Home at Rose Cottage (28 page)

Maggie snatched the keys and tossed them to Rick. “Will you drive her car home? I’ll take yours, since I’ve gotten her this far.”

He cast a worried look at them. “You sure? We could come back for her car in the morning.”

“No, this is better,” Maggie said. “And there’s no need to panic. I promise not to wreck your precious car.”

He grinned. “I wasn’t worried for a minute.”

“Ha!”

Only after he’d gone did Maggie gingerly get behind the wheel of the sports car. She had a hunch if Rick knew she’d never driven a straight shift before, he’d be having heart failure about now. How hard could it be, though? She just had to back up a few feet, get onto the highway and drive a couple of miles. No big deal.

The grinding sound that immediately filled the air when she put her foot on the gas suggested she’d missed some important step.

Beside her Ashley groaned. “The clutch, Maggie,” she muttered. “You have to use the clutch.”

Now was a fine time for her sister to collect her thoughts. “Where the hell is it?” Maggie asked.

Ashley cast a disbelieving look in her direction, then began to giggle. Maggie stared back at her, then began to laugh with her. They were howling and holding their sides when Melanie came out of the house.

“What on earth is going on?” Melanie asked, studying
them worriedly. “Where’s Rick? I can’t believe he let you behind the wheel of his car.”

“To be honest, neither can I,” Maggie admitted. “He drove Ashley’s car home.”

“What the hell was he thinking?” Melanie asked.

“He doesn’t know I’ve never driven a straight shift before,” Maggie admitted meekly. “I thought it would be easy.”

Melanie shook her head. “Sit tight. I’ll get my car and drive you both home. I don’t know what’s going on around here tonight. I’ve got one sister who’s smashed and one who’s lost her mind.”

When Melanie pulled alongside with her SUV a few minutes later, Maggie and Ashley climbed in, both of them duly chastened. Maggie hated to think what Rick was going to have to say when they arrived home without his car.

Fortunately, she noted when they turned into the driveway at Rose Cottage, he was inside. Unfortunately, he appeared in the doorway before Melanie could drive away.

“What the devil?” he said, sounding more than a little unnerved. “Where’s my car?”

“Still at Melanie’s,” Maggie soothed. “It’s fine.”

“Then why didn’t you drive it home?”

Ashley paused in her unsteady walk toward the house to announce, “Because Maggie couldn’t find the clutch.” She patted Rick’s cheek. “And you thought I was the one who shouldn’t be on the road.”

She wobbled on past him and went inside. Rick stared at Maggie. “You can’t drive a straight shift?”

“Apparently not.”

He shook his head. “I don’t believe it.”

She gestured toward Melanie. “Want a ride over so you
can get it? You know you won’t sleep a wink till you see it’s in one piece.”

“True,” he admitted, the glowered at her. “But I am coming straight back here. Don’t you dare fall asleep on me.”

Despite the annoyance in his voice, Maggie experienced a little shiver of anticipation. He wasn’t really that mad at her, she reassured herself. Maybe they could salvage the rest of the night yet. And if he was a little irritated, that just made the prospect of make-up sex more appealing.

Then she thought of Ashley and pushed her own needs aside. “Rick, wait till morning to come back, okay? I want to get to the bottom of what’s going on with my sister. She’ll never open up if you’re here.”

He gave her a skeptical look. “And you think you can do that while she’s half-drunk?”

“Actually it’s probably the best time. Her defenses will be down.”

He nodded. “Okay, then, I’ll see you first thing in the morning. I’ll bring very strong coffee and pastries.”

She reached up and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for understanding.”

“You’re giving me too much credit. I haven’t understood much since the day we met.”

She stared after him as he rode off with Melanie. She could relate to his confusion. She was pretty bewildered herself. But one thing seemed clear enough. Neither of them was rattled enough to run.

Inside, Maggie found Ashley at the kitchen table. A kettle of water was already boiling. Apparently Ashley had guessed that Maggie had a lot of questions that weren’t going to wait till morning.

“Where’s Rick?” Ashley asked.

