

A Summer Romance

## Book One of the Devereaux Manor Mystery Series

Tracey Smith

copyright 2014 by Tracey Smith

Smashwords Edition

This book is available in print at most online retailers

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without written permission, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

All characters in this book are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons is coincidental.

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## Dedicated to Braley's Beauties

## "We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us." - Joseph Campbell

##

# ~1~

Maggie could feel her anxiety building as she turned onto Devereaux Lane. Why did she ever think this was a good idea? What had she gotten herself into?

It had felt liberating to drive out of Boston. Her spirits had been high as she sped down the highway leaving her shattered life behind. She'd sung along with the radio, tapping her hands on the wheel in rhythm to the music. It had seemed like such a good idea then. But as she left the familiar urban landscape and drove deeper into the unknown, her fears began to overwhelm her.

What kind of person advertises the need for a summer caretaker for a home that is over 1,000 miles away? What kind of person answers that ad? Had Maggie been the only one?

At first she had been very confident that this summer trip was exactly what she needed to regroup and figure out her life. She had seen the flyer tacked to the corkboard in her dorm hall as a life raft in the sea of confusion that she was slowly and steadily drowning in. It had been a beacon of hope in her darkest hour. In a moment of desperation she'd torn the paper from the bulletin board, hugging it to her chest as she raced to her room to answer the ad.

She'd typed the email with trembling fingers, hoping beyond hope that this would give her the reprieve she needed, the answer to her prayers. Then she waited anxiously as the hours ticked by, obsessively checking her email while trying to figure out a plan-B. Going back home wasn't an option, it couldn't be. When the response came it was almost surreal. They had chosen her! She'd been offered the job. She had an "out." At the time that was all that mattered.

It was somewhere around the Virginia mountains that her enthusiasm had started to dwindle and she began to consider the possible ramifications of her actions. She was following directions given to her by a stranger, driving to an unknown location, deep in the South, alone. This was the stuff horror movies were made of.

Reality really began to sink in when she decided to find a place to sleep for the night. She didn't feel like making the full seventeen hour drive in one stint. She figured it would be best to have daylight on her side when she arrived at her mysterious destination. Plus she worried that her old Toyota Corolla might need a break. As she'd crossed into Maryland her odometer had rolled over to 200,000 miles. It was quite the accomplishment for Old Betty, and Maggie figured it was time to start treating her more delicately. She'd recently begun making some unsettling noises.

Deciding to find a place to sleep and actually doing it however, were two entirely different things. She hadn't really thought this through, which was so unlike her. Maggie had always been a planner. She'd had her entire life planned out since the age of twelve, but it looked like the joke was on her.

This trip had not been planned, not at all. It had been spontaneous and impetuous, and as Maggie drove through the small Virginia mining town she began to realize it might have also been one of the stupidest things she'd ever done. Most of the buildings she passed were boarded up. The entire town looked abandoned. She considered driving through and searching for a more promising pit stop but just at that moment her gas light came on, reminding her of one more detail she hadn't planned out for this road trip. She held her breath and gripped the wheel tighter, willing the gas in her tank to last until she found signs of civilization.

To her utter relief, as she crested the top of a hill she saw lights in the distance. The older part of town slowly gave way to a slightly updated version. The buildings were still several decades out of date, but at least they were lit. Maggie pulled into a small gas station and breathed a sigh of relief that she'd made it.

She stepped out of Old Betty and stretched her sore muscles. The night air was cool but thick with the heavy scent of earth and trees. Moths and beetles buzzed around the flickering overhead lights. Maggie glanced through the large window of the gas station and saw the attendant eyeing her warily. She nodded nervously then turned to the old pump. Of course there was no credit card service at the pump, so after filling her tank she was required to enter the small, dingy gas station.

Once inside she scanned the store for some supplies. The options were limited. She bought a bottled water and a candy bar. It would have to do for dinner since she didn't imagine she would find much else. She really needed to use the restroom but saw no obvious signs inside the store and there was no way she'd be walking around back. She could hold it.

"Are there any hotels nearby?" Maggie asked hopefully as she paid for her gas and snacks.

"There's a Motel 6 about a mile that'a way." The attendant gestured with a nod over his shoulder.

Maggie smiled half-heartedly, gathered her small rations, and hurried back to her car. Once inside she looked over at the small potted fern that sat buckled on the passenger seat.

"What have we gotten ourselves into, Fred?" she asked the plant.

She had rescued the fern from a dumpster outside her dorm hall about six months earlier. It was nearly dead and had been left to be taken out with the trash. Something about the sad-looking, spindly brown fern had tugged at her heart strings and she'd scooped it up and carried it back to her room. She researched how to care for ferns, since she'd never had a plant before. Several websites she'd read had mentioned that plants grew better if you talked to them. None had suggested naming the plant per se, but Fred didn't seem to mind.

Nursing the poor little fern back to health had given Maggie something to focus on other than her intensive studying. It became therapeutic for her to talk with Fred at the end of her day, to vent her frustrations as she watered him and dusted his leaves. When she'd packed up for this trip, Fred had been the only necessity that absolutely couldn't be left behind.

The Motel 6 finally appeared a few blocks later. It was dimly lit and just about as inviting as the gas station had been, but Maggie was exhausted and it was apparently her only option.

The room smelled of stale cigarettes and the walls were stained yellow. But the water in the shower was hot and soothed her aching muscles. She sat at the small table by the window and ate her candy bar dinner, pouring the remainder of her bottled water into Fred's pot before climbing onto the bed. She slept on top of the covers.

The next morning Maggie tried to regain the excitement she'd begun this journey with, but it had escaped her. She was relieved to pull away from the small dilapidated town but the implications of what might lay ahead of her were heavy on her mind.

All of those implications swirled in her mind as her impulsive road trip came to its end. Savannah, Georgia had been beautiful and promising, but it was several hours behind her now. She was surrounded by nothing but dense forest and dirt roads. Somehow she'd managed to come upon Devereaux Lane without crossing through any sort of town. Surely this house didn't exist entirely in the middle of nowhere, did it?

Maggie's breathing became shallow and her heart began to race. She eased her foot off the gas and Old Betty slowed to a crawl. She was suddenly, absolutely, and undeniably terrified about what she would find at the end of this dirt road. She broke into a cold sweat and her hands trembled on the wheel. She couldn't breathe. It felt as if a vice was squeezing down on her chest. There was no air in the car. A sharp pain shot through her chest and she hit the brakes, coming to a stop in the middle of the road as she doubled over hugging her ribs. No one else was on the road to be disturbed.

She closed her eyes tight and tried to regulate her breathing. _Please not again!_ she thought. Images from the last time flitted through her mind; a broken pencil in her clenched hand, a sea of faces swimming around her. She tried to push the awful memories from her mind. She concentrated on each breath. In. Out. She imagined Fred sitting next to her pumping good clean oxygen into the car. _You. Are. Breathing._ she reminded herself.

Gradually the pain eased and she was able to open her eyes again. Seeing nothing but open forest was somehow a relief, nothing like the oppressive lecture halls that she'd left behind. She was free. That single thought was enough to pull her out of her downward spiral and gave her the strength she needed to ease her foot back on the gas and finally discover what waited for her at the end of Devereaux Lane.

# ~2~

Maggie couldn't believe her eyes as she turned into the driveway. It felt as if she was driving through a time warp as she crossed through the wrought iron gate. Hundred-year-old oak trees loomed overhead creating a canopy that shaded the drive. Wisteria vines hung from the trees dripping their long, purple flowers down through the dappled sunlight. The light filtering down through the trees was tinted green and gold. The colors were so vibrant they didn't seem real. Maggie could see a bright glow up ahead and knew she was reaching the end of the tree tunnel.

As she emerged from the shaded arch she was momentarily blinded by the bright summer day. As her eyes adjusted she could see the expanse of a large manicured lawn spread out in front of her. The pebbled driveway split in two, creating a round circle drive with a bubbling fountain as its centerpiece. Just beyond that was the grandest Southern plantation home she'd ever seen, complete with soaring columned porches, tall French windows stacked in even rows along both floors, and a broad hipped roof boasting three tall chimney stacks. An elegant rounded portico was flanked on either side by long galleries that ran the length of the first floor.

The sun gleamed off the white house so brightly it almost appeared to be glowing. The dark green wooden shutters framing the windows stood out in stark contrast against the white. The lawn was a vibrant green and the azaleas that framed the broad porch portrayed every color of the rainbow. Maggie's senses were overwhelmed by the brightness of everything; the scene before her just didn't seem real. She felt like Alice falling through the rabbit hole and somehow landing right in the middle of _Gone with the Wind._ She imagined this is how Dorothy felt arriving in Oz.

She pulled Old Betty around to park just at the base of the wide stairs leading up to the grand entrance. She sat a moment in her car staring at this magnificent house and trying to wrap her head around the fact that for the next three months she'd be calling this place home.

Finally she opened the door and stepped out of her car. A wave of heat slammed into her so hard it nearly knocked her back. It felt as if she'd opened an oven door and jumped inside. The hot air was so thick with humidity she wondered if it was possible to drown from simply breathing. Seriously, how did people breathe in the South? A sheen of sweat had already broken out across her forehead and she hadn't even taken a step. She briefly contemplated climbing back into the comforting air conditioning of her car.

Shaking off the absurdity of that idea she fumbled through her purse for the key as she climbed the front steps. Her t-shirt was already clinging to her by the time she'd reached the front door. She located the key that had been mailed to her and tentatively inserted it into the lock. A part of her nearly expected that the key wouldn't fit, that she'd made some sort of mistake and this wasn't the right house.

However, the key turned in the lock effortlessly and the heavy front door swung open. Immediately Maggie felt the cool air beckoning to her from inside and she hurried into the air conditioned foyer, all hesitation forgotten.

Maggie found herself in a large, round room with a high domed ceiling and gleaming wood floors. To each side were sets of French doors with delicate lace curtains that covered their paneled windows. A curved staircase wrapped around the room spiraling up to the second floor. Several wide hallways extended out from the main room like spokes on a wheel. It was going to take her the full three months just to find her way around this place!

In the center of the grand room was a beautifully carved wooden table, shined to a high gloss. An elegant glass vase adorned the table overflowing with fragrant lilies. Resting against the vase was an envelope with her name on it.

Maggie approached the table slowly, afraid that any sudden movement would wake her from this wonderful dream and she would find herself back in that dreadful motel in Virginia. She opened the envelope and found a note inside, along with the $3,000 that was promised to her.

The note outlined a very specific set of instructions. Harvesting of the peach orchards would begin in July and Maggie's main purpose was to be present at the home while the workers were on the property, however, the groundskeeper would actually oversee the harvesting crew. It also explained that the groundskeeper would be maintaining the property around the home and that a housekeeping service would arrive weekly. Maggie was required to be at the home when the landscaping and housekeeping personnel were present. Otherwise she was free to come and go as she pleased.

The letter also explained that the West wing of the second floor contained several guest bedrooms, of which Maggie could have her pick, however, she was expressly forbidden from entering the East wing at any time, for any reason. No explanation was given.

Finally it gave a brief explanation for the owner's absence. Apparently the elusive Ms. Devereaux preferred to spend her summers up North. Now that Maggie had experienced a few minutes of the Georgia summer heat she could clearly understand why. The message ended with the instruction that Maggie was expected to remain on the premises until the last day of August when harvesting would be complete.

Maggie looked around at the magnificent room that she was standing in and then down at the cash that she was holding in her hands. It all seemed too good to be true. For some reason she had been chosen to look over this amazing house, somehow deemed trustworthy by this woman from a thousand miles away. The absurdity of the situation had still not left her. More importantly Maggie couldn't believe she was being paid so well to live in a mansion rent-free just to oversee a maid service and a gardener. She read the note over carefully, looking for the catch, but she found none.

In addition to her instructions Maggie found a small hand drawn map giving her directions from the plantation to the nearest town of Sweetwater. To Maggie's relief it didn't seem too far and if it wasn't for the oppressive heat it might even be considered walking distance. However under these conditions even walking to her car seemed a near impossible feat.

That thought suddenly reminded her of poor Fred still sitting on the passenger seat in Old Betty, probably being baked alive. Maggie hurried back out the front door to rescue her poor little plant from the Georgia heat. Stepping outside felt like stepping into a sauna; however, this time she had been prepared for it so it was slightly more bearable. She scurried down the steps and was relieved to find Fred was still alive and well, if not slightly wilted. She popped the trunk and juggled her few bags with one hand while securely holding Fred with the other. She was grateful that she didn't have much, because making two trips just really wasn't worth it.

Even in her rush to get back inside she was able to once again appreciate the beauty that surrounded her. It really was a shame that this heat would probably keep her indoors most of the summer. At least the view from the windows would be nice.

Once back inside she set her bags at her feet and placed Fred beside the elegant vase on the centerpiece table. He looked so sad and scraggly next to the extravagant lilies, completely out of place, a perfect metaphor for how Maggie felt at the moment.

# ~3~

As Maggie woke the next morning she was momentarily disoriented. It took her a few minutes to remember time and place. She was entirely too comfortable and the smell was all wrong. Instead of the dusty smell of old brick which had permeated her living quarters for the last several years she instead smelled... roses?

All it took was for her to open her eyes to remember that she was not in the small confines of her old dorm room but instead sprawled out in the middle of a four poster feather bed located in one of the most luxurious bedrooms she'd ever stepped foot in.

It had taken Maggie nearly three hours to explore the house, at least the portions she was allowed, and she still was sure that she hadn't seen it all. The main highlight of the first floor was the library. She imagined she could spend her entire summer locked in that grand room and not even put a dent in the volumes of books that it housed. The parlor on the opposite side of the circular foyer was also quite inviting with all its southern charm and antique furniture. Being in that room really gave the illusion of having stepped back in time. For Maggie it was the perfect escape from the modern world from which she'd fled.

The second floor had nine bedrooms in the West wing alone. All of the bedrooms had full bathrooms, walk-in closets, sitting areas, queen size beds and French doors leading to a wrapping balcony that circled the back of the house. Each room was distinguished by a different arrangement of fresh flowers that corresponded with the color palate and décor. Maggie had chosen the rose room.

On both of the nightstands near the bed were small glass vases, each holding a single white rose that matched the pearl-white embroidered bedspread and plush white carpet. In the sitting area was a larger bouquet of pale peach roses that accented the sheer peach curtains that were draped over the French doors leading onto the balcony, and the tiny sprigs of light blue baby's breath in this arrangement were a near identical match to the soft blue settee and Queen Anne chairs.

The large walk-in closet had built-in mahogany shelving and a beautiful mahogany centerpiece table adorned with vibrant blood-red roses. And finally in the large bathroom a small bouquet of stunning yellow roses sat in the window where the morning sunshine flowed through, giving the appearance that the flowers were absorbing the color of the sun.

Again Maggie was overwhelmed with the abundance of color surrounding her. Her world of late had seemed so drab, full of nothing but brick and concrete, dark and dusty. As she allowed the magic of this place to envelop her, it made her past seem a distant memory, a bad dream.

Maggie skipped down the stairs feeling refreshed and alive. She quickly found her way to the large kitchen which she had located the day before. For all the traditional charm of this old plantation home the kitchen was entirely modern and comparatively minimalist.

A wall of windows ran from the high ceilings all the way to the granite countertops which wrapped around nearly the entire circumference of the kitchen, only interrupted occasionally by the stainless steel appliances. An island in the center of the kitchen held an impressive bouquet of large sunflowers throwing a splash of color into this room of glass, steel, and stone.

Maggie crossed to the commercial sized refrigerator only to find that it was entirely empty. A quick scan of the freezer revealed only a bag of gourmet coffee grinds, which in Maggie's estimation was far more important than anything that could have been held in the fridge anyway.

She began happily brewing a pot of coffee then retrieved her fern from the table where she'd left him. She carried Fred back into the kitchen, stopping at the sink to give him some water before unlatching one of the window panels above the sink and pushing it open. The air outside was pleasantly cool, not at all the stifling heat of the previous day. She placed Fred on the ledge to soak up some morning sunlight and then turned back to her coffee.

Maggie poured herself a rich, steaming cup of coffee and headed back upstairs to her room. The cool morning air was so inviting that she decided to enjoy her coffee on the balcony overlooking the grounds.

The view from up there was amazing. Rolling hills extended as far as she could see, covered with rows upon rows of peach trees glistening with dew in the morning light. The sweet smell from the orchards drifted up lazily to the balcony where Maggie sat enjoying the peaceful morning.

She closed her eyes and slowly rocked her chair, listening to the sounds of nature: birds singing, tree frogs chirping. Suddenly a god-awful noise ripped through the air, metallic and guttural and completely out of place in this idyllic setting. The sound continued to grind louder and seemed to be getting closer until it was nearly deafening compared to the peaceful silence that had preceded it. Maggie jumped from the rocking chair and leaned over the edge of the balcony to see what on Earth could be making that horrible sound.

For all the offense the noise was causing, the visual image below completely made up for it. A tall, muscular man stood below Maggie in the backyard, completely unaware that he was being watched as he revved the motor on a large, tractor-sized lawnmower and tinkered with the engine. Maggie realized this must be the groundskeeper. She'd imagined some weathered old man. She was pleasantly surprised as she leaned against the banister sipping her coffee and ogling unobserved.

He wore a white tank top revealing broad shoulders and strong muscular arms, with faded jeans riding low on his narrow hips. A red bandana was tied around his head holding back a mess of blonde waves. His skin was tanned a light golden brown and his muscles glistened with sweat as he worked on the equipment. Maggie tried not to drool.

After several minutes he achieved whatever repairs he was after and mounted the large mower, driving it around the side of the house and out of sight. Maggie sighed disappointedly. She'd been enjoying the show. She set down her coffee and headed back into her room.

She decided that the claw foot bathtub was better saved for late evenings accompanied by glasses of wine, and instead opted for a long, leisurely shower. After her shower, she made her way into the large closet wrapped in a big plush towel. She laughed at how little space her small selection of clothing took up. Coming from Boston she didn't have a very big summer wardrobe. With the heat down here in Georgia she decided she'd definitely need to shed a few layers from her usual outfits.

She slipped on a pair of jeans and a blousy tank top which she'd only previously worn as an undershirt. She brushed out her auburn hair and pulled it up into a messy bun. A quick glance in the full length mirror met her approval and she was off.

Her first order of business was to find her way to the small town of Sweetwater and stock up on some groceries. She ventured back out onto the balcony to retrieve the coffee mug she'd left sitting on the small wrought iron table. She glanced over the banister casually in hopes of getting one last peek at the sexy gardener. Of course he was nowhere in sight. She didn't even hear the mower any longer. Perhaps he was already gone. A glint of sunlight caught her eye and she leaned over the banister. Craning her head around, she could see the wall of windows that enclosed the kitchen. To her horror she also saw poor Fred spilled across the brick patio with some furry creature digging through the scattered soil.

"You killed Fred!" she cried in genuine horror, then rushed out of her room flying down the stairs and racing into the kitchen where she had left her cherished plant. She reached the sink in seconds, flinging herself to the window to look out at the massacre below.

"No!" she screamed as she saw the plant completely uprooted and strewn across the bricks. The furry creature continued to root around in the mess completely undisturbed. Maggie ran for the backdoor, throwing it open and running straight into a hard, unyielding chest.

Strong hands gripped her arms and steadied her. She looked up into startling blue eyes and lost her breath.

"Are you okay?" he asked with a charming southern lilt.

"I..." Maggie couldn't form a coherent thought. She immediately recognized him as the gardener she had been secretly watching earlier. A million things flitted through her mind at once, none of them sticking long enough for her to come up with anything intelligent to say.

"Who's Fred?" he asked as he glanced behind her, clearly concerned and still holding onto her in a protective way as he scanned their surroundings for any sign of danger.

His question reminded her of the problem at hand. She slumped in his arms.

"Fred was my fern," she admitted woefully. "And that thing killed him!" she accused, pointing behind him at the scraggly cat that was now watching them curiously.

He released his hold on her and turned to look in the direction she was pointing.

"Your fern?" he asked slowly, in the way you would speak to someone whose sanity was in question.

"Yes," she confirmed, defeated. She pulled away from him and walked to the mess, dropping to her knees and trying to scrape the scattered soil back toward the mangled plant. The cat looked annoyed that she was claiming his prize.

To her surprise, a few moments later the gardener knelt beside her with a small pot in his hands. He delicately reached out and scooped up the root ball, lifting the remains of the plant and gently placing them into the pot. He continued to scoop up handfuls of soil into the pot as she watched in silent awe. He finally looked up at her, his cerulean blue eyes capturing her full and undivided attention.

"It will be touch and go for a while, but he just might make it." He delivered the line with such grave seriousness that she couldn't help but laugh. He cracked a lopsided grin showing off one adorable dimple. He wiped his hand on his jeans and then extended it toward her.

"Aaron Miles," he introduced himself. She shook his hand briefly, suddenly feeling very awkward.

"Maggie Overton," she replied, shyly looking away, no longer able to hold his gaze. Something about the way he was watching her made her feel completely exposed. He stood and reached down offering her his hand. She took it and allowed him to help her to her feet marveling at how small her hand looked in his. She stood before him self-consciously wiping the dirt from her knees. The mangy cat chose that moment to walk between them and brush against Maggie's leg.

"Shoo," she hissed at the cat, still taking the attack on her plant personally.

Aaron cocked his head to the side and eyed her curiously.

"So you'll cry over a spilled plant, but turn your back on a starvin' cat?" he asked curiously, there was no accusation in his tone only puzzlement.

"He's starving?" Maggie asked, suddenly full of concern. She looked down at the cat, really seeing him for the first time. He was dirty and some of his hair was matted. He did look awfully skinny.

"He's definitely a stray," Aaron confirmed, watching her closely. She continued to watch the cat as it weaved between her legs.

Aaron turned and walked to the backdoor carrying the re-potted plant and entering the kitchen without hesitation. The cat quickly followed after him and Maggie watched the two incredulously as they both walked right into the house as if they owned the place.

She followed after them and saw that Aaron had set the plant on the counter near the kitchen window. He then retrieved a small bowl and filled it with water from the sink. He placed the bowl of water at his feet and the cat happily began to lap it up. Then he looked at Maggie, holding her gaze for a brief moment and stealing her breath once again.

"Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Ma'am," he said with pure southern hospitality as he tipped his head and began to make his exit.

"Wait! Aren't you going to take the cat?" Maggie asked desperately.

"Nah, looks like he's making himself quite at home." Aaron nodded in the direction of the cat and Maggie looked to see that he had curled up on the kitchen floor and fallen fast asleep.

"But I don't know how to take care of a cat," Maggie admitted. She'd never had a pet. Perhaps that was why she'd developed the admittedly odd habit of naming inanimate objects.

"They pretty much take care of themselves," Aaron assured her. "Just give him food and water," he instructed as he opened the back door to leave. Maggie scrambled to think of something else to say, something clever and charming.

"Alright..." was all she came up with. Aaron smiled and nodded his goodbye, then he was gone. She looked down at the mangy creature sleeping on the kitchen floor and wondered if you could give a cat a bath.

# ~4~

As Maggie pushed the shopping cart up and down the aisles of the small grocery store she could feel people's eyes on her. She was an outsider in a small town and she definitely felt the part. She self-consciously rubbed her arms, which were now covered in cat scratches. Apparently, cats in fact did _not_ like baths. Her arms were visual proof of that. She'd considered putting on a long sleeve shirt to cover the evidence but one step outside into the Georgia heat was enough to make her willing to risk a few extra stares at her bared and battered arms.

She pushed her well stocked cart to the register and smiled hesitantly at the girl behind the counter.

"Welcome to Sweetwater." The cashier smiled genuinely as she began scanning the items from Maggie's basket.

"Do I stick out that much?" Maggie laughed nervously.

"When you grow up here you learn the faces." The girl shrugged. "I'm Andi," she added with another kind smile.

"Maggie," she introduced herself and returned the friendly smile.

"You're stayin' at the Devereaux place for the summer, right?" Andi asked casually.

"How'd you know?" Maggie found it odd that anybody would know where she was staying.

"I'd heard Ms. Devereaux had brought in another stray," Andi said offhandedly and then quickly realized her words may have been offensive. "Oh... I didn't mean..." she faltered.

"No, that's alright. I guess that kind of is what I am." Maggie shrugged, smiling at her reassuringly. She thought of the stray cat that had intruded on her morning, and her heart softened to him a little.

"Well, we're glad to have you!" Andi said a little too enthusiastically, obviously still trying to make up for any slight. "So'd you run into a mountain lion or something?" she quickly changed the subject gesturing to Maggie's scratched up arms, reminding Maggie of why she was still mad at that stupid cat.

"Let me give you some advice," Maggie instructed her seriously. "Never try to give a cat a bath."

Andi began laughing loudly and Maggie couldn't help but laugh with her. An old woman in line behind Maggie cleared her throat impatiently.

"Did you find everything you were looking for?" Andi asked, slipping back into her role of cashier.

"Actually, I was hoping to pick up a bottle of wine but didn't see any." Maggie thought of the claw foot bathtub waiting for her back at Devereaux Manor. She missed the place already. Sweetwater felt too much like the real world. She wasn't ready for the real world.

"You can't buy any here," Andi replied, sounding rather disappointed herself.

"Is there a liquor store then?" Maggie asked. She heard the woman behind her scoff at her question. She glanced over her shoulder to see a conservatively dressed elderly woman standing behind her in line. Despite the summer heat she wore a high collared long sleeve blouse and long denim skirt. Her thin gray hair was pulled tightly into a severe bun on the top of her head. She openly sized Maggie up, lingering on her tattered arms, and then turned away with a look of disgust. Maggie looked back over to Andi who rolled her eyes.

"We don't have any liquor stores," Andi explained apologetically. "This is a dry county."

"A what?"

"A dry county. No liquor is sold here."

"In the entire county?!"

Andi nodded as she scanned and bagged the last of Maggie's items.

"I didn't realize prohibition was still in effect," Maggie muttered as she paid for her groceries. Andi giggled. The woman behind her huffed again loudly and shifted around seeming agitated.

"And how are you today, Mrs. Bouchard?" Andi asked loudly, forcing the woman to acknowledge them.

"Well, the Lord saw fit to give me another day on this earth," the old woman remarked dryly. Maggie wasn't entirely sure if Mrs. Bouchard was necessarily happy about that fact.

"And all of our days are brighter for it," Andi replied cheerfully. Her sunny smile only seemed to irritate the woman more. It was Maggie's turn to stifle a giggle.

"It was nice to meet you, Andi." Maggie smiled sincerely as she pushed her loaded cart away from the register. "Mrs. Bouchard." She nodded in the old woman's direction, the smile gone from her face in a perfect impression of her mother's cold refined stare. She saw the woman's eyes widen in surprise just before she turned to leave the store.

As she made the short drive back to Devereaux Manor the air conditioning went out in her car. She should've known better than to push Old Betty so hard. This heat was just too much for her. She rolled the windows down but wasn't really sure if the heat outside was improved at all by the wind created when driving through it.

Just as she turned into the driveway Old Betty began to sputter and lurch. The check engine lights began to flash on the dashboard.

"Oh no! Please no!" Maggie begged as her old car began making a horrible high pitched noise. She tried to drive as gently as possible as the car wheezed its way down the driveway. Just as she rounded the fountain near the front steps the car died with one last sputtering cough. She'd known this day was coming. Maggie leaned her head against the steering wheel in defeat.

She could feel the panic trying to creep its way in, the anxiety and the questions bubbling just below the surface, but she refused to let them take hold. She gripped the steering wheel tighter and clamped her eyes shut. She would not panic. She could handle this.

The car could be fixed. She had a roof over her head, a rather magnificent one, and a trunk full of groceries. She wasn't stranded. She had no where she needed to go. That final thought is what did it. She raised her head and smiled to herself. She had no where she needed to go. How wonderfully liberating. No deadlines to meet, no classes to make, no papers due, no tests to study for. The only real pressing issue was the ice cream that was currently melting in her trunk, and that she could handle.

~∞~

Several hours later the microwave dinged and Maggie pulled out a hot potato with an oven mitt. As she dressed it with cheese, salt, and butter, her new cat strolled lazily into the kitchen. He really did look much better after his bath. Unfortunately Maggie couldn't say the same for herself. Brazenly the cat jumped onto the kitchen counter.

"Don't push it," Maggie warned, pointing her fork at the creature. With a haughty meow he jumped back to the floor. Maggie retrieved a can of cat food that she'd purchased earlier and spilled the contents onto a small saucer placing it on the floor for the cat.

"There you go, Killer." Maggie said as she offered the food to the cat. He rubbed against her leg purring in appreciation. She leaned down to scratch his head. Then she gathered up her small dinner and headed for the dining room.

It had felt strange cooking a simple baked potato in such a well-equipped kitchen, but spending six years living in university dorms only really prepared her to cook with a microwave.

She felt even more awkward eating her simple meal alone in the opulent dining room. Years of conditioning made her uncomfortable in such a formal room without the proper attire. Over the last several years she'd become accustomed to solitude, but there was a big difference between sitting alone in a small dorm room eating a microwaved baked potato and eating one in a dining room fit for hosting elegant dinner parties. The chandelier overhead seemed to be mocking her meager setting. She ate quickly then headed to the library.

Now this was one room she felt at home in. It had been so long since she'd been able to read for pleasure. She circled the room scanning the wall to wall bookshelves and finally picked a random point to start. Just as she was selecting a book to settle down with for the night she heard the front doorbell. She jumped at the sound. She wasn't expecting anyone and wasn't sure if she should answer. After a moments debate she headed cautiously to the front door. She opened it a crack to peek outside.

"I hope I'm not intruding." Andi smiled at her through the crack in the door. Maggie relaxed and let the door sway open to rest against her shoulder. "I brought wine!" Andi declared holding up the bottle. Maggie smiled and opened the door wide as she invited her in.

"Wow, this place is amazing!" Andi exclaimed as she examined the unique circular foyer.

"You've never been in here before?" Maggie asked as she opened the set of French doors that led to the parlor.

"Nope. Got close once, but I chickened out," Andi explained distractedly as she looked around the sitting room, wandering over to the love seat near the unused fireplace.

"What do you mean 'got close'?" Maggie asked, joining her at the couch with the two wine glasses that she'd retrieved from a china cabinet.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Andi shook off her bewilderment. "It's just so weird to be in here." she explained cryptically, as she sat on the sofa and poured the wine.

