Chapter 10 Part 10
Asher
He showered quickly, pulling another pair of jeans on with a clean T-shirt, and made his way back to the kitchen, barefoot. Maggie was busy slicing a cucumber, and had a salad bowl in front of her. Melody was crawling around on the floor, and she started babbling when she saw him.
He picked Melody up, handing her a plastic spoon from the drawer. It went to her mouth instantly. He opened the fridge just as the front door of his house opened. “Asher! I brought that baby chair you wanted!”
“In the kitchen, Colt!” The younger brother appeared a few moments later with the clip-on eating chair, and he hooked it onto the edge of the kitchen table.
“Hi, Maggie, fancy seeing you here,” Colt said.
“Hi, Colt.”
“You got room for one more?” Colt asked, as he stared at the steaks Asher was spicing.
“No, now get,” Asher said.
Colt grinned, leaning against the doorframe. “Are your panties still in a twist over Lorelei’s visit? We all saw her car driving up here this afternoon.”
“Go home, Colt, before I throw you out,” Asher said. Colt lifted his hands, and whistled as he walked out of Asher’s house.
Maggie glanced at Asher. “Lorelei?”
Asher shook his head, his fist clenching next to his side. “Let’s cook first. I’ll tell you later; it’s not really all that interesting.”
Maggie just nodded her head. Asher headed out to the back porch, and lit the grill. The steaks were resting in a square oven pan on the table next to him. The kitchen door opened, and Maggie sat down on one of the chairs with Melody in her lap.
“The salad’s done,” she said.
“Thanks. The steaks won’t take long, unless you eat your meat well-done?” he said, making it sound like a question.
“If you eat your steak well-done, you might as well not eat meat,” she said with a laugh, making Asher grin at her.
Asher grilled the steaks as Maggie walked up and down the porch, looking up at the stars, and sighing a few times. He wished he knew more about her, wondering what it would feel like to kiss her before mentally slapping himself for wondering.
“Steaks are done,” he said, clearing his throat. Maggie looked beautiful in the moonlight, from where she stood at the far end, away from the porch light. Her smile was bright, and she looked like she belonged there.
They sat at the kitchen table and ate their food, Melody holding a slice of meat in her hand while picking at the salad with her other hand. Every now and then, she’d babble something to get their attention. Maggie would just smile at her before taking another bite.
When dinner was over, Maggie helped him wash the dishes, then he made coffee for both of them. Once Melody was sleeping on a blanket on the floor, Asher glanced at her. She was a cute little baby, with the same blonde hair and blue eyes as her mother.
“You don’t have to talk about Lorelei if you don’t want to,” Maggie said, after a few moments of silence.
“I might as well tell you; it’s no big secret,” Asher said, looking down. “Lorelei and I dated for ten years. When I returned home on Friday, I saw an article in the paper announcing her engagement to someone else. She came over after church to explain herself.”
“What did she say?” Maggie’s eyes looked conflicted, like she was a little hurt.
“She said she needed someone who could give her stability. I guess it also doesn’t hurt that Winchester McRoy is the richest businessman in the county.”
“Did you tell her you were back permanently?”
Asher shook his head. “No. There was no reason to tell her. She cheated, Maggie. The week before I came home, she sent me a message that said she loved me. I asked her to marry me about a year ago. She said she wasn’t ready yet.”
“I’m sorry, Asher,” Maggie said, glancing away from him.
“Things happen like they’re meant to,” he said.
“Maybe, but ten years is still a long time. Maybe she’ll feel different when she knows you’re back for good.”
Asher shrugged his shoulders. “It doesn’t matter. She made her choice, and now, so have I. We went months without seeing each other. I’m not really surprised that it happened.”
“I’m still sorry for your pain. You’re a good man, Asher. I saw that the first day I met you,” Maggie said, placing her hand over Asher’s.
He turned his hand around and held her hand instead. “I appreciate it, but if I was meant to end up with her, it would have worked out. Instead, I met you and Melody, and I’m not sorry I did.”
Maggie’s cheeks heated up as she looked down. “I’m glad I met you, too. You’ve done so much for me over the past few days. I never knew people could be so nice.”
“That’s very sad, Maggie,” Asher said, squeezing her hand.
“Life has a way of knocking you around a few times, then you get used to it, I guess.”
Asher looked deep into her eyes, like he was searching for something in her soul. “There’s always beauty at the end of a thunderstorm.”
At the end of the evening, they exchanged phone numbers, and Asher made her promise to call him if she needed anything. He carried Melody out to her car, where he strapped the baby in. She shifted in her sleep, smiling, but didn’t wake up.
“I had a really good time tonight,” Asher said, shifting on his feet. “I don’t want to overstep, but I’d really like to kiss you goodnight.”
Maggie straightened where she had been leaning against her car, and looked up into his eyes. “Okay.”
Asher cupped her face gently and lowered his mouth to hers. It felt like a thousand butterflies were flapping their wings in his stomach when their lips touched for the first time, and it felt like an eternity before she opened her mouth, and their lips moved together.
When they broke the kiss off, Asher rested his chin on top of her head. “Text me when you get home so I know you’re safe.”
“I will, and I won’t try to poison you with blueberry pie again,” she said, and Asher laughed.