Page 6 of Let Me Hold You

Maggie nodded. She continued eating.

“I think if I date someone else, it proves that I’ve moved on.”

Maggie was silent.

“Are you praying?” Levi asked.

Maggie looked up. “I was thinking.”

“About what?”

“About you.”

“Does that mean you’ve figured out a way for Forsythia to agree to go to dinner with me?” Levi raised his eyebrows.

“I wasn’t thinking about that.” Maggie’s voice was even-keeled. That was one of her strengths, really, and why she was such a good ministry assistant. No matter how many complaints she received from people on the waiting list for the next tiny home, she remained calm and collected and cool.

Levi decided not to ask what Maggie was thinking about. He had more important matters to deal with. “Have you talked to Forsythia about me?”

“It would be awkward, you know?” Maggie took a last bite. She crumpled the brown paper liner and threw it into her paper sack.

“She knows I’m interested in her. Maybe you can prod her.”

“Prod? Like for cattle? That’s cruel.”

“I meant a nudge. Just a little push.”

“You might end up pushing her away,” Maggie warned.

Levi sank back into his driver’s seat.

They sat in silence until Levi had finished his breakfast.

Maggie glanced at her watch. “I have to run.”

“Thank you for the breakfast. Next time it’s my turn.”

“Okay.” Maggie was about to open the door when Levi reached for her coat sleeve and stopped her.

“Look at me,” he said.

Maggie did. “What?”

Levi used the napkin in his hand to wipe a couple of crumbs off the edge of Maggie’s lips. They were pink and soft—the lips, not the crumbs.

Maggie frowned. “Is that napkin clean?”

“Slightly used. But it’s my saliva if anything.”

“Ewwwww! Go away!” She scrambled out of the truck, slammed the door, and sprinted down the sidewalk.

Levi laughed. He could have used a new tissue paper from the box, or he could’ve told Maggie to wipe her own lips.

But he’d done what he’d done.

Why?

He had no idea.

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