"You see, growing up in Sweetwater no one ever saw old Ms. Devereaux. Oh, we'd all heard of her and knew of the house of course, but no one I knew had ever actually seen the old woman.

"Some believe she died years ago but had paid her staff well enough to stay on for decades and just pretend that the mistress still ran the house. We all see the staff comin' and goin', the house and yard always kept picture perfect. But we never see the woman, and no one, at least no one I know, has ever been in the house," she said with another awed glance around the room.

"No one?" Maggie practically whispered. What would cause an old recluse to reach out halfway across the country and invite a stranger into her home when she didn't even reach out to people in her own community?

"Nope. So I guess this place was kinda like a haunted house to us kids growin' up. A very well kept haunted house," Andi laughed. "Anyway, I went off to Savannah State University a couple years back. I only came home this summer to help my daddy at his store. When I got back to town all anyone was talkin' bout was the strangers that were coming to stay at the old Devereaux place."

"You mean she's never had anyone else come to care for the property before now?" Maggie asked. This entire scenario was getting stranger by the minute.

"Never," Andi confirmed "Like I said, we never even saw the woman. Truth is I was starting to believe that she really was dead and gone. There were stories that maybe she didn't want the house sold off after she died so she just made arrangements to keep it lookin' like she still lived here. You know, that way no one else would get the house. But obviously she's still around. I mean, she invited you here." Andi left the statement hanging in the air and looked at Maggie expectantly.

"I've never met her," Maggie admitted when the silence drew on and she realized Andi was waiting for her to share what she knew about the mysterious Ms. Devereaux. Andi looked a little disappointed as if she'd hoped to learn some great secret.

"Oh well, here's to another mystery left unsolved." She smiled as she raised her glass in toast.

Maggie tried to calm her nerves as she raised her glass to clink against Andi's, but she couldn't seem to shake the feeling that perhaps she hadn't just answered a random ad, but instead that she'd been intentionally brought here. But why? How? It seemed too ridiculous to be possible.

The wine had a strong earthy flavor that reminded her of olives. Maggie didn't recognize it. She glanced at the bottle but saw no label.

"Muscadine," Andi said, noting her gaze. "Homemade." She winked.

Maggie took another sip. It was very good.

"I like it. I've never had muscadine wine before," Maggie admitted.

"It's a Southern specialty," Andi boasted proudly. "So tell me, if you don't actually know Ms. Devereaux, how on earth did you end up in Georgia?" she asked as she topped off Maggie's glass.

# ~5~

Aside from the bizarre events that brought Maggie to Sweetwater, her first week at the plantation was rather uneventful and she quickly fell into a comfortable routine in her temporary new home; coffee on the veranda in the morning, tea in the library in the afternoon. The mornings were cool enough to take short walks around the property, but the afternoon heat usually kept her indoors. Maggie decided to enjoy her time here, rather than spend it chasing after answers she may never find. Even if she didn't understand Ms. Devereaux's motives, she knew her own motives. She needed the reprieve and that's exactly what she'd found.

Andi became a regular visitor, stopping by most nights after work. When she realized how poor Maggie's cooking skills were she made it her personal mission to teach her how to prepare a proper meal. She would always show up with an arm full of groceries and as Andi would show Maggie how to prepare some new dish she would bring her up to date on all the local gossip. Her social chatter reminded Maggie of her mother in some ways. Maggie felt like she already knew everybody in the town, just from Andi's stories, although one name had been notably absent from all of her tales: Aaron Miles. Maggie tried to pretend she wasn't listening for it.

The cleaning crew came on Thursday. Maggie tried to be as unobtrusive as possible as the women buzzed around the house vacuuming, dusting, and polishing the furniture. To Maggie's surprise she noticed that the cleaning crew also steered clear of the East wing. Apparently no one was allowed down those dark deserted halls.

The house cleaning staff was well-instructed and efficient, working around Maggie as if she wasn't there. Growing up they'd had a housekeeper, but to Maggie she'd always seemed like part of the family. As a child, Mrs. Burton would let Maggie help with the chores as long as she promised not to tell her mother.

It was strange to simply sit around while these women worked. Maggie felt as if she should offer some sort of help but knew it was not proper etiquette. Instead she retreated into the library and withdrew into the world of a well-crafted novel. The library was quickly becoming her favorite room in the house.

Monday brought an unwelcome call from Sam, the local mechanic who had towed Old Betty to his shop last week. From what Maggie gathered out of the conversation she needed some new belts, some sort of pump, and something for the transmission. None of that really made any sense to her, but what she did clearly understand was the grand total of $2000.

That was nearly all of the money that she was being paid for the summer, there was no way she could spend that much.

Sam had offered her two options, she could pay to fix the car or he would purchase it from her for scrap parts. He offered her $500, which she thought was fair considering the car didn't run. It was a heart wrenching decision, but one she knew she needed to make.

Old Betty had been the first thing Maggie had ever bought with her own money. She'd secretly worked at a bookstore her senior year of high school to save up the money. Her mother had believed that she was on the prom committee. It was an acceptable cover, an extracurricular activity that her mother could approve of that also offered enough after school time requirements to hold down the part time job. Luckily for Maggie her mother believed that it would take the entire school year to plan the dance, so Maggie was able to use those after school hours to work at her favorite little bookstore in town. It was also to Maggie's advantage that neither her mother, nor anyone from her mother's social circle, would ever have enough interest to step into the shop where she worked.

She'd secretly stowed away her small earnings until she had enough to purchase Old Betty. She'd planned it perfectly so that she could buy the car immediately after graduation, the same week that she would be informing her mother that she would be leaving for college rather than attending a Finishing School in Switzerland. Maggie knew her mother's intentions were good, to groom her for a life of wealth and privilege. It was the only way her mother knew. It didn't matter that it wasn't the life that Maggie wanted.

Her mother had been offended by Maggie's interest in science and discouraged it at every turn. In her opinion a woman should not aspire to be a doctor, she should aspire to marry one, but only a very wealthy and well-renowned doctor of course. Maggie quietly disagreed.

She eventually learned to stop trying to talk to her mother about her true passions and instead participated in the superficial socialite chatter that she preferred. She attended cotillions and debutant balls. She paraded around in the beautiful dresses that her mother bought for her and took lessons in proper etiquette for high society. She jumped through every hoop her mother put in front of her and did it with quiet grace. But she never gave up on her dreams, secretly applying to universities in Boston and planning the future she really wanted.

Perhaps that was where she'd gone wrong. Maybe if she'd stood up to her mother from the beginning and insisted that she understand what she really wanted, then she might not have been so shocked by the revelation that Maggie had been accepted into Harvard University's pre-med program. For most parents learning that your child would be attending Harvard would have been a moment of great pride. For Corrine Overton it was a slap in the face. Every plan she'd ever had for her daughter had shattered in that moment and she had been irate.

It was the first time Maggie had ever seen her mother lose her composure. Maggie had taken the berating with silent grace as her father sat helplessly to the side rubbing his temples. He'd never really participated much in his daughter's life and now would not be the time for him to step in. Maggie allowed her mother to speak her piece, and then quietly and efficiently had packed her few belongings into Old Betty and drove away. It had been over six years since she'd last spoken to her mother.

Letting go of Old Betty was both painful and liberating. That car had carried Maggie from her childhood home to Boston, where she'd once believed all her dreams would come true. That same car had also carried her away from Boston when those dreams had been shattered. Maggie's instinct was to hold onto the car no matter the cost, to hold onto the security that it represented.

So for that reason Maggie let the car go. She decided it was time to step out of her comfort zone. Coming to Georgia had definitely been completely out of her comfort zone and so far Maggie felt like it was one of the best choices she'd ever made. She had already begun to feel like a different person, which was exactly what she needed.

Old Betty was the last remnant of her old life and she was ready to say goodbye. For the first time Maggie had no plan for the future. It was absolutely terrifying, so she refused to let herself dwell on it. Instead she was going to live completely in the moment. One day at a time.

When Tuesday arrived Maggie realized just how much she'd been anticipating this day. She tried to deny that it had anything to do with the Aaron Miles, but even she couldn't deny the extra skip in her step as she took her morning coffee to the balcony. It had been exactly one week since she first saw him, surely he was due back today.

She'd woken early and had already showered and dressed for the day. Her long white dress ruffled in the morning breeze as she looked out over the peach orchards. She tried to pretend that she hadn't dressed up for any particular reason today, but as she sipped her morning coffee her ears were tuned in for any sound: a car door, a lawn mower. She was waiting for him and she knew it.

When the sound of a lawn mower rang through the air her heart skipped a beat. She jumped up from the rocker and leaned over the banister. She told herself it was the boredom and the solitude that had her acting like a lovesick teenager. Not that she really knew how a lovesick teenager acted. She'd never been one of those girls. She'd always had her nose buried in a book.

She reasoned with herself that it was pure curiosity causing her to seek him out this way. He couldn't possibly be as handsome as she remembered from that first brief encounter. She just needed to get another look.

And then he was below her, navigating the large mower in even rows across the backyard. The sun glinted off his blonde hair. She could see the muscles in his arms working as he maneuvered the levers. She leaned her elbows on the banister, crossed her ankles behind her, and just watched. There was something very exciting about watching him this way. She felt very brazen and little wicked. In short, she felt nothing like her boring old self which was completely exhilarating.

Once he was gone from her view she made her way downstairs to the kitchen. As she'd indulged her voyeuristic inclinations on the balcony she'd hatched a plan. She needed to see him face to face again. She remembered the way he'd made her feel last week. It was the first time she'd ever been rendered speechless by a man. She told herself again that it was scientific curiosity that pushed her forward. She needed to understand what it was about him that turned her brain to mush. She'd been surrounded by men at Harvard but none had affected her this way. Perhaps that's why she felt so drawn to him. He was definitely outside her comfort zone.

However as she stepped onto the front porch her bravery vanished and all of her old familiar insecurities came crashing back. She would have turned around and headed straight back into the house if he hadn't been right in front of her pruning the azalea bushes.

"Good morning, Ma'am." He smiled up at her, casually flashing his charming dimples. Her knees felt a little weak. It must be the dimples.

"Please call me Maggie." She was impressed with the strength of her voice. Her insides were quivering.

"Maggie." The sensuous way her name rolled off his tongue made her heart beat a little faster. Maybe it was the southern accent.

"Would you like some lemonade? It's awfully hot out here." She remembered her plan and was grateful that she'd come up with something to say. She may have been turning to mush on the inside, but she felt like she was holding it together on the outside pretty well.

"Sure." He smiled up at her again. "I've actually got something for you. I'll be right back." He turned and jogged to his truck that was parked in the driveway. She admired the view from behind.

She stood perfectly poised on the front porch as he retrieved a small paper bag from his truck and returned to the house. He climbed the steps and stopped in front of her, lifting his sunglasses from his eyes and resting them on top of his head. His sparkling blue eyes looked straight into hers and stirred something deep inside her. She had to turn away and walk into the house before she whimpered out loud. Without question, it was his eyes. That was definitely what made her forget her own name.

"How's our patient doing?" he asked as they entered the kitchen.

"What?"

"Fred," he said, gesturing to her plant near the window. She felt absolutely mortified that he not only knew that she'd named her plant, but actually remembered the name. Perhaps he was just humoring her the way kind people do when they meet someone crazy.

"Oh... um... he seems alright," she stuttered as she handed him a glass of lemonade. Why couldn't she form an intelligent sentence around this man?

"I brought this for him," he said, holding up the paper sack. Speechlessly she accepted the bag and looked inside. It held a small brown plastic bottle.

"It's rooting hormone," he explained. "It should help with re-establishing a new root system. Works well for re-potting." He leaned against the counter casually as he sipped his lemonade. He seemed completely at ease.

Maggie was so touched that he'd thought to bring this for her. She didn't know what to say. Just then the cat came wandering into the kitchen and jumped onto the counter. He immediately crossed to the potted plant and circled around it once before laying at its base.

"They seem to have made up." Aaron smiled, nodding toward the cat curled around the pot.

"Yeah, Killer's made himself right at home," Maggie muttered irritably. She couldn't seem to keep him off the kitchen counter.

"Killer?" Aaron laughed. "Oh, come on, I don't think he quite deserves that name. I mean, Fred did survive after all," he teased her playfully. Maggie still couldn't believe how easily he'd accepted her silly little name for her plant.

"I guess you're right," she said, watching the peacefully sleeping cat. "He doesn't really look like a Killer." She hated to admit it, but the cat was growing on her. He'd taken to sleeping curled up at her feet when she read in the library and often accompanied her on walks around the property in the mornings. His company was kind of nice.

"So what should we name him?" he asked.

"Maybe Barney?" she suggested. Aaron laughed loudly. It was such a genuine carefree laugh that Maggie found herself smiling with him instead of self-consciously analyzing what she'd said the way she normally would.

"Fred and Barney? Really?" Aaron laughed.

"I think he looks like a Barney," Maggie defended. She couldn't seem to stop smiling.

"That he does," Aaron agreed. "Barney it is."

Maggie smiled as she sipped her lemonade. She wasn't really sure if he was flirting or just being nice, but she liked the way he teased her. She liked that there wasn't a need for formal etiquette between them. They were just being themselves. Two people sipping lemonade and naming a cat.

"I take it you're a fan of The Flintstones?" Aaron surprised her with his insightfulness.

"It was the only cartoon I ever watched as a child." Maggie surprised herself even more with her admission.

"The only one?"

Maggie nodded. "My mother didn't approve of my watching television," she explained. "But our housekeeper, Mrs. Burton, drove me to school each morning, and when Mother would leave for one of her club meetings Mrs. Burton would allow me to watch The Flintstones on the small TV in her room before we left for school."

"So where's Wilma?" Aaron accepted her story without judgment or question as his blue eyes danced with mischievous laughter. Maggie rolled her eyes and laughed.

"There's no Wilma," she insisted, smiling. There was no way she would ever admit that she'd named her car Betty!

# ~6~

"Chicken and dumplins. If you're going to live in the south it's kinda required that you know how to make this," Andi informed her. "Goes great with Strawberry wine." She smiled and nodded to the bag she'd left on the counter.

"Where do you find this stuff?" Maggie asked as she retrieved the bottle of wine and stuck it in the fridge to chill. "Or is that top secret since this is a dry county?" she teased. She still couldn't believe something like a dry county still existed in this day and age.

"My brother makes it," Andi laughed. "And don't worry, he lives a county over so we're not technically breakin' any laws. He's actually planning on opening his own winery someday," she said proudly.

"Really? If he ever needs a taste tester you know where to find me," Maggie offered playfully. Andi paused for a moment and studied Maggie as if she was considering something, but whatever it was she didn't share it.

"So Lacey Buchannan came into the store today." She quickly changed the subject, falling into her usual habit of updating Maggie on all the local gossip. "I swear she looks like she's about to bust! She's gonna have that baby any day now," Andi predicted.

"It was so adorable watching her waddle through the store with her little ones walking behind her in a perfect row, looked just like a mama duck," she laughed. "If someone had told me in high school that Lacey would be on her fourth baby by now I'd've never believed it. But I guess when you have a husband that looks like hers you just can't help it. Those blue eyes." Andi held her hand to her forehead and pretended to swoon. Maggie couldn't help but laugh at her friend's dramatics, but the reference to blue eyes immediately brought Aaron to mind.

In truth, in the few days since she'd last seen Aaron he hadn't really left her mind. She kept analyzing their conversation in the kitchen. Had he been flirting or was he just being polite? He'd made her laugh and feel completely at ease, aside from those few times when their eyes had met and butterflies had erupted inside her. Had he felt that connection too or was it just her?

Obviously she found him gorgeous, but what did he think of her? She just couldn't tell. She'd really enjoyed their conversation and he seemed to be enjoying her company as well, but once he'd finished his lemonade he'd politely excused himself, wished her a good day, and left without any indication that he wanted to see her again.

"Travis was the biggest flirt in high school," Andi continued and Maggie snapped back to the present. "But he seems totally devoted to Lacey now. They really are a cute couple."

"What was Aaron like in high school?" Maggie blurted out the question before she'd even realized she was going to ask it.

"Who?" Andi stopped short as she was serving up their dinner.

"Aaron Miles?" Maggie asked timidly.

"He's not from here," Andi replied as she placed the dinner plates on the kitchen island.

The girls had located some bar stools in a game room which they had moved to the kitchen. They preferred to eat there rather than in the formal dining room.

"Where's he from?" Maggie asked as she grabbed the bottle of wine and joined Andi at the bar. Barney promptly curled at her feet beneath the barstool.

"Look, sweetie, I know he's gorgeous. Trust me, I've seen him. But I think you should stay away from him."

"Why?" Maggie's heart fell at Andi's words.

"I don't know much about him," Andi admitted. "He got here just before you did, but he keeps to himself. No one really knows much about him, but I've heard..." Andi trailed off as if she was contemplating whether or not to say what she knew which wasn't like her at all. Maggie could feel her anxiety building.

"What?" She prodded.

"He's an ex-con." Andi sounded apologetic.

Maggie's mind immediately rejected the possibility. Not her Aaron. Andi must be mistaken. But then again he wasn't "her Aaron," was he? She barely knew him. Could it be possible?

"What did he do?" Maggie found herself whispering.

"I don't know," Andi admitted. "My uncle is the Sheriff. He overheard me talking about how cute I thought Aaron was the first time I'd seen him at the store. And he told me that he wasn't supposed to tell anyone because the records were sealed, but that he'd definitely been in some serious trouble in the past and he wanted me to stay away from him. He said he was dangerous. That's all he could tell me." Andi shrugged sadly.

Maggie couldn't believe what she was hearing. She didn't want to. She couldn't reconcile this man Andi was describing, a loner with a sordid past, with the man she'd met. Aaron was sweet and funny, he was polite and charming. There was no way he could be an ex-con. This had to be a mistake.

~∞~

The next morning Maggie woke to an awful revelation. She was out of coffee. This day was not off to a good start. She had a horrible headache, probably a result of the bottle of wine she and Andi had polished off the night before. Plus she hadn't slept well. She couldn't stop thinking about Aaron.

In truth, she didn't know him. Perhaps Andi was right. Maybe it was best to stay away from him. That thought coupled with the lack of coffee left her feeling very defeated. She considered going upstairs and crawling back into bed. To make matters worse, without a car driving to town wasn't an option. Why had she sold her car? She really hadn't thought that through.

Barney sat at the backdoor crying to be let out. Even he seemed in a bad mood this morning. With shoulders slumped she crossed the kitchen to the backdoor and opened it to let the cat out. She was greeted with a surprisingly cool morning. The sky was overcast and a brisk breeze was blowing. It wasn't hot at all. Maggie considered the walk to Sweetwater. It wasn't really very far and with this weather it might be kind of nice. There was coffee in Sweetwater.

With a renewed spirit and a plan she headed outside to the garage in search of a basket or something that she could carry with her to bring back a few groceries from town. To her delight she found an old bicycle with a basket on the front. This day was steadily improving.

Maggie hadn't rode a bike since she was a kid, but by the time she'd reached the end of the driveway and was turning onto the dirt road that led to Sweetwater she had the hang of it again.

It didn't take her long to reach town, and as she rode her bike through Sweetwater she took a minute to really appreciate the quaint little town. The historic downtown buildings were bustling with people coming and going and waving as they went. The columned city hall boasted a large town clock that towered over the main square where a farmer's market was set up. Nearly every corner held a steepled church and the large central park was filled with beautiful magnolia trees.

Maggie was drawn to a small cafe by the rich smells of coffee and cinnamon rolls. She sat outside on the patio and enjoyed her breakfast and a very large coffee as she watched the small town of Sweetwater. The town was bustling with energy, but the people were smiling. They were waving and taking the time to stop and greet each other on the street. The stress and anxiety of her life before had been left behind. This was exactly what she needed and she was once again glad that she came. She began to consider the idea of staying in Georgia permanently. Maybe she could get a job at one of the downtown shops, find a small place to rent. It was a far cry from the life she'd once planned, but the idea was very inviting.

After breakfast she decided to walk around town and explore some of the shops. The weather was still pleasantly cool, the sky shrouded with a heavy cloud layer. She walked downtown and meandered through a few antique stores, mentally shopping for items she might stock a home with if she were to move to this town permanently.

She bought a few summer dresses at a cute little boutique and some aromatherapy bubble bath at another shop. She also stocked up on several bags of gourmet coffee. She found herself nodding to passersby who smiled at her as she walked through the streets.

At the farmer's market she selected some fresh produce and made small talk with some of the townspeople. She noticed a young blonde woman sitting at a table with a stack of homemade cookbooks for sale. She crossed to her stand thinking how proud Andi would be of her for buying a cookbook. As she approached the table she also noticed three small children behind it. A blonde little girl was coloring in a coloring book while her dark haired brother played with his toy cars in the dirt. A toddler was sleeping peacefully in a stroller beside them. That's when she noticed that the young woman seated behind the table was very pregnant.

"Oh, you must be Lacey," Maggie said, smiling with recognition. Lacey looked a little taken aback that she'd known her name and Maggie made a mental note to allow people to introduce themselves first. But Lacey quickly recovered and smiled.

"You must know Andi," she laughed and Maggie smiled with relief.

"Yes," Maggie admitted sheepishly. "I'm Maggie," She added quickly.

"It's nice to meet you, Maggie." Lacey smiled kindly. "Welcome to Sweetwater."

"Thank you. It's a wonderful little town," Maggie enthused. The place was really growing on her.

"How long will you be staying?" Lacey asked pleasantly.

"At least for the summer." _Maybe longer_ , Maggie added to herself.

"Then you'll definitely need to come back next week for the Fourth of July barbeque. Everyone gets together in the park, it's just a big potluck, everybody brings something and there will be tons of fireworks," she told her.

"That sounds wonderful! I wouldn't miss it." Maggie was really beginning to picture herself living in this town permanently. "Thank you."

"Well, we're happy to have you. It's nice to see crazy old Ms. Devereaux bringing some _nice_ people to town." Lacey's tone was kind, but there was an undertone that was undeniable and Maggie couldn't help but wonder if she was referring to Aaron.

As Maggie left the farmer's market the Sheriff approached her.

"You must be Maggie." He smiled as he politely tipped his hat.

"There really are no secrets in a small town, are there?" Maggie laughed nervously as she smiled in his direction but continued walking toward her bicycle.

"Not in a town where my niece lives," the Sheriff joked as he strolled alongside her. "I'm Paul Rutledge, Andi is my niece," he explained kindly.

"It's nice to meet you," Maggie replied as she reached for her bike.

"Andi tells me you're staying at the old Devereaux place." Sheriff Rutledge seemed to be getting at something.

"Yes, Sir," she confirmed.

"Well, for the most part this is a very safe town," he assured her "But in recent years we've had a few more... transient residents." He seemed to be choosing his words carefully "It's my understanding that you're not the only guest on the Devereaux property, and I just want you to know that I'm only a few minutes away if you need anything." He handed Maggie a card with his name and phone number on it. "Please don't hesitate to call if you need anything."

"Thank you, but I'm sure I won't need to bother you," she assured him as she accepted the business card. " _Everyone_ I've met has been very kind," she emphasized as she climbed onto her bike. It seemed obvious to her that he was referring to Aaron and she wanted to defend him. But what could she say?

She left town with mixed feelings. She really shouldn't take such offense to the opinions people held about Aaron, she barely knew him. But she couldn't help but think they had to be wrong. Even if he had been in some trouble in the past, he couldn't possibly be dangerous, could he? But what if he was? Should she stay away from him?

As she rode her bike down the quiet dirt road lost in thought a loud clap of thunder boomed overhead. Seconds later rain began to pour down in sheets. It was raining so hard she couldn't see to ride and had to pull over. She was soaked to the skin within minutes as she walked her bike along the road with her head turned down against the onslaught. She didn't even hear the truck pull up alongside her over the roar of the rain.

"Get in!" She recognized Aaron's voice and her head snapped up to see him jumping out of his truck and reaching for her bicycle. She felt both relieved and little scared all at the same time. She'd just spent the last ten minutes contemplating whether or not this man was possibly dangerous and now here she was on a deserted dirt road in the middle of a thunderstorm being told to get into his truck. She mentally kicked herself for her hesitation. This was the same man who'd she'd invited into her kitchen for lemonade and who'd helped her name a cat. He wasn't dangerous.

She climbed into the cab of the truck as he lifted her bike and put it in the back. He jumped into the cab with her and slammed the door against the rain. He shook the rain out of his hair laughing.

"Nice day for a ride," he teased as he started driving down the road.

"At least it wasn't too hot," she defended playfully. Aaron laughed heartily.

Aaron had such a carefree laugh and contagious smile. Maggie immediately felt at ease, just being in his presence again dissolved all the questions that had been raised by the people of Sweetwater. Whatever they believed about him was wrong. In that moment Maggie decided that it didn't matter whether or not Aaron had a troubled past, she wasn't going to let that stop her from getting to know him. She liked him.

"So where's your car?" Aaron asked.

"I sold it," Maggie admitted sheepishly.

"Really? Why?"

"It broke down and it was going to cost more money to fix than it was worth," Maggie explained. "I know I'm going to need to get another one," she added quickly. "I just haven't figured that part out yet." As she said it out loud Maggie realized how ridiculous it sounded. Who sells their car without a backup plan?

"I'm sure you'll figure something out. In the meantime just let me know if you need anything," Aaron offered. His confidence in her was reassuring. He didn't sound at all judgmental about Maggie's rash decision to sell her car instead he simply offered his help. "I'll leave you my number. My place is just a couple acres from the main house. So, you know, I'm close if you need me."

"You live on the property?" she asked, confirming her suspicion that Sheriff Rutledge had in fact been referring to Aaron when he'd said she wasn't the only guest on the Devereaux property.

She hadn't really considered how close he lived to the house. She'd been walking the property every morning. The thought that she could've stumbled upon his house was kind of exciting.

"It's actually an old barn, but it was converted into living quarters for the groundskeeper a long time ago. Ms. Devereaux's letting me stay there in exchange for maintaining the property. But I'm working on building up a few more clients, and once I do I'll be able to get my own place."

"So you're trying to start up your own landscaping business?" Maggie asked.

"Well, yeah, I guess. I hadn't really thought of it like that. I'm just looking for work," he said humbly, and Maggie liked him just a little bit more. He didn't try to boast or impress her, he was real, and for the first time in her life she felt like she'd found somebody that she could be real with too, somebody who wouldn't judge her or hold her to an unrealistic expectation.

The rain had slowed to a drizzle as they pulled up to the house. Maggie didn't really want to say goodbye.

"You can just put the bike in the garage," she told him as he lifted it out of the back of the truck. She realized that he already knew exactly where the garage was, but she led him there anyway, suddenly very aware of her movements as he walked behind her.

She entered the dark garage and turned around to face him. He'd just leaned the bike against the wall. She took a step closer.

"Thank you." She was breathless with anticipation. This was the moment. This was when she would figure out if he was interested or just being kind. She had a feeling he liked her too, but she needed to be sure. She looked up into his eyes expectantly. Her pulse was racing and her breathing shallow, but for the first time it was a welcome feeling.

He looked down at her and she saw the desire in his eyes. She was sure he was going to kiss her. She wet her lips. He reached over and gently brushed the damp hair from her forehead and tucked it behind her ear. It was the simplest gesture, but extremely intimate. Her breath caught in her throat. Her lips parted slightly and his gaze fell to her mouth. A pained look crossed his face.

"I'd better be going," he said solemnly as he bowed his head. He stepped away, his eyes darting up to hers one last time. She knew he could see the confusion there and she thought he looked apologetic. Without another word he turned and left her alone in the garage and it was then that Maggie realized just how dangerous he really was. If she let him, he had the power to break her heart.

# ~7~

It had rained for two days. The air was heavy with humidity but Maggie convinced herself it was a perfect morning for a walk. She told herself it had everything to do with being cooped up for two days and nothing at all to do with not seeing Aaron in that time.

She walked farther than she ever had before, the whole time trying to convince herself that she wasn't looking for an old barn but daydreaming about what would happen if she did stumble upon it. As the morning wore on her daydreams became more daring.

What she did finally discover was not a barn but a small lake. At the sight of the glistening water she realized just how hot it had gotten. The sun burned high overhead and the sparkling water looked like an oasis.

She walked to the edge and felt the cool water. She glanced around at her surroundings. The lake was nestled between rolling hills dotted with trees. It felt very secluded and it was surprisingly liberating being so far away from civilization. She ran her fingers through the water it felt so refreshing against the heavy heat of the day. She stood and surveyed the area again. There was no one around for miles. Except for Aaron.

That last thought stirred something deep inside her. Maggie reminded herself that she was trying to do things outside of her comfort zone. She was trying to be more carefree, more spontaneous. Before she could talk herself out of it she removed her shirt, then with a deep breath she slid down her shorts. She told herself that her bra and panties were no different than a bikini. Regardless she skipped quickly to the water to submerge herself from view.

The water felt amazing. It was the perfect temperature against the hot day. She rolled her head back, dipping her hair into the water. As she floated on her back underneath the summer sun she felt more relaxed than she'd ever known possible. This was the single most peaceful moment of her life.

She swam until her body was tired and her mind was renewed. This was why she'd come to Georgia. Back on the bank she no longer felt self-conscious as she sprawled out on a large flat rock to dry in the sun. This place felt magical.

His shadow over her alerted her to his presence. She opened her eyes to see him staring down at her, his eyes burned with passion. She made no attempt to cover herself as she lay exposed beneath him. He pulled off his shirt without a word as he towered above her. She smiled coyly at him. He fell to his knees beside her and pulled her into his arms as he kissed her deeply. She ran her hands up his back, feeling his muscles flex beneath her fingers. He kissed her neck, gripping her breast firmly. She moaned in pleasure.

He kissed and nibbled his way to her breasts. With a snap of his fingers her bra popped open and she was completely exposed to him. She ran her fingers through his hair and gripped handfuls of it as he suckled and nipped at the tender buds. He continued to kiss lower leaving a trail down her stomach. He quickly flicked his tongue into her bellybutton and she whimpered and arched beneath him. He lifted his head to look up at her, his blue eyes sparked with electricity. He slipped his thumbs under the waist band of her panties and began to slowly pull them down.

Something jolted Maggie awake. She was still lying on the large sunning rock by the lake, alone. She quickly scrambled for her clothes, still feeling flushed from her erotic dream. She wasn't sure what had woken her but she felt as if she was being watched. She scurried away from the lake feeling a bit weak in the knees. That dream had been more intense than anything she had ever experienced in real life, and it had felt so real. She could still feel his hands on her.

