yard, watching us…"
I laughed. "Ok, now you're just trying to scare me."
"I can't believe it," he said again and smiled. "I guess we'll see your true colors when I get your up there in front of everyone and you're shaking in your bare feet."
He led me back to the table and we finished our food.
"Caleb, I told you. My body feels so completely different now. I'm ready. I am not going to be nervous."
" Good," he murmured and rubbed my foot against his under the table.
Chapter Six
Caleb
Maggie held the cups of juice and I carried the take-out pancake boxes in mine. We climbed the stairs and I watched her jeans as we went up .
I stared a hole in those jeans.
If she felt the heat of my stare, she didn't say anything. If she heard my thoughts, she didn't say anything about that either. I heard her laugh and decided to leave it at that and not go in her mind to see what she was laughing about. It was probably about me…staring a hole…in those daggum jeans.
She outright laughed and turned on the last step. She was on the step above me so we were perfect height to match. "I get it," she joked. "I've got good jeans."
"It's true, but it's what's in the jeans that's making me crazy," I told her.
She smiled and leaned forward to kiss the end of my nose. "You're going to be impossible this week, aren't you?" she said breathlessly.
"Yes, ma'am," I growled.
"Behave, Jacobson, " she scolded and smiled. She leaned in and kissed my lips. Then she turned, her smile firmly in place, and knocked on the door. Beck answered, barely. The girl was running a few cylinders short and it was showing. She was beat. She sat down on the edge of the bed and accepted the plate from me. She inhaled and groaned. "Pancakes! Are you freaking kidding me? I could kiss you!"
"But you won't," Maggie said and pointed with a cocked brow .
"Not right now," Beck said laughing. "I'm in no position to fight sleep , let alone a whole other person. You're safe for now , college boy ."
Maggie rolled her eyes and gave her the juice. Ralph was already scarfing his down, waiting for nothing or no one.
"Ah," he groaned through a bite, "even I could kiss you. I'm starving."
I laughed. "I'd rather neither of you do any kissing, if that's all right."
"Boo," Beck complained, but never looked up as she tore into the plate.
Maggie sat on the bed, her chin in her hand, and watched the two eat with a concentration that was motherly and cute. I stood by the wall, leaning against the old maroon wallpaper, and watched Maggie watch them. We were going home today. To my home. Maggie had never been there before and I was oh so ready to have her smell and voice crawling through my space.
She finally glanced my way and smiled crookedly . Then she rolled her eyes and looked back to Beck. So she was paying attention to my inner monologue . Good to know.
As soon as Beck was done, she did what I had been waiting for her to do. She asked to call her parents.
"Beck," Maggie started slowly. "I don't think you can call them. We're…" She shook her head. "I'm sorry. It's complicated."
"What's complicated?" Beck said and glared at her. "Why are you saying I can't call my parents? Of course I can. What the blazing hell is wrong with you, Mags!"
She reached for the phone. Maggie reached for her arm. Then the proverbial crap hit the fan.
Maggie had a vision , and she and Be ck and I watched it all play out behind our eyelids.
It started with a dark street and we watched as a dark head waited in the bushes like a coward. I knew immediately it was Marcus, but felt Maggie's confusion because we couldn't see his face . She didn't want to believe it. She wanted to think we'd been wrong all along and that Marcus was out of our lives forever, but it wasn't going to happen that way.
He half turned as he saw a car coming. He ducked. As soon as the car passed, he crept out and stealthily went around the back side of a car. With gloved hands, he leaned down on the asphalt and
I laughed. "Ok, now you're just trying to scare me."
"I can't believe it," he said again and smiled. "I guess we'll see your true colors when I get your up there in front of everyone and you're shaking in your bare feet."
He led me back to the table and we finished our food.
"Caleb, I told you. My body feels so completely different now. I'm ready. I am not going to be nervous."
" Good," he murmured and rubbed my foot against his under the table.
Chapter Six
Caleb
Maggie held the cups of juice and I carried the take-out pancake boxes in mine. We climbed the stairs and I watched her jeans as we went up .
I stared a hole in those jeans.
If she felt the heat of my stare, she didn't say anything. If she heard my thoughts, she didn't say anything about that either. I heard her laugh and decided to leave it at that and not go in her mind to see what she was laughing about. It was probably about me…staring a hole…in those daggum jeans.
She outright laughed and turned on the last step. She was on the step above me so we were perfect height to match. "I get it," she joked. "I've got good jeans."
"It's true, but it's what's in the jeans that's making me crazy," I told her.
She smiled and leaned forward to kiss the end of my nose. "You're going to be impossible this week, aren't you?" she said breathlessly.
"Yes, ma'am," I growled.
"Behave, Jacobson, " she scolded and smiled. She leaned in and kissed my lips. Then she turned, her smile firmly in place, and knocked on the door. Beck answered, barely. The girl was running a few cylinders short and it was showing. She was beat. She sat down on the edge of the bed and accepted the plate from me. She inhaled and groaned. "Pancakes! Are you freaking kidding me? I could kiss you!"
"But you won't," Maggie said and pointed with a cocked brow .
"Not right now," Beck said laughing. "I'm in no position to fight sleep , let alone a whole other person. You're safe for now , college boy ."
Maggie rolled her eyes and gave her the juice. Ralph was already scarfing his down, waiting for nothing or no one.
"Ah," he groaned through a bite, "even I could kiss you. I'm starving."
I laughed. "I'd rather neither of you do any kissing, if that's all right."
"Boo," Beck complained, but never looked up as she tore into the plate.
Maggie sat on the bed, her chin in her hand, and watched the two eat with a concentration that was motherly and cute. I stood by the wall, leaning against the old maroon wallpaper, and watched Maggie watch them. We were going home today. To my home. Maggie had never been there before and I was oh so ready to have her smell and voice crawling through my space.
She finally glanced my way and smiled crookedly . Then she rolled her eyes and looked back to Beck. So she was paying attention to my inner monologue . Good to know.
As soon as Beck was done, she did what I had been waiting for her to do. She asked to call her parents.
"Beck," Maggie started slowly. "I don't think you can call them. We're…" She shook her head. "I'm sorry. It's complicated."
"What's complicated?" Beck said and glared at her. "Why are you saying I can't call my parents? Of course I can. What the blazing hell is wrong with you, Mags!"
She reached for the phone. Maggie reached for her arm. Then the proverbial crap hit the fan.
Maggie had a vision , and she and Be ck and I watched it all play out behind our eyelids.
It started with a dark street and we watched as a dark head waited in the bushes like a coward. I knew immediately it was Marcus, but felt Maggie's confusion because we couldn't see his face . She didn't want to believe it. She wanted to think we'd been wrong all along and that Marcus was out of our lives forever, but it wasn't going to happen that way.
He half turned as he saw a car coming. He ducked. As soon as the car passed, he crept out and stealthily went around the back side of a car. With gloved hands, he leaned down on the asphalt and
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