Tell Me a Secret (21 page)

“So you think your nurse will have sex with you?”

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “Oh yeah, she definitely will. I’m irresistible.” He drifted to sleep.

She snuggled against him and loved him even more than she thought possible.

Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible.

 
~Mother Teresa

Three weeks later, at six a.m. Maggie awoke to the soft rhythm of rain and a weird dream of little green frogs jumping on her stomach. It took a minute to clear her head from the sleepy haze and focus on the cap and gown still draped over the chair, a reminder of graduation the day before.

Her stomach vaulted. The taste of adrenaline filled her mouth. She untangled herself from Jace’s arms, sprinted into the bathroom, barely making it in time. When she finished vomiting, she brushed her teeth and wet a cloth with cold water, then bathed her face. On her way back to bed, she grabbed the trashcan.

“Are you okay?” Jace asked.

“No. I don’t know if it’s something I ate or if it’s a bug, but I don’t think that’s the last time I’m going to throw up. I feel terrible.”

He was silent for a moment, then said, “Are you sure those are your only choices?”

“What do you mean my only choices?”

“I mean, it’s morning and you’re sick. Could it be morning sickness?”

She faced him and narrowed her eyes. “I’m not
pregnant
. You know I’m on the pill.” She watched his jaw tighten and the tone in his voice changed.

“Look, we’ve been going at it like rabbits for weeks, and I’ve never used protection, so if you missed a pill…”

“I haven’t missed a pill. If I had, I would have said something and made sure you used a condom.” Blood rushed to her face. “Oh my God! You think I am and I did it on purpose!”

“No. No, that’s not what I’m saying. It was just a question.”

She cut him off. How could he? “It’s written on your face.
Poor loveless Maggie gets pregnant to trap you
. I would never do that! Do you know me at all? The one thing I’ve wanted most in my life is to be loved for
me, only me
. Not out of obligation, and certainly not because of a child. Crap! I’m going to be sick again.”

She lifted the trash can and buried her head in it and when she came up for air, she hissed at him. “Get out. Go. I can’t believe you think I’d do that to you. Just leave.”

He rolled to his elbow and rested his chin in hand. “No. I’m not leaving. I admit, I thought it possible, but not that you’d intentionally do it.”

“I’m
not
my mother. When I have children, I want them conceived out of true love. And I’d never hold a pregnancy over you to get you to commit to me. Leave. I don’t want to argue with you.”

When he wrapped his arms around her, she stiffened. Last night he told her he’d planned to find her father and surprise her, until his mother talked him out of it. Now, today, he suggested a pregnancy? Maybe he wasn’t recovered from his concussion. Either that or he really didn’t know her.

“I love you, and if you—
we
were pregnant, it’d be okay. I’d make it okay and not out of obligation. Understand?”

She wanted to believe him, but detected relief in his voice. What he didn’t understand was a baby conceived without marriage would be the worst possible thing that could happen to her because she’d always doubt if he married her out of love or because of the baby. Maggie sighed, but didn’t answer.

“Understand?” He pressed.

“Yes.” She fought back tears. “But you should go. You might catch what I have.”

He placed his lips to her forehead. “No. This was our first fight, so I’m not leaving until you’re well enough to have make-up sex.”

“Well, I don’t think that will happen.”

“Okay, you’re officially pissed. I get it. I said the wrong thing. I’m sorry. Are you going to feel like making the trip to Abilene?”

“I hope so. I’m ready to get the house cleaned out and sold. Besides, I’ve taken days off to do it and I don’t want to waste them.”

“Do you want me to bring you something to drink, or crackers? They might help settle your stomach.”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“I’ll be right back.”

She flopped over on her back and stared at the ceiling. The room spun. She closed her eyes.
Still spinning.
She grabbed the trashcan again and vomited one more time.

He came back into the room and scooted next to her. “Here, try to eat a couple of these and drink a little bit. The salt will be good for you.” He pulled the tab on the can and offered it to her. She ate the crackers and drank, then lay back.

He ran his hand over her cheek. She didn’t say anything, but his touch made everything better.

He crawled back into bed, gathered her in his arms again and in a few minutes she fell asleep.

By noon, the nausea was gone and she and Jace left for Abilene. Before they arrived at her mother’s house, Maggie remembered there was no food to speak of, so they stopped by the grocery store. On the way to the truck, Jace fished in his pocket for keys, when someone called his name.

“Jace Sloan? Oh my God, it
is
you.”

Maggie turned in the direction of the nasal acknowledgement given by the blond, blue-eyed beauty. Jace abandoned the key search and slipped his hand around Maggie’s waist.

“You don’t remember me, do you?” Blondie asked, but didn’t give him time to answer.
 

“Chi Omega party. Two years ago. Cinni—Cinni Thompson.”

“Oh. Cinni. Sure.” He hugged Maggie tighter.

“What are you doing in Abilene? Visiting?”

“Yeah. I’m here with my girlfriend. This is Maggie. Maggie—Cinni.”

Maggie offered a fake smile. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. And good to see you again, Jace. Got to run. Mom’s doing early baking for Christmas and needs this stuff.”

Back in the truck, Maggie looked over at him. “What kind of stupid name is
Cinni
?”

“Yeah, it’s a stupid name. She’s a stupid girl. Probably with stupid parents and a stupid cat.”

“Let me guess. You slept with her.”

“I don’t remember. I’ve erased every woman from my mind but you.” He grinned, and kissed her cheek.

“Good answer, but you are so full of it.”
 

Two days later, Jace moved the last of the boxes onto the porch. When Maggie heard him come back inside, she called out from her bedroom. Once he appeared, she held up her hand. “Stop right there.”

