Begin Again Read online

  “If she says it’s okay. She wasn’t planning on babysitting you.”

  “It’s fine. I brought Jenny, too,” I told them.

  Gus and Marie said their goodbyes and left for home.

  Luke was waiting with his arms crossed.

  I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “Um, maybe I’ll just take her to find Jenny. I know you weren’t planning on this.”

  Why was I so nervous around him?

  “Ms. Warner?” Amy’s whisper was barely audible, but when she pushed against my thigh I knew she needed to tell me something. I knelt next to her. She cupped a hand against her mouth, not wanting Luke to overhear. “I don’t like Jenny.”

  I almost laughed. And so did Luke at her not-so-subtle comment.

  “Would you like to come with me and”—he glanced at me briefly—“Ms. Warner to look around?”

  Amy hopped once. “Yes. But by myself. Not Jenny, too.”

  “Amy,” I said in disbelief. Usually it was Jenny I had to correct.

  “It’s alright. Amy must know about the three-person capacity on the apparatuses,” Luke said when Amy frowned and bowed her head in shame.

  Three-person rule? Really?

  I looked at Luke and he winked.

  “Yeah, only three people can ride at once. Right, Amy?”

  She grinned, nodding. When Luke held out his arms, she ran straight to him and he picked her up, setting her on his shoulder. He looked at me. “You heard the lady. Only three can go.”

  I stared in disbelief, trying to contain myself from smiling, when I really should have called him out on his bluff. Though I wasn’t Amy’s parent, I tried to teach all my girls values. But somehow being around this man made other petty things like that seem not as important.

  And what did he expect me to do with Jenny?

  He waltzed up to Neale, holding onto Amy’s hands as he carried her on his shoulders. Neale patted him on his arm and waved at Amy before they headed back this way. Jenny stayed with Neale.

  “All taken care of,” he said smoothly. “You ready?”

  “Come on, Ms. Warner. You have—you have to hurry, because all these people are here and they want to ride the trucks, too.”

  How could I resist her? “Fine. You both convinced me.”

  “Hey, Chace. Just getting back or taking off?” Luke asked as the guy came around the truck.

  “All done. She’s yours now,” he said before walking away.

  Luke opened the door.

  “We’re supposed to pay for this, right?” With all the people that had shown up, it only made sense they’d want a fee to take the trucks out.

  He faced me, with Amy smiling down. “I’ll handle it.”

  “Oh, okay,” I whispered as he helped Amy off his shoulders and into the truck.

  “Come on, lady. Hop in.” At Luke’s request, I went around but hesitated with my hand on the handle. What was I doing? I wasn’t ready. But Amy never got to do things like this often. Shoving my trepidation aside, I hopped in. I’d never ridden in one before, and the first thing I noticed was all the equipment, electronics, and buttons.

  “Ready?” Luke asked.

  “Yes! I want to drive,” Amy said to Luke, who then had her sit in his lap.

  “Alright, Amy. You ready?” he asked as he blew the horn alerting others of our departure.

  Amy squealed in delight. I peeked at Luke who was grinning and laughing at her enthusiasm. He seemed to really enjoy this and not mind that Amy took the wheel—though he had to help guide her.

  “Look, Ms. Warner. I’m doing it. I’m driving a firetruck.”

  “Yes, good job, Amy,” I said.

  Luke turned his head and smiled at me before turning back to assist Amy. While they did a loop around the park—thankfully keeping the ride short—I did my best to relax. The sound of a firetruck horn, even just the sight of a firetruck, always sent me into a panic. My mind always went to Josh, picturing how he must have suffered.

  I felt a hand on mine and looked at Luke. He mouthed, “Are you okay?” and I nodded. He’s a fireman who loves his job. Don’t ruin his day, I scolded myself.

  It was cute watching him with Amy. He was a natural with kids, and I wondered if he had any.

  Luke parked the truck and we got out.

  “That was fun,” Amy said. “Do you get to drive this all the time?”

  “I do,” Luke said, walking out of the garage to the front where all the tables were. They were filled with food. “You hungry, little one?”

  “Yes. I’m starving.”

