Page 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Maggie lay on Adina’s couch and stared up at the ceiling. Her belly was full, she’d actually had a good night’s sleep, and it felt great to take a day off from stressing about finding a job, getting enough money to eat, and wondering if Adina’s car was going to finally break down for good.

Speaking of the car…she’d gotten a text from Shawn a short while ago, asking if she would allow him to take the car to a trustworthy mechanic he knew. She hadn’t responded yet, because she wasn’t sure she wanted to get any more involved with Shawn or his friends than she was already. Trusting someone, especially a man, wasn’t something she was comfortable with. Roman Robertson hadn’t even blinked when he’d set her up. The four months they’d been dating had apparently meant nothing to him. She was just a means to an end. And it stung. A lot.

So Maggie couldn’t help but wonder why Shawn was so keen on helping her. She was relieved he and his friends hadn’t gone to the police about her using Adina’s ride-share profile, but at any time, they still could.

The smart thing would be to block Shawn’s number and pretend she’d never met him. Especially because he was in the Navy. But the man knew where she lived. He could easily call her probation officer and rat her out. At this point, the best thing would be to let him do his act of charity and slowly ease her way out of his life. She shouldn’t have let him accompany her home last night, but she’d been weak. Had been relieved the three men hadn’t seemed to want to get her in trouble. But now she was regretting all her decisions.

Then again, if he was being honest, and he really could find her a job, she couldn’t afford to block him.

Hating that she’d be beholden to anyone, she sighed. Then she sat up and reached for her phone. She needed to reply to Shawn’s text.

Maggie : Okay.

Deciding it would be best to keep things short and to the point, she was satisfied with her response.

Shawn : That hurt, didn’t it ?

Maggie couldn’t help but smile at that.

Maggie : A little. *grin*

Shawn : Look, I get it. You don’t know me. But I swear I’m on your side.

The jury was still out on that, but Maggie was determined to keep things between her and Shawn professional. If he wanted to be a do-gooder, she’d let him help her. It wouldn’t matter in the end. The second she was able to get out of this state, she was gone.

Maggie : All right.

She was purposely being stand-offish in the hopes he’d get the message. That she didn’t want anything from him…other than any connections he wanted to use to get her a job.

Shawn : Right. I’ve arranged for a tow truck to pick up the Accord later this morning. The guy I know who works there will take a look and let you know what he finds. Hopefully it won’t be anything major. Kevlar spoke with Adina’s commander, and she verified everything you told us. I wasn’t worried, but I thought it might make you feel better to know that. I also talked to a friend of mine, and if you’re interested, you have an interview this afternoon. I can pick you up and bring you there, then take you home after. Let me know.

The message was long…and Maggie got the impression that she’d somehow hurt his feelings. Why she cared was a mystery, but she did.

Maggie : This is hard for me. After what happened, it’s almost impossible to trust anyone. And yes, I’m very interested in the job.

Shawn : Don’t you want to know what it is?

Maggie : It doesn’t matter. At this point I’ll do just about anything other than taking my clothes off for men to ogle my body…not that I look down on women who do that, it’s just not for me.

Shawn : It involves clothes, but not taking them off. Is three o’clock okay for me to pick you up?

Maggie couldn’t help but be intrigued .

Maggie : It’s not as if I have a full calendar. LOL. Three is fine.

Shawn : See you then. Oh…and I hope you don’t mind, but I gave your number to a couple other friends of mine. Women. They’re the girlfriends of some of my teammates. I told them not to go overboard, but I’m guessing they will anyway. I’d apologize, but they’re good people. See you later.

Maggie stared at the words on her phone screen. He’d given her number to other people? She should be pissed about that, but she didn’t have time to think much about it—because just then, her phone vibrated in her hand, scaring the crap out of her.

It was a group text. Apparently, these women weren’t the kind to procrastinate.

Unknown, Unknown, + 1 more : Hi! It’s Remi! We met the other day when you picked me up at the store!

Unknown, Unknown + 1 more : And I’m Josie.

Unknown, Unknown + 1 more : And I’m Wren. We just wanted to write and say hi!

