My Way Back to You (Harlequin Large Print Super Romance) (12 page)

“Well.” He shrugged. “They have, haven’t they? I mean, I feel like we’ve made a lot of progress.”

“We’ve managed to spend six whole days together without having a big fight, if that’s what you mean...unless, of course, this escalates.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“I’m not trying to start a fight.” He pointed to his eye. “One is plenty, thanks. But I’m trying to be honest with you about how I feel. And how I feel is that maybe the two of us gave up too quickly.”

No, no, no!

“Did you not hear anything I just told you? I didn’t give up quickly. It took me years to give up, and I’m not about to open myself up to the possibility of falling back in love with you. We’ve moved on—literally. We live all the way across the country from each other. This—” she wagged her index finger between them and then caught it with her thumb to form an O “—has a zero percent chance of becoming anything more than great sex with a former spouse.” She pushed out of her chair and paced to the edge of the pool, needing distance and breathing room.

Jeff followed, obviously not understanding why she moved...or not caring.

Why was she not surprised?

His hands rested on her shoulders, and he tried to turn her toward him. “Mags—”

She wheeled around and flung his arms away from her. “I mean it, Jeff. I don’t need this. I moved my son to Chicago last week. I came home to find my dad facing major surgery. I don’t need anything that adds pressure to my life. I have plenty as it is. And, if that’s where you’re going with this, go get your bags ’cause we’re driving to Paducah and getting you checked into a hotel right now.”

“Mags.” His hands came back to her shoulders with a firmer grip, and he bent down to look her in the eyes. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I lost my senses there for a moment. I’m not trying to add any more pressure to your life. I came here to be supportive—someone you could lean on during a difficult time.” He dropped his arms to encircle her and pull her close. The fingers of one hand crept into her hair and coaxed her head against his chest while the other made slow circles on her back. “I want to be the safe room where you can go and not be afraid. I’m sorry if I upset you.”

She closed her eyes and relaxed against him, feeling all the pent-up emotion of the day drain away. It had been forever since she’d leaned on anyone, and it wasn’t something she did easily. But it felt pretty good.

“I’m sorry, too,” she said. “I should take it as a compliment that the idea of reconciliation would enter your mind. Most couples find it hard to even speak to each other after divorce.”

“We were never like most couples.” He kissed the top of her head and tightened his hold, and she allowed herself, at last, to hug him in return.

“Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

His hand came around and a finger nudged her chin up, bringing her eyes to meet his. “Why?”

“Society sets the rules for most couples. They spend the remainder of their lives nursing an intense dislike for each other. We’re winging it into uncharted territory.”

Jeff smiled and gestured toward the sky with a dramatic, sweeping motion. “‘To boldly go where no man has gone before.’”

Maggie sighed in relief. The playfulness was back. She shrugged her eyebrows suggestively. “Want to go do a little role-playing in bed? You can be Spock and I’ll be Lieutenant Uhura?”

Jeff’s face turned somber. He held up his hand and parted his fingers in the Vulcan salute. “‘Live long and prosper.’” He closed the salute by caressing her nipple through the top she wore.

And if she had any lingering doubt about his answer, he closed his mouth to hers in a kiss that carried her far out into space.

CHAPTER TWELVE

A
T
SIX
-
FORTY
-
FIVE
Monday morning, Maggie pulled up in front of the Twenty-Four Hour Café in Paducah. Always open and about a mile from the hospital where her dad’s surgery would be performed—the perfect rendezvous point for her and her ex.

“By the time you eat and make the walk to the hospital, they should’ve taken him back.” She put the car in Park and turned toward the passenger seat. “I’ll text you if they’re running late.”

He nodded. “Okay.”

As soon as her dad was out of danger, she’d tell her mom about Jeff. Probably not until tomorrow. But any hope of pulling off this silly—but necessary for now—charade rested in the details. “Where are you staying, if she asks?”

“Out by the mall,” he shot back the rehearsed answer.

“And when did you get here?”

