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“I’ll get Ryan to cover for me. He owes me.”
“Great, because I have a dozen questions for you. Starting with who that beautiful woman is, and don’t try to tell me she’s just your neighbor.”
Being grilled about what he didn’t even want to admit to himself was only one step below talking about Robert. “Come to think of it, maybe I should go to work.”
Kimberly laughed. “I’m not letting you get away with that. OK, I promise I’ll go easy with the questions.”
Great, an entire day ahead of him with Kimberly by his side. He’d have to take her for a hike, let her see the beauty of the Sierras, show her pristine Pinecrest Lake which drew visitors from all over the state.
Anything to keep her from talking.
The mysteryof Jack Butler had begun to unravel itself by a single, solitary thread named Kimberly.
She’d been married to Jack’s partner, but no longer. Maybe Jack was the reason they were no longer married. Except Jack didn’t look like the kind of man who would break up a marriage—as if she knew what that kind of man looked like. But he wouldn’t look like Jack.
If she’d had to pinpoint it, Maggie would guess that Kimberly had a good decade on Jack. Then again, some men liked older women. But now it made sense, because she could never believe that he’d be single.
Although Kimberly had said they were old friends. Then again, she and Jack were friends, and only her heart knew that her feelings had grown beyond friendship. A reminder that she had to get a grip.
A couple of hours later, Maggie heard Jack’s truck start up and drive off. Probably because she’d been listening for it. Time to get busy, and get your mind off what you can’t have.
Please God, help me get this man out of my mind and heart. I realize You want me to be alone now and focus on my daughter. I’m sorry about my wandering heart. I’ll try to do better.
For the rest of the afternoon, Maggie cleaned like a woman on a mission. Like a woman who cared what people thought about her housekeeping habits.I’m starting to scare myself.
As soon as Lexi got home from school, she laid the truth out like a peace offering. “It’s up to you, Lexi. I don’t want to stop you if you want to go to the festival with your grandparents.Why don’t you call them right now? Something tells me they’re expecting a call.”
“Seriously? You want me to call them? What happened to you?”
Had she been that horrible? “What happened is that God has been working on my heart for some time now. And though I’m still a work in progress, it seems as if at least the entrance has been remodeled.”
Lexi continued to stare. “Is that supposed to make any sense?”
“It’s a metaphor!” Maggie declared and then turned on the vacuum cleaner.
By the time Lexi returned, the living room had undergone a metamorphosis. Maggie had uncluttered and found a place in her closet for all the paperback romance novels that she tended to leave all around the house in every nook and cranny so she’d always have something to read.
“It looks nice in here,” Lexi said in a conciliatory tone. “Kind of like clean.”
“Thanks.”
Maggie nodded in appreciation. A sense of accomplishment coursed through her. Too bad she couldn’t freeze-frame the moment. Unfortunately, by tomorrow she’d need to start all over again.
“I’m going to the festival,” Lexi said. “This weekend.”
“I’ll bet they’re happy,” Maggie said. “They miss you.”
“You sure this is OK? Grandpa didn’t believe me. He said I should ask you to be sure, and I said it was your idea. Then he said—well, never mind.”
Yeah, never mind. Richard didn’t usually have compliments to hand out for Maggie, but she’d been the bigger person. And, hopefully, God was smiling.
“It’s OK with me as long as it’s what you want.”
“It sounds like fun, but I will miss Chief.” Lexi shrugged as she opened the fridge and grabbed a juice box.
“Oh, thanks, honey, you’ll miss a dog over your own mother?” Maggie rumpled Lexi’s hair.
The doorbell rang, and Maggie opened it to find Kimberly and Jack. She definitely hadn’t expected this, although she had hoped. At least her house was ready for company.
