Deep in the Heart (49 page)

Keith took another breath to settle the words. “My dad. He was the one driving the other car. He killed your parents.”

“
My…? What?” Without really realizing it, Maggie pulled her hands from his, stood, and walked to the window. Words and memories swam in front of her eyes.

“
It was too big of a coincidence,” Keith said, following her with his words only. “When I found out they were in Midland when Mom was killed, I had to know.”

Maggie absorbed that and then turned slowly, only able to concentrate on one thing at a time. “And he told you?”

“
I looked it up first. He didn’t have much choice after that.” Keith let his gaze fall to his empty hands. “I’m really sorry, Maggie. If I could bring them back, I would.”

In fistfuls the pieces snapped into place in her heart. “That’s when your mom died.”

Pain etched across his face as he nodded. “Yeah. I didn’t know… I didn’t even know Dad was with her until the other day. They never told me.”

For as bad as this was, when Maggie looked at him, she couldn’t leave him alone in his grief. She stepped over to the couch, sat down carefully, and reached one hand over to his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Keith. For your loss. For everything.”

“
I hate this. I hate what it did to you.”

Her gaze dropped as the words brushed her heart. “I’m okay. I’ve learned to forgive and to love in ways I might never have if it hadn’t happened.”

He nodded, and then anguish washed through his eyes as his gaze found hers. “I spent so many nights being mad at her for leaving, mad at God for taking her, and now I realize how much time I wasted wallowing in all of that.”

“
It wasn’t wasted,” Maggie said softly. “It led you here. It made you who you are today, and who you are today is someone that I’m very glad to call my friend.”

Questioning misery went through his eyes. “Friends? Is that what we are?”

The questions pushed her backward. “I… I don’t know. Isn’t that what you want us to be?”

Answer upon answer went through his eyes. Finally he shook his head. “No. I can’t just be friends with you.” He exhaled, and her heart plummeted. However, when his gaze grabbed hers, there was a glimmer of peace and hope. “The truth is I’ve fallen in love with you, Maggie. I think about you every second. I count the minutes until we can be together again. When I thought I’d lost you, it was killing me to think I’d never see you again. I know this is sudden, and I know it makes no sense, but I love you, Maggie. I do. I have ever since you fell down those stupid stairs.”

Joy, happiness, and disbelief danced through her. “And I’ve loved you ever since you wouldn’t let me carry my own suitcase. I thought you were completely crazy.”

“
I was… about you.” Levity dissipated as his eyes grew serious. And then, as if life itself had never stood in their way, he leaned toward her and tilted his head so that his lips met hers in a burst of light and awe. One kiss and he slid closer to her so his arms could gather her into them.

Maggie felt weightless, taken up by his kisses and the feel of the strength of his arms around her. How many nights she had dreamt of this, and how many moments had she told herself it would never happen? And now, suddenly, beyond anything she could even have let herself wish, she was here with him, and it was better even than she had let herself ever believe it could be.

Breathless from the kiss, she let his strength hold her as he backed away. Her eyes slid open still lost in the dream.

“
And now I have to ask you something that you’re probably going to run screaming from the hills when I say,” Keith said, but he never let her go. “My parents are having dinner tonight, and I’ve been invited.” His gaze drilled into her spirit. “Will you come with me?”

Surprise jumped through her. “To dinner with your parents?”

He nodded.

No invitation to meet the parents had ever carried the weight that one did. “I… Umm…” She sat up, took a breath, and looked down at herself. Her hand went to her hair, and she knew she must look a mess. “I don’t have anything to wear.”

Keith laughed. “Then what do you say we go do a little shopping?”

Hand-in-hand they walked up the steps to Greg’s apartment. The three mall bags in Keith’s other hand dangled there as if they belonged nowhere else. At the top of the stairs he opened the door for her. “Why don’t you go get ready, get your other stuff, and we’ll take off?”

“
Okay.” She took the bags from him with a shy smile.

