“Hi.”
The bright, cheery voice made him smile. “Hi, Emily. I can’t wait to hear all about your sleepover.”
“Huh?”
“I’m coming over for dinner tomorrow. So I—” He winced at her shouted “yay,” heard Maggie scold her for screaming, then had Maggie again on the phone.
“I’m so sorry. She’s not supposed to do that. She’s just excited.”
“What? Sorry, I can’t hear you. My ears are still ringing.”
“Oh, Reggie. I’m sorry.”
“I’m kidding. Hey, it’s cool to think a little girl wants to see me again. I’ll have to make sure I’ve got my bloodiest, scariest BLS stories ready to go.”
“Please, don’t.”
He chuckled. “I’m kidding. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Especially if you down a kielbasa.”
“Ha. You wish.”
“Just remember something.”
“Oh?”
“Payback’s a bitch.” He gave an evil laugh. “See you soon, Maggie.”
“Bring it, Reginald.” He heard her chortling with glee before she disconnected. Then he received a series of evil emojis, and of course, a bunch of eggplants, a rocket ship, and a few tongues.
It still delighted him that someone as innocent-seeming as Maggie could be so sensual and erotic. That dichotomy of sweet and sexy gave her added depth. He knew so much about her yet still had so much more to learn.
He wanted to know exactly why she and her ex hadn’t worked, not minor details. He wanted to know her favorite color. Her favorite flower. Whether she wanted to travel. About her living relatives and why she didn’t talk about them. And how she felt about everything from the weather and politics to sports and music.
His fixation on the womancouldbe a simple infatuation for someone new. But he didn’t think so. His feelings for her went so much deeper than any he’d felt before. Even Amy, were he to be honest. Amy had been a sweet and loving single mom, and she’d looked at him as if he hung the moon. Reggie could always be counted on to help her in so many ways. She hadn’t been a horrible person, no matter what his friends and family thought of her.
She’d been struggling, needing what he’d been happy to give. Sexually, they’d been compatible, but not at all to the extent he was with Maggie. And Amy had never, ever, been so frank or open about sex. Something he’d often wished she would have been.
With Amy he took care to spare her feelings. He thought hard about how he said things and when he said them. With so much already on her plate, she’d needed care. And she’d always been so grateful when he did anything that he constantly strove to make her happy.
Maggie had suffered a busted arm and a concussion. Yet she had been all about taking care of herself.He’dbeen the one to strong-arm her—no pun intended—to the hospital for her cast. It had beenhisidea to help with Frank. Not hers. And she kept feeding him when she had a kid to take care of. He had no idea what kind of child support she received, if any. How could she afford to keep feeding his big ass?
Now he felt guilty for letting her feed him before. On their date, he’d only brought flowers. He should have added a box of candy and bottle of wine, at the very least.
Hmm. Maybe he should do more than just pizza and root beer tomorrow night.
He should—
An alarm went off just as Mack popped his head in the door. “Yo. Major accident at intersection of I5 and Swift. Car pileup, explosion. The works.”
Reggie raced after him, putting Maggie at the back of his mind. But as he worked with his crew to save lives, Maggie’s presence lingered, the remembered sight of her smile never quite leaving him. And it made the losses he witnessed just a little more bearable.
Chapter Fifteen
Maggie let herself relax for this dinner with Reggie. Not like the last one, where she’d practically scrubbed the kitchen floor with a toothbrush to get rid of so much as a speck of dirt. Emily bounced around the house straightening pillows and tightening the bow around the dog treat they’d bought for Frank, who would also be in attendance. Maggie had texted Reggie earlier, asking him to bring the puppy, and he’d told her he’d intended to all along.
She loved how much fun their conversation had been yesterday. She felt like an all-new person. No longer willing to pretend to be someone she was not. She’d decided that if Reggie really liked her, he’d like her for the real woman she was, not the nice, quiet one many presumed her to be.
Maybe that’s why she and Doug had bonded so easily. He’d been the same way. Everyone who knew him saw him as the responsible, mature member of his family. Not someone who’d fall in love at first sight or date a semi-celebrity. Doug was quiet, introspective, and pleasant—to those who didn’t know him well. Sadly, that included his parents.