“He went with Melanie to get his car. Then he’s heading back to the B and B.”

Ashley nodded. “Just as well. I have a lot of questions about what you’ve gotten yourself into with him.”

“Save ’em,” Maggie ordered as she plunked a box of tea bags on the table, then poured them each a cup of boiling water. “I’m going first.”

Ashley gave her a startled look. “You have questions for me?”

“A ton of them, in fact, starting with why you’re here.”

“I came to check on you, of course.”

She uttered the words in a way that would have convinced most people. Maggie wasn’t buying it. “And?” she prodded. “That might have been part of what brought you down here, but there’s more to it.”

“What makes you think that?” Ashley retorted defensively. She was suddenly looking everywhere except into Maggie’s eyes.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Maggie said. “Maybe the fact that you got drunk tonight.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Ashley said indignantly. “I am not drunk. I’m under a little stress. I had a couple of glasses of wine to relax. People do it all the time. It’s no big deal.”

“It is when it’s you. You don’t unwind with alcohol. You go to the gym.”

“Yes, well, the gym wasn’t working for me,” Ashley snapped. “Stop bugging me. Don’t make me sorry I came.”

“I can’t give you sympathy if I don’t know what’s going on,” Maggie told her more gently.

“I don’t want sympathy. I want you to leave me alone. I can handle this.”

“Whatever
this
is,” Maggie said sarcastically. “Sorry. No can do. You wouldn’t leave me alone if you thought I was in trouble, would you?” She paused, then feigned a sudden awakening. “Oh, wait, that’s why you claim to be here, because I’m in trouble.”

“Well, aren’t you?”

“No, and we’re not going down that road right now. Are Mom and Dad okay?”

“Never better,” Ashley said, looking perplexed by Maggie’s abrupt change of topic.

“And Jo’s okay?”

“Our little sister is perfectly fine.”

“Your love life go south?”

“Who has time for a love life?” Ashley responded wryly.

“Okay, that leaves work,” Maggie surmised. “Has something gone wrong with a case?”

For an instant Ashley looked disconcerted, as if she hadn’t expected Maggie to come up with that one, when the truth was that it was the most obvious one of all. Work was all Ashley ever worried about.

“I’m just a little concerned about a case,” Ashley said, which in her world was tantamount to admitting she was terrified.

“Aren’t you prepared?”

Ashley gave her a derisive look. “I’m always prepared.”

“Then why are you worried?”

“Honestly, I can’t get into it.”

“It’s not as if I’ll blab to anyone.”

“I know, but it would violate all sorts of confidentiality stuff if I talked to you about this. Don’t worry. I’m
sure everything will turn out just fine. I just needed to get away for a couple of days to clear my head and make sure I’m ready to go into court next week.”

“You’re going to knock their socks off,” Maggie reassured her. “You always do.”

Ashley gave her a weak smile. “I wonder if that’s always such a good thing?”

“Meaning?”

“Nothing. Don’t mind me.” She stood up, leaned down and gave Maggie a kiss on her forehead. “Thanks for the pep talk. I’m going to bed. I love you.”

“Love you, too,” Maggie replied, staring after her, her heart aching. Something was obviously tormenting Ashley about this case. The fact that she’d even come to Virginia days before trial spoke volumes. But Maggie knew better than to think her sister would open up any more than she had.

She wished there was something she could do, but in an odd way, maybe she had. She’d given Ashley a chance to obsess over the relationship Maggie was having with Rick. Maybe that was just the distraction her sister needed.

If so, Maggie would just have to put up with all the annoying questions for another day or two. She just had to pray that Rick would be equally resilient and understanding.

“W
ould you mind going out to the orchard on your own this morning?” Maggie asked, when Rick called first thing in the morning.

“Be still, my heart,” he said with exaggerated shock. “I surely must be imagining things. Maggie D’Angelo, the ultimate control freak, is actually giving up a chance to supervise my work?”

“Very funny. I want to spend some more time with Ashley.”