Unknown, Unknown + 1 more : Yeah, hi!

Unknown, Unknown + 1 more : I want to apologize for my role in yesterday. My man and his friends ambushing you. He was worried that you were a con man. Or woman. I told him he was wrong, that you were sweet as could be. The only reason I agreed to arrange that pickup was because I was sure that you’d win over Vincent and the others. And I was right. :)

Unknown, Unknown + 1 more : Remi, how come you always get to meet the cool people first?

Unknown, Unknown + 1 more : Maybe because I get out of my house more than you do, Wren.

Unknown, Unknown + 1 more : Good point.

Unknown, Unknown + 1 more : Do you forgive me, Maggie?

Maggie’s fingers were moving before she thought about it.

Maggie : Of course.

Unknown, Unknown + 1 more : Good. Because I would’ve felt awful if you were traumatized or something.

Maggie : I’m not traumatized.

Unknown, Unknown + 1 more : Thank goodness. Wanna go to lunch with us?

Maggie stared down at the phone. Were these women for real? In her experience, people weren’t this friendly. Especially with someone they didn’t know.

Something occurred to her then .

Maggie : Did your boyfriend tell you about me? That I’m a felon? That I just got out of jail a few months ago? That I was in for two years for a drug conviction?

Unknown, Unknown + 1 more : Yeah. But Vincent also told me that you said you didn’t do it.

Unknown, Unknown + 1 more : For the record, girl, that sucks.

Unknown, Unknown + 1 more : I wonder if there’s someone we can get a hold of to see about clearing you. Because the whole thing sounds like BS to me.

Maggie’s eyes instantly filled with tears. She literally didn’t know these women, had only met Remi once, and they’d already shown more faith in her than people she’d known for years. When she’d been arrested, all of her so-called friends had disappeared into thin air. Everyone except for Adina.

She quickly added the numbers of the women into her contact list.

Wren, Remi + 1 more : So…lunch?

Maggie: I’d like that, but I don’t have a car at the moment. Ironic, huh?

Wren, Remi + 1 more : No problem! We can pick you up. Bo got a ride to work with Flash today, so I can use his Wrangler.

Maggie : Okay.

Wren, Remi + 1 more : Send me your address later. We’ll be there around noon. Will that work?

Maggie : Yeah. Without a car, I’m not working anyway.

Wren, Remi + 1 more : Okay. See you at noon then!

Wren, Remi + 1 more : This’ll be fun!

Wren, Remi + 1 more : I have one more cartoon to sketch out then I’m done for the day. Can’t wait to see you again, Maggie!

Maggie felt as if she were in an alternate dimension. She couldn’t really afford to go to lunch. Having people interested in being her friend didn’t make her money woes disappear. She had a little bit of the money left that Remi had tipped her, but fixing Adina’s car wouldn’t be cheap. The three women were so welcoming and nice though, it was impossible to say no.

She missed having friends. People to hang out with. To laugh with. To just coexist with. Maggie had no problem being alone, she liked it actually, but she’d spent the last two years while incarcerated locked in her own head. It would be nice to hang out with someone other than herself for the first time in a long while.

Inevitably, her thoughts went back to Shawn. He’d been the one to give the other women her number. What was his angle? He’d said he wasn’t looking for sex, but all men wanted that…didn’t they?

Deciding to turn him down flat if he offered to pay to fix whatever was wrong with Adina’s car made Maggie feel better. She didn’t need a guy to “save” her from her life. A man had put her in the predicament she was in now, and she’d be damned if she repeated her past mistakes.

She’d figure out a way to pay for the car herself. Somehow.

Right at noon, through the window of her apartment, Maggie saw a black Jeep Wrangler pull into the parking lot. She could see three women in the vehicle, so she quickly sent a text to the group, letting them know she was on her way down. She grabbed her purse and locked the door behind her before heading down the stairs.

She’d second-guessed this decision a dozen times since she’d agreed to go to lunch, but she couldn’t back out now. She exited the building and saw Remi standing by the Jeep.

“Hi!” she said happily as Maggie approached.

