Page 119 of The One You Want

Chapter Twenty-Eight

1 day after Maggie canceled her wedding...

Day 1 with hope for a life with Joel...

Maggie found Joel standing outside The Surf restaurant waiting for her. Just the sight of him eased her. When he spotted her and smiled with relief, her feet sped up of their own accord and she rushed into his open arms. He hugged her close. She locked her arms around his neck and held on as if he’d disappear if she didn’t.

“Hey, sweetheart, I’ve got you. It’s okay.”

After what she went through with Marc yesterday and everyone telling her everything would be all right, it took Joel saying it for her to really start to believe it.

“If you don’t want to do this today...”

“Don’t let go. Not yet.” She choked back tears and just let herself feel his strength and understanding. She focused on how right it felt to be in his arms and how it seemed like no time had passed since they were together. Like a couple really in love.

It felt like yesterday, like it would tomorrow and the day after that. It felt right.

But would all the pieces come together for them this time?

“I can stand here with you like this all day if you need me to.”

She gave herself another few seconds of bliss before she stepped back.

Joel didn’t completely let her go. He kept his hands at her hips and stared down at her. “We don’t have to talk about it. We can just sit and be quiet, or devour a skillet of queso and chips, or drink. It’s five o’clock somewhere, right?” He always knew how to make her smile. And he remembered that sometimes she needed to do one of those things or all of them when faced with an emotional situation.

“Today calls for a drink and a talk.”

He held his hand out to her. “Let’s do it.”

She took his hand and they walked into the restaurant. The hostess grabbed some menus and led them out to the open deck overlooking the ocean, seating them in a quiet corner, somewhat secluded from the other tables.

“Thank you,” Joel said to the hostess. “Our other two guests will be joining us shortly.”

Maggie lost herself staring at the ocean, hearing the sound of the crashing waves, and feeling the soft breeze. She turned her face to the sun, closed her eyes, and took the first deep breath she’d taken since everything in her life fell apart yesterday. She vaguely heard Joel order margaritas and chips and queso. When she opened her eyes, she found Joel right beside her, staring at her.

“You’re even more beautiful now than when we first met.”

She laughed under her breath. “I barely slept last night and I look it.”

“Believe me, you’re a sight for sore eyes. I thought I’d never see you again. I hoped you’d call, but I wasn’t sure. It’s been hell waiting for you.”

“Then you know how I felt when you ended things and left me drifting.” She reined in her anger, because it wasn’t about him. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair. I’m upset about what happened yesterday and taking it out on you.”

“I understand. You’ve been through a lot. I didn’t make it easy coming back into your life the way I did, wanting you back when you’d promised to marry someone else.”

“I still can’t really believe what happened yesterday. I mean, after your call, I was confused and unsure what to do. We went through the ceremony rehearsal. It didn’t feel right. Not just because of your call, but because Marc and I had been off all week because of the thing with Rose.”

Joel leaned in. “What about Rose?”

Maggie told him everything that happened since last Friday. She couldn’t believe so much had happened in one week.

Joel rubbed his hand across the back of her shoulders. “Damn, sweetheart, I... I really don’t know what to say.”

“It was petty, what he did, trying to break up Rose and Gray, to make me believe my best friend was going behind my back, trying to steal my fiancé.”

“I’d never suspect or believe Rose would do such a thing.I mean, I’m sure it was hard for her to tell you about her and Marc, but she did, so that there were no secrets.”

“Exactly. It makes no sense. And then again, hearing about how Marc acted growing up with Gray, how he’d prank his cousin, mess up dates between him and his girlfriend, just be a dick to him because he was jealous or didn’t want Gray to have something he didn’t... I really never saw that side of him until we were all together.”