Page 9 of Protecting Maggie
“I’m sure. Which is why I want to help you. Besides, my mama would frown at me in disappointment—and trust me, that’s the worst feeling ever, to disappoint your mom—if I didn’t step in and do what I can to help you out.”
“I wouldn’t know. I was adopted when I was an infant. And let’s just say things between me and my adoptive parents didn’t work out. I left home at eighteen and haven’t looked back.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m fine,” Maggie said.
“Right. So…would you be opposed if I called a couple of friends and inquired about finding you a job?”
Maggie stared at Preacher with big brown eyes. Her black hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her face seemed a little pale to him. It was the disbelief that someone would be willing to help her that ate at him though. No one should be this surprised at the basic decency they were being shown by another human being.
“As long as it’s legal, no. And I’ll have to tell my probation officer, so it can’t be under the table,” she eventually said.
“Of course not,” Preacher said calmly. “You hungry? I’m starving. We had a long day of boring meetings, and I’d kill for Del Taco. If you swing by one on your way home, it’ll be my treat.”
“I’m not sleeping with you,” Maggie said stiffly. “And if you’re setting me up, if you’re some kind of serial killer, I won’t go down without a fight. I’ll get your DNA under myfingernails, scream my head off, and be the last person you ever murder.”
“I’m not a serial killer. Can’t deny that I’ve killed before, but they all deserved it,” Preacher said bluntly.
To his surprise, Maggie simply tilted her head and stared at him. He wished he knew what she was thinking.
“For the Navy,” she said after a beat. It wasn’t a question.
“For the Navy,” Preacher confirmed. “I’m a Navy SEAL.”
Thatgot a reaction out of her. “You are?”
He couldn’t help but chuckle at her response. “It’s that surprising?”
“Well, yeah. You don’t look how I imagined a SEAL looking. You’re…” Her voice trailed off.
“I’m what?” Preacher asked, genuinely interested in hearing what she thought.
“You don’t seem to have the edge I guess I thought someone who does what you do would have.”
Preacher shrugged. “Honestly, it’s a weird job. We spend a lot of time researching and in meetings and briefings. If I had a dollar for every mile I’ve spent in the air flying to this or that country, I’d be a millionaire. Sometimes we jump out of perfectly good airplanes, hike for miles and miles, only to expend one bullet, then hike miles and miles back to our extrication point. I’ve seen some awful things, done things I’m not proud of, but done more things I’mextremelyproud of.
“I don’t like the bureaucracy, but love the men on myteam as if they’re my brothers, and I love serving my country. I dislike bullies, and I find the way the poor and women and children are treated around the world absolutely abhorrent. I support the rights of people to practice any kind of religion they want, but not oppression in the name of any religion. I love animals, kids, and my family. And I know that last part’s kind of a tangent, but I’m trying to reassure you that I’m not going to hurt you, Maggie. I just want to help.”
“Can I take a picture of your ID?” she asked after a brief moment.
In response, Preacher reached for his wallet. He pulled out his Navy ID card and held it out to her.
“Shawn Franklin,” she said with a small smile, right before she clicked a picture of the ID. She handed the ID back to him and said, “It’s such a…normal name.”
Preacher chuckled.
“Are you really a preacher?” she asked.
“No. Not even close,” he told her.
“So it’s the opposite? You have that nickname because you’re a manwhore or something?”
“No. Not even close,” he repeated.
Maggie frowned. “Then why?”
“Maybe someday I’ll tell you. I’m hungry. Can we please get going so I don’t waste into nothing here in your front seat?” This wasn’t the time or place to get into the reason behind his nickname. He could always tell her what he fell back on when others wanted to know how he got it…that he was the moral compass of his team. For some reason, he didn’t want to lie to this woman. But he didn’t want to tell her that he was a freaking virgin either. So yeah, that was a conversation for another time and place, if it happened at all.