“Late last night. I drove in from Lake Geneva after talking to Russ, but I’d advised him not to say anything to his grandfather, so Eli wouldn’t get upset.”

“We’ll be cordial, but not overly friendly...”

“So any talk about having sex the past four nights is off-limits.”

“Jeff, I’m not in a joking mood.” Her breath pushed out in a huff as he leaned over and brushed a kiss to her lips.

“He’s going to be fine, Mags. I’ll see you in about an hour.”

He left her with an assuring nod, and she made the short drive to the hospital.

Her parents were just checking in when she joined them. An onlooker would have thought her mom was the one facing surgery. She looked as sickly as Maggie had ever seen her, and Maggie realized she was indeed sick—with fear. Her face was pale without makeup, and her eyes were red and swollen likely from crying or lack of sleep—or both.

Her dad on the other hand was the picture of calm. Smiling and joking as if he hadn’t a care in the world—a bravado Maggie recognized as fake but appreciated just the same.

They took him back for prep work, which didn’t take too long. And then Maggie and her mom were allowed to wait with him as the first drugs began taking effect, and he became groggy. His mouth drew up in a loopy grin. “When this’s done, gonna retire, an we’re gonna travel the world, Rosie. See the sigh’s.”

“That’ll be fun, Eli.” Her mom’s smile wavered, and Maggie wondered if her dad could see the lack of belief in her eyes as she smoothed her fingertips across his forehead, readjusting the cloth surgery cap. “Always wanted to see the Grand Canyon.”

“We’ll go an’ ri’ one of them donkeys to th’ bot’m.” Raising and lowering his eyelids seemed to be an effort. “Then we’ll hel’copper out.”

Maggie squeezed his hand. “You be good in surgery, Dad. Don’t give them any trouble.”

“Jus’ hope th’ doc ain’t a damn Yankee.” His eyes closed, and she thought it was for good this time, but he surprised her by cracking the right one just a little. “If I coul’ kee’ my eye ope’, I’d tal’ to ya through m’ eye.” Maggie chuckled at the nonsense, glad it meant he was relaxed and feeling no pain. “See ya la’er, ladies.” The eyelid drooped again. “Love ya.”

“Love you, too.” Her mom laid her hand over his heart for a moment, then gave him a pat. Her shoulders rose and fell with a shudder as the nurse came to take him back to surgery.

“We’ll call the waiting room and let you know how he’s doing,” the young man assured them. “But this surgery takes a long time, so don’t get nervous if you don’t hear from us for a while.”

They watched until the last corner of the bed conveying her dad disappeared around the corner of the long corridor, then she gave her mom a reassuring hug. “It’s going to be a long day. Did you eat breakfast?”

Her mom shook her head. “I couldn’t eat anything.”

“Do you feel like eating now? Want to go to the cafeteria and grab a bite?”

“No. Maybe later.”

They entered the waiting room, leaving their names with the elderly volunteer at the desk who was manning the phone, and staked their claim in an unoccupied corner, away from the other four groups of families gathered in small clusters.

Maggie had brought a book and several magazines, which she offered, but again her mom shook her head. “I can’t concentrate right now.”

Pastor Sawyer and his wife, Faith, showed up a few minutes later. Their calming presence acted like a soothing balm for which Maggie was immensely grateful—especially when Jeff walked in and she heard her mom bristle, “What in the world is
he
doing here?”

Maggie was fairly certain
world
would have been replaced by
hell
had Pastor Sawyer not been there. She herself let out a surprised gasp that could have won an Academy Award. “I have no idea.”

Jeff spotted them, sauntering over with his hands in his pockets. “Hello, everyone.” He nodded as he made eye contact, not lingering on Maggie any longer than anyone else.

“You’re not welcome here, Jeff Wells,” her mom snapped, and jerked her head around to cast an accusing glance at Maggie. “Did you talk to him?”