  Luke made a place for her to sit with other children, including Jenny who paid no mind to me, that were being watched by other members of the community. Several of them I recognized and waved to.

  “How long are you staying?” Luke asked as we stepped away and out of earshot.

  “I don’t know. I was told I had to stay at least until the firemen bidding.” I smiled when Luke rolled his eyes.

  “My least favorite part of the whole day.”

  “I don’t know.” I nodded at Angela who was by the dessert table, giggling with her friend. “Seems to be a fan favorite to some.”

  Luke followed my gaze and shook his head. “Girls that age don’t care for what’s important.”

  I was intrigued by his comment and wanted to ask him what was important, but let it go. I needed to stay neutral where he was concerned. A man like him looked easy to fall for.

  Someone called for Luke. “Um.” He flitted his gaze from me to Amy. “I—”

  “It’s okay. Go,” I said.

  “You sure?”

  I laughed. “Yes. We’ll be fine.”

  He looked unsure, but before he could say anything else, Ernie came over. “You having fun?” he asked.

  Luke’s frown was back.

  “Yes, I’m having a nice time.” I couldn’t believe those words were coming from my mouth, but Luke had managed to make me forget, if only for a little while.

  “Well, stick around, cuz the ladies’ favorite event is fast approaching.”

  “Let me know if you need anything,” Luke said to me before he left.

  Ernie stuck by me for the majority of the night. It confused me as to why I wished it was Luke instead. After all, I should be more comfortable with Ernie, seeing as he was an old friend. But every now and again, I’d catch myself with a wandering eye, hoping to spot Luke out of the crowd.

  I needed to leave, and now.

  Chapter 5

  Luke

  “Would you like me to oil your hard muscles?” Neale said in his best feminine voice.

  “You’d suck at being a woman,” I told him as I rubbed baby oil over my front.

  “I guess that’s why I’m not, then.”

  “Yeah, guess not.”

  “You alright, man?” he asked.

  I grabbed a towel and wiped my hands. “Yeah, why?”

  “It’s pretty obvious someone pissed in your cheerios.” Neale came up next to me and leaned against the wall. “Something up?”

  I threw the towel in the utility sink, shot him a look, and headed out the door.

  “Dude, whatever it is, you can tell me.”

  We got in line with the other crew and I turned to face him. “Nothing. Let’s just get this over with.”

  “Oh, yeah. I forgot…your favorite part of the night is coming up.” Neale crossed his arms. “To be honest, I don’t know why any of us volunteer. You’re clearly the favorite.” When he pretended to make kissing faces, I shoved him backward.

  “Maybe I paid someone to pick you as the winner.”

  “Hey, I’ll take what I can get. The last time I had a real girlfriend was two years ago. When she said she was bi, I didn’t know she meant polar.”

  “Ready?” the chief asked.

  “Hey, Chief?” Neale asked. “How come you aren’t entering?”

  Chief Hickman laughed. “And make you guys look bad?”

  The backyard was packed. I’d done t
his event many times, and every time I did, I dreaded it even more.

  “Alright, Magnolia Springs, get your bids ready for your favorite fireman. You know the rules. You’ll walk down the line and stand in front of the fireman of your choosing. You may feel his chest and give him a kiss—let’s keep it family friendly,” the announcer said.

  Not wanting to think about it, I scanned the crowd for a shy blonde. Was she partaking or just watching? I found myself wanting both to happen.

  Fifteen minutes in, and many bids in my line, I was starting to grow impatient for it to end. But then I saw her, walking down the line of men, biting on her lip and only sneaking peeks. Amy was pulling her, leading the way. Despite myself, I laughed. Amy stopped Maggie in front of me.

  “I want to bid on Luke. He’s nice,” Amy said to Maggie. Maggie looked up at me. Her cheeks had a beautiful blush to them. She was nervous, and I understood why.

  “You bidding on me?” I asked to try and ease her discomfort.

  “Yes, we are!” Amy shouted and handed me her ticket. “That means we get to kiss you, but you have to pick me up, because I’m too small.”

  Maggie laughed. I reached for Amy and brought her to my face so she could kiss my cheek.

