I’d always used my charms to get between a woman’s legs. I’d never used it to get into her heart before.
Maisey had changed everything for me.
I wanted her.
And that’s the thing about me. Once I set my sights on something, I get it.
She might not know it yet, but I planned on making her mine and I wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
I’d spent the whole week without her, without seeing her smile, without hearing her laughter, without touching her - and it was entirely too long. I’d drifted off into daydreaming, and almost forgot I was on the phone with Maria until she spoke up again.
“Do you want me to keep following them? I’m pretty sure the girl noticed me at the grocery store the other day. She’s pretty sharp for a ten year old.”
“What did you say?” I asked, my brain snapping into high alert.
“She’s really smart. For a ten year old.”
“She’s ten?” I asked.
“Well, yeah, nine, ten, something like that. I thought I told you that.”
“I thought she was much younger,” my heart began racing in my chest. “Maria - when’s her birthday?”
“Let me look - I have it here in the background check I did. Let’s see…oh, it’s Valentine’s day actually. February 14th. I guess she’s still nine, sorry.”
The numbers flew around in my head, until they settled into one very unbelievable scenario.
I felt the blood drain from my face as I hung up the phone slowly. Maria was still talking, but I’d heard everything I needed to know, and it explained everything perfectly.
MAISEY
“Do we really have to watch Goonies again?” I asked. Maddy and Snowflake were curled up next to me and we were settling into the couch after dinner for a movie. “We’ve seen it a million times.”
“You know how much I love it, Mama,” she replied.
“And you know how it ends already. Don’t you want to watch something new? I here there’s this new show on…”
“Nope,” she said. “I want Goonies. It’s my favorite.”
I stared down into her eyes and sighed. How could I deny her anything? I couldn’t. And she knew it.
“Alright, alright,” I said.
“Yes!” she said, pressing play and snuggling back into my shoulder. I pulled the blanket over us and let my thoughts drift off as she watched Goonies for the millionth time. It had been a week since I’d talked to Jesse and it was getting harder every day. I’d vowed to give him back everything he’d given me, but that would have meant leaving Maddy alone, and I was terrified of letting her out of my sight.
She’d had another mild attack the night before last, but we’d managed to get it under control before we had to go to the hospital. But we’d spent the next day at her doctor’s office, and it was a lot easier driving myself there in the car Jesse had given me, instead of waiting for a taxi. And Maddy had grown quite fond of Snowflake…
It was the easy way out. But it was also the cowardly way out, too. I knew this. I felt terrible about it, and I promised myself that I would call him. I could go see him and try to make amends… But I couldn’t bring myself to face him in the daylight. The words that sounded so good in my head turned into an unacceptable disaster in the sunlight.
So, I’d done nothing. I’d turned my complete attention to taking care of Maddy and left dealing with Jesse on the back burner.
It was easier this way. And I desperately needed things to be easy.
Halfway through the movie, Maddy fell asleep on the couch, her blonde curls splayed over the couch cushion and her bare feet in my lap. I couldn’t help but smile when I looked at her. She slept like an angel, full of peace and beauty.
Gingerly, I removed her feet and stood up from the couch. She stirred lightly, but kept sleeping, so I left her there. I padded to the kitchen to pour myself a glass of wine, hoping it would do something to help the knots in my shoulders. I’d been so on edge, so tense this last week that my back had turned into one big stress knot.
I tried to remember the last time I’d felt relaxed, but then I realized that it was as I’d laid in Jesse’s arms that night after our date. It seemed so far away now. And yet, I knew that if I picked up the phone, he’d be right there on the other end. I wondered if he was thinking about me. Or, since he’d stopped calling me, maybe he’d finally given up on me.
I knew he wasn’t one for relationship drama, so if I’d pushed him away completely it wouldn’t be a total surprise. And maybe it was all for the best.
I had to put what was best for Maddy first. She was my priority.
Not my peace, not my pleasure, not any irrational fantasies I had of having a relationship with Jesse.
The doorbell rang, startling me so bad that I almost dropped my glass.
It must be Eddie, I thought. He’d probably left something behind when he’d dropped by to check on Maddie earlier. It would be nice to chat with him and have some much needed adult time.
Gleefully, I bounded to the front door and flung it open with a smile.
“Jesse!”
My mouth flew open and I stood there dumbfounded in front of him.
“Hello, Maisey,” he nodded. He looked very serious, but oh so fucking handsome. A black button down shirt was tucked into a pair of black silk trousers that outlined the perfect treasure that I knew was hiding behind the thin cloth. The sun was barely beginning to set behind him, leaving the sky streaked with a soft purple light that washed over his face.
“What - what are you doing here?” I asked. My heart was pounding in my chest, a mixture of anxiety and excitement racing through my veins.
“I was hoping we could talk,” he said. “It’s important… Can I come in?”
“Come in? Um…I - well, sure. Would you like a glass of wine? We could sit on the front porch.” My thoughts jumped to Maddy on the couch in the living room, and I wanted to keep them away from each other.
“That’s fine,” he said, nodding solemnly.
“Stay here,” I swallowed hard, ran to the kitchen and grabbed the bottle and another glass and walked out onto the front porch. I was being incredibly rude not inviting him in. “Sorry, I’d invite you in, but my house is a mess right now.”
“That’s okay,” he said.
“I wasn’t expecting company,” I shrugged, sitting next to him on the porch swing. I’d left the front door open slightly so I could hear Maddy if she needed me. I turned to him slowly. “How’s the knee?”
“It’s better. The Amazonian woman they sent in your place does a helluva job.”
“Oh, no. Did they send Helga?” I asked.
“Yep. I call her Helga the Hun. She’s awful. You were much, much better.”
“I’m so sorry, Jesse. My daughter got sick, and I need to spend some time with her.”
“Are you sure that’s what it is?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we did have a fight,” he said. “And you’ve been avoiding me…”
“Maybe it’s best if we don’t work together. I didn’t mean for things to get so complicated.”
“Complicated,” he said, biting his lip. “That’s one way of putting it.”
I nodded, unsure of what to say next. I stared over at him, drinking in his masculinity, my body responding to him, just as it always did - with intense desire and yearning to get as close to him as I could.
But his energy was different today. He wasn’t flirting, he wasn’t tempting me with his salacious winking and touching. In fact, he hadn’t touched me at all. Or kissed me, which was his usual way of greeting me.
“Maisey, I need to ask you a question and I need you to tell me the truth,” he turned to me, his blue eyes peering deeply into mine.
I nodded, unable to tear my eyes away from his.
“Why did you leave Ault? Why did you leave that day? Why didn’t you wait a week, like you were supposed to?”
“I told you, Jesse,?
?? I replied. “It was just time for me to go.”
“But why? Why that day?”
“Why are you asking me all these questions?” I asked, my voice rising. “We’ve already gone over all of this, and you know how bad I had it there. My life was a goddamned mess.”
“I need real answers now, Maisey.”
“What does it matter, Jesse? It was so long ago.”
“Ten.”
“What?”
“Ten years. That’s how long ago it was.”
“Right, wh-whatever,” I said, my words tripping over each other. I felt trapped in a corner, and I wanted out - fast.
“How old is Maddy?” he asked, his voice quiet as a whisper. I froze in my spot, my eyes darting away from his. I couldn’t look at him.
“Nine,” I whispered.
“Maisey, you’re going to have to talk to me about this…”