What Were You Expecting? (37 page)

He stroked her hair again and again, soothingly, lovingly, and she took a deep breath and sighed. “That’s so nice.”

“We stay together,” he murmured, his voice low, but fierce with conviction. “We stay together because I love you. We stay together because I think you love me. We stay together because we waited too long to
be
together, and it’s better than anything I ever imagined. Because I can hardly bear a minute away from you. Because I want you in my arms every morning and every night. Staying together isn’t a question or a conversation. Staying together is like water or salt or sleep or air or anything else I would die without. We stay together.”

She closed her eyes against the sudden rush of tears, and nodded her head against his chest. “We stay together. Because you love me and I love you, too.”

“We stay married,” he said softly. “Because when we took our wedding vows, I meant every word. I said I would honor you and keep you and forsake all others. I said I’d love and cherish you, in sickness and in health, for richer and poorer, until I die. And I meant it. We stay married because we
are
married. We stay married because it doesn’t matter how we found ourselves saying the vows, but because we said them, because they were real from the very beginning even if we didn’t know it then. Unless you don’t…”

“We stay married,” she murmured as her heart exploded with love for him, his strong, simple words beating back the uncertainty she’d felt only moments ago. “Because you meant every word, and I did, too.”

“As for my Pop and your family and our friends? I want them to know you’re my wife. But I don’t want to hurt them. How would you feel about us getting through the interview first and then come home and we could
start dating
? Immediately. That night. And after a month or two, I’ll propose. And yeah, of course, we’ll take the vows again in a church in front of our friends and family. At Christmastime, maybe. Beck and Emma can’t violate our confidentiality and Tess wouldn’t. No one else knows. No one else will ever know.”

At the mention of Tess, Maggie stiffened, clenching her jaw. “Tess.”

The backs of his fingers skimmed the underside of her chin, pushing it up gently until she met his eyes. He bent his head and kissed her softly, lovingly. “I love
you
.” He searched her eyes intensely, as his chest heaved, betraying the profound depths of his emotion. “My love.
My wife
.”

She smiled at him, laughter bubbling up from a joyful place in her heart where all of her dreams were coming true. Where all of her deepest longings were soothed and relieved by the truth of his words, by the power of his love for her.

“My husband.
Mo muirnín
,” she said, her voice thick with wonder and tenderness. “I love you, too.”

She reached up to hold his face in her hands as he pulled her up and onto his lap.

Their kiss changed from tender to urgent as she wiggled out of her cami and let it fall beside her on the comforter. He ran his hands lightly along the sides of her ribcage as he feathered kisses near her ear, down the line of her jaw to the tip of her chin, following the curve of her neck with his lips as she still held his head lightly, guiding him through the plains and valleys of her body.

***

On Wednesday afternoon, Maggie left Bethany in charge so that she could make extra shortbread upstairs, instructing Summer to come up in an hour or so to collect the first batch. Her favorite part of Little Café on the Prairie, aside from reading the stories, was watching all of the little ones snack on her shortbread as she read. She didn’t want them to have to wait until after story hour to have their treats. She wanted them to always associate reading with sweetness and pleasure, so she had Bethany and Summer offer cookies after every individual story which meant that each child had three cookies in their belly by the end of the hour.

She took the sixth batch of shortbread out of her oven and started cutting it as the phone rang.

“Maggie?”

“Aunt Janet!”

“Hello, lass. Yer well?”

“I am! I’m makin’ gran’s shortbread right now.”

“Who’sa lucky devil gets to eat it?”

“Bite yer tongue. It’s fer the children at story hour.”

“That’s lovely, Maggie. I willna keep ye. Just callin’ to say that Gingy finished his courses early. He’ll be comin’ across in two weeks rather’n four. If that’s okay.”

“Two weeks?” she repeated, wiping her hands on her jeans and glancing at the calendar. Circled in red was their appointment on the fourth. “The ninth?”

“Aye, um, nae, the sixth. I ken it’s quick, but it’s fer the best, Maggie. If yer willin’.”

“Oh, I’m willin’. He’s in trouble? Ye need to send him sooner?”

“He’s runnin’ with a bad lot. A sorry lot.”

“He’s finished his course, though? The carpentry?”

“Enough o’ it.”

“And where’s he now, then?”

“He’ll be fine here for a few more days.”

“Send him sooner,” said Maggie, hearing the worry in her aunt’s voice. “Send him now if you can.”

“Nae, Maggie. Couldna get the tickets changed any sooner. The sixth is the earliest. Ye’ll be ready, though?”

“Aye, Aunt Janet. Whenever he gets here. I’ll be waitin’.”

“Yer a good lass, Maggie.”

Maggie smiled into the phone, missing her family for a moment, wishing she could tell them that she was married, that she was happy, that her life was full. Instead she asked, “How’s mum?”

They spoke for a few more minutes and her aunt gave her the details of Graham’s travel plans before hanging up. Maggie wasn’t sure how long someone had been knocking lightly at her door, but she answered it to find Summer standing in the hallway.

“Come in and give me two more minutes, Summer. I’m just cuttin’ it up now. You can bring it downstairs and start arrangin’ it in those tins for me.”

Summer followed her boss into the little kitchen, leaning up against the counter as Maggie cut the sheet of shortbread into small pieces. She looked up at the pretty brunette teenager, giving her an easy smile. While she’d spent a good deal of time with Summer’s sister, Bethany, she realized she didn’t know Summer very well.

“I was just talkin’ to my aunt. She’s sendin’ my cousin, Graham, over to stay with me for a while. He’ll be here the weekend after next.”

Summer nodded politely.

“He’s about your age, you know. Maybe you and Bethany could show him around a bit?”

“Sure, Miss Campbell. We’ll be glad to.”

