Page 95 of Protecting Maggie
“We’re never going to get out of here anytime soon,” Maggie moaned, as people began to notice them heading for the exit.
“Sure we are,” he said. Then he brought two fingers to his mouth and let out a shrill whistle. Everyone stopped talking and turned toward the two of them.
Maggie could feel her cheeks heating up with a blush at the attention now focused on her and Shawn.
“We’re heading out!” he yelled. “Talk to you all later!” He gave the room in general a chin lift, then turned and walked with Maggie toward the door.
“I can’t believe that worked!” she exclaimed as they headed to his car in the parking lot.
Shawn chuckled. “You were right, we would’ve been there forever saying bye to everyone, I figured that was a lot more expedient.”
Maggie loved this man. So damn much. She felt like a new person around him. She wasn’t the shell of a woman she’d been when released from prison. She wasn’t the carefree, almost naïve one she’d been before meeting Roman. With Shawn, she felt free to be whoever she wanted to be. And sitting with him in the evenings and sharing about their days, cooking together, watching TV, and laying in his arms at night was exactly what she’d been looking for all her life.
It had only been a week since she’d almost been drowned, but it felt as if it had been years. The freedom she felt thanks to Roman’s death made her feel a little bad…but she was moving on.
The conversation she needed to have with Shawn would decide if the happiness she was feeling right now would continue. Nerves hit as they drove toward his house, but she couldn’t and wouldn’t put this off anymore. Shawn deserved to know what was going on with her.
He parked, and they walked into the house hand-in-hand. Instead of going in the front door, Shawn took her around the back to the stairs Jane had installed so her renters could come and go without feeling as if they were bothering her in the main house.
He led her into his room and shut the door behind them.
Maggie spun and blurted, “Can we talk?”
“Of course,” Shawn said, not looking or sounding worried about what was on her mind. He went to the small kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and handed it to her, before putting his hand on the small of her back and leading her into the sitting area. He sat with her on the couch and pulled her feet into his lap, then took off her shoes and started rubbing her arches.
Maggie moaned a little. She loved having her feet massaged. Ever since he’d learned that little fact about her, Shawn took every opportunity to do so.
“Was tonight too much?” he asked.
Maggie shook her head. She didn’t want to get into a guessing game with him. She just needed to come straight out with what was on her mind. “How attached are you to this place?” she asked.
Shawn’s hands froze on her feet. “This placemeaning…?” he asked.
“This room.”
He resumed his massage. “Not at all. I mean, I like Jane, and this place is close to the base and convenient. But I can honestly live anywhere.” Shawn leaned toward her. “Why? Do you not like it? I don’t care where I live as long as you’re there.”
Maggie swallowed. This was harder than she’d thought it would be. “I love this place. It’s cozy and fits you really well. I just…when I was first released, the only thought I had was to get the hell out of California. I hated everything about this state.”
“I can’t leave,” Shawn said quietly. “I go where the Navy sends me. And right now we’re in a long-term contract here in Riverton.”
“I know!” she said quickly. “I’m not saying this very well. But…I don’t want to leave anymore. That’s what I was getting at.”
“Thank fuck,” Shawn breathed.
Maggie smiled. He was adorable, but the hard part of this conversation wasn’t over yet. “I was asking because, well…this apartment isn’t the ideal setup for a baby.”
There. She’d said it.
Shawn stared at her for a moment with no expression on his face. “You want to have kids with me?” he finally asked with a small smile. “I’m all right with that. I want them too. We’ve got plenty of time to find the perfect place. Maybe a small house. It’ll be farther from the base, but that won’t be an issue. Maybe we can ask Caroline for advice and help. She’s been here a while and?—”
Maggie reached out and put her hand on Shawn’s. He immediately stopped talking.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you too,” he returned immediately.
“But we don’t have plenty of time to find the perfect place,” she told him. Then she took a deep breath and said what she’d been beating around the bush about. “Because…I’m pregnant.”
