Maggie's Turn (24 page)

Maggie laughed with pure joy. She'd never seen such an elaborate, yet warm and welcoming, bedroom in her entire life.

"What's so funny?" Rob asked, frowning. "Don't you like it?"

Maggie smiled wide as she spun and took in the beauty of the room. The brick fireplace, oversized four-poster bed, thick coverlet in gold and brown tones, cushy rugs, and gorgeous dark red tile floors were incredible. A large, arched window stretched across one entire wall, dressed up in creamy white sheers, muting but not blocking the setting sun.

"Of course I like it," she said, smiling up at Rob. "A person would be crazy not to like this room. I'm laughing because I can't believe how amazing this home is."

Rob grinned. "It is pretty amazing, isn't it? I never set out to own a Tuscan mansion on a hill, overlooking vineyards, but here I am. I've been blessed."

Maggie walked over to the window and pulled aside the sheer curtain for a better view. Looking out over the valley from this hilltop home made her feel as if she were standing on the top of the world. She looked to her left and saw far, far below, down by the highway, an adorable smaller version of Rob's home. "Who lives down there?"

Rob walked up behind Maggie and looked in the direction she was pointing. "That's not a house. That's where my neighbors have wine tasting events for tourists. As a matter of fact, they're having a group here tomorrow night, and we're invited. It's kind of an end-of-season harvest festival. There will be music, food, and, of course, wine."

Maggie stood there a moment, conscious of how close Rob was behind her. She felt the warmth of his breath on her neck and smelled the scent of the outdoors on him from their long ride here. She turned and smiled up at him, trying to act casual about his closeness. "That sounds fun," was all she could manage to say.

Rob stood there a moment longer, looking down at Maggie, his brown eyes turning a rich mahogany. Finally, he smiled and turned, walking to the bedroom door. The spell was broken.

"I'll go check to see what Emma left us for dinner tonight," Rob said, his voice husky. "I called her earlier and told her I had a guest, so I'm sure she left us something delicious."

Maggie watched as Rob walked across the hallway and dropped the other saddlebag in front of a door there, then turned and headed back down the hallway. She stared at the door across the hall for a long time, trying to control her thoughts.
We're just friends,
she told herself. She didn't understand exactly why his standing so close to her had unnerved her, but it had.
It's been a long day. That's all it is.
She would feel better once she cleaned off the dust of the day and changed clothes. Then everything would feel normal again.

Later, after eating a delicious grilled steak and freshly tossed salad for dinner, Maggie and Rob sat leisurely in front of the fireplace in soft leather chairs as the logs spit and crackled and warmed the room. Outside, the night air had chilled and fog rolled in from the coast to lay nestled in the crooks and crannies of the valley. Inside, the fire fought against the cold and won, filling the room with a warm glow.

Maggie was relaxed and happy, sunken in her cushy chair, enjoying Rob's company and the coziness of the family room. She hadn't felt this content in a long time, so long that she couldn't even remember when last she felt this relaxed. Rob had served a delightful red wine with dinner, and although Maggie had been careful not to overindulge, it did help to lift her spirits and soften any tension she'd felt earlier.

"Tomorrow, if you'd like, I can take you on a tour of the vineyards and introduce you to my neighbors, the DeLucas," Rob offered. "Gino and Adrianna are third generation vintners. Their family came over from Italy in the early 1900s and have owned the winery and vineyards here ever since."

"That sounds nice, to be a part of something like that for generations. You don't hear of family businesses being passed down much anymore. It's heartwarming to think they've been here for so long," Maggie said, as she gazed into the fire. "Is that their wine tasting building that I pointed out earlier?"

Rob nodded. "They're the people who invited us there tomorrow night. Would you like to go?"

"It sounds lovely," Maggie said, smiling over at Rob. "All I brought were jeans, though. Will I have to dress up?"

Rob waved a hand through the air to brush away Maggie's concern. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it."

Maggie wasn't sure what he meant by that but didn’t care. She was relaxed and happy, and that was all that mattered.

