CHAPTER 3
MAGGIE
The textwe’d all been waiting for came through. Shiloh had just arrived.
MDF Friends
Jason:She’s gone in by her front door.
That was what we were all waiting for. Shiloh had arrived at home, which meant they had mere minutes to all get to her and Ryder’s house. All of our friends who could make it into town piled into the cars in the driveway. Less than five minutes later we all stood waiting outside Ryder and Shiloh’s home.
Theo pulled up next to me with his two younger siblings. I tried hard not to pay too much attention to the judgemental asshole. We were friends, but I always felt the weight of his judgement about my ex-in-laws. He was the last to talk though. The rumors about him were not much better.
The minutes ticked by while we waited. I’d helped Ryder pick out the ring, but the proposal was all his own.
The front door opened with Ryder wearing a big beaming smile. “She said yes!”
With the eagerness of puppies seeking attention we made our way around the house to the backyard. Someone lit the fire whileanother lit the Tiki torches that dotted the backyard. My kids and Ethan were being entertained by some of the teenagers.
With a plastic wine glass in my hand I rested against the deck railing, trying hard to appreciate the country music blaring from the large speaker just inside the door. Though, I got enough of that at my bar, The Reverse Cowgirl.
All I needed was a moment to myself to shake off the feeling of dread that had wormed its way into my bloodstream since that call came earlier in the day. I took a long deep breath allowing the joy of the people around me to take over. I was surrounded by people I loved. Everyone present wanted what was best for me.
On the exhale, I watched as all the kids interacted. Jaycee was the youngest of all the kids. Matty Salinger was technically the oldest kid at seventeen. Listening to their laughter as one of the teens swayed my little girl in the air, I allowed the negativity of that phone call to leave me.
After all the obligatory greetings and toasts everyone split off into little groups. My parents had left saying,we’ll leave the wild celebrations to the young folk.Harry and Tess Bauman were barely fifty, nowhere old enough to have that attitude. Though, maybe they had an ulterior motive. They took Jaycee, Hayden, and Ethan with them, allowing both Shiloh and I to have few drinks and enjoy ourselves.
With one more deep breath, I plastered on a smile, and turned around to join my friends. Shiloh was tucked into Ryder’s side, while my other sisters, Cat and Grace were laughing at something Tiffany was talking about. Layla, the newest addition to our group sat on one of the loungers in a heated conversation with Jason. He choreographed many of her music videos and I was sure she was working on her next album. Holden’s fingers tapped across his phone, no doubt texting our friendswho couldn’t make it home while huddled in a whispered conversation with Hunter and Theo.
They had all made themselves comfortable on the patio furniture scattered around the deck. Shiloh smiled up at me and patted the seat on the side her new fiancé was not sitting.
I nodded and walked around everyone and settled in next to her. She grabbed my hand and squeezed.
“I know that Fred’s release is upsetting.” She leaned into Ryder but faced me. “But you look downright terrified. Mags, is there something you’re not telling us?”
“Not tonight.” I smiled at her concern. “Tonight is about you and Ryder. I’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
Tiffany pushed herself to the edge of her seat and pushed her hair behind her ears. “No. Tomorrow you would’ve convinced yourself that you’re overreacting about whatever it is that’s bothering you. No. We'll sort it out tonight.”
I frowned as I darted my gaze among my friends. “You all feel this way?”
Shiloh gave my hand another squeeze. “Talk to us, Maggie. Ryder and I have the rest of our lives to enjoy each other. You’re my sister. So spill.”
“Besides.” Ryder's lips twitched in a sly smile and he wiggled his brows. “We’ll get to the real fun when all of you are gone.”
All the other men groaned. Tiffany and Layla clapped their hands and squealed. Then everyone’s eyes were back on me and I couldn’t help but squirm in my seat. “You guys are relentless.”
Shiloh looked at me. “Stop stalling and talk. We have all night.”
My gaze shifted to Theo then quickly back to the girls. He was an early riser and hated being out late. He certainly wouldn’t agree with the all night sentiment.
But there was no escaping everyone’s gaze. Instead of looking any of them in the eye, my gaze made its way over to the teenswho were sitting in a similar huddle in the grass. “The warden of the California State Penitentiary called this afternoon.”
“Yes.” Shiloh nodded. “You told me that part. I took the liberty of sharing that with everyone else.”
Of course she did. Not that I minded. I understood that she would tell Ryder. They had fake plans after all. And well… the men in our group were the biggest gossips. And Ryder had fit right in after a bar fight with the Rippers last year.
“Maggie.” Holden was always the calmest of all of us. “You were never scared of Fred. Even when things were at their worst. You were mad and sad, but not terrified.”
