Maggies Marriage (Cloverleaf #2) (22 page)

They were seated across from Cheryl’s large, sleek desk that was a little too big for the small office. Maggie felt claustrophobic, packed in like sardines, she felt herself grow hot and sweaty.

“You okay, babe?” Michael asked, eyeing her with concern.

“I’m fine, it’s just a little warm in here.” Maggie knew that seeing the numbers for how much they had spent was partially to blame, but the stuffy, cramped office was making it nearly unbearable.

Cheryl looked up at Maggie and said, “Only a couple more signatures, and then the house is yours.” She dangled the keys in front of them.

Michael tossed Maggie a reassuring grin as Cheryl slid the last of the paperwork in front of her. Maggie gripped the pen with all her might and signed away. She needed to get out of that office.

Before much longer, they were outside. The fresh air never felt better as it slapped against Maggie’s skin, which was wet with perspiration. The pure relief of being outside consumed her as she inhaled deeply, letting the cool air travel inside her. Maggie let out a breath and said, “I’m so sorry, I thought I was going to die in there. I was so overheated.”

“Probably the pregnancy hormones,” Michael suggested as the walked to a nearby bench and took a seat. A little foot traffic passed them, but they had a great view of the movie house across the street and of the beautiful hanging baskets of flowers on the antique lamp posts.

“Yeah, or the insane amount of money we just spent.”

“Oh, Maggie, please get over that, we can afford it, okay? I don’t want you stressing over it anymore. It’s done, and we now own a beautiful home in Birch Valley.” Michael kissed the top of her head, his arms slung over her shoulders.

They sat quietly, and Maggie reflected on how drastically different her life was. Only a few months ago, her world was crumbling. Michael was right; it was worth every cent being here with him and Melanie, and with the baby growing inside of her. She placed her hand gingerly on her belly, feeling the swirling movements of the life inside her. He, or she, was also starting to get a little cramped. Michael positioned his large hand over hers; together they felt the strong kicks, which reminded hey how blessed they were in so many ways. She relished the moment. Maggie closed her eyes and thanked God for everything He had done for her.

Interrupting her prayer, Michael asked, “You ready to go back to work?”

“Yeah, I’d better.” Maggie reluctantly got up from the bench.

“I will be buying new locks for the house, and I have a couple of errands to run as well.”

“Mom said she and Dad were going to take Melanie to a movie tonight. Maybe we can go to the house and work on cleaning it or something?” Maggie suggested as she stretched and yawned.

“Well, I’m going to change the locks and do some things around the place, want to meet me there a little later?” Michael’s soft, brown eyes twinkled.

“I will feed Melanie, and then when they get ready to leave I’ll head over, sound good?”

“Perfect.” Michael stood up, took hold of her shoulders, and lowered his mouth to hers. Maggie sighed inside of his mouth, savoring his kiss.

He broke away and grabbed her hand, leading her to their car. The ride to the shop was quick. She said goodbye and left him, feeling content and pretty darn happy.

***

The house stood tall and proud at the corner of the street as Maggie pulled into the driveway and parked next to Michael’s car. She still couldn’t believe that it was their new home. Melanie had been torn between going to the new home or to the movie with her grandparents. Even Grandpa decided to join them when he heard they would be going out for ice cream afterwards. Mary made sure that Melanie decided on the movie. Maggie found her mother’s behavior a little odd. Maggie loved that her parents took Melanie out and spent so much time with her, so she didn’t question her mother’s motives, but it seemed like something was up.

Maggie out of her car and popped the trunk, loading her arms full with bags of cleaning products and some basic toiletries. She followed the brick walkway to the magnificent front door. She knocked, but then laughed. This was her home now.

She could make out Michael’s figure coming to the door, and once he opened it he saw that her arms were loaded. “Here, let me help you,” Michael said as he started removing some of the bags that were tangled all around her arms. He let Maggie in first, trailing close behind her.

Maggie gasped loudly. Her hand covered her mouth as her eyes feasted on the sight before her. There were candles lit on the counters and built-in shelves, which cast a soft, romantic glow. A bottle of champagne was sitting in a bucket of ice, two glasses next to it.

“Is that…” Maggie started to ask.

“It’s cider,” Michael answered quickly as he placed the bags on a neighboring counter.

Her eyes absorbed every detail. A silver vase with red roses sat on the kitchen island, and delicate petals decorated the floor, leaving a trail of the velvety flowers. Maggie followed the trail to their formal dining room, where she saw a large blow up mattress sat on the floor. It was decorated with a silky looking sheet and soft comforter, both in a beautiful green.

She wasn’t prepared for such a night. She grimaced as she glanced down at her jeans and old Seattle Seahawk football shirt. Hardly sexy. But considering the surrounding atmosphere, she highly doubted she would be dressed for long.

