Chapter 38

MAGGIE

After picking up Chase from school and having lunch, Chase usually plays with his toys or annoys the senior Malory in his bedroom with his chatter.

The old man appreciates it a lot, since he doesn’t have his own grandchild to dote on.

After that, Chase goes to his bedroom for an afternoon nap, and thankfully, he could sleep through a hurricane, which was great because then I had some free time to do what I wanted.

That entailed either reading a book, binging Netflix, or trying a new cake recipe.

Today, however, I’m meeting Carter.

I don’t want to meet Carter, but he said it was important. I tried to make excuses, telling him I was busy, but it didn’t work out. He was adamant about meeting up for some time.

Logan texted me, saying he wasn’t coming home until late that evening, which left me some extra time on my hands.

I quickly finished putting Chase’s scattered toys back in their box and changed into a pair of jeans and a blouse.

I’ll listen to what he has to say and get the hell out of there. If he wants to flirt, I’ll be more than happy to shut him down.

When I walk downstairs from my bedroom, John is lounging in the courtyard with a cup of coffee and his iPad, scrolling for gossip, most likely.

“Going somewhere?” he asks me politely.

~Meeting my A-hole ex.~ “Um, yes. I have some errands to run.”

“Shopping? Remy is free. He can drive you there. You’ll have someone to carry your bags.”

And he would report every single detail to John about who I was meeting with. No, thank you.

I waved my hand like it was no big deal. “Not shopping. I’m going to the beauty salon. It’s going to take a while. Don’t want to trouble Remy.”

“The beauty salon?” He appraises me, pushing his glasses over his eyes. “But you look great without having to do all the nonsense the women these days are doing.”

“My…my eyebrows need a bit of shaping, and there are other things I have to do…” I lowered my voice. “Personal lady stuff, um…body wax and things like that.”

His face turns red. “Oh, I see.”

I feel guilty for embarrassing the poor man.

“If Chase wakes up early, tell him I’m going to bring him his favorite donuts.”

“Sure. Don’t worry about him.”

I sat down in my Mercedes and sighed in relief. I pulled out my phone and texted Carter.

Maggie

Where are we meeting?

LOGAN

I got off work early so I could go shopping with Paris. My wardrobe lacks casual clothing, because I rarely go out for anything that isn’t related to business meetings, and the old clothes I used to wear don’t fit me anymore.

The haircut was done by a senior specialist. He tells me that this is the trendiest hairstyle for me. Short hair on the sides and more volume at the top.

Paris took me to some stores and assisted me in buying some clothes. It was a good change from the formal outfits I usually like to wear.

Four full bags later, I’m hungry and decide to grab a coffee and something to eat. We stop by the nearest café that we can find.

Paris and I walk into the café when I see a few ladies turn around to give me a second or even a third glance. My secretary has a smirk on his face.

He thinks he’s a fairy godmother, sending me on my way to meet my princess. I already had ladies give me these looks even before his makeover, so joke’s on him.

What really matters is what Maggie thinks about this new look.

I feel jittery and tense thinking about her reaction. I’ve never felt this way before. I never cared about a woman’s opinion.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“Dad?” I ask, “What’s wrong? Is everything all right?”

“Everything’s fine. I’m not kicking the bucket so soon. Stop over-reacting,” he grumbles. “Is Maggie with you?”

“No, she isn’t. I’m with Paris.”

“You’re in Paris? What are you doing there? Weren’t you going to the office this morning?”

I have to look heavenward. “I’m ~with~ Paris. My secretary.”

“Let me guess. Doing more work.” His voice drips irritation.

“Not really. He and I are grabbing a bite.”

“Son, it is because of your busy schedule that Maggie is now out meeting other men.”

“Dad, you’re not making any sense.”

“I saw her get dolled up, and when I asked her where she was going, she made an excuse about going to the beauty salon. That’s what your mother used to do, Logan. Lie to me and meet other people.”

“Maggie is not like Mom,” I say, feeling infuriated that my father even suggested that Maggie could be disloyal.

“I know she isn’t, but who’s going to blame her if she likes some younger, less busy man?”

He continues, “The point is, Logan, I want you to take extra time out of your schedule for your wife if you don’t want to end up like me.”

I grit my teeth. “Bye, Dad.” I hang up and block his number temporarily.

I order my sandwich to-go and a coffee and barely pay attention to what the guy behind the counter is saying, because my dad’s words echo in my head.

I’m not a jealous guy, neither am I an insecure husband, and Maggie has feelings for me. There’s nothing to worry about. My father was overreacting.

MAGGIE

^AN HOUR EARLIER^

I’m not eager to meet Carter, so I show up ten minutes late.

He’s already waiting for me inside and waves at me when he sees me making my way toward him.

The familiarity of him grates on my nerves. He’s everything I want to forget about.

He reminds me of painful memories and teenage heartbreak. I wish I had a switch in my brain where I could just turn off all the flashbacks, but it’s not easy.

He gets up as soon as I approach his table. “Can I get you a coffee?”

“Sure.”

He also wears the same cologne he used to wear back then. Another wave of nostalgia hits me, but not in a good way.

“Latte with less sugar, more cream, and less ice, right?”

“I don’t drink that anymore. Can you get me a chocolate chip frappe instead, please?”

His face falls. “Oh. Okay.”

Carter used to hate chocolate frappes because of how sweet they tasted, so I was ordering one to irritate him.

He comes back with my order and gives me his usual charming smile. “I know we met at the party briefly, and I was looking for you later on, but they told me you had already left with Logan.”

“Yes. Did you say you wanted to talk to me?”

He nods. “I was surprised when I saw you, Maggie. It was a good kind of surprise.”

“Me too. I was shocked. I thought you moved to New York.”

“I did, but it was for a short time. I had to move back in with my father.” His tone is bitter as he says it.

During the time I dated him, I knew Carter’s father’s side of the family wasn’t too great. His father’s wife didn’t want Carter around the house and treated him like shit.

I used to feel bad for him, and it ended up with me doing everything that Carter wanted.

“What about your NFL career?”

He belts out a laugh. “It went to shit, obviously, but I had the backup plan. My father always made sure I had backup, and that was law school, so I took it.”

“I’m glad that worked out for you.”

“I missed you, Maggie. Every single day.”

I bit my lip and gave him a nod because I don’t want to say it back. I spent the better half of my graduation trying to avoid the rumors about my pregnancy and throwing darts at Carter’s pictures.

“So, what’s the reason for visiting this town? You came here to meet your mom?”

He looks at me with longing. “No, Maggie. To tell you the truth. I came here for you.”