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“I stuck my clothes in the guest room for now. I wasn’t sure where you wanted them.”
“You can have that dresser and the closet if you’d like. Or I’ll move my things over there and you can have the closet in our room.”
“The guest room is fine,” he said. “I have a crazy schedule this week, so I’d better try to get organized tonight so you don’t have to look at my stuff all over the place.”
“It’s fine, Justin. I have to work tomorrow too, so I won’t be obsessing about the guest room. Ha! I’ll close the door if it gets to me. Tonight, I just want to chill out with you.”
Fixing plates of food, Maggie was relieved dinner wasn’t an issue, thanks to her mother. Rose must have known Justin was moving in, but she didn’t interfere by texting. Instead, she’d made it easier for her daughter by sending food. One of the issues Maggie had about living with Justin was being responsible for a nightly meal. It was something they’d work out, but not tonight. Tonight was about love, two people who found each other; for her, in the nick of time.
Taking their plates out to the porch, they’d eat by candlelight. The shrinking moon shone on the water, and a lone boat moving slowly toward town made the reflection shimmer.
“This is a big deal to me,” she said. “Living under the same roof is the start of our real life together. I guess this means I’m a grown-up again.”
“Me too. I’m glad we’re growing up together, Maggie. I know it’s a sacrifice for you.”
“Justin, it’s no sacrifice. Living alone isn’t so great. It’s an honor to have you here with me.”
“I have a feeling there’s something more. Not marriage, don’t worry about that. I won’t pressure you. But there’s something else.”
“Maybe it’s the clinic,” Maggie said. “Did you think more about that?”
“Not yet. Maybe you’re right. I need to slow it down and get back to a day at a time.”
“Right. We don’t have to be anywhere; there’s no place to go and nothing that needs our attention right now. We only have to focus on each other. I love you, Justin.”
“I love you, too.” He placed his plate on the table. “If you look to your right, you might have visitors.”
Maggie looked up to see that the horses were standing at the perimeter of her property.
“But they’re not coming in the yard,” she said sadly.
In the village, Alphé sent Katrina a text again.You okay?
She answered right back.I am. Maggie came in to town for a cup of coffee. I’ll head over now.
Deciding then she wasn’t spending the night, she just grabbed her bag and phone. There was a minivan in the driveway behind Alphé’s pickup truck, so she parked on the street. He opened the door and came out to meet her.
“My brother’s wife, Calista, is here. She just showed up.”
“Do you want me to leave?”
“No, no, come in.”
“Alphé, I can come back later, or we can see each other tomorrow night.”
“No, it’s fine. We’re just finalizing plans for her to watch my kids in the evening after school until I get home.”
Reluctantly, Katrina took his hand and followed him up the narrow walkway. She didn’t relish spending the evening listening to them talk about their childcare plans. But it turned out to be good because when she saw Calista, she realized that the presence of a beautiful woman in Alphé’s house might be a problem.
“Calista, this is Katrina,” Alphé said.
Neither woman put their hands out to shake, just smiling and saying hello. Six kids in the house raised the noise level to almost deafening, so Alphé motioned for Katrina and Calista to follow him into the kitchen. They could hear him directing the kids to calm down. They had an hour of television before it was time to call it a night so they could get ready for school. When he returned, he closed the door behind him.
“How about coffee?” he asked. “I just made a fresh pot.”
Katrina watched the interaction between Calista and Alphé, and a red flag went up. They’d just found out that his brother, her husband, had betrayed them with Lola. It was even worse for Alphé, a double whammy. Was there some chemistry between them developing because of it? Katrina watched their interactions carefully.
Alphé asked how she took her coffee, which Katrina thought was a good sign. They didn’t know each other that well, then.