“Hi,” Maggie returned. Then, to her surprise, Remi stepped forward and hugged her. Unexpected tears sprang to her eyes. How long had it been since she’d been touched with kindness? Since she’d gotten a hug? Years.

“We thought Hob Nob Hill sounded perfect for today. I hope that’s okay?” Remi said when she’d pulled back.

Maggie shrugged. “I don’t eat out a lot. I’m sure it’s fine.”

“It’s more than fine!” the woman behind the wheel of the Jeep said. “I’m Wren, by the way. And it’s amazing. Laid-back comfort food and not a pretentious atmosphere. My favorite is the Iowa Porker. It’s a huge, deep-fried pork tenderloin sandwich. I can never eat it all, but Bo doesn’t mind because he gets the leftovers.”

Maggie couldn’t help but smile at that. She climbed into the backseat next to Remi.

“I’m Josie. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Same,” Maggie said.

The talk on the way to the restaurant was casual, and Maggie was relieved that she didn’t need to participate much in the conversation. The three women seemed to genuinely like each other, and she got the impression that it had been a while since they’d gotten together. She said as much and was surprised when Remi laughed.

“I saw Wren two days ago, when we worked together in the morning, and Josie came over last night and we watched a movie.”

“Oh,” Maggie said. “I just thought…it seemed as if you guys hadn’t talked in a while.”

“This is just how we are around each other,” Josie said with a smile. “On our own, we’re each kind of shy, believe it or not. But when we get together it’s as if we’re different people. Outgoing and talkative.”

Everyone chuckled, and Maggie even joined in. She could understand that. Once upon a time, she was the same way. Reticent around strangers, but she came out of her shell when she was around people she knew and liked. But life had changed her. Now she felt as if she were on the outside looking in. Knowing in her bones that if people knew who she was, what she’d been accused of, where she’d spent the last two years of her life, they’d turn their backs on her. She felt tainted. Even though she hadn’t done what she’d been accused of, the feeling was still there.

Wren pulled up outside the small restaurant in downtown Riverton and said she’d be right in after she parked. They went inside and were immediately seated at a booth. The interior of the restaurant was quirky and casual, which was a relief for Maggie, since she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt.

Wren joined them and, after a small discussion about the choices on the menu, they put in their orders with the waitress. Maggie was a little worried about the prices, as they weren’t exactly cheap, but she decided to hell with it. She deserved this little moment of happiness. She’d worry about where her next meal was coming from later.

“So,” Josie said after the waitress had brought them drinks. “On a scale of one to ten, how overbearing were the guys yesterday?”

Maggie grinned. “They weren’t bad.”

All three of the other women rolled their eyes.

“Right. They can be intimidating when they want to be. I think it’s in their SEAL genes or something.”

“I really am sorry for being a part of their ambush,” Remi said. “I knew Vincent was concerned about the Navy woman he knows, but I didn’t realize he was going to bring Preacher and Smiley with him to confront you about it.”

“It’s okay,” Maggie said.

“It’s not. But I’m relieved that things seemed to work out. How do you know Adina? ”

The conversation flowed easily. Maggie relaxed as the topic of her incarceration didn’t come up. She could pretend that she was a normal woman out for lunch with her girlfriends.

Their lunches were brought out, and Maggie’s eyes widened at the size of the portions.

“It’s no wonder Americans are so overweight, huh?” Wren said with a chuckle.

Maggie had gotten a Reuben sandwich and the fries were literally overflowing off her plate. The Iowa Porker sandwich Remi ordered was the same, except it was the breaded and deep-fried pork tenderloin that was hanging over the bun and plate. The BLT Wren got was so thick, there was no way she was going to be able to get her mouth around it. And Josie’s cobb salad was as big as her head.

At least the problem of what she was going to eat for dinner or lunch tomorrow was solved. She’d have enough leftovers for at least one more meal. Maybe two. And the food was delicious. Probably because all she’d been eating for weeks was ramen and hotdogs, but still.

Between bites, Wren said, “I hear you’ll be back in this area later this afternoon to talk to Julie.”