Rick instantly caught the somber note in her voice. “Did you make any progress with her last night? Did she open up after I left?”

Maggie sighed wearily. “Not much. I just know it has to do with work, but that was pretty much a given. Beyond that, she won’t talk about it.”

“And you think she will today?”

“Probably not, but I have to give it another try. How about meeting us for lunch at the café in Irvington?”

“Sure. That’ll work, if you can make it a late lunch, say, around one.”

“Perfect.”

“Good luck with Ashley. She’s lucky to have you.”

Maggie laughed. “She’d probably disagree. She’s not used to being on the receiving end of so many probing questions.”

“Good at dishing it out, not so good at taking it?” he said. “I can hardly wait to see if you’re still speaking to each other by lunchtime. See you.”

After he’d hung up, he realized he was relieved to have the morning to himself. He could use some time to absorb all these new feelings he was starting to have about her, about being drawn into her loving, if somewhat complicated, family.

Turning off the highway onto the winding driveway that cut through acres of apple trees heavy with fruit, he felt almost as if he were coming home. It was an odd sensation, one he’d certainly never experienced going back to any of the increasingly decrepit places he’d shared with his mother. In fact the only sensation he had to compare it to was the way it felt walking into Rose Cottage and finding Maggie waiting for him with a warm smile and a seductive glint in her eyes.

What the devil was wrong with him lately? He didn’t do the home-and-hearth thing. So why was he suddenly going all soft at the sight of a rambling farmhouse or at the prospect of seeing a couple of old-timers he’d known only a few days? Did it have something to do with the stability they represented? Did he envy them for having lived in the same place all these years, while he’d been like a rolling stone, always on the move?

Or was it the love he truly envied? Were they the reason he was looking at his relationship with Maggie as something other than his usual lighthearted fling? No, he’d been thinking along those lines when he’d come to Virginia chasing after her. He’d just been fighting the implication of his determination to find her. He’d deliberately
blamed it on the challenge she represented, rather than on the growing need he felt to be with her.

He was still sitting in the car pondering that when a sharp rap on the window startled him. He looked up to see Matthew staring at him, his expression quizzical.

“You okay, son?”

Son!
How often had he subconsciously longed for someone to call him that with so much caring in his voice? That it was Matthew Keller, a virtual stranger, who imbued the word with its first real meaning for him made Rick smile. “Never better,” he said. “Just woolgathering, I guess.” He got out of the car and reached back inside for his camera and lighting equipment.

Matthew took a few pieces out of his hands, all the while studying him intently. “This woolgathering, does it have anything to do with the fact that Maggie’s not with you? You two have a fight?”

“Not at all, though I ought to be mad as heck at her for nearly destroying my car last night.” He told Matthew the story about her ill-advised attempt to drive her sister home. “Thankfully they never got out of the driveway,” he said, summing up.

“Good thing one of those girls has some sense,” Max said. “Not surprised to hear it’s Melanie, either. She’s been a real good influence for Mike and little Jessie. That child sure did need a mama’s touch. Sally says she actually sits still for Sunday school now. Used to be she was hell on wheels, if you’ll pardon my language.”

He gave Rick a sly look. “I imagine Maggie could help a man settle down the same way, once she put her mind to it.”

Rick frowned at him. “Don’t start meddling in my life, old man,” he said without rancor. Truthfully, it was
kind of nice to have someone who gave a damn about his happiness.

“Someone needs to talk sense to you,” Matthew said, undaunted. “Sally and I think you two are wasting time, when it’s obvious to anyone how crazy in love you are.”

“I don’t know where you got that idea,” Rick said, still determined to cling to the illusion that what he and Maggie had was just another fling. “I don’t know the first thing about love.”

Matthew chuckled. “Maybe that explains why you can’t recognize it when it smacks you square in the face.”

Rick flatly refused to go one step further down that road with Matthew, even though he’d been wrestling with precisely that issue only moments before.

“You going to help me get set up down in the orchard this morning or are you going to go on and on about something that’s none of your business?” he asked irritably.

