Page 17 of Protecting Maggie
“Okay,” she said belatedly.
She heard Shawn sigh, and she felt bad yet again. “I’ll be there around three. Hopefully I’ll have heard about your car by then too. Text if you change your mind about the interview.”
“I will. Shawn?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
She wasn’t sure what she was thanking him for, but she wasn’t surprised when he simply said, “You’re welcome. See you later.”
“Are you mad?” Remi asked as soon as Maggie had hung up. “About me telling him about the call?”
Was she? Surprisingly, Maggie found that she wasn’t. “No.”
“Good. You want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“All right. But we’re here if you do. We might be flighty and kind of weird, but we’re good listeners. And we have some badass boyfriends we can sic on someone if you need it.”
Maggie couldn’t help but laugh at that. RomanRobertson was no laughing matter, and yet here she was, doing it all the same. The last thing she’d ever do was put any of the SEALs close to these women in Roman’s crosshairs. She didn’t exactly know what his job was in the Navy, but he’d told Maggie his title when they’d first met, which had meant nothing to her. She’d had to google naval ranks to see where he was in the pecking order. She no longer remembered his title, but she recalled that he was pretty high up there.
“Thanks,” she told Remi.
The rest of the ride home was a little less tense, and Maggie was genuinely sad to say goodbye to the trio. They vowed to keep in touch, and invites for future lunches and movie nights were promised.
When Maggie unlocked her apartment door a couple of minutes after waving the women off, she felt much lighter than she had after Roman’s call. More human. Less like a monster who’d been locked behind bars for so long. She felt as if she was a seed bursting through the soil in the spring after a long hibernation for the winter. That was cheesy as hell, but appropriate.
Her life was complicated. With her lack of funds, the car being in the shop, Roman’s reappearance in her life and his threats, the budding friendship with Remi, Wren, and Josie…and Shawn.
She still wasn’t sure what to think about him. She didn’t know the man, not at all, and yet she’d still allowed him to arrange to have Adina’s car picked up, find her a job, and he’d gone out of his way to give her number to women whohe was positive would take her under their wings. It was strange how little concern she had at the moment, considering the amount of control she’d given to a relative stranger.
Maggie supposed she’d have time later today to find out more about him.
It hit her then that she’d be alone in his car with him. He could literally do anything, drive her anywhere. But then again, she’d been alone with him last night too, and every day she accepted a customer on the ride-share program, she was risking her safety.
If it came down to trusting Shawn or a stranger, she had to admit…she’d pick Shawn every time.
It was that thought that truly surprised Maggie. What was it about him that made her want to instinctively throw out her convictions about never trusting another man?
She had no idea. But the idea was frightening.
Sighing, Maggie put her leftovers in the fridge and pulled out the cash from her wallet, counting it, trying to mentally make a list of what she needed to stay afloat for the rest of the month. She was making it…barely. Back in her before life, she’d had a healthy balance in her bank account, was a respected pharmacist, and had very few worries at all.
It was crazy how life could change on a dime. Time would tell if opening herself up to Shawn and the women would come back to bite her. But for the first time in ages…she felt a smidgen of hope.
CHAPTER FIVE
Preacher wasn’t sure this was a good idea. Helping Maggie get a job? Yes. Getting involved in her life? No.
But he couldn’t stop himself. There was just something about her that made him reluctant to stay away. Flash had offered to take her to My Sister’s Closet for her interview with Julie, but it had only taken Preacher one-point-two seconds to decline.
He wanted to spend time with Maggie. Get to know her better. She’d gotten under his skin in less than twenty-four hours, and even though he knew he was setting himself up for heartbreak, Preacher was going out of his way to see her again anyway.
The woman had said herself that she was getting out of California as soon as she could. She’d been burned by a man—not just burned, incinerated. But the fact that Remi had texted him during lunch because she was concernedabout Maggie told Preacher that she was special. Remi had a tender heart, so ifshedidn’t like Maggie, there was no way she’d get him involved.
There was also a lot about the situation with Maggie’s ex that concerned him. The most important was not knowing his name. He could always contact Tex and see what the computer genius could dig up about the man. If he was willing to throw his girlfriend under the bus and have her convicted for transporting drugs, there was no telling what else the man had done…or might still do.
