Begin Again (Crimson Romance) Read online

  She reached down and turned off the faucet. The tiny bathroom was filled with steam so she took a hand towel and wiped the mirror. As she stared at her reflection, her eyes darted from her face to her scars. As usual, anger and hurt consumed her. If she let herself get too close to Ryan, would he be taken from her, too?

  She dried herself off and threw the towel on the floor in a huff. After she dragged a brush through her hair and put on her makeup, she got dressed in jeans and a light teal T-shirt. Peeking in Boots’s cage, she dropped a peanut in when she saw his head poke out of the bedding. Somehow taking care of her pets had softened her heart. She grabbed a carrot out of the mini-fridge for Lucky. He hopped over to greet her, and she caressed his soft fur. His nose twitched as he nibbled the treat.

  “What should I do, Lucky?” She glanced at the clock and realized she was running behind. Closing the cage, she rushed up the stairs to go to work.

  • • •

  “Where was everyone today?” Lola complained as she counted her meager tips.

  Maisie shrugged. “Maybe it’s the sunshine. People don’t want to sit inside on a day like today. Indiana doesn’t get many sunny days in the lower seventies.”

  “Well I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna enjoy what’s left of the sun. I think I’ll go sit on my deck and listen to some music.” Lola nodded to the door. “Ryan’s here. Maybe you can ask him about the assistant job.”

  Maisie eyed her and teased. “You trying to get rid of me?”

  “Of course not, but I like to see you happy. And when you’re around him — ”

  “Hello, ladies.” Ryan sat down at the counter, stopping Lola mid-sentence.

  Maisie sat Ryan’s apple pie in front of him. “Hey.”

  Lola gave her a meaningful look before walking away.

  He took off his sunglasses and hung them from the collar of his shirt. “It’s beautiful out there today.”

  “Yeah, it is. Diner’s been slow because of it.” She took off her nametag; her shift was over. “Any luck on finding a replacement for Alice?” She was hoping both that he had and hadn’t found a replacement.

  He shook his head and set down his glass of milk. “Nah, I interviewed a couple of people today, but I really need someone that connects with the animals the way I do. It makes things run much smoother.”

  “Well, I’m sure you’ll find someone in time. Jobs are scarce right now, lots of people looking for something.” It wasn’t in either of their best interests to work together every day. Right?

  Ryan paid for his food and, as always, included an extra large tip. “I’ll walk you out.”

  Maisie nodded and waved to Lola before heading out the door with Ryan. He put his sunglasses back on and shoved his hands in his pockets.

  “Hey, you didn’t get Jacob a piece of pie.”

  Ryan shrugged. “He said he didn’t want any,” he laughed. “Afraid he’ll gain weight.”

  Maisie squinted her eyes, trying to adjust to the brightness. “Oh.”

  They walked side by side on the walkway to the diner’s back parking lot.

  “I’m having a cookout Saturday. Jacob could use the company. My parents and sister are coming. I’d like you to come.”

  Maisie gazed up into his sunglass-covered eyes. She wanted to go but didn’t want his parents to get the wrong idea about them. “I don’t know. I told my sister I’d help her paint her bathroom.”

  “Painting a bathroom can’t take the entire day. The cookout isn’t until five.”

  Maisie opened her car door. “I’ll think about it.”

  Ryan nodded and raked his fingers through his thick blond locks. She shut her door and waved bye to him as she put her car into drive. She wanted to go to the cookout and see Ryan’s parents again and even meet his sister, but wouldn’t that be selfish of her?

  CHAPTER 7

  Maisie picked up the phone on the third ring and was surprised to hear her dad’s voice.

  The connection was fuzzy, but she could make out what he was saying. “Cady tells me you’re doing better and that you have two pets?”

  “I’m doing good. And, yes, I have a hamster and a bunny. How are you guys?” She crossed her legs on the sofa.

  “Good. We’re glad you’re taking the steps to heal your heart.”

  Maisie sighed. “I’m not sure I can.”

  “You can, but you’re the only one who can. No one else can help you with that.”

  She wanted her life back, and she wanted to be happy again, but she wasn’t sure how to make that happen. “I know.”

  The static was getting worse. “We love you, and we’ll be back in a couple of months.”

  “Love you guys, too. Be safe.” Maisie disconnected, relieved that Cady obviously hadn’t told them about her friendship with Ryan. If she had, that would have been the extent of their conversation. While she missed her parents, she’d rather not see them until she had her life back together. They could be very opinionated at the worst times.

  • • •

  It was Saturday afternoon, and Maisie couldn’t believe she was standing on Ryan’s doorstep holding a Tupperware container of macaroni salad. She wasn’t sure if she was there because of her sister pushing all morning or the fact that she really wanted to spend the day with Ryan and his family.

  She glanced at what remained of the buttercream-colored paint under her fingernails. Painting for three hours with her sister nagging her about moving on with her life in a 6 X 5 bathroom had been challenging. Her sister had a beautiful new bathroom to show for it, and she had a bowl of macaroni salad. A bit hesitant, Maisie lifted her finger and pushed the doorbell button.

