mad I could spit, but I’m fine.”
“Maggie, I didn’t bother you last night. Why are you still mad at me?” Had it been such a terrible sin to hold her?
“Not you! I—”
A knock on the door interrupted them. Josh, his mind still on Maggie, automatically moved to the door and checked through the peephole. Seeing Will and Joey, he opened the door, letting them in. Before they’d even crossed the threshold, he turned back to Maggie.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Did Sam do something?”
“No. Never mind. You don’t have time.”
“Is Ginny all right?”
“Yes. Go eat some breakfast.”
She was right. There was no time for a heart-toheart, but he wished there were. “Okay, you come eat, too. Have you got you and Ginny packed up for the day? You can’t stay here, you know.”
“I know. I’m going to take Ginny to Will and Kate’s. The doctor said Nate isn’t contagious anymore.”
“All right. I’ll pick you up there, once I get Sam squared away. You’re not to come back here alone. You understand?” He wasn’t taking any chances on Maggie and Ginny getting hurt.
“Of course I understand. I’m not an idiot!”
Whoops. Looks like he’d tromped on a sore spot. “I know you’re not an idiot. You’re brilliant. You’re the one who came up with our escape plan.” He risked her anger by kissing her briefly, but it was worth the risk. He’d been dying to kiss her sweet mouth for the past twenty-four hours.
“Hey, you two, break it up and come eat,” Will said from the kitchen doorway.
Maggie’s cheeks flamed and Josh wanted to warm his hands against her hot skin. Instead, he pulled her from the chair, keeping her hand in his as they headed to the kitchen. Whatever had upset her earlier had transferred her anger from him to someone else. He could only be grateful.
Sam had joined Will and Joey in the kitchen. He was eating, but he looked pale and nervous.
“Maggie, you and Ginny are going to our house, aren’t you?” Will asked.
“Yes. We’ll slip out right after you and Sam. And you’ll call as soon as you can?”
“Sure. Kate would kill me if I didn’t,” Will assured her with a grin. Then he turned to Josh. “It’s a good thing you’re not married. These women like to keep track of a guy.”
A quick look at Sam showed Josh he was too concerned with the coming events to notice that Will had disclosed that Josh and Maggie were not husband and wife after all.
“You don’t seem to be suffering,” Josh pointed out. He hadn’t met Will until yesterday, but he liked the man. Was even impressed with him. The guy ran a multimillion-dollar company, but he seemed down-to-earth.
Will’s face softened, a greater testament to his happy marriage than any words he could speak. “No, I’m not suffering. Life couldn’t be better, in fact.”
“Shouldn’t we be leaving?” Sam asked, his voice shaking.
Will looked at Josh, raising an eyebrow in question.
“Yeah. Probably so. You’ll have a little extra time, Will, so take a circuitous route, as if you had some more deliveries to make. You remember the instructions for when you get to the courthouse?”
“Yeah. We’ll be fine. I’ll see you there.” Will stood, then turned to Maggie. “You get yourself and Ginny safely over to Kate’s, okay?”
“I will,” Maggie agreed solemnly.
“They’ll be fine. There’s no danger, as long as they aren’t here.” Josh had to believe what he’d said, because the thought of Maggie and Ginny in danger wasn’t something he could handle. He escorted Will and Sam to the door. Once he closed it behind them, Joey and Maggie joined him at the window, trying to see their exit. Both men were wearing the bright green coveralls of the Lucky Charm.
When the van pulled away from the curb without interference or signs of anyone following them, Josh let out the breath he’d been holding.
“Okay. Joey, open the door and call Pete in. Time for phase two.”
When Joey stepped out
“Maggie, I didn’t bother you last night. Why are you still mad at me?” Had it been such a terrible sin to hold her?
“Not you! I—”
A knock on the door interrupted them. Josh, his mind still on Maggie, automatically moved to the door and checked through the peephole. Seeing Will and Joey, he opened the door, letting them in. Before they’d even crossed the threshold, he turned back to Maggie.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Did Sam do something?”
“No. Never mind. You don’t have time.”
“Is Ginny all right?”
“Yes. Go eat some breakfast.”
She was right. There was no time for a heart-toheart, but he wished there were. “Okay, you come eat, too. Have you got you and Ginny packed up for the day? You can’t stay here, you know.”
“I know. I’m going to take Ginny to Will and Kate’s. The doctor said Nate isn’t contagious anymore.”
“All right. I’ll pick you up there, once I get Sam squared away. You’re not to come back here alone. You understand?” He wasn’t taking any chances on Maggie and Ginny getting hurt.
“Of course I understand. I’m not an idiot!”
Whoops. Looks like he’d tromped on a sore spot. “I know you’re not an idiot. You’re brilliant. You’re the one who came up with our escape plan.” He risked her anger by kissing her briefly, but it was worth the risk. He’d been dying to kiss her sweet mouth for the past twenty-four hours.
“Hey, you two, break it up and come eat,” Will said from the kitchen doorway.
Maggie’s cheeks flamed and Josh wanted to warm his hands against her hot skin. Instead, he pulled her from the chair, keeping her hand in his as they headed to the kitchen. Whatever had upset her earlier had transferred her anger from him to someone else. He could only be grateful.
Sam had joined Will and Joey in the kitchen. He was eating, but he looked pale and nervous.
“Maggie, you and Ginny are going to our house, aren’t you?” Will asked.
“Yes. We’ll slip out right after you and Sam. And you’ll call as soon as you can?”
“Sure. Kate would kill me if I didn’t,” Will assured her with a grin. Then he turned to Josh. “It’s a good thing you’re not married. These women like to keep track of a guy.”
A quick look at Sam showed Josh he was too concerned with the coming events to notice that Will had disclosed that Josh and Maggie were not husband and wife after all.
“You don’t seem to be suffering,” Josh pointed out. He hadn’t met Will until yesterday, but he liked the man. Was even impressed with him. The guy ran a multimillion-dollar company, but he seemed down-to-earth.
Will’s face softened, a greater testament to his happy marriage than any words he could speak. “No, I’m not suffering. Life couldn’t be better, in fact.”
“Shouldn’t we be leaving?” Sam asked, his voice shaking.
Will looked at Josh, raising an eyebrow in question.
“Yeah. Probably so. You’ll have a little extra time, Will, so take a circuitous route, as if you had some more deliveries to make. You remember the instructions for when you get to the courthouse?”
“Yeah. We’ll be fine. I’ll see you there.” Will stood, then turned to Maggie. “You get yourself and Ginny safely over to Kate’s, okay?”
“I will,” Maggie agreed solemnly.
“They’ll be fine. There’s no danger, as long as they aren’t here.” Josh had to believe what he’d said, because the thought of Maggie and Ginny in danger wasn’t something he could handle. He escorted Will and Sam to the door. Once he closed it behind them, Joey and Maggie joined him at the window, trying to see their exit. Both men were wearing the bright green coveralls of the Lucky Charm.
When the van pulled away from the curb without interference or signs of anyone following them, Josh let out the breath he’d been holding.
“Okay. Joey, open the door and call Pete in. Time for phase two.”
When Joey stepped out
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