When they sat down in the rockers on the front porch Rick silently but sadly acknowledged that keeping Maggie in the dark wasn’t really right, but at this point he didn’t see any way around it. Instinct told him that he could trust her but he also wondered how she would react if she knew that he was Rick Ruleman, and he guessed she would run for the hills. His carefully crafted bad-boy image was in many ways fabricated, but would she ever believe that? Probably not. Plus, this last rumor that he’d slept with his son’s fiancée was a doozy that he wanted to die down. The last thing Rick wanted was to bring more heartache to Addison Monroe, so he reminded himself to keep the answers to any questions about himself vague. And as enchanted as he was with sweet Maggie, he should keep his distance. But when she turned and smiled, the keeping-his-distance vow vanished as quickly as the morning mist on the river.
“There’s just something about a rocking chair on a front porch that makes life seem slow and easy.”
“The view of the river off of the back deck is pretty amazing too.” Rick nodded. “I have to admit that coffee out here in the morning and a glass of wine in the evening are pretty good ways to start and finish the day. It sure is peaceful here in the river valley.”
“So, what will you do here all summer long, Richard?”
Rick took a sip of his wine and looked out over the front lawn for a moment before answering. “I’m going to work on getting my chaotic life back in order.”
“So you needed a break from reality?”
“I sure did.” He turned to her and smiled. “I like it so much I might never go back.”
“To reality?” Maggie asked with a grin.
Rick chuckled. “Yeah. This is much better,” he said, and decided to ask her a question before she pried a little bit too much. “I needed an extended vacation. So, how about you? Didn’t you recently open your agency?”
Maggie nodded. “Having my own agency has been a dream of mine for a long time. I put it on hold while I raised my son up in the Cincinnati area. I knew the hours would be long and there would be a risk, so I waited until the time was right. Moving back here has been a good decision so far. And I’m working on expanding Whisper’s Edge with my son.”
“Whisper’s Edge?”
“A retirement community that my father owned. Tristan bought it from him last year when he ran into some financial difficulty,” she answered brightly, but something in her eyes told Rick that there was more to the story than a simple sale.
“So, you grew up here in Cricket Creek?”
Maggie gave him a rueful smile. “Yes, until I came home from college pregnant with Tristan. Let’s just say that my father didn’t react with . . . unconditional love. I moved out.”
“I’m sorry, Maggie. That must have been tough. I’m guessing no help from Tristan’s father.”
She studied the contents of her glass for a moment. “I never knew who he was,” she said softly. “I was at a college party and there was this punch that tasted like Kool-Aid, but I found out later that it was laced with Everclear. I don’t remember anything about that night.”
Rick felt rage bubble up in his throat at the thought of someone taking advantage of her. “My God . . . Maggie, this could have been date rape. Didn’t anyone investigate?”
“Let’s just say that my father didn’t believe my version of the story. My mother left him when I was a baby and he’d become a bitter old man. It wasn’t until I had a bout with breast cancer that he actually helped me one summer.” She sighed. “I was hoping my illness would bring us closer and he’d bond with Tristan, but it didn’t. Sad, but it’s his loss.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I was lucky. It was caught early.” She shrugged and then smiled. “We all have our journeys, our crosses to bear. Tristan was a blessing and I love him dearly. I couldn’t ask for a better son. And after surviving cancer—no relapses—I feel like I’ve learned to focus on the big picture and to try to be happy as best I can.”
“You put your dreams on hold for him.” He felt his heart lurch.
“Totally worth it.” Her eyes welled up with tears. “Even if I could go back and rewrite history, I wouldn’t change a thing. And now here I am in my fifties, getting to start a new adventure!”
“I admire your attitude, Maggie. I admire so much about you.” He looked at her with a sense of wonder.
She chuckled. “My attitude was all that kept me going for a long time. But Tristan was such a joy and still is.” He was sure that her radiant smile hid a lot of heartache. Rick was beyond impressed and even more drawn to her.
“Oh, don’t look at me like I’m an angel. I had my days of despair and crankiness. I still do, for that matter. And I guess living through tough times makes me appreciate the good times even more.”
“So, you’ve never been married?”
“No, I never really had the time for romance,” she scoffed, but her smile faltered for the first time.
“And you were a little bit scared?”
She stopped rocking and stared down at her glass again. Finally, she lifted her gaze to meet his. “Yes,” she admitted so softly that her admission blended with the evening breeze.
Not knowing what to say, Rick remained silent, wishing in some ways he’d never led her down this path.
