41. Through Good And Bad
Chapter forty-one
Through Good And Bad
Paul
Handing my prize, a pink stuffed pig to Maggie, my chest puffed with pride. With her watching, damn straight I was going to win the strong man competition against my brothers. There was nothing I couldn’t do for Maggie.
She held the pig carefully, cooing to it and giving it a name.
“He looks like a George to me,” she said with a snicker.
“It’s a pig, not a hog. Needs a female name,” I muttered.
She snorted. “George Halifax.”
It was nice seeing her like this, relaxed and having fun.
She seemed to get on well with the other women who walked around with us.
The chaos of the Summer Festival continued to sweep us down the line into a new sea of vendors.
We stopped at a place to get a corn dog, then a fried pickle on a stick, fried sandwich cookies on a stick, more pastries on a stick, and a freshly-squeezed lemonade to wash it all down.
From there, as if she was a hound sniffing it out, Maggie headed straight to Mrs. Baumgartner’s booth. It was packed, but somehow the people parted for Maggie.
Mrs. Baumgartner gasped. “Oh, dear girl. It’s been so long! I heard you liked my strawberry pie. Is that true?”
Maggie clasped her hand to her chest. “My dear madam. I absolutely adore your strawberry pie, but I’ll admit that if there is a pie you’ve made, I’ll fall in love with it no matter the type of fruit you slice into it.”
Mrs. Baumgartner soaked up the compliments and attention as she dished up Maggie an extra special plate with four different varieties of pie.
My brothers and I only got two varieties and spent the entire time trying for a taste of Maggie’s.
With fits of giggles, she effectively shooed us away, threatening us with her plastic spork.
Well, it wasn’t really a threat, but we pretended it was.
So, when she finished the coveted strawberry pie that none of us got to taste, I couldn’t help but dive in for a kiss.
My brothers whooped, but I didn’t care. When I pulled back, I licked my lips. Maggie startled as I grabbed her empty plate and licked it, too.
“How else was I gonna taste the strawberry?” I asked with a playful grin.
She whacked me from our place on the grass all the way over to the garbage can.
So, once I threw in our paper plates, I pulled her behind the squad car on display and kissed her again.
She was so warm and sweet I could hardly stand it.
My hands roamed down her back to squeeze her tight little ass until she yelped into my mouth.
When she leaned back, she looked around. “You can’t do that here. There are way too many people. And kids!”
I glanced around, then kissed her again, letting my hand creep under her short skirt this time.
There were no kids around and it didn’t matter to me if anyone saw me loving on her today.
I was thrilled to be here with her, claiming her in front of the town.
And from how wet her panties were, I knew she enjoyed it, too.
Her little mewl at the way I pushed at the cotton of her panties warned me I was getting her a little too worked up, so I pulled my hand away from her. “You know, as good as that pie is, you taste even better.”
She shook her head at me but grinned anyway. A side smirk with a shiver that told me how much it affected her.
Leaning down, I pressed my cock into her stomach until she let out a little squeak. “See what you do to me? One little kiss and I’ve got you dripping for me. And now all I can think about is stripping you bare and fucking you senseless.”
Her eyelids fell shut for a second longer than they usually would. “I want to, but later. Show me the rest of the festival. We’ll play after.”
My breath caught in my throat. “After?” I choked. “Really?”
She huffed. “People already know anyway. No point in hiding it now.”
Towing me behind her, my legs still rubbery from the idea of after, she led us back to my brothers who bounced all the way to the games and rides. A traveling carnival crew set up a few rides that looked a little rusty, but sturdy enough that we went on them. And it was fun. Mostly.
Between my brothers giving me a hard time and Maggie helping them, I had to be the voice of reason. Stopping them from taking the fun too far. Accused of playing the part of the father-figure. Well, someone had to stop them from doing stupid shit.
So, when it came to the hayride, I kicked my brothers to the curb. It was time for them to find their own fun without us, to learn to do without me since I was testing a theory.
Maggie and I rode on the back, holding onto the bar above us to make sure we didn’t bump right out of the wagon.
When I pulled a piece of hay from Maggie’s hair, she turned to me with a smile.
“You look beautiful, Mags. You’re all aglow,” I said, stroking her cheek. “Did you have fun today?”
She gave a genuine smile as she leaned into my hand. “Yes, I really did. Did you?”
