Chapter Fourteen
Maggie almost didn’t go to meet with Connor. She left Susan’s flat at quarter to nine and dithered. She went home and rang her father to say hello, to ease her guilty conscience.
“Hi, Dad. It’s Maggie.”
“I thought you’d ring during the weekend.”
Maggie barely caught her sigh. It was always the same, and it didn’t matter what she said or did. She couldn’t do anything right where her father and stepmother were concerned. “I’m sorry.” She didn’t bother making excuses.
“I seeyourmother is in the magazines again.”
“Oh?” Good grief, what had her mother done now?
“You haven’t seen the Woman’s Weekly?”
“No.”
“She has a new lover.” Her father snorted, and she knew if they were standing in the same room his cheeks would blaze with anger. “Some rugby player,” he added with disgust.
As usual, Maggie didn’t know what to say, planted firmly in the middle of her parents.
“A younger rugby player. He’s your age!”
“Oh.” Maggie wondered what Susan would say about an older woman whisking another eligible bachelor from the dating pool.
“It’s disgusting how that woman flaunts herself.”
“Dad, I rang to see how you are. I’m meant to meet a friend—”
“At this time of night? You don’t get that from me.”
Maggie’s hand clenched her phone. “I’d better go. I’ll ring you next week. Give everyone my love.” And she hung up before her father wound up for another volley of complaints about her mother’s morals and bad blood passing on to her. She stomped around her apartment to disperse her anger at both her parents. They were as bad as each other.
Half a dozen times, she picked up the phone to ring Connor, only to put it down again. If she hurried, she could leave a message.
Cowardly.
Finally, she dialed and waited. One of Connor’s flatmates answered.
“Connor’s here. Just a sec.” He hollered for Connor before she could leave a message, say that it wasn’t important. Her heart thumped while she waited. She could hang up but his flatmate knew it was her on the phone. Connor would ring back and ask questions. Questions she didn’t want to answer.
“Maggie?”
“I’m running late,” she said. “I’m still at home.”
“I’ll come over. Be there soon.”
“I—okay.”Weak. So bloody weak. Why couldn’t she tell him it was over?Maggie disconnected, took a deep breath and let it ease out. Truth stared her in the face. She didn’t want to end things between them. That was why she couldn’t tell him.
Sad. So sad.
Sighing, she went to tidy her bedroom before taking a quick shower. She knew where Connor’s visit would end.
Greg hadn’t counted on rugby training going so late. He’d thought about giving the sport away, but the partners liked knowing he played rugby, and he’d take every edge. He deserved a full partnership. He’d earned it.
He pulled up outside Maggie’s apartment, cursing when there were no parking spaces out front. He drove past, finding a space two blocks down. With any luck Maggie would get over her snit and let him stay the night. A man needed sex, and while he could’ve slept with someone else, he hadn’t, wanting Maggie.
A man jogged across the road in front of him, and Greg cursed.