  A moment later, a gorgeous woman with ash blond hair and the same dazzling blue eyes as Ryan opened the door. “Come in. You must be Maisie. I’ll take that,” she said with a smile, lifting Maisie’s dish out of her hands.

  Maisie returned her smile. “And you must be Rose, the wonderful older sister I’ve heard about.”

  Rose nodded and motioned her to follow her to the back of the house. “That’s me. Come on back. Everyone’s in the kitchen.” She laughed. “Everyone’s always in the kitchen.”

  Maisie looked around at Ryan’s home. Very beige and neutral, not what she’d expected. Ryan liked colorful shirts so she had expected his furnishings to be the same vibrant colors, though the place was as clean and organized as his SUV. She entered the kitchen and was greeted with more smiling faces.

  “Glad you made it,” Ryan told her.

  “You’re in for a treat. Wait until you try Ryan’s barbecue hamburgers,” Ryan’s dad said, pointing to a plate piled with sauce-covered meat patties.

  Maisie nodded. “They look delicious, James.”

  Jacob hobbled into the kitchen, and Rose pulled a chair out for him to sit down. “Aren’t we eating outside?”

  Rose bit her lip. “Are you able to get down the steps to the deck?”

  “Just watch me.” He winked and went out the sliding door.

  Rose shrugged and followed him outside.

  Lauren, Ryan’s momma, placed her hand on Maisie’s arm. “Good to see you again. Thanks for the macaroni salad.”

  “You’re welcome. It’s my sister’s recipe.” Maisie went out the door behind the rest of the group.

  They all helped themselves to the heaping piles of food on a folding table then had a seat on the bench that wrapped around the perimeter of the deck.

  Ryan’s dad told them about the drive there while everyone else had their mouths too full to comment.

  Maisie loved the tangy sweetness of the grilled-to-perfection barbecued hamburger. The man could grill. Just as she was finishing the last bite, Rose came over to her and smiled.

  “Take a walk with me?”

  Maisie’s stomach t
wisted. She’d already been put through the wringer by one sister today and wasn’t ready to be probed by another. “Okay.” She stood up and placed her empty plate into a trash bag Ryan had tied to a chair. She gave Ryan a pleading look to save her as she passed him.

  Rose walked through the house and out the front door. “Pleasant Valley seems to agree with my baby brother.”

  Maisie shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight. “He seems happy.” She walked beside Rose down the sidewalk.

  “I can’t say I’ve ever seen him so happy, and he’s a happy guy.” Her steps got slower. “You seem like a sweet girl. You know, my brother is ready to settle down, has been for a while.”

  Maisie swallowed. This was not the conversation she wanted to be having with Ryan, let alone his sister. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “Because he’s brought you home to meet our parents, he’s invited you to his home, and I saw the way he was looking at you earlier.”

  Maisie’s breath caught as she tried to speak. “I … ”

  Ryan came up behind them before she could finish. Thank goodness.

  “What are you two doing? The party’s in the back yard.” He flung his arm over his sister and steered her back toward the house.

  “Girl talk,” Rose said.

  Maisie let her words sink in as she followed them back. How did she feel about Rose’s revelation? Scared was the first word to come to mind.

  Once they were all back on the deck, Maisie decided to make her exit. “Well, thanks so much for having me. I really should be going. I have an early morning at the diner tomorrow.”

  James frowned. “Won’t you stay for dessert? Lauren made her famous apple pie.”

  “Thanks, but I’m really full,” Maisie said as she patted her stomach.

  “Then I’ll wrap you up a piece to take home.” Lauren rushed off before she could object.

  Empty dish and piece of pie in hand, Ryan followed her to her car. “Is everything okay?” He paused to hand her the plate his momma had sent out with him. “Was it something my sister said?”

  Maisie forced a smile. “Everything is fine. I’m just tired from painting today.”

  Ryan hesitated but then stepped out of the way so she could get into her car. “Okay, well, be careful.”

  “I will.” Maisie slowly backed her car out of the drive and pulled onto the street. Her mind raced at her options. She could give Ryan a chance and see if they could become a couple. She could run away to Rwanda with her parents. Or she could pretend like the conversation with Ryan’s sister had never taken place. The closer she got to home, the better option three sounded.

  • • •

  After Ryan hugged his parents goodbye, he pulled Rose aside. “What did you say to Maisie?”

  Rose shrugged. “I told you, girl stuff.”

  Ryan loved his sister, but if she had something to do with Maisie leaving, he wanted to know about it. “She bolted out of here right after your ‘girl stuff.’ So again, what did you say to her?”

  “I just wanted to see if she is serious about you the way you seem to be about her.” She paused to kick a pebble on the sidewalk. “I like her Ryan, I do. But I’m not so sure she’s the woman for you.”

  Ryan dragged his fingers through his hair. “What do you mean? Did she say something?”

  “No, not exactly. It was just her expression.” Rose sucked her lower lip in and looked at Ryan with sad eyes.

  Ryan shook his head. “I told you before, she has been through a lot. Right now she needs a friend and that is what I’ll be for her. I’ll wait as long as it takes for that friendship to turn into love.”

