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“I’m so glad you came back…”
“I hope you don’t mind that I came back…”
They spoke simultaneously.
“Ha! We are on the same wavelength,” he said, tying his horse up to the post.
She leaned over the railing and threaded her arms around him, kissing his face and his neck. “I don’t mind that you came back. I have to say something, and I hope it’s not too late.”
Letting go of her, he opened the gate to the porch, the one he’d installed so when Brulee was a puppy she wouldn’t take off.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Do you want a cup of coffee?”
“Coffee would be good. Your mother is at my dad’s, so you know the coffee is high acid content.”
“Yeah, I don’t know what she does to it, but it’s always awful,” Maggie said, pouring a cup for him. “Don’t tell her. Here you go.”
He followed her back out on the porch. “You’ve got my curiosity going.”
“How obligated are you to move into that apartment?”
“I’m not obligated. I’m supposed to sign the lease tomorrow.”
“Don’t sign it. Just move in with me.”
She got his attention. Was Maggie finally coming around to his way of thinking?
“Are you sure, Maggie? If I come, I have a lot of literal baggage. My horse, for one thing.”
“I’m sure, Justin. We’ll get a stable built right away because poor Spooky might decide to take off with the wild ones.”
“You’d do that? I mean, I’d pay for it, but you’d build a barn on your property for my Spooky?”
“Of course. I love Spooky. If you say yes, you’d need your own space too, so I think the area where the dining table is would make a grand man cave. You can have a giant TV there. You’d have to use headphones if you watch it; I’m not sure I’d tolerate the noise for long. And there’s a space for a desk, too, if you need one.”
“Thank you so much. The answer is yes. I like that space in the back of the cottage. It’s perfect for my computer.”
He stretched over to kiss her, trying not to shout for joy. She’d been adamant about not living together and now, practically overnight, had come to see his way of thinking.
“Do I dare ask what made you change your mind?”
“Ha! You can ask. I love you and want to be with you all the time, that’s all. I’m a little worried about the togetherness thing, and that’s why I want you to have your own space. It’s only fair, anyway.”
“We’ve talked about adding on,” he said.
“Yeah, but I’m not ready for that yet. A barn is a big enough expansion.”
That really defined their relationship, and Maggie bit her lip to keep from grinning. She was the plotter and planner, and he jumped right in.
“Should I start working on it right away?”
“That’s fine,” she said, ready to put an end to the move-in talk. “What’s on the agenda for today?”
“After coffee do you want to take a walk? A new band of horses showed up on the state land bordering your property, and I want to check them out.”
“How’s that possible?”
