“Then give it away.” His mother shrugged. “There are a lot of deserving charities out there, and if Gretchen’s money is that much of a burden for you, donate it.”
Ben reached for his glass again, draining it. As usual, his mother was nothing if not frank. She’d always been frank. Always been the strongest woman he’d ever known, too, which made him wonder why he’d ever believed she’d be embarrassed or ashamed if the truth about his connection to Gretchen came out.
“Now, about this Maggie,” Miranda continued, strolling back to the stove to pluck one cookie from the tray. She nibbled on the edge of the cookie, her eyes narrowed. “I assume you’ll do everything you can to get her back?”
A smile played on his lips. “You assume right.”
“Good.” With a brisk nod, she finished chewing and wiped her hands on the front of her apron. “Before I give you a cookie, Benjamin, you’ve got to tell me one thing.”
“Sure.”
“Does Maggie have any tattoos?”
His smile widened into a full-blown grin. “Don’t worry, she doesn’t.”
“Thank the lord!” Miranda made a tsking sound with her tongue. “At least one of you has some good sense.”
Chapter Thirteen
Two days after she’d sent Ben away, Maggie still hadn’t mastered the art of getting off the living room couch and changing out of her ratty old sweats. Tough. She didn’t feel like getting up, or brushing her hair, or pretending that she was anything but what she currently felt—miserable.
It’s not like she had a job to go to, anyway. No school either, since her first exam wasn’t until next week. And though most of the reporters had abandoned their stakeout of the Broger Center, a few overly ambitious ones still lingered, making her feel uneasy about going back. Sooner or later she’d call Gloria and talk about that permanent position.
“Jeez, Maggie, did you rob a bank?” came her roommate’s incredulous cry.
Maggie twisted her head in time to see Summer walk through the front door, looking tanned, healthy and seriously confused. In comparison, Maggie felt like a big mess with her tangled hair and wrinkled clothing. A big, pathetic mess.
“Yes, Summer, I robbed a bank,” she said dryly.
After staring wide-eyed at her disheveled appearance, Summer dropped the bright red suitcase she held in her hands and marched toward the couch. “Seriously, why are there reporters standing outside our building? I heard one of them quizzing the security guard about you. Are you in trouble?”
“I guess you could say that.” She released a sigh that drained her entire chest of oxygen. “I did something stupid.”
“Oh God, do I want to know?”
“I fell in love with a movie star.”
Summer’s stunned silence didn’t come as any surprise. Hell, she’d been pretty damn stunned herself when she’d first figured it out. After Ben left, she’d been understandably upset. She’d lost her job, her position at the center, her dream of a successful career. And yet when she’d gone to bed alone that first evening, something shocking happened.
Lying there in bed, staring up at the dark ceiling, she’d come to a realization that left any chance of falling asleep absolutely impossible.
She’d realized that the ache in her heart, the empty feeling in her stomach, that unbearable weight bearing down on her chest, had nothing to do with losing her job.
And everything to do with losing Ben.
“How long have I been gone for?” Summer said, blinking wildly. “In a week and a half you managed to fall in love with a movie star? Is this a joke?”
“No, it’s true.”
Summer motioned for her to move over, and then flopped down next to her on the couch. “Okay, spill.”
“Remember my stranger?”
“Of course.”
“Turns out he’s Ben Barrett, the celebrity I was asking you about at the Olive, where I’m no longer employed, by the way.”
“Why the hell not?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Try me.”
“Just remember, you asked for it.” In a shaky voice, Maggie recapped all the events of the past week and a half.
“Holy shit,” Summer breathed when she finished. “I’m so sorry, Maggie.”
“Don’t be sorry.” Her hand trembled as she waved it dismissively. “You didn’t cause any of this.”
Summer opened her mouth to reply, but the ring of the telephone cut her off. Shooting her roommate a pleading look, Maggie handed her the cordless phone.
“Hello?” Summer said into the receiver. She paused, then handed the phone back. “It’s for you.”
A tiny pang of hope tugged at her insides, but she willed it away. It wouldn’t be Ben. She’d asked him to leave. He hadn’t called since and he wouldn’t call now.
She was right.
“Maggie, it’s Tony.”
The weight returned to her chest, heavier this time, stifling. “Hi, Tony.”