As she made her way back to the house her breathing gradually slowed and her heart rate returned to normal, but the images from the dream would stay with her the rest of the day and late into that night.

The next day was Tuesday. Maggie waited impatiently for Aaron to arrive. She spent the morning in the kitchen with her new cookbook opened and ingredients strewn across the counters. When she heard the mower circling the house a huge smile broke out across her face. Images from the dream flashed in her mind but she tried to shake them off. She had to remind herself that their last encounter actually involved him rejecting her in the garage, not making love to her by the lake. She tried to tell herself that she should take the hint, but she just didn't believe that he wasn't interested. His eyes betrayed him, the way he looked at her sometimes said so much more than his words ever had. She knew she should leave it alone, but knowing he was right outside was just too much for her. She had to see him.

She waited until the sounds of the mower had faded away while she cleaned up the kitchen then she went in search of Aaron. She found him in the driveway trimming the box hedges around the fountain. She waited patiently, leaned against a large column, as he finished his work. He'd just begun to load up his truck when he spotted her watching him from the porch. A wide smile spread across his face at the sight of her and she felt encouraged. She took a few steps down the porch as he walked to meet her.

"Mornin'," he drawled. She loved his Southern accent and the sexy way his hips swayed as he moved toward her. She loved the way his blue eyes always seemed to be smiling and she was momentarily mesmerized by his dimples. A few seconds passed before she realized it was her turn to speak and she'd just been staring at him like a smiling fool.

"Potato salad," she blurted out and then closed her eyes in embarrassment. "I've made some potato salad," she clarified, with her eyes still closed. She opened her eyes to see Aaron watching her with an amused expression.

"Would you like some lunch?" She realized that had come out completely jumbled and not at all how she'd practiced in her head.

"I'm trying out a new recipe," Maggie continued before he could answer. "For the Fourth of July barbeque and I need a taste tester." She knew she was rambling now, but she just couldn't seem to help it. "That is if you like potato salad. I have some left over roast chicken too, I could make some sandwiches," she continued nervously.

"I like potato salad," he interrupted, thankfully sparing her from rambling further. She smiled with relief.

She turned and walked into the house, very aware of him following close behind. She led him to the kitchen and began pulling food from the fridge as she once again started rambling nervously.

"I bought a cookbook at the farmer's market a few days ago. Have you ever been to the farmer's market? It's really quite impressive. The whole town of Sweetwater is. I really like it here. Anyway, when I bought this cookbook from a woman in town she told me about the Fourth of July barbeque. It was Lacey Buchannan, do you know Lacey?" she asked, looking up from the sandwiches she was preparing.

Aaron was casually leaned against the counter watching her with that same look of amusement he'd had outside. He shook his head slightly, in answer to her question.

"She's a lovely girl, and she told me about this barbeque. The whole town comes together and everyone brings something. So I decided I needed to figure out what I could bring, and I found this recipe for potato salad which seemed easy enough. I've never made potato salad before. Honestly I haven't eaten it too often either, so I wasn't really sure if it turned out right. Which is where you come in." She stopped to take a breath and smiled nervously at Aaron.

He wore a sexy crooked grin, showing one adorable dimple. He was staring at her intently. She felt the need to flutter and check her hair, but she suppressed the urge. Instead she retrieved the bowl of potato salad and added some to each of the plates with the sandwiches. Suddenly she was out of things to do with her hands to keep busy and simultaneously she couldn't think of another thing to say. She could feel an edge of panic slipping in. She looked to Aaron for help. He stepped forward as if on cue and picked up the plates she'd prepared.

"Well then, let's try this potato salad." He smiled at her with that look in his eye. The one that told her potato salad was the last thing on his mind. She smiled sheepishly and gestured to the bar stools that were set up around the kitchen island.

They sat and began to eat as Maggie racked her brain for something to say. She'd basically crammed an entire lunch's worth of conversation into the first five minutes because she was so nervous. Aaron seemed at ease and he silently enjoyed the food she'd prepared. He was a man of few words and he never seemed to feel the need to fill the silence.

She, on the other hand, was always so anxious, had been her whole life. Which was part of the reason she'd come here, to learn how to relax. She thought of the utter peace of floating in the lake and tried to draw on that memory to once again find that level of calm, however, thinking of the lake inevitably led to thinking of the dream. She flushed immediately and looked up to find Aaron watching her. Of course she knew he could never know what she'd been thinking, but she felt embarrassed for thinking about it all the same.

"So what are you bringing to the barbeque?" she blurted out the question to fill the silence.

"I don't think I was invited," he responded calmly. There was no bitterness in his tone, just resignation.

"Of course you are, the whole town is invited," she insisted. He smiled at her kindly, like someone would to a child who didn't understand a situation.

"This isn't my town," he stated simply.

"I'm not from here either and I'm invited. Surely..."

"It's okay, Maggie, I don't need to be invited to the town barbeque." His acceptance of his exclusion bothered her, but she decided to leave it alone for the moment.

After several minutes of silence she tried again. "So where are you from?" she asked conversationally.

"Atlanta." His expression had changed. The laughter was gone from his eyes. This wasn't going at all how she'd hoped.

"I grew up in the Hamptons," Maggie offered, "but I moved away to Boston for school, so that's where I've been living for the last six years." She searched his face for any sign of the carefree Aaron that she'd come to know, but something dark was hovering over him now.

"Thank you for lunch, Maggie. The potato salad was wonderful," he said as he stood. His tone was muted. He was averting his eyes, not meeting her gaze. She stood helplessly. She didn't want him to go.

"If you come to the barbeque you could have some more." She laughed at her own silly statement, trying to lighten the mood. He smiled sadly.

"This isn't a good idea, Maggie." he said finally, bringing his eyes to hers. There was a deep sadness in their depths.

"What isn't?" she asked weakly.

"This. Us. I'm... I'm not good for you. You deserve better." He turned and left with his head hung low. She felt as if someone had knocked the wind out of her as she watched him go.

"Wait," she called out, just as he'd reached the door. He stopped, but didn't turn.

"You said you'd leave me your number. In case I needed you," she said as she crossed the room to him. He made no move to turn around. "I still don't have a car," she reminded him.

He turned to find her standing near him with a pad and pen. He smiled slightly, but it didn't reach his eyes. He took the paper and wrote his number.

"For emergencies," he said as he handed it back to her.

"Of course," she said innocently. He smiled sadly and shook his head as he turned away again and left the house.

~∞~

"I had lunch with Aaron today," Maggie blurted out over dinner. Andi's head snapped up and she immediately looked concerned.

"Maggie--"

"No, listen. Aaron is not who you think he is. He's a good guy!" Maggie insisted. She needed someone to talk to about this, and she needed Andi to understand. "He's sweet and charming and funny and..." Maggie trailed off as a myriad of memories of Aaron skipped through her mind.

"And gorgeous," Andi finished for her, smiling at her friend.

"So gorgeous," Maggie sighed, "but he's so much more than that!" she quickly added. She told Andi of the first time they'd met and how he'd kindly helped her re-plant her uprooted fern and somehow convinced her to adopt a stray cat. She told her about the lemonade they'd shared in the kitchen and how charming and funny he'd been, and about him saving her in the rain storm. She was embarrassed to admit that she'd basically thrown herself at him in the garage and he'd politely denied her advance, but pointed out that he'd acted like a gentleman and not taken advantage of her. Andi listened quietly as Maggie relived each memory.

"And then today at lunch, it had started out kind of flirty and fun like usual. I was a total basket case of course, but sometimes it kind of seems like he likes that about me, you know? He doesn't act all annoyed when I'm being neurotic, he just smiles." Maggie smiled at the memory of his amused expression as she'd rambled in the kitchen.

"But then I asked where he was from. It was like it reminded him of something. He pulled away again, just like in the garage. He told me that we weren't a good idea, that he was bad for me." Maggie could hear the desperation in her voice as she said this last part, she wanted so badly not to believe it.

"Maybe you should listen," Andi said softly. "Look, I'll admit he sounds great, but if he's warning you to stay away, maybe you should."

"But I don't want to!" Maggie insisted. "I'm... drawn to him. Not just because he's handsome, but because he's kind. He's good. I know he is, but I don't think he does. He knows that people don't want him at the town barbeque and he just accepts that. Like he doesn't think he deserves to belong."

"I told you, he has a past."

"Everyone has a past! So what if he made some mistakes in his life, does that mean he's not allowed to be happy ever again?" Maggie was angry, not at Andi, but at the situation.

"No, it doesn't," Andi admitted. She thought over everything that Maggie had said. "Okay fine, if you like him, I'll like him. But be careful! If he hurts you, you know I'll have to kill him." Andi smiled at her friend and Maggie relaxed a little.

"I'm going to bring him to the barbeque," Maggie said, suddenly determined.

"You think he'll come?"

"I don't know, but it's worth a try."

# ~8~

Maggie was nervous as she dialed the number. She thought of the speech she'd rehearsed and hoped she could remember it, but after the third ring she didn't think he was going to answer.

"Hello?" Aaron's voice rang clearly through the receiver just as she was about to hang up.

"Hi, Aaron?" she said a little breathlessly as she scrambled to bring the phone back to her ear.

"Maggie, are you okay?" his instant concern warmed her heart.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine," she assured him. "I was just wondering if you had a really big basket. Like a picnic basket maybe, but it has to be very large," she emphasized.

"A picnic basket?" she could hear the smile in his voice, and was relieved that he sounded like his usual self.

"Yes, a very large one, preferably. I have quite a bit of food that I need to carry to town for the Fourth of July barbeque. I'm afraid it won't even fit in the basket on the bicycle, I've already tried. So I'm going to need to walk, but I just don't think I can manage to carry all of this without some sort of large basket." She hoped that sounded natural and unrehearsed.

"You're walking to town?" he asked incredulously.

"Without a car I really don't have much of a choice." She gave her best impression of a damsel in distress and waited to see if he'd take the bait.

"You don't have any friends that might be willing to pick you up?" he suggested. She could tell that he saw straight through her little ploy, but she wasn't going to let him off that easy.

"I thought of that, but realized yours was the only phone number I had." She let the statement hang in the air, smiling at her own cleverness.

"What time do you need to be there?" he asked.

"Around five," she said innocently. "So I was thinking I better start walking around four to give myself plenty of time."

"I'll pick you up at four thirty," he said dryly.

"Really? Oh that would be so sweet!" she gushed. "It's not too much trouble?"

He chuckled and she could just imagine him shaking his head at her antics.

"Well, I can't have you walking. You'll probably drum up another storm with your luck," he teased.

"It is a possibility," she laughed with him. "Alright, if you're sure you don't mind. Guess I'll see you around four." She tried to get off the phone before he could change his mind.

"Maggie?" he caught her before she hung up.

"Yes?"

"I'm not staying at the barbeque." His tone became serious. His moods could shift so quickly.

"Oh sure, no problem. I'm sure I'll be able to find a ride home," she assured him. "See you soon." She hung up and immediately began forming the next part of her plan.

~∞~

"Just how much potato salad did you make?" Aaron laughed as he helped Maggie carry the four large bowls to the truck.

"Do you think it's too much?" she asked innocently. "I wanted to make sure I made enough." _To warrant needing your help to get it to town_ , she added silently.

"I think there will definitely be enough." He smiled as they climbed in the truck. She loved to see him smiling. He once again seemed like the carefree Aaron that she'd first met.

"I hope everyone likes it."

"I'm sure they will. But don't worry, if there are any leftovers I'd be happy to help with those." He looked over at her and winked playfully. She loved this side of him, even though it confused her. He was definitely flirting now, but in the blink of an eye she knew he'd push her away again.

"Or you could just stick around and make sure I don't have any leftovers," she suggested casually, trying her luck. She looked over at him from the corner of her eye. His smile had faded.

"They don't want me there, Maggie." His tone was quiet and his smile gone. The sad man was back.

"I want you there." She'd never felt so vulnerable. Once again she was putting her feelings on the line. Would he reject her again?

"You shouldn't," he remarked sadly.

"Why?" her tone was pleading. She just wanted to understand.

He pulled the truck to a stop just outside the town square. Maggie could see the crowd in the distance. She made no move to exit the truck. She turned to face Aaron he continued to stare out the windshield.

"I like you, Maggie." Her heart thrilled at the confirmation "I like you enough to tell you that you're better off without me. You should just go and enjoy the barbeque."

"I don't want to. I'd much rather sit here with you," she answered honestly. At the moment there was nowhere else she'd rather be. But would he push her away again? She could feel her heart racing with anxiety. She waited patiently as she saw him struggling with his own emotions.

"You don't make it easy to stay away from you," he said quietly as he shook his head.

"Then stop trying," she suggested softly. He fell silent for a few minutes. She had the feeling that this moment would be the turning point for them, he would either push her away for the final time or he'd finally let her in.

"What about your potato salad?" he finally said, and she could hear a note of playfulness in his voice. He turned toward her for the first time and she saw the smile in his eyes. She took the first deep breath she'd been able to take since this conversation had started.

"It will take us quite a while to eat it all, but I think if we really put our minds to it we can manage it," she said with mock seriousness. He cracked a small smile and she answered it with a huge smile of her own. He shook his head, laughing softly.

"You don't give up easily, do you?" he asked. Maggie turned away from him, hiding the guilt that was suddenly weighing down on her. His words reminded her of just how easily she actually had given up.

"Come on. Let's get this spectacle over with," he said, stepping out of the truck. She smiled as he came around and opened her door for her. But something was still a little off about her smile, something haunted her, and this was the first time since arriving in Georgia that she'd acknowledged it. She knew she couldn't hide from her past forever.

As they approached the park where the crowd was gathered Maggie felt her spirits lifting. She could see rows of tables set up under some large oak trees and headed in that direction with her offerings. As they placed the bowls of potato salad on the table Maggie saw an adorable little blonde girl darting between the tables giggling. She ran out in front of Maggie and Aaron, nearly colliding with them in her excitement. Close on her heels was Lacey, carrying a toddler on her hip.

"Courtney Marie, I said stop right there, don't you take another step, young lady!" Lacey called out to the little girl before glancing up to see Maggie and Aaron standing nearby.

Maggie smiled at her, but Lacey's reaction was closer to fear. Her eyes opened wide as she came to a sudden halt. Her gaze rested on Aaron for a brief moment, before her little girl came skipping up to her side. Lacey protectively pulled her daughter against her and immediately turned from them hurrying away without a word. Maggie was dumbfounded by her reaction. She glanced over to Aaron and saw the sadness in his downcast eyes. The reality of the situation hit her and angered her all at once. Whatever Aaron's past might hold she just couldn't believe he deserved that kind of treatment. She reached over and took his hand.

His gaze flitted to hers and she smiled at him encouragingly. He returned her smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. They walked from the tables hand in hand, and she was aware of the stares and whispers from the crowd around them. She held her head high and gripped his hand tighter. The sight of Andi approaching was like a ray of sunshine in the middle of a storm. Maggie smiled happily and released Aaron's hand to hug her friend.

"I'm so glad you made it!" Andi exclaimed. "Both of you," she added, smiling kindly at Aaron. Maggie wanted to hug her again. "I'm Andi," she introduced herself, extending her hand to him. "I don't think we've officially met."

"Aaron," He smiled shyly as he shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Aaron," Andi said cheerfully. "Hey, I could really use some help hanging this banner. Would ya'll mind?"

"Of course not!" Maggie agreed, smiling first at Aaron and then back at Andi. She wanted so badly for Aaron to feel the warm acceptance that she'd felt on her last trip to Sweetwater, and even more so she wanted to show the people of this town that they'd judged him too harshly.

Andi led them to a make-shift stage set up in the middle of the park and showed them the large banner that she'd been attempting to hang above the stage. Without hesitation Aaron scaled the ladder and busied himself with the task. Maggie and Andi hovered below handing him tools as needed and chatting happily about the fireworks show that was to be put on later that evening.

"Is there anything else I can help with?" Aaron offered once the chore was done.

"I think that's it for me," Andi replied. "My job is done. The stage is decorated and now I can turn it over to the band."

As if on cue a teenage boy popped up and asked Andi if they could begin setting up their equipment on the stage.

"It's all yours," Andi replied.

"Do you need any help?" Aaron offered.

"Sure! We've got a whole truckload of equipment to set up," the boy replied gratefully. Aaron seemed relieved that he could continue to keep himself busy. He glanced to Maggie and she smiled back at him.

"Don't worry about me," she assured him. "I'm sure I've got a ton of gossip to catch up on." She nudged Andi and both women giggled. Aaron smiled and happily followed the boy to his truck.

Maggie and Andi took a walk around the park arm in arm. The evening air was humid. Maggie took in the scene before her and absorbed the utter peacefulness of it. Children were running and playing while their parents stood clustered in groups that were constantly expanding as new families arrived. People were greeting each other with hugs and cheerful exclamations. As the women walked Andi pointed out various people, telling Maggie their names and random bits of information about them. Maggie listened to her friend's chatter but continually looked back towards Aaron, never quite losing sight of him. She saw him laughing and smiling with the group of boys as he helped them unload and set up their equipment. Everything was exactly how she hoped it would be.

"He really does seem like a nice guy." Andi's comment drew Maggie's attention from Aaron and she realized she'd been staring.

"Yes he is," she agreed, looking back at her friend. The women had circled the park and were coming back toward the stage.

"And what a hottie!" Andi exclaimed. At that moment Aaron was lifting some large speakers onto the stage, his biceps flexed against his t-shirt.

"Yes he is," Maggie agreed emphatically.

"A man like that could even make old Mrs. Bouchard blush." Both women laughed at the ridiculous statement.

"Speak of the devil," Maggie said as she spotted Mrs. Bouchard crossing the lawn. "Looks like we're about to find out." She picked up her pace to reach Aaron's side about the same time as the old woman.

"What exactly do you think you're doing here, criminal?" the old woman bit out at Aaron. He seemed startled by the harsh demand and simply stared at her, unsure of how to respond. Maggie stepped up to his side.

"He's here with me," she declared, staring the old woman down.

"That doesn't surprise me one little bit. Filth gathers." Mrs. Bouchard made no attempt to sugar coat her opinion. "Well, just because Agnes Devereaux has decided to bring a whore and a convict to our town does not mean I'm just going to sit by and let them influence my poor, innocent grandson."

"Grandmother, please." One of the boys from the band looked completely embarrassed by the scene that she was causing. Several people nearby had stopped to stare. Maggie and Aaron were still speechless, not sure how to handle the old woman.

"It's lovely to see you too, Mrs. Bouchard!" Andi practically shouted at the woman as she stepped between her and Maggie. "Wonderful night for a barbeque isn't it?" She spoke to her as if she was very hard of hearing, and Maggie suspected that the woman's hearing was just fine. She'd seen Andi use this tactic before to thwart the old woman's venomous ranting. It seemed to work, if only for a minute. Mrs. Bouchard sputtered as Andi led her away from the group, continuing to talk very loudly about the food and fireworks and acting as if the woman hadn't said anything unpleasant.

"I should go," Aaron said quietly.

"Please stay," Maggie said. "I was hoping we could watch the fireworks together."

Aaron met Maggie's gaze. She could see the longing in his eyes and the sadness. "I was too," he practically whispered. Then he turned and walked away.

# ~9~

"I'm sorry about tonight," Andi said as they pulled into the driveway. "Mrs. Bouchard is just a crazy old witch. You can't pay her any mind."

"It wasn't just her," Maggie admitted. "I saw the way people looked at him. It's not fair, they don't even know him."

"It's a small town," Andi replied as if that was explanation enough. Maggie was beginning to think that this "small town" wasn't for her after all, but that thought just led to the question that had been hanging over her head since she started this journey. What next? She was too overwhelmed to tackle that question right now, so she once again just pushed it to the side.

"I wish you would've stayed for the fireworks," Andi added after a few minutes of silence.

"I just wasn't in the mood anymore," Maggie replied. Andi nodded her understanding. They pulled up to the house and saw Aaron's truck parked in the driveway. Maggie's spirits immediately lifted.

"Is that his truck?" Andi asked.

"Yes." Maggie was smiling as she reached for the car door handle.

"Do you want me to stay?" Andi asked, sounding concerned.

"No, thanks for the ride." Maggie said as she jumped out of the car and closed the door before her friend could respond. She walked up to the porch with a racing heart.

As Andi pulled away the headlights flashed across the front of the house and for a brief moment Maggie could see Aaron's silhouette sitting in a rocking chair, but then the lights were gone and he was once again shrouded in darkness. Maggie climbed the steps slowly. Her heart was racing and she wanted to run to him in her nervous excitement but she wasn't sure which Aaron she would find, the playful flirt, or the sad man who had come to once again warn her away. She stopped when she reached the top of the steps and waited.

"I just wanted to make sure you made it home safe." His tone was somber. Her heart fell a little. She heard the porch creak as he took a few steps in her direction. The night was dark; there was no moon. She felt him approach and saw when he was close. She reached out and grasped his wrist.

"Please stay." The whispered plea was the same one she'd made at the barbeque, but the implication this time was so much more. She heard his rapid intake of breath. She held her own waiting for his response.

"The fireworks will be starting soon," she added. "We should be able to see them from my balcony." She let her hand slip from his wrist to his palm and wove her fingers through his. "Stay," she whispered again, stepping closer so that her chest pressed against his.

"For the fireworks?" his voice was strained.

"For me." She could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He leaned his forehead down against hers.

"I should go," he said reluctantly.

"But do you want to?" she challenged.

"No," he conceded. "I keep telling myself I need to stay away from you. But it doesn't seem I can."

She smiled and turned from him, pulling him by the hand into the house.

They crossed through the first floor without turning on a single light. She led him up the stairs to her room. Neither of them said a word. She passed the bed without looking at it, but was overwhelmingly aware of its presence. They stepped out onto the balcony as the first firework exploded in the distance.

"Perfect timing." She smiled up at him to see that he was staring at her intently.

"Is it?" he asked, and she had a feeling he was not referring to the fireworks. Nonetheless she stepped up to the banister to watch the show, unwilling to lose this moment with him.

He stood close behind her; she could feel his proximity. She leaned her back against his chest as she watched the fireworks on the horizon. Tentatively he brought his hands to her waist. She could feel his breath on her nape so she cocked her head slightly to the side to expose the length of her neck to him. He skimmed the tip of his nose along the curve of her neck. His hands gripped her hips firmly. She held onto the banister as she pressed back against him.

The fireworks in the distance began to increase in tempo and frequency as the grand finale signaled the end of the show. Maggie's heart raced with anticipation as she thought about what would come next. She could feel Aaron's breath coming faster, his heart pounding in rhythm with hers. As the last firework erupted on the skyline he gripped her arms and spun her around to face him, claiming her mouth in one fierce move. She surrendered to him completely, molding her body to his as she went limp in his arms. He held her to him as his tongue explored her mouth, the fireworks continued to erupt inside her.

Abruptly he broke the kiss, simultaneously holding her up yet pushing her away.

"I shouldn't have done that," he said with his head bowed away from her, his hands still gripped her arms to hold her up.

"Yes you should have," she disagreed, finding her voice.

"There are things you need to know about me," he said, looking back to her and meeting her eyes.

"Then tell me," she said as the strength came back into her legs and she tried to take a step closer. He released his hold on her arms and stepped away. She wasn't deterred. She walked back into the bedroom, knowing he would follow. She took a seat on the settee by the French doors and waited for him to join her. He sat beside her on the small couch, but didn't meet her eyes.

"I don't know where to start," he said with his head bowed. The room was still dark, but they were close enough that she could see his face. She reached over and placed her hand on his leg.

"Start at the beginning," she suggested softly.

"I was twelve when my father died," Aaron began, his voice monotone. "My sister Katelyn was eight. People always said how much I looked like him. I guess that's why my mother couldn't stand to look at me anymore after he was gone. She began drinking all the time to deal with the depression. I'm not sure if she had a problem before that, if she did I never knew about it. But after Dad was gone she was lost in a bottle.

"I stayed away as much as I could. I thought it was better for everyone if I just wasn't around. My mother sure didn't seem to mind. But I never even considered what I'd left Katelyn to deal with." His voice cracked and Maggie wanted to tell him that he didn't have to relive these painful memories. Not for her. But she realized that maybe he needed to do it for himself. She sat quietly by his side as he sorted through his emotions.

"She remarried when I was fourteen, and for just a minute I'd hoped Bill would be good for her." He laughed without humor. "He wasn't."

His eyes clouded over with painful memories. Maggie could see it on his face and wanted to stop him, wanted to tell him that he didn't have to go on.

"I never should have left Katelyn alone in that house," he continued angrily.

"You were just a boy yourself." Maggie spoke softly trying to console him. He shook his head vehemently.

"I was the only one left to protect her and I just left her there!" he argued as he jumped up from the couch and began pacing in front of her. His sadness had turned to rage, she could feel it radiating off of him.

"She was only ten years old," he said as he held his head in his hands. His anger slowly shifted to back sorrow. He walked over to the window and stared into the dark night.

"I hadn't been home for about a week. It was the longest I'd stayed away." His voice was quiet as he continued. "Katelyn came to me the first night I'd returned home and asked if she could sleep in my room. I could tell something was wrong. She wouldn't tell me what it was but I saw that she was scared.

"I came home every day after that, straight from school. I'd always find her in the front yard waiting for me. She pretended she was just playing outside, but I could see the relief on her face every time I came home. She was like my shadow, sticking by my side everywhere I went, sleeping in my room every night.

"As the week wore on I saw her become a bit more relaxed, a little less jumpy than she had been before. But Bill was becoming increasingly agitated. He didn't like me being around." Aaron grew silent for a few minutes and Maggie wasn't sure if he was going to continue. She stood from the couch and stepped up beside him at the window. She placed her hand tenderly on his arm.

"Bill picked a fight with me," Aaron continued in the same monotone that he'd started with. "He accused me of doing disgusting things with my little sister. Asked me why she was sleeping in my room every night. He kept pushing and pushing until I lost my temper. I hit him. I realize now that's what he wanted. He used that as an excuse to kick me out of the house. I saw the terror in Katelyn's eyes the moment he told me to go, and my suspicions were confirmed.

"My mother took his side, believed the lies he told. She told me to leave and never come back. Katelyn was crying, begging me not to go. But what choice did I have?" He looked at Maggie desperately as if she might hold the answer to that question, one that had obviously been haunting him for years. She had none, so she remained silent.

"I left like they wanted. But I didn't go far. I couldn't leave her. I stayed in the woods behind the house and watched. When the lights went out I snuck back into the house through a broken kitchen window.

"My father's shotgun was still in the display case in the den. He'd taught me how to fire it when I was younger. I took the gun with me to Katelyn's room. My plan was to take her with me. We were going to run away. I'm not sure how I thought a fourteen year old and ten year old were supposed to survive on our own, but I knew I couldn't leave her there. I only grabbed the gun because it made me feel braver. I hadn't planned to use it." Aaron's fists balled at his sides. His whole body radiated with tension. Maggie's chest tightened as tears came into her eyes and she waited for the inevitable conclusion to this tragic tale.

"He came to her room before we could leave. He wasn't expecting to find me there, but one look into his crazed eyes told me exactly what he was expecting when he came to my little sister's room. She ran and hid in the closet the moment she saw him. He tried to follow after her but I stopped him. I put the gun to his chest and told him not to take another step. I told him that I was taking my little sister, that we were going to leave and that he was going to let us or else I was going to kill him. I thought he would back down. For just a minute I actually thought he'd let us go." Aaron closed his eyes against the memory and took a deep breath before continuing.

"He looked me in the eye and told me to pull the trigger, told me if I didn't kill him that he would kill me, but first he would make me watch as he..." Aaron trailed off as tears choked his words and he shook his head against the images. He turned to face Maggie. His eyes were pleading.

"I pulled the trigger." His tone betrayed no emotion, but his eyes begged her to understand. She did.

"I would have too," she answered, looking up into his sad eyes and hoping that he could see the understanding in her own. "Aaron, you were put into an impossible situation. You were just a child. No one can blame you for..."

"Everyone blamed me!" he interjected angrily. Maggie saw a hardness come over his features that she'd never seen before. He took a step away from her, putting distance between them again.

"My own mother testified against me. Testified in court that she'd suspected me of molesting my own sister! Said that _he_ was protecting her! That I was still angry from the fight we'd had, that I'd come back to settle the score. They called it pre-meditated. They called me a murderer and they found me guilty." His rant lost steam about halfway through. His shoulders slumped in defeat.

"What about Katelyn?" Maggie asked. "Didn't they ask her what happened?"

"I don't know." He shook his head sadly. "I never saw her again." The first tears finally broke free and slipped down his cheek.

"Never?" Maggie asked. Aaron shook his head as silent tears ran down his face.

"I was sent to a juvenile detention center until my twenty-first birthday. The last time I saw my mother was in that courtroom. The last time I saw my sister was that night, as the police were taking me away."

She imagined what it must have been like for him to have been so young and to be locked away, alone and forgotten.

She closed the distance between them, reaching up and grasping his face in her hands. His eyes met hers and she saw in them the scared young boy he'd once been. She also saw that he expected her to run now that she knew his secret, to turn from him just the way everyone else in his life had. Anger filled her, anger for the injustice of it all. There were so many things she wanted to say, and she couldn't think of any of them. So she kissed him.

She kissed him deeply and passionately, feeling the overwhelming rush of anger, sorrow, and frustration flowing into this one long, fiercely passionate kiss. He responded with a need of his own, a need for love, for understanding, for forgiveness. She gave it all to him. She gave him everything she had.

She ran her fingers through his hair, gripping tightly as she pulled him closer. He lifted her into his arms and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He took a few steps until he had her pinned against the wall.

She clung to him, not wanting to let go, not wanting him to stop. He slid his hands up her thighs and under her dress. She was reminded of her dream by the lake, but this was so much more. This was real. She felt the wetness pooling between her thighs, felt the painful pressure building. She needed him to ease the pain, she needed him inside her.

"Maggie, if you want me to stop you need to tell me now." Aaron buried his face against her neck as he spoke. He was breathing heavily and his voice was strained. He started to pull away and allowed her legs to slip back to the floor as his hands slid back down her thighs. She didn't want him to stop, she reached for him, grasping his face between her hands and kissing him again.

"Don't stop," she cried against his lips. She'd never been so bold before.

