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Walking quietly along the side of the house, she peeked around the corner. Mariella sat on the porch steps in front of the main entrance, her phone clutched in her hand as she wiped tears from her eyes.
Maggie took a cautious step forward, causing a floorboard to creak, and the woman turned, clearly startled. “Sorry,” she apologized then asked, “Are you okay?”
Mariella’s beautiful face pinched as she tried to answer, but she could only manage a shake of her head.
Concern drew her across the porch and she lowered herself to the step. “Can I do something?”
Mariella’s breath hitched and shuddered. “No. There’s nothing anyone can do.”
Her brows pulled in concern, and she gently placed a hand on the woman’s back, rubbing softly. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“It’s too embarrassing.”
“Okay.”
“I’m an idiot. I should know better.”
Maggie had no idea what the issue was, so she just listened and continued to rub her back.
“Every time I fall in love and give someone my heart, they stop wanting it.”
She was crying over relationship stuff? How could that be? Mariella was gorgeous. She should have men flocking to her and throwing themselves at her feet. “Whoever hurt you, he doesn’t know what he’s missing.” He was the idiot.
“We were in love,” she explained. “Every time I came home from college, he’d buy me presents and promise that we would eventually make things work.” She wiped at the smears of makeup and tears under her eyes. “He said he loved me.”
“Just because a relationship doesn’t work out doesn’t mean two people aren’t in love.”
“Oh, I know. He loves me. But I’m not what he wants. I’m too young and too…” She waved her hand, as if trying to think of the right word. “I’m not the kind of woman he wants to marry.”
Whoever this guy was, he sounded like a creep. “Then maybe forget him. You seem like a perfectly nice woman to me. And you’re so pretty. You shouldn’t have to put up with that kind of attitude from any man.”
“But I love him. All this time I thought, if he genuinely loved me too, he’d get over his commitment issues.” Her voice broke with a sob, and her face dropped to her palms. Just then, her cell phone rang, and she sucked in a breath. “It’s him.”
“Are you going to answer it?”
Her lips tightened with indecision, and she wiped her eyes, lifting the phone to her ear. “Hello?”
Maggie stood to give her privacy and noticed Ryan waiting at the corner of the porch. How long had he been standing there? She walked over to him.
“I followed you out here to make sure you were okay.”
She smiled because that was sweet of him to check on her. “I’m okay.”
He glanced over her shoulder to where Mariella spoke on the phone. “Is she?”
“Guy problems.”
“I see.” He tipped his forehead to hers and smiled. “It was nice of you to comfort her.”
“Whoever she’s dating sounds like a jerk,” she whispered. “She deserves better.”
Ryan shrugged. “She never brings him around. And the few times she expected him to attend a family function, he bailed on her last minute. I wish she’d get rid of him.”
“Well, you might be getting your wish.”
Ryan gave her a look that said Mariella was off the phone and heading their way. Maggie turned. She looked better. “Everything okay?”
The woman drew in a shaky breath and tucked her phone in her pocket. “Maybe. He wants to see me to talk.” She wiped at the black smears under her eyes. “I’m a disaster.”
“No,” Maggie disagreed. “You’re human.” It was a refreshing discovery. “I’ll get you a wet napkin.”
She quickly slipped into the kitchen and Ryan’s Aunt Colleen sidled up to her at the sink. “Is that for Mariella?”
Maggie looked at the woman, knowing she was likely only concerned about her daughter. But not knowing enough about their relationship, she didn’t want to betray Ryan’s cousin by saying too much.
“It’s okay,” Colleen said. “I’m used to it. Her boyfriend’s a real prize.” There was no disguising the contempt behind her sarcasm. “I wish she’d realize how much better she deserves and get rid of him.”
Maggie wrung out the paper towel and smiled. “I better get back out there.”
Once Mariella had her face cleaned up, Maggie went inside the house. She and Ryan made their goodbyes, and Kelly apologized for pushing her buttons earlier, promising to get her a jersey for the game next week. Maggie had survived the family dinner, but she also felt like she’d run a decathlon.
On the drive home, Ryan held her hand. “So, do you think you could do it again?”
She smiled. “I want to say no, but part of me hopes we do.”
He grinned at her in a way that said he felt exactly the same.
Chapter 33
Maggie sucked in a sharp breath and put down her flute of champagne. “Oh, Perrin.”