  “Ms. Warner’s turn,” Amy said. I sat her back down and faced Maggie. She nervously glanced at the other guys before turning back to look at me.

  “Ms. Warner,” I addressed her. Maybe because she didn’t pick Ernie and he was watching, I don’t know, but I grabbed the sides of her face. Her mouth parted and I leaned in. Our mouths just inches apart, I hesitated and gazed into those bright eyes of hers before my lips descended on hers. She gasped, and it was the sweetest sound.

  “Whoa, shield your children’s eyes,” the announcer’s voice said in the background. “This is a first.”

  The sound of clapping and whistling snapped me out of my daze and I drew back. Maggie stared at me with wide eyes. Her hand went to her mouth and she peered around at the crowd.

  “Come on Amy. Let’s get Jenny. It’s time to go,” she said quickly.

  What the hell was I thinking? “Maggie!”

  She was already across the park.

  “Respect, man,” Neale said as he patted me on the back. My gaze caught Ernie’s, who frowned. I didn’t want to explain myself, so I walked past him, not caring that the event wasn’t over.

  “That was some kiss,” the chief said a half hour later as I straightened the break room.

  I tossed the full trash bag by the door to take it out later. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “No? Well, I’ll say this then. Your stunt raised us double what we made last year. Well, any year.”

  Was he seriously turning what I did into something positive for him? “Really, Chief?”

  He raised his hands. “Just sayin’.”

  I peeked at the clock. “I’m out.”

  “Time for you to clock out already, huh?”

  “Yeah, I’ll see you later.” Without another word, I left and headed for the ranch. I’d told the chief I’d stay until the event ended, just to support the day, but I couldn’t. I needed to be alone.

  ***

  My flannel stuck to my back, and sweat poured down my face. It was hot for spring. Usually the weather didn’t get this hot for at least another month, but it was humid.

  I removed my shirt and wadded it in my hands to wipe at my brow before tossing it to lie on the stall door.

  “Cut it out, Cowboy,” I told my childhood horse as he started to chew on the ends of my shirt. He was a black stallion, eighteen years old, and still in good shape. I rubbed his mane as he nuzzled into me. Though he was technically mine, my dad took care of him the most. I suspected Cowboy knew something was wrong when my dad stopped coming to feed him a few weeks ago.

  “Hey, buddy,” I whispered, petting his muzzle. My thoughts turned to Maggie. She was just as beautiful as she always had been. I was glad to see city life hadn’t changed her, and was surprised to hear she’d packed up and left just as I had done. She still wore those dress sandals to make her taller. Not that she was short, but I’d clocked her at five feet five, and to my six-foot-three build, that was small. Her smile could capture any man’s heart. She was a woman you’d marry and have lots of babies with.

  “And off-limits to us, buddy,” I said, patting Cowboy before grabbing the broom to sweep the hay back under the stalls, clearing a path.

  I’d always known I’d get the ranch one day, but I never expected it to be so soon. When my dad died of a heart attack, it came as a shock to everyone. He was a healthy man. Worked on the ranch most of his life. He was fit. But he did too much. Now the ranch was mine to take care of. I didn’t mind. It was a lot of work, which I needed. The work kept me busy and out of trouble, though I’d only ever acted stupid a few times in my life. I had a good mom to thank for that. She’d raised me right, I’d like to think. But she was no longer living on the ranch, which was how Cowboy came back into my life.

  Money was tight. Dad’s life insurance made sure to pay off most of the ranch, but it wasn’t enough. Plus, there were his funeral expenses to take care of, which I didn’t want on my mother’s shoulders.

  I walked past the herding sheep and over to the tree my father was buried under, and sat down. His stone read: Jimmy Easton. Loving father and husband. April 29th, 2016.

  I removed my hat and scratched my head before leaning back against the tree. There were a lot of acres on this ranch, and a lot of animals. But I loved it. I just hoped I could keep it.

  “I’m doin’ my best, Pops.”

  ***

  It was around midnight before I came strolling into my apartment building. My muscles ached and I needed a beer to unwind. When I came up the stairs to the second floor, I opened my door but didn’t enter. I turned my head to Maggie’s apartment. She was playing music. It wasn’t loud enough to wake the neighbors, nor was it anything I knew. It was classical and maybe a little bit R&B.