His hands were on her again as the last remnant of his restraint snapped. He pushed her dress to her waist and pulled her panties away with an urgency that took her breath away. He reached down between them, freeing himself, and then he lifted her again, grasping her thighs as he pressed her back against the wall and pushed inside her.

She cried out, arching her back as he thrust into her, filling her completely. She dug her nails into his back as he drove into her relentlessly, over and over with a fierceness that had her screaming out in passion. She had never known it could be like this, that a need like this could exist. She never wanted him to stop as he drove into her bringing her to the edge of sanity. She needed him, all of him, in a way she never knew possible. She cried out with each thrust until finally her world shattered.

She screamed out in climax as her body shuddered beneath him, a feeling she'd never experienced before. Her final cries pushed him over the edge as he pulled away just before his own release and they both slid to the floor.

Both of them lay panting and trembling in the aftermath. Maggie felt as if she was floating above her body. It had never been like that for her before.

"I'm sorry." Aaron's quiet apology broke through her euphoric haze. "I didn't mean for it to be like that with you, Maggie."

It took a moment for his words to register. She turned to him and saw the concern on his face, the worry in his eyes. She smiled as she reached over to place her hand against his cheek.

"It was perfect," she assured him as she brought her lips to his once again, "but if you like we can try again." She felt his smile against her lips.

# ~10~

Maggie woke slowly the next morning as images from the previous day filtered into her consciousness: the barbeque, the scene with that awful woman Mrs. Bouchard, the fireworks afterward with Aaron...suddenly she was wide awake as she remembered with stunning clarity how the evening had ended. She sat up in bed and realized two things nearly simultaneously; first, she was completely naked, and second, Aaron was asleep in bed beside her.

She looked down at the sleeping man and a smile spread across her face. He looked so peaceful laying on his stomach with his blonde hair a tussled mess around his face. She gently reached over and brushed some of his blonde curls away from his eyes as she watched him sleep.

She still couldn't believe that this was her reality. She'd dated during her undergraduate years, but none of her relationships had ever lasted very long, none had ever broke her heart, and never before had she ever felt the passion that she'd felt with Aaron last night. She shifted in bed as she registered the intimate soreness she felt. It had not been her first time, but it had been several years since she'd been with a man, although never before had it been anything like what she'd experienced last night.

After she'd been accepted into medical school, men were no longer a priority. She'd immersed herself in her studies, even pulling away from the few friends she'd made in Boston. Every spare minute she had was spent with her nose buried in a textbook. By the end of her second year of med school she was starved for human interaction that didn't involve academics, but she'd basically alienated every friend she'd previously made, and making friends had never been easy for her. She'd always been rather shy. Perhaps that had something to do with the unnatural attachment she had to the fern she'd found.

However, all of that had changed once she'd come to Georgia. She thought of Andi and realized that she finally had someone she could call a best friend, a girlfriend that she could confide in. She looked down at Aaron, asleep by her side, and realized for the first time she was in danger of falling in love. She had come here to escape reality, but perhaps what she'd found instead was a new reality, a better one. How odd to realize that what had once seemed like the worst moment of her life had led to this life, which was by far better than anything she'd ever tried to plan on her own.

Maggie quietly slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the bathroom to freshen up. She considered a shower, but soaking her sore muscles in a bath was just too tempting. As she slid into the frothy, warm water all of her aches and pains melted away. She leaned her head back against the tub and allowed herself to get lost in the memories from last night.

Aaron had been so tender, touching her in ways she'd never been touched. She'd never known it could be like that. By the time she stepped out of the bath every nerve ending was zinging with sexual awareness, her memories of the previous night had flooded her senses and left her wanting more. She wrapped herself in a plush bathrobe and returned to the bedroom. She found Aaron sitting up in bed looking as if he'd just woken.

"You shouldn't just leave a boy to wake up alone. It might make him feel cheap," he teased as he saw her entering the room. She smiled seductively at him as she sauntered slowly across the room. He smiled in response, scooting to the edge of the bed with only the sheet wrapped around his waist.

She stopped in front of him. "We wouldn't want that," she replied, looking down at him. He reached over and tugged on the belt of the bathrobe, pulling it away and letting the robe fall open. She stood before him exposed, and he took his time enjoying the view. She shifted nervously. She'd never allowed a man to look at her this way. Sex had always been something that happened under covers, in a dark room, certainly not pressed against a wall like last night, and never in the light of day.

Aaron trailed his fingertips up her thighs until his hands rested on the swell of her hips. He pulled her closer as he brought his mouth to her breast. She whimpered as her knees went weak. He held her firmly as he took his time suckling and pulling at each tender nipple. His hands caressed and roamed around her backside as he began to leave a trail of kisses down her stomach. Her muscles quivered and her legs felt like Jell-O, and then just when she thought he'd gone as low as he would go his tongue flicked out and rasped against the tender fold between her thighs. She cried out in shock and delight. No one had ever done that to her before.

He grasped her thighs firmly, holding her in place as his mouth explored her intimately. She felt that building sensation that told her she was coming close to the edge again. An edge she'd only just discovered last night. Could he do that to her with only his mouth? Just when she felt that she couldn't take anymore he pulled away, lying back on the bed and pulling the sheet from his waist. She looked down and saw the hard shaft of his excitement. The size would have been intimidating if she hadn't known that she'd already been able to handle it.

She climbed onto his lap, straddling him. This was new for her as well. He held onto her hips guiding her as she positioned herself above him. She braced her hands against his chest and felt the smooth tip of his erection rubbing seductively against her opening. She looked into his shockingly blue eyes, smiled coyly, and then impaled herself on him. She screamed out as she felt him fill her, throwing her head back and closing her eyes against the blinding lights that were exploding behind her lids. She began to rock against him, moving in a primal rhythm that her body demanded. He allowed her to set the pace as she moved over him discovering her own needs and desires.

She rode him until her body was overwhelmed with the sensations. She collapsed against his chest, claiming his mouth in a passionate kiss. His hands continued roam as she found a slower rhythm with their bodies pressed intimately together. He kissed her tenderly and deeply in a way that brought her close to tears. She'd never felt so close to a man before, so vulnerable, so connected. Their bodies began to move in perfect unison, reaching a new level of intimacy. He gripped her face as his kiss intensified. She cried out against his lips as she felt a wave of passion flow from her very core. He felt it too.

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly too him as he flipped her onto her back in one swift move, and then he was on top of her. He continued to ravage her mouth with his kiss as he began to pump into her with a need that was met by her own. She opened to him, taking all of him, arching beneath him and crying out with every thrust until finally he pulled away spilling himself onto her stomach as he collapsed above her.

After taking a moment to catch his breath he rolled away and propped himself up on one elbow smiling mischievously down at her.

"I think you may need another shower," he said, showing no remorse.

"I think we both do," she responded as she leaned up to kiss him again.

~∞~

After a nice, long shower they made their way downstairs to the kitchen. Maggie immediately headed straight for the coffee pot.

"I'm usually a bowl of cereal kind of girl," she apologized sheepishly as she brewed the coffee.

"Hmmm. Well, let's see," Aaron said as he opened the fridge. He pulled out the carton of eggs. "Do you have bread?" he asked.

She nodded and crossed to the pantry, retrieving a loaf of bread.

"Do you like French toast?" he asked.

"Um... I'm not sure if I know how to make French toast," she admitted.

"Good thing I do." He winked as he took the loaf of bread from her and began searching the cabinets for pans and bowls to prepare their breakfast. She smiled as she watched him work. He'd slipped on his jeans from the day before, but his chest was still bare and watching this magnificent man cook her breakfast was one of the sexiest things she'd ever seen.

"So you've really never made French toast before?" Aaron asked casually as he began preparing their meal.

"I grew up with a housekeeper who did all the cooking." Maggie shrugged as she leaned against the counter next to him to watch. "I never learned to cook at home, and then once I was in college I didn't have a kitchen in my dorm room so my skills are pretty much limited to anything that can be cooked in a microwave," she admitted. "But Andi's been teaching me," she quickly added.

"Maybe I can help with that too," Aaron offered, and somehow his offer stirred something in her that had nothing to do with food. She liked the idea of him teaching her things, all kinds of things. When the coffee pot completed its cycle she quickly retrieved two mugs and poured them both a steaming cup.

"How do you like your coffee?" she asked, grateful that she could contribute something to their breakfast preparations.

"Just a little sugar," he responded as he whisked some eggs in a bowl. She thought of several sexy comebacks but didn't have the courage to voice them. This level of intimacy with a man was still very new to her. The "morning after" in college had always consisted of awkward goodbyes in a dorm room.

As she carried his cup of coffee to him she realized this was the first real adult relationship that she'd ever had. She set the mug next to him and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. He smiled over at her and his smile was so brilliant that it left her breathless. In that moment she realized what an amazing man he was. After the things he'd confessed to her last night, after the tormented life he'd lived, to be able to smile the way he did was truly a miracle in her mind.

"Will you open the bread?" he asked as he added a little milk to the eggs and continued to stir them. She nodded quickly, pulling herself from her musings and back to the present. She opened the bread as he heated some butter in a pan.

He stepped up behind her, holding her waist and placing a soft kiss on the back of her neck. She leaned into him closing her eyes and enjoying the feel of his touch.

"Want me to show you how to make French toast?" he asked as he nuzzled her neck. She laughed softly and thought of a few other things she would rather him show her, but again she couldn't find the courage to voice her desires.

"Sure," she answered breathlessly. He ran his fingertips along her arms until his hands covered hers. He guided her hands as he showed her how to dip the bread into the egg mixture and place it in the heated pan. All the while she could feel his breath against her neck, feel the hardness of his excitement pressed against her backside. She'd had no idea that cooking breakfast could be so sensual.

Once several pieces of toast were cooking they moved to the kitchen sink to wash their hands. Again he stood behind her, pouring the soap into her hands and weaving his fingers through hers as he lathered their hands. He began kissing her neck as the warm water from the tap rinsed the suds from their entwined fingers. Her breathing was coming faster and she could feel herself getting wet. She wanted him to take her right here in the kitchen, pressed against the counter.

The sound of the doorbell jolted her out of her erotic fantasy. She felt Aaron growl against her neck and she smiled at their mutual frustration.

"I'll get the door," she said as she reluctantly pulled out of his embrace.

"Guess I do need to check on breakfast before it burns," he chuckled as he slowly released her and turned to the stove.

Maggie practically skipped to the front door. Her spirits had never been so high. At this moment she felt like she could spend the rest of her life making love with Aaron and cooking breakfast, and she would be completely fulfilled. She opened the door with a wide smile and found Andi waiting on the other side looking a little bemused at Maggie's exuberant expression.

"I take it last night went well," Andi presumed as she stepped inside carrying a stack of large bowls. Maggie was a little thrown off. Normally she would welcome her friend, but at this moment she had other things on her mind.

"I brought your bowls back. You left them behind last night and..." Andi trailed off as her attention was diverted. Maggie turned to follow Andi's gaze and saw Aaron standing at the entrance to the front room, still shirtless and looking absolutely delectable. Maggie turned back to Andi to see her open mouthed stare and she had to stifle a giggle.

"Mornin' Andi," Aaron said cheerfully, and this time Maggie couldn't hold back her hysterical giggle. This entire situation was just so out of her league she had no idea how to handle it.

"Uh... good morning," Andi stuttered as she looked between Aaron and Maggie. "Well, I just wanted to return your bowls," she said quickly, passing the stack of bowls into Maggie's arms. "I'll leave you two to... uh... have a good day." She turned quickly and left the house, closing the door behind her. Maggie just stood there holding the stack of bowls and smiling after her friend. She then looked to Aaron and saw the humor in his eyes and they both began laughing. He crossed the room and took the bowls from her, setting them on the large table in the center of the room.

"I don't think she was expecting me," Aaron said, smiling down at Maggie. She looked up at him and saw the fire in his eyes. Her laughter faded away as she felt the pull of desire in the pit of her stomach. She reached for his waist drawing him up against her.

"I wasn't expecting you either," she admitted. He took her mouth in a passionate kiss and swept her up into his arms as he carried her back to the bedroom, breakfast forgotten.

# ~11~

Maggie and Aaron spent the next several days locked away from the world, spending their time making love and occasionally remembering to eat. After three days they were officially out of food.

"I think we may need some groceries," Aaron remarked as he stared into the bare fridge. Maggie sat at the bar sipping her coffee and admiring his muscular physique as he rummaged through the empty cabinets in search in food. She wondered if she'd ever get enough of him. She seriously doubted it.

"I suppose it's time to make a trip to town," Maggie replied reluctantly. Part of her wished they could stay secluded in their little bubble forever. These last few days had been the happiest of her life.

"I actually need to run to town this afternoon to meet someone," Aaron told Maggie as he joined her at the bar. Maggie looked up from her coffee waiting for him to elaborate. He didn't.

"I could come with you to pick up some groceries," she suggested.

"I can just bring some back with me," Aaron offered. Maggie tried to suppress the nagging suspicion that he didn't want her to come along. "I mean, I am mostly responsible for eating these cupboards bare," Aaron teased her playfully and Maggie smiled with relief, mentally kicking herself for being so paranoid. He was just being a gentleman.

"I don't mind doing the shopping," Maggie insisted. "I'll go get ready so we can head to town."

"I better let you head up alone or else we may never get out of this house." He smiled at her suggestively, admiring her long, lean legs stretching below his t-shirt that she'd worn to bed. She smiled back, turning on the ball of her foot to sashay out of the room, swaying her hips for him as she went.

"Hey, Maggie," he called up the stairs a moment later just as she'd reached the top. She turned and looked back down at him. "I'm actually gonna head over to my place to clean up and change. I'll be back to get you in a bit. Okay?"

"Sounds good." She smiled down at him and then headed for the shower.

~∞~

"I was thinking of having lunch with Andi," Maggie told Aaron as they rode into town. "I'm sure she can give me a ride home so you don't have to wait on me after your meeting." Maggie still wasn't sure who this mysterious meeting was with, and she did find it a little odd that Aaron was being so vague about it, but she also wanted to show him that if he wanted a little space she could give it to him. After he'd left earlier she'd wondered if she'd been too pushy about coming to town with him.

"I imagine she's dying to see you and get all the juicy details about what's going on between us," Aaron teased.

"Some details she'll just have to do without," she assured him.

"I'm sure you girls will have plenty to catch up on. If you'd like to have a girl's night, I'd understand," Aaron said.

"I doubt she'll stay the whole night," Maggie said

"If you want me to come over later just give me a call," Aaron told her.

"Maybe I'll come to your place tonight," Maggie offered. "I'd love to see it."

"It isn't much," he said, sounding uncomfortable.

"It doesn't need to be," she assured him.

"Trust me. It's nowhere near as comfortable as the big house. I really don't mind coming to you." He didn't seem to want her to come to his home which bothered her. She didn't like that there were parts of himself that he was still keeping from her, and she really didn't like how distant he seemed all of a sudden.

"Aaron, just because I'm staying in the 'big house' for the summer does not mean that it defines my standard of living by any means," she said, in her mind seeing the stark contrast from the grand home to the sparse dorm room she'd left behind.

"Maggie, you grew up in the Hamptons," Aaron reminded her dryly. It was her turn to shift uncomfortably. It was the first time that she'd ever felt any real division between them, and she didn't like it.

"I left that life behind years ago," Maggie commented quietly. She didn't like that he saw her as someone who needed to be kept comfortable. One of the first things that had attracted her to him was the fact that she felt like she could be real with him, no pretenses. She'd spent her childhood being treated like a porcelain doll, and she'd sacrificed a lot to prove that that's not who she was. Now it suddenly felt like Aaron was treating her that way too.

Aaron looked toward her, hearing the difference in her tone. He didn't know what to say, he didn't know how to explain to her that his place wasn't good enough for her, that it didn't reflect what he could offer her. An awkward silence dragged out between them as they arrived at the grocery store.

"I guess I'll see you later," Maggie said. She didn't really want to leave with this strange tension between them. She still wasn't sure where it had come from. She leaned over and kissed him, and she didn't pull away until she felt his body respond, his arms tightening around her as he deepened the kiss. Satisfied that she was leaving him wanting more, she finally broke the kiss.

"I'll call you," she promised before slipping out of the truck. She was sure to put a little extra sway in her hips as she walked up to the store knowing he'd be watching. Just before entering the store she turned back and looked over her shoulder. She was rewarded with Aaron's smoldering stare that told her she'd succeeded in reminding him of exactly why he should want her to come over tonight.

~∞~

Andi was so excited to see Maggie walk into the store she was practically bouncing. She pulled off her apron and walked straight to the manager's office.

"I'm taking lunch," she called into the door as she tossed her apron on a table. She turned to Maggie with a big smile on her face. "You better be ready to spill, cuz I'm about to bust!" she exclaimed. "If you hadn't come out of hiding I was about to go in there after you," she joked.

"You can call off the search party," Maggie assured her. "Do you want to get some lunch? I'm starving!"

"I bet you are," Andi teased as she hooked her arm through Maggie's and led her down the sidewalk toward a corner deli. Maggie rolled her eyes at her friend, but didn't deny the insinuation.

The women ordered lunch as Maggie began to fill Andi in on the events of the last few days. She didn't reveal the secrets Aaron had shared with her, they weren't her secrets to tell, but she did assure her friend that he'd been honest with her about his past. She also left out some of the more intimate details of the last few days, but the way she blushed when she spoke of Aaron told Andi all she needed to know.

"You're in love!" Andi declared.

"What? No. That's ridiculous. I'm just... I'm... in love," Maggie realized aloud as a smile spread across her face. There was no denying it. She'd never felt this way about a man before. The rational side of her mind tried to argue that it was just infatuation, just an overreaction to this new level of intimacy that she'd never experienced before, this new level of emotion. _Love_ her heart screamed, the emotion is love. She couldn't stop smiling as she went round and round with the idea in her mind.

"Oh yeah, you've got it bad," Andi confirmed.

"I guess I do," Maggie sighed happily. There was no reason to deny it, no reason to want to.

"So what's the plan?" Andi asked as she finished off her sandwich.

"I need to pick up some groceries, and then I was hoping I could catch a ride home with you," Maggie told her as she finished her own lunch.

"No, I mean the big plan. What are you going to do when summer is over?" Andi asked the question that Maggie had been ignoring since the day she'd arrived. Maggie felt that question hit her with full force now, and she didn't have an answer.

She felt a familiar tightening in her chest as it suddenly became harder to breathe. She could feel the panic gripping her, but she wouldn't let it take hold. Maggie had been trying to coast through this summer without making plans, without thinking of the future. It was all catching up with her now.

She'd always made plans to feel in control, to keep the panic at bay. She had no plans right now; she had no control. In the past, acknowledging that fact alone would be enough to cripple her with a panic attack, but that's not who she was anymore. It's not who she wanted to be. She had come too far from the person she'd been to go back now.

She'd proven that she could survive without a plan, and learned that sometimes allowing life to happen led you down roads you may never have found on your own. However, she also realized that she couldn't just float through the rest of her life. It was time to make a plan.

"I don't know," Maggie answered honestly. "But I think it's time to figure that out."

"I've got two more hours on my shift," Andi told her as they paid for their lunch. "But after that I can take you home."

"Alright. I'll walk around town for a while to kill some time before I start my grocery shopping."

The women hugged goodbye and Andi headed back toward the grocery store, leaving Maggie to window shop and wander the streets of Sweetwater. Maggie was lost in thought as she slowly navigated the tree-lined avenues.

She realized that a small part of her had always planned to go back to Boston. She'd considered this adventure a break from reality, a respite for her overwhelmed mind, but the little control freak that lived inside her head had always planned to go back. She'd only been fooling herself believing that she was coasting through this summer without a plan. Perhaps she had allowed herself a few months of a carefree existence, but she'd only been able to live that way because in the back of her mind she knew she would return to reality eventually. But things were different now, so many things had changed. She had changed. Had what she wanted changed as well?

The idea of returning to her solitary life in Boston was almost unbearable. But Aaron's behavior this morning also made her question whether or not he would actually want her to stay. And what if he did ask her to stay? Is that what she wanted? Was she was ready to give up her dream of becoming a doctor? She realized now that not only had she planned to return to Boston, she'd also hoped to be accepted back into school.

Maggie had always dreamed of being a doctor, and although she'd hit a major bump in the road along the way, she wasn't really sure that she was ready to give up on that dream. But how could she have both? How could she have this life with Aaron and also pursue her dreams? If she had to choose, what did she want more?

Maggie was so lost in thought that she didn't even see the gentleman in front of her until she bumped right into him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Maggie exclaimed. She looked up at the man and found a pair of ice-blue eyes staring back at her.

"Pardon me," the man said, gently gripping Maggie's arms to steady her as she stumbled backward. She quickly righted herself and stepped out of his grasp.

"I really need to learn to watch where I'm walking," Maggie apologized again. She felt very nervous under his penetrating gaze.

"The fault is mine," he insisted. "I'm afraid I'm a bit lost and I was too busy looking for a street sign that I didn't even see the beautiful woman right in front of me."

"You're not from here?" Maggie was so used to people acting like she was some kind of anomaly that the idea of another stranger in Sweetwater seemed nearly impossible.

"Just got to town today actually," he confirmed. "I'm here to visit a friend, maybe you know him? Aaron Miles."

"Oh yes! I'm... a friend of Aaron's," Maggie faltered. "He mentioned you."

"Did he now?" For just a moment the man seemed genuinely surprised. Maggie assumed it was because of how she hesitated when defining her relationship with Aaron.

"Yes, he said he had a meeting today, I'm assuming he meant with you," Maggie said.

"You wouldn't happen to have his number would you? I'd like to let him know that I'm running late, but I seem to have the wrong number saved in my phone," the man said.

"Of course." Maggie retrieved her phone from her purse and pulled up Aaron's number. After giving him the information he kindly thanked her and headed off down the street. It was only a few minutes later that Maggie realized she hadn't even gotten his name.

# ~12~

Andi did end up staying for dinner. Maggie hadn't realized just how much she'd missed her friend until she was in her company again. It was nice to have an evening of girl talk and to share her concerns about her budding new relationship.

"Don't call him tonight," Andi advised. "Give him a little time to miss you, honey."

"But I told him I'd call."

"Which is exactly why you shouldn't. You gotta make him work for it a little. Make him wonder if you've got something better to do. Trust me on this."

Those were Andi's parting words before she headed home. It was still rather early, but another storm was predicted to blow in that evening and Andi had wanted to make it home before the rain started.

Maggie decided to follow her friend's advice, but it was much easier said than done. She tried to settle down in the library with a good book and a glass of wine. Barney curled up at her feet, seemingly happy to be back to their old routine. But Maggie just couldn't concentrate on the novel in her hands. Repeatedly she caught herself picking up her phone and scrolling to Aaron's number before putting it back down again. She missed him terribly and she wondered if he was thinking of her as well.

Finally she put the book down. She wasn't really reading it anyway. She picked up her phone and stared at it. She wished Aaron would just call her, but of course he wouldn't. As far as he knew she was having a girl's night and didn't want to be bothered. Maybe Andi was wrong, maybe she should call him. Maybe he was sitting home alone just like she was, staring at his phone hoping she would call.

Maggie realized that even though she had spent hundreds of nights alone she'd never before felt this lonely. The difference was now she knew what she was missing. She wondered if this is what it would be like if she went back to Boston, spending each night alone missing Aaron, wondering what he was doing and if he was thinking of her.

Barney jumped up onto her lap, as if sensing that she needed some affection. The cat purred and rubbed his head against her shoulder. Maggie hugged the cat to her chest.

"Should I call him?" she asked the cat who only butted his head against her chin in response "If you say so," Maggie said as she picked up her phone.

However this time when she scrolled to Aaron's number she realized that her phone had lost all signal. Suddenly a blinding light flashed outside and almost simultaneously a clap of thunder as loud as a bomb exploding erupted over the house. Maggie instinctively ducked for cover just as the lights went out.

Barney cried irritably and Maggie realized that she'd thrown herself to the floor and was now lying on top of the cat. She quickly rolled off of him.

"Sorry, Barney," Maggie said as she stroked the cats head, still clutching him in her arms. The room was nearly pitch black, but was intermittently lit up by the flashing lightening outside. The roar of the rain sounded like a freight train and thunder continued to boom overhead.

Maggie felt around on the floor until she located her phone. She had no signal. The storm must be interfering. The illumination from the screen gave her enough light to find her way from the library to the base of the stairs. She was still carrying the cat and decided that tonight she'd allow him to sleep with her. She reasoned with herself that he'd probably be scared from the storm and it would be cruel to leave him downstairs alone.

She began to ascend the stairs and Barney, who up until that point had seemed rather unaffected by the storm, began to shift and squirm in her arms.

"It's okay, baby," she crooned to the cat who seemed more and more agitated as she neared the top of the steps. Just before she'd reached the landing Barney hissed and jumped from her arms, jetting back down the steps as fast as he could go.

"That was odd," Maggie said into the darkness. She slowly made her way toward the West wing, wanting nothing more than to crawl under the covers and wait out this thunderstorm. Behind her Maggie heard the distinctive sound of a door closing. She jumped at the sound and whirled around holding her phone up, but the light was not enough to see more than a foot or so in front of her. Beyond that was utter darkness. Maggie held perfectly still listening and staring into the black void. After a moment of silence she finally turned and fled to her room, slamming the door shut behind her and running for the safety and comfort of her bed.

Maggie pulled the covers over her head, just like she had done as a child, and waited out the storm, counting the seconds between the flashes of lightening and the following thunder. Finally as she felt confident that the worst of the storm was passing Maggie began to slowly relax. The power was still out but the sound of rain outside had quieted and the sounds of thunder had faded into the distance.

Maggie decided to try to fall asleep. She slipped out of her jeans and pulled off her bra leaving only her blouse and panties. She listened to the sounds of the receding storm, but her mind wouldn't calm. She wondered about Barney's strange reaction to being carried upstairs, and realized for the first time that the cat had never stepped foot on the second floor, which seemed odd considering how much he'd made himself at home downstairs. She also wondered about the sound she'd heard from the deserted East wing and considered whether or not the two incidents could be related. Had the cat sensed something upstairs that had frightened him? Or had it just been the storm itself that had him spooked?

As Maggie lay in bed trying to convince herself that she was overreacting she heard the unmistakable creak from the staircase just down the hall. She knew that sound. There was a loose floor board on the third step from the top and it creaked each time she stepped on it. Maggie held perfectly still as she listened for another sound. Was someone in the house?

Again she heard the creak of floor boards, this time closer. Maggie sat up in bed and stared at the door of the room. Through the darkness she saw a light sweep across the crevice under the door. She blinked her eyes, hoping that her mind was playing tricks on her. Then the door to her room swung open.

Maggie screamed, scrambling from the bed and getting tangled in the blankets as she fell to the floor.

"Maggie!?" Aaron's voice broke through the darkness like a beacon in the night. Relief flooded through her instantly.

"My God, Aaron! You scared me to death!" Maggie exclaimed as she fumbled around on the floor trying to unwrap herself from the bed sheets.

Aaron's laughter filled the room, which only irritated her more. "What are you doing on the floor?" he asked as he came around the bed and shined a flashlight down on her. She indignantly removed the last of the tangled sheets from her legs and stood in front of him brushing herself off.

"I thought I was hiding from some psycho killer who'd broken into the house to murder me!" she informed him irritably.

"Hiding in the sheets?" Aaron asked and she could hear the laughter in his voice. She slapped his chest.

"It's not funny," she insisted, crossing her arms over her chest. "You still haven't told me what you're doing here."

"I came to make sure you were okay," Aaron said, and some of her irritation melted away.

"Oh." Her heart rate was finally returning to normal.

"So are you?" he asked as he stepped forward, closing to distance between them and wrapping his arms around her.

"Am I what?" she asked dreamily, all annoyance forgotten at his touch.

"Are you okay?"

"Never been better," she breathed, staring up into his eyes as he brought his mouth to hers. He kissed her tenderly at first, stroking her back in a soothing rhythm. She melted against him, responding to him instantly and grasping onto his broad shoulders to pull him closer. His kiss intensified, delving deeper with a need that belied his subtle approach.

"You didn't call," he breathed against her neck as he trailed kisses down to her collarbone.

"Andi told me not to," Maggie admitted as she leaned her head back while he kissed her throat. "She told me to play hard to get."

Aaron chuckled softly, she could feel his warm breath on her skin and it sent shivers through her. "Trust me, Maggie, nothing about us is easy." And with that cryptic response he swept her up into his arms and carried her to the bed. He laid her down gently and stood over her. He was just a silhouette in the darkness.

"We come from different worlds," he told her as he slowly began unbuttoning her blouse. Her nipples were hard peaks below the thin fabric, aching to be touched. "Our paths would never have crossed if we hadn't both been brought to this place." He pulled her blouse open and slowly trailed a finger down from her collarbone to her waist. She arched her back at his touch.

"And I know that I've never done anything good enough to deserve you," he continued as he placed a soft kiss on her abdomen and hooked his fingers under the waistband of her panties.

"That's not true," Maggie argued breathlessly as she lifted her hips so that he could slide them off. "You don't see yourself like I do."

"No one does," he whispered just before he claimed her mouth in a searing kiss.

# ~13~

Maggie woke the next morning to Aaron gently caressing her cheek.

"I'm sorry to wake you," he whispered as her eyes fluttered open. "I need to go but I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye."

"Where are you going?" she asked, trying to sit up as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Don't get up. It's early." He gently pushed her back down onto the bed. She went willingly, fighting just to keep her eyelids open. "I've got another meeting. This one is in Savannah so I'll probably be gone most of the day," he explained as he slipped from the bed and pulled his jeans back on.

"Another meeting?" Maggie asked sleepily.

"I should be back by dinner, and hopefully we'll have something to celebrate. I'll tell you all about it later, okay?" Aaron searched the room until he found his discarded t-shirt.

"Alright," Maggie conceded, pouting a little.

"Go back to sleep," he whispered as he leaned down to kiss her. Then he slipped out of the room, quietly shutting the door.

~∞~

Several hours later when Maggie woke again she was left to wonder about yet another mysterious meeting, however, this time Aaron had promised to tell her all about it. Unfortunately he'd said he'd be gone most of the day which meant she had a very long time to wait.

She tried to fall back into her old routine. She had her coffee on the veranda and then took a stroll around the grounds with Barney in tow. The orchards were in full bloom and the sweet smell of peaches permeated the humid air. Aaron had told her that the harvesting crew would be arriving at the end of this week. It made her sad to realize that the harvest would start soon, because that was quite literally the beginning of the end. When the harvest was over it would be time for her to leave. She wasn't ready for the end of summer yet, wasn't ready for the decisions that would come with it.

