Tell Me a Secret (3 page)

Flattery will get you everywhere.

~Lynn Anderson

Maggie sat across from Sarah in their sunny kitchen, forked a piece of blueberry crumb cake and tried to devise a plan. When Jace suggested meeting at his parents’ house, he’d caught her off guard, but now after more thought, she was more determined than ever to end the arrangement. Of course, the too many interruptions excuse wouldn’t work anymore and she couldn’t tell him the real reason. He was a player in more than football. He was charming.
Too charming
. She knew his variety well, because she’d watched plenty of charismatic men use her mother. Maggie swore to never let that happen to her.

“So what do you plan to tell Jace?” Sarah asked.

“What if I claim I’m too busy?” She leaned forward, chin in hand, and hoped her friend agreed. “It’s true, I
am
busy.”

Sarah picked up a stray berry and popped it into her mouth. “You know what your problem is?”

“What?” She folded her arms and several frizzy curls fell into her face. Sarah pushed a sleek blond strand behind her ear and Maggie regarded her with envy, but then remembered Jace’s remark.
You have beautiful hair
. When he’d said it, her heart had fluttered. What was up with that?
 

“You are so far out of your element. You have no first-hand experience with someone like him and considering your mother’s parade of dysfunctional relationships, getting involved with the same kind of guy isn’t such a hot idea. The minute you googled him and saw how gorgeous he was, you should have bowed out.”

“His looks have nothing to do with it.” Her throat tightened with the lie. Just because she had an IQ greater than her bust size didn’t stop her from appreciating a handsome man. She was human after all.

“Not now. But at some point, you’ll fall under his spell. You have book sense, but you don’t have any
boy
sense.”

Sarah’s words cut deep. Maggie had spent a lifetime of feeling unimportant while her mother had gotten so wrapped up in men like Jace, she’d forgotten she had a daughter. No, Maggie decided. Regardless of how beautiful he was, or the fact she was beginning to like him, Sarah’s advice was sound. Maggie couldn’t risk involvement. “Well, I’m ending it tonight, so no worries.”

An hour later on the way to his house, she practiced the speech she planned. His suggestion of meeting there surprised her, but she wouldn’t let that happen again. First, she’d engage him in casual conversation to put him at ease, then make her move.
Easy-peasy
. Dr. Adams could find another study partner. Plenty of girls would give their right arms to spend time with Jace. Well, they’d be willing to give more than their arms. A lot more. Her face flushed at the thought.

Sarah was right, of course. There was something magical about him. That damn wicked grin of his and those electric blue eyes could trick a girl before she realized what happened.

Butterflies fluttered in Maggie’s stomach and she wished for a glass of wine. That always calmed her nerves. Not to mention, research now proved a daily drink or two improved your health. Sucking in a deep breath to settle her jitters, she made the last turn.

The Sloans’ lived in a beautiful two-story colonial on Elmwood Avenue, where majestic oaks lined each side of the street. Most of the homes in the neighborhood, already decorated for fall, displayed mums and pumpkins in their yards, a temporary distraction from Maggie’s thoughts.

She pulled into the drive, killed the engine and made her way to the front porch. But before ringing the bell, Jace opened the door. She frowned. “Why are you staring at me? Didn’t you remember our appointment tonight?”

He reached for her backpack. “Sure. Wow, you look great. Did you dress up for me?”

She adjusted the tee-shirt molded against her. “Uh, no. I assumed I’d meet your parents, so I wanted to look nice.” She told herself there was a smidgen of truth to the statement, but what he thought mattered too. She wanted to get on with it. Tell him the study relationship was over, skip introductions of his parents, and get the hell out of there.

She lost focus. How could he look so good in ragged jeans and a plain tee-shirt? The butterflies gained altitude and were having a fine time.

“Well, you do. I like your hair down. Did you have any trouble finding the house?”

“No. Is there a reason the street is lined with oak trees, but named Elmwood? That’s strange.” She regretted the question. God, she hated how she turned into a babbling fool. She needed to remember he was just a man and they all picked their noses, scratched their butts, and farted. The idea helped. She’d keep it in mind to gain perspective.

“I don’t know. I’ve never given it any thought.” He pointed to the back door. “Let’s go outside and enjoy the sunshine before we get started.”