“Yeah,” I said, pausing. “Always do with you.”
Instead of shying away, she reached for my hand and held it to her cheek. In the fading summer light, her eyes captured mine, making me drown in their depths. There was nowhere else I’d rather be.
“It’s been nice to see you smile so much,” I said softly.
“I could say the same about you,” she said, lowering our hands as she entwined them while bumping me with her shoulder. “I don’t remember you smiling this much even when we were kids.”
Lifting one shoulder casually, I watched the way the breeze blew her hair. “Things were different then. Not much to look forward to with you leaving.”
While I shifted my gaze away from her, Maggie squeezed my hand. “It bothered you that much? Even when we were young?”
I shrugged instead of answering. The moment she set foot in this town, Maggie talked about leaving.
Of course it stung. But how could I tell her that when we were right back to the same place again?
When it was time for her to go back, I wouldn’t get in her way, but it would hurt like hell to watch her drive away again.
“You have to know that you mean the world to me,” Maggie said in a strangled voice.
I turned to see her eyes welling with tears.
“I’ve thought about you so much over the years, wondering what you were doing.
Wondering if you thought about me,” she said, trailing off as she averted her eyes.
“I really hope we can figure something out someday because I care about you, Paul Stratton. You’ve made this visit home special. ”
Her words carried so much weight that I was speechless. She cared for me? I was over the moon! But what could I say? There was nothing that would comfort her because I had no way to make any guarantees.
“No matter what happens, I’m your friend, Maggie. I’ll always be here for you.”
When she pulled away, we rode the rest of the way in silence. It felt a little more tense than I’d anticipated, but she’d been away from her mom for a while. She must be worried about what was to come in the days ahead.
The next day, I was driving to meet Maggie for lunch at the diner when I came upon her rushing to her car.
Her long skirt billowed around her as she fumbled her keys, dropping them to the pavement.
I swung into the parking spot a couple places down from her rental car and hopped out to see what was wrong.
“Mags,” I called.
She turned, and from the devastation on her face, I knew what was happening. Tears streamed down her face. Her hands shook. And she threw herself into my arms. I pressed one palm to the back of her head to comfort her as I pulled her into a tight embrace.
“Father called,” she said, leaning back. “Mom’s really bad. I have to get there.”
“I’m so sorry. Want me to drive you?”
Her eyes darted up to mine. “Would you?”
“Of course.”
“Father won’t be happy about it,” she winced.
I gave her hand a squeeze as I led her to the passenger seat of my truck. “I don’t expect him to be. He’s losing his wife. He could yell and curse at me, and I’d understand.”
Another tear streaked down her perfect cheek as she reached out and touched my chest tenderly. “Thank you.”
Driving her over to her parents’ house, I held onto her hand, providing support while I swallowed down my own emotions.
This was going to be brutal if it was the end for her mom.
Putting on a neutral face, I would help however I could.
Her daddy would never handle affection between us, though.
Not holding her was going to be the most difficult thing I could fathom, but I’d just follow her lead.
When I trailed behind her up the driveway, she glanced back at me a few times. Like she needed the reassurance that she wasn’t in this alone. I gave her a little nod both times, then pulled off my cap as we entered her parents’ house.
Staying close so she wouldn’t have to check for me, I followed Maggie to the sunroom. Her daddy was sitting at her mom’s side, her hand pressed to his lips. It felt like an intimate moment we were intruding on, so Maggie and I stepped back and let them have their time.
A few minutes later, her daddy came storming out to us. “Why did you bring him?”
Maggie’s eyes looked blurred with tears. “Paul is my friend. He saw I was on my way here and offered support. Besides, Mom always liked him.”
His eyes softened a bit, but his focus came to me. “What are your intentions with my daughter? Are you just sneaking around or are you making an honest woman of her?”
Covering my shock at his words, I focused on my cap. “That’s up to her, sir. Right now, I’m here as moral support and to be her friend. She chooses where we go from here.”
Maggie tugged my arm and pulled me into the sunroom. Her mom’s eyes were closed, but her chest still rose and fell with ragged breaths. A nurse sat in the corner keeping watch.
Taking the chair her daddy vacated, Maggie took her mom’s hand. “Mom? You don’t have to open your eyes. I’m here now. Paul is, too.”
Her mom’s eyes fluttered open and a weak smile tugged at her dry lips. “Paul.”