AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Fight for her
Maggiereclinedonher chaise in her room looking out her window at the hummingbirds flying around their feeder, zooming in for quick sips and zooming back out, their tiny wings nothing but a blur. She felt like her life had been like that for the last week, blurry around the edges. She resented the headaches that were her constant companions and would not allow her to sleep through the pain in her heart. Per doctor’s orders, she had not been allowed to come into the cafe even for a little while this week. She’d tried to read but that made the pain in her head worse. There wasn’t one TV program she could find that held her interest. She didn’t know how she was going to live through another week of this enforced rest.
A quiet knock came from her bedroom door. “Come in,” she replied. She hoped desperately someone needed her for something. With nothing to distract her, she was slowly losing her mind. Her attention had nowhere to go except back to Zane and the events of last weekend.
“Hey, sister mine. I have another special delivery from your fan club,” JT said quietly, coming in with another bouquet of flowers. He set it on her dresser then come to sit on the end of her bed facing her. “How are you feeling?”
“Just peachy,” she snapped. “I have all this quiet and rest. It’s just marvelous. Don’t know why I didn’t get a concussion earlier.”
She immediately felt bad for her tone when she saw her brother wince. “I’m sorry, JT. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just so bored and my head hurts all the time. Tell me what’s been going on at work. How are you and Sofia managing?”
“It’s all good,” JT said. “Sofia has really stepped up. She’s got everything running like a well-oiled machine. We really should think about giving her another promotion but I’m not sure what that would be.”
“Mmmm, I’ll try to think on it,” Maggie agreed. “She is a godsend. She knows she can call me with any questions, right? I am allowed to talk on the phone.”
“The doctor said you’re supposed to rest that brain of yours,′ JT reminded her. “That means no work. We’re getting along fine though everyone misses you.”
Maggie’s eyes filled with tears. “I have to have something to do, JT, or I’m going to lose my mind. I just sit here all day and think about Zane and how much I miss him.”
JT’s expression darkened. “He doesn’t deserve one single thought in your head, Maggie, not after the way he left you. All alone in a hospital bed without anything. I hope the crazy ex-girlfriend and him are happy together!”
Maggie’s lips tightened as her tears spilled over. "He's not with her, JT. You know that. He thinks he's protecting me,” Maggie said, instinctively coming to Zane’s defense despite how they had left things. “I was to blame for getting hurt anyway. You both told me to be careful and pay attention and I didn’t."
JT’s face immediately softened. “None of this was your fault. I don’t even want to hear you saying that. You can’t control some crazy woman. The police will find this Shawna and eventually and she'll pay.”
She closed her eyes. She couldn’t think about it all anymore. “Tell me about the wedding,” she asked, wanting to extricate herself from a conversation about Zane and Shawna. “Is everything about ready?”
“We’ve done everything we can do until next weekend.” JT chuffed a laugh. “Mama is beside herself with this rehearsal dinner. You’d think she was doing a sit down dinner for royalty. I think she’s invited the entire town.”
Maggie sighed. “I told her they wanted an intimate affair. The wedding is going to be small.”
“But you know Mama. Since y’all wouldn’t let her do what she wanted for the wedding, she’s decided the rehearsal dinner is going to be just as big, if not bigger than the reception.” He shook his head. “I spoke with Dani. She’s just given in and let Mama do what she wants since she knows the wedding and reception are going to be what she and Levi want.”
“That’s good,” Maggie said. “She must be running herself ragged since I have been officially taken out of wedding planning.” She wiped at her tears that had started falling again. “I hate this! There is so much to do and I’m sitting here useless.”
JT grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Aw, Maggie, don’t cry. She knows you can’t help it. She’d have your hide if you showed up and tried to help at this point. We all just want you to get better and back to your old self.”
Maggie sniffed and nodded but knew even once the headaches were gone, she’d never be back to herself again. A part of her soul was permanently missing.
Zane sat in his club chair, scotch in hand and stared out the window. It was the spot he always gravitated to whether he wanted to enjoy a victory by watching the beauty of the sunset reflected against the mirrored buildings or whether he needed to work out a problem. This evening he couldn't appreciate the view and he wasn't finding any solutions in golden brown liquid. Nothing mattered without Maggie to share it with. His fingers itched to call her and hear her sweet voice telling him all about her day, the events she was planning, and even the latest drama she’d been through with her mother about Dani’s wedding. He’d lost that right, though. He downed the last of his drink and grabbed the bottle off the side table to refill it. It was handier to keep the bottle near him than having to get up and go to the bar next to the kitchen. The Jameson was the only thing making life bearable.
He started when he heard the buzzer from his front door. He couldn’t imagine who would be coming to see him. He decided he didn’t care and ignored the sound taking another good gulp of the amber liquid in his glass. The buzzing noise came again. And again.
“Fuck!” he exclaimed as he drug himself from his chair to the door. He threw it open with a scowl, ready to chew someone a new one. Dani stood there, her green eyes flashing with temper, hands on her hips.
“What are you doing here?” he asked sullenly, not stepping aside to invite her in. Despite his question, he had a pretty good guess as to why she was there.
Dani poked him in the chest with a finger as she spoke. Trying to convince him with logic at the hospital hadn't worked so she was going to pivot to pissed off. “I’m here because you’re being a fucking dumb ass and I’ve had all I can take!”
Apparently, done poking at him, she shouldered him aside and let herself into his condo. Zane scrubbed a hand down his face. He was not in the mood for this. He reluctantly followed her into the living room where she stood watching him, her arms crossed over her chest.
“Do you want a drink?” Zane raised his glass at her in question.
“No, and neither do you. You look like you’ve had enough already.”
Zane gave a mirthless laugh. “That, my dear friend, is where you are wrong. I haven’t had nearly enough.” He flopped down in his seat and poured another finger into his already half-filled glass.
“So, this is what you’ve been up to while Maggie sits at home pining for you, “ Dani said caustically. “Way to go, Dr. Savage.”
