Chapter 18 Part 18
Maggie
Eden narrowed her eyes slightly. “Why? Do you light up when you see Asher, too?”
Maggie’s cheeks heated, and she chuckled nervously. “My head says everything’s happening too fast, but my heart beats faster whenever I see him.”
“There’s no such thing as too fast if it’s right,” Eden said, smiling. “And before you say anything, this is right. Asher doesn’t do anything on a whim. He follows his gut, saying it kept him alive overseas.”
“So you think the fact that I’m living in his house and he’s basically taking care of us is a good thing?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I? You know when the doctor came out, and asked for your family…the first thing Daddy said was that we were your family, and then Asher told them you were engaged. He’d never just do that; the doctor would’ve told him even if he hadn’t said a word.”
“Engaged! He told me he mentioned that I was his girlfriend!”
Eden laughed loudly. “No. He actually used the word engaged. That’s why the brigade will keep showing up for a few more days.”
Maggie frowned. “Because Asher’s ‘engaged?’”
“Because Asher’s always been this town’s golden boy. When he was 16, he jumped into the icy river in the middle of winter to save Mr. Mulligan’s dog. He’s always first in line when someone needs help. Whether it’s rebuilding a barn, fixing something, or giving advice, Asher’s there. He paved the way for my other brothers, and people see them in the same light. Asher once spent three days in the woods looking for a horse.”
“A horse?” Maggie frowned.
“It was Mrs. Camilla’s horse. She loved that horse, something fierce. He got out somehow, and that winter was particularly harsh. We could hear the coyotes at night. Asher didn’t even hesitate. He grabbed a bag, and three days later, he came walking into town, leading that damn horse back to Mrs. Camilla’s stable.”
“I don’t get why Lorelei would get engaged to someone else when she had Asher,” Maggie said.
“Lorelei’s one of those girls that think they can do as they please. She’s always had Asher, and they’ve been on and off for ten years. Even when Asher was away, she never came out to the ranch, or called us up to check in, or anything. She was barely here when Asher was on leave. I think Asher’s too nice of a guy for her. Winchester, on the other hand, has loads of money; he likes to go out and flaunt everything he has, big parties, and such. Lorelei likes the attention. Asher is more of a ranch man. He likes being on the ranch, helping out, and he’s reliable. Lorelei was never good enough for him.”
Maggie pursed her lips. She wasn’t good enough for him either. The way Eden was talking, maybe nobody was. “He’s just being a nice guy.”
Eden laughed loudly, and pretended to wipe a tear from her eye. “He ain’t that nice. I can see the way my brother looks at you, even this little lady, here.” She stroked her hand over Melody’s hair. “You haven’t seen the toys he’s bought her. Her room looks like she’s been living in it since birth. Once you can get around more, you’ll see what I’m talking about. If Asher didn’t feel anything for you, he would’ve taken you home, and checked in on you every day, he wouldn’t have brought you to his house.”
Maggie didn’t know what to say. The thought of a good man in her life was something she’d never dreamed about. Asher was a whole new level of something so different, it almost scared her. When Eden stood up, Maggie snapped out of it.
“I’m going to get breakfast started. I’ll say just one more thing; don’t hurt him. He’s been through enough.” Eden walked out of her room with Melody in her arms, and she could hear them talking as they went downstairs.
Maggie got to her feet, and saw that Asher had returned her crutches. She made her way down the hall to Melody’s room, where she stopped short. Her name was on the wall, in big, colorful letters above her crib. Stuffed teddy bears stood on a dresser, and there was a light pink carpet in front of the crib, that also had new light pink bedding in it.
The cupboard was filled with clothes, and baby products stood on a bureau. Eden hadn’t been lying. The guest room did look like Melody’s bedroom, which caused her stomach to flutter. She had no idea what it meant. Did Asher really like her that much? Engaged. The word sent shivers down her spine, good shivers, but she wasn’t sure it would be a good thing. She had a past, one that Asher knew nothing about. One she wasn’t planning on telling him about, anytime soon. He’d look at her differently, maybe even ask her to leave.
Her future was uncertain. She had no job, no income, no car, and soon, she might not even have a house anymore. She could use her savings to keep paying her rent, but she knew it wouldn’t last more than two months, and then she’d really have nowhere to go.
Guilt gnawed her insides. She knew she had to tell Asher the truth about her past, about why she came to Two Bear Meadow. She was surprised nobody had asked her about Melody’s father; she shuddered when she thought about him. It really wasn’t something she wanted to think about, much less discuss.
She daydreamed about what life with Asher would be like. Would she finally learn how to bake a pie and have dinner ready at night when Asher was done with his ranch duties? Would they get married and live happily ever after?
Fairy tales didn’t exist, not for people like her. There was no happily ever after. She didn’t deserve to have one. She was just a plain woman, trying to keep her baby safe. She should find a way to leave as soon as her leg is healed. She should just grab a suitcase, pack their clothes, get on a bus, and go far, far away.