“Of course, Tristan had questions, but as the years passed it became less important. The love we have for each other is really all that matters.” She lifted one shoulder. “I just sometimes have a tough time with trust.”
“Understandable.”
Her gaze flicked away and she started rocking gently. Rick studied her profile in the waning light. She was such a pretty woman, so full of life. What a shame that she held back from experiencing romance . . . love. Judging by the way she loved her son, she would be an amazing wife. Caring, funny, sexy, smart. He couldn’t ask, but he surmised that she hadn’t slept with a man in quite some time. Rick thought about all of the meaningless sex he’d had and it turned his stomach.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Richard. I didn’t mean to put a damper on the lovely evening.”
“You haven’t.” Rick reached over and took her hand. “Not in the least.”
Her eyes widened in a bit of surprise and then she smiled slowly, shyly. And while Rick knew he should withdraw his hand he simply couldn’t.
Maggie McMillan was both fragile and incredibly strong. He was drawn to her in more ways than one. She had just revealed so much of herself to him, and he had secrets. Perhaps he should simply tell her. . . .
“Hey, don’t look so serious,” she said with a low chuckle. “Let’s check on the potatoes and grab another glass of wine.”
Rick squeezed her hand and nodded. “While you do that I’ll get the grill heated up. Looks like we’re in for a beautiful sunset.”
“And you forgot to turn the music on. Put on something I can snap my fingers to,” she requested with a laugh. “Music will get us back in a festive mood.”
“So, you’re a music lover? What kind?”
“Absolutely. A wide variety, depending on my mood. But I have it playing most of the day and sing along in the car. You? I noticed a guitar leaning against the wall. Are you good?” She raised her eyebrows and waited while he tried to decide how to answer. “Oh, don’t be shy. I’ll even sing along.”
“I’m passable,” Rick finally answered, and hoped she would forget about her request, even though playing some of the new songs he’d been writing appealed to him.
As the night wore on there wasn’t anything about her that didn’t appeal to him. From her easy laugh to her knowledge of baseball and her intelligence, Rick found himself wishing the night would go on forever. She didn’t pick at her food and actually ate her steak with appreciation, unlike the women he was used to dining with, who for one reason or another eliminated just about every food group. Rick even enjoyed doing the dishes with her. When was the last time he’d done dishes?
“What are you grinning about?” Maggie asked with a tilt of her head.
“How you’re making me enjoy simple things.” He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. “I have a whole stack of self-help books in the den and you’ve inspired me more than all of them put together.”
“Really? Well, then, you need to tell me all about your life so I can be inspired over dessert and coffee.”
“I’m not all that inspirational,” he said and felt a flash of alarm. How would she react to his past?
Maggie suddenly put her hands to her cheeks. “Oh, I forgot to put the pie in the oven!” she exclaimed, and he was glad for the change of subject.
Saved by the pie . . .
“That’s okay. We can have it next time,” Rick answered and just about held his breath while he waited for her response. “If, you know, you’d like to have dinner with me again,” he added. Rick couldn’t remember the last time he felt so unsure or so hopeful while waiting for an answer from a woman. The anticipation, the excitement, made him feel so alive! Going to a club or a four-star restaurant with some twentysomething never felt this good.
“I would be delighted,” Maggie answered.
Rick let out the breath he’d been holding and smiled. He wanted to pull her into his arms but didn’t want to go too fast. While he knew that sooner or later his secret would come out and that he would most likely move back to LA, for now he wanted to simply savor the time spent with her. “Would you like another glass of wine or an after-dinner drink? It’s still relatively warm outside and there’s a full moon, so we could head back outside.”
“I would but then I wouldn’t be able to drive.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip, and he realized that some of what she’d told him about her past must be running through her head. He despised the fact that she could even think about something so terrible while with him.
“Hey, I promised to be a gentleman and I won’t break that promise, Maggie.”
She swallowed hard. “Those trust issues are rearing their ugly head.”
“I understand.”
“I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry for, Maggie.” It killed him to hear her apologize for her feelings. Rick shook his head and then put his hands on her shoulders. “I had a great time with you tonight. Let me walk you to your car, even though I don’t really like you driving these back roads by yourself.”
“I’ll be fine. I grew up on these country roads,” she said. “But thank you for being concerned.”
“I’m not just being polite, you know.”
When she nodded ever so slightly Rick dropped his hands from her shoulders so he wouldn’t give in to temptation and pull her in for the kiss he’d been longing to steal all night long. He helped her into her denim jacket and strolled toward the door. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the unsigned paperwork and barely suppressed a grin. He’d just have to head up to her office right about lunchtime with the extended lease agreement.