As Maggie made her way back to the house she felt anxious. The abundance of free-time that had once felt like a blessing now seemed a burden. She had no idea how to fill her time. She wondered if it was missing Aaron's presence that made her feel so restless.

Finally unable to sit still any longer, she decided to take a bicycle ride into town. The heat was oppressive, but she was fueled by a need to keep moving, and somehow she'd actually grown somewhat accustomed to the unrelenting heat.

She was covered in a healthy layer of sweat when she reached Sweetwater. Her first stop was at the corner diner where she ordered an ice-cold coke and used the restroom to splash some water on her face and freshen up. After that she felt revived enough to take a walk around town.

She wandered in and out of a few shops, but mostly she just walked and contemplated the choices that lay in front of her. She was falling in love and she knew it. It was easy to imagine spending the rest of her life making love to that man, but she was just too much of a realist to dwell in that fantasy for too long. She knew that if she stayed her days would not be filled with making love in a mansion. She would need to find a job and a place of her own.

Was she ready to build a life here? Was she ready to give up on her dream of finishing medical school? Could she be happy living a quiet little life in this small town? Questions swirled through her mind as she wandered the streets aimlessly.

When she was with Aaron, in his arms, the answers seemed obvious. But when she was alone, when she could think clearly, without the distraction of his seductive eyes and charming smile, she wondered if that would be enough. Right now she didn't want to spend a moment apart from him, but how long did that kind of love last?

Maggie suddenly realized that she'd come to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk. She glanced around to see if anyone had noticed and her eyes focused on the storefront window beside her. There was an ad tacked to the window with a picture of a Jeep. The car was for sale and the flyer said to inquire within. Maggie found herself walking into the store before she'd realized that she'd even made a decision. If there was one thing she had learned from this summer it was that sometimes when life presents a path you should take it.

"Good afternoon," the cheerful clerk greeted Maggie as she entered the small antique store.

"Hello. I was wondering about the ad on the window for the Jeep. Do you know who's selling it?" Maggie asked as she approached the counter.

"Well, that would be me," the woman smiled. "My name is Brandy Raulston, I own this little shop," she announced proudly.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Raulston. My name is Maggie Overton," she introduced as she extended her hand.

"Please call me Brandy, my mother-in-law was Mrs. Raulston," the woman laughed as she shook Maggie's hand. "So you're interested in the Jeep?" she asked.

"Yes. Is it yours?" Maggie asked.

"My granddaughter's actually. Just bought it for her as a graduation gift a few months ago and she went and got herself accepted into the University of Hawaii if you could believe that. You don't even want to know what it costs to ship a Jeep from Georgia to Hawaii!" the woman exclaimed. "Anyway, she's gone off and left me to sell it."

"How much do you want for it?" Maggie asked.

"I bought it used for $5,000 just a few months ago and I was hoping to get that back out of it."

"Oh." Maggie only had half that. She'd known it was a long shot, but it had been worth a try. "That's a little more than I have, but thank you for your time." Maggie said politely as she turned to leave.

"Maybe we could work something out," the storeowner said before Maggie could leave. "When my granddaughter left she also left me a bit shorthanded here at the shop. You wouldn't be looking for work would you?"

Sometimes when a path presents itself, you take it.

~∞~

Maggie couldn't stop smiling as she drove her new Jeep to the grocery store to show Andi, who immediately took her lunch break so that Maggie could take her for a ride. After a short cruise around Sweetwater, the girls stopped for lunch at what was quickly becoming Maggie's favorite café.

After Maggie reluctantly returned Andi to work she continued her tour of Sweetwater, slowly driving up and down every street, exploring the residential neighborhoods and the outlying areas. She imagined herself living here with Aaron in one of the quaint little homes, raising a family, working at Ms. Brandy's antique store. It was a happy life that she imagined and yet a far cry from the one she'd once dreamed of.

Maggie remembered with distinct clarity the night she'd decided she was going to be a doctor. It was her first sleepover at a friend's house. She was ten years old and her mother had allowed the sleepover only because it was with the daughter of a wealthy businessman who her father was in negotiations with.

The motives didn't matter to Maggie, for her it was her first taste of freedom from the rigid schedule her mother held her to. It had been a night of many firsts. Her first taste of junk food, the first time she'd ever broken her mother's very strict 9:00 bedtime rule, and the first time she'd ever watched television for hours on end. Maggie recalled being amazed with the fact that Jennifer had a television in her room. The only televisions in Maggie's house were in her father's den, where she was never allowed, and in the housekeeper Mrs. Burton's room.

Maggie had many fond memories of watching The Flintstones in Mrs. Burton's room in the early morning hours before school, but she'd never before watched sit-coms and late night dramas. She was enthralled with everything that cable television had to offer.

The show that captured Maggie's attention the most was the hour long series about emergency room doctors. Maggie was glued to the screen, watching with rapt attention as the doctors on the show handled one catastrophic event after another. It was an introduction to a whole new world. There were women on the show who were doctors, they were unconcerned with the state of their hair, or whether or not they dirtied their nails or ruined their make-up. They were self-sufficient, strong characters who did not define themselves by who they were married to.

In the sheltered life Maggie had lived she'd never known women could be anything other than the trophy wife her mother was raising her to be. She remembered as the show concluded releasing a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She turned to Jennifer and told her "I'm going to be a doctor."

Jennifer had laughed and changed the channel to another show, but Maggie had spent the rest of that night imagining what it would be like to be a doctor. When she'd shared that dream with her mother the next morning she'd been absolutely appalled and Maggie was never allowed to spend the night with Jennifer again. But the seed had been planted and Maggie began devoting every spare moment she could to secretly researching how she could become a doctor.

And now here she was, so many years later, considering giving up that dream for the love of a man. If she had known that this trip would bring her to this crossroads, would she have taken it? Would she give up the time she'd spent with Aaron to go back to her solitary existence?

One thing she knew for sure was that this experience had changed her. She knew now what it was to love and she knew that if she left now she would leave broken hearted. Her old life would be a lonely one now, but if she could, would she give up what she'd had with Aaron to go back to that life without the heartache? No. Whatever the cost, falling in love had been worth it. The problem was Maggie had not yet decided what that cost would be and time was running out. Summer would be over soon.

# ~14~

Maggie jumped when the phone rang, which was funny since she'd been willing it to ring for the last hour. She clambered for the phone, fumbling it before she got it to her ear. She took a stabilizing breath before answering.

"Hello." Her voice rang clear and steady, despite her racing heart.

"Hey, beautiful." Aaron's voice was sultry even over the phone.

"Hey, yourself," Maggie responded playfully. Just the sound of his voice relaxed her nerves.

"How quickly can you be ready?" Aaron asked.

"Ready for what?" Maggie asked.

"I'm taking you to dinner," Aaron told her confidently.

"What if I have other plans?" she teased.

"Cancel them."

Maggie smiled. "I can be ready in ten minutes."

"Good, I'll be there in five. We've got reservations for six."

Maggie glanced at the clock, it was 5:30. "I didn't realize there was a restaurant in this town that required reservations."

"There's one," Aaron confirmed. "See you in a minute."

Maggie hung up and ran upstairs, grateful that she'd already showered. She frantically scanned the clothes in her closet, looking for something that would be nice enough for a restaurant that required reservations. She'd spent the last several weeks in cut-off jean shorts and undershirts. She felt giddy as she pulled items from the closet, trying them on and then discarding them onto the bed. Finally she came across a sleek, dark blue wrap dress with a deep v-neck that showed more cleavage than she was normally comfortable with. In this past she'd usually worn this dress with a lace camisole beneath. Tonight she didn't.

She chose to leave her hair down, brushing out the long auburn strands so that they fell down her back. Her hair had lightened under the Georgia sun, with streaks of deep gold running through it. She was just applying the last of her make-up when she heard the doorbell. She skipped down the stairs, carrying her blue strappy heels in her hands and slipping them on just before opening the door. She felt flushed as she smiled up into Aaron's expectant face.

He was momentarily speechless as he took her in. She was equally impressed as she admired his semi-formal attire. He wore a dark blue button down shirt, although he'd rolled the long sleeves to his mid-forearm and left the top button undone. It was still the nicest outfit she'd ever seen him wear. He even had on a pair of slacks and loafers that looked to be new. She realized she'd never before seen him in anything but his work boots, jeans, and t-shirt.

"We match." Aaron was the one to break the silence, although he still looked a bit star struck as he stared intently at Maggie taking her in from head to toe.

"You look fantastic," Maggie replied, unable to stop staring herself. She liked the way his broad shoulders strained against the material of his dress shirt.

"You stole my line." Aaron regained his composure, smiling his dimpled smile and extending his arm. "Shall we?"

Maggie smiled at his attempt at formality, hooking her arm through his and allowing him to guide her to the truck waiting in the driveway. Aaron opened her door and helped her in, closing the door for her once she was seated.

"I guess I'm doing things a little out of order," Aaron said once he'd joined her in the truck and started off down the driveway.

"What do you mean?" Maggie asked.

"We should have had our first date weeks ago," Aaron clarified.

"Better late than never," Maggie replied, feeling nervous butterflies as if this truly was a first date, despite the fact that she'd spent every night of the last week wrapped in this man's arms.

It was a short drive to town. Aaron passed through Sweetwater to the edge of town and pulled up alongside a beautifully restored old Victorian house. The only clue that it had been converted to a restaurant was the parking area set to the side and the awning in the front.

Aaron once again crossed around the truck to open Maggie's door and help her down. The air was still muggy despite the fact that the sun had set. Aaron offered his arm and escorted Maggie to the entrance.

At the front door Aaron gave his name to the hostess who found his reservation in her book and politely showed them to their table. As they walked through the restaurant Maggie could feel people's eyes on them. She'd nearly forgotten the way people in this town regarded Aaron. He seemed unaffected, staring straight ahead as they were ushered to their table. Maggie tried to be as stoic as he was.

Still Maggie couldn't help but notice the stares and the whispers as they were seated. This continued as they reviewed the menu and placed their order. One woman was staring so boldly that Maggie found the nerve to stare right back, making direct eye contact until the woman finally turned away.

"Don't worry about them," Aaron advised, noticing where her attention had been diverted.

"How can you stand it?" Maggie asked.

"You get used to it," Aaron shrugged.

"You shouldn't have to," Maggie said, glaring around the room one last time and catching the eye of several onlookers who weren't able to turn away fast enough.

"We can go if you want." Aaron's voice sounded defeated as he placed his napkin on the table.

"No!" Maggie replied hastily. She realized that her reaction was bothering him more than the whispers and stares. "If you can ignore them, so can I," she assured him.

"I wish you didn't have to." Aaron seemed so deflated, which only fueled Maggie's desire to make this evening a success.

"I have wonderful news," she said cheerfully just as their food arrived. Aaron looked at her interestedly so she continued. "I bought a Jeep," she announced.

"Wow, that's great!" Aaron smiled genuinely and Maggie relaxed a bit. "I have to admit I was wondering who's Jeep that was parked in the driveway. So where did you find it?"

Maggie told him of her trip to town and happening across Ms. Brandy's flyer. As she recalled the events of the day she forgot all about the people in the restaurant around them.

"So I paid her the $3,000 down and I will work for her to pay off the rest, which should take just to the end of summer. I still have a little bit of money left over from selling my old car, enough to buy groceries the rest of the summer at least," Maggie finished rather abruptly. She felt a bit awkward having mentioned the end of summer. It was something that neither of them had discussed yet, although it had been weighing heavily on her mind lately.

"Looks like it was a good day for both of us on the job market then," Aaron replied, seemingly unaffected by the mention of the possible end to their current situation. "I got my first contract to start maintaining some properties in Savannah."

"Is that what your meeting was about?" Maggie asked, relieved that their conversation had not stalled as abruptly as her story had.

"Yep. Earlier this week I was contacted by a Mr. John Branson, he owns some rental properties in Savannah and needs someone to help keep them up."

"That's wonderful, Aaron! I'm so happy for you." Maggie felt a swell of pride that he was realizing his dream of branching out his business, although she wondered if that meant he'd be moving to Savannah. It was a several hour drive from Sweetwater. Suddenly she realized the decision of their fate was not only in her hands. "Will you still work for Ms. Devereaux as well?" Maggie asked hoping it sounded like a casual question.

"Sure. I explained to Mr. Branson that I couldn't start until after the harvest. But once that wraps up, my schedule will be wide open. I still plan to maintain the grounds around the house for her, but that only requires one day a week. I do kind of owe her for all of this really," Aaron answered. Maggie felt her chest tightening. If he only needed to be here one day a week then moving to Savannah would make the most sense. Was this dinner his way of telling her good-bye? Perhaps the decision was not hers at all.

"What do you mean 'owe her'?" Maggie asked weakly, taking a sip of water. She actually only wished for Aaron to continue talking because she couldn't seem to find the breath to say much on her own at the moment.

"Well, it's kind of an odd story, of how I ended up here. I still really don't understand it myself. But I've been grateful for every moment since I arrived, despite the warm welcome from the townsfolk." Aaron rolled his eyes and nodded toward the room. Maggie again realized that she'd forgotten all about the other people in the restaurant. Being with Aaron had a way of making her forget everything else.

"Everything about this place has been like a dream come true. Especially meeting you," Aaron emphasized as he reached across the table to take Maggie's hand. "For that alone I could never thank Ms. Devereaux enough, but now this too."

"I don't understand. What does Ms. Devereaux have to do with this new job?" Maggie asked.

"Well, at first I thought Mr. Branson had seen the ad I ran in the paper, but it turns out that he hadn't even really decided for sure that he wanted to hire on anyone. He's been keeping up the properties himself, but he just bought a few more houses that need renovating so he's really got his hands full right now and was thinking of hiring someone to help. He'd only mentioned it to a few close friends and then out of nowhere he received a letter in the mail from Ms. Devereaux recommending me for the job."

"Is she a friend of his?" Maggie asked, although a part of her already knew the answer.

"He doesn't even know her, or how she came to know that he was interested in hiring any help," Aaron told her with a tone of disbelief. Again Maggie wondered who was this Ms. Devereaux and why was she taking such interest in their lives?

"He said he almost didn't call me, but then decided it was at least worth meeting me. We met here in town for lunch yesterday. That meeting went so well that he wanted me to come take a look at the properties today. I didn't mention any of this before because I wasn't really sure if it was going to pan out, but today he offered me the job!" Aaron finished his story with a wide smile. Maggie could see the pride in his eyes and she couldn't help returning his smile.

"Ms. Devereaux must really be fond of you," Maggie answered, still unsure of what any of this meant for them.

"That's the strangest part, Maggie. I've never met her."

"What do you mean you've never met her?" Maggie practically shouted in surprise "How is that possible?" she asked, lowering her voice again.

"Have you met her?" Aaron asked.

"No, but... I just assumed," Maggie said.

"I haven't been here that much longer than you. When I arrived the house was empty, or at least has always appeared that way. I'd never seen anyone coming or going until you arrived. When I got here the only thing waiting for me was a letter and a key. My paycheck is directly deposited into an account that was set up for me when I took the job. I've never met her," Aaron said again, shrugging to show his own bewilderment.

"So how did you end up here?" Maggie asked, feeling as if she was on the verge of discovering a piece of this very confusing puzzle.

"She brought me here," Aaron answered quietly.

Before he could elaborate, the waiter appeared to clear their empty dishes and deliver the bill. Aaron looked a bit relieved. Maggie sat back, realizing that she'd quite literally forgotten everyone else in the room.

As they exited the restaurant Maggie paid no heed to the prying eyes of the other patrons. Her mind was racing, trying to connect all the pieces and make sense of it. Maggie felt like if she could just understand why Aaron was here then maybe she could figure out why she had been brought here as well. The longer she stayed the less she believed that the flyer placed in front of her dorm room had been put there at random. She felt like she'd been chosen by Ms. Devereaux, brought here for a reason, but she still didn't understand what or why. She was hoping that maybe Aaron could help her find the answer.

As they drove down the road Maggie waited for him to continue his story, but he remained silent seemingly lost in thought. Rather than pushing him, she decided it was time to open up to Aaron about her past. She hadn't even told him about medical school or why she'd left. He'd already trusted her with so much of his own past and she owed him the same kind of honesty.

"Do you remember how I said I'd moved to Boston for school?" Maggie began, but before she could continue they came around a bend on the dark country road and saw a car pulled off into the ditch with the hazard lights on.

"I wonder if they need help," Aaron said as he pulled up behind the car. "Stay here," he told Maggie before he climbed out of the truck and walked to the car to investigate. Maggie saw him open the door to the vehicle and duck down to look inside. He immediately straightened and rushed back to the truck throwing his door open wide.

"Call 911!" he said. "It's Lacey Buchannan and I think she's gone into labor."

# ~15~

Maggie jumped from the truck and ran to the car. She tossed Aaron her cell phone. "Call," she instructed as she leaned down over Lacey who was slumped in the driver's seat clutching her protruding belly and moaning.

"Lacey, Lacey, look at me," Maggie commanded as she grasped the sides of her face and forced the girl to look at her. She was bone white and drenched in sweat. Her breath was coming in short gasps and her eyes were glassy as she tried to focus on Maggie's face.

"It's too soon," she whispered before she was wracked with another pain that had her doubling forward as she cried out.

"Mama!" came a cry from the backseat, and Maggie turned to see little Courtney sobbing.

"It's okay, honey. Your mama is going to be fine," Maggie promised as the little girl continued to wail.

"The ambulance is on its way," Aaron said, coming up beside Maggie.

"Take Courtney," Maggie directed. "I need to move her to the back seat."

Aaron followed her instructions without question. He opened the back door and bent down to look at the frightened little girl.

"Hi, Courtney. Do you remember me?" Aaron asked in a soft voice. The little girl nodded her head.

"From the picnic." Courtney's little voice trembled as tears streaked down her face.

"That's right, we met at the picnic," Aaron continued calmly. "I'm going to unbuckle your seat belt now, okay?" He waited for the little girl to nod before he undid the restraint and lifted her from the car.

"Your mama is gonna be just fine," Aaron told her as he held the small girl in his arms. "We just need to give her a place to lie down until the doctors get here. They're on their way, okay?" Aaron's soothing voice had calmed the child. She sniffled and nodded her understanding.

"The doctors are coming?" she asked.

"Yes, baby, they are coming to help. Should be here any minute," he promised as he slowly walked with her back towards his truck.

~

"Lacey, I need you to stay with me," Maggie said. "I need your help. We are going to move you. Do you think you can move?"

Lacey shook her head. "I can't."

"Yes you can," Maggie insisted. "We are going to do this together. First you're going to swing your legs out of the car. Come on, Lacey, I know you can do this."

With a little help Lacey managed to shift in her seat, allowing her legs to swing out and her feet to touch the ground.

"See, that was easy," Maggie encouraged. "Now I need you to wrap your arms around my neck like you're giving me a hug. I'm going to help you get to your feet."

"I can't," Lacey cried as yet another contraction had her folding down over her belly and crying out in pain.

Maggie rubbed her back and reminded her to breathe until the spasm had passed.

"Okay, now put your arms around my neck." Maggie's tone left no room for argument. Lacey did as she was told. "Hold on tight, don't let me go," Maggie told her as she wrapped her arms around the woman's waist. "Now on three. One. Two. Three." Maggie heaved, pulling Lacey to her feet. As soon as she was upright Maggie felt a rush of fluid hit her feet.

"Oh God!" Lacey cried, as her knees began to buckle.

"Oh no you don't," Maggie said, holding her up. "It was just your water breaking. Lacey, I need you to help me. This baby is coming. We need to get you into the back seat."

"It can't come. Not now." Lacey shook her head in denial.

"Whether you like it or not, this baby is coming. Arguing with me won't change that fact. Now I need you to take a step."

"Here, let me help," Aaron spoke up, appearing beside the women. He wrapped his arm around Lacey, supporting most of her weight as he helped Maggie maneuver her around to the backseat.

"Where's Courtney?" Lacey asked frantically.

"She's fine," Aaron assured her. "She's right back there in my truck." Lacey stared into Aaron's eyes with a look of sheer panic on her face.

"I won't let anything happen to her." he promised "You just let Maggie help you." Lacey nodded as Maggie helped her to recline back onto the rear seat.

"You should go check on Courtney." Maggie told Aaron as she adjusted Lacey onto the seat. He nodded and jogged back to his truck.

"What's happening to my Mama?" Courtney was sobbing again. Aaron climbed into the truck and tucked the little girl under his arm.

"By the looks of it she's having a baby," Aaron answered honestly.

"Why is she crying?" Courtney cried as she snuggled into his side. He stroked her head just like he used to do for his little sister when she was upset.

"Well, sweetie, it hurts to have a baby." He didn't know how to answer her questions without being honest. "But you know what?"

"What?" she looked up at him with big, scared eyes.

"It's worth it. Because this part will only last a little while and then she'll have a beautiful baby just like you and your brothers."

"Did it hurt like this when she had me?" Although the child had stopped crying again her lower lip still trembled.

"A little. But I bet she forgot all about that the moment she saw your beautiful, big brown eyes." Aaron poked the tip of her nose and elicited a small smile from the girl.

"She's gonna be okay?" Courtney asked again.

"I promise." Aaron hugged her and kissed the top of her head. "I'm gonna go check on her, okay? See if they need any help. I'll be right back. Can you be a big girl for a few minutes and wait here?"

Courtney nodded and Aaron opened the door to the truck. "Here take this," he told her, handing her a flashlight that was under the seat. "If you need me just turn it on and wave it around in the air. I'll see it and come right back," He promised. The little girl nodded hugging the flashlight to her chest.

He jogged back over to the car and found Maggie on her knees knelt down in front of the back seat. Lacey was laid back on the seat with a blanket draped over her raised knees. Maggie's hands were beneath the blanket.

"You're doing great!" Maggie encouraged. "I can feel the head. Take another deep breath and push."

"Push?!" Aaron exclaimed. "Shouldn't she wait for the paramedics?"

"There isn't time," Maggie responded calmly, only briefly glancing up at Aaron and then turning back to Lacey. "Good, now push," Maggie instructed.

Lacey cried out as she bore down. Aaron shifted anxiously, wanting to be back at the truck with Courtney. He felt much more capable of soothing a crying child then dealing with this.

"One more, Lacey. I can feel the shoulders. Push!" Maggie demanded.

Lacey screamed as she gave every last ounce of energy she had. And then, just as the sound of her cry was dying away, Aaron heard the distinct shrill cry of a newborn baby.

"You did it," Maggie said, lifting the bloody infant from under the blanket and laying him on his mother's stomach.

"I need something to tie off the umbilical cord. A zip tie, shoe lace, anything." she instructed, looking up at Aaron.

He nodded numbly, still staring at the squirming little baby. Even though it was covered in blood and slime and God knows what else, it was still the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"Aaron, now," Maggie said. He jumped at the command and then nodded, running back to the truck to find what she needed.

"Is Mama okay?" Courtney asked as soon as he opened the door.

"Yeah, she's great. The baby's here. I need... I need your shoelace," Aaron said, feeling a bit lightheaded. Courtney pulled off her shoe and handed it to him, confusion all over her face.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" she asked as he pulled the lace from the shoe.

"I don't know" Aaron realized. "I'll go ask. Be right back," he said as he turned and ran back to the car.

He handed the shoelace to Maggie as soon as he reached her side. Lacey was now propped up and looking much better than she had a few minutes earlier. Her hair was plastered to her face with sweat but at least the color had returned. The baby was wrapped in a blanket in its mother's arms.

"Courtney wants to know if it's a girl or a boy," Aaron said dazedly.

"A boy," Lacey said, smiling up at him.

Just then the sounds of sirens filled the air as the ambulance arrived. Maggie stepped aside and briefly spoke with one of the paramedics while the others attended to mother and baby. As they loaded Lacey into the ambulance Aaron spoke up.

"Wait. Courtney needs to see that you're okay before they take you away," he told them as he turned and ran for the truck, returning shortly with the little girl in his arms. She clung to him, frightened by all the lights and sirens.

"See, what'd I tell ya. Your mama is just fine and look at your new baby brother," Aaron said, holding the little girl out so she could gaze down at the baby.

"Does it hurt, Mama?" Courtney asked.

"Not anymore, baby." Lacey promised. "Will you be okay to stay with Maggie until Daddy comes to get you?"

"I want to stay with Aaron," The little girl insisted, hugging tightly to his neck. Lacey looked up into Aaron's face, but this time all he saw was gratitude.

"That's fine, baby. Just be a good girl." Lacey smiled as they pushed the gurney into the ambulance. They stood on the road watching as it pulled away, Courtney still held firmly in Aaron's arms.

"How did you know what to do?" Aaron asked Maggie.

"I learned how to deliver a baby when I was in medical school," she answered.

# ~16~

Maggie could feel the exhaustion sinking in as they walked through the doors of the hospital. As soon as the ambulance had pulled away Maggie called Andi and asked her to get ahold of Travis Buchannan to let him know what happened. Andi had then called her back with instructions on where they could take Courtney.

After dropping Courtney off with her grandmother, Maggie went home to change out of her ruined dress and clean up. The warm water of the shower had relaxed away the last of her adrenaline rush and she'd wanted nothing more than to climb into bed and collapse. But she needed to check on Lacey and make sure she was okay.

Aaron insisted on driving her to the hospital. He told her that she looked like she was going to fall asleep at any minute and he didn't want her going alone. He hadn't yet questioned her about medical school and Maggie was grateful that Aaron was leaving it alone for the time being. She was just too exhausted to have that conversation right now.

They gave Lacey's name to the front desk receptionist who directed them to the appropriate floor. As the elevator ascended Maggie leaned her head against Aaron's shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her partially supporting her weight. He'd been right. She could easily fall asleep on her feet. She was glad he was with her despite the awkward silence that was between them.

When the elevator doors opened Maggie was surprised to find a crowd gathered in the hallway in front of them. Nearly all of Sweetwater was crowded into the narrow hospital corridor despite the late hour. Andi must've called everyone she knew.

As they approached the crowd people turned to look at them. Most of the faces Maggie was beginning to recognize including Ms. Brandy from the antique store. She was the first to approach.

"The whole town's buzzin' about you delivering Lacey's baby," Ms. Brandy told her excitedly.

"How is Lacey?" Maggie asked.

"Travis is in with her now," she said. "I hear you were quite the hero as well," Ms. Brandy said, turning to Aaron. Maggie didn't miss the look of surprise that crossed his face.

"Maggie did everything," he insisted humbly.

"That's not how little Miss Courtney tells it," Ms. Brandy told him smiling.

"Aaron!" Courtney's little voice rang down the hall. They turned to see the little girl pulling away from her grandmother who was seated on the plastic chairs along the wall. Her arms were already full with Courtney's two brothers so she was able to slip out of her grasp easily. She ran through the crowd, weaving through the bodies with a big smile on her face. When she reached Aaron she literally jumped into his arms.

"Hey, Kiddo, you doing okay?" he asked as he picked her up and hugged her. Maggie realized that every eye was suddenly on them.

"I've got another brother!" she told him.

"I know," Aaron said, still only paying attention to the child and not yet acknowledging the audience that was hanging on their every word.

Just then the door of the hospital room opened and Travis Buchannan stepped out. Almost simultaneously every head in the room turned to him.

"Lacey is doing great and resting comfortably." Travis addressed the crowd, but his eyes were on Aaron and his daughter. "And my son is a perfectly healthy 6 lbs 7 oz. Even though he was a few weeks early the doctors say he is doing great."

There was a collective sigh and murmurs of relief and excitement throughout the crowd. Travis began crossing the room, walking straight for Aaron and Maggie. The murmurs died down as people watched with rapt attention. Aaron slowly lowered Courtney down to the floor despite her protests.

Maggie had never seen Travis Buchannan before. He was a broad and intimidating man. She looked to Aaron who stood stoically at her side holding eye contact with the man who was quickly approaching them. Maggie prepared to come to Aaron's defense if Travis had any harsh words for him.

Travis stopped just in front of Aaron and his expression betrayed nothing of his emotion. At that moment the room had fallen so silent you could have heard a pin drop. Travis extended his hand as a smile broke out across his face.

"Courtney hasn't stopped talking about you all night," Travis said as he shook Aaron's hand. "Thank you for making sure my daughter was okay through this."

"It was the least I could do." Aaron nodded and then looked down at the little girl who was beaming up at him. As soon as his hand was free again Courtney slipped her little hand into his.

Travis turned to Maggie next and without a word pulled her into his arms in a crushing embrace. "I owe you everything for what you did for my wife tonight," he told her. "I can't thank you enough."

"I'm just glad she's alright," Maggie said, smiling with relief.

"She'd like to see you," Travis said. "Both of you."

Maggie and Aaron followed Travis to the room, sending Courtney back over to her grandmother who smiled at them kindly from her chair. They found Lacey propped up on the hospital bed with a sleeping baby wrapped in her arms. She smiled up at them as soon as they entered.

"Isn't he beautiful?" she whispered, looking down at her sleeping baby. They stepped up to the side of the bed to gaze down at the tiny infant.

"He's perfect," Maggie responded softly.

"Thanks to you." Lacey smiled up at her.

"You did the hardest part," Maggie insisted.

"We were talking about names," Travis spoke up, stepping up beside his wife.

"We'd like to name him Aaron," Lacey said, looking over to Aaron.

"I don't know what to say," Aaron replied. Maggie smiled over at him reaching out to take his hand. "I'm honored."

"I was wrong about you," Lacey told him earnestly. Aaron was speechless. Maggie could see him trying to swallow back tears as he bowed his head modestly.

"Of course we considered naming him Maggie," Travis joked, lightening the mood.

"I think Aaron is much more fitting." Maggie smiled over at him.

"That's what Lacey said." He shrugged as he lifted a bottle of water to take a drink.

"Maybe the next one will be a girl," Lacey said lightly, causing Travis to choke on his water as quiet laughter filled the room.

"We'll leave you two to figure that out," Maggie said. "In the meantime, try to get some sleep," she advised Lacy, who looked completely exhausted.

"Yes, Dr. Maggie," Lacey said with a sleepy smile.

