Chapter 5
Calder
For the past two weeksMaggie has been avoiding me. She waits until I leave or slips out before I rise in the mornings. I don’t know what I did. Things were going well until they weren’t. I can’t get her out of my head. I think about her all the time. Maggie won’t even look me in the eye. Whenever I go into the diner, she sends Kathy, a woman old enough to be my mother to wait on me.
I have a feeling there is more going on with her than meets the eyes. I just don’t know what...yet. She can’t avoid me forever. Not in a town as small as Crimson Cove. I’ve tried doing it myself with Roger and Carly. With him being a member of the volunteer fire department, our paths are bound to cross like today when a middle schooler set a trash can on fire in the bathroom. He tried to talk to me, but I have nothing to say to the guy outside of us doing our jobs. Sure, I wish him well and never want anything bad to happen to him but that is as far as it will ever go. I can never go back to being his friend again. At first, I thought it was just about Carly but it’s the fact that he lied to me. I hate liars.
My shift is finally over, and all I want to do is get out of my uniform and kick back with a cold drink and forget that Roger had the nerve to try and talk to me about becoming a father. I get that he’s happy and wanted to talk to a friend, but I am no longer that guy to him. I haven’t been for a long time. When I get to the edge of town, I come up on Maggie struggling with shopping bags.
I slow down as I go to pass her, rolling the passenger side window down. Her hair is falling out of the messy bun she has it in and her mascara is smeared when she looks over. “Need a lift.”
“I’m good,” she says with a frown.
This is ridiculous. I pull off onto the shoulder in front of her and exit my car. “Stop being stubborn and proud and get in. I’m no taking no for an answer. You’re obviously overloaded and it’s going to take you forever to get home. Let me help you.”
“Fine,” she states coolly.
I take the bags from her and place them in the backseat of my cruiser. Silently, she gets in the front with me. “Hey. Why so nervous? It’s not like I’m taking you in or something.” I chuckle and squeeze her hand. She’s shaking. “What’s going on?”
“It’s nothing.” She pulls her hand away and looks out the window.
“It doesn’t feel like nothing. I’m not getting back on the road until you answer me.”
“You’ll laugh.”
“I pinky promise not to laugh.” I hold my pinky out. “Do you trust me, Maggie?”
“I want to.” Hooking her pinky with mine she offers me a weak smile, but still it’s a smile. “Cops, anyone of authority really make me nervous. I always get this guilty feeling when I see a cop car like I did something wrong.”
“You been shoplifting,” I crack at her trying to ease the tension as I get back on the road.
Her eyes roll. “See. I told you that you’d find it funny.”
“I’m sorry. Okay. I like you. I just need to fix whatever it was that went wrong between us.”
Her eyes meet mine full of sadness. “It’s not you. The guy I dated wasn’t good for me. I’m not in a good place to be dating. Anyway, I came here to the Cove, so I could write.”
“You’re a writer?”
“I want to be.”
“That’s great.” We arrive at our unit and I help her carry her bags in.
“You don’t think its dumb?”
“What that you want to pursue writing?” She nods. “Not at all. I think everyone should go for their dreams, Maggie. I’d love to read something if you are inclined to share with me.”
“Oh no. I couldn’t. I haven’t written anything worth reading. Not yet.”
“I’m a patient guy, Maggie. I’ve got time. I’ll wait for you...until you’re ready. I’m not just talking about your writing just so we’re clear.” That earns me a real genuine smile from her. “There you are, pretty girl.” I tilt her chin up and place a single kiss on her lips. With those words and the brief kiss, I take my leave. I don’t want to push her, but I wanted her to know where I stand.
I grab a quick shower and gather up my dirty laundry and go around back to use the washroom. Maggie is in the backyard putting her clothes on the line. She hasn’t noticed me, but damn do I see her and the pair of black lace thongs she is holding up. My jaw ticks and I wish things had gone differently the night we had dinner. I sit my basket on the counter and ask her if she is done with the wash.
“Yeah. Go for it.”
I nod and get busy doing my own thing. When I get done loading the washer she’s already gone. I meant what I said about being patient. I don’t know what happened between Maggie and her ex but when she’s ready to open up to me about it I’ll be here.
Later in the night I’m lying on the couch watching this new show about a motorcycle club and eating popcorn when I hear what sounds like a knock coming from the door that connects my apartment to Maggie’s. The sound is faint but then it repeats.
I hope that’s Maggie knocking or else when I open this door, I am going to look like a real jackass standing here in only my boxer briefs. Placing my beer and the remote control to the TV on the coffee table, I get up. When I open the door, Maggie is on the other side looking like a scared cat.
I lean against the frame “You okay?”
“I thought I heard someone outside snooping around.”
“You afraid it could be this ex you mentioned?”