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“I guess you know it’s me,” he said, contrite.
“I know it’s you. Your name comes up when you call me.” She giggled a little.
“Do you want to go dancing tonight?”
“Like we did a week ago?”
“Right. At the roadhouse.”
“I’d like that.”
They decided on seven o’clock. It was early, so they’d have time to eat first. She could tell he didn’t want a lot of downtime to rehash the events of the day. Would she be able to just let it go until the next time he had a meltdown over something she’d done against his will? Thinking on it, she honestly didn’t know if keeping quiet was possible. It would take an act of her will.
At seven, he pulled up to the gate. She’d forgotten about changing the combination to the lock and didn’t remember until she got a text.What’s going on with the lock?
“Oh crap,” she said out loud.
She quickly sent him a text with the new combination and went back inside to wait, pacing. Yet an additional thing to tick him off, and while she thought of it, her anger grew. If he truly got mad about the new lock combination, she’d tell him to take a hike.
He pulled up, and she stood behind the door, peeking at him. When he turned the lights off, she could see him staring out the windshield, not moving. Was he trying to assuage his anger? She’d wished her mother would have called to give her the scoop on what he’d told everyone there.
Finally, the truck door opened and he got out, a huge bouquet of flowers in his hand and a silly grin on his handsome face. Smiling back, she opened the door and stepped out onto the porch.
“I guess I pissed you off,” he said, nodding toward the gate.
Oh crap, she thought.Here we go.“Yes. I was a tad angry.”
“I don’t blame you. I’m sorry I acted like that. I need to learn a way to express my anger without having a temper tantrum.”
Holding out the flowers for her, they embraced, and without missing a beat, he kissed her, tasting her, his anguish over his behavior slowly dissolving as she showed him that he was forgiven. When they finally parted, out of breath, she was a little emotional, and he knew she wasn’t finished with him.
“Don’t do that to me again,” she said, looking him in the eye. “Don’t walk away from me because you didn’t get your way. We are going to disagree, Justin. It’s inevitable. But if I have to measure every word and deed so you don’t take off on me, this isn’t going to work.”
“I was just scared.”
“Well, you’re going to have to deal with your fears. I have plans for the cottage, and I want to do the work myself. We can’t argue about that, okay? Are you going to be able to live with that? Because I thought it was something we’d worked out before.”
“I had a relapse.”
“You’re entitled. Just don’t leave angry. That will never work.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve never been with a determined woman before. The only thing they were determined about was getting me to change.”
They laughed at that comment. “You know I’m not going to change,” she said. “I hope you can accept me the way I am. And the only thing you have to change is not wanting me to change.”
“I’ll try, Maggie. It might take a while. You know I am a guy.”
“Oh jeez, that’s no excuse,” she said, roaring. She reached out for his hand and they held on tight.
“I’ll put these in some water.”
He followed her into the cottage.
“So are you ready to dance?” he asked, getting down in her face. “I want to feel your body moving next to me.”
“I practiced this afternoon all by my lonesome, even before I knew you wanted to go out.”
“I can hardly wait,” he said, licking his lips, and she backhanded him teasingly.
