Love Promises (Sully Point, Book 4) (6 page)

"Julia's Place," Eric read off the sign
out front. "And what happens at Julia's Place?"

Maggie tugged on his hand and they began walking
up to the front door. "Computers. Everything to do with computers. Julia
is a bit of a computer whiz, and she keeps everything up and running in town
when it comes to high tech."

Eric had stopped again, and Maggie turned to look
at him. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing," he said, rather weakly.
"So she's up on all the latest things in computing?"

"Sure. It's her calling really. She has a
knack for computers."

"I see."

Maggie turned and walked up the last two steps and
through the doorway. Julia was working at a table to one side of the large main
room. "Hey, Julia. How's it going?"

Julia turned to them, long black hair sliding
around her shoulders, straightening up her willowy body. "Maggie! I
heard--"

She stopped talking and stared at Eric. Eric
dropped Maggie's hand and tensed up.

"It can't be."

Maggie said, "What? Of course it can be. I
finally found a boyfriend. This is Eric--"

"Stanton," Julia finished for her.
"I'm totally blown away."

She reached out to shake Eric's hand. "You
are my hero. They said you disappeared after the sale. Nobody's seen you since.
And you end up here in my store. Unbelievable!"

Maggie looked from Eric to Julia and back again,
utterly confused. "Guys...what's going on? How do you know Eric?"

Julia looked at her in surprise. "You don't
know? Eric Stanton is the most famous man in all of computing at the
moment."

"He is?" Maggie turned to look at him
suspiciously. "Okay, come clean. Clearly, you haven't told me everything
about you."

Julia frowned and then pointed them to the bay
window where two curved sofas sat facing each other. "Let's sit down and
talk."

Eric sat and gave a large sigh. "I knew I
couldn't keep it a secret forever, but I never imagined such a small town would
have a place like you have here, Julia." He turned to face Maggie.
"And I'd have told you this eventually. I created some software that
became very popular. My company--"

"Your company? You have a company?"

"I did. Not any longer. I recently sold the
company for a lot of money. I came here, like I told you, to figure out what to
do next in my life."

"A lot of money? Like how much?"

Julia looked interested in that question as well.
She said, "There have been all kinds of rumors."

"Many, many millions."

"Millions? So, you're not a struggling singer,"
Maggie said with some reproach.

Eric shrugged. "Everyone wanted a piece of me
when the sale finally happened. I was tired of being looked at or talked to
solely because of the money."

Julia nodded. "I know what that's like. Here,
you guys talk some more about this and I'll go get us all coffee." She
stood up and walked quickly to the back where a small kitchen held the coffee
machine.

"You could have told me," Maggie said.
"I wouldn't have said anything to anyone."

"How was I to know that? Especially when we
first met? I wasn't sure at first that you weren't another person out to see
what you could get from me."

"I would never--"

"I know that now. I do know that, Maggie. And
I planned to confess all at some point."

"Did you lie about anything else?" She
realized she'd moved further away from him on the sofa and was sitting stiffly,
arms crossed.

He frowned and flushed a bit red. "I didn't
lie to you. I just didn't tell you everything about me. Everything I've told
you is true."

"Even about wanting to go back to school
maybe, to do robotics?"

"Yes. I accomplished what I was after with
the operating system I developed. It's time to move on to new challenges."

"So you're some kind of computer
genius?"

He sat back against the sofa, and said simply,
"Yes."

Julia arrived with filled coffee mugs on a tray
with cream and sugar. "He really is a computer genius, Maggie. He's given
everyone a new way to run their computers. Now that he's sold it to the only
company that could rival the current giant, there may be some major changes in
new computers."

They all took their coffee and sipped in sudden
quiet. Maggie was trying to figure out her feelings. Did this change anything?
Not really. So he had money, big deal. She knew from watching Sam and Anna, plus
Julia and Cody, that money was there to be used, to help create things, to help
others. It didn't change who you were unless you were weak-minded, and Eric was
certainly not that. And he was right--he hadn't lied to her. She felt herself
relaxing and heard Eric let out a breath, as if he'd been holding it. She
realized then that he'd been watching her reactions closely.

