She found him to be chatty, exuberant, and laugh-out-loud funny. But he only showed that side of himself with the people he cared for. Doug blossomed in his relationship with Benny.
Maggie had slowly smothered in her relationship with Stephen.
But now, with Reggie? Despite being so new to each other, she felt free to be her real self. And he seemed to like her well enough.
When she’d married Stephen, she’d been twenty-two. Young and unsure of herself, catering more to what Stephen wanted than what she wanted. And for a time, living that way had worked. Until it hadn’t.
In the years since, she’d tried to be more open, as well as more sexual and adventurous. In her marriage, her husband had loved being intimate with her, but Maggie hadn’t known enough about herself to ask for what she hadn’t known she needed.
Her few relationships after her marriage had been a gradual effort to get to where she was today. Sexually educated, liberated, and not afraid to show it.
The lovely thing about Reggie wasn’t just the sex though. She didn’t feel so lonely anymore. Doug had Benny. Her teacher friends at school had partners or spouses. She often felt like a forever third wheel.
But now she had a man she really liked, who seemed to really like her. They were new, but a thrilling new. And even better, Reggie liked Emily.
So many single men didn’t care for single moms. She understood, but she loved her daughter. For Maggie, Emily came first. That Reggie both agreed and wanted to do nothing to hurt Emily made him even more special. He’d been so good with her too, seeming to genuinely enjoy her company.
Okay, so I’m as excited to see him tonight as Emily is. It’s Reggie. I’m entitled.
A knock on the door had Emily racing to it. Before her daughter could whip it open, Maggie ordered her to wait. Emily’s hand froze on the knob. Maggie looked out through the peephole and saw Reggie waiting.
She backed up. “Okay, go for it.”
Emily hastily opened the door. “Where’s Frank?”
“And hello to you too,” Reggie said carrying two large pizza boxes and a big paper bag.
“I mean, hi, Reggie!”
Maggie hurried to help him, only to have him maneuver around her. “Hey.”
“Where do you want it?”
Men. “Okay, strong guy. Set everything on the dining table, please.”
He put the pizza and bag down and scooped up Emily right behind him.
She giggled.
“Okay if I take the ninja princess to get her furry knight from the car?”
Maggie grinned. “Please do. But what are you if the knight is in the car?”
Emily huffed. “He’s a super ninja, Mommy. Gosh. Everyone knows the queen has to have one of those in her court.”
“I stand corrected.”
Emily chatted to Reggie as he carried her out the door.
Seeing how easily her daughter perched on his arm and talked to him made her heart swell. Though Emily typically took to most people, she could also be shy with strangers, especially big men, for no reason that Maggie could fathom. It had taken a while before she’d warmed to Benny, and he was one of the gentlest people Maggie knew.
After Maggie opened the pizza boxes to some delectable smells, she rummaged through the bag Reggie had also brought and found a six-pack of root beer, vanilla ice cream, a smaller box of cupcakes, a ready-made bag of Asian chopped salad—one of her favorites—and some protein yogurt bars.
Huh. An odd assortment, but she’d take it. Reggie had been so adamant about bringing food, she would simply accept the kind gesture.
He returned with Emily and Frank, saying, “Yes, it was pretty bad. I saw the bone through the skin.”
Emily watched Reggie in awe. “Did you throw up?”