A little while later, they headed upstairs to their rooms. They both stopped at Maggie's door for a moment to say goodnight.

"I’m happy you came," Rob said, standing close to Maggie. "This is the most fun I've had in a very long time."

Maggie smiled up at Rob. It was hard not to be affected by his nearness. He was a good looking man and was a kind man as well. Maggie felt comfortable with him, as if she'd known him for years instead of days. "I'm glad I came, too," she said.

Rob leaned down and placed a light kiss on her cheek. "Goodnight, Maggie."

Maggie stared up into Rob's eyes and held her breath. She thought, for one long moment, he was going to kiss her. And, as bad as it sounded, a little part of her wished he would. But then she thought of Andrew, and the kids, and she looked away and backed up toward her door. "Goodnight, Rob," she said, then made a swift retreat into her bedroom.

Maggie changed for bed, then pulled back the cozy comforter and crawled between the soft sheets. The light on the nightstand gave the room a warm, golden glow. She lay back against the plump pillows and thought about her day with Rob. It had been dreamlike and surreal. Riding along the coast road, then through the golden valley as the sun slowly faded in the west. Coming to this beautiful home, which sat supremely on the hilltop, overlooking its domain. Then, relaxing by the fire, feeling full from both food and contentment. Maggie had felt carefree and unencumbered, as if she had no responsibilities or ties to hold her back. Today, she was the best version of herself, someone she'd almost forgotten she could be.

"But I do have ties and responsibilities," she said aloud to the empty room. "And children who I love, and a husband."

Maggie thought about Andrew and everything they had been through over the past couple of years. Their troubles hadn't started the day she'd found out he'd been cheating. They had started long before that, but Maggie hadn't let herself acknowledge them until that fateful day. Married couples disagreed, even argued at times. Couples who were married as long as she and Andrew often fought about money, bills, and what was expected of the other. But their problems had grown deeper. Over the years, she'd lost respect for him and his dreams and goals, just as he'd lost respect for hers. They'd started drifting apart. She was left to care for the home and kids almost all alone while he pursued his own work and ambitions. Eventually, she'd become lost in being a mother, a wife, and an employee, and no longer looked forward to fulfilling any of her own dreams. No, she hadn't lost Andrew the day his cheating was discovered. She'd lost him long before that, to his work and his obligations, and then to the woman he'd turned to for comfort instead of her. And she had also lost the best part of herself in all of it.

Maggie lay in bed thinking about what had become of her life long after she'd turned the light out. She had always been the good mother and wife, the good daughter and sister, the good employee and volunteer. She'd always done what was expected of her, even when she was tired of portraying the image that she had created for herself. Now, she no longer knew what she believed or cared about. Did she still love Andrew? Did she want to try to work things out with him? She didn't know. All she knew for certain at this very moment in time was how Rob had made her feel in those moments when she thought he might kiss her. And it had felt good.

***

Maggie arose early in the morning, then showered and dressed for the day. She was just about to head downstairs to meet up with Rob when her cell phone buzzed on the nightstand. She lifted it to read the screen. Andrew. Sighing, she answered it. "Hello."

"Hi," Andrew said in a quiet voice. "I've been trying to call you, but you haven't answered. I talked to Cassie, and she said you went away for a few days. With some guy? Is that true?"

Maggie's defenses rose. "I didn't go away with "some guy", as you put it. I rode down the coast with Matt's former business partner, Robert. He has a nice place down here in wine country, and he invited me along for the scenery and to take some photos."

Andrew waited a moment before replying, and Maggie could just imagine him struggling to digest what she'd just said.

"Oh, well, are you having a nice time?" Andrew finally asked, his voice calm.

"Yes, I am. It's beautiful here. The valley is ablaze with fall colors. Rob's home is practically a palace, and I can see for miles from my upstairs window. It's amazing."

"That's nice, I guess," Andrew said.

Maggie couldn't tell by Andrew's even tone if he was fine or upset, so she changed the subject. "How are the kids? I got your text that Kyle was home."