Before she could answer, Jeff spoke up. “Russ called me. He was upset and wanted to come home for his grandpa’s surgery. I was in Lake Geneva playing golf, and I had a few more days off, so I volunteered to be his substitute. And before anyone has to ask—” he pointed to his black eye “—I got clubbed by a guy trying out a new iron in the pro shop.”

“Man, that’s a shiner!” Sawyer shook his hand warmly and clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s good to see you again, Jeff. We’ll consider your presence here a blessing on your son’s behalf.”

Her mom gave a disgruntled humph.

“It’s been a long time.” Faith hugged him but threw a questioning look toward Maggie, who gave her an assuring nod.

“How’s Russ doing?” Maggie asked. “I’ve been trying not to call him.”

Jeff nodded. “He’s okay. Worried, of course.”

Maggie glanced at her mom, noting how the muscle twitched in her jaw. “You want to join us?” She motioned to the vacant chair beside her mom, who shifted as far toward Maggie as the chair arm would allow.

“Sure.” As he sat, he threw a surreptitious wink Maggie’s way, and she blinked in return.

Her mom stared sullenly out the window, too much of a lady to make a scene but not trying to hide her fury. One thing was for certain, though—Jeff’s presence had brought color back to her cheeks.

They burned fiery red.

* * *

R
OSEMARY
KNEW
THE
earthquake was only inside her, but it seemed as though her whole world was being shaken apart. At the same time, the entire situation felt like an out-of-body experience—as if she’d somehow escaped the ludicrous position and could float above it all and look down on its absurdity.

Jeff Wells, the person from their past she most wished never to see again, was sitting next to her, chatting as if he hadn’t been absent from their lives for more than a decade. Older, still handsome, though not nearly so cocky, which was a terrible thing now she thought about it. Losing that king-of-the-world attitude made him all the more desirable, which might cause Maggie’s head...and heart...to turn toward him again.

Bad. Very bad.

On the other side, Maggie read, aloof and uninterested, practically ignoring him except when he pulled her into direct conversation, which generally focused on Russ and last week’s move. The lack of emotion on Maggie’s part was the scary thing.

Curse at him. Throw books. Scratch his good eye out,
Rosemary wanted to say.
Just give me a glimpse of the old Maggie. I don’t trust this one who acts untouched by anything that happens. The one who suffers in silence. She’s the one most likely to withdraw from the world again...because she’s already halfway there.

“Mom.” Maggie nudged her with an elbow and nodded toward the old man at the desk. “He’s paging us. We’re here!” She waved.

“Russell family?”

Rosemary nodded and hurried over to the phone he held. “Hello? This is Rosemary Russell.”

“Hi, Ms. Russell. Are you Eli’s wife?”

“Yes.” Her pulse thrummed in her ears.

“This is Diane. I’m assisting with Mr. Russell’s surgery. I wanted to let you know he’s on the cardiopulmonary bypass machine now. I’ll call you when they take him off, but that won’t be for a few hours. He’s doing well.”

Eli’s heart was stopped, his life cradled in the tubular arms of an uncaring machine.

Her own heart did a somersault. “I’m—I’m glad to hear that,” she lied. Gladness was not an emotion she could apply to the most terrifying words ever said to her. “Thank you.”

Back at her seat, she gave everyone the news, which was received with enthusiasm. Sawyer led them in a brief prayer, and then all her companions got on their phones and spread the news of Eli’s condition.

Let them take care of it. She didn’t want to talk to anybody—except Eli.

“Now might be a good time to get something to eat.” That was Jeff...taking control.

“I’m not hungry.” She refused to look at the interloper.

An awkward moment followed and then Sawyer said, “That’s a good idea. I’m getting hungry myself.”

“Why don’t you go, too, Maggie,” Faith suggested. “I’m not hungry just yet. I’ll stay here with Rosemary.”

Maggie gave Rosemary a questioning look, and she gave her daughter a reluctant nod.

“We can bring you something if you like,” Jeff offered.

“I
said
,
I’m not hungry.” She gave him a glare that should’ve withered a hardened criminal.