Maggie looked at her blankly.

“You didn’t know Preacher was bringing you for an interview with her later?” Remi asked.

“I mean, I knew he had talked to someone for me about a job, but I don’t know the details,” Maggie admitted, feeling kind of stupid for not asking more questions.

“Julie is awesome. She’s married to a former SEAL commander. She has this amazing secondhand shop here in downtown Riverton. She helps high schoolers get formal clothes at cost or for free for their dances and stuff, as well as more casual clothes for those who need it. She really helped me when I first arrived in town,” Wren said.

“Me too,” Josie agreed.

Shawn’s comments about clothes made a lot more sense now. But learning who her interview was with and for what kind of job didn’t make Maggie relax. “I don’t know anything about fashion,” she admitted quietly.

But none of the women looked concerned. “Oh, it doesn’t matter,” Remi said with a casual wave of her hand.

“It doesn’t,” Wren insisted, when she saw the skeptical expression on Maggie’s face. “Julie hasn’t always had an easy time of it. She’s the daughter of a former senator and was raised with a silver spoon in her mouth. It wasn’t until she was kidnapped and taken south of the border to be a sex slave that she realized there was more to life than tea parties and crumpets.”

“Crumpets?” Josie asked with a small laugh. “What the hell are those?”

“I have no idea,” Wren admitted.

“I don’t know either, but now I have a great idea for a Pecky cartoon. He makes friends with a crumpet and has no idea what he is,” Remi said.

Everyone laughed, but Maggie was still worried about the interview she had with this Julie person later.

Remi leaned in and put a hand on Maggie’s arm. Again, it felt strange to be touched in a friendly manner, and not grabbed by a guard or a fellow prisoner.

“Julie’s great. And so are all her friends, who I’m sure you’ll meet sooner or later. Caroline and all the others are wives of former SEALs. We’ve all learned so much from them. And knowing they’ve made it, have successful relationships and families with men who did the same thing that our boyfriends do? It’s reassuring.”

“So…Preacher, huh?” Wren asked.

Maggie frowned at the other woman.

“You and Preacher?” she clarified.

She quickly shook her head. “Oh, no. I’ve only met him once.”

“And yet, he arranged to get your car fixed, gave us your number, and he suggested the job with Julie…” Wren said, her voice trailing off suggestively.

But Maggie shook her head again, speaking more firmly this time. “No. It’s not like that. I just met the man yesterday. I don’t know anything about him. That’s not what this is. At all . I’m not looking for a boyfriend. Not that he’s even interested in me that way.” It felt as if she was protesting too much, but the last thing she wanted was these women thinking there could be anything between her and their friend.

Maybe that’s why they’d invited her out today. Because they assumed she and Shawn had something going on?

Disappointment hit her hard. Of course there was a catch to the invitation to lunch.

“Preacher’s different,” Remi mused. “He’s still badass, like all the guys on the team. But he’s…reserved. He doesn’t flirt. Doesn’t go to the bars to pick up women. From what Vincent has told me, he’s never even known him to have a girlfriend. So for him to have taken the lead in helping you out…it means something.”

Maggie wasn’t interested in hearing about Shawn’s love life—or lack thereof. “You don’t understand. As soon as I can, I’m leaving California. I’m not looking for any kind of relationship.”

Wren and Josie both sat back in the booth, looks of surprise and…disappointment…on their faces.

Shit. Maggie hadn’t meant to infer that she didn’t want their friendship, but it appeared that was exactly what she’d done.

“Oh, we get it,” Remi said, gesturing to the other two women. “None of us were interested in a relationship when we met our guys either. I met Vincent when we were stranded miles off the shore of Hawaii. We were left to die in the ocean. The last thing I was thinking about was any kind of relationship with the guy who was stranded with me. And Wren was drugged while on a date, and Safe happened to be there to help her. And Josie…” She paused and reached out to squeeze the other woman’s hand. “She was left to rot in an Iranian prison, where Blink was dragged into the cell next to hers as a POW.

