Chapter Twenty-Two
Maggie walked out of the small, brown brick building that served as the police station. In a place as tiny as Peak Town, there wasn’t a lot of crime. The place consisted of one very small interrogation room, two small cells in the back, and five desks strategically placed about the rest of the small, one story office.
As she promised Colton, she’d called the sheriff that morning to tell him about Miles. Ryder asked her to come down to the station after work. She had, and after she told him about their relationship and how it ended, he promised to check up on him.
Stupid really, there was no way her ex was behind the problems she was having. When she told Miles it was over because she’d found out about the other women, and her technically being an “other woman,” too, he really did just shrug and say, “Whatever. I have plenty of women to keep me satisfied. I was getting bored with you anyway.”
That was what hurt the most. Yes, she hated the fact he cheated on her and was angry that he made her a part of his infidelity. She never sought out to be a home wrecker. Thinking about his poor wife made her sick to her stomach even now, a year later. She felt stupid for never realizing who he really was. But all that, she could get over. What she could never forget were those words, “I was getting bored with you.”
It had been yet another example of someone she loved leaving her because she wasn’t enough. Her father never even tried to get to know her, having run out on her mother before Maggie even existed. It was the ominous start to her life of loved ones leaving. What was so wrong with her that no one stayed?
Then her mother, the person she loved most in the world, left her. She fought the cancer for two years, but eventually the fight was too much to bear, and she left Maggie all alone. Gran had gone not long after. Another person she loved, out of her life forever.
She knew her mother and Gran hadn’t chosen to leave her. Everyone died eventually. But still, the women in her life left the earth, and the men just left her. For their booze, easier women, or just because she was boring. She’d just never been enough. Not a great sign of her relationship longevity.
That was why, no matter how wonderful and right it felt to be with Colton, she was keeping her heart out of it. She would have her fun. When he got bored of her and left, she would remember their time with fondness and not a broken heart.
Yeah right. And she had a bridge to sell herself, too.
Maggie made her way down the sidewalk. The station was only a few blocks from the shop, and it was a surprisingly warm spring night. The sun had just started to sink beneath the mountains. Red, purple, and orange hues painted the evening sky. The sunsets were really beautiful out here. Back in LA, you couldn’t even see the sun through the smog most days.
The rushed clacking of multiple heeled shoes behind her disturbed the peaceful evening stroll.
“You’ve got some nerve, Maggie Evans.”
Oh crap. Now what had she done?
Turning, she came face to face with Natalie and her mother, Deloris Brake. The older woman was a smaller, more wrinkled version of her daughter. She sneered at Maggie, the sour expression a carbon copy of the younger Brake. Crabapple didn’t fall too far from the tree it seemed.
“Hello, Natalie. Mrs. Brake. How are you?”
“Don’t you ‘Hello, Natalie’ me! Not after what you did.”
“What are you talking about?” With her, it could be so many things.
“You know very well what I’m talking about.”
The line free face—thanks to Botox—was red with anger, arms crossed over her very expensive red silk shirt, and a foot tapped away aggressively in her three inch, stark white stilettos. Though Maggie thought it was still too cold out, the perfectly put together former cheerleader wore a short black mini skirt that looked like it was made for a twenty-two year old girl, not a thirty-two year old woman.
Deloris was more appropriately dressed for the weather in a pale blue tracksuit with a light yellow windbreaker. Both women had flawlessly done hair, not a strand out of place. Ms. Brake had thin white gloves on, but Natalie’s hands were bare, displaying nails painted the same color as her shirt. Even her jewelry matched her outfit, dangly gold heart earrings with a ruby in the center and a matching necklace.
Maggie couldn’t even remember the last time she wore a piece of jewelry, other than Gran’s ring. She barely ever wore anything besides jeans and T-shirts. Maybe a sweater if it was cold out. Her sneakers were well worn and probably in need of replacement. Once, Lizzy had convinced her to wear heels to a bar. She’d fallen right on her face the second she got out of the cab.
