Chapter Thirteen
Her luck was finally turning around.
Maggie smiled as her feet pounded the dirt road. It was Wednesday, and she had already accomplished so much this week. She found a new distributor who not only promised to alert her to any and all changes on her orders, but also quoted her a price ten percent cheaper than she had been paying with Pansy’s. She’d also been going through Gran’s recipes and narrowed her choices down to a few scrumptious cupcakes sure to impress the blogger.
Best of all, Colton had called and asked if he could take her to dinner Friday night.
Their friendly dinner-turned-into-a-date had been three days ago, ended by watching another silly horror movie and cuddling on her couch. He’d then given her another toe-curling, body-melting kiss at her door before leaving. He also stopped by the shop Tuesday morning to pick up a cupcake order and steal a few more kisses.
Friday couldn’t come fast enough.
The sun was just rising and the sky bright blue with not a cloud in sight. Even the weather had taken a turn for the better. She could hardly see her breath anymore as she jogged toward Merle’s for her morning cup of coffee.
“Morning, Ellen,” she said cheerfully as she stepped into the warm diner.
“Hey, Maggie. How was your run?”
Ellen pulled a mug down from a high shelf and began filling it.
“Great. I’m glad the snow seems to be over for the season. The days just keep getting warmer.”
Slightly wrinkled cheeks chuckled as the older woman set the steaming mug of coffee in front of her. Maggie sat at the counter, wrapping her hands around the warm cup of liquid heaven.
“Don’t let the good weather fool you. Happens every year. Just when you think it’s safe to put away the hats and gloves, bam! Two feet of snow in June.”
Her mouth dropped open in horror. “No.”
“Yup. Every June. Like clockwork.”
Lifting the mug to her lips, she inhaled the strong brew. Oh well. Things were going so well at the moment not even the impending threat of snow could bring her down. Yup. Life was good.
“Well, look who it is,” a snide, high-pitched voice said from behind her.
Crap, spoke too soon. Taking a fortifying sip from her coffee, Maggie turned in her seat to face a very peeved Natalie Brake.
“Hello, Natalie. How are you?”
“Cut the crap, Evans. Just what do you think you’re doing?”
She glanced at her mug then back up. “Um, having coffee. What does it look like?”
The prissy woman waved an angry hand through the air. “No, I mean just what do you think you’re doing with Colton?”
Uh oh. She knew this was going to get around town sooner rather than later. Peak Town was worse than TMZ when it came to gossip.
“What’s going on between Colton and me is our business. Not yours or anyone else’s.” She glanced around the restaurant. Sure enough, they had everyone’s attention.
“He’s just paying attention to you because you’re new in town. A novelty.”
She snorted. “I’ve been coming to Peak Town since I was eight. Just because I live here permanently now does not make me ‘new in town.’ And Colton and I have known each other for years. I’m not a novelty.”
“No, you’re a pathetic little clinger who always had puppy dog eyes for him. He’s only paying attention to you because he feels bad that your mom and grandmother died, leaving you with no one.”
Behind her, Ellen sucked in a sharp breath. Maggie agreed—that comment had been a little below the belt. Even for Natalie.
“You’re just a charity case. Stop playing the sympathy card and leave Colton alone.” She pointed a long skinny finger in her face.
Maggie rose from her seat. Natalie had threatened her once, but she was no longer that shy fourteen-year-old girl. She was a strong, successful woman who owned her own business. This pathetic woman would not intimidate her now.
“Shove it, Natalie. I’m not playing anything. You’re just pissed because you had a great guy and ruined it by spreading your legs for some drunken frat boy. You treated Colton like crap and lost him. That’s not my fault. It’s yours. So stop making me the bad guy and go look in a mirror.”
The thin, hard face turned bright red. Anger seethed out of every pore. She looked like one of those cartoon characters. All she needed was the steam coming out of her ears. If Maggie weren’t so angry, she might find it funny.
“Oh, and I’d get that finger out of my face unless you want to lose it.”
The perfectly manicured hand lowered at Maggie’s dark tone. Someone at a back table coughed, breaking the tension. The angry woman looked around, only just realizing they had an audience. With Natalie, appearances were everything.
With an obvious dig for some form of composure, she backed up a step. “Yes, well, all I’m saying is don’t get too happy in la la land. Colton Denning is a love ’em and leave ’em type of guy. He’ll get tired of you in a week or two. You’ll see.”
With that, the snobby, silicone-enhanced harpy turned and headed out the door. The entire diner remained silent. Nothing like a morning show to start the day.
“Sorry about that, Ellen.” Maggie turned back to her coffee. It didn’t smell so wonderful anymore.