"All right," she said. "I guess it
doesn't really matter--the money, I mean. I was only upset because of thinking
you lied, but you haven't."

"So we're good?" he asked, as he put an
arm around her shoulders and gave her a hug.

"We're good," she said, smiling at him.

Julia beamed at them. "Why don't you two come
over tonight for supper?"

"Uh, actually, Anna already booked us,"
Maggie said.

"Tomorrow night then. I insist. I want Cody
to meet Eric, and for us to get to know you as a couple."

"You mean we're different people if we're a
couple?" Maggie asked.

"Not exactly, but, well yes," Julia
said, floundering. "Being with someone changes how you interact with
everything and everyone."

Eric said, "I'm fine with tomorrow night. Is
it okay with you, Maggie?"

"Sure, sounds good. We need to get going. I'm
showing off the town this morning."

"Have fun you two. I'll see you tomorrow,
around seven." Julia waved to them from the window, and once they were out
of sight, raced for her cell phone.

* * * *

Eric turned to Maggie and said, "Just how many
millionaires do you know?"

"I guess...three, four with you included. With
the rest being well off. The families have accumulated a lot between them. And
speaking of money...the day before Thanksgiving the Graingers, Tremaines, and
Carters have a tradition that started a couple years ago. We'll be taking boxes
of food, the makings of a complete Thanksgiving dinner, to low income families
in the area. Cody and Julia started it, setting up a charitable foundation kind
of thing. They do surveys and have a sign-up for families the month before the
holidays start. Anyone with kids will get presents along with food before
Christmas, on top of the Thanksgiving thing. I planned to go out on the
delivery days with them this year."

Eric thought about what she'd said for a minute. "You
want to know if I'd go with you? Of course. I think it's a great idea. Maybe I
can contribute something as well. I wonder if any of these families have
computers? I could provide those, no problem."

"That is an excellent idea! What an awesome
thing for a family who doesn't have one. Especially for the kids to have access
to one. Do you think you can arrange it in time?"

"I'll need to make some calls. Definitely we
should be able to get them here by Christmas." The idea appealed to him
the more he considered it. He would like giving something back.

Maggie stopped walking and threw her arms around
his neck, hugging him. "Thanks for doing this. You'll be making a big
difference to some needy families."

He put his arms around her and pressed her to his
body for a moment. Having her in his arms felt right, as if she'd always been
there. He placed a kiss on her temple, and then she stepped back. She looked
almost surprised that she'd hugged him. He smiled at her and she finally
grinned back.

"Come on. Let's go introduce you to
Lucretia."

"Another witch?"

"No, a jewelry designer. Hint, hint. I expect
a Christmas present."

He stopped walking and stared at her. "Why
you little..."

"Now, now, just a joke."

He laughed. "But you're right. What kind of
boyfriend would I be if I didn't give you anything for Christmas?"

She turned bright red. "Wait a minute. I
really was kidding. You shouldn't get me anything. It's not like we're
really--"

"Too late. I've already made up my mind."

"But this means I'll have to get you
something."

"You don't have to give me anything,
Maggie."

"Fair's fair. We are officially exchanging
gifts, mister, and that is that."

Eric suddenly knew exactly what kind of jewelry he
wanted to give her--sparkling diamonds with amethysts, earrings to match her
eyes. "Let's go meet this jewelry designer."

By the time they left Lucretia's shop, he'd
managed to get her phone number and to surreptitiously let her know he'd be
calling. She had winked and nodded knowingly.