"The kids are fine," Andrew said, his enthusiasm starting to grow as he spoke. "Kyle and I talked about him going to the tech college next semester, and we all had dinner together last night, including Ashley. She's a nice girl."

"That's wonderful," Maggie said. "I'm so happy that you and Kyle are talking about him changing schools. He thought you wouldn't want him to."

Andrew's voice softened. "I've realized it isn't really about what I want. It's only important what Kyle wants. I don't know why I've been fighting with him about it all this time. It's time I stop thinking I know what's good for him and let him choose."

Maggie was shocked but happy to hear what Andrew had just said. Maybe Andrew was changing after all.

"Someone came to the house yesterday, looking for you," Andrew said.

"Really? Who?"

"Cindi, your friend from the group home. She rode her bike all the way out here to see if you had come home yet," Andrew told her.

Maggie's mouth dropped open. "She rode all the way to our house? Oh, my goodness. I can't believe it."

"She misses you," Andrew said. "She was disappointed to hear that you were still away. Kaia and I drove her home, so she wouldn't ride her bike all the way back to town."

"Oh, that was nice. Cindi's a sweetie. I'm glad you took her home."

"I had a chance to meet some of the people you work with there. I guess it didn't really hit me, until I visited, exactly what you did at work," Andrew said.

Maggie frowned. "Why? What did you think I did?"

"I'm ashamed to say I never really thought about what you did at work," Andrew said, his tone contrite. "I didn't realize how attached everyone there is to you, or how important you are to them." Silence filled the miles between them. Finally, Andrew continued. "What I guess I'm trying to say is I didn't realize how important you are to so many people who count on you. I had no idea that you had a complete life I didn't know about, and I never took the time to ask you about your life outside of the house."

Maggie sat silent a moment. She wasn't sure what Andrew was trying to say. "And?" she finally asked.

Andrew sighed. "I didn't realize how much you really did, how important you are to every aspect of our life as well as the lives of so many others. Work, school, and home. You do so much more than I gave you credit for."

"What are you saying, Andrew?"

"I'm saying that I'm sorry I took you for granted all these years. I'm sorry I only thought of myself and what I wanted, and didn't give one thought as to whether you were happy or not. For the past few years, you've been so involved with the kids and their lives, I thought you were pulling away from me, but the truth was, I was the one pulling away. Instead of thinking I should be helping you, I just thought about how you weren't giving me the time I deserved. I made it about me, not about you or the kids. I made excuses as to why I could do as I pleased, because you were too busy to pay attention to me. But the truth is, you never really left. You were here all along. I was the one who checked out of our life. And for that, I'm sorry."

Maggie sat in stunned silence, absorbing all that Andrew had said. What would she have given for him to have said that a year ago? But now, was it too little, too late? The truth was there was more to be said, much more. One apology just couldn’t wipe away all that had happened between them these past few years.

"Maggie? Are you still there?" Andrew asked.

"Thank you for what you said," Maggie said softly. "I do appreciate it. But there's so much more wrong between us that I don't know if we can fix it with a simple apology."

Andrew sighed. "What more do you want me to say, Maggie? I've apologized for taking you for granted. I've apologized over and over for the affair. I've meant every word of it. What more can I possibly do?"

Maggie's heart felt heavy, and tears threatened to fill her eyes. "You'll never understand, will you Andrew? Yes, you've apologized, and you ended your affair with that woman. You promised it wouldn't happen again. But that was it. How could you think everything would ever go back to normal between us again with a simple apology? You broke my trust, Andrew. You broke our vows, and you broke my heart. How can all that be fixed with just words?"

"Maggie, I don't understand what more I can do. I chose you. I chose our family. I stayed with you," Andrew said, exasperated.

"Yes, you chose to stay with your family. You chose to stay with me. But that was it. You stayed, and so did your resentment and your anger at having been caught and having to give up something you weren't ready to give up. You brought all that into our home, and things haven't been the same since."

"I never loved her, Maggie," Andrew said honestly. "I've told you that a million times. It was a stupid fling. Nothing more. I came back to you willingly. You have to let it go."