“You have nothing to be sorry about.” The older woman glared at the door. “That girl has always been a witch with a capital B. What she did to that sweet boy still eats at me. Who would cheat on a boy as nice and handsome as Colton Denning?”
Got her. She had always thought Natalie a world-class idiot. If Maggie had Colton, she would never hurt him.
Wait, I do have Colton.
But, for how long?
One thing the witch with a B had said struck a chord. The man did flirt a lot, and she knew he had a bit of a reputation with the ladies. He didn’t date much in town; he preferred tourists. Because they were temporary? A guaranteed fling? Where did that leave her? How soon before he got bored with her and moved on? She lived in LA for most of her life, but that did not make her some exciting Hollywood starlet. She was as boring as apple pie. How long before the flirtatious cowboy got tired of her?
“I see what you’re doing,” Ellen said, giving her a stern look. “Stop it. Don’t you think a minute on anything that idiot girl said. She’s just trying to rattle you because of her own jealousy. Fool treated the poor man like dirt and still wants to claim him as her own.”
She could understand Natalie’s jealousy. What woman wouldn’t want to claim him?
“You just focus on you and Colton. Don’t let others come creeping in trying to ruin what you two have.”
“It was just one dinner.”
The kind, round face broke out in a smile. “It’s the beginning. Beginnings are always fun. Tricky, but fun. Enjoy it, and to hell with what everyone else tells you. As you said, it’s not their business.” She’d voiced the last part louder. A few heads turned; most started mumbling as if they were focused on their own issues instead of spying on hers.
She downed the rest of her coffee and tossed a couple of bucks on the countertop.
“Thanks. I better go open the shop.”
“Anytime, sweetie,” she called as Maggie left the diner.
Ellen was right. It was nobody’s business. Only two people needed to know what she and Colton were doing. Everyone else could go take a flying leap.
Despite her self-assurance, worry still crept in. Because honestly, one of those two people had no idea what the hell she was doing.
****
A slamming metal sound woke her, like something hit the dumpster outside. A wild animal rooting around in the garbage? Didn’t bears wake up from hibernation about this time?
Oh God, bears!
She did not want to deal with a bear. Maybe it was just a raccoon. A cute, cuddly, rabies-infested raccoon. She’d take a rabies shot over a bear mauling any day.
Maggie tried to open her eyes, but it felt like they were glued shut. So tired.
Everything felt kind of hazy. Was she even awake? Maybe she was dreaming about the raccoon bear. Good, she didn’t feel like waking up anyway. Except…holy smokes, what was that smell? It smelled like the time she was five and hid decorated Easter eggs all over the house then forgot about them for a month. How was she to know they were supposed to be hard-boiled?
Something pricked in the back of her mind. Rotten eggs were bad right? She was a baker. You couldn’t make cupcakes with rotten eggs. She needed to get up. It was important. She had no idea why, she just knew she had to get up.
Struggling, she finally managed to open her eyes. And oh, she felt sick. Like she was going to hurl sick.
Grabbing her cell from the bedside table, Maggie tried to focus on the screen, but her vision was blurry for some reason.
“Call Colton.” Her attempt at a yell was a weak croak into the phone. She prayed the voice app actually worked this time.
“Calling Colton Denning,” the robotic voice responded. When the sound of ringing came over the line, she sent up a silent thanks.
“Hey, sweetheart. I was just thinking about you.”
The deep timber of his voice made her lips tilt in a smile and her head go fuzzy. Wait, that wasn’t why her mind was cloudy. Something was wrong. Something woke her.
“Colton?” she gasped out.
“What’s wrong?” His tone changed from sensual to concerned in an instant.
“I don’t know. I think…a bear outside in my dumpster.”
“A bear?”
The nausea was getting worse, and her head started to spin. “Yeah…something’s wrong. I don’t feel…” She tapered off, unable to form the right words anymore.
“Hang on, sweetheart. I’m coming.”
Maggie heard Colton shout at his brother to call the sheriff.
“Just…a…animal. Probably…raccoon…rabies.”
“Maggie!” he shouted through the phone.
Ouch. That hurt her ears.
“Stay on the line. Dade’s calling the sheriff. Don’t go outside. Stay in your apartment, but open a window.”
A window? Why did he want her to open a window? Couldn’t raccoons climb brick?
“Maggie!” he shouted again, but his voice was drowned out by the sudden alarm blaring from her ceiling.
Now that really hurt her ears.
“Maggie, answer me. What’s going on?”
She tried to respond, but the phone dropped from her hands. Blackness enveloped her as she fell toward her bed.