46. Maggie
FORTY-SIX
MAGGIE
“Ellie sure knows how to wear those boys out,” Mom said as we sat on Violet’s back deck watching the littles chase my dog in circles. There were socks all over the yard, three different sizes of balls in play, and a bubble machine on full blast.
“They wear her out, too,” I added, tucking the flannel blanket tighter around my legs.
It was a balmy fifty-two degrees—warm for November in Michigan, but less warm for those not running around the yard working up a sweat.
The snow would come soon enough, which only made me wonder if Bluebell Springs was already dusted in white.
Was Luke shoveling his driveway or pulling someone out of a ditch? Or maybe he was helping Opal build a snowman. How was it possible to miss someone this much? Someone who still hadn’t reached out after all these weeks, and likely never would.
“You were happier there,” Mom said, pulling me from my thoughts.
“What’s that?”
“In Colorado.”
I didn’t know how to answer that without hurting her feelings, so I stayed quiet.
Mom had been overjoyed to have me home. She was over at Violet’s most days.
We’d gone out to eat together, shopped, and even saw a movie.
After she got over the initial shock of my wedding dress being destroyed, we got a kick out of the video of Luanne full-on panicking when I caught her trying on my dress.
I thought she’d be overbearing, but she was just my mom.
It was nice.
“Maybe we could come to you for Christmas,” Mom said, pondering.
“What?”
“You said there’s plenty of vacation rentals in that little town, right?”
“I’m not driving twenty hours with a newborn,” Violet said, dropping into the empty chair and joining the conversation. “But you two knock yourselves out.”
“What are you guys talking about? I’m not—”
Ellie froze mid-run, dozens of leaves kicking up into the air and mixing with the bubbles. She was on full alert, her ears perked and tail stiff. Suddenly, she began barking incessantly. She raced around the yard, sniffing at the ground.
“Ellie, what are you doing?”
Sock dangling from her mouth, she sprinted toward the gate.
She had the latch open before I was even fully out of my chair. I chased after her, nearly tripping on my blanket.
“Ellie, come back here!”
But when I reached the gate, I understood.
Luke Mason caught Ellie in his arms and hugged her tightly. Which was a challenge considering how fiercely she was wiggling with excitement.
Luke.
He was here.
How was he here?
“So, don’t hate me,” Violet said, coming up behind me. “But I told him to bring the trailer.”
“Trailer?”
“You’ll see. Go give that man a proper greeting. He just drove twenty hours nonstop.” She gave me a not-so-gentle nudge.
Luke’s gaze caught mine, and he tried to set Ellie down. But my overjoyed pup was having none of it.
“Am I chopped liver or what?” Alyssa said to Ellie, coming up beside Luke. To me, she added, “Before you get mad at me for not texting, there’s a very confused old man named Fred we need to talk about. But first, I need to pee.”
Violet waved her over, and the two disappeared into the house, leaving me alone with Luke and Ellie.
Finally, my pup settled enough that Luke was able to put her down and come to me. Damn, he looked good in those jeans and flannel jacket. I missed stealing it. I didn’t understand why he was here, but I was eager to find out.
“Hey,” he said, his smile shyer than usual.
I folded my arms, partially because I was still sore at him for going silent on me for so many weeks. But mostly it was to keep from throwing myself at him before I heard him out.
“Aren’t you out of your jurisdiction, Chief?”
“I have good reason.” He pulled a folded piece of paper from his jacket pocket and offered it to me.
“What’s this?”
“Take a look.”
I unfolded the paper, confused at first. But as I read, I understood exactly what it was—a job offer for the Veteran Service Officer position in Bluebell Springs and the surrounding areas. It was signed by both the Legion president and the mayor.
“The mayor didn’t have your number.” Luke kneaded his hand into the back of his neck. “Well, no one did, actually.”
“What?”
“You didn’t give your number to anyone but me.”