He eyed her. It was just the reaction she wanted. Her hair was piled into a tangled mess on top of her head, wisps hanging loose around her face, the way he liked it. She made sure the blouse she wore gaped open at the neck where she’d untied the drawstring, and her gathered skirt fell in soft folds against her body. She wasn’t wearing shoes.

“Damn. You’re beautiful,” he said. “I still need to change if we’re going out.”

She twirled a lock of hair. “Take off your clothes.”
 

“What?”

“You heard me. Start with your boots.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes.”

He kicked out of his boots, stripping his socks off, too. “Now what?”

“Your shirt.” Sitting in the corner chair, she leaned forward and dangled her hands between her legs.

He removed his shirt and dropped it on the floor, then unbuttoned his jeans.

“Take your pants off, but leave your underwear on.”

He followed instructions and smiled.

She licked her lips. The strained fabric didn’t escape her eye. “Now slip them off.
Real slow and don’t move.”

When he was naked, she zeroed in on his growing erection.
 

He followed her gaze. “Damn thing has a mind of its own and you had it at
take your clothes off
.”
 

She got up and scooted her desk chair to the center of the room. “No need to apologize. Now, we’re going to play a little game. Sit, please.”

He obeyed and she stood between his knees. He reached for her waist and she moved away from him. “No touching and no talking.”

“What?”

“I can touch you, but you can’t touch me, and I can talk, but not you. That’s the rules.”

He ran his hand across his face. “I’m not going to like this game.”

“I think you will. In the past two days, we’ve made love in every room in the house. I’ve saved my room for last. Care to guess how many nights I cried myself to sleep in here? Hundreds. It’ll take something powerful to make me forget that misery. Now, hold on to your chair. That’ll give you something to do with your hands.”

He grabbed the wooden seat.

She hip-swayed to stand in front of him again. He reached up to her and she leaned away. “No touching.”

He pulled them back.

She cupped his chin, held it there and stared into his eyes. “I love you.” She kissed his right eye. “I love you more than all the stars in heaven.” He groaned and she pressed her lips to his left eye.

He slid his palms to her hips and then corrected himself. “Sorry,” he said and let go.

“Shh.” She kissed his cheeks, first one and then the other. “I never knew I could feel this way.”

He started to speak, but she kissed him. Her heart slammed against her chest wall. He moaned and when she licked into his mouth, his hands came off the chair and clasped her waist.

She grabbed his wrists and placed them in his lap. “Sit on them if you need to, but no touching.”

He slipped them under his thighs.

She wrapped her fingers on the chair back and straddled him.

“Oh God help me. You’re not wearing panties.”

“No talking.” She ran her hand between his legs and stroked him.

“I want to touch you.”

“Nuh-uh.” She covered his mouth, slid her tongue across his, then slipped him inside her.
 

A low growl came from deep in his throat.

She clenched around him and let him simmer in the heat for a minute. Then, she pulled the blouse off her shoulders and brought his face to rest between her breasts. “I’ll never love anybody but you,” she said and rocked into him over and over again until she spiraled out of control and he quaked beneath her.

Ten minutes later, Jace dangled his head over the back of the chair, hands still beneath his legs. “What the hell? Did you google that? It was kinky.”

She removed herself from his lap. “You think?”

“Damn straight. Shit. The only thing missing was a blindfold.”

“Ooh, a blindfold, we’ll do that next time.”

The wicked grin that got her every time appeared. “If there’s a next time, I get to be the one to talk and touch. Okay?”
 

“Maybe. One thing for sure, from now on, my memories of this house will be of you and me and how much we love each other.”

“Yeah, and when I remember this room, your rock collection won’t enter my mind.”

She laughed with him, then stepped into the bathroom and when she came out, he was still in the same position.
 

The doorbell rang.

“Shit!” He scrambled to get his clothes. “Who could that be?”

“Relax, I’ll get it,” she said.
 

She straightened her blouse and retied the strings as she descended the stairs. When she opened the door, Daniel Henderson, Sarah’s dad, waited on the porch.

“Hi, Maggie. How are you doing?”

“I’m fine. Please come in.”

He stepped into the room as Jace joined them. Maggie noticed he had his shirt buttoned wrong and smiled.

“Have you met Jace Sloan?” she said to Daniel.

“I’ve seen you play football plenty of times, but I don’t believe we’ve met,” he said and offered his hand.

Jace clasped the lawyer’s palm. “Nice to meet you, sir,”
 

“I have news concerning your mother’s estate,” Daniel said.

“I hope you found a will on file.”

“No, I didn’t. But as it turns out, a will isn’t necessary.”

“Why not?”

“Well, it’s the strangest thing. When I put the notice in the newspapers about anyone having a claim against the estate, an attorney in Amarillo contacted me. A Mr. Kincaid, with Kincaid-Lawton and Associates. Here’s his card.”

She stared at it. “I’ve never heard of them. Do they have a client with a claim?”

“No. That’s the odd part. As it turns out, it isn’t your mother’s estate. It’s yours. Everything is in your name. This house. The house where you and Sarah live. All of it.”

“I don’t understand.”
Why would my mother put everything in my name? Was that her sick way of trying to make amends for not loving me?

“I know there’s a trust account, and when you turned eighteen, it transferred to you. The executor is Charles Kincaid. Give him a call. I’m sure he’ll be able to answer your questions. If there’s anything else I can do for you, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Jace put his arm around Maggie’s waist, then spoke to Daniel. “Do you think Charles Kincaid is her dad?”

“I don’t know. But if he’s not, I’d be willing to bet he knows who is.”