In the sheltered life Maggie had lived she’d never known women could be anything other than the trophy wife her mother was raising her to be. She remembered as the show concluded releasing a breath that she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She turned to Jennifer and told her “I’m going to be a doctor.”
Jennifer had laughed and changed the channel to another show, but Maggie had spent the rest of that night imagining what it would be like to be a doctor. When she’d shared that dream with her mother the next morning she’d been absolutely appalled and Maggie was never allowed to spend the night with Jennifer again. But the seed had been planted and Maggie began devoting every spare moment she could to secretly researching how she could become a doctor.
And now here she was, so many years later, considering giving up that dream for the love of a man. If she had known that this trip would bring her to this crossroads, would she have taken it? Would she give up the time she’d spent with Aaron to go back to her solitary existence?
One thing she knew for sure was that this experience had changed her. She knew now what it was to love and she knew that if she left now she would leave broken hearted. Her old life would be a lonely one now, but if she could, would she give up what she’d had with Aaron to go back to that life without the heartache? No. Whatever the cost, falling in love had been worth it. The problem was Maggie had not yet decided what that cost would be and time was running out. Summer would be over soon.
14
Maggie jumped when the phone rang, which was funny since she’d been willing it to ring for the last hour. She clambered for the phone, fumbling it before she got it to her ear. She took a stabilizing breath before answering.
“Hello.” Her voice rang clear and steady, despite her racing heart.
“Hey, beautiful.” Aaron’s voice was sultry even over the phone.
“Hey, yourself,” Maggie responded playfully. Just the sound of his voice relaxed her nerves.
“How quickly can you be ready?” Aaron asked.
“Ready for what?” Maggie asked.
“I’m taking you to dinner,” Aaron told her confidently.
“What if I have other plans?” she teased.
“Cancel them.”
Maggie smiled. “I can be ready in ten minutes.”
“Good, I’ll be there in five. We’ve got reservations for six.”
Maggie glanced at the clock, it was 5:30. “I didn’t realize there was a restaurant in this town that required reservations.”
“There’s one,” Aaron confirmed. “See you in a minute.”
Maggie hung up and ran upstairs, grateful that she’d already showered. She frantically scanned the clothes in her closet, looking for something that would be nice enough for a restaurant that required reservations. She’d spent the last several weeks in cut-off jean shorts and undershirts. She felt giddy as she pulled items from the closet, trying them on and then discarding them onto the bed. Finally she came across a sleek, dark blue wrap dress with a deep v-neck that showed more cleavage than she was normally comfortable with. In this past she’d usually worn this dress with a lace camisole beneath. Tonight she didn’t.
She chose to leave her hair down, brushing out the long auburn strands so that they fell down her back. Her hair had lightened under the Georgia sun, with streaks of deep gold running through it. She was just applying the last of her make-up when she heard the doorbell. She skipped down the stairs, carrying her blue strappy heels in her hands and slipping them on just before opening the door. She felt flushed as she smiled up into Aaron’s expectant face.
He was momentarily speechless as he took her in. She was equally impressed as she admired his semi-formal attire. He wore a dark blue button down shirt, although he’d rolled the long sleeves to his mid-forearm and left the top button undone. It was still the nicest outfit she’d ever seen him wear. He even had on a pair of slacks and loafers that looked to be new. She realized she’d never before seen him in anything but his work boots, jeans, and t-shirt.
“We match.” Aaron was the one to break the silence, although he still looked a bit star struck as he stared intently at Maggie taking her in from head to toe.
“You look fantastic,” Maggie replied, unable to stop staring herself. She liked the way his broad shoulders strained against the material of his dress shirt.
“You stole my line.” Aaron regained his composure, smiling his dimpled smile and extending his arm. “Shall we?”
Maggie smiled at his attempt at formality, hooking her arm through his and allowing him to guide her to the truck waiting in the driveway. Aaron opened her door and helped her in, closing the door for her once she was seated.
“I guess I’m doing things a little out of order,” Aaron said once he’d joined her in the truck and started off down the driveway.
“What do you mean?” Maggie asked.
“We should have had our first date weeks ago,” Aaron clarified.