Matthew surveyed him with undisguised amusement. “Lucky for you, I can do both. Sally will be along in a bit, too. She has a few opinions she’d like to share.”

Rick groaned. “Just what I need.”

“I know you’re being sarcastic, son, but it seems to me it
is
what you need, a little wisdom from some folks who’ve seen a thing or two. Love’s rare enough. It ought not to be squandered when it does come along.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Rick promised. “If you’ll drop the subject.”

Matthew studied him intently, then nodded. “I’ll leave it alone for now,” he said. A glint of pure mischief sparkled in his eyes. “Can’t speak for Sally, though. The woman has a mind of her own. Says whatever’s on it, too. She’s a lot like your Maggie, as a matter of fact.”

“She is not
my
Maggie,” Rick protested halfheartedly.

“Which just proves what a fool you are,” Matthew
scolded, striding past him with the gait of a much younger man. “In my day, I’d have made damn sure she was mine by now.”

Rick watched him go with a mix of relief and admiration. He was having enough trouble balancing what his heart and body apparently wanted with what his head told him made sense. He didn’t need a sentimental old man—or his outspoken wife—making the waters any murkier than they already were.

Maggie’s gaze kept drifting toward the door of the café. Rick was late. She wasn’t all that surprised, since he tended to lose track of time when he was working, but it was apparent Ashley was turning this into another black mark against him. She probably had them all listed in her day planner, ready to cite at the first opportunity. So far this morning, though, Maggie hadn’t given her a minute to head down that particular road.

“He’ll be here,” Maggie finally said defensively, even though Ashley hadn’t uttered a word.

“Whatever you say. I think we should go ahead and order, though.”

Maggie was smart enough to figure out the unspoken message, that they might starve to death if they went on waiting for a man who most likely wasn’t going to show up. “You order, if you’re hungry. I’ll wait a few more minutes.”

“You could call him,” Ashley suggested. “See if he’s on his way at least.”

“He said he’d be here,” Maggie said. “If he is still at the orchard, it’s because he’s still working. Interrupting him will only make him later.”

“Up to you,” her sister said, beckoning to the waitress.
“Could I get a chef’s salad, please? Ranch dressing on the side. And more iced tea when you have a minute.”

“Sure thing.” The waitress glanced at Maggie. “You ready to order?”

“I’m going to wait a few more minutes. We’re still expecting someone. I would like more tea, though.”

“I’ll bring that in a sec,” the waitress promised. “And if you’re waiting for that drop-dead gorgeous photographer with the fancy sports car, he just pulled into a space down the block.” She sighed dramatically. “What I wouldn’t give to have a man like that coming in here for me.”

Ignoring the wistfulness in the woman’s voice, Maggie peered out the window. Sure enough, Rick was heading their way. Undeniable relief spread through her. Now maybe Ashley would quit with the pitying looks. Heck, maybe her own stomach would stop tying itself into knots.

“Sorry, I’m late,” Rick apologized, sliding into the booth next to Maggie. He gave her thigh a surreptitious squeeze under the table. “Matthew and Sally were very chatty this morning.”

“Oh? What was on their minds?”

He grinned at her. “You and me.”

“Oh, no,” Maggie said with a groan. “How bad was it?”

“Depends on how you feel about being called a damn fool as many times as I was,” he said. “They think I’m wasting too much time. I have a hunch if we said the word, Sally could have our wedding planned by August.”

Maggie felt her cheeks flooding with heat.

“Really?” Ashley said, looking fascinated. She shoved aside the salad the waitress had just brought and planted her elbows on the table, her steady gaze on Rick’s face. “What did you say to all this unsolicited interference?”

“I told them to mind their own business.” He shrugged. “They declined. It took a while to hear them out.”

Maggie regarded him with surprise. “I’m amazed you didn’t lose your cool.”

“Why would I? I like them. And they’re just interested in seeing us happy.” He gave her an embarrassed grin. “First time in my life anybody’s worried about me.”

“As warm and fuzzy as I’m sure that made you feel,” Ashley said with a bite in her voice, “you’re not buying a word they said, are you? Are you just playing games with my sister?”