  What is she doing in there? Maybe because I was tired, or because I felt the need to apologize, I found myself wanting to go to her. My hand gripped the door handle, and I shut my eyes and swallowed, trying to clear the thoughts of what she might be doing at that exact moment.

  “Go inside, Luke.”

  Her door opened and I snapped my head in her direction. For a minute we both stared at each other, with her music playing in the background. It was a while before I noticed she was carrying two trash bags.

  “Hi,” she said.

  “Hey.” I let go of the handle and turned toward her.

  “I didn’t disturb you, did I? With my music?”

  “No, I’d just gotten in.”

  “The event?”

  I shook my head. “No, I was at my father’s ranch.”

  She moved closer, and I rushed to grab the trash bags from her.

  “Here, let me.”

  “Thank you. Sometimes I hate living in a building on the second floor.” She laughed softly.

  We walked downstairs and out the front door, then down the alleyway to the dumpster in the back. I’d never thought much of it before, but there wasn’t a working city light back there. Despite this being a pretty safe town, it made me nervous to think of her going out here at night.

  “You usually take your trash out this late?” I asked, tossing her bags inside the dumpster. We started walking back toward the front entrance, and I stuffed my hands in my jeans pockets.

  “I try to take it out in the mornings, but sometimes I get so busy I forget. Plus, I just dropped the girls off at their homes about an hour ago. They wanted to stay, being that they only ever stay for the duration of their classes before bolting out the door.”

  “Class?” I said, looking at her briefly. “You in college?”

  “Oh no, I teach ballet in my apartment.”

  Ballet? I’d forgotten Josh said she’d taught dance. “Something you do often?”

  We rounded the corner and walked up the stairs. One
of the hallway lights flickered, ready to burn out.

  “Uh, yeah.” She crossed her arms and I had to pull my eyes away and focus on my boots instead. She looked good tonight, changed in a summer dress, white with tiny flowers. Her hair was curlier than I remembered she used to wear it. “I have classes twice a week here. It helps pay the bills.”

  Two jobs. Was she hurting for money?

  “Marybeth doesn’t hire full-time?”

  When she looked away and started messing with her hands, I knew something was up. “Yeah, I’m full-time now, actually. But it doesn’t look like I’ll have a job there much longer.”

  She bit her lip and I had to pull my eyes up to meet hers. “That sounds serious. Everything okay?”

  “Oh, I don’t know if I should share her business. I didn’t even know about it until yesterday morning.”

  I’d have to check into it tomorrow.

  “Well, I hope everything’s okay.”

  “Me, too.”

  We stopped at her door and she looked up at me with those big blue eyes. But not for long.

  “I should probably go,” she said, gesturing inside her apartment.

  I nodded. “Me, too. Good night, Maggie.”

  “Good night, Luke.”

  I went to turn, but stopped. “Maggie?”

  She turned back around. “Yes?”

  “About earlier…that was inappropriate. I want you to know I’ve never done that before, so…maybe the heat got to me.” The heat? Jesus, Luke.

  “It’s best if we just forget about it.” Her response took me by surprise for some reason. But what was I hoping? That she’d just laugh about it and invite me inside? She wasn’t that kind of girl. “Good night.”

  She stepped inside and closed her door, and I stood there wondering how I was going to handle being so close to her and not touch her. If I believed in karma, I’d say it came back to bite me.

  Chapter 6

  Maggie

  Karen was right. Marybeth didn’t have the proper funds to keep the diner open, which meant I needed to go job hunting. There were a few possibilities. Nothing I really desired to do, but I didn’t have much of a choice.

  The post office had good benefits, but it was Monday through Saturday, from open till close. It would take all my spare time and I couldn’t give up on the girls. They loved their classes, and I loved teaching them. I thought of Amy. Out of all the others, I felt like I would be letting her down the most. She came from a difficult situation. Her parents both had died in a tragic car wreck and she now lived with her grandparents. They were both wonderful people, but they weren’t doing so well healthwise and so they looked forward to having time alone.