He watched her walk down the hallway, and the truth was he would be happy to watch that walk forever. He’d waited only a few minutes next to the couch when noise at the door drew his attention there. A second and he was standing face-to-face with the best friend a guy could ever have.

“
Keith,” Greg said in surprise. His gaze slid down the hallway. “Hey, man. What’s up?”

“
What’s up. Yeah… You say that like you don’t know.”

Fear traced across Greg’s face.

Keith laughed. “Well, I came by to get the rings, which to be honest I didn’t even really care about, but it’s the funniest thing. You never told me you got a new roommate.”

Greg ducked his head and stepped past Keith to the kitchen. He grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water before he faced Keith. “She didn’t want me to tell you.”

Keith smiled. “You didn’t.”

“
Hi, everyone,” Keith said, stepping into the dining room. Maggie was behind him, her hand firmly held by his so she couldn’t run. “I brought you a surprise.”

Around the table all gazes came up to him. He pulled Maggie around him, and questions turned to chaos.

“
Maggie!” Peter exclaimed, jumping from his chair and running to her. She caught him in a hug that brought tears to Keith’s eyes.

“
Gie! Gie! Gie! Gie!” Isabella yelled, bouncing in her high chair until it practically tipped over.

“
Hang on.” Keith laughed as he tried to free the excited, kicking little girl. “You’re stuck.” His fingers worked the lever. “There we go.” He lifted her out, stood her on the floor, and she toddled to Maggie and Peter who were having a tear-filled reunion on the floor of the dining room.

“
Come here, you,” Maggie said as she gathered Isabella in too. “Oh, I missed you so much, baby girl.” She kissed the little girl soundly on the top of the head as she gathered her into her embrace.

Keith’s gaze went from her to the head of the table, and he snagged his father’s attention. Keith nodded in answer to the question in his father’s eyes. It was all right. His father just didn’t know it yet.

“
Oh, Maggie,” Inez said, nearly tripping over her when she came in with dinner. “What’re you doing here?”

Happiness radiated from Maggie’s face. “I couldn’t stay away.”

Dinner was wonderful. It was almost like being a part of a real family, Maggie thought. The kids were so happy, it was hard not to be, but then there were the times she chanced a glance at Mr. Ayer, and she knew this was anything but easy for him. When dinner was over, Maggie was less than sure what came next. Was she here as a nanny again or as Keith’s date, and where did one end and the other begin?

“
Keith,” Mr. Ayer said as they exited the dining room, “I’d like to talk Ms. Montgomery… Maggie for a minute, if you don’t mind. Can you handle the kids?”

“
Handle them?” Keith asked wickedly. “I’ll handle them all right.” He swung Peter up and over his shoulder. Then he reached down and took Isabella’s hand. Bouncing so that Peter made uh, uh, uh sounds, Keith climbed the stairs. At the bend he stopped and looked right at Maggie. “We’ll be up here when you’re finished.”

“
Okay,” she said, wondering how she even got those two syllables out.

“
Come with me,” Mr. Ayer said.

Maggie swallowed half of her trepidation, leaving the other half to suffocate whatever confidence she’d managed to acquire during the meal. She followed the man who held her future in his hands all the way to his office. If this could’ve been any more nerve-wracking, she wouldn’t have known how.

Instead of sitting at the desk as she had expected him to, Mr. Ayer went all the way to the huge window behind it. He stood there, hands clasped behind his back, staring out into the twilight beyond for the longest minute of her life.

By the time he started talking, she wasn’t even breathing anymore.

“
You know, Ms. Montgomery, I had pretty much given up on what I always thought were my dreams ever making me happy. I had managed to acquire everything I’d ever wanted—money, fame, prestige, a family, this house and estate. I had businesses and clients and employees. But I knew something was missing.”

He glanced back at her. “A long time ago I made a huge mistake. One I’ve never forgotten about even for a single second. I knew it at the time, but I thought if I just covered it up good enough, no one would ever see me for what I knew I really was. So, instead of going away, it festered, and the harder I tried to pretend it wasn’t there, the worse it got. That night, all my behavior before it and after it just dug me in deeper and deeper until I didn’t think there was any way back out. And then you came along.”