Rick moved across the yard as slowly as he could without actually stopping, trying to milk every last minute with her. After the sunset the night had turned clear and cooler—perfect weather for snuggling beneath a blanket or building a fire.
Maggie gazed upward and sighed. “Wow, look at those stars and that amazing moon. The night sky is so pretty away from the city lights. Makes you feel small and insignificant.”
“There’s nothing insignificant about you, Maggie.”
She looked at him with an element of surprise and smiled.
“Yeah, it sure is quiet and peaceful out here,” he said when they stopped in front of her SUV. After hearing the beep of keyless entry, Rick reached over and opened the door for her. “I could get used to this.”
“Living here?”
“Spending time with you,” he said. “Tell me you’ll do this again.”
“I’ll do this again.” There was no hesitation in her voice this time.
“Ah . . . Maggie . . .” The need to touch her, to kiss her overcame his reasons for holding back. He dipped his head and captured her lips in a soft, sweet kiss, lingering just long enough to let her know that he wanted much more. He wanted her to feel beautiful and desired because she was both, but also that he was capable of holding back until she was ready. After she drove away, Rick poured the last of the wine into his glass and then came back out onto the porch with his guitar. He played by rote, humming softly while his mind wandered from the past to the present. Sitting on the front porch of a cabin in Cricket Creek, Kentucky was starting to feel a little bit less surreal and more like . . . home?
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
“S
ARA, COME ON . . . SERIOUSLY? WHY IN THE WORLD
would I want to spend my Saturday night at the grand opening of a bridal boutique?” Reid hefted the bag of chicken feed from the bed of the truck and then turned to face his sister.
“I don’t know.” She gave him an innocent look. “There will be free food. Cake! Who doesn’t like cake? Plus, you can keep Cody company.”
“Cody would rather be going over to Sully’s to shoot some pool or throw darts. Now, if he wants to do that, I’m down with it. You can join us later.”
“I want Cody to look at some of the bridal stuff with me and do some cake tasting.”
Reid tilted his head to his shoulder to catch some sweat on his sleeve. “See, that’s the difference. Cody is going to be a groom. I’m not, thank God.”
“You know someday when you find the right person, you’ll change your sad, sucky tune.”
He reached for another bag. “Don’t count on it.”
“Seriously, Reid, you need an attitude adjustment. You’ve been a grump all week. I was afraid for you to get anywhere near the kids.”
He shrugged.
Sara paused long enough for Reid to brace himself. Her pauses meant she was gathering up ammunition. “I thought you might want to see Addison.”
“You thought wrong,” Reid answered tightly. Of course, that was a big-ass lie. But after their little agreement, Reid had steered clear of the cute wedding planner. As much as he wanted to be with her, he needed to give her time to think her proposition over before going through with it. He’d spotted her once when she’d come out to the farm to meet with Jason and Sara about the barn renovations, but he’d turned his tractor in the opposite direction. His keeping-his-distance plan had obviously worked. Addison hadn’t contacted him. She’d probably thought better of the whole no-strings-attached scenario that was doomed for an epic fail, anyway.
There was only one problem: Reid couldn’t stop thinking about her. And it was making him a little bit testy.
“Open house only lasts until seven, Reid. Just stop in for a little while, you know, to be polite, and then we can all go to Sully’s afterward.”
“No, thank you.”
“Why are you being so stubborn?”
“Hanging out at Wedding Row isn’t my kind of Saturday night.”
“We’re going into business with Addison Monroe, Reid. It’s polite to show our support.”
“You are going into business with her, Sara. And do I have to remind you that I’m still not convinced that this is a smart venture? Renovations like this are notorious for going way over budget. Instead of avoiding bankruptcy, you just might throw yourself into it.” Reid tossed another bag of feed to the ground, making dust fly. His muscles no longer protested at the manual labor and, in truth, he’d felt healthier working outdoors instead of sitting behind a desk all day long.
“All right.”
Reid looked at Sara’s hands on her hips and jutting chin. He knew that stance all too well. “What do you mean,
all right
?”
“Nothing.” She gave him a slight shrug but the chin stayed in place, meaning this was war. “I’ll make other plans, then.”
Reid propped his boot up against the tailgate of the truck and leaned his forearm on his knee. “What kind of plans?” he asked slowly.
“Cody’s friend will agree to come out with us tonight. He has this . . .
thing
for Addison.”
“Thing?”
“Yeah, Zack met Addison at Wine and Diner when she and I went out to dinner a couple of nights ago. Zack has been bugging Cody to get her number from me ever since. I’m sure he’ll come out with us tonight. You remember Zack, right? A couple of years ahead of us in school.”