~∞~

Lacey's parting words hung heavy in the air on the silent drive home. Maggie knew she needed to have this conversation with Aaron, she just wasn't ready for it. Aaron had shared so much about his past with her and she had told him very little about herself. She tried to reason with herself that she hadn't intentionally kept anything from him, but she knew it wasn't true. She knew that to share with him her past meant to include him in the decision about her future. She also knew that after the time they'd spent together he deserved to be included.

She hadn't even realized she'd fallen asleep until Aaron was waking her.

"We're home," he said softly as he pulled to a stop in her driveway. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she stumbled from the truck. He crossed around quickly to help her into the house.

He guided her to her room without a word and when she plopped down on the bed he pulled her shoes off for her.

"Will you stay?" she asked as she swung her legs onto the bed and struggled to keep her eyes open.

"If you want me to," he said softly.

"I want you to," she yawned. He kicked off his own shoes and climbed into bed beside her.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about medical school," she mumbled almost incoherently as she drifted off into sleep.

"We can talk tomorrow," he said as he wrapped his arm around her waist and cuddled against her side.

Luckily Maggie wasn't awake long enough to worry too much about tomorrow.

# ~17~

Maggie woke slowly the next morning. The first thing she noticed was that she was alone in bed, and she wondered if Aaron had gone home. Then she realized that she could hear something outside. She climbed out of bed, stretching out her sore muscles as she walked to the balcony. She looked out into the backyard and saw several large trucks with cherry picker baskets positioned at the front of the orchards. Aaron was standing below with a group of men gesturing out toward the fields. The harvest was beginning.

Maggie felt a wave of sadness as the implications sank in. Then she suddenly remembered that she was supposed to start work today at Ms. Brandy's antique store. She quickly scrambled toward the bathroom to shower and change.

Maggie was dressed and out of the house in record time. She couldn't be late for her first day of work. She regretted that she hadn't said goodbye to Aaron, but she did leave him a note. A small part of her was grateful for the excuse to put off the inevitable conversation that was coming.

One thing Maggie realized above all else last night was that she still wanted to be a doctor, wanted it more than anything. But she wasn't ready to say goodbye. She'd been foolish to think that she could have a reckless summer fling and walk away unscathed. She'd been foolish not to realize that she would fall in love.

"I'm so sorry I'm late!" Maggie exclaimed as she walked through the door of the shop. Despite her mad dash she still hadn't made it on time.

"Honey, after the night you had I'm sure you needed the sleep!" Ms. Brandy replied kindly. "Think nothing of it."

The morning passed quickly as she showed Maggie around the shop and taught her how to use the register. Business was steady throughout the day. It amazed Maggie that Ms. Brandy seemed to know what occupied each and every nook and cranny of the crowded store. If someone came in looking for a specific item Ms. Brandy knew without hesitation whether or not she had it and exactly where it was located.

As the afternoon wore on the foot traffic from the street slowed down and Maggie was given the chore of dusting the crowded shelves of the curio cabinets that lined the walls. Maggie took her time, meticulously cleaning the shelves as she admired the objects they held. There were delicate china, old silver sets, ceramic pitchers and washing bowls, carved wooden figurines that could have been over a century old. As Maggie moved along she came across an apothecary table that held a display of medical instruments from the early 1800's. Maggie recognized some of the devices from her text books. She picked up the antique stethoscope and stared down at the object, marveling at how such a delicate item had survived over a century.

"I got that set when old Doc Robbins passed away a few years back. He was the town doctor, just like his father before him. This set had belonged to his grandfather, and I found it boxed up in his attic during the estate sale," Ms. Brandy said as she walked over to see what had caught Maggie's attention.

"It's amazing that it's in such great condition," Maggie commented as she gently laid the stethoscope back down in the velvet lined box.

"We haven't had a town doctor since Doc died. Sure was nice havin' one around. Now we gotta drive up to the main hospital for every little thing," Ms. Brandy commented nonchalantly as she walked around Maggie to fluff some silk pillows that were piled on an antique settee.

"There's no Doc Robbins Jr.?" Maggie asked conversationally.

"Mrs. Robbins never did have any children." Ms. Brandy shook her head sadly. "Speaking of babies, how exactly did you know how to deliver that little one last night?"

Maggie felt as if she'd walked into a trap. She suspected this conversation had been headed in this direction all along.

"Back in Boston I went to Harvard medical school," Maggie answered honestly.

"So you're a doctor?" Ms. Brandy asked in an off-handed way. Maggie assumed her seeming lack of interest was feigned, but she decided that perhaps this would be a good time to practice the conversation that she was going to have with Aaron that evening.

"I didn't finish school," Maggie admitted. "So no, I'm not a doctor. Not yet."

"Hmmm. You know Mercer has a pretty good med program in Savannah," Ms. Brandy mentioned as she continued to meander through the shop, adjusting and fine-tuning the placement of items on shelves.

Maggie stopped short, still holding the feather duster mid-way to the top shelf of a china hutch. "In Savannah?" she asked. She immediately thought of Aaron and the new job he'd just found in Savannah.

"Harvard may have a big, fancy name. But it ain't the only place you can learn to be a doctor, and Boston ain't the only town that needs 'em," Ms. Brandy told her, this time facing her and looking her straight in the eye. Then she shrugged casually as she turned to head back up to the front of the shop and greet a customer who had just entered.

Although Ms. Brandy had said very little, she'd given Maggie a lot to think about. Her mind was working over the possibilities the rest of the afternoon.

Maggie left work with high spirits. Perhaps there was hope after all. She was ready to face Aaron, ready to face the future. She didn't want to put it off any longer, so instead of driving back to Devereaux Manor, she took the turn off on the dirt road that she was sure lead to Aaron's place. She still hadn't been there, but it was time. It was time for everything to be put on the table. Maggie was very aware of the fact that the decisions she was facing were not hers alone. Before she could decide whether or not she would stay, she first needed to find out if he even wanted her to. Tonight would be a turning point for them.

As she drove up the rutted out driveway she saw the roof of the old barn coming into view. She decided that she should call rather than just knock on the door. She pulled out her cell phone and smiled when his name was the first to come up on her contact list.

"Hey, beautiful," Aaron answered.

"Hey there, yourself," Maggie replied. "Got any plans tonight?" she asked coyly.

"Well, I was hoping to have a hot date," he teased.

"Oh... then maybe I should turn around," she playfully pouted.

"Turn around?" the alarm in his voice did not sound affected.

"Mmmhmm. I was on my way to your place but if you're busy..." she trailed off smiling at their little game.

"I can come over," he said quickly, no longer playing the game. His comment reminded her of his reluctance the last time she'd mentioned coming to his house.

"Do you not want me at your house?" she asked bluntly. She was done playing games.

"No... it's not that... it's just I don't want you to have to go traipsing through the woods. It's much easier for me to come to you," he stumbled through his excuse.

"I've already traipsed," she replied as she pulled to a stop in front of the old barn. "I drove straight here from work. Should I turn around?"

There was a pause before he answered. "No, just give me a minute, okay?"

"I'll be right outside," she answered before he clicked off. She felt her stomach drop. Had she made a mistake in coming here? There was no turning back now.

She stepped out of the jeep and walked around to the small front yard looking up at the old barn. The red paint had faded to mere streaks in the grains of the wood. The structure looked as if it could be a hundred years old, although the metal gambrel roof looked fairly newer. A large set of double doors dominated the front of the façade with a similar loft window located just above it.

The barn itself was surrounded by woods. Any pastureland that may have once bordered it was now consumed by forest. There was a small lawn around it that was dotted with wild flowers. She wondered how many years it had been since this building had actually been used as a barn. At the moment it seemed quite out of place in the middle of a forest.

As she paced anxiously waiting for Aaron to appear she saw a spark of light flash in the woods. She stopped walking and stood transfixed as another and yet another little light exploded along the tree line. She stared into the forest as tiny little lights began appearing everywhere. She'd never seen anything like it.

"You look as if you've never seen lightening bugs before." Aaron's voice startled her and she spun around to face him.

"Lightening bugs?"

"Fireflies," he clarified.

"Is that what they are?" she asked with all the wonder of a child. He smiled at her excitement.

"You've really never seen them?"

She shook her head emphatically. "Never," she confirmed, turning back to watch the lights. "It's beautiful."

"They're just getting started," he told her. "There's a great view of the woods from the loft." He gestured toward the large window near the barn roof. "If you'd like to come in." He sounded almost shy in his invitation. Maggie smiled up at him.

"I'd love to," she said as she slipped her hand into his.

They walked to the small side door hand in hand. Aaron reached for the handle and pushed the door open, gesturing for Maggie to step inside. She crossed the threshold and looked around, taking in the high arched ceiling with exposed wooden beams. She was surprised at how beautiful it was. She'd never been inside a barn before, but this one was not like any she'd seen in movies or on TV.

The concrete floors were swept clean, without a trace of hay or dirt. A large rug covered a good portion of the central floor space along with a small couch, coffee table, and an old-fashioned TV complete with the "bunny ear" antennae on top. Maggie had never actually seen one of those in person. To her right she noticed a ladder leaned against the wall leading up to what she could only assume was the loft area he'd mentioned.

Across the room was a series of wooden partitions dividing the far side of the room into three sections. She imagined those had at one time been horse stalls, however, each section now served as a make-shift room in this large open space.

One area held a very small rounded refrigerator, a deep basin sink, and a very small antique stove that must have been from the 1950's. In fact, Maggie realized as she looked around the room, all of the furniture appeared to be circa 1950. A single barstool and high wooden table completed what Maggie realized was the kitchen. She noticed that the next partition had been filled with shelves to provide a sort of pantry. The shelves were filled with a variety of canned and dry foods as well as dishes and cookware. Maggie glanced over her shoulder to see Aaron still standing near the doorway watching her cautiously as she explored. She smiled at him before turning back to walk farther into the room.

The final segment revealed a small single bed with a nightstand and plain wooden dresser. The nightstand held a lamp and a pile of books. Curiosity drove Maggie into the small bedroom where she reached for the first book on top of the stack.

" _Great Expectations,_ " she read the title and turned to face Aaron again. He'd stepped farther into the room but still kept his distance, standing near the small couch. He shrugged dismissively.

"I like to read," he said quietly as he looked down and nervously shifted his feet. This was a side of Aaron that Maggie hadn't seen before. She didn't understand why he was acting so shy with her now.

"So do I," Maggie said, placing the book back on his nightstand and closing the distance between them. She reached for his hand, holding it in hers until he raised his eyes to look at her.

" _Great Expectations_ is one of my favorite books, but I never understood why Estella was so awful to Pip," she told him.

"She didn't believe he was good enough for her," Aaron responded.

"She wasn't good enough for him," Maggie countered. "It doesn't matter how you grew up. It matters who you are," Maggie said, looking deep into his eyes. He finally smiled, showing one sexy dimple before lowering his head to capture her mouth in a searing kiss.

Maggie wrapped her arms around his neck, molding her body to his and losing herself in the kiss. He slid his hands down her back, resting them on her hips and pulling her in tighter.

"I pray every night that that's true," He whispered against her lips and the raw emotion in his voice pulled at her heart. Her need intensified as she grasped his shoulders, pressing her body against his. His hands roamed over her backside and she could feel the hardness of his excitement pressing against her. A small voice in the back of her mind warned her that this might be the last moments of intimacy she shared with Aaron, depending on how the evening went. So she didn't want to let it end. She wasn't ready to.

She whimpered as he broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers, still holding her body tightly against his own. "Did you want to watch the fireflies?" he asked breathlessly.

"What fireflies?" she asked, stretching up on her tiptoes to try to find his mouth again. He chuckled and then placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose.

"Come on, the sun just set, it's the perfect time. You're not going to want to miss this," he told her as he took her by the hand and led her to the ladder near the side door.

They climbed the ladder to the narrow landing above. The walkway that ran the length of this side of the building was only wide enough for a single person, but it led to a larger loft space positioned just above the big double doors beneath. When they reached the loft Maggie saw that a pallet of large cushions was set up just in front of the loft window. Aaron gestured for her to have a seat as he unclasped the doors and pushed them wide open revealing a stunning view of the grounds.

"Oh!" Maggie gasped as she took in the spectacular view. The sun had just set and the sky was infused with vibrant purples, golds, and reds. From this vantage point just above the tree line the roof of the plantation home could be seen as well as the expanse of manicured orchards that lay in the distance. The space between the barn and the big house was filled with dense forest. Aaron sat down beside her and pointed into the woods.

"Look," he said, and that's when Maggie saw the first spark in the trees, followed by another and another. It seemed as if each spark was met by five more until the forest came alive with the little sparks of lightening. It looked magical. Maggie allowed herself to imagine that the woods were filled with fairies dancing in the evening dusk.

"It's magnificent," Maggie whispered, afraid to break the spell.

They sat together with his arms wrapped around her as they watched the dance of the fairies until the sky had darkened and the stars had taken over. Holding on to the magic of the moment Maggie imagined that the stars were the fairies ascending back into the heavens.

"That was amazing," Maggie said, finally breaking the silence. "Thank you for bringing me up here." She looked up at Aaron and found that he was already watching her.

"I'm glad you came," he said, smiling down at her.

"Are you?" she asked. "It seemed like you didn't really want me to."

Aaron looked away for a moment and took a deep breath before he spoke. "I know you only came to Sweetwater for a short time," Aaron began as he looked back into her eyes, "but I was hoping that after everything that's happened between us, well, I was hoping that you might be considering staying a little longer." Maggie smiled at his words, which encouraged him to continue.

"It's just that I didn't want you to think that if you chose to stay, that you'd be choosing a life living in a barn." Aaron smiled weakly as he gestured at their surrounds. Maggie finally understood.

"Aaron, what we have, it's like nothing I've ever experienced before. It's true that when I first came here I had only planned on staying the summer. But I didn't expect to meet you. The longer I stay, the harder it is to consider leaving," Maggie told him as she looked down at their clasped hands.

"But you are still considering it?" Aaron asked cautiously.

"Yes," Maggie admitted, "but it has nothing to do with barns versus big houses," she assured him, looking up into his eyes. "If that was the only factor I would choose this barn with you over the biggest mansion in the world."

"But it's not the only factor, is it?" Aaron asked solemnly.

"No. It's not. When I left Boston, I left in a hurry. I left a lot behind." Maggie took a deep breath before continuing. "I was finishing my second year of medical school. My whole life all I'd ever wanted was to be a doctor. I left the Hamptons, left my family and all their wealth behind to pursue that dream. My mother had never supported my aspirations and I had to choose between a life of privilege or the one I really wanted. It's been six years since I've seen my family."

"That's a long time to be alone," Aaron said quietly, and Maggie knew that he of all people truly understood what it meant to be alone.

"It is, but I promised myself that I wouldn't go home again until I was a successful doctor. So that I could show them what I had achieved, so that they would be proud of me," Maggie's voice faltered.

"But now you're here." Maggie could hear the desolation in Aaron's voice as he realized the gravity of the choice that Maggie was facing.

"Now I'm here."

"What happened?"

"I became obsessed with perfection. I had to score the highest on every exam, had to be at the top of every class. I had to be the best. I worked myself into the ground trying to achieve that perfection. I rarely slept, barely ate. I studied until my eyes felt raw and then pushed myself to study more. I had no friends, no life, and no other purpose. Then one day it all caught up with me. The pressure I put on myself, it was too much. I cracked." It felt therapeutic to say it out loud, to admit her weakness.

"Anybody would have," Aaron said soothingly.

"Unfortunately that moment came for me when I was taking the medical licensing exam. I had aced every other test I'd ever taken, and yet the one test that mattered the most, the one test that determined if I would go on, that was the one that broke me. I had a panic attack. I completely froze. I couldn't breathe." Maggie's chest tightened as she remembered that awful moment.

"I ran from the lecture hall straight back to my dorm room. I felt as if my life was over. Like everything I had spent my life working for had just slipped from my grasp. I felt completely hopeless. And that's when I saw it. A flyer tacked to the corkboard in my dorm hall advertising the need for a summer caretaker. It was like a saving grace," Maggie explained.

"So you just left?" Aaron asked.

"I just left," Maggie confirmed.

"And now it's time to go back," Aaron stated sadly. She could hear the resignation mixed with pain in his voice. He pulled her against him hugging her close, but it felt like a goodbye.

"But I'm not ready to say goodbye," Maggie whispered against his chest. She wanted him to ask her to stay. She needed to know that he wanted her to. Not just for a little bit longer, but forever. Because only forever would be worth staying for.

"Maggie, I don't want to lose you, but I can't ask you to stay. I can't ask you to give that up. Not for me."

"What if I chose to stay?"

"Don't." He averted his eyes, refusing to meet her gaze.

"You don't want me to?" Maggie's voice trembled as fear and doubt took root in her mind. Maybe forever was too much to ask for.

"I was there last night, and I watched you deliver that baby. You were meant to be a doctor, Maggie. As much as I want to hold on to you, I love you too much to take that away from you."

Maggie's heart skipped a beat. He'd just said he loved her. It's what she needed to hear. She made her decision, now it was his turn to make his.

"There may be another option," she said hopefully. "Harvard isn't the only medical school. There's a program in Savannah that I could apply for," Maggie suggested. Her heart was in her throat. She held her breath as she waited for his response.

"You would do that?" she could hear the excitement in his voice as he sat up propping himself on his elbow to look down into her face. "You would really stay?"

"If you want me to," Maggie whispered. "If you ask me to, I'll stay."

Aaron grasped her face between his hands and stared down into her eyes. Maggie looked up at him hopefully.

"Stay," Aaron said as he brought his mouth to hers. "Please stay," he whispered against her lips. The kiss was hot and demanding laced with a mixture of relief and need. Maggie felt her body melting beneath his.

She wrapped her arms up around his back and pulled him closer. Her knees bent as she curled her legs around his waist. He slid his hand up her thigh, under her skirt as he kissed her passionately.

"Make love to me, Aaron," she begged.

He quickly undressed and then helped her remove her clothing. He laid over her again, gently caressing her face and placing soft kisses on her lips, her eyelids, and the tip of her nose. His tenderness brought her to the edge of tears. She could feel the smooth tip of his erection pressing against her slick opening. She lifted her hips to him but he just rubbed against her seductively, making her whimper. He was in no hurry. He looked down into her eyes, holding her gaze as he slowly pushed inside her.

She felt him fill her completely. She arched beneath him, digging her nails into his shoulders as she opened to him taking all of him inside her. But she never looked away, never broke the trance that he held her in as he moved inside her. He made love to her slowly and sweetly, just as she'd asked. Caressing her, kissing her, loving her with everything he had. As their bodies moved in a slow, passionate rhythm her tears finally overflowed. She felt as if their souls were connecting, as if they had become one.

"I love you!" she cried out as she climaxed.

"Forever," he promised as he buried his face against her neck.

Forever was all that mattered. The rest would work itself out.

# ~18~

Maggie lay with her head on Aaron's chest listening to the steady beat of his heart.

"We should go. It's getting late," Aaron said as he softly stroked her hair.

"I don't want to go," Maggie said with all the petulance of a small child. She felt his chest rumble as he chuckled.

"Don't you have to work in the morning?"

"Yes," Maggie sighed. She wasn't ready to let reality seep into the moment.

"Then you need a good night sleep, and you're not going to get one up here in this loft," Aaron said reasonably.

"I'm comfortable," Maggie insisted as she snuggled against him. The balmy night air made it quite comfortable to stay just as they were with their naked bodies entwined. She saw no reason to leave.

"If we fall asleep like this we will be eaten alive by mosquitoes come morning," Aaron warned.

"Okay, I'm up." Maggie leapt up from the pallet on the floor with comic speed. Maggie had learned her lesson about mosquitos the day she'd napped on the rock by the pond. She wouldn't make that mistake again. Aaron laughed as he sat up with her.

"I don't believe I've ever seen you move that fast," he teased as he pulled on his jeans. Maggie was searching for her clothing but so far had only come up with her wrinkled skirt.

"Here take this." Aaron tossed her his t-shirt. "I think some of your clothes may have gone out the window accidentally," he said apologetically, glancing out the loft window as he closed the doors.

Maggie pulled the t-shirt over her head as she followed Aaron to the ladder. He climbed down first and then braced the ladder from the bottom as he gestured for her to follow.

Halfway down she glanced over her shoulder to find Aaron staring up at her. More specifically staring up the shirt she was wearing, with nothing underneath. Maggie recognized the desire burning in his eyes and she smiled seductively as she slowed her movements down the ladder. As soon as she reached the bottom she felt Aaron's arms snake around her waist.

"I can't seem to keep my hands off you," he whispered against her neck.

"I'm not asking you to," she replied coyly as she turned her head to the side, exposing the length of her neck to him. She felt him laugh against her shoulder as he brought his mouth to her bare skin. She shivered as he began leaving a trail of kisses up her neck.

She continued to hold onto a high rung on the ladder as his hands moved from her hips around to her thighs. He pressed against her backside as he kissed her neck and began to slowly slide his hands up. She rotated her hips against him, feeling his excitement and taking pleasure in the groan her movements elicited from him.

His hand moved between her legs, finding her wet center ready and waiting for him. He slipped a finger inside her and she arched her back in response, leaning her head back against his shoulder as she pressed against his palm. He continued to stroke her as he kissed and nipped at the back of her neck. She held onto the ladder as her knees buckled beneath her and she began to whimper. Then she felt him pull his hand away and she began to protest but before she could form the words he was inside her, entering her from behind as she held onto the ladder for support.

She cried out in pleasure as he began to pump into her, gripping the sides of the ladder and caging her in between his strong arms. She arched her back, pressing her backside up against him so that he could enter her fully. This allowed him to reach a new depth inside her that had her screaming in ecstasy and begging for more. She braced herself against the ladder as he pushed into her over and over, with each thrust she cried out until finally she felt the flood gates released between her legs and all her strength seemed to flow from her. She began to collapse and Aaron caught her in his arms, lifting her up and carrying her to the bed.

~∞~

Over the next several weeks Maggie fell into a wonderful routine. She loved working with Ms. Brandy at the antique store, having lunch with Andi each day at their favorite café, and coming home to Aaron every night. One morning when Maggie came into work she found a brochure for Mercer University conspicuously lying on the counter. She picked it up and began flipping through it.

"I got that for my granddaughter, Melissa, last year," Ms. Brandy said as she came around a corner.

"Is she pre-med?" Maggie asked.

"During her senior year of high school that girl considered being everything from a doctor to an astronaut. None of it really stuck," she laughed.

"She's in Hawaii now, right?" Maggie remembered.

"Sure is, studying accounting of all things. Accounting! Cuz obviously you need to go all the way to Hawaii to study accounting!" Ms. Brandy rolled her eyes, but Maggie could see that beneath her exasperation she genuinely missed her granddaughter.

"You must miss her," Maggie said sympathetically. She thought briefly of her own mother and wondered if she ever thought of her.

"Least I still got Lacey and all her youngins to spoil," Ms. Brandy said happily. "I heard baby Aaron should be able to come home from the hospital next week. I know poor ole Travis is countin' down the days till Momma comes home to help with all those little rug rats."

Maggie laughed as she imagined the big hulk of a man she'd met at the hospital changing diapers and filling sippy cups.

"Are you related to Lacey?" she asked.

"Lacey is Melissa's cousin on her father's side. But family's family as far as I'm concerned. Both girls used to stay with me all the time when they were growin' up and now Lacey's babies call me Granny," Ms. Brandy said proudly. "Melissa will be back. She needed to strike out on her own for a bit, but she'll come home. She's got too much family here to stay gone."

"It must be nice to have such a big family." Maggie said wistfully. She'd never had any siblings or cousins growing up. She never even had any playmates outside of school.

Most of her childhood had been spent alone with her mother, learning how to be the perfect little lady, how to keep quiet and look pretty, to have perfect manners and popular opinions. Her father was always at the office or away on some business trip and she'd only had one living grandmother, who'd been a very stern woman that Maggie had always been somewhat frightened of. Maggie realized that the housekeeper, Mrs. Burton, was the closest thing she'd ever had to the kind of grandmother that Ms. Brandy was.

"Family doesn't have to be blood," Ms. Brandy told her, breaking into her sad reverie. "It's the people you choose to surround yourself with, the people who love you. Family is what you make it."

The sound of the door chime announced the arrival of the first customer of the day. Ms. Brandy came around the counter to greet the customer leaving Maggie with a few moments to collect her thoughts before the next customer arrived.

The morning passed quickly and when it was time for lunch Maggie walked to the grocery store to meet up with Andi.

"I have a plan," she told her friend as they ordered lunch at their favorite café.

"Sounds devious," Andi teased. "I'm in!"

"I'm staying in Georgia," Maggie announced. It felt good to say it aloud. It made her decision feel more concrete.

"Oh, Maggie, that's wonderful! I'm so glad you've decided to stay," Andi gushed, "but what about medical school?"

"Mercer has a program in Savannah that I'm going to look into," Maggie told her.

"We could be roommates!" Andi squealed. "I know where the Mercer campus is. It's not that far from Savannah State. This is perfect!"

Maggie laughed at her friend's enthusiasm. As she sat with Andi eating lunch and planning their future, Maggie realized that if she had left Aaron wouldn't have been the only person she would have missed terribly. It may have taken her twenty-four years but Maggie finally had a best friend and she'd been worth the wait.

After lunch Ms. Brandy asked Maggie to help her uncrate some new items that she'd recently purchased at an estate sale. Maggie thoroughly enjoyed the task. It was like discovering buried treasure.

She unpacked and polished a silver serving set, which Ms. Brandy then priced and set out to display on an antique sideboard. They added some new items to an already crowded china cabinet and even hung a small crystal chandelier over a Chippendale dining room set that occupied the front window display. Next they unboxed some Tiffany-style lamps which they temporarily set on the counter in the back. There was very little, if any, table top space left in the entire store.

"There's an old steamer trunk still in the back of the truck," Ms. Brandy explained. "We can put the lamps on it, if you could just help me get it. That sucker was heavier than I thought."

"Oh, sure," Maggie agreed as she followed Ms. Brandy to the back door.

It took the women several minutes to negotiate the heavy trunk from the bed of the truck onto a dolly.

"I'd thought it was empty, but there must still be something inside, as heavy as it is. Let's see what we've got," Ms. Brandy said as they settled the trunk in a corner of the shop. The lock on the front was secured and the key was missing. Maggie watched in wonder as Ms. Brandy proceeded to pick the lock.

"I'm not even going to ask where you learned that," Maggie said playfully.

"It's best you didn't know," Ms. Brandy confirmed. Once the lid of the trunk was popped the two women leaned forward to see what was inside.

The trunk was stuffed with old magazines, newspapers and photographs.

"We should sift through it," Ms. Brandy said. "You never know what we may find."

Maggie began sorting through the items in the trunk while Ms. Brandy greeted an arriving customer. She gingerly laid the yellowed newspaper clippings in a pile, glancing at the headlines as she did so. Some of the articles dated back to World War II referencing major world events like Pearl Harbor. Others were local interest pieces announcing spring cotillions and Harvest festivals.

Below the newspaper clippings were old photographs. Most were of soldiers with their loved ones. Maggie sorted through them slowly, admiring the pictures as she stacked them neatly. Then she came across a photo of two young women dressed in billowing southern belle dresses standing in front of Devereaux Manor. There was no mistaking the distinctive house.

"Whatcha got there?" Ms. Brandy asked looking over her shoulder.

"I believe it's a photograph of Devereaux Manor. Do you know who this is standing in front of it?" Maggie asked as she handed the photo to Ms. Brandy.

"Well, let's see," Ms. Brandy said as she pulled her reading glasses down from the top of her head. "Oh! This is Agnes Devereaux and Marge Garrison just before the spring cotillion of '53. Quite likely the last picture those two girls ever took together."

"Agnes Devereaux?" Maggie asked excitedly "Which one?"

Ms. Brandy pointed to the girl on the right. Maggie studied her image closely as if she could divine something from the young girl's image that would give her some insight into the old woman's actions. She was a beautiful girl, dressed in a tulle gown with flouncing layers. Her dark hair was piled high on her head in a sophisticated chignon with artfully placed ringlets falling around her face. The most striking thing about her however was the utter desolation in her expression.

Maggie looked to the other girl in the photo. She was similarly dressed, although not nearly as pretty. Her face seemed a bit pinched, her features plain, but her expression at least was what you would expect to see on a young woman about to attend a debutant ball.

"Who did you say the other girl was?" Maggie asked.

"Marge Garrison, you know her as Marge Bouchard," Ms. Brandy answered.

"Mrs. Bouchard?!" Maggie exclaimed "She and Ms. Devereaux were friends?"

"Not exactly," Ms. Brandy said. "They were cousins and came from the wealthiest family in the area. Back then that practically made them royalty. Marge was actually a year older than Agnes but had missed her coming out season the year before due to being struck with the flu. Therefore the two were both being debuted in the same year. It was quite the scandal at the time. Marge needed desperately to find a suitor, but as you can see Agnes was a much prettier girl. The whole town was buzzing with gossip over which girl would land the best match."

"How do you know all this?" Maggie asked, realizing that Ms. Brandy couldn't have been more than a toddler at the time.

"What followed that night was the biggest scandal this little town has ever seen and the story was still being whispered about at my own cotillion fifteen years later," Ms. Brandy explained. "That's how I knew exactly when that photo was taken. That was the last year that cotillion was held at Devereaux Manor, and also the last time that anyone would see Agnes Devereaux."

"What happened?"

# ~19~

"Well, the story goes that Agnes was the belle of the ball, as everyone expected she would be. Every gentleman in the hall was doting on her, asking to be placed on her dance card. However people said that she looked distraught most of the evening, barely smiling and only acknowledging her suitors to the extent that courtesy demanded.

"People say that Marge was furious not only that she was being blatantly ignored by most of the men in attendance, but also that Agnes was disregarding the attention that she so desired. They say that she confronted Agnes and the two girls were seen out in the courtyard having what seemed to be a heated discussion.

"Then Marge returned to the party and Agnes didn't. No one knew where Agnes had gone, no one expect Marge that is. Everyone was whispering about where Agnes could have disappeared to, but Marge feigned ignorance right up until the moment when she destroyed that poor girl."

"What do you mean? Where was she?" Maggie asked.

"Well, the rumor goes that Agnes had confided in Marge that she did not want to be at the ball at all. Her father had forced her to attend because she was eighteen years old and of marrying age. It was expected of her to be debuted, to find a good match, and be married off by year's end. If she didn't, her father would arrange a marriage for her. That was the custom of the time, which was partly why Marge was so desperate for attention that evening. She was already nineteen. If she did not succeed in gaining the affection of a suitable gentleman then her father already had one in mind, a business partner of his that was quite a bit older than she was."