Not this one. He shrugged and had the audacity to allow the corner of his mouth to twitch. “Maybe later, then.”

She watched them out the door. “I don’t like this, Faith.”

“That’s obvious.” Faith moved over to the chair beside her and took her hand. “I imagine you don’t like anything happening today, though.”

“You know, he and Maggie were in Chicago together all last week, and now he shows up here this morning out of the blue. He hasn’t been back to Kentucky since Russ was five, yet he’s here today. It just smacks of...of...something I don’t like.”

Faith’s laugh was light as she squeezed her hand. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Stella last year. Let’s accept those healing vibes whatever direction they come from.”

“I saw the vibes Jeff gave my daughter when they split up.” Rosemary shuddered at the memory of Maggie in her dark bedroom, drapes drawn, blinds closed, as if letting light into the room would make the pain more visible...more acute. “They weren’t the healing kind, trust me.”

“I remember.”

Of course she would.
Everyone
in Taylor’s Grove would remember.

“Things change, though.”

Gah!
Faith seemed determined to talk about this.

“Maybe some healing
did
take place last week, Rosemary. I mean, they seemed to tolerate each other pretty well this morning. And Maggie didn’t turn down the opportunity to go eat lunch with him.”

“I don’t want things to heal between them.” Rosemary bristled. “What I want is for Jeff Wells to go back to California and leave my daughter alone.”

“That’s your head talking. Your heart knows it would be better for everybody—especially Russ—if those two could forgive and move on.”

The mention of Russ shot a pang of guilt through Rosemary. Her grandson had always been such a trouper when it came to his parents. He loved them both equally. Worshipped his mom. Idolized his dad. And the Wells family never shirked in any responsibility when it came to Russ. They lavished him with attention and gifts. If possible, he’d been even more spoiled than Maggie.

“It’s the moving-on part I want to see happen,” she answered.

“Well, then...” Faith leaned her head against Rosemary’s. “Let’s just hope everybody’s heart heals right along with Eli’s.”

The mention of her husband brought Rosemary back to the present and today’s worry. If Eli came through this okay,
maybe
she would work on forgiving Jeff Wells.

But it wasn’t going to happen today.

Or anytime in the near future.

* * *

J
EFF
’
S
PHONE
PINGED
.

On my way.

He caught the waitress’s eye and signaled for the check, which she brought to him along with the sack of carryout. He paid the bill and went outside the café to wait for his ride.

When Maggie pulled up, he went around to the driver’s side and opened the door, holding up the bag. “The burger and fries are still hot. Let me drive, and you can eat.”

“Ooh, thanks.” She snatched the bag and relinquished the driving duty without a fuss. Once she got buckled in on the other side, she unwrapped the sandwich and flipped back the bun, flashing him an astonished grin. “I can’t believe you remembered!”

“Mustard, pickles, lettuce and onion.” He laughed. “Burgers were our staple back in the day. How could I forget? So how’s your dad doing?”

The nurses’ reports throughout the day had been good. Eli had done well and the surgery had been successful. When the family was told he was regaining consciousness and they could go back to see him, Jeff had decided it was time to make his exit. He’d walked back to the café where Maggie had dropped him off that morning and waited there for her to come pick him up.

“He looks great.” She dove into the burger with gusto, filling him in on her dad between bites. “He was alert and not talking out of his head. The doctor said he’d probably move into a regular room tomorrow. And Mom asked about a cot to sleep on. He said there’ll be a recliner in the room that goes all the way down into a bed, so she can stay as many nights as she wants.”

“How many do you think that will be?”

“As long as he’s in here, probably.” She juggled the cheeseburger to the other hand so she could pat his leg. “But getting that guest room for her tonight was a stroke of genius. I can’t believe I hadn’t thought to check on the possibility.”

“When my uncle had his heart surgery, my aunt stayed in one. I figured other hospitals had them available, too.”

“Well, it won you some hard-earned brownie points, that’s for sure. From Mom
and
me.”