“Yeah, I do. I remember he was an asshat.”
“Why? Because you wanted his spot on the baseball team?”
“Yeah, well. I took it, remember?”
“After he broke his arm.”
“A minor detail. Come on, really, Sara. Zack Martin?”
She turned on her heel.
Dammit!
Reid clenched his fists. “Sara!”
She slowly turned around. “Yes?” she asked sweetly.
“You told me that Zack has a different girl on his arm every week. He’s a player. Why would you do that to Addison?”
“I already warned her and she was cool with it. She said that after this week of getting the shop ready she needs a night of fun. And since you aren’t available . . .”
“You know that jackass is going to try to get in her pants.” But wasn’t he also a jackass who wanted to get in her pants?
“Addison is a big girl, Reid. She can handle Zack. And, besides, Cody and I will be there.” She paused for a second. “But if you’re so worried about Addison, you can go out with us instead.”
Reid knew he was being played by his twin sister. She knew him better than anyone, even after years apart. She shoved her hands in her jeans pockets and rocked back on her heels. To her credit, she didn’t grin, even though she knew she’d won. “All right. But I’ll drive separately and meet you at the boutique. I want to spend as little time in a damned bridal shop as possible,” he grumbled.
“Okay.” Except for a little twitch in her bottom lip she remained deadpan.
He had to grin. “And, by the way, well played.”
“It was pretty easy.” Sara grinned back but then tilted her head in question. “Look, it’s obvious that you care about Addison. Why are you fighting it tooth and nail?”
“Addison is coming off a broken engagement and starting a new business. I’m trying to figure out whether I want to go back to investment finance or maybe move back to Cricket Creek. Not to mention that I’m a country boy and she’s from Cali. We are worlds apart.” He positioned his hands wide to demonstrate.
“So, you’re considering moving back?” she asked hopefully.
“The operative word here is
considering
,” he slowly pronounced every syllable. “Sara, I’m not sure what I’m going to do. How would that be fair to Addison?”
Sara walked over and hoisted herself up onto the open tailgate. “Keep going.”
Reid leaned one hip against the edge. “That’s not enough?”
“Nope.”
Reid sighed. “That so-called ivory tower I was living in wasn’t such a great place, Sara. Being in finance while the country was in a recession really sucked for me. I know I never came home all that much, but, Sara, I didn’t do much of anything but try to find ways to keep clients from losing their hard-earned money. And I pretty much failed.”
“None of that was your fault.”
“It sure as hell felt like it.”
“I’m sorry, Reid. I had no idea what you were going through.”
Reid grimaced. “That was my fault too. I should have reached out, but instead I sort of retreated into a shell like a damned turtle.”
“And here I thought you had turned your back on us when we needed you most.”
“I’m sure that’s how it appeared. But I worried every night about the fate of this farm. I worried about Jeff tossing everything away for a music career. I agreed with Mom that he should stay on the farm and help, and that Braden should stay in school. What I should have done was encouraged everyone to go after their dreams, but I didn’t. I’m doing the same damn thing to you now.” He swallowed hard and looked away.
Sara reached over and covered his hand with hers. “It’s because you care.”
Reid gave her a small smile. “After coming back here to the farm I’m not so sure that I want to go back to Lexington and work in an office. In other words, I don’t know which end is up anymore. I shouldn’t get involved with anyone until I get my own life straightened out.” He raised his eyebrows. “Enough now?”
“Look, I know that you want everything to fit into timelines, graphs, and charts. But life isn’t like that. Sometimes you have to reinvent yourself. I loved teaching and I love this farm. Now I get to combine those two things every day. Dad has a blast with the kids and it’s helped his health. You know that Mom preaches that everything happens for a reason. I’m not so sure I buy into that . . . more like when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” She grinned. “And add some vodka for good measure. Sometimes you just have to make life your own personal cocktail.”
Reid laughed. “Yeah, well, if you’d put my life on a timeline there are more valleys than peaks. My plan was to invest and make enough money to help Mom and Dad keep this place. For a while my plan was working really well. I invested my own money with more risk than I advise with clients, and the payoff was big . . . until the stock market crashed and I lost my ass. Then the loss was bigger.”
Sara frowned. “Are you in financial trouble, Reid?”
He scrubbed a hand down his face. This part was hard to admit. “No, but I was for a while. Over the past couple of years I’ve recouped most of my
loss
but I’m nowhere near where I’d thought I’d be at this stage of the game.”