They made it through the wine and cheese store,
run by George and Al, who would have kept them there forever if they could.
Eric found a very nice bottle of cognac, along with a couple of bottles of wine
to stock up his cabin. He could see that his choices met with George's
approval, who had nudged Al to show him the tasteful picks. Both men looked at
him with smiles, and he knew again a sense of, not relief, but a feeling of
belonging, that these Sully Pointers liked him. He'd noticed it as he and
Maggie went around the square, his desire that whomever they met seemed to like
him and think he was good with her. There was something about it being a small
town that made it feel like he was meeting one big extended family. And he
wanted their approval.

"Let's go put that stuff in the car, and then
we can get some lunch. Have you been to Deb's Deli before?" Maggie asked.

"Yes, I found that place the first day I was
here. How about we get some sandwiches and drinks and then drive out to the
site of the Sully Point Project? You can show me where everything will be
located. We can have a car picnic."

She laughed. "A car picnic? I'm not sure I've
ever heard that term before. But yeah, let's do that."

Soon they were on the road with hot steak and
cheese sandwiches on long rolls of freshly baked bread. Maggie directed him and
they ended up at a cliff site that overlooked the beach. Eric was impressed by
how beautiful the area was, and liked what Maggie told him of the buildings
that would be going up soon.

As they ate and drank and talked and laughed, Eric
was struck by how comfortable he felt with her. There was no awkwardness, but
there was an occasional glance at each other that made him think their
relationship was possibly heading into real relationship territory. He liked
her laugh and how direct she was about everything. She jumped into life with
both feet, and being with her energized him.

Of course, she was also exasperating. She was
regaling him with a tale of living in the city and being out late at night by herself.
She found it hilarious that she'd almost been caught by a guy lurking near
where she'd lived. He found it appalling. She was so certain her martial arts
skills could handle anything, he was afraid she'd never realized there were
times when it might not be enough to protect her.

"Maggie, don't you see how reckless that
was?"

"What was I supposed to do? I had to walk
that way to get to my home. And he was this slob of a guy that I could have run
circles around and he still wouldn't have caught me."

"My point is why didn't you take a cab home,
right to your door?"

"I was perfectly capable of walking, and I
could have handled myself if something had happened."

He shook his head at the thought, and wanted to
shake some sense into her. "You need to be more careful." As she
opened her mouth to retort, he continued. "I wouldn't like it if anything
happened to you. You're becoming too important to me."

Which effectively shut her up. There was a kind of
wonder in her eyes and face as she stared at him. Then she shook herself and
pointed out the window, speaking briskly about the community that would grow
there.

He thought about what he'd just discovered. She was
important to him. And he wanted her, more every time he saw her. But he could
be patient. He smiled at her, which caused her to get flustered for a moment.
Yes, he could definitely be patient.

* * * *

Maggie was aware of the way Eric was looking at
her. There was a glint to his eyes that made her stomach quiver with anticipation. The inside of the car suddenly seemed too close
and intimate a setting.

"Would you like to get out and walk around
the area?" she asked.

"No, I don't think so," Eric replied,
his gaze pinning her in place.

"I guess we should go see some more of the
town."

"I think we're fine right here, for
now."

"Eric, I--"

"Maggie. Come here." He moved toward her
on the big front seat. There was no separation between them in this kind of
vintage car. He was next to her and she felt like she couldn't catch her breath,
until she realized she had stopped breathing. She took a gulp of air.

"Eric, what are you doing?"

"I'm about to kiss you."

"But--"

"Maggie. Hush." He bent his head to hers
and kissed her, igniting her desire for him. They were entwined in each other's
arms, kissing passionately for what seemed to her to be forever. Or maybe she
just wanted it to be that long. The kiss ended and Eric was running his hand
through her hair.

"I've wanted to do that all day," he
said.

She rested her head on his shoulder. "We
barely know each other, but I feel so connected to you. Do you feel that
way?"

"Yes, like I've known you forever."

She ran her hand over his chest, the feel of the
soft sweater and his warmth making her feel as if she'd like to spend the day
there. His nearness acted like a drug on her, making her relax for what seemed
like the first time in days, making her feel content and safe and cared for in
his arms. "Can we stay like this all day?"