Less than ten minutes later I was back at home. Maggie’s beat up SUV was parked at the end of the driveway where I usually parked. She leaned against the driver’s door. For a single moment, the years fell away. She was the eighteen-year-old girl I had a crush on with that shy smile and dreams of building an empire.
Then I blinked and it was gone. With her arms crossed, her loose black cropped top rode up a bit, exposing a lovely expanse of olive skin above her jeans. There was no way to miss the exhaustion in her stance, or the determination in the lift of her chin.
I stepped out of my car and chanced a peak into her back seat. Her kids had stayed with her parents the night before so I knew they wouldn’t be with her, but I wanted to see how much she brought with her.
“Everything I brought is in the trunk.” She pressed the key fob and the doors clicked open. “I’m hoping this won’t be a long visit. Maybe he’ll find that we’re all too much trouble and just let things go.”
One could hope. Still. I took the small suit case out of the back and slung both duffle bags over my shoulder. “He may want to see his kids.”
“No.” Maggie opened the back door and picked up her handbag. “He may want to make my life difficult and use the kids to do it. He was never what one would call a… father. He certainly never knew Jaycee.”
“Well, you can stay here as long as you need to.” In fact, now that she was here, I had a hard time picturing her anywhere else.
I hovered my free hand over the scanner at the entrance and my front door clicked open. “I’ll need to program your hand print and finger prints into the security system.”
“You don’t need a retina scan?” The sarcasm was thick in her soft voice. “Or what about a DNA sample?”
Rolling my eyes I moved my head slowly from side to side. “Your car is already programmed at the front gate and my system already has a photo of your face.”
“Why does your system have a photo of me?” Her scowl was adorable.
I resisted the urge to smile. “All my friends are in the system.”
We moved inside. I pointed to a room on the left. “That’s my office. You’ll probably find me in there when I work from home.”
She nodded and followed me through the living room, the faint smell of apples tingling my nose. She still used the same shampoo she did as a teenager. I inhaled deeply, her scent mixed with the sterile lavender polish Maria used relaxed something inside me. Like the fragrance of her was always meant to be part of my home.
She gasped and spun in a circle. “It looks like a museum.”
“Not always.” I stood next to her and shoved my hands in my pockets. “On a good day there can be book bags and cheerleader gear found in odd places.”
“That’s good.” Her shoulders dropped and a little tension left her face. “I would hate to think my kids will be the only chaos in this space. Because they will bring it. I hope you’re ready.”
I let out a small chuckle. “I’m sure I'm up for a challenge. You forget. I’ve raised Zoe and Connor.”
I had been raising them long before our father and his wife, Zoe and Connor’s mom, died. Their version of parenting had been less than hands-on. A lot less.
“I’ll remind you of that when you’re navigating a tantrum because the doll drowned in the sink.”
“I look forward to it.”
Our eyes locked. She was under my roof, her kids were under my care. The thought should’ve probably scared me but I meant what I said. I looked forward to having them in my home.
Maggie shook her head and broke the moment. “Well, hopefully, we’ll stay out of your hair enough that you don’t need to find out.”
I turned to face her and lifted her chin to look at me. At almost six feet, I wasn’t the tallest man in our circle but I was still nearly a foot taller than her. Although, she would argue with anyone who dared to insinuate she was less than five-foot-one.
“Mags. You’re going to be staying here indefinitely. At least, until that douchebag gets the message that you and the kids are not to be messed with. Make them comfortable.” I flung my arms around the room. “All of this is meant to be enjoyed. It's only things. Some are more expensive than others, but still things. There are no priceless or historical artworks in any of the living spaces.”
“Really?” Her eyes widened, making me smile.
I rolled my eyes. “I live with two teenagers. One once thought it was a good idea to test how well a skateboard works on marble. The other has a tendency to spill food wherever she goes. I’m not going to make them feel like those are sins just because of a priceless fucking sculpture.”
“Can I see? The priceless artwork, I mean.”
I smiled down and rested my hands on my hips. “One day I’ll show it all to you. But first, let’s get you settled.”
I led her through the living room and up the stairs on the other side of the house. I showed her the rooms and told her to choose where she and the kids could make themselves comfortable. She bent over and immediately unzipped the roller suit case.
