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Heading into her bedroom, she locked the door. Then, grabbing Ziggy and a blanket, she climbed into the empty bathtub.
She couldn’t . . . she couldn’t . . .
There was no way she could go back onto the ice.
Ever.
15
Maggie felt numb the next day.
Part of her was aware that Jack hadn’t once smiled at her. Or spoken to her directly. If she was capable of feeling much, she’d be upset by that.
By her stupidity.
Why hadn’t she just told him she’d love to go on a date but that she couldn’t ice-skate?
Instead, she’d run away like a fool and hidden in a bathtub.
Who did that?
People who really liked bathtubs, she guessed. And her.
She’d barely slept last night. She’d suffered from nightmares. And at one stage, after a particularly bad one, she’d woken up feeling like someone was watching her again.
Maggie, you are losing your mind.
Yep. She sure was.
When Uncle Willy knocked on her door at four in the morning, it had actually been a relief. Last night, he’d decided that they were getting up for some early morning shots in the desert. He wanted different shots at different times of the day.
Normally, she hated early morning starts, but it wasn’t like she’d been getting any sleep anyway.
“Here, let me take that,” Ian said, walking up to her with a frown as he reached for the bag she was carrying. Suddenly, he paused. “I mean, if you want me to.”
He was acting so strange that if she wasn’t so exhausted and numb, she’d be more upset.
Wait . . . did she like Ian’s bossy and domineering ways?
She really was losing it.
“I’ve got it. It’s my job.” Even though her body was burning with fatigue. At least that meant she was feeling something.
Ian opened his mouth to argue, then he shut it abruptly.
“Maggie, dear, let’s go,” Uncle Willy yelled, clearly excited.
“Okie-dokie.”
What she wouldn’t give for her bed and some sleeping pills. She hadn’t brought any with her, though. She was scared of using them too much. Of becoming reliant.
But she also needed sleep.
As they walked, Ian hovered close by. Maybe she should have let him carry the bags. Already, she could feel her body protesting. Her hip was going to give her some real grief tonight.
However, this was her job. She couldn’t become reliant on these guys. And it was helping keep her warm. The desert in the early morning was chilly.
Against her better judgment, she looked back over her shoulder at Jack.