As she stood in awe, Michael came up behind her, his lips finding the soft skin behind her ear. “Oh, Michael,” Maggie whispered. The room was full of shadows from more candles that were placed around the bed. The floral smell mixed with the aroma from the scented candles was inviting, and she inhaled it deeply. Could it get any better?

“Welcome home, Mrs. Trembley,” Michael said, his voice saturated with arousal and desire. Maggie felt herself grow warm, and her knees went weak. He was there to catch her should she collapse or melt, both of which were very likely.

She around to face her husband and anchored herself to him, looping her arms around his neck. She couldn’t take her eyes off his mouth, she needed to feel it against hers. Maggie lunged for his sensual lips, crushing her mouth on his, pressing away any space that was between them. She cherished his taste, it was a cross between mint and a flavor that was solely him. She pulled back, licking her lips, which ignited a fire in his eyes that was burning bright against the candle-lit room. Their hands explored each other, sliding across smooth skin, mapping out every inch.

Michael guided her toward the bed, where he slowly started to undress Maggie. He carefully lifted the faded t-shirt over head, his hands instantly drawn to the swell of her breasts, which were cupped in a plain bra, nothing fancy.

“You should have told me you were doing this. I could have come dressed to impress.” Maggie giggled, thinking how ridiculous she must look.

“I don’t care, you would end up the same way if you had dressed in the sexiest thing you own.” Michael’s mouth had found the top of her chest, kissing the milky flesh. She could hear him moan into her skin. Maggie arched her back, pulling his head closer, feeling her own breath escape, leaving her body starving for more of Michael’s touch.

He nudged her backwards, the powerful weight of him hovering over her as he stared at her. His eyes were hungry. Maggie swallowed, she felt almost nervous from the way his mocha-colored eyes were devouring her without even touching her. He ran his tongue across his lips, and growled before he pounced on her mouth, nipping at her bottom lip, probing his tongue inside, staking his claim. The electric current that burned through her as they connected left her feeling hot and wild. Their kiss deepened, which spurred her to bring him closer to her, eliminating any gap between their bodies.

Michael resisted, but only for a moment as he shed his gray v-neck shirt, exposing his toned chest with the fine spray of black hair dancing all the way down his waist. Maggie partially sat up on her elbows to get a better view of his abdomen. It rippled under her touch as she extended her fingers and lightly grazed the smooth skin. He let out another groan, which was deep and full of frustration, almost animalistic. In a swift movement, their clothing had mysteriously and effortlessly been removed and she soon found herself writhing under his touch, begging him to help her find release.

His hands moved down the length of her body, pausing at her belly. “You’re beautiful,” Michael stated as he bent down and swept his lips across it, leaving goose bumps on her skin.

Passion flowed through her as Michael carried both of them to a lust filled haze and an afterglow so sweet and unmatched that Maggie felt tears developing. He cradled her in his strong arms, the skin to skin contact drawing heat. His hands ran along the lines and curves of her body, and he sighed appreciatively. They lay quietly, basking in the light from the candles and the beauty of the love they shared for one another.

“God, that was amazing,” Maggie managed to say, her voice hoarse. Her body still throbbed and tingled, and sensations still vibrated through her. That had been one of the most incredible love making sessions they had ever shared.
Well, that was one way to christen the new house.

Chapter Nineteen

“What do you mean, you don’t think it’s a good idea? I sure think it is,” Maggie argued. Rachel and Mary looked at her like she was crazy for even suggesting it. It was a modern world, and people did the online dating thing all the time, it was nothing new, and in Maggie’s opinion, it was an option for Patrick.

The women were seated around the dining room table in the O’Brien home. Mary released a loud sigh. “It’s a step up from a mail order bride, Maggie. Patrick will be livid if he finds out, you know how he is,” Mary pleaded.

Maggie could see that Rachel was on the fence. “Rachel, come on, you know that it’s a great idea.”

“Well, I mean, I know people do it all the time, so it’s not a crazy idea.”

“How else can we get Patrick to meet someone? I don’t see you guys coming up with a game plan.” Maggie grabbed her mug and another cookie.

“It’s a good idea, but Mary’s right, he will be so pissed.”

“Good grief, of course he will. But this is for his own good. I even started setting up a profile for him on a free dating site I came across.” Maggie got up to retrieve her laptop.

Mary let out another huff. “Oh, dear Lord, Maggie, you don’t think that’s going a bit far?”

“No, Mom, I don’t. He has been alone now for almost four years,” Maggie said, returning to the table and opening up her computer. Her fingers quickly typed in the website’s address.

“It needs to be in his own time, dear.” Mary took another sip of her tea.

“But as we learned with Beth dying, you never know how long you have. I just want him to be happy, that’s all.”

