“Takes all the fun out of—” He stopped, his gaze dropping as if he’d revealed too much. Then all he added was, “Communication.”
“I guess I’d never make it in the military. Too communicative.”
“Magpie,” he said.
That one word wasn’t enough to tell her if he was being thoughtful, wistful or just plain sad. His expression was wiped clean of emotion. What was he thinking? Feeling? Anything? The Jack she’d known had been easy to read—once she’d gotten past his rebellious, bad-boy facade to find the gentle, caring teddy bear underneath. That guy had worn his heart on his sleeve, as much as any teenager could. She’d been able to read him easily. But they hadn’t connected until the last couple of weeks in his senior year, after he’d already signed his recruitment contract.
If he hadn’t gone into the army, what would have happened? she wondered. Would they be together now? Or would some tart have stolen his heart? Her stirring memories of his not-very-well-concealed emotions swung the flood gates of her curiosity all the way open.
“So, tell me what you’ve been up to,” she repeated casually.
“I travel a lot. I’m never in one place very long.”
“Why?”
For the second time he ignored a direct question. But this time he grinned, his first genuine no-holds-barred smile. The effect was enough to knock Maggie on her backside and she couldn’t make herself care that he hadn’t answered her. If there’d been a spot light on his mouth at that precise moment, the resulting brillisant glare off his straight, white teeth would have folks blinking their eyes and reaching for their sunglasses. God help her, she was reaching for her heart and hanging on to it with both hands.
“What?” she asked as he continued to look at her.
“Just the same straight-talking Maggie.”
Not quite the same, she thought.
“So you’re never in one place for long? The military?” she guessed, and his nod con firmed it. “Do you miss your dad?”
“Not much. Not anymore.”
His father had passed away five years ago. A heart attack. She’d heard Jack had come back to help his grand mother handle the details. But Maggie had been out of town, on vacation with her folks in Florida. She hadn’t seen him and had been relieved and sorry in equal parts. She’d chalked it up to destiny.
Suddenly a thought struck her about the “personal business” he’d returned for this time. And she realized that, for a while, a part of her had always expected him to show up. When he hadn’t, she’d let it go. Which was why seeing him tonight had come as such a shock.
“I’m sorry about your grand mother. We missed you at the funeral. More than half the town came. I’m sorry you couldn’t make it.”
Another shadow crossed his face. “Me, too.”
“Why weren’t you there?”
“I was…working.”
The slight hesitation and pain in his voice told her a lot. “Dottie said she didn’t hear from you much. That personal messages don’t get through when you’re involved in a project.”
“Yeah.”
“But she died six months ago. That’s a pretty long time. What kept you?”
He lifted one shoulder. “I missed the funeral. After that, it didn’t matter when I got back.”
“Some job. Dottie also said that it sucked you in like a black hole.”
“Gran had a way with words,” he said sadly.
“She loved you, too. And was very proud of the fact that you serve your country. I was very fond of her.”
Five years ago she’d opened her shop and moved out of her parents’ home into an apartment. Three and a half years later she’d found her very own affordable house right next door to Jack’s grandmother’s. For a year and a half Dottie Riley’s home-baked cookies, pies and zucchini bread—not to mention friend ship and wisdom—had been very precious to Maggie.
The older woman had always gone to great lengths to make sure Maggie had known that Jack wasn’t involved in a relationship. She’d taken a certain sat is faction in that. Maggie had adored her. So had Faith.
Her daughter. And his. Maggie had tried to tell him and would have if he hadn’t disappeared. She’d eventually decided it was best to not say anything. Although she probably should tell him now. But it wasn’t something she could just blurt out. Besides, based on past history, he probably wasn’t planning to stay in Destiny. He would take care of Dottie’s estate, then head out. This time for good since he had no family here.
Correction: no family that he knew about.
Her gaze scanned the rodeo crowd in search of her daughter’s curly black hair. A while ago Faith had been in the stands with Sheriff Grady O’Connor, his twin girls and Jensen Stevens. Looking in the same place where she’d last seen them, Maggie spotted the sheriff, but everyone else was gone.
“Where’d they go?” she muttered, craning her neck.
“Who?” he asked, half turning to see where she was looking.
“The three little girls I’m keeping my eye on,” she said vaguely. “They’ve been flitting around those stands like bees looking for pollen.”
“What do they look like?” he asked.
Maggie wanted to say, “One has your eyes and hair color, combined with my curls.” Fortunately good sense prevailed.
“Two are identical—Grady’s twins. The other one is wearing blue jeans and a neon-pink T-shirt.”
He scanned the bleachers. Maggie had the feeling that his scrutiny was methodical and re lent less, as if he were stalking his prey through a pair of binoculars. She shivered at the thought. There was an alert intensity about him that she didn’t remember. She wondered what had happened to him in the years since she’d last seen him.
“Nothing.”
“Me, either. Darn it. Just a while ago, a man approached them. A stranger.”
“It’s championships,” he said. “There’s bound to be people you don’t recognize.”
“I know. But this guy just gave me a bad feeling. Go ahead and laugh.”
He shook his head. “I’ve learned to never under estimate gut instinct.”
“Okay.”
How had he learned? She was curious but wouldn’t ask any more than she would explain the odd sensations she’d had all night—after catching a glimpse of him. When Taylor Stevens had stopped by her booth, Maggie had shared the fact that she was creeped out. That ever since Mitch Rafferty had returned to Destiny, it was as if the past was catching up with all of them.
She’d teased that he was a cosmic catalyst, and wasn’t so sure that it wasn’t the truth. Just then the sheriff had joined the girls and the stranger had disappeared. Now that she couldn’t see the girls, Maggie’s bad feeling kicked up again, this time into over drive.
At that moment she spotted Taylor’s sister, Jensen, strolling by the booth. “Jen?”
The stunning green-eyed brunette stopped and looked. “Hi, Maggie.” She walked over to the booth. “You look familiar,” she said to Jack.
“Jack Riley,” he said.
“Now I remember.” She slid Maggie a look that said she approved of her taste in men. Then Jensen looked more closely and asked, “What’s wrong, Maggie?”
“I saw you in the stands with the girls a little while ago,