Maggie wasn’t immune to their playful banter.She loved that they were close now.She missed this—all of it.
“Can we, Ma?”
Maggie took a deep breath and met the blue gaze fixedon her.“I’m not sure.”She couldn’t do it.She’d tried, but she wasn’t ready.She loved that face—she loved that man.And she wasn’t sure what to do about it.What was the best course of action—for everyone?“Mike, are you free to take them?”
“Danny and I can take them.”He sighed.“Probably best if you stay out of the cold, anyway.We’re supposed to get a freeze.”
“Are you sick, Maggie?”Delilah put her little hand on Maggie’s arm.
“She was.She was real sick.”Cody leaned against her.“Gramma says she needs her rest so she can get better.”
“My mommy got real sick, too.”Delilah scooted closer to her.“You have to get better, Maggie.”
Maggie slipped her arm around the little girl.“I will, Delilah.You don’t need to worry about me, okay?I’m fine.”
“Ma doesn’t want anyone to worry about her.”Cody sighed and shook his head.“But Gramma and Grampa say you can’t help but worry when you love someone.”
“I worry cuz I wove you.”Delilah burrowed closer.
“I love you, too.”She loved this precious little girl so much.It felt so good to have her close.
“I have missed you wots.”Delilah reached up to play with one of Maggie’s curls.“I asked Daddy where did you go.He said you had stuff to do.I told him I missed you and he said he missed you, too.But now it’s okay.”She was smiling again.“Right, Daddy?”
Maggie knew better than to look—but she did it anyway.
“Right.”Braden didn’t shy away from her gaze—he met it boldly.Almost like he was searching for something.A crease formed between his brows.
“Uncle Mike, you got any change for the jukebox?”Cody was leaning across the table.
“What’s a jukebox?”Delilah did exactly as Cody did.
“A jukebox plays music.”Mike slid out of the booth.“Let’s go pick out some tunes.”
And just like that, she and Braden were alone at the table.She stared after Mike, willing him to look back and rescue her.He never looked back.If anything, he seemed to be intentionally not looking at her.
Traitor.
“You look tired, Maggie.”The furrow on Braden’s brow deepened.“And thinner.Are you okay?”
“Never better.”She hated that he caused tingles stronger than ever.“Everything good with you and Delilah?”Her gaze darted from her mangled pie to his profile.
“Yep.”He sat back against the booth seat.“You and Cody?”His blue eyes stayed on her face.
The way he was looking at her, she could only manage to say, “Mmm-hmm.”She went back to picking her pie crust apart.
“You sure everything is okay?”He’d lowered his voice.
No.Nothing is okay.You’re here, being you.And I miss you.“I’m sure.”Her chest ached.
They sat in awkward silence.She held out as long as she could, but there was no shaking off the current between them.The second their eyes locked, her toes were curling in her boots.He was as gorgeous as always but…he looked like hell.His eyes were bloodshot with dark shadows beneath.There was a weariness about him that hadn’t been there before.She remembered Cody’s words then, something about Braden being sad.Seeing him this way made her sad.The ache in her chest sharpened.“Are you okay?”
His smile was brittle.“I will be.”
Her phone rang.“Hello?”She hadn’t even bothered to look at the screen.
“Maggie?It’s Opal.How are you, girl?Still upright and breathing?”As one of the big shots at the International Healthcare Initiative, she was getting antsy to have Maggie back.“Are you climbing the walls yet?Get cleared by the doc yet?If so, I have an assignment for you.”
At one time, Maggie would have been eager to go out into the field.Not anymore.Somewhere along the line, everything had changed.She didn’t know how to undo that change—or if she wanted to.All she knew was leaving felt…wrong.“I can’t help you this time.I thought I told you my doctor’s appointment is next week.”
