How to ask if she had a boyfriend or fiancé he didn’t know about?
And this is your business why?
He coughed, an odd case of nerves making him feel weird while he stared into brown eyes a shade darker than his own, surrounded by thick lashes. Her shoulder-length, mink-brown hair framed a thin face, made more dramatic by her pale complexion and full, rosy lips.
“I’m, um, not taking you away from anything, am I?” Maggie asked, hesitant. “I mean, you’re probably busy. Kids, wife, girlfriend. Boyfriend?” She blushed. “Sonot my business. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate you coming by.”
His cue to leave, obviously. Reggie stood. “Oh, nah. I have off until Tuesday. Only real thing on my calendar this weekend is breakfast with family.” He sighed. “My dad and my sisters are going to grill me about a blind date—with a woman—that went very wrong.”
Maggie chuckled, though her cheeks remained pink. “Better you than me. I’m happily divorced and happily single. The last time Doug tried to set me up with a friend, I threatened to sock him in the eye. He’s not the best when it comes to hooking up his friends. Ugh. What a worm.” She looked at Reggie, her blush intensifying. “Not Doug, that last blind date was the worm.”
“Ah, gotcha.” He loved how unkempt and uncaring she seemed to be. No fussing with herself, no odd flirting or grabbing at him. Of course, she was laid up in a hospital with a busted arm, but Reggie had no shortage of women cozying up to him. No matter what the guys thought of his stale love life, it wasn’t for lack of offers.
“Well, I guess I should get going.”
“I don’t want to keep you.” She bit her lip. “Just one thing though. You said you’re watching Frank for Emily?”
“Oh, yeah. He’s at my place. But if you’re not going to keep him, I can try to get him a good home through Pets Fur Life.”
“Would you, I mean, I shouldn’t ask, not after everything you’ve done, but…”
“Hey, ask me anything,” he said with a smile.And I’ll do it. Right now. Whatever it is.He wanted to smack himself.And there I go again, being a woman’s doormat because she’s pretty and has a cute kid.He could almost hear his sisters lecturing him on having a backbone.
“Would you mind holding on to Frank until I can come by to get him? I think they’re letting me out tomorrow, just as soon as the doctor okays my scrambled brains as normal.” She winked at him. “Little does he know I’m always like this.”
Reggie laughed, relieved to be able to stay in contact with her. “Sure. No problem.”
She looked around, found a pen and pad of paper by her bed, and slowly wrote something down. “My number for you. I’m happy to come get the dog at your house, or we could meet somewhere. You’re doing us a huge favor. I’m really grateful for all your help.”
“It’s not that big a deal. Frank’s a cutie, and to be honest, he’s still at the vets healing up from his accident.”
“Oh wow. I totally forgot to ask.” Maggie shook her head. “That poor thing. Is he okay?”
“Believe it or not, no breaks in the little guy. Just a strained back leg, contusions, and a few cuts on the mend. He’ll be just fine.”
She let out a sigh. “Good. Bad enough Emily’s dealing with me in here. I don’t want her to fret about the dog.”
“I told your friends to let her know he’d be okay.”
Her warm smile made him feel ten feet tall. “Thanks, Reggie.”
“No problem.”
“Feel free to text or call when you’re ready. And I swear I won’t share the number with Emily. If she sees it, she’ll be texting you at all hours. She’s addicted to texting, to prove she can spell.” Maggie made a face. “And the scary thing is, she can.”
He felt his phone vibrate in his back pocket and wondered if he should tell Maggie he’d already been communicating with Emily through her friend Doug. “Well, you see, when I talked to Doug about the dog, I kind of gave him my number.”
“And Emily’s latched on to it. Oh no. I’m sorry. I know my daughter. How many times has she interrogated you about life in general?”
Reggie couldn’t hold back a smile. “Maybe fifty?”
Maggie groaned.
He laughed. “It’s all good. I told her when I’m working, I can’t always talk, and Doug took the phone from her when she got too gabby.”
“God bless Doug.”
Oh, hell. He had to know for sure. “So, not your brother, you said?”
