Giggles crackled in the air. After putting the car in park, Chase looked over at Maggie. “Thank you for going with us. The kids loved having you… and so did I.”
“It was… eventful. I had a blast.” Maggie tilted her head and smiled.
Chase felt his heart skip a beat.Maybe Delilah is onto something… Maybe I could love Maggie.Then a sinking feeling crept into his stomach.But am I just Maggie’s gap year—the time in between who she was and who she wants to be?
Chapter 30
Maggie
Aftereatinglunch,Maggiedecided to shower. Between the petting zoo and the candy at the carnival, she felt like a sweaty sugary mess. When they’d arrived home, the kitchen was covered in pots, pans, flour, and all other kinds of ingredients. Norah was determined to give Maggie an all-out Southern meal complete with fried green tomatoes, smothered pork chops, collard greens and her special recipe pecan pie. Maggie was a little nauseous thinking about all the deep fried goodness and butter but she didn’t want to offend Norah, so she was determined to taste it all.
Maggie plopped down on the bed still wrapped in her towel. She looked around the room and reveled in the pastel yellow walls, lacey white curtains embroidered with matching yellow flowers, and the wooden antique makeup vanity. Clearly, this part of the house had not yet been renovated. Maggie was glad—it was exactly how she imagined a traditional Southern country home. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and tried to process the adventure she was currently on.
Two months ago, I was in Minnesota working as an accounting clerk even though I hated it.The monotony bored her to tears, but the pay was good and she had no idea what else she wanted to do. It was only because of her dad’s connections and her mom’s insistence she had taken the job.Why did I even major in business? Oh yeah, because my parents said it was a reliable major with job sustainability—that’s why. What do I want to do? I like… dogs…
Maggie grabbed her phone from beside her and searched, “How much do dog walkers make?”Thirteen dollars an hour isn’t bad…She closed her eyes and sighed.Shouldn’t I have more direction in my life? At least with Elliot, I was moving forward… even if it wasn’t necessarily in the direction I wanted to go. We were going. We were going in his direction, but we were going. And I wasn't stuck being a broke, aimless twenty-five year old living at home, which is about to be my future once I move back to Minnesota.
Maggie was only able to move to LA because she had been living with her mom, and Elliot insisted on paying for everything. This allowed her to save most of her paychecks—other than what she spent on gas, groceries and clothes. She hadn’t felt bad about Elliot buying because as a corporate lawyer, he made bank. But now, she wanted to be able to provide for herself.
And then there's Chase—sweet, handsome, amazing Chase. I still feel like he’s too good to be true. I just broke up with Elliot a little over a month ago though. Was it a terrible idea to start hanging out with Chase? Uh, why is being an adult so confusing?
At that moment, a verse Maggie had memorized as a teen popped into her mind.Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7. Okay Lord, I hear You. I have no idea what I’m doing. I need a job and a plan. Thank you for letting me meet Chase. He’s been a blessing, but I don’t want to rush into anything and I don’t want to hurt him. I’m moving back to Minnesota soon, so it really wouldn’t work anyway. Please, help me know where to go from here.
Maggie heard kids yelling and awoke with a start. She must have dozed off while praying.How long was I sleeping?Glancing at her phone, she saw that it was only 2:46 pm. Dinner wasn’t until five, so she had plenty of time to get ready. Plus, it meant she had only been out for fifteen minutes or so.
Grabbing her phone, she turned on a country station. Then, she threw on some sweatpants and a T-shirt. She needed to dry her hair ASAP, or it would turn into a frizzy poof ball. As the heat from the hair dryer washed over her, Maggie studied herself in the mirror. She was beginning to see Maggie. Not Deborah's Maggie, but the true version of herself that she felt confident in. Setting the blow dryer down, she pulled her makeup bag out of her backpack and let the straightener warm up.
A Tim McGraw song came on and Maggie quietly sang the tune. Tim McGraw sparked a memory of being a carefree, elementary kid making up line dances with her best friend Louisa. They weren’t good dancers, but had a blast nonetheless. As Maggie picked up her straightener, the cord bumped her phone and makeup bag—knocking everything onto the floor.Seriously, I’m a hot mess, as they say here.Once her phone, eyeliner, foundation, eye shadow and a few other things were back on the vanity, Maggie found her groove. In between straightening, she used the hot iron as a microphone.Nothing better than a good jam session to help me forget my adult problems.
Chapter 31
Chase
Chasesatonthesofa watching an NBA game. His brother slept soundly in the recliner next to him. Jade was helping Norah in the kitchen while the kids napped.
Suddenly, Chase’s phone buzzed. He was surprised to see that Maggie was FaceTiming him.Isn’t she upstairs?
Pressing the green button, he held the phone out in front of him. At first he saw a glimpse of Maggie’s waistline and heard music. Soon, she shimmied backward and came into view. “I Like It, I Love It” by Tim McGraw played in the background while Maggie belted the lyrics. Chase rubbed his jaw trying to hold back a smirk. Maggie must have accidentally called him—unless…This has to be a mistake, right?
“Is that Maggie?” Cam asked, blinking open his eyes.
Chase stood up, “Ah, yeah, but it’s nothing.”
“Is she singing to you? Ya’ll got it bad,” he called after him.
Chase hurried up the stairs to the third floor where Maggie was staying. He tapped on her door, but she didn’t answer. Slowly, he opened it and peered in. “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” by Trace Adkins was beginning.
“Uh, Maggie…”
Maggie spun around—eyes as big as saucers. “Chase! What are you doing? Why didn’t you knock?”
“I did, I mean I tried to, but you didn’t answer. However, you did FaceTime me.”
“No I didn’t.”
Chase held up his phone as proof.
“No…” She turned toward the vanity and saw that her phone was propped up, with her image on full display.