Once in the big backyard, from around the corner of the house, a sweet-faced Irish setter bounded onto the deck, put on the brakes and stopped in front of her. She knelt and stroked the dog, singsonging sweetly. “Well, hello there.”

“Heisman, don’t bother her,” Jace ordered.

“He’s not bothering me. Are you, boy?” She glanced at Jace. “Setters make great therapy dogs. We use them at the hospital. They respond to the tone of your voice more than the words you use. I googled them.”

Jace pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit. When she did, Heisman turned in a circle and settled at her feet.

“He likes you. He’s usually skittish around strangers.”

“They’re smart dogs, but they need lots of exercise, so I bet he enjoys this big open space.”

Just then, Canadian Geese filled the sky. Maggie shaded her eyes and squinted. With at least a dozen impressive v-formations, their leaders honked them forward. “I love geese. I love the sound of them. Did you know they can travel fifteen-hundred miles in twenty-four hours if the wind is right?”

“No. Did you google that too?”

“As a matter of fact, I did.”

He raised a brow and flashed his trademark grin. “I like it when you talk
nerdy
.”

Nose, butt, fart. Nose, butt, fart.
She braced for the announcement. “Say, I wanted to talk to you about our sessions.”

When he ran his hand across the back of her chair, she leaned away.

“Yeah, me too. I need to get serious about this course and one night a week may not be enough. We should meet Monday and Wednesday. You said in your email you had Wednesday open, right?”

Pain throbbed in her temples. Did she hear correctly? Extra time? Dizzy, the butterflies must have gone to her brain. Two nights? “I…I…”

The back door opened. “Hey, Jace, are y’all going to study out here?”

“Hi, Mom. No, we’ll come inside.”

Mr. Sloan, an older version of Jace, with the same dark hair and blue eyes patted his son on the shoulder. Mrs. Sloan, petite, blond, and brown eyed, walked over to the table and extended her hand. “Hi, Maggie. I’m Elizabeth and this is John. I’m happy to meet you. You’re even prettier than Jace said.”

“Huh?”
He thinks I’m pretty?
She shook the ridiculous notion from her mind because she was so not his preferred Barbie-look-alike. Mrs. Sloan was being nice. “Oh, it’s good to meet you too. You have a lovely home. Your trees are beautiful.”

Mrs. Sloan slid a palm around her son’s shoulders, leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “We enjoy them. It’s a tradition passed down from my grandmother. When a child is born, we plant a tree and watch them grow together. Jace’s tree is the smaller one.”

Everything about Mrs. Sloan screamed perfection. The tone of her voice. The kindness in her eyes. The mother Maggie had always wished for.

“Jace, it’s getting windy. Y’all come on in the house,” his mom said.

“May I use the ladies’ room?” Maggie needed to get away from them for a while. They looked like an advertisement for Hallmark Christmas cards. The perfect hostess, the star athlete, the handsome father, and the family dog. The only thing missing was a decorated tree.

Mrs. Sloan showed the way, then headed back toward the kitchen. Maggie sat on the edge of the tub and heaved deep breaths. God, if this kept up, she’d have to start putting a bottle of liquor in her purse.

On the way back to join them, she stopped at the gallery of pictures in the hallway. When she saw Jace as a boy, without his two front teeth, she smiled.

Suddenly at her back, Jace said, “I was six.”

She’d been so focused on the photos, she’d not heard him approach, but now, she could feel heat coming off his body. If she leaned back a little…
fart, fart, fart.
She scolded herself to concentrate and stay on task. “Is this your dad?”

“Yeah. I play the same position as he did and wear the same number.”

“That means a lot to me.” Mr. Sloan joined them. “I compare it to a mother wanting a daughter to wear her wedding dress. Silly, I know, but I like tradition. Someday, I hope to have a grandson to continue the legacy.”

She wished to disappear. Her upbringing had been as opposite to Jace’s as it could be. No loving mother. No sign of a father. No cherished memories. If she told them about her family, they’d think of her in a different way and if there was one thing she didn’t want, it was sympathy. Especially from Jace. Regaining control of her wits, she forced a smile and shifted the conversation in a new direction pointing to another picture. “Mrs. Sloan was a beautiful bride.”

“Yes, still is.”

Pure joy beamed on the bride’s face. Maggie couldn’t help but feel she’d fallen into a fairy tale. Did people really live this happily-ever-after? Something twisted in her chest. Easy-peasy was out of the question. “Well, we’d better get busy.” She pivoted, headed back toward the kitchen and Jace followed.

