dessert to draw the night out, but Maggie said she was too full. They kept the conversation going on the way home, and despite only doing the speed limit, they arrived at the Haven all too soon.
He walked her up the steps to the porch, his hand at the small of her back. She turned, the porch light making her red hair gleam.
“Luke, I had an amazing time. I don’t want to say goodbye just yet. Do you…” Her cheeks turned pink, and she bit her lip, but her gaze stayed on his. “Do you want to come in for coffee?”
He closed his eyes and breathed for a moment.
Yes, he wanted to come in. But he also wanted to unwrap her from that dress and worship every curve.
His mother’s warning rang in his head and he knew the temptation would be too great.
Luke wrapped one arm around her waist, and the other cupped her face.
“Not tonight,” he said. “If I go in there, I’m afraid I’ll do ungentlemanly things to you. ”
Heat flared in her emerald eyes. “What if I want you to do ungentlemanly things to me?”
Luke let his gaze wander over her face, the pale freckles across her adorable nose, the sweep of his thumb over her soft cheek. As happy as he’d been that she’d agreed to go out with him, he found he wanted more. “Please let me be a gentleman tonight. I have to go home to my mother after all.”
“Alright.” The side of her lips curved upwards in a near-smile. “Will you kiss me?”
“With pleasure.” He leaned down, glancing the tip of his nose against hers. She closed her eyes, but he watched as they breathed each other’s air. He wanted to engrave this in his memory for all time. Because something told him that this was going to change everything.