Page 10 of Protecting Maggie
“Okay. Shawn? Can I call you that?”
The hair on the back of his neck stood up. Preacher was well aware that Remi, Wren, and Josie all called their men by their real names instead of their nicknames. He hadn’t thought much about it…but now, hearing his given name on Maggie’s lips made him yearn anew for what his teammates had with their women. “Yeah. You can call me Shawn.”
“I really will fight you with everything I have if you try anything.”
Preacher nodded seriously. “Noted.”
She looked around and, seeing the coast was clear, pulled away from the curb. “There’s a Del Taco not too far from my apartment.”
“Sounds good. I’ll text Kevlar and let him know we’re stopping to grab dinner before heading to your place. Can I have your address, so he knows where to pick me up?”
Maggie nodded and gave him the info he needed to pass on to Kevlar.
The trip to Del Taco was uneventful, except for when he doubled what Maggie ordered so she’d have enough for leftovers. Hamburgers and fries weren’t the best heated up the next day, but he didn’t think she’d care. She tried to protest but he ignored her, enjoying how she didn’t hesitate to dig into the bag once they’d left the restaurant.
She pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex where she was staying and turned off the engine before looking at him. “I…are you really not going to turn me in? To Uber or my probation officer?”
“I’m not going to turn you in,” Preacher told her.
“I need this job. It’s the only way I’ve found to make any kind of money that isn’t working in fast food or something dangerous, like stripping or working at one of the all-night convenience stores. Not that a fast-food job isn’t good enough, it’s just…”
“I understand. I’m going to call some people tonight. If you’ll trust me, just a little, and not do any ride-share jobs tonight or tomorrow, I’ll get back to you and let you know what I’ve found. Can you do that?”
Maggie nodded. “Thank you. And for the record, if it doesn’t work out, I’m still appreciative that you tried.”
“Why wouldn’t it work out?” Preacher asked.
She shrugged. “When people find out that I’m a convicted drug dealer, any interest they had in hiring me seems to dry up.”
“That won’t be the case here,” he reassured her.
Maggie simply shrugged. “Even still, I appreciate the effort.”
Preacher was frustrated that she clearly didn’t believe him. But he supposed he couldn’t blame her. Not after what she’d been through. “I’m going to give you my number. If you need anything, and I mean anything, you call me. I’ll do what I can to help.”
She looked confused—which irritated Preacher all overagain. Hadn’tanyoneoffered to help her in the recent past? Other than Adina? He supposed not, based on her reaction.
They exchanged numbers, and just seeing her name in his contacts made Preacher feel…he wasn’t surewhathe felt. Content? Excited?
“Thanks again for dinner. Are you going to be okay waiting out here until your friend comes?” she asked.
Preacher couldn’t help it. He asked, “Seriously? The Navy sends me across some of the most dangerous borders in the world, and you want to know if I’ll be okay waiting in a well-lit parking lot for the ten minutes it’ll take my buddy to get here with my car?”
Maggie blushed, but she lifted her chin and said, “Yeah.”
He chuckled. “Then, yes, I’ll be fine.”
They both got out of the Accord, and Maggie clutched the bag of food in front of her almost defensively. “Well, thanks again. For everything. Dinner, not calling the cops. You know…not being a serial killer.”
This woman had made him smile more than he could remember doing in a long time. “You’re welcome. I’ll be in touch, Maggie. And for the record, not everyone is an asshole like your ex.”
“Thank goodness,” she said with a small snort. Then she gave him an awkward wave and headed for the door to the building. It wasn’t until she was safely inside the apartment complex that Preacher relaxed a fraction. He looked around. The area of town was fairly safe and theparking lot had a lot of lights. Both of which made him feel better.
Why he should care so much about a woman he’d just met, he wasn’t sure. But he couldn’t deny the feeling. His mind spun with ideas for who he would call to try to help Maggie get a job.
He was still thinking about his options when Kevlar pulled up. He got out and let Preacher get behind the wheel.
“All good?” he asked.
