Page 56 of I Got You

Hank runs a hand over his face. “Maggie, stop. Shelby broke up with me, so if you could just spare the sex talk right now, that’d be great.”

Maggie’s spine straightens and stiffens. “What? Why’d she break up with you?”

I’ve only known this woman a month or so, but this woman can shift from freak-out mode to poised for battle in the blink of an eye. Shit. I need to get her away from here because I’m certain Hank has had enough.

“Maggie, does it really matter?” His shoulders sag.

“Yes. It absolutely does. Homecoming is next weekend, and you asked her instead of some nice girl like Sadie.”

Hank’s head drops back to the ceiling.

I jump in. “Hey, let’s give him some space.” Hank meets my eyes, and I see his silent appreciation.

Maggie ignores me and moves forward, wrapping Hank in a crushing hug. “Do I need to kick her ass? Because I will. I don’t discriminate by age.”

Hank smiles behind her back. “No. You were right. She wasn’t with me for my brains.”

Maggie doesn’t release him. “Damn straight she wasn’t.” He laughs. “She just made a big mistake, huge. You, Hank Matthews, are a keeper through and through. Don’t you ever let anyone tell you any different.”

She lets him go and steps back, inspecting him like she needs to be sure he’s ok.

I clear my throat. “Sorry, man.”

He shrugs. “It’s alright.” Even I can see the tender heart underneath the tough exterior. I wonder if that’s what Maggie sees when she looks at me or at least the black hole where a tender heart once was.

“What are you going to do about homecoming?” Maggie asks.

“Maggie,” I growl.

“What? I just want to know if I need to call Simone and tell her she’s going back to high school. You’ve seen her. She’s supermodel hot, and that chick will strut in there and give that little twat something to think about.”

Hank breathes and rolls his eyes, but I know she’s made him feel better.

I put my arm around her and move her away from the door. “Let’s go. You need a beer and to chill out.”

Hank chuckles, and I widen my eyes at him behind her back. “Have a good night, buddy.” I force Maggie up the stairs.

In the kitchen, I pull open the fridge and grab two beers, twisting off the tops before handing her one. “Firefly, you need this.”

She doesn’t take it. “Firefly?”

I take a swig. “Yeah. When something strikes you, it's like you catch on fire and flutter around like you might explode.”

She crosses her arms. “For real? Is that supposed to be flattering? You’re saying I’m like a bug.”

“And Grizz?”

She tips her head even farther to the side, knowing I made a point. “I need to check on the kids and read Liv a book.”

“I’m certain I have a few calls to return. My phone has been ringing nonstop.”

Maggie goes upstairs, and I walk to the bedroom, sitting down on the edge of the bed. I have a bunch of missed calls. One is from Sean, a few unknown, and one from Greg Carter that will remain unanswered. I dial Sean back, trying to forget the other name listed in my incoming call log.

“Hey, man. You doing alright with all this attention?” Sean should’ve been the one here a few minutes ago to handle Maggie and Hank. He’s the stable one. The collected one. The smart one. The one you go to for advice and no-nonsense feedback.

“Yeah. It’s a lot. I knew it would be, but it’s just starting. Soon, news will hit about Tim.”

“I know you hate it, but you looked like the real deal behind the mic. This just might be the start of something really great for you. Defense rocked.”

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