of his mind, he feared that his ex-wife would do something to ruin it—just as she had done to some of his dates with Maggie.
“I don’t understand Celeste,” Lillie was saying as she shifted into Drive and started toward the small western town of Gilt Edge. “She’s the one who dumped you for Wayne Duma. So what is her problem?”
“I’m worried that she is having second thoughts about her marriage to Duma. Or maybe she’s bored and has nothing better to do than concern herself with my life. Maybe she just doesn’t want me to be happy.”
“Or she is just plain malicious,” Lillie said. “If she isn’t happy, she doesn’t want you to be, either.”
A shaft of sunlight came through the cab window, warming him against the chill that came with even talking about Celeste. He leaned back, content as Lillie drove.
He was going to ask Maggie to marry him. He was going to do it this weekend. He’d already made a dinner reservation at the local steak house. He had the ring in his pocket. Now it was just a matter of popping the question and hoping she said yes. If she did... Well, then, this was going to be the best Christmas ever, he thought and smiled.
EVERY DAY THAT Maggie didn’t run into Flint’s ex in the small town where they both lived was a great day. In fact, it had been so long since she’d seen the woman that Maggie was beginning to think that either Celeste had left town or become a housebound recluse.
So it was no surprise when her luck gave out. She was starting down the produce aisle at the only grocery store in town when she smelled the woman’s perfume and made the mistake of looking up.
Celeste made a beeline for her. Dressed in a navy-and-white suit with matching spectator shoes and bag, the blonde looked like something out of an old movie. This was Gilt Edge, where no one dressed up except for weddings and funerals.
Maggie, of course, was dressed in jeans, a T-shirt and sneakers since it was her day off. Her long curly auburn hair was pulled up in a ponytail. Nor was she wearing any makeup. She hadn’t even put in her favorite earrings, a pair of silver hoops Flint had given her on her birthday.
“I was just picking up a few things on my way home from the park planning committee meeting,” Celeste said, as if Maggie had asked.
Her blond hair was cut in a perfect bob that was short enough it didn’t hide the large diamonds at her ears. She blinked her big green eyes, clearly waiting for Maggie to respond.
Taken by surprise and feeling as if she’d been ambushed, Maggie had no comment. She put the cantaloupe she’d been holding into her cart and simply smiled at Celeste. She’d been raised to not be rude, so it was hard for her, even with Flint’s ex.
“Well,” Celeste said in that bubbly way of hers—at least around Maggie. “I thought for sure I’d be hearing you and Flint were getting married.” She cocked her head a little as she stared at Maggie’s left hand resting on the edge of the grocery cart. “But I don’t see an engagement ring on your finger.” She lifted a brow as if to ask, “What’s up with that?”
“Sorry to disappoint you,” Maggie said and told herself to leave it at that. But, of course, she couldn’t. “We’re taking things slow, for obvious reasons.”
All the bubble left Celeste’s face. “His first marriage wasn’t that bad, no matter what he says.”
“I was actually referring to your inability to let him go so he can be happy.”
The woman looked taken aback. “Is that what he thinks?”
“It’s what we both think. Why else would you have vandalized my beauty shop or tried to burn down my house?”
Celeste shook her head. “If that were true, wouldn’t I be behind bars? Anyway, your house didn’t burn down.”
“No thanks to you. Lucky you didn’t leave any evidence or you’d be in jail right now.”
Celeste shook her head as if sad. “As I told Flint, I haven’t done anything to keep the two of you apart. Maybe one of you is using it as an excuse. If you wanted to be together, I couldn’t keep you apart no matter what I did. Flint sure didn’t have any trouble asking me to marry him.”
The woman always had to remind Maggie that she’d had Flint first. She bit her tongue, afraid of what might come out, and willed Celeste to walk away before it was too late. But, of course, she didn’t.
One of the woman’s finely honed brows lifted. “So if Flint is dragging his feet, it isn’t because of me. Maybe he’s realized what I’ve been telling him, that the two of you are wrong for each other, nothing personal. Then again, Flint has never listened to any advice I ever gave him. Why would he now?” With that, Celeste let out a light laugh and said, “Merry Christmas!” and turned and left, her high heels tapping briskly as she rounded the corner of the aisle.
Maggie stood, shaking violently with rage. Why did she let the woman get to her like that? Because Celeste was determined to keep her and Flint apart, no matter what she said. It wasn’t that long ago that Celeste had stopped by the beauty shop as she was closing and warned her to leave Flint alone. She might act innocent, but she was far from it.
Feeling sick to her stomach, Maggie leaned against her grocery cart and tapped in Flint’s number. For weeks, she’d been the one dragging her feet.
“I want to move in with you,” she said into the phone when he answered now.
He laughed. “Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
“Well, whatever made you change your mind, I couldn’t be happier. When?”
“I think I’ll bring a few things over today.” She knew if she put it off, she might change her mind again.
“Great. We’re still on for our date Friday night, though, right?”
“Absolutely,” she said, feeling herself calm down a little. Flint had that effect on her. She loved this man and had for some time. If it wasn’t for Celeste they would have been together long before this.
As she disconnected, she reminded herself that when Flint had suggested they move in together it was right after an incident at her beauty shop. Maggie had said she wasn’t going to let Celeste run her life and be the impetus that had them living together. Had she just let Celeste force her into this?
She sighed and looked into her nearly empty grocery cart. Her refrigerator was almost as empty. She really needed to shop, but her heart wasn’t in it. She was moving in with Flint. As much as she’d tried, she couldn’t work up any enthusiasm about it because...she’d let Celeste goad her into it. This was definitely not the way she wanted her relationship with Flint to go.
Maggie almost called him back, but stopped herself when she saw Celeste at the end of the aisle. Had the woman overheard her phone call to Flint? She groaned at the thought. Now if she called Flint back, Celeste would still think they were moving in together, so the damage was already done. And Flint would think she’d lost her mind for changing it again.
Maybe