Maggie understood the desperation that the girls must have felt that evening. As Maggie's eighteenth birthday had approached she'd lived in fear of being informed that her father was marrying her off to one of his business partner's sons to secure some sort of negotiation. She, however, had the option of going out on her own, cutting ties with her family, leaving for school, and making a life for herself. These girls, in the 1950's, didn't have that option.

"But why didn't Agnes want to be there?" Maggie asked. "Wouldn't she want to have her choice of husbands, rather than leave it in the hands of her father?"

"Apparently she was already in love with a young man who was not at the ball and would never be considered a suitable match for her. He was a young farmhand who her father had taken in when he was just a boy. He was an orphan. His own father had died in an accident on the plantation when he was ten. Mr. Devereaux had taken the boy in, converted an old barn into living quarters for him, and allowed him to live on the property. He and Agnes had grown up together."

Maggie immediately thought of Aaron and realized he was living in the same old barn that Ms. Devereaux's lover had lived in. Maggie also realized that this story must not have a happy ending, because seventy years later Ms. Devereaux was still living alone in the house, unmarried.

"What did Marge do?" Maggie asked, feeling a sense of dread settling into the pit of her stomach.

"Agnes had confided in her that she was in love with the farm boy and Marge had encouraged her to go to him. She promised to keep her secret, to cover for her, and give her this evening alone with him. Marge went back into the ball and filled her dance card pretending as if she'd never seen Agnes leave.

"Some say she waited until she'd secured an offer of courtship from Charles Bouchard, others say that she was pushed to it out of frustration because as the hours passed no one stopped asking about Agnes. It was no secret that the two girls had always been held in comparison over the years because they both came from high standing families and were of similar age, and it was also no secret that Marge never measured up to Agnes in beauty or wit or kindness. It was quite evident that Marge had always been jealous of Agnes. Many believe that she simply took this opportunity to crush the other girl out of spite. Regardless of her motive, what Marge did next destroyed Agnes."

"She told them where Agnes had gone?" Maggie guessed. Ms. Brandy nodded sadly.

"Agnes was found in the barn, wrapped in the arms of her lover. Her reputation was destroyed. Her father was furious. She was literally ripped from his arms. He was arrested and charged with assault. Charges her father pressed with a vengeance. He was hung for his 'crimes,' and Agnes was never seen again."

Maggie gasped in shock. "He was hung?! How could they do that?"

"It was a different time, and Mr. Devereaux was a very powerful man. He owned most of Sweetwater," Ms. Brandy explained.

"What do you mean they never saw Agnes again? What happened to her?" Maggie asked.

"Her father had her committed to an institution in Atlanta. They say he blamed her 'unstable mind' for her immoral behavior. However, within a few months of that fateful night her father died from a heart attack. Agnes was his only child. Her mother had died during childbirth. He'd not changed his living will and everything was left to Agnes: the plantation, all his money, and his stock interests in most of the businesses in Sweetwater. Agnes was a smart girl. She hired a lawyer, was released from the institution, and declared cured. She'd moved back into Devereaux Manor before the year was up. But she never came into town again, has never been seen again," Ms. Brandy finished.

"So that's it? She's just lived alone in that big house all these years?" Maggie asked.

Ms. Brandy nodded. "She never hires anyone local for work that needs to be done around the house and keeps a very tight circle of servants who are sworn to secrecy. No one knows anyone who has stepped foot in that house in the last seventy years, until you."

The chime of the front door made Maggie jump as Ms. Brandy's final statement sunk in. She stood from the floor brushing the dust from her knees as she went to greet the arriving customer. Maggie recognized the man as Aaron's friend whom she'd met in town a few weeks earlier.

"Good afternoon," she greeted him. "Mr. Branson, right?" Maggie asked, remembering the name that Aaron had given her when he'd told her about his meetings in Savannah.

The man seemed to hesitate for the slightest second. "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage," he replied, "as I don't know your name."

"Maggie Overton. I'm Aaron's friend," she reminded him.

"Oh yes, Aaron mentioned you," the man answered smoothly. Maggie smiled at that news, flattered that Aaron would mention her to a business associate.

"You're staying at the Devereaux plantation as well?" he asked.

"For the summer," Maggie confirmed.

"Aaron is quite the lucky man," he said, making Maggie blush.

"Are you looking at some property in the area?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"I have some family land nearby." he replied.

"Is there anything in particular that you are looking for today?" she asked, gesturing around the shop.

"Just browsing," he replied, but his eyes were riveted on her. Maggie felt a bit uncomfortable under his penetrating stare.

"Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with." she said, excusing herself.

She returned to the trunk and began organizing the articles that were strewn about the floor. She picked up the old photograph once again. She'd spent a great deal of time contemplating who Ms. Devereaux was, but to hold an actual picture in her hand, to hear her heartbreaking story, it finally made her real.

"It's getting close to closing time," Ms. Brandy said, walking back over toward Maggie. "We can finish going through the rest of the trunk tomorrow."

"May I keep this?" Maggie asked, holding up the old photograph.

"Sure. It seems fitting somehow that you should have it," Ms. Brandy told her. "Why don't you go ahead and head home. I'll close up."

"Okay, see you tomorrow," Maggie said. She retrieved her purse from behind the counter and headed out the front door.

As Maggie drove home she was lost in thought. She tried to sort through everything she'd learned about Agnes Devereaux. She was struck with the image of this poor, broken hearted girl, left to live out her life alone. She tried to figure out what would motivate her to bring random strangers into her home so many years later. Maggie couldn't ignore the haunting similarities between her current situation and Agnes Devereaux's tragic story. Had she brought them here to recreate her own catastrophic romance? Had she picked them each for this reason?

She glanced in the rearview mirror and realized there was a black car following behind her on the lonely dirt road. Maggie had never seen another car on this road, aside from Aaron's. She felt a little nervous as she kept glancing back at the car. It was too far back to see the face of the driver. She continued to watch the car as she slowed down to turn into the driveway of Devereaux Manor. The car slowed as well, maintaining its distance.

Once Maggie had made the turn, the car drove past and she let out the breath she'd been holding. Her anxiety was obviously an overreaction to her growing suspicion that perhaps her arrival here hadn't been random at all. But how had she been chosen? And why?

Once inside she headed straight for the shower, hoping that she could wash away the eerie feeling that was hanging over her. She placed the picture of Agnes and Marge on her dresser, again feeling a pang of sadness when she gazed at the desperate expression on Agnes Devereaux's young face. It was as if the girl knew that one way or another her happiness would be destroyed on that night.

Maggie stood under the warm water of the shower allowing it to wash over her, willing it to take with it her apprehension. Regardless of how she came to be here the happiness she'd found here was very real and she wouldn't let that be sullied by the strange circumstances that surrounded it.

She did feel refreshed when she emerged from the shower, and desperate to see Aaron again. She promptly dressed then called him, feeling the last of her tension release the moment she heard his voice.

Aaron arrived a short while later with a backpack slung over his shoulder and a charming smile on his face.

"I missed you," he told her, lifting her into his arms and kissing her the way only he could. Maggie sighed happily as he lowered her feet back to the floor. "I was thinking we could take a walk. There's a place I'd like to show you. Maybe have a little picnic, unless you'd rather go to town for dinner."

"No! A picnic sounds perfect," Maggie said. All she wanted was to be alone with Aaron away from the town of Sweetwater, away from everything.

He smiled and took her by the hand as he led her out the back door.

"Where are we going?" she asked as they stepped into the woods.

"You'll see," he answered cryptically as he led her along a path through the woods.

# ~20~

They walked hand in hand through the darkening woods. The sun had just set and the forest around them was coming alive with the sounds cicadas and tree frogs. The air was warm and heavy with sweet smelling dew. The rising moon was full, embedded in a sea of stars, bathing the woods in a bluish glow. Maggie had never walked through the woods at night before. She wondered if it always felt this magical.

Aaron led Maggie past the barn down a new path. Just a short distance into the woods they crested a small hill and came upon a lake of sheer glass reflecting the moon and stars above in a nearly perfect mirror image. Maggie gasped at the sight. A thrill of excitement ran through her as she realized that this had been the lake she'd found last month, where she had spent a lazy afternoon swimming under the sun. The realization that it was so close to the barn she'd been searching for that day, that it had been so close to Aaron, made the memory even sweeter.

"What do you think?" Aaron asked, looking toward Maggie.

"Beautiful," she whispered. There was no other word. Maggie wondered idly if the world around her had always held so much beauty or if she was just seeing it through different eyes now. Aaron led her to the same flat outcropping of rock where she'd sunbathed and pulled out a large blanket from the backpack he'd slung over his shoulder. He spread the blanket across the rocks and gestured for her to sit.

Her nerve endings were zinging with awareness as he sat beside her. To be with him here now, in the place where she'd laid beneath the sun dreaming of his hands on her for the first time, it seemed surreal.

"This is amazing," Maggie said, looking out over the glassy water.

"A beauty beyond compare." Aaron's words were heavy with emotion. Maggie turned to him and found his eyes riveted on her. In the blue moonlight his face was washed of all color, a pearlescent white, and his hair similarly appeared silver rather than the rich golden blonde she knew it to be, but his eyes held their crystalline blue color, practically glowing in the night. She felt that familiar stirring that only he could incite. She sucked in a ragged breath, belatedly realizing that she hadn't been breathing. He smiled her favorite crooked smile, as he turned away to rummage through his backpack. He pulled out two sandwiches wrapped in paper towels.

"I hope you like turkey and cheese," he said smiling apologetically as he handed her a sandwich.

"I've lived on ramen noodles and pizza for the last six years," she told him, smiling. "I'm not picky." He chuckled softly as they both ate, looking out over the glassy surface of the water.

"It's so beautiful here, it doesn't seem real," Maggie whispered after several moments of silence.

"I live in constant fear of the day I'm going to wake up and realize this has all been a dream," Aaron admitted. "Especially now."

"It does seem like a dream. Do you ever feel like this is too good to be true?" Maggie asked, turning to Aaron.

"I try not to think about it," he answered quietly.

"I just don't understand how any of it is possible," Maggie continued. "I lived over a thousand miles away from this place. How did that ad end up in front of my dorm room? Was it meant for me?" She knew Aaron didn't have the answer but it felt good to finally ask the question out loud, and once she had, every other question began pouring out.

"Why me? How did she pick me? And how did she know I would even answer the ad? Any other day I wouldn't have even noticed the flyer. I'm not even sure how long it had been there.

"Or was it just random? Had she put the ad up all over the country? In every college dorm? How many people responded? Was it just me?" Maggie could feel the familiar panic building as she released the floodgate on the questions she'd been holding back.

"I don't know, Maggie. I don't really know how either of us ended up here, but whether it was random or not I'm glad that we're here. I'm glad that I met you. I wouldn't take any of it back," Aaron answered.

"I am too. I'm so happy that I met you, I just, I need to understand. I found this picture today..." Maggie relayed the story she'd been told of Ms. Devereaux and the tragic ending to her love story.

"And now here we are. I'm living in the big house. You're living in the barn, the same barn that her lover lived in. It's like she's playing some kind of game with us, putting us into these roles to watch it play out or something. I know how strange that sounds, but honestly what part of any of this doesn't sound strange?" Maggie felt desperate for someone to explain this all to her in a way that made sense.

Aaron was quiet for several minutes as he considered everything she'd told him.

"I mean, haven't you ever wondered if you were chosen?" Maggie asked.

"I know that I was chosen," Aaron responded quietly.

"What do you mean?" Maggie whispered.

"I was released on my twenty-first birthday." Aaron paused and glanced at Maggie for her reaction. She kept her expression open, to show him that he could feel comfortable talking about that part of his life with her.

"I'd been struggling with trying to figure out what I was going to do when I got out. Even though I'd dreamt of that day, dreamt of freedom, I had no idea where I would go or what I would do. I had no idea how to live in the real world. I was terrified.

"Then the warden called me into his office. He told me that someone had contacted him and offered to take me on as a work-release. I could serve out my parole time working for her at her plantation. There was no explanation as to who she was or why she was interested in me. But I wasn't really in a position to question it, and honestly it seemed like an answer to my prayers. I had no reason not to accept the job."

"So she just sent for you? And you never found out why? Never wondered?" Maggie asked in disbelief.

"You have to understand, when I was first convicted I had the faith of a child. Faith that somebody would suddenly realize that a mistake had been made and release me. Faith that someone would wake me up from the nightmare I was living and tell me it had all been a bad dream. That faith got me through the first few years.

"Then after that it was a countdown. A countdown to the day I would be released and could start my life over. I dreamt of that life; of being able to come and go as I pleased; of being able to sleep soundly, without fear; of having my own home, a job.

"And then all of a sudden I had it all. It was just given to me, by this woman I didn't even know. A woman I never saw, who never asked anything from me in return. Maybe I was too scared to ask why." Aaron's eyes were pleading, hopeful that she would understand. Maggie tried.

"And you've never found out why she chose you?" Maggie asked.

"No," Aaron answered. "I had no idea what to expect when I first arrived. My imagination ran wild on the bus ride down, wondering what this woman wanted from me. All I had was the instructions to report to the Sheriff's department when I arrived. After a long lecture about how he didn't want any trouble in his town, Sheriff Rutledge gave me a package that Ms. Devereaux had apparently left for me. It contained a key to the barn and the garage, directions to the plantation and a letter detailing my job duties. That was it. At first I kept waiting for the shoe to drop, to find out the catch. But it never came.

"I had this great place to live and a job I was actually good at. I finally had a picture of the future, something to work towards. When I was in lock-up I had taken some small engine repair classes so that I had a job skill when I got out. When I realized that my responsibilities at the plantation wouldn't take up all my time I picked up some part time hours at Sam's repair shop. He's been letting me work for parts and use his tools to fix up some old lawn equipment, that way I've got my own stuff. I just put that ad in the paper to see if I could pick up some more work, and suddenly Ms. Devereaux is sending out letters of recommendation. I don't even know how she knew that I was looking. I mean, she's not even around.

"I don't know why she's doing any of this. I don't know who she is or why she chose me. But I'm grateful and I'm happy." Aaron looked pleadingly at Maggie, as if he was begging her to be happy too. Maggie didn't know how she felt.

"And now she's brought me to you," Maggie whispered, feeling her chest tighten with anxiety.

"Maggie, it's not like that." Aaron took her hands in his.

"Isn't it?" she asked. She could feel the tears building. "Then why am I here?"

"I don't know. I don't know why either of us are here. But does it really matter? Does it have to? Maybe she's just some lonely old woman who wants to help people, wants to do something good before she dies. She has no children, no family. Maybe she picked us at random, maybe she didn't. All I really care about is the fact that I'm happier than I've ever been in my life. I don't care how it came to be, I'm just happy that I met you. I'm happy that I'm here, I'm happy that you're here." Maggie could see the desperation in his eyes and hear it in his voice.

"I'm happy too," she assured him as she leaned against him and let him pull her close. She could feel his tension melt away as he wrapped his arms around her.

It was true, she was happy but she was also terrified. The scariest part, Maggie realized, was that everything that had been given to them could just as easily be ripped away.

# ~21~

The next day passed in a blur. At work Maggie finished sorting the items from the trunk. She went about the task more mechanically this time, not really seeing the pictures, no longer reading the headlines of the newspaper clippings. Her mind was consumed with the enigma that was her life right now.

At the bottom of the trunk she came across a leather bound journal. Something about it caught her eye, broke through the haze in her mind. She gently opened it, taking care with the stiff old pages. She found page after page of hand written notes which she realized were listings of names and dates.

As she examined the faded pages she began to see a pattern. Most entries had three names listed, one male, one female, and the third name varied, but all three names included the same surname. Beside each listing was a date. Maggie tried to make sense of the names and dates but her tired mind just couldn't focus long enough.

Toward the back of the journal Maggie found one entry that stood out from the rest. Only one name was listed: Agnes Devereaux. There were no other names listed along hers, only the date February 3, 1954.

"Who did this trunk belong to?" Maggie asked Ms. Brandy as she carried the old journal over to her.

"That came from Mrs. Robbins estate," Ms. Brandy explained.

"The doctor's wife?"

"Yes, she just passed away a few months ago. Since they had no children her estate went up for auction last month."

"Do you think this could have belonged to Doc Robbins?" Maggie asked, handing her the journal.

"Well, let's see," Ms. Brandy said, sliding on her reading glasses and examining the book. "Sure looks like it. I'd wager these are probably the birthdates of all the babies he delivered over the years," Ms. Brandy said, handing the journal back to her.

"Birthdates?"

But Agnes Devereaux's name was listed in the book and she hadn't had any children. Had she?

"Honey, you look exhausted. Why don't you head on home, get some sleep? Take tomorrow off," Ms. Brandy instructed.

"Okay," Maggie said absentmindedly as she stumbled out the door.

She didn't even remember the drive home. She seemed to be running on autopilot. She felt mentally exhausted from running circles in her own mind and she was still no closer to making sense of any of it. She didn't even realize she'd taken the journal until she pulled to a stop in the driveway and looked down to see it in her lap.

Barney met her at the door, walking circles through her legs and rubbing his head against her feet until she paused to lean down and scratch his head.

"Did you miss me?" she asked as she pet the purring cat. He followed her all the way to the base of the stairs and then meowed irritably when she began to ascend.

"Oh don't be a scaredy cat. Just come up," Maggie encouraged, but he just sat at the foot of the stairs staring after her.

Maggie shook her head and continued to climb the steps to her room with the single minded goal of taking a long, hot bath. As she turned toward her room something in her mind registered an aberration. Something was different. Maggie stopped in the hallway and turned slowly to face the East wing. She stared down the dark corridor but saw nothing unusual. She took a few steps in that direction, straining to see through the darkness, but there was nothing but the same bleak emptiness that always emanated from that abandoned wing.

Maggie turned back to her room, telling herself that her mind was playing tricks on her, but a small part of her was almost certain that a light had been on in the East wing when she'd first reached the top of the steps.

Once inside her room she placed the journal on her nightstand, promising herself that she'd return it tomorrow. Right now all she wanted to do was sink into a warm bath and forget about everything else. Maggie slipped off her shoes and removed her jewelry placing it on the dresser. She immediately realized that the old photograph of Ms. Devereaux which she had left on the dresser was missing. She couldn't remember if she'd seen it there this morning, but she was absolutely certain that she'd placed the picture on the dresser last night and she had not been the one to move it.

Maggie pulled her phone from her purse and called Aaron.

~∞~

"You're sure you left it here?" Aaron asked a little while later as he stood with Maggie in her bedroom.

"I'm certain," she insisted. "The picture was sitting right here on top of the dresser and now it's gone. Plus when I got home tonight I thought I may have seen a light on in the East wing."

"I didn't see any light when I came up," Aaron said reasonably.

"I know. It wasn't on for long. Maybe it wasn't on at all. I don't know." Maggie began rubbing her temples to alleviate the headache that was coming on.

"You look exhausted," Aaron said. "Come on. Let's get you in the tub."

Maggie didn't protest as Aaron steered her toward the bathroom. He turned the water on in the bath then turned back to Maggie and began to unbutton her blouse. Her skin pricked with awareness as he slid the shirt down her arms and his fingertips brushed against her skin. He placed a soft kiss on the top of her shoulder as her blouse fell to the floor.

Aaron turned away to check the temperature of the water as Maggie finished undressing. When Aaron turned back she saw the desire flash in his eyes as he saw her standing before him naked.

He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her tightly against him as he placed a kiss on her lips, then he released her.

"How about I go fix up some dinner while you take a bath?" Aaron asked as he stepped toward the door.

"Sure," Maggie agreed. She was a little disappointed that he wouldn't be joining her in the bath, but she could also feel the fatigue all the way to her bones and just didn't have the energy to argue.

"Promise to check on me to make sure I don't fall asleep in the tub?" Maggie asked as she stepped into the bath and sunk into the warm water.

"Promise." Aaron winked back at her just before he left the room.

Maggie hadn't been joking. As her body absorbed the heat from the bath she struggled to keep her eyes open. Finally she leaned her head back and allowed her eyelids to win the battle. She let her arms and legs float in the water, feeling the warmth of the water penetrating through her tired muscles.

Maggie began to drift off into that hazy limbo between dreams and reality. She was semi-aware of the sounds around her but her mind was drifting slowly to sleep. She heard the bedroom door and knew that Aaron was coming to check on her. She waited with her eyes closed expecting to hear him enter the bathroom, but he never came.

Finally she fought off the heaviness of sleep and opened her eyes, looking around the bathroom expecting to find Aaron watching her. But she was alone.

"Aaron?" she called into the bedroom, but no response came.

Maggie pulled herself from the tub, drying off and wrapping herself in a big bath robe. She walked into the bedroom, again expecting to find Aaron waiting for her, but the room was vacant. Maggie wondered if she'd dreamt the sound of someone coming into the room.

She walked over and sat on the bed. All she wanted to do was curl up and fall asleep, but she knew Aaron was downstairs cooking her dinner. She tried to summon the energy to get off the bed and go downstairs. She glanced over to the nightstand and stared a moment, feeling like something was missing. The journal! It was gone. She jumped from the bed and hurried downstairs. She found Aaron in the kitchen stirring something on the stove.

"Did you take a journal off my nightstand?" she demanded. He turned to her, his face a mask of confusion.

"Why would I take your journal?" he asked.

"It wasn't my journal. I found it at work today and I accidentally brought it home. I put it on my nightstand and now it's gone. I thought I heard you come into the room while I was in the bath," Maggie explained. Her hands were trembling.

"Maggie, I've been down here the whole time," Aaron said calmly. "Maybe you put it somewhere else."

"No, it was on the nightstand," Maggie insisted.

"Are you sure?" Aaron's calm tone made Maggie feel ridiculous. Maybe he was right. Perhaps she hadn't put it there. Her mind was so foggy with exhaustion. Maggie slumped against Aaron's chest and he wrapped his arms around her comfortingly.

"I feel like I'm losing my mind," Maggie said as she snuggled into his arms.

"Maggie, you need to stop looking for ghosts around every corner," Aaron said as he stroked her back in a soothing rhythm. "I know how you feel. When I first got here I kept waiting for the catch, for the cost of this new life I was being given. But we've been here all summer and nothing bad has happened.

"I know this whole scenario is bizarre, but that doesn't mean that it has to be bad. So some crazy old woman brought us both to this town. Maybe she had her own reasons, maybe it was just fate. Frankly it doesn't matter. All that matters is that we're here, that we met. And as soon as the harvest is over we can leave."

Maggie's head snapped up and she looked at Aaron questioningly. "Leave?" she asked with a catch in her throat.

"Sure. If that's what you want. I've got work in Savannah, and you mentioned that you wanted to apply to school there. We don't have to stay here. We can leave this place behind us and it'll just be a story of the weird way we met," Aaron assured her, and for the first time that day Maggie was able to take a deep breath. Maybe he was right, maybe the why didn't matter. Maybe the mystery of Ms. Devereaux didn't really matter either. What mattered was that Aaron wanted her to come to Savannah with him, that they had a future beyond Devereaux Manor.

"So what'd you make me for dinner?" Maggie asked smiling.

# ~22~

The following morning Maggie woke with a new sense of clarity. Apparently, while sleeping, her mind had worked through all the questions that had overwhelmed her the day before.

The journal she'd found was a record of all the babies that Doc Robbins had delivered. The listings were the names of the parents, the child, and the date of birth.

Agnes Devereaux's name was listed next to a date that came approximately nine months from the date of the spring cotillion, the night that she'd been found making love to the farm boy. There were several reasons that her name could have been listed alone, but one thing was certain. Agnes Devereaux had given birth to a child, and the only evidence, the journal, was now missing.

Someone had taken that journal from Maggie's room, probably the same person who had taken the photograph, perhaps the same person who'd left a light on in the East wing last night.

Maggie woke with the determination to lay this mystery to rest. She was ready to leave, to go to Savannah with Aaron and begin a new life there. But first she needed to know why Agnes Devereaux had chosen them, why she'd brought them here, and Maggie believed the answers lay in the East wing.

Aaron had already gone into the orchards to work with the harvesting crew. Maggie was alone in the house and had the whole day ahead of her. She quickly dressed and left her room headed for the stairs, but when she reached the landing she paused. Rather than head down to the kitchen to start her coffee she found herself staring down the dark halls of the East wing.

She'd become quite comfortable in this big house over the last two months. She'd already explored every room on the first floor and as she found herself taking steps toward the forbidden East wing she tried to convince herself that this was no different, just a few more rooms. That didn't keep her pulse from racing as she stepped into the shadowy hallway.

The East hall was so dark it seemed to extend infinitely. She found a switch on the wall and flipped it. Several wall sconces flickered to life. A few of them remained dark and one continued to flicker, creating a dim eerie lighting in the hallway.

Maggie pushed ahead, refusing to let her fear and anxieties make her turn back. She walked farther into the hall, checking the handles on the doors as she passed. They were all locked.

The farther she got down the hall the hotter it became. The air was humid and smelled of dust and disuse. This was obviously an unused wing of the big house. Some of the lights were burnt out, the air vents closed off, and the doors of the rooms locked. Maggie found it odd that while the rest of the house was kept immaculate even in the owner's absence that this wing would be allowed to fall into such decay.

As she neared the end of the hallway Maggie decided that it had probably been exhaustion causing her mind to play tricks on her. There had been no light in this hallway. Then she noticed that one of the last doors in the hallway was slightly ajar. She approached the door slowly reaching out with a trembling hand and pushing it open, dim lighting spilled into the hallway.

Maggie staggered back a step. She hadn't really expected to find anything, but here it was, a room at the end of this unused hallway with a light on inside.

It was a small room with a single window shrouded by heavy curtains. The light was coming from a small lamp on top of an old dresser. Several large pieces of furniture were shrouded under drop cloths covered in a thick layer of dust. Maggie scanned the room noting another door on the far wall, presumably leading to an adjoining room. Slowly she stepped inside, not sure what she was looking for but feeling as if she was on the verge of finding something important.

She approached one of the hulking masses of nondescript furniture pulling back the drop cloth and stirring up a cloud of dust. She coughed and fanned the clogged air until it cleared. When the dust settled and her eyes adjusted she realized that below the drop cloth was a baby crib.

Her heart was pounding with excitement as she stared down into the old crib and saw a tiny blanket with the name Jonathan embroidered on it. She reached out slowly, fearful that the aged blanket would crumble to dust at her touch. Just as her fingertips brushed the surface she heard a noise come from the next room. She pulled her hand back quickly. She held her breath as she stared at the door that connected this room to the next. She heard another sound, a scuffling noise. Could someone be in that room? Slowly she began to back away, trying not to make a sound.

The sound of the doorbell pierced the silence, ringing through the house with an ominous bellow. Maggie turned and fled down the hallway her mind racing with questions.

When she reached the landing she stopped to catch her breath. Her mind was overwhelmed with possibilities. She couldn't focus them. The doorbell rang again. She took a deep, stabilizing breath before going down the stairs to answer the door.

She was too busy trying to process what she'd found that she hadn't even stopped to wonder who could be at the door. When she opened it she nearly fainted.

"Margaret, my God look at you!"

"Mother?"

"When I first learned that my daughter was living on some plantation in Georgia I could scarcely believe it. But if someone had told me that I would find you here, barefoot in thrift store clothing I would have called them a bold faced liar. I can hardly believe my own eyes!"

Corrine Overton walked into the house as if she owned it. At her mother's words Maggie looked down at her cut-off jean shorts and bare feet, shrinking inwardly. Why couldn't she have arrived yesterday when Maggie had worn a nice dress for work? Her mother always had preferred her in a dress.

"Honestly, Margaret, what has come over you?" Corrine demanded.

"You know I don't like it when you call me that," Maggie practically whispered. The old argument was an instinctive reaction. She still hadn't really accepted the fact that her mother was standing here.

"And you know that I don't care for the way you've butchered your perfectly respectable name," her mother countered.

It was surreal to be standing here with her mother whom she hadn't spoken with in over six years and to be having the same old argument they'd had countless times throughout her youth.

"What are you doing here, Mother?" Maggie finally asked.

"I've come to take you home," her mother replied with a tone that implied the reason for her presence should be obvious.

"Home?" Maggie felt breathless and slightly light headed.

"Look, you've had your little adventure, but it's time to get your life back on track. Your father has a very nice young man for you to meet. We've arranged a dinner for this coming weekend. That will give us enough time to get you home and cleaned up." Her mother reached for her hand and examined Maggie's fingernails with disdain.

"I'm not leaving," Maggie said, pulling her hand back. "I have responsibilities here. I've been paid to stay the length of the summer. I can't just leave."

"I'm well aware of the arrangement you made with Ms. Devereaux. I'm sure your father can deal with the termination of that agreement to everyone's satisfaction. He knows how to handle her."

The room started spinning. Maggie couldn't breathe. This couldn't be happening.

"I don't understand," Maggie whispered breathlessly.

Corrine Overton sighed with impatience. "Ms. Devereaux is the one who informed me that my own daughter had traipsed down to this little nowhere town to become a glorified housekeeper," her mother spat the words at her.

"How? How do you know her?" Maggie needed to sit down she felt as if she was going to faint.

"Agnes Devereaux is one of your father's largest investors. He's known her for years. She used to summer in the Hamptons. I always told your father I thought she took an unusual interest in you as a child, and this just proves my point. She's practically kidnapped you and turned you into her maid for God's sake!" Corrine ranted. "But at least she had the decency to send a letter informing me of your whereabouts since you didn't have enough respect to do so," she added with a pointed look at Maggie.

"She knows father? Have... have I met her before?" Maggie stuttered. Her mind was spinning trying to connect all the pieces. One thing was certain: she had been chosen. Agnes Devereaux knew her, knew her family, and had chosen to bring her here. But why would she tell her mother where she was? What kind of game was she playing?

"Really, Margaret, we don't have time for all this nonsense. Go upstairs and pack your bag. I'll wait for you here." Corrine Overton gave directions with the authority of someone who was never denied.

"No." Maggie finally found her strength. She'd stood up to her mother once before and she could do it again. "I'm not going anywhere."

Corrine Overton's eyes flashed with indignation. "You listen to me, young lady," her mother said, taking a step closer, "I may have put up with you skipping off to Boston to pursue some pipe dream about becoming a doctor, but I'll be damned if I will allow my daughter to be the 'help' for some crazy old woman in this godforsaken town. You will gather your things and you will come with me this instant."

