Page 20 of Maggie’s Match

A range of emotions crossed her face—happiness, doubt, fear—but then she settled on a look of uncertainty that had his heart sinking. He hadn’t meant to string her along so much that she’d be cautious of him. He knew her worry about their relationship was all his fault. Time after time he had left her when what he should have been doing was telling her and showing her how much she meant to him. How much he loved her.

The knot in his stomach rolled and twisted in his gut. How could he make this up to her? What could he do to show her that she was what he wanted more than anything? That she was his future?

Chapter Eight

Maggie tried to focus for the next hour as she went through stacks and stacks of folders and paperwork while Rick shredded old junk mail or hauled out trash bags of useless papers and junk.

She didn’t know what to make of his confession of moving back to Fairplay for good.

There were actually bets in Fairplay about how long he’d stay this time. She didn’t want him to know it, but she’d bet that he’d be gone within six months.

She knew that all it would take to spook him again was her being around. And one thing was certain—when Rick was in town, he would be coming around her.

He’d once described her as his drug of choice. At the time, she’d found it endearing. But then he’d left, and she’d realized that the times he was gone was like him going into rehab.

What he’d really been saying was that she was bad for him. Once she’d realized that, everything had changed.

Maybe Becca was right. Maybe it was time she took control of things. If he was serious about returning to Fairplay, and more importantly to her, then he was just going to have to do it on her terms.

She needed proof that he wasn’t going to flake out again and bail. And one thing was damn sure—she was not going to make things easy for him.

After all, a game easily won wasn’t one you remembered.

They went back to work separating the stacks of papers and magazines and newspapers, and whenever she could, she’d brush up against him. It took all her willpower to not smile when he sucked in his breath or stilled with each touch.

Her aunt poked her head in and said she was going up to bed, and after that the house grew quiet around them. Becca had disappeared long before that and, according to Rick, her uncle and cousin were going to be sitting out in the fields all night with their night-vision goggles.

There were still four stacks of paperwork to go through when she opened one of the file cabinet drawers and gasped. There, right on top of a full drawer, sat the tan folder they’d been looking for.

“I found it,” she gasped, holding it up.

Rick rushed over to her side, and they laid it on the table and opened it.

Inside the folder sat the low offer for the ranch from a company named Stockton Industries LLC.

“Stockton?” Rick asked. “Heard of them before?”

“Nope,” she said. She pulled out her phone and did a quick search. “There are a few sites.” She showed him the screen. “It might be worth sending to your uncle to see if he can come up with more details.” She winced at the time on her phone. “It’s past midnight.”

He glanced at his watch and sighed. “I shouldn’t have kept you up so long.”

“I’m the one who offered to help.” She tucked her phone back in her pocket as she stood up and stretched, only then realizing how sore she was from the lack of movement.

She glanced over at Rick and found him watching her. Heat flooded his eyes as they ran over her body slowly. She felt her knees go weak at the thought of him wanting her.

“Maggie.” His voice was low, and she knew immediately what he wanted.

The truth was, she wanted him too, more than she ever had in the past.

For a split second, she thought about letting him in again. Letting him lead her down the hallway to the room he was staying in. Enjoying him undressing her, touching her, filling her, taking her, loving her.

Nope. If she was going to make him stay, then she couldn’t give in so easily. When he took a step towards her, she held up her hands between them.

“Good night,” she said firmly. Before walking out, she reminded him, “It’s my game now.” Then she headed up the stairs before she changed her mind.

After a few restless hours, she heard Becca crawl out of bed and head into the bathroom. Rolling over, she glanced at her phone and held in a groan at the hour.

She’d promised her cousin and aunt that she would go look at the building with them that morning. She climbed out of bed and was pulling on her jeans and T-shirt just as Becca strolled back in with a smile on her face.