And then there’s my Maggie Magpie. Young, ambitious, driven, and determined to keep order in the most chaotic of times.
Still, as the topic shifts to talk of the latest meet-up, I can’t help but think I should address my concerns with Beau, just in case. I don’t think he’ll tell me I’m right or anything…at least, I hope he won’t. What I need from him is to tell me that Trish is crazy. That she couldn’t be more wrong. He’s crazy about me, and it goes far beyond my being a stable option for his kids in the wake of divorce.
He and I have plans for tomorrow night, but I suddenly wish I could see him tonight instead, after the gals head home. Just then, a phone buzzes.
“It’s not my phone,” Izzy says.
“Mine either,” says Maggie.
I pat the floor, trying to remember where I set mine, and discover it tucked beneath the edge of one of the blankets.
I grin at the preview of the text.
“Who’s it from?” Annica asks.
“It’s fromhim,” Maggie says confidently. “Her face says it all.”
“What’d he say?” Izzy asks.
I unlock my screen to see the full text.
Beau:Had fun with the boys, but dang, I miss you. Can’t wait for tomorrow.
I read it aloud and grin as the ladies gush and swoon. “You are so lucky,” Jessica says.
“He’s a keeper,” Chantel adds.
“Yeah,” I say as I nod in agreement. “He sure is.”
It’s enough to make me shelve my concerns and enjoy the thrill of romance.
For a while.
* * *
The boys kill it in soccer, going to finals and taking first place in the end. I finally have someone joining me, showing interest and support in not just the kids, but in me too. At the poolside, I glance up from my book to watch Beau play water games with Parker, Jack, Lenny, and Paige. Watching Lenny respond to Beau’s fatherly encouragement is remarkable; it makes me like Beau even more.
But I still can’t force the fears from my mind. They sit there, lingering, nagging, like a nail in a tire, destined to destroy it. And as Beau hangs out in my hotel room after the final game, I sense that something is bothering him too. He seems distant and distracted. We’re cozied up on the couch, his fingers threaded through mine.
“Parker and Jack have a camp-out party in two weeks,” I say.
“I know,” he groans. “Do you believe them? That there aren’t any girls invited?”
I consider that. “The guy throwing itisa senior,” I say.
“And he’s Griz’s cousin,” Beau adds.
“Yikes.” I hate that I can’t control everything in Jack’s life, though I know I’m not meant to. And even if I did, how much would I mess things up for him? “I just don’t want them to get into trouble,” I say.
Beau nods. “Same. It’s tough.”
“Too bad we can’t spy on them and see.”
Beau chuckles and pulls an evil grin. “Can’t we?”
I sense that he’s about to lean in for a kiss and take both of our minds away for a time, but he pulls back instead and then gets to his feet. I stay in place as Beau moves over to the bed and flops onto it, and stares at the ceiling. It’s not an invitation.
Fear and dread tear through me. “What’s wrong?” I say, not really wanting to know. Not if it means this is about to end.