Sara tilted her head and smiled. “Well, baby brother, the good news is that you have a lot of life left to live. It’s time to get out of the valley and start climbing that big ole mountain again.” Her smile faded a bit. “Hey, I reached rock bottom when Blake broke my heart by cheating on me. But Cody came along and he’s such a good man. I’m so much better off and I love him to pieces. Your time will come but you have to be open to it and keep that big head of yours poked out of your shell, because it might come when you least want it to or expect it. So toss your timeline out the window and take a leap of faith.”
He chuckled. “And what if I land on my ass with a big fat splat?”
“Are you referring to the time when I promised you the tree branch would hold you?”
“Yeah, to rescue that damned cat of yours. The branch broke.”
“But you saved the cat.”
“And your point, teacher?”
“You got a little bit bruised.”
“And scratched by the cat.”
Sara winced. “Maybe I shouldn’t have used that example.”
Reid gave her shoulder a brotherly shove. “I’m pulling your chain. I might have hated that cat, but you loved it and so a few scratches and bruises were worth it.”
“See, now we’re on the same page. Look, I don’t know if Addison is the right one for you. But don’t shut yourself off from the possibility. It’s obvious that you’re attracted to her and you care about her too. That’s a pretty good start.”
“Yeah . . .” He flicked his gaze away from her and fell silent.
“Okay, what aren’t you telling me?”
“Addison proposed this . . . thing.”
“What thing? Talk to me, Reid.”
Reid wasn’t sure he should tell Sara. After all, Addison seemed to have already reconsidered. Plus, it was kinda of weird talking about this with his sister. “Nothing. It was stupid, anyway.”
“Hey, it’s your twin you’re talking to. I won’t breathe a word to anyone. I promise. Not even Cody. I also won’t let up until you tell me, so you might as well save us some time and spill.”
Reid looked at Sara. “Addison wanted us to have this sort of no-strings-attached kind of deal. I told her I’d been off the market for a long time and was rusty at, well, the whole flirting or whatever bullshit. She wanted a sort-of pretend boyfriend, a rebound guy to keep her from making another big mistake. And she would be kind of my introduction back into dating.”
“And you said yes?”
“Sort of. But I haven’t heard a peep from her all week.”
“Did you call her?”
“Hell, no. I wanted to give her time to reconsider her stupid plan.”
“Wait. So you agreed but you think it’s stupid?”
“Hell, I don’t know, Sara. Yeah, sure it’s stupid, but I don’t know. It does have some merit, I guess.”
“Well, she probably thought you had backed out.”
“Oh crap. You think so?”
Sara nodded. “Um, yeah. Even in this day and age girls still wait for guys to call first.”
“So, what do
you
think of the plan?”
“I think both of you just need to quit being so scared. You don’t need any so-called plan. Just hang out. Get to know one another. It’s pretty simple when you get right down to it.”
Reid blew out a sigh. “What if she won’t do that? Should I agree? I mean, I don’t want to put my heart on the line for some game she wants to play so that no guys approach her.”
“Do you want other guys to approach her? It sure didn’t seem like you wanted her to hang out with Zack.”
“Zack is an ass.”
“You are avoiding the question even though I already know the answer.” She swung her legs back and forth while staring him down.
“So, what the hell do I do?”
“Reid, you’re going to put your heart on the line, no matter what the two of you call it. If you want to see where this is going with Addison, then agree to that nonsense. I think it’s just a thinly veiled reason for her to give herself permission to hang out with you, anyway. I’m sure she made a no-guys-for-a-while vow after the breakup.” Sara rolled her eyes. “Much better than my
every-
guy-for-a-while downward slide until I, thankfully and pretty quickly, came to my senses.”
“It was called me carrying you out of Two Keys in Lexington.”
“Whatever . . . We all have our ways to cope. Some ways are, you know, better than others. So . . . she’s willing to see you if she pretends it’s all for show, or whatever reason she’s come up with, so she can feel some sort of safety.”
“So, in other words, I should just do it and hope for the best?” Did he even want it to become something more?
Sara raised her hands in the air. “Geez, Reid, quit overthinking. Just roll with it.” She shooed her fingertips at him. “Now go get showered and all prettied up.” She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you tonight.”
Reid nodded but sat there for a minute while mulling over what Sara told him. Little John came bounding his way and defied gravity by leaping up into the truck bed. Booker trotted over and looked longingly up at them, knowing there was no way he could jump up that high. When Reid laughed and patted his thighs in encouragement Booker actually tried, coming an impressive foot off of the ground before landing sideways and rolling over. He got up and gave Reid an
I-totally-meant-to-do-that
look.
“You know what, Booker, you old crazy hound?”