Once there, she sat at the table. He took two bottles of water from the fridge and passed one to her. “Well, what’s your answer?”

She peered at a Philodendron, its bright yellow container perched on a stack of recipe books. Even potted plants flourished in this house. “I’m sorry, what was the question?”

“Studying with me, twice a week. Mondays and Wednesdays.”

She placed a hand on her stomach, willed the churning to stop, then sipped water to buy time and consider her options. End the arrangement, undoubtedly, the safest choice or seize the opportunity to spend time with this family, especially Mrs. Sloan.

“Are you all right?” Jace asked.

“Sure.” What a lie. She might be a lot of things, but all right wasn’t on the list.

“You’re a little pale. Maybe you need something stronger than water. Do you want a glass of wine?”

Although she only drank on special occasions and when she was nervous, it was the perfect suggestion. “Yes, please.”

Once he made his selection, he grabbed a couple of glasses from the cabinet and brought them to the table. Maggie watched him open the bottle. The way he caressed the smooth glass and worked the cork with his fingers caused her body to heat. He smiled as he poured and her mouth went dry.

She wanted to guzzle it. If she ended up drunk and made a fool of herself, he’d want to end the study sessions and the pressure would be off.

“Well, do you agree? Mondays and Wednesdays?”

“Mondays and Wednesdays,” she repeated. “Well, I guess we can give it a try.”

“Great. Now, what did you want to talk to me about?”

“Oh, never mind. It wasn’t important.”

His mom came back into the room. “Maggie, I want to thank you for agreeing to meet here. Since Jace is on athletic scholarship, he’s required to live in the dorm and we don’t get to see him much, so this is a real treat. Why don’t you plan to come early for dinner one night?”

She couldn’t refuse and risk hurting Mrs. Sloan. “Okay, thank you.”

“Good. Give me time to make sure everyone’s calendar is clear. I’ll invite Jared, Jace’s older brother so you can meet him.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

Mr. Sloan strolled into the room. “Oh, we’re having wine? I’ll have a glass, too.” He turned to his wife. “Babe, you want some?”

“No thanks.”

“What’s your major, Maggie?” Mr. Sloan asked as he poured.

“I graduate in December with my Master’s in Nursing, but I already work part-time at Covenant Hospital.”

“Great place. They just gave our firm the expansion job.”

“Your firm?”

“Yeah, Sloan and Sloan Architects.” John smiled at Elizabeth. “Time for
Jeopardy
, you coming?”

“In a minute.” Mrs. Sloan walked over to Jace. “I won’t come back downstairs, so lock the door when you leave.” She kissed his cheek. “Love you, sweetie.”

He kissed her back. “Love you too, Mom and thanks again for letting us study here.”

Mrs. Sloan regarded Maggie. “I’ll see you next week.”

Alone again, Maggie focused on Jace. This was a different side of what she’d seen at the library. She liked this Jace. This family. His dog. God help her. She liked everything.

He narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“No, what is it?”

“You’re a momma’s boy.”

“I am not.”

“Yeah, you are. It’s sweet.”

“Well, in that case, I am a momma’s boy.”

Maggie shuffled papers. There was that grin again. The one that caused her temperature to rise—or was it the wine? She swallowed another sip. “Now, about these mnemonics. This may seem unusual coming from me, because they are out of character. Although you’ll like them. Well, you’ll probably love them.”

He raised his hand to stop her babble. “Good grief. Just say it already.”

“Oh, sorry. Well, I spoke with Dr. Roberts, and he told me med-students use these all the time, and the nastier they are, the easier they are to remember.”

She retrieved a stack of index cards and read. “So for the branches of the Axillary Artery we’ll use
Sally Thompson Loves Sex And Pot
and for Carpal bones,
Some Lovers Try Positions That They Can’t Handle
, and for the branches of the Facial Nerve, we’ll use
Ten Zebras Beat My Cat
. I changed the last word to cat; you can figure out what it did say.”

“Let me have those.” He grabbed the deck and stared at the top card. “Let’s see here. For the Cranial Nerves,
Oh, Oh, Oh, To Touch And Feel A Girls’Va…
” His voice trailed off. He looked over at her and laughed. “And I thought studying with you would be boring.”