"Maggie, is everything okay?" Aaron's voice broke through the tension in the room and Maggie spun around to see him walking in from the kitchen.

He was dressed in his usual work clothes, faded jeans and a white tank, his blonde curls were held back by a bandana, and a smear of dirt was streaked across his suntanned face. Their eyes met and the chemistry between them was undeniable.

Maggie turned back to her mother, taking in her perfectly pressed silk suit and hard expression. Under her mother's scrutinizing stare she felt just like a timid child again. Her two worlds were colliding, her past and her future.

"Margaret, who is this man?" her mother demanded.

"Aaron Miles," he introduced himself. "I'm the groundskeeper here."

Her mother laughed, a short bitter sound.

"The gardener, Margaret, really?" she asked. "I would have thought even you would realize you were better than that."

"He's not just a gardener, Mother. He owns his own landscaping business," Maggie defended. She looked back to Aaron for support, but his expression was guarded.

"Enough of this nonsense," her mother said, waving her hand dismissively. "You are an Overton. You come from a well-respected New England family. You were not raised to be a gardener's mistress. Whatever little summer romance you think you may have had here is over. You will come home with me and I will not hear another word about it."

"I'm not leaving," Maggie said again. "Not with you. This may not be the life you wanted for me, but it's my life and I'm going to live it how I choose. I'm sorry you made the trip." Maggie stepped back toward Aaron and took his hand. His expression was unchanged.

"You are going to throw away everything I have done for you, every opportunity, every privilege, for him?" her mother demanded.

"No. For me," Maggie corrected. "I never wanted your opportunities, your privileges. All I ever wanted was your love. But you only ever saw me as a reflection of you, a pawn that you could play to further your own standing in society. You never saw me for who I was. This is me, Mother. Take it or leave it."

"You will regret this. Maybe not tomorrow, but someday you will look around you, look at your life and realize what you gave up, what you could have had. And then it will be too late." Corrine Overton turned and stormed out of the house, her final words hanging heavily in the silence.

Maggie stood staring after her mother, feeling oddly detached from the situation. She wondered if she'd ever see her again, but no emotion came with that thought. She felt nothing at all. She just felt drained, empty.

"She's right." Aaron's voice was heavy with emotion when he spoke. Maggie turned to him in confusion. "I'm just a gardener. I can't give you the life you deserve."

"That's not true," she protested.

"It is. I'm an ex con who will spend the rest of my life mowing people's lawns and someday you will finally see that. You will realize that I'm not good enough for you. I knew it from the beginning and I never should have let this go so far." Aaron pulled his hand from Maggie's and took a step away from her.

"Don't say that. It's not true. I love you!" Maggie tried to reach out to him but he took another step back.

"I'm sorry for that," Aaron said sadly. "I never should have allowed that to happen. I never meant to hurt you." He kept backing away and she just watched in disbelief unable to stop him, unable to move.

"I'm sorry," Aaron whispered his voice heavy with tears. Then he turned and walked away leaving Maggie alone in the big house.

She just stood there staring after him, feeling completely and utterly destroyed.

"Why?!" she screamed out into the empty house "Why are you doing this to me?!"

She crumpled to the ground, her knees hitting hard on the marble floor. "Why did you bring me here?!" she shouted angrily, then she buried her face in her hands and cried.

# ~23~

Maggie tried to sleep. She still felt emotionally exhausted but she'd already spent the last day in bed and sleep was evading her. Ms. Brandy had been very understanding when Maggie had called to tell her she was sick with the flu. She wished it was the truth, wished that her pain was physical. She could take medicine to ease those symptoms, but there was no cure for a broken heart.

She'd been avoiding Andi's calls. She knew she couldn't avoid reality forever, couldn't stay in bed forever, but she felt like getting up out of bed and going out into the real world would be acknowledging that her relationship with Aaron was over. It would be the first step to moving on. She wasn't ready to take that step, wasn't ready to let go. But she couldn't stay in bed any longer. She felt fidgety and restless. Her body ached from disuse and she needed to move.

The warm water of the shower washed over her and released the tension in her sore muscles, but she felt like an empty shell, hollow on the inside. She dressed mechanically and walked downstairs to make a cup of coffee. She was shocked to realize it was dark outside. More time had passed than she thought.

She still went through the motions, sitting at the kitchen island and sipping her coffee. She finally glanced at the clock over the stove and saw that it was midnight. She was instantly reminded of the midnight picnic her and Aaron had shared at the lake. Her heart constricted with pain at the memory and then she was suddenly filled with a new sense of determination.

This was not over, she wouldn't let it be. She needed to see Aaron, needed to talk with him again. She wasn't just going to give up, and she wasn't going to let him give up either. She stormed out the back door into the dark night, charging ahead with a sense of urgency.

She easily found the path that led to the barn and pressed ahead into the dark forest. She noticed that the woods were eerily silent tonight. The sky was shrouded with clouds. There were no stars, no moon. The forest seemed to be mourning with her. All of the magic was gone.

She began to move faster, practically running as she broke out into the small clearing in front of Aaron's house. The windows were dark, the loft overhead shut tight. She walked slowly across his small lawn, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She hesitated before knocking on the door. Could she handle it if he rejected her again?

She almost turned back, but she'd come this far and she needed to see him. She held her breath as she knocked on the door. There was no answer. She knocked again, louder this time, and waited, but no one came. She tried the handle and it turned in her hand.

She pushed the door open and slowly stepped inside. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the murky darkness and then another second for her mind to register the fact that Aaron wasn't home.

The furniture remained just as it had been before but there was a feeling of emptiness permeating the air. She walked to his room and confirmed that he was not asleep in his bed. She noted with a sudden feeling of panic that his books were gone. He was gone.

She didn't even remember the walk back to the big house. She didn't bother turning on a single light as she crossed through the house and climbed back into bed.

~∞~

Apparently two days of missed calls was all Andi was willing to put up with. She woke Maggie by plopping down on the bed beside her.

"I have coffee," she said in a bright sing-song voice as she held out a styrofoam cup. The strong smell of coffee invigorated Maggie's senses and she opened her eyes to look up at her friend.

"I also brought chicken soup, just in case you really were sick. It's down in the kitchen," She told, her standing from the bed and crossing to the windows to pull open the curtains.

"What do you mean in case I really was sick?" Maggie asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and grabbing the cup of coffee off the nightstand where Andi had left it for her.

"I know that Aaron left," Andi said matter-of-factly.

"How did you know?" Maggie asked. Andi just looked at her with an expression that said she knew everything that went on in this town and Maggie ought to know that.

"How are you?" Andi asked as she crossed over to the closet.

"I've been better," Maggie answered honestly. "But I suppose I'll live."

"Good to hear, cuz we've got stuff to do today," Andi said, emerging from the closet with an armful of clothes which she tossed onto the bed in front of Maggie. "Get dressed, I'll be downstairs."

Curiosity drove Maggie to follow Andi's command. A short while later she was joining her friend downstairs.

"What exactly do we have to do today?" Maggie asked warily.

"We're going to Savannah to do some apartment hunting. Plus we've got to go by the Mercer campus. Today is the last day for late registration." Andi looked intently at Maggie, waiting for her response.

Maggie hesitated. She wasn't sure what she wanted anymore. Did she still want to move to Savannah or was she going back to Boston? Over the last few days so much had happened, so much had changed that she hadn't really had time to process it all, to consider her options and her next move. She looked over at Andi who was watching her expectantly and she just couldn't bring herself to hurt her friend. She decided to humor Andi, reasoning with herself that it would be good to get out of the house at least.

"Just let me grab my purse," she said, and Andi smiled.

~∞~

Maggie spent the long drive to Savannah trying to figure out what she was going to do. She asked herself if Aaron had been the only reason that she wanted to stay in Georgia. She vaguely remembered contemplating the move before they had become serious, but for the last month she'd been imagining their life together in Savannah and now it seemed almost impossible to imagine her life there without him.

Andi allowed Maggie the time to think. She didn't push her to talk but she also wouldn't allow her to wallow for too long. Anytime Maggie would start to get lost in her own misery Andi would suddenly pipe up with some cheerful bit of conversation to distract her. Maggie was grateful for her friend's presence. She needed her energy right now to keep from getting swallowed up with despair.

It didn't take long for Maggie to realize that Andi had put a lot of thought and effort into this outing. She had six appointments scheduled to view apartments all over Savannah. At first Maggie was just going through the motions with her, commenting on the size of the kitchen or the view from a window. But by the third apartment Maggie actually found herself picturing her life in Savannah with Andi. She started paying attention to things like the Chinese place on the corner that would probably have good take-out and asking questions like whether or not they allowed cats.

By the time the girls had stopped for lunch Maggie was actually smiling occasionally without having to think about it. She was beginning to feel like herself again and that's when she realized that the self she felt like was who she'd become when she'd moved to Georgia and it was still who she wanted to be. Aaron had been a big part of that, but he wasn't the only part. He wasn't the only reason to stay.

Maggie tried to ignore the small part of her brain that reminded her that Aaron would probably be in Savannah as well. She wasn't really sure if that was a reason to stay or a reason to go. So for now she tried not to think of it.

After lunch they went by the Mercer campus and Maggie applied for acceptance in the medical school. It wasn't until she was filling out the paperwork to have her records transferred that the reality sank in. Medical school was still an option for her. It was that final realization that her dream of becoming a doctor was still a reality which helped her to see that her life was not over.

What she'd had with Aaron had irrevocably changed her, and losing him had nearly destroyed her. But she had survived and she would go on. She would probably never stop loving him, never stop missing him. But her life would go on and maybe someday she could be happy again. Not the kind of happy that she'd had lying in his arms in the barn loft, but some semblance of happy at least.

"Thank you for getting me out of the house," Maggie said as they drove back down Devereaux Lane. It had been a long day and Maggie was grateful for the exhaustion. It meant sleep would come easily.

"I'm glad you came along," Andi said.

"Me too," Maggie replied honestly.

"You're going to be okay," Andi said softly.

Maggie sighed heavily. "I know."

As they approached the driveway Maggie noticed a black car driving down the road ahead of them. For a moment it appeared to have been stopped on the road in front of the house, but now it was disappearing into the distance. Something about the car stuck in Maggie's mind, but she couldn't place it. She couldn't figure out why it made her feel so uneasy.

"Did you see that car?" Maggie asked as they turned into the driveway.

"What car?" Andi slowed down and looked around.

"Never mind." Maggie shook it off. "It was probably nothing."

# ~24~

Getting back to work was cathartic. Ms. Brandy was happy to have Maggie back in the shop and Maggie was happy to be there. Dusting shelves and conversing with customers was far better than lying in bed and wallowing. She still had an empty ache in her heart that she suspected would never go away, and questions that she was resigned to never having answers for, but life must go on.

Maggie began seeing the black car on her road on a fairly regular basis. She decided it must belong to someone who lived farther down the lane and after a while she stopped paying attention.

She still drank her coffee on the veranda in the mornings, looking out over the orchards and gauging the progress of the harvesting crew. It was almost over and soon she would be leaving. She actually longed for that day to arrive. Too many things at Devereaux Manor reminded her of Aaron.

After the cleaning crew came through and changed the bed linens his scent was no longer with her when she went to sleep which brought on another wave of heartbreak. He was slowly slipping away from her, being erased from her life a little more each day. She hoped it would be easier when she was in a new place, a place that held no memories.

She still looked for him every morning as she watched the harvesting crew arrive. She suspected he was out there in the fields directing the crew, but she never saw him. If he did still care for the property he managed to do it only while she was at work. Eventually she began to wonder if he'd brought in someone else to handle the task to avoid seeing her all together.

Her days off work were the hardest. There was too much time to think about what could have been. On those days she tried to lose herself in books because it was much easier to read about someone else's heartbreak than to face her own.

She was systematically reading through the vast selection of novels in the library, but when her system led her to grab a copy of _Great Expectations_ she decided she'd had enough reading for one day. She left the library feeling betrayed. The one place that had become her refuge from her pain had now pulled it into sharp focus.

Reading the title of that book had brought back a flood of memories from the night when she and Aaron had stood in the barn together discussing its merits, watching fireflies, making love, sharing their pasts, and promising their futures. It had been one of the best nights of her life and one she did not care to remember.

As she crossed into the foyer she wondered what time it was. She was hoping Andi would be off work soon so they could go to a movie, anything to distract her from the memories that wouldn't stay at bay. The sound of the doorbell surprised her, perhaps it was later than she'd realized and it was Andi answering her silent prayer. She happily opened the door wide expecting to find her friend.

"Mr. Branson?" she asked, taking a step back in surprise.

"Good afternoon, Maggie, isn't it?" he asked, stepping forward. She glanced over his shoulder and noted a very familiar looking black car parked in the driveway. Her heart began to race.

"W...what are you doing here?" she stuttered feeling very anxious under his penetrating ice-cold stare.

"Where's Aaron?" he asked as he took another step forward, forcing Maggie to take a step back. She realized with alarm that he was now inside the house. His tone was friendly but something in his expression was not.

"Aaron's not here." Maggie answered with a strength in her voice that she did not feel.

"Are you sure? I thought I saw his truck." He looked around the room as he spoke, taking in their surroundings. Maggie took another step back to put some space between them.

"Aaron's not here. I thought he was in Savannah working for you," Maggie said weakly. His eyes zeroed back in on her with the gaze of a predator spotting its prey.

"Savannah? So he did take that job," he said, taking another step toward her and closing the distance between them. Maggie could feel the panic gripping her.

"You aren't Mr. Branson are you?" she asked, taking a large step away from him.

He reached out and grabbed her wrist in a firm grip. "I never said that I was."

"What do you want?" Maggie asked, trying to pull her hand away. He clenched her wrist tighter making her wince.

"I was really hoping Aaron would be here so that I could deal with both of you at the same time." All pretense of kindness was gone. His eyes flashed with anger as he wrenched her wrist until she cried out in pain.

"Who are you?" she asked as she struggled to pull her arm free.

"I'm the man you are trying to steal this house from!" he shouted angrily. "All of this, this belongs to my family, to me! It should have gone to my grandfather years ago when his brother died! But that whore of a daughter just couldn't stay where she belonged. Now she's stayed holed up in this house all these years, just holding onto it so we couldn't have it! Well, I'm tired of waiting. It's mine and I'm taking it!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Maggie cried. "I'm not trying to take anything from you."

"You don't think I know about all the snooping you've been doing?" he screamed as he twisted her wrist even farther and she felt the bones crack. "When she first told me that the crazy old woman had brought Aaron here I knew they were trying to steal my inheritance, trying to keep from me what was rightfully mine! I couldn't let that happen, but then I realized he didn't even know. I could take my time, figure this out. But you just couldn't leave it alone could you? First with the picture and then that damn journal, I barely got that away from you before you showed it to him. I really wanted to leave you out of this." His voice softened and he stroked her cheek gently. She flinched away from his touch.

"You're the one who took those things?" Maggie realized.

"I could have done it that night, you know? I watched the two of you sleeping. I stood there and held your fate in my hands. But I still wanted to spare you. You believe me, don't you? I didn't want to have to hurt you. I tried to get you to leave, both of you. He took the job in Savannah, why couldn't you just go home with your mother like you were supposed to?"

"You sent those letters?" Maggie realized with a sinking feeling, like the floor was dropping out from under her.

"You should have just left. That's all you had to do. And I just needed to find all of the evidence. I needed to make sure there wasn't a trace left behind. No more loose ends." His tone sounded pleading, as if he wanted Maggie to understand. "I just needed the file. She said I had to find the file. But you just kept snooping! Couldn't mind your own business. You have it don't you? Where is it? Where's the file?" His face contorted with rage as he twisted her arm even farther bringing her to her knees.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Maggie cried.

"Don't lie to me! If you would have just left it alone I could have kept you out of this!" he screamed at her as tears streamed down her face from the pain. "But you just couldn't mind your own business," he sounded genuinely distraught as his mood drastically shifted once again. "If you'll just tell me where the file is, then maybe I could let you go," he suggested hopefully.

"I don't know what you mean. I don't have any file," Maggie insisted.

"You're lying! I know you were in the East wing, I heard you in the next room. I was there! Don't lie to me. That's where you found it wasn't it?" he asked with a crazed look in his eyes. Maggie just shook her head in denial.

"I should have just taken care of you right then, but your mother had to show up at just that moment. I couldn't get rid of her too. Too many missing persons." His words were coming faster as his eyes darted around the room manically. "Then Aaron just stormed off and left you all alone. But I needed to get rid of both of you. I couldn't avoid it. It had to be done, but it needed to be at the same time or it would be too suspicious. So I had to wait, bide my time until you were both together again. He should be here now. Where is he?!" he demanded as his anger flared once again.

"I don't know," Maggie cried. "He's gone, he's never coming back. You can have the house. I don't want it. I'll leave. I'll never tell anyone," she promised.

"You're lying!" he roared.

"I'm not. I believe you. This house should belong to you." She looked up into his eyes and tried to suppress the revulsion she felt. "I know you don't want to hurt me. Please, just let me go."

She saw the conflicting emotions warring on his face. She felt his grip loosen and she took her opportunity while she had it. She pulled her arm from his grasp and spun away from him, sprinting up the stairs. His momentary shock at her quick movements gave her a short lead as she leapt up the stairs two at a time. She just needed to get a locked door between them.

She was fast, but he was faster. He grabbed her by the hair, wrenching it back so hard she saw stars in front of her eyes, and then she was flying, tumbling down the stairs head over heels. She felt several bones crack along the way.

She hit the ground hard. Her head was swimming, but strangely her body felt mostly numb and tingly, like that horrible sensation you get when your hand falls asleep. Her mind was fuzzy and her eyes couldn't focus.

She felt his weight press down on her and her ribs screamed in pain. The pain momentarily focused her rattled brain. She looked up and saw him over her with a feverish look in his eyes.

He grabbed her by the throat, squeezing until she could barely pull in a raged breath. Black spots danced in front of her eyes.

"Why are you making me do this?!" the man said as he clenched his hands around her neck. "I didn't want to hurt you! You made me do this!"

She couldn't breathe anymore. He was squeezing too tight, crushing her airway. The black spots were filling her vision, joining together, and blotting everything else out. Then everything went black.

# ~25~

Consciousness came slowly and painfully. The first thing she was aware of was the aching pain that permeated every inch of her body. Her limbs felt heavy, weighted down somehow. She couldn't move. She tried to recede back into unconsciousness to escape the pain but her mind rebelled, slowly becoming more and more aware of her surroundings. Something was beeping nearby and she smelled flowers.

Fear began to set in as bits and pieces of memory came back to her. She realized with alarm that her arms felt tied down. She was afraid to open her eyes, afraid to find that horrible man staring back down at her.

She felt someone squeeze her hand and she tried to hold perfectly still. She didn't want to give any sign that she was awake.

"Maggie?" Aaron's voice broke through her nightmare and her eyes flew open at the sound.

"Maggie?! Oh thank God!" Aaron released her hand and grasped the sides of her face gently, hovering over her with tears in his eyes.

"Aaron?" Maggie croaked. "How did you get here?" Her mind still felt sluggish and wasn't making the connections.

"You're in the hospital," he explained slowly as he tenderly brushed aside her bangs. "Do you remember what happened?"

"I think so. A man came into the house..." Maggie trailed off as she struggled to focus.

"I'm so sorry, Maggie." Aaron fell to his knees at the side of her bed and laid his head on her hand. "I should have been there. I should never have left."

"Aaron, he's going to come after you too," Maggie said as it all started coming back to her. "He was looking for you. He's going to come back!"

The beeping sound started coming faster and that's when she realized that it was the sound of her heart monitor.

"Maggie, please don't upset yourself. You need to rest," Aaron's said.

"He thinks the house belongs to him," Maggie continued as panic began to grip her. "He thinks we are trying to take it away from him. He's not going to stop."

"Maggie, that man is never coming back," he promised. "You're safe. We both are. Please just try to get some sleep. We can talk more about this when you're better."

"I'm not tired," Maggie lied, but her heavy eyelids betrayed her. That short burst of energy had drained her.

"Go to sleep," Aaron whispered as he soothingly stroked her head.

"But if I do you'll leave." Maggie fought to keep her eyes open.

"I promise I'll be here when you wake up. I'll never leave your side again." Maggie smiled softly as she finally let her heavy lids win the battle and she quickly drifted off to sleep.

~∞~

Aaron kept his promise. He stayed by her side night and day while she recovered. He and Andi took turns sitting by her bed so that she was never alone when she woke. Over the next several days she became stronger and was able to stay awake for longer periods.

She learned that she had three broken ribs, a broken arm, a severe concussion, and countless bruises. As her mind cleared, all the pieces began to come together. The man had claimed that his grandfather should have inherited the house when his brother died. It only stood to reason that his grandfather was Agnes Devereaux's uncle. But apparently he believed that Aaron somehow held a claim to the property that was greater than his own, and he believed that there was some file that could prove it.

She now felt certain that Ms. Devereaux had brought her here to meet Aaron. Perhaps she'd watched her as a child being paraded around as an unwilling debutant and felt a connection with her. Perhaps she'd seen something in Maggie that reminded her of herself and that's why she'd reached out to her, that's why she'd left that flyer just outside her dorm room.

Ms. Devereaux had orchestrated this entire summer to bring them together. She tried several times to talk with Aaron about her suspicions, but he didn't want to talk about it and begged her to leave it alone. He just wanted her to get well so that they could leave Sweetwater and leave Devereaux Manor behind them.

"The doctor says your scans look really good," Aaron told her, coming in from the hallway carrying a few cups of coffee. He handed one to her and then sat in his chair beside her bed. "He said you should be getting out of here in a few days."

Maggie smiled at the news. She was ready to leave and put all of this behind her, but there was one last question that she needed answered.

"Aaron, can you tell me what happened to the man who attacked me?" Maggie asked. She'd asked before and he kept telling her not to worry, that she was safe, but she needed to know what happened. She knew this was hard for him to talk about, but she needed answers. Aaron nodded, realizing he couldn't put her off any longer.

"I was coming to see you," Aaron admitted.

"You were?" She heard the surprise in her own voice and saw him wince in reaction.

"It was killing me, staying away from you. I thought it was for the best, thought it would be easier for you to move on if I wasn't hanging around," he explained.

"I could never move on," she whispered.

"I couldn't either. I stopped by to see how the harvest was going. I told myself I was only going to talk with the foreman and leave, but I needed to see you. I came in through the kitchen and when I reached the front room I saw him on top of you." He had to take a deep breath and clear his throat before he continued. "I grabbed him and threw him off of you. You looked... I thought you were... I thought I'd lost you and I was going to kill him for it. I jumped on him and I just started hitting him, over and over. I wasn't going to stop until he was dead." A tear escaped and ran down his face.

"Did you?" Maggie asked with a trembling voice.

Aaron shook his head. "Some of the guys from outside, they heard the commotion. They came in and stopped me before it was too late. It almost was."

"So he's...?" Maggie couldn't speak around the lump in her throat.

"He's in intensive care," Aaron stated flatly. "But as soon as he's stable enough he's going to stand trial for attempted murder."

Maggie nodded, finally feeling the sense of closure that she needed.

"I almost lost you, Maggie. I don't know what I would have done." Aaron's voice was strained with emotion.

"But you didn't lose me. I'm here, and I'm going to be okay," she assured him. "We're going to be okay."

~∞~

Leaving the hospital was quite the production. It seemed like everyone from Sweetwater had sent flowers. Maggie's room had been overflowing with them and it took several trips to load them all into the back of Aaron's truck.

"You're sure you're ready for this?" Aaron asked as they pulled into the driveway at Devereaux Manor.

"I'm ready," Maggie assured him. She'd been preparing herself for coming back here. Andi had offered to pack up her things for her, but Maggie needed this final closure.

She wasn't prepared for the crowd that was waiting for them. Ms. Brandy was the first to hug Maggie as she stepped out of the truck.

"We all just wanted to say goodbye before you head off to Savannah," she told her. "I sure am gonna miss having you around the shop."

"I'm going to miss you too," Maggie replied, hugging her with her good arm.

Lacey and Travis Buchannan were next in the receiving line. Lacey was holding little baby Aaron and Travis was juggling the other three.

"Promise you'll come back to visit?" Lacey asked.

"I wouldn't miss the Fourth of July barbeque," Maggie assured her.

"How about we all head inside so Maggie can get off her feet?" Aaron suggested, and everyone murmured their agreement as they made their way into the house.

Andi hung behind the crowd waiting for everyone to file inside before stepping over to loop her arm through Maggie's "You doing okay?" she asked.

"I really am," Maggie said. "I thought it might be hard coming back here, but this isn't a bad place. I spent an amazing summer here. There are so many more good memories than bad."

The impromptu going away party lasted for several hours, Maggie couldn't believe how many people had shown up to say goodbye. Even Shannon, the waitress from the café where she and Andi had lunch every day, had come to see her off. When the final guest left Maggie was exhausted.

"I guess I need to go pack," she said reluctantly.

"Already done," Andi told her.

"And everything is loaded into the car," Aaron added as he came back into the room. "Andi said she'd follow behind and drive your Jeep up."

"Aaron's going to bring me back in the morning. Dad really needs me to stick around until we get someone else hired at the store. It might take a couple weeks," Andi said apologetically.

"I'll be fine," Maggie assured her.

"I can stay with you if you want," Aaron offered. "Until Andi gets there."

"I'd love it if you stayed even after Andi gets there." Maggie glanced over at Andi who nodded her approval. Maggie turned back to Aaron and he wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her in for a kiss. Just then Barney came sauntering into the foyer announcing his presence with a loud meow.

"There you are!" Maggie said. "I was wondering where you'd run off to."

"I'll go put him in the car," Andi offered as she scooped up the cat and carried him outside.

"I guess it's time to go then," Maggie said, looking around the room to see if there was anything she'd forgotten. She was surprised at the sadness she felt.

She would miss this place. She would miss looking out over the peach orchards while sipping her coffee every morning. She would miss visiting with everyone in town at Ms. Brandy's antique store. But she would come back. Sweetwater was a part of her now. She hadn't realized just how much until it was time to leave.

She looked over at Aaron standing in the doorway waiting for her and she realized that she was taking the best part of Sweetwater with her.

"I've got to grab one more thing," she told him.

"Do you need help?" Aaron asked.

"No, I'll meet you at the car."

He nodded and headed out the door. Maggie went to the kitchen to retrieve Fred and as she carried her fern back through the big house she stopped to take one last look around. She set her key on the table.

"Good-bye," Maggie said to the house and then she walked out the door.

# Epilogue

Maggie hurried down the sidewalk. She hated meeting like this, in the middle of the day, so close to the restaurant where she knew Aaron was waiting for her. But it was the only way to get this done between her shifts at the hospital.

She slipped through the doors of the hotel and headed straight for the bar. She saw him sitting in a dark corner. She crossed the room quickly and slipped into the booth.

"You have some information for me?" she asked without preamble.

"It wasn't easy to find," he responded. "Agnes Devereaux is good at covering her tracks."

"But you have found something?" she pressed.

"I found the name of the hospital where she was committed as a teen. It was called the Sisters of Mercy. It had been a convent that the nuns converted into a hospital for troubled girls. Agnes Devereaux lived there from May to December of 1953.

"Most of the residents who were there at the same time as Agnes are long dead, but I did find one woman who now lives in a nursing home in Atlanta. She was there when Agnes was and she claims to remember her. She confirmed that Agnes was very obviously pregnant, but that she left before giving birth to the baby," he concluded.

"So the baby was born at Devereaux Manor?" Maggie asked excitedly.

"It would seem so, but I can't say that for sure," he hedged.

"I need to know whatever you can find out about that baby," Maggie implored.

"I'll contact you when I have more information," he promised.

"Thank you," Maggie said, standing from the table. "I look forward to hearing from you."

~∞~

It was a quick jog from the hotel to the restaurant where Aaron was waiting. Maggie glanced at her watch and saw that she only had thirty minutes left before she needed to be back at the hospital.

"Hey, beautiful," Aaron said, standing from the table as she approached. He kissed her on the cheek and pulled out her chair. "Wasn't sure if you were going to make it."

"I wouldn't miss our date," Maggie insisted. Ever since she'd started her residency these stolen moments were all they seemed to have time for.

Just then the waiter arrived with their lunch. Aaron had already ordered. He'd known she would be there. Despite her busy schedule she'd never missed their regular lunch date.

"Did you mail the announcements?" she asked as she began to devour her lunch. It was the first thing she'd eaten all day.

"Last week," Aaron reminded her, smiling.

"Oh yeah, I forgot I already asked." Maggie smiled apologetically around a mouthful of food. "I don't think I've slept since then."

"I noticed you sent one to Ms. Devereaux," Aaron said.

"I thought she should know," Maggie explained. "She's the reason we met. It only seemed right."

"She responded," he told her. Maggie practically choked on her food.

"You spoke to her?!" Maggie asked, hardly believing it was possible. Aaron shook his head.

"She sent this letter." He handed it to Maggie.

My Darlings,

It warms my heart to hear the wonderful news of your engagement. Congratulations on making the decision that I was never given the opportunity to make. I hope that you would consider allowing me to throw the wedding at Devereaux Manor as my gift to you.

Sincerely,

Agnes Devereaux

Maggie stared at it silently after she'd read it. Since the trial had ended they hadn't spoken much of Devereaux Manor. The trial had been very difficult for Aaron, he blamed himself for what had happened to her. Maggie quickly realized that it was a topic better left alone. Aaron no longer worked for Ms. Devereaux, they'd made a life for themselves in Savannah and it had been a few years since they'd been back.

"We don't have to have the wedding there," Aaron assured her after a few moments of silence. "I just thought you'd want to know that she responded."

"No. It seems fitting. It's where we met, where we fell in love. I think it's the perfect place," she said.

"Are you sure?" he asked with concern.

"It's time to go back," Maggie said with confidence. "Regardless of whatever else happened there we never would have met if it weren't for Ms. Devereaux. She brought us together. Having the wedding there, it just seems right."

Aaron reached across the table and took her hand. "If that's what you want."

"Do you think if we let her throw the wedding that means she'll be there and we'll finally get to meet her?" Maggie asked with sudden excitement at the possibility of getting to the bottom of all the unanswered questions that she'd been left with.

"There's only one way to find out," Aaron replied.

##

## You are cordially invited to...

## A Winter Wedding

December 2014

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