“I know you have no ill intent, love. It might be best if you don’t meddle in his love life.”

“Wow, really, Mom? You are the queen of meddling, I learned from you.” Maggie stuck her tongue out, causing both Mary and Rachel to giggle.

Maggie figured her mother would be all over the idea, that she would probably have spear headed the project herself. Maggie pulled up the profile she had created for Patrick.

“The only thing I’m really missing is a picture of him where he isn’t scowling. I think I got everything covered, but wanted to go over everything with you guys just in case I forgot something.”

Rachel and Mary moved behind Maggie and started to read the profile.

“Just from how you describe him I can only imagine the flood of emails you are going to get,” Rachel commented as she returned to her seat.

“You did a fine job, Maggie. You really know how to sell your poor brother.”

“So what else should we add?” Maggie asked. Her fingers hovered over the keys, ready for dictation.

Rachel looked up to the ceiling before returning her gaze on Maggie. “Did you mention he is widowed?”

“Well, see, I didn’t exactly put that. I wasn’t sure how people might perceive that. What do you think?”

Mary raised her eyebrows and said, “Best to be as honest as possible, a good woman will appreciate that. Need to weed out the crummy ones.”

That was more like it. Maggie listened as her mother explained more about the importance of providing an accurate profile for Patrick. The women laughed as they tried to come up with clever things to say about him. They were so deeply involved in their project they didn’t hear Patrick walk in.

“What are you ladies up to?”

They all turned. Maggie could only imagine her eyes were as big as Mary and Rachel’s.
Talk about getting caught in the act.

Patrick’s face grew curious. “Why do you all look like you are up to no good?”

Maggie stumbled over her words. “Um, well, we were just working on…”

Rachel was apparently quick on her feet. “Wedding dresses. We were looking to see which one would work for a pregnant bride.” She shot Patrick a frown, as if she were trying to gain some sympathy from him.
Good job.

“You could show up in a sheet or a garbage bag and Liam will think you are the most beautiful woman in the world,” Patrick said, attempting to reassure Rachel.

“That’s sweet, never considered a garbage bag. Thanks for the suggestion, Patrick.” Rachel put on her best serious face.

“Well, I will leave you guys to it then. Mom, I’m taking the boys home, see you guys tomorrow for dinner.” Patrick disappeared quickly.

Maggie let out the breath she had been holding. “God, that was close. Wow, Rachel, pretty darn impressive.”

Mary patted Rachel’s hand. “Yes, dear, quick thinking there.”

Rachel offered them a weak smile. “I felt horrible, but had to think of something.”

“Well, it worked. So where were we?” Maggie’s eyes scanned the monitor. “Ah, here we go, what you would say is his most attractive feature?”

Rachel bit her lip. “Probably best not for me to answer.”

“Oh, come on, we know you love Liam.” Maggie swatted at her. “We need an outside opinion, so, Rachel, that leaves you. I can’t really say because eeeww, you know?”

“True, like when Chelsea goes on and on about Ethan, I’m like, yuck.” Rachel pretended to gag, which caused Mary to frown at her. “Sorry, Mary, but you get what I mean.”

Maggie thought back to Chelsea’s visit earlier that spring, she recalled how interested she had been in Patrick. “What about Chelsea? What did she find so appealing about Patrick?” Maggie found it difficult to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

“Well, she loved his eyes. You guys all have them, they are beautiful and mesmerizing. She just thought he was gorgeous, like, all of him.” Rachel laughed.

“Oh my,” Mary said as she took another sip of her tea.

“Mom, you know how all the girls around here have always been in love with him, they practically throw themselves at his feet,” Maggie explained.

Rachel asked, “So why are we needing to even set this up for him?”

“Because he’s difficult and we need to help him, whether he likes it or not.”

They all nodded in agreement.

***

Maggie looked down the hallway to make sure no one was in earshot as she quickly ducked into the kitchen where Rachel and Mary were getting Sunday dinner ready to serve.

“You guys won’t believe it,” Maggie announced in a whisper, keeping her voice low just in case. After the close call with Patrick the day before, she wasn’t taking any chances.

“Believe what?” Rachel asked as she stirred a simmering pot on the stove. Maggie almost laughed at how domestic Rachel looked as she wore one of Mary’s floral print aprons, holding that wooden spoon like her life depended on it. She was steadily becoming quite a good cook. Maggie wasn’t sure if there was much hope for herself, but her family was hardly starving.

“The hits on Patrick’s profile.”

Mary turned around, carrying a handful of silverware in her hands. “Really? What did the ladies have to say?”

“Oh, that he’s super hot and they all want him, and that is the condensed version.” Maggie laughed.

“I’m not all that surprised, are you?” Rachel said as she continued stirring.

“Well, I was shocked he got so many responses in less than twenty-four hours.”

