who needs friends. Maybe a prayer has been answered. Maybe he has a praying grandmother and we're an answer to her prayers for her grandson. He needs people he can depend on right now."
"And he's blessed to have you."
Maggie wanted that to be a good thing. Michael needed friends. She could be that for him. It sounded so easy. But then, every time she bought something that promised to be "easy to assemble," it never was, not really.
Chapter Nine
M ichael knew where to find Maggie. He went in the side door of the church, effectively avoiding crowds of people, many of whom seemed to have opinions about his life. It had been several weeks. He hoped that eventually the talk and the speculation would end. When people saw that he had truly changed and that he could be counted on, maybe then.
The classroom where she taught was empty.
"Looking for someone?"
He turned, smiling at the woman walking toward him with an insulated mug of coffee. He knew that she had just refilled it and that she would take it into church with her. He smiled, finding it amusing that he had learned her personal habits so quickly.
"I thought I'd walk in with you." He lifted his empty mug. "And I'm going armed with coffee. I hope you didn't empty the pot."
"I didn't." She turned back toward the kitchen and he followed her.
"Maggie, about last night."
"Hold out your cup." She lifted the glass carafe and he held out his mug. "Michael, we discussed it. Let's not ruminate over it."
"Ignoring this won't make it go away."
"So, what do you think we should do? Do you think you should leave?"
"Is that what you want?"
She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling and shook her head. "No, that isn't what I want. You're starting to grow on me. We can't get rid of you now."
He sighed, relieved to hear that. The words were on his lips, to promise that he wouldn't do it again, but he held back, not sure if he wanted to make that promise.
"Good, because I'd like to stick around. And I don't want there to be problems between us."
"That's good to know. And now we need to go. I hear 'Blessed Assurance' playing."
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love— Michael knew the words by heart. It had been his favorite song during the sermons at the prison. He had memorized the words, finding strength in the knowledge that he had received mercy and a new beginning.
* * *
"Join us for lunch, Michael." Her grandmother's request as they walked out of the church, even though expected, still took Maggie by surprise. She looked to Michael, half hoping he would turn the invitation down.
"I'd love to."
Of course he would. If it had to do with food, Michael was there. He glanced her way and she put on a quick smile.
He continued the conversation with her grandmother. Maggie smiled at people walking past them on the way to their cars, to their lunches. Michael and her grandmother were in deep conversation. He towered over her tiny grandmother. They looked like quite a pair. Gran in her cotton dress, Michael in black pants and black shirt, his dark hair brushing his collar.
He looked past her grandmother to where Maggie stood. His gaze captured hers with a questioning look and she felt her stomach curl in response. Expected or not, she resented that response.
"Do you mind me coming over for lunch?"
Mind, of course she wouldn't mind.
Michael in her home, seeing the need for repairs. Michael sitting next to her at the small table in the kitchen.
Michael, not Greg, she reminded herself.
"No, I don't mind."
She opened her purse and started to rummage for her keys. Michael stood next to her, his smile tipping the right side of his mouth. At least he knew not to comment.
Somewhere in there, maybe at the bottom, those keys were there. She knew they were in there. She didn't have pockets. She hadn't left her keys in the car. Or had she? She groaned at that thought, because she did clearly remember locking the car doors.
"God, why are you doing this to me?" She mumbled the words into
"And he's blessed to have you."
Maggie wanted that to be a good thing. Michael needed friends. She could be that for him. It sounded so easy. But then, every time she bought something that promised to be "easy to assemble," it never was, not really.
Chapter Nine
M ichael knew where to find Maggie. He went in the side door of the church, effectively avoiding crowds of people, many of whom seemed to have opinions about his life. It had been several weeks. He hoped that eventually the talk and the speculation would end. When people saw that he had truly changed and that he could be counted on, maybe then.
The classroom where she taught was empty.
"Looking for someone?"
He turned, smiling at the woman walking toward him with an insulated mug of coffee. He knew that she had just refilled it and that she would take it into church with her. He smiled, finding it amusing that he had learned her personal habits so quickly.
"I thought I'd walk in with you." He lifted his empty mug. "And I'm going armed with coffee. I hope you didn't empty the pot."
"I didn't." She turned back toward the kitchen and he followed her.
"Maggie, about last night."
"Hold out your cup." She lifted the glass carafe and he held out his mug. "Michael, we discussed it. Let's not ruminate over it."
"Ignoring this won't make it go away."
"So, what do you think we should do? Do you think you should leave?"
"Is that what you want?"
She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling and shook her head. "No, that isn't what I want. You're starting to grow on me. We can't get rid of you now."
He sighed, relieved to hear that. The words were on his lips, to promise that he wouldn't do it again, but he held back, not sure if he wanted to make that promise.
"Good, because I'd like to stick around. And I don't want there to be problems between us."
"That's good to know. And now we need to go. I hear 'Blessed Assurance' playing."
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love— Michael knew the words by heart. It had been his favorite song during the sermons at the prison. He had memorized the words, finding strength in the knowledge that he had received mercy and a new beginning.
* * *
"Join us for lunch, Michael." Her grandmother's request as they walked out of the church, even though expected, still took Maggie by surprise. She looked to Michael, half hoping he would turn the invitation down.
"I'd love to."
Of course he would. If it had to do with food, Michael was there. He glanced her way and she put on a quick smile.
He continued the conversation with her grandmother. Maggie smiled at people walking past them on the way to their cars, to their lunches. Michael and her grandmother were in deep conversation. He towered over her tiny grandmother. They looked like quite a pair. Gran in her cotton dress, Michael in black pants and black shirt, his dark hair brushing his collar.
He looked past her grandmother to where Maggie stood. His gaze captured hers with a questioning look and she felt her stomach curl in response. Expected or not, she resented that response.
"Do you mind me coming over for lunch?"
Mind, of course she wouldn't mind.
Michael in her home, seeing the need for repairs. Michael sitting next to her at the small table in the kitchen.
Michael, not Greg, she reminded herself.
"No, I don't mind."
She opened her purse and started to rummage for her keys. Michael stood next to her, his smile tipping the right side of his mouth. At least he knew not to comment.
Somewhere in there, maybe at the bottom, those keys were there. She knew they were in there. She didn't have pockets. She hadn't left her keys in the car. Or had she? She groaned at that thought, because she did clearly remember locking the car doors.
"God, why are you doing this to me?" She mumbled the words into
Similar Books