Maggie frowned at her. “Butt out, sis.”

“How can I sit by and watch you get hurt? He’s spelled it out for you, Maggie. He’s not interested in anything permanent.”

“Who says I am?” Maggie retorted, unhappy with the whole turn the conversation had taken. This was between her and Rick, not between the two of them and everyone they knew. “You’re not managing your own life all that well lately. Maybe you should concentrate on that and leave mine alone.”

Rick stared at her in obvious shock that she would take a potshot at her sister.

“Hey, slow down, Maggie,” he soothed. “It’s no big deal. Your sister’s just expressing an opinion. She’s entitled to do that.”

“Well, it’s an opinion I don’t care to hear,” Maggie insisted.

Ashley glowered at her. “Well, pardon me all to hell. I think I’ll leave you two to your lunch.”

“But you haven’t even touched your salad,” Rick said, clearly distressed by the argument.

“Doesn’t matter. I need some air.”

She slid out of the booth and stalked off, leaving
Maggie feeling rotten. She uttered a sigh of belated regret. “Okay, okay, you don’t need to say it. I shouldn’t have said what I did about her life. Sometimes that kind of remark is the only way to get Ashley to shut up once she’s on a self-righteous roll. Still, I know it was a low blow, and I shouldn’t have done it.”

“So why did you?” Rick asked, studying her with obvious curiosity. “Is it because you’re afraid she’s right?”

She took a very long time before answering. “Maybe,” she admitted eventually.

“Do you want to settle down?”

“Someday, sure,” she said at once.

“With me?”

She regarded him with confusion. “I don’t know. It’s too soon.”

He gave a nod of satisfaction. “My feeling exactly. So, what do you say we stop worrying about everyone else’s opinion and trust our own guts?”

She gave him a halfhearted smile. “Deal, though I think you’re deluding yourself if you think it will be that easy.”

“Could be,” he admitted, then grinned. “Want to forget about eating healthy and split a hot-fudge sundae with me?”

She felt the tension in her shoulders easing at last. If Rick wasn’t uptight over all the interference, why should she be?

“No,” she said at once, then grinned back at him. “I want my own.”

He leaned over and touched his lips to hers. “You’ve got it.” His gaze locked on hers. “As long as I get to lick away whatever chocolate happens to stray.”

“In that case, we probably ought to have this sundae at home.”

“No way. Having it right here where we can’t do so much fooling around is better,” he said, his expression mischievous. “A little restraint and anticipation can be very good things.”

“Something tells me you’ve raised them both to an art form.”

“Not yet,” he replied. “But I’m working on it. We can consider the next half hour or so to be practice. You can decide if I’m getting any better.”

Ashley came back just as Rick’s tongue touched a dribble of chocolate at the corner of Maggie’s lips. Ashley whipped a napkin out of the dispenser and shoved it at Maggie.

“Have you forgotten what these are for?” she asked testily.

“Oh, don’t be stuffy,” Maggie chided, then gave her sister an apologetic look. “I’m sorry about what I said earlier. I do love it that you care about me.”

Ashley’s expression softened at once. “I know.”

“But I’m a big girl. You have to trust my instincts,” Maggie reminded her.

Ashley sighed. “I know that, too. It’s just that it’s so much harder, because the stakes are so huge. Your entire future’s on the line.”

Rick laughed but the sound didn’t have a lot of good humor in it. “Pour on the pressure why don’t you?”

Ashley gave him a huge, obviously phony smile. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

Rick regarded her with amusement. “Are you threatening me, counselor?”

“Indeed I am,” Ashley replied sweetly.

Maggie decided enough was enough. “Okay, you two, that’s it. From now on any discussion of my relationship
with Rick is off-limits.” She leveled a look into Ashley’s eyes. “Are we clear?”

“Absolutely,” her sister said, though she didn’t look particularly daunted. “
I
won’t say another word.”

“Good,” Maggie said, still eyeing her suspiciously. “Why are you being so agreeable all of a sudden?”