“Trust me, none of us expected, or were looking for, any kind of relationship either. We were all simply trying to survive. But here’s the thing—sometimes the exact thing you need shows up when you least expect it. You might not have known you needed someone at your side, but suddenly he’s there, and suddenly you can’t imagine living one more day without him.”

Maggie swallowed hard. She felt horrible for these women. She’d been feeling so sorry for herself for being in jail, but what Wren, Josie, and Remi had been through sounded like it was so much worse. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“No, don’t be sorry,” Wren told her. “You and Preacher might not turn out to be anything other than friends. But who doesn’t need more friends?”

She was right. Maggie had been so worried about keeping Shawn at arm’s length, she hadn’t considered he could be another potential friend. Look at her right now. She was having lunch with some women she’d never met, yet already genuinely liked. Who was to say she wouldn’t end up feeling the same way about Shawn? She could certainly use some more people on her side.

The fact that he was in the Navy was hard to overlook, but the odds of Shawn and Roman knowing each other were slim…she hoped.

“You’re right,” she said, doing her best to smile reassuringly at the others.

“Of course we are,” Remi said with a grin.

Maggie’s phone vibrated in her purse at her hip, and thinking it might be Shawn—it was unlikely it would be anyone else, since the only other people who had her number besides Adina and her probation officer were sitting at the table around her—she reached into her purse to see who was calling.

It was from an unknown number.

“Do you guys mind if I get this?” Maggie asked. If it was her probation officer, she couldn’t afford to blow off the call. And if it was someone calling for a ride, she’d need to tell them she wasn’t working at the moment.

“Of course not.”

“Go for it.”

“No.”

Clicking on the green button, Maggie brought the phone up to her ear. “Hello?”

“Heard you got out. Congrats. If you say anything about me to anyone, you’ll regret it. If you try to pin what happened on me again, you’ll find out just how much of a peon you are. Keep your mouth shut, bitch.”

Then the line went dead.

Maggie felt sick.

“Are you all right? You’re white as a sheet,” Remi said in concern.

How had Roman gotten her new number? She’d blocked his cell number just in case, the one she’d had from before…and now it was obvious that he’d been keeping tabs on her. Probably waiting for the day she got out just so he could threaten her. How in the world she’d ever thought she loved the guy was a complete mystery. He was nothing but a bully. An asshole with power.

“I’m okay,” Maggie whispered, feeling anything but .

“No, you aren’t,” Remi said, as Josie waved over their waitress.

“I’ll go get the car,” Wren said.

“No, I’m fine,” she insisted. But the three women ignored her fake protests.

And the truth was, she was anything but fine.

With a single phone call, Roman had made it clear she’d never be free of him. At any time, he could do something that would get her thrown right back behind bars. He could plant drugs in her car, her apartment, then call her probation officer. She wouldn’t be safe until she left this state, and him, far behind her.

And maybe not even then.

Before she knew it, Remi had paid for their lunches—ignoring Maggie’s protests that she could pay for her own sandwich—Josie had gotten the waitress to package up their leftovers, and Wren was waiting at the curb when they exited the restaurant.

They were halfway back to her apartment when Maggie’s phone rang again. Dread rose within her, but she pulled it out and looked at the screen.

She blinked when she saw who was calling.

Shawn.

The relief she felt was immense and immediate. “Hello?”

“Are you all right? Remi texted me and said you got a phone call that freaked you out.”

Maggie’s gaze flew to Remi. She looked a little sheepish and shrugged in apology .

“Maggie?” Shawn’s impatient voice sounded in her ear.

“I’m good.”

“You sure? You want to postpone the interview today?”

“About that. I’m not sure I know enough to work in a clothes store. I’m more of a science kind of person.”

“I talked to several of my friends. Caroline’s a chemist, and she was willing to see if she could help you get hired on with her company, but after talking to her, we both thought the best fit would be with Julie. If you really don’t want to consider it, I’ll figure something else out.”

Now Maggie felt bad. “No, that’s okay. I’ll at least talk to her.”

“Good. Now, do you need to postpone it?”

He was being really…nice. “No. It’s fine.”

