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She turned to shout the order to Vera, who unfortunately still stood only inches from her.
Vera winced and rubbed her ear. “Got it.”
Jack smiled. “An Americano would be great, but what I’d really like is fifteen minutes with my favorite barista.”
“I’m busy working. Unless you didn’t mean me.” She threw a glance in Vera’s direction, whose forehead wrinkled in confusion.
“I did mean you, Maggie.”
Of course he did. Maybe she was having some kind of a stroke. She didn’t seem to be putting two and two together at the moment, but that might be because her heart was beating in time to a heavy drum solo.
Vera came up behind Maggie again, practically shoving her from behind the counter. “The boss says you can take a break.”
Maggie found herself inches from Jack now, the messy apron she wore a reminder of the first time she’d ever laid eyes on Jack Butler.
This time she remembered to remove her apron as she led him to a table near the back. Hands shaking, she pulled out a chair and sat down. Jack wanted to talk. The last time they’d talked, it was to say good- bye. He hadn’t loved her enough to stay, so what was he doing back now?
She folded her hands in front of her. “So. What do you want to talk about?”
“I’ve missed you.” He smiled, taking her hands in his own.
Her hands unclasped and went willingly with him. The traitors.
“W-what are you doing here?”
“Okay, I can see you’re mad.”
“That’s beside the point. Are you going to answer the question or what?”
“All right, that’s fair. I’m here because I’m back to stay. I got my old job back, too. Calhoun left a spot open for me. I guess he knew even before I did that I’d be right back. Maybe because he saw the way I feel about you.” His warm eyes were shimmering.
Maggie’s breath hitched. Her poor old heart couldn’t go there again.
“But you left. I can’t go through that again. Remember, Jack, I have a daughter and everything I do affects her.”
“I know. It’s why I had to go away and make sure I could be the kind of man you need, the kind of leader in the home that you and Lexi both deserve. I’ll be honest. I didn’t think I could be. You deserve so much better than me, but I want to know if you’d at least give me a chance to prove that I can be that man. I can take care of you and Lexi.”
Her resolve melted. Not a surprise because this was Jack after all, but how could she risk her heart again?
“You’ve changed, somehow. And it isn’t just the beard.”
“Do you like it?” He rubbed his chin, smiling. “It doesn’t have to stay. I’ll leave that up to you.”
As it so happened, she thought the beard made him heart-melting handsome, not that he required any help.
“I like it.”
“The real difference is inside.” He let go of her hands and touched his chest. “Now I’ve forgiven myself, because Christ first forgave me. To do anything less than what He’d do is just stupid.”
That was the difference in him, and no wonder. Jack had finally come back to God, to the place where he belonged.
Maggie swallowed the sob of emotion in her throat. “I’m so happy for you.”
“I finally understand why my grandfather forced me to church all those years ago. Going wasn’t a chore to him, it was a privilege. All he wanted was for me to find that joy, too, and though it took me a long time, I finally have. And it’s because of you.”
“Would you kiss her already?”
Maggie turned to see a smiling Ryan standing near the counter with Vera. He’d come in when Maggie wasn’t paying attention, or maybe while her heart beat so loudly in her eardrums all other sounds had faded to the background.