The words pushed Maggie backward. “Me, Sir?”

He smiled at her sadly. “I didn’t just lose my wife the night you lost your parents. I lost my son and my self. I lost what it was to be happy, to love someone else.” He exhaled. “Keith took the brunt of my stupidity as I’m sure you well know, but I’m afraid it wasn’t just him who suffered. I believe you did as well.”

Maggie tried to wave it off. “I’m…”

“
No, Ms. Montgomery, you have shown grace and courage in the face of great difficulty. I find that awe-inspiring. You have held your own in this house, and let me just say, I know that hasn’t been easy.” With that he faced her. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that you, my dear, are my role model. I cannot tell you how impressed I’ve been with how you have guided Keith to something better than he ever was before. It reminds me very much of another young lady much like yourself who tried to get a head-strong young businessman to see how badly he was missing what’s really important.”

“
I wasn’t trying…”

“
No, you didn’t have to try because that’s who you were. That’s who you are.” He smiled. “I want my children to learn from that. In fact, I want to learn that as well.”

“
Sir…?”

He stopped her with a raise of his hand. “Now, I want it made perfectly clear that when Keith asks you to marry him…”

Maggie’s eyes went wide as her heart jerked forward. But he stopped her before she could protest.

“
Which he will. However, I do not want Peter and Isabella to grow up without your influence. I know after my track record, and I have no right to demand anything, so I’m asking you. Will you stay and teach my children what I cannot?”

For as irrational as that sounded, Maggie’s heart went out to him. His humility in the face of everything that had happened overwhelmed the last traces of her anger toward him. She stepped around the desk and over to him. The hesitation lasted only a second before she put her arms around him. At first he was taken aback by her actions, but then he let her hug truly embrace him. Gently he patted her arm without returning the gesture. When she backed up, she looked at him squarely. “And just so you never have to wonder, I forgive you. God and I hashed that out a long time ago. I know you didn’t mean to hurt them.”

“
Oh, I didn’t. I really didn’t. If I could go back…”

“
No,” she said, stopping him firmly. “We can’t go back, but we can go forward.”

His smile was slow and hopeful. “I’d like that.”

“
Are they asleep?” Maggie asked as she treaded down the hallway, lit only by the glow of the nightlight. She felt like she’d missed so many nights with them already.

“
They’re down,” Keith said as he closed Isabella’s door. “But I think Peter’s waiting for his angel to come and pray with him.”

Maggie’s heart cracked open as joy surged through her. She stepped past Keith then turned. “You coming?”

He put his hand over hers. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

She pushed into the room, and Peter looked over at her. “Maggie!”

“
Shh.” She put her finger to her lips although she really wasn’t mad. “Izzy’s sleeping.” Softly she crept over to the bed, and she was momentarily sad when Keith dropped her hand. However, in seconds he was on the other side of the bed, reaching out for her once again, and something in her sensed how his spirit had been doing that to hers from the very beginning.

With no reservation she laid her hand in his and bent her head. “Dear Heavenly Father… Huh.” She had to shake her hair back away from her face at the amazement of it all. “Thank You so very much. Every good thing comes from You, and we thank You for all the blessings You have given us. For Peter and Isabella, for the Ayers, and Inez and Patty Ann, Tanner, Jamie, and Ike. We thank You Father for all of them. Thank You for keeping them safe for us. We ask that You keep those who You have already drawn back to Yourself in Your loving embrace until we can see them again.

“
Most of all, God, we thank You for the gift of love.” She squeezed Keith’s hand lest he not understand the depths of her gratefulness. “We know it is a gift from You, and we give thanks that You have chosen to share it with us.” The prayer was winding to the end. “We ask that You keep all boys and girls in the world safe tonight. If they are lonely, give them comfort. If they are hungry, send someone to feed them. If they are in danger, protect them, O God. Keep us all safe in Your love this night and every night. Amen.” Her eyes stayed closed as she let the prayer and the peace settle into the deepest recesses of her being.