“Who knows?” She winked at the girl. “You two might suit!”

Summer grinned back. “I’m sure he’s terrific, but we won’t suit.”

“You haven’t even met him yet! Give the lad a chance!” she teased.

“Oh, no offense to him, I’m sure he’s great. It’s just…I’ve—well, I’m sort of taken.”

“You’ve got a boyfriend? I’m not surprised, but I’ve never seen him hangin’ about.”

“No, I don’t have a boyfriend, but…”

Maggie turned away from the shortbread to face Summer, curious and bemused. It was the longest conversation they’d ever had, aside from pleasantries and talk about the café. “But what, lass?”

“I’m going to marry Beck Westman.”

“Are you, now?”

“Mm-hm.”

Maggie chuckled good-naturedly. “Have you set a date?”

“Of course not.” Summer’s smile faded a touch as she shook her head. “I’m only seventeen. I still have to finish high school and go to college. Besides, he doesn’t know yet.”

Maggie put her hands on her hips, staring at the girl, increasingly aware that this was not a joke to Summer, as she’d originally assumed. “Oh, but you’re not serious.”

“Yes, I am.” She lifted her chin a notch. “Bethany said he doesn’t come around anymore, which means you gave him up, which means he’s free.”

“Summer, lass, he’s just turned thirty.”

“I know that.” She shrugged lightly, a small, dreamy smile on her young face as she sighed longingly. “It doesn’t matter to me.”

Maggie tilted her head to the side, looking closely at Summer and seeing the certainty there. Maggie thought of all the days she’d watched Nils come into the café, praying that he’d finally turn to her, finally make a move, finally let her know that “friend” was secret code for “the love of my life.” How many times had she almost given up hope? And now here she was—married to him, in love with him, practically living with him. Maggie knew in her heart that nothing was impossible. Not where love was concerned.

“Beck Westman, huh?” she asked softly, grinning at Summer as she scooped the last of the shortbread into a Ziploc bag and handed it to the young woman.

The teenager’s smile returned—lovely, serene and convicted—and she nodded at Maggie, as she took the bag and headed for the door.

“He’s a good man, Summer. I wish you luck. Lots of it.”

Summer turned at the door, her brown eyes deep and sure as she looked back at Maggie. “Thanks, Miss Campbell. But I don’t need it. It’ll happen. Someday.”

“You’re very sure.”

“I am.” She shrugged again. “Some things are just meant to be.”

Maggie smiled at her again then closed the door behind her, leaning up against it.
Some things are just meant to be.
Like her and Nils. No matter what. And after tonight, there would be no more secrets between them. She pushed back on the doubts that tried to creep into her mind. No matter what secrets he held onto…no matter what, deep in her heart she agreed with Summer: some things are just meant to be.

***

Surrounded by two dozen children, including the two sharing her lap, Maggie finished the second story with a flourish.

“And then the poky little puppy curled up in a wee ball, happy to be home at last.”

After a respectful moment of silence, the children clapped enthusiastically and Bethany and Summer appeared on either side of the large group, passing the cookie tins and reminding the children, “Just one.”

Maggie looked up for the hundredth time trying to catch Nils’s eyes. From the moment he’d arrived, he’d kept his distance, frozen by the door, about as far away as possible from the dense circle of little bodies on the floor in front of her. And for the first time in weeks, his eyes had that cool, growly look to them that he’d always had before his month away from her in Yellowstone. He didn’t look like the warm, tender man she’d come to know over the last three and a half heavenly weeks. He looked like his old self—tortured, closed and cold. Unreachable. Wary. It made her heart beat out of her chest at the thought of what she was about to do.

She finally caught his eyes and smiled at him, but he didn’t return the smile. He stared back at her, his face cautious and uncomfortable…and something else. Guilty? No, that wasn’t quite it. She watched him carefully and pinpointed the look. Aye, there it was again: sorry. He was sorry. For what? She bit her bottom lip, about to chicken out on her plan, but she lifted her chin a hair and started talking.

“Children, we have a special guest with us here tonight. He’s a very good friend of mine, and I know he’d like to read a story to all of you. Would that be okay?” She looked around at the little heads nodding yes. “Yes?”

She looked up at Nils, whose brows furrowed together as he set his jaw and shook his head no.

“He might need a wee bit of convincin’, though.”

If he could just sit with all of them—feel their innocent, eager eyes on his face as he read a story, the lovely way their warm, wiggly, little bodies clustered together hanging on the words. He would see how wonderful they were. He’d be reminded of how wonderful it could be to have his own someday.

She smiled at all of the children encouragingly, looking back up just in time to hear the bell over the door ring as the door slam quietly shut. Her mouth dropped open in surprise to see that the space he’d occupied was empty. He’d left. He was gone.

She looked back at the children, pasting a smile on her face and blinking rapidly as her eyes watered. “I, um…”

“I don’t need any convincing at all! This looks like a fine group of young students!”

As Paul Johansson broke through the crowd of parents, he caught her eyes, giving her a sympathetic smile. He’d seen it all and bailed her out, and she was so grateful it doubled her tears. He smiled at the children, waving to the younger siblings of his students as he made his way to Maggie. When he got to her, he jerked his head toward the door to tell her to go after Nils, and took her place, sitting down on the floor and picking up the book she’d chosen for the third selection.

“Oh, the Places You’ll Go
? Well, this is one of my all-time favorites! Who here saw the movie
The Lorax
?”

Maggie looked back as she made her way to the door. Paul had saved the day and the children were already engaged with the young principal, their giggles filling the café with warmth and joy. Maggie wiped the wetness off her cheeks and stepped out into the cool evening air, turning toward her apartment, only to find Nils sitting hunched on the stoop under the porch light.