“How many?” Rachel’s blue eyes grew curious.

Maggie stepped closer, and quickly looked behind her to make sure no one else was around. “Try close to a hundred women, even a couple men were interested.”

Mary’s mouth gaped open. “Oh, dear Lord, you can’t be serious.”

“Oh, I am. It’s crazy, isn’t it?”

“Which part? The number of women, or that men are even throwing themselves at your brother?” Rachel let out a soft squeal.

“I’m going to show you guys after dinner, you won’t believe me until you see it with your own eyes.”

Maggie retrieved several plates and started to set the table. She was itching to show them the progress that they had made. She had to figure out how to get Patrick to go out on these dates, once they sifted through the contenders and really made sure he didn’t get stuck with some weirdo, or a man. Then he would kill her for sure.

Maggie stole glances at Patrick as they all sat and ate dinner. She was trying to gauge his mood, seeing if it was possible to even broach the subject of dating. Maggie could feel eyes on her, and caught her mother and Rachel both looking at her. They would turn away and try not to giggle. Maggie was having fun with their secret project.

Dinner was its usual loud chatter-filled ceremony of feasting on something delicious that Mary had cooked. Maggie was more than relieved when everyone started to excuse themselves from the table. The children, as usual, were the first to beg to go outside and play. Grandpa Paddy and Pat retired to the den, eager to puff away on their pipes and catch up on their nightly reading of the newspaper. They especially loved the Sunday paper. Michael looked at Maggie as if asking permission to go play with her brothers. She sent him away and received a kiss on the cheek as he and the guys set off towards the basement. It was finally quiet, and Maggie raced to grab her laptop to show Mary and Rachel the site.

“Rachel, try to keep watch, okay?” Maggie asked as the site started loading.

Rachel took the chair facing the archway that led into the kitchen. It was the perfect spot to see if anyone came in.

Mary took a seat next to Maggie. “So, tell me, how do we get him to date some of these women?”

“I think once we really go through and find the best ones, we should probably sit him down and explain. What do you guys think?” Maggie asked.

Mary moved her head closer to the screen, a surprised look on her face.

“What?” Rachel asked.

“He has over two hundred people now interested in his profile,” Mary answered.

Maggie was astonished.
How could that many people be interested?

“I think we need to start sorting the creepers from the keepers, sound good?” Maggie said as she started to click on the profile of the first woman who had made contact.

“She seems lovely,” Mary commented as she stared at the screen alongside Maggie.

Maggie moved a little closer to Rachel so she could see what they were seeing.

“That one does seem pretty.”

They continued to view and delete ones they felt were not even a remote possibility for Patrick. Rachel excused herself to go to the restroom. Mary and Maggie were engrossed in their project, huddled together as they reviewed more candidates.

“What the heck are you guys up to?”

Maggie felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck, her stomach dropped as she felt Patrick behind them. He bent lower to get a closer look. He immediately wore a confused expression, which was swiftly replaced with anger.

“What is this?” Patrick asked as he pulled away.

“Patrick, don’t be upset. We were going to talk to you about it,” Maggie said, trying to defend their action of deceit.

He rubbed his jaw, and she could see a little muscle ticking away near the dark stubble. She had seen that before; he was pissed.

“Is that some kind of dating site?”

Maggie nodded. She caught a glimpse of Rachel entering, and Liam was trailing behind her, completely out of the loop.

“What dating site?” Liam asked.

“Oh, just one that Maggie has apparently signed me up for,” Patrick replied angrily as Liam went to have a look for himself. He looked at Maggie, disappointment filling his eyes.

“We were just trying to help,” Maggie explained.

“So you all are involved?” Patrick looked at each of them. Rachel hung her head, Mary kept her stare on him, and Maggie couldn’t face the icy glare from him.

“She meant well, son. She was only thinking of your happiness,” Mary tried to reason with him.

Patrick rolled his eyes as he started pacing the dining room. “I don’t care if she meant well, she never should have gotten involved.”

“If you would just calm down and take a look at this, you might actually find this very interesting.”

“No, I wouldn’t because I have no intention of meeting any of those damn people. I can’t believe you would do this. You really crossed the line.” Patrick fumed. Maggie didn’t know what else to say to him, other than she was sorry.

“I shouldn’t have, but I’m trying to help you.”

“No, you are not helping. From now on, please stay out of my business. Just because your life is suddenly all roses again doesn’t give you the damn right to try and fix mine. You might want to focus on your own issues before trying to work on other people’s problems.”

“Patrick, that’s not fair.” Maggie tried to push back the tears. That was a low blow, and it stung, especially coming from someone who always protected her.

“Hey, man, I think she really was trying to help. It’s been almost four years.” Liam placed his hand carefully on Patrick’s shoulder, only to have it quickly shrugged away.