“Fine. Right. I’ve been told that when a woman says something’s fine, it’s really not.”

To her surprise, Maggie found herself giggling. “That’s probably true, but in this case, I mean it.”

“Okay. I’m going to say this, and it’ll probably sound like bullshit or a line, but I’m being earnest. You can talk to me, Maggie. I know we just met, but if I can do anything to help, you just need to say something. And if you aren’t comfortable talking to me, there are three women in that car with you who have been to hell and back and would understand anything you might be going through.”

Maggie wasn’t sure about that. They had supportive boyfriends who she had a feeling would protect them with everything they had. Look how Remi’s boyfriend had acted when he’d found out Maggie was using Adina’s name and ride-share account. He wasn’t even dating Adina, and he’d done what he could to make sure Maggie wasn’t stealing the other woman blind.

Her situation wasn’t anything like what these women had apparently been through. They didn’t have someone out to get them, and who wouldn’t blink at putting an innocent person behind bars to protect themselves.

“Okay,” she said belatedly.

She heard Shawn sigh, and she felt bad yet again. “I’ll be there around three. Hopefully I’ll have heard about your car by then too. Text if you change your mind about the interview.”

“I will. Shawn?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

She wasn’t sure what she was thanking him for, but she wasn’t surprised when he simply said, “You’re welcome. See you later.”

“Are you mad?” Remi asked as soon as Maggie had hung up. “About me telling him about the call?”

Was she? Surprisingly, Maggie found that she wasn’t. “No.”

“Good. You want to talk about it?”

“Not really.”

“All right. But we’re here if you do. We might be flighty and kind of weird, but we’re good listeners. And we have some badass boyfriends we can sic on someone if you need it.”

Maggie couldn’t help but laugh at that. Roman Robertson was no laughing matter, and yet here she was, doing it all the same. The last thing she’d ever do was put any of the SEALs close to these women in Roman’s crosshairs. She didn’t exactly know what his job was in the Navy, but he’d told Maggie his title when they’d first met, which had meant nothing to her. She’d had to google naval ranks to see where he was in the pecking order. She no longer remembered his title, but she recalled that he was pretty high up there.

“Thanks,” she told Remi.

The rest of the ride home was a little less tense, and Maggie was genuinely sad to say goodbye to the trio. They vowed to keep in touch, and invites for future lunches and movie nights were promised.

When Maggie unlocked her apartment door a couple of minutes after waving the women off, she felt much lighter than she had after Roman’s call. More human. Less like a monster who’d been locked behind bars for so long. She felt as if she was a seed bursting through the soil in the spring after a long hibernation for the winter. That was cheesy as hell, but appropriate.

Her life was complicated. With her lack of funds, the car being in the shop, Roman’s reappearance in her life and his threats, the budding friendship with Remi, Wren, and Josie…and Shawn.

She still wasn’t sure what to think about him. She didn’t know the man, not at all, and yet she’d still allowed him to arrange to have Adina’s car picked up, find her a job, and he’d gone out of his way to give her number to women who he was positive would take her under their wings. It was strange how little concern she had at the moment, considering the amount of control she’d given to a relative stranger.

Maggie supposed she’d have time later today to find out more about him.

It hit her then that she’d be alone in his car with him. He could literally do anything, drive her anywhere. But then again, she’d been alone with him last night too, and every day she accepted a customer on the ride-share program, she was risking her safety.

If it came down to trusting Shawn or a stranger, she had to admit…she’d pick Shawn every time.

It was that thought that truly surprised Maggie. What was it about him that made her want to instinctively throw out her convictions about never trusting another man?

She had no idea. But the idea was frightening.

Sighing, Maggie put her leftovers in the fridge and pulled out the cash from her wallet, counting it, trying to mentally make a list of what she needed to stay afloat for the rest of the month. She was making it…barely. Back in her before life, she’d had a healthy balance in her bank account, was a respected pharmacist, and had very few worries at all.

It was crazy how life could change on a dime. Time would tell if opening herself up to Shawn and the women would come back to bite her. But for the first time in ages…she felt a smidgen of hope.