Page 48 of Combust
Her stomach filled with hot coffee, eggs, and toast, and her heart warmed by Cade’s lingering farewell kiss, Maggie strode quickly through the icy darkness. The starlight sparkled on the blanket of frost covering roofs, cars, and pasture.
Dawn was still over two hours away, but both her workday and Cade’s started long before the sun rose in late autumn and winter.
Maggie’s plan was to sneak quietly into her room and change into her work clothes, then leave for town. But when she entered the home she shared with her parents, she found both of them awake and fixing breakfast in the kitchen.
They both turned to look at her as she shrugged out of her warm jacket and toed off her shoes, a pair of cute black flats that were perfect for going out on a dinner date, but completely unsuitable for work.
Mom was the first to speak. “Good morning. So, ah, you enjoyed your date with Cade?” she asked, trying to fake cheerful nonchalance.
Maggie’s face flamed. She was suddenly all-too-aware that her low-cut top did nothing to hid the variety of marks that Cade had left on her skin.
“Yes,” she answered simply.
Dad just stood there, glowering. His stern gaze assessed her from head to toe. He didn’t eventryto pretend not to see every bite and hickey.
“Did Cade behave himself?” Dad demanded abruptly. “Is he treating you with respect?”
“Yes, he was a perfect gentleman last night,” Maggie assured him.
Her dad was normally calm and good-natured. But at this moment, she sensed that he was ready to charge up the road and confront Cade if he felt the situation warranted it.
She added, “But, really, Dad, I’m an adult. I can manage my own relationships.”
“No matter how old you get, Maggie-may, you’re always going to be my little girl. And after what Andrew Brunborn tried to pull…” His frown promised terrible retribution if Andrew ever showed his face in Bearpaw Ridge again.
“Cade may be a bit wild,” Maggie assured her parents, “but he’s actually really sweet and thoughtful. I…like him. Alot.”
Mom gave her a dimpled smile. “I like him, too!”
Dad was still scowling. Mom put her hand on his arm, and they exchanged a long look, silent communication passing between them.
Then Dad cleared his throat. “We want to invite Cade to dinner here. It’ll be just the four of us.”
Maggie couldn’t decide if she should be pleased by this…or terrified. “That sounds nice,” she ventured.
Right then, her phone chimed with an incoming text.
She glanced at the screen, and saw that it was from Malia, who hardly ever got up this early.
Rob said you’re DATING the new guy? I need details, stat.
Well, that didn’t take long, Maggie thought with a sigh. She’d known that word would get around, but not before sunrise!
If Sophie were still here, she would have dropped by the bakery before lunchtime to question Maggie about this interesting development. But she hadn’t yet replied to the text Maggie had sent last Sunday.
I’ll try contacting her one more time.
“I need to get dressed for work,” she told her parents. “Mom, do you want to ride with me or take your own car?”
“I’d love to catch a lift with you,” Mom answered with a smile that promisedlotsof questions once they were safely out of Dad’s earshot.
Maggie nodded, then fled for the privacy of her bedroom.
* * *
Email message from Maggie Swanson to Sophie Langlais-Swanson:
Dear Sophie,