And Alyssa. But I suspected that had something to do with this Fred character. I’d ask her later. But now it made sense why no one reached out. They didn’t know how.
“So, after weeks of radio silence, you drove to Michigan to give this to me?” I asked, touched but also confused. “I don’t understand.”
“I love you. Fuck. I wasn’t going to lead with that.”
Luke scrubbed both hands over his face, looking nervous as hell. It was kind of endearing. The man who rarely let down his guard was acting like a shy teenager confessing his feelings to his longtime crush. Dammit, how was I supposed to stay even a little bit mad at him when he was like this?
The tension melted, and I moved closer. As close as I could get with a dog wedged between us. Ellie sat on his boots, and if I had to guess, not even a department store filled with socks could entice her to detach herself from Luke right now.
“But you didn’t even kiss me goodbye.”
“I thought I was doing what was best for you.”
“And what was that?”
“Letting you go to your family without putting pressure on you to come back. I didn’t think it was fair to tell you how I felt when your family needed you. When you never once mentioned coming back. But dammit, Maggie. It’s been hell without you.”
I glanced at the letter again. Luke’s name wasn’t on it anywhere, but that didn’t mean he had nothing to do with this. He had to have known.
“So, this is you asking me to come back?”
“This is me telling you I’ve missed you since the second you pulled out of my driveway. That the entire town has missed you. It’s not just me who wants you to come back.”
He reached into his pocket, handing over three soft caramels. No doubt a gift from Walter. My heart squeezed.
“Everyone wants you to come back,” Luke continued.
“But the choice is yours. If you want me to turn around and leave without you, I will. It’ll kill me, and I can’t promise Ellie won’t hitch a ride back to Bluebell Springs even if you tell me to take a hike.
But I wanted you to have all the information so you can decide—”
I pounced on him, Ellie moving out of the way only long enough for me to wrap my legs around Luke’s hips. The second my mouth was on his, I felt the cold pressure of her nose against my exposed lower back.
We laughed through the kiss, and suddenly, the world felt right again.
Luke held me tightly against him, nuzzling my neck. “I love you, in case I didn’t say that part.”
“You did.” I cupped his cheek, pressing my forehead against his. “But you can say it again. As many times as you want.”
“Don’t make me get out the hose,” Violet called to us as two little boys giggled behind the gate.
I slid down Luke’s body, looking forward to the next time I could do that without clothes on. “You really drove thirteen hundred miles to tell me you loved me when you could’ve just called me?”
“I thought the grand gesture would sound a lot cooler in the story we tell our grandkids.”
Tears leaked out the corners of my eyes.
My epic love story.
This was it.
“What do you say, Magnolia Holland? Do you want me to pack your things on this trailer and bring you back to Bluebell Springs? The choice is yours.”
“You’re going to load it by yourself?” I teased, my smile stretching my cheeks.
“Connor’s in the cab taking a nap.”
“And I didn’t just show up to stand around and look pretty,” Alyssa called from the fence beside my sister and Mom.
“I’ll make Ethan help. Your shit’s heavy,” Violet added.
Everyone was staring at me, waiting to hear my decision. Mom was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, but she was smiling. Her comment about Christmas made more sense now. So, while this felt impulsive, I knew it wasn’t. It felt like the very thing I’d yearned for longer than I could remember.
Bluebell Springs was home.
Luke was home.
“Before I officially decide, I should mention two things,” I said to Luke.
“What’s that?”
“One: I broke the closet doorknob in the guest room. I meant to fix it, and even bought the spare from your dad’s store, but—”
“I don’t care about the doorknob, Maggie.”
“Oh, well, in that case. The second thing: I love you too.”
“That’s a relief. Would’ve been awkward driving all this way with a trailer for you to say you just wanted to be friends.”
“Shut up.” I swatted him playfully, and Ellie let out a happy bark.
“Luke?”
“Yes, Maggie?”
“I’m ready to go home now.”