She and Natalie couldn’t be more different.
Her heart plummeted as she remembered Colton had dated this woman. Probably the type of women he dated all the time. Perfectly polished and put together.
Then why the hell is he with me?
Again, the impending end of their relationship reared its ugly head in her mind. That was why she had to keep her heart out of it.
But she was afraid it might be too late for that.
She was suddenly feeling very snarky. “I’m afraid you’ll have to tell me which thing I did this time to piss you off.”
“You watch your language, young lady.” Lips bracketed with age lines no amount of plastic surgery could help curled back.
Oh great, Natalie brought her mommy along to yell at me. Worst tag team ever.
The younger Brake pointed a long, manicured finger at the police station. “You were in there telling the sheriff more lies about me. Admit it!”
A vein on the wrinkle free forehead started to throb. If the woman knew it did that when she was angry she’d Botox it for sure. Maybe Maggie would get lucky and the poison would freeze her face.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Deloris huffed out a sound of disbelief.
Reigning in her temper, Maggie tried to remember the lessons her mother had taught her about respecting her elders.
“Not too bright, are you?”
Respect your elders, respect your elders, respect—
“I can see why that big time LA restaurant fired you.”
The old lady was making it really hard to be polite.
“I wasn’t fired,” she said, teeth clenched, fake smile in place. “I quit so I could take over the shop my grandmother left me.”
A dark, ugly look passed through Deloris Brake’s eyes. Guess that smile had been a little too fake.
“The sheriff came to my store the other day and harassed me. In front of my customers!” The vein grew bigger by the moment. “He practically accused me of sabotaging your store! As if I don’t have better things to do with my time.”
Maggie was sure Sheriff Ryder had simply asked her some questions, but Natalie was a drama queen. A simple question would be like the Spanish inquisition to that woman.
“Stop spreading nasty lies about me! I don’t care about your stupid cupcake store, and I don’t care about you and Colton.”
Yes she did. She could tell by the way the prissy woman’s teeth clenched together on his name.
“I wasn’t at the station to talk about you,” Maggie offered. “I was simply talking to Sheriff Ryder about other people.”
Bright red lips turned up in a smug grin. “I’m not surprised you have a list of people who want to hurt you. You seem to piss people off everywhere you go.”
The Brake women shared a harsh laugh. Not hard to see where the daughter got her spiteful attitude. Maggie would love to give them both a piece of her mind, but she didn’t have the time or energy.
“Yes, I’m a horrible person. I got it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get home.” The cruel women had pissed her off just enough for her to smile sweetly and add, “Colton’s staying at my place, and I’d hate to keep him waiting.”
Deloris mumbled something under her breath. An unpleasant observations of her character, no doubt. Natalie’s face turned bright red. The vein throbbed so hard, Maggie feared it would burst.
The ruffled woman stepped closer, leaning down to get in her face. Maggie held her ground as hateful words hissed out between bleached white teeth.
“Enjoy your time now, but know this. Colton could never be with someone like you for very long. He’s just slumming it for the fun. You’re sloppy, garish, and pathetic. He will get bored with you eventually…and drop you like the dead weight you are.”
Tears burned the back of her eyes, but Maggie refused to let these two awful women see them. Turing on her heel, she didn’t even respond. As she briskly walked back to her apartment, she could hear Natalie and Deloris making crude comments behind her.
But even someone as dimwitted as Natalie could see the eventual end of her relationship. It took everything in Maggie to push back the tears forming in her eyes. She should just save herself the heartache and end it now.
Except, there was still a crazy person out there gunning for her, and until they were caught, Colton would insist on staying for her protection.
So, for now, she would continue the relationship, enjoy him while she had him. When the bastard hurting her shop was found…then…what would happen when the threat was gone?
She didn’t have to ask, she knew—Colton’s reason for being with her would be gone from her life and so would he.