  Rose reached out and put her hand on his arm. “And what if it doesn’t? I’m just concerned that you’re not keeping your options open.”

  “Let me worry about that.” He smiled. “Remember, there was a time I wasn’t so sure about Doug.” Five years ago, Ryan had told his sister that Doug wouldn’t be a good husband since he traveled for business so much. It turned out his sister loved to travel with him, and to this day their marriage was still strong.

  Rose smiled and nodded. “Fair enough. Just be careful, okay?”

  “I will. Have a safe drive back.” Ryan hugged his sister. He stood in the driveway and watched Rose drive off. Why did everything with Maisie have to be complicated, including having her judged by his sister?

  Jacob stepped outside. “Great to see your fam again.”

  Ryan nodded. “I think now that they’ve seen the town they feel more comfortable about visiting.”

  Jacob eyed him curiously. “So you really like Maisie, huh?”

  Ryan smirked. “Is it that obvious?”

  Jacob reached out with his good arm and punched Ryan lightly. “So what are you going to do about it?”

  Ryan held the door open for Jacob, and they went back into the living room to sit down. “I don’t think she’s ready for anything more than we’re doing now.”

  Jacob turned the heating pad on and placed it over his ankle. “You know, if it turns into more, you have to tell her about Beth.”

  “If it comes to that, I will. My family doesn’t even know. You’re the only one I told.”

  He sighed. “Man, I can’t believe you kept that from them.”

  Ryan closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the couch. “You know how my family is. After Beth left, I didn’t see a reason to tell them about our engagement.”

  Jacob shook his head. “I can’t believe she took off with the ring. That was just wrong.”

  “Yeah, about as wrong as telling me on a Post-It Note.”

  Jacob rolled his eyes. “What is it with women taking advantage of us?”

  Ryan sighed. “I don’t know, but I think Maisie’s different. She’s too sweet to take advantage of anyone.”

  “Man, for your sake, I hope she is. I’ve only seen a similar look in your eye for one other woman, and she moved to Florida with your five thousand dollar ring.”

  “You need a refill on your soda?” Ryan asked, standing up. While he was over Beth and even had forgiven her for what she had done, he didn’t like to dwell on it either.

  “No, I’m good.” Jacob paused. “You can bring me the ice pack, though.”

  • • •

  Maisie set the plates of cheeseburgers and home fries down in front of the young couple discussing rather heatedly whether they should get a pet.

  She smiled and offered, “If you’re not ready to commit to a dog or cat, try a hamster.”

  The girl looked at her as if considering the idea. “But I want something I can pet and play with.”

  “You can pet and play with a hamster. If you hold them, they’ll become tame. I just got one myself. There’s even an exotic vet right around the corner on Pleasant who I happen to know is the best and is very reasonable.”

  The guy looked at his wife. “I think it’s a good idea. Dogs live a long time, and neither one of us has a lot of time to spend with a puppy.”

  The girl nodded. “And a cat might bother my allergies.” She smiled and looked at Maisie. “Thanks. You may have just saved us a week’s worth of debating.”

  “No problem. Let me know if you two need anything else. Chocolate chunk cookies are on special today: buy one, get one free.”

  She left them to discuss if they should go to the pet store after they finished eating just as Ryan walked into the diner wearing a purple polo and dark jeans. She thought back to his beige living room and shook her head at the irony.

  “You’re here early tonight.” She paused while he sat down at the counter. “Be right back with your pie.”

  “My last patient canceled. I think I’ll try a cheeseburger and soda with the pie tonight.”

  Surprised, Maisie smiled. “Sure. You want
home fries, too?”

  He thought about it for a couple of seconds. “If you’ll share some with me.”

  She laughed, “Afraid of consuming too many fats at once?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, something like that.”

  “Let me get that guy’s coffee refilled, and I’ll get your order placed.”

  “No hurry.” He winked, making her heart race.

  • • •

  Ryan looked around the diner and came to find he’d grown quite fond of the place. Not only did he get to see the woman he was falling in love with, but also the place had a warmth and a history that made him feel as comfortable as his favorite pair of jeans. He chuckled to himself. If someone would have told him a few months ago that he would frequent a pink and gray diner with cookie pictures pasted on the walls, he would have thought them insane.

  He recognized the other regulars around him and felt he was a part of this small community. His home. Maisie’s home. Nothing had ever felt so right, including his relationship with her. Whatever it was. He looked at Maisie chatting with a customer. The sunlight hit her jade eyes and turned them into sparkling jewels. If all he could have with her was what they had now, he could live with that.

  Maisie walked over to him and placed a large plate of Southern cooking in front of him. “Here you go. Enjoy.” She snatched a few of his fries and winked, making him laugh.

  • • •

  The next couple of days were much busier at the clinic. Ryan had interviewed a promising applicant. She could only work part time, so he wasn’t sure how that would work, unless he hired another part-time person to make up the difference.

  As soon as Ryan got home from his pie-eating routine, he noticed a white, medium-sized car parked in front of the house. He unlocked the door and stepped into the foyer. He almost dropped his keys when Jacob came out of nowhere.