“Better late than never,” Maggie replied, feeling nervous butterflies as if this truly was a first date, despite the fact that she’d spent every night of the last week wrapped in this man’s arms.
It was a short drive to town. Aaron passed through Sweetwater to the edge of town and pulled up alongside a beautifully restored old Victorian house. The only clue that it had been converted to a restaurant was the parking area set to the side and the awning in the front.
Aaron once again crossed around the truck to open Maggie’s door and help her down. The air was still muggy despite the fact that the sun had set. Aaron offered his arm and escorted Maggie to the entrance.
At the front door Aaron gave his name to the hostess who found his reservation in her book and politely showed them to their table. As they walked through the restaurant Maggie could feel people’s eyes on them. She’d nearly forgotten the way people in this town regarded Aaron. He seemed unaffected, staring straight ahead as they were ushered to their table. Maggie tried to be as stoic as he was.
Still Maggie couldn’t help but notice the stares and the whispers as they were seated. This continued as they reviewed the menu and placed their order. One woman was staring so boldly that Maggie found the nerve to stare right back, making direct eye contact until the woman finally turned away.
“Don’t worry about them,” Aaron advised, noticing where her attention had been diverted.
“How can you stand it?” Maggie asked.
“You get used to it,” Aaron shrugged.
“You shouldn’t have to,” Maggie said, glaring around the room one last time and catching the eye of several onlookers who weren’t able to turn away fast enough.
“We can go if you want.” Aaron’s voice sounded defeated as he placed his napkin on the table.
“No!” Maggie replied hastily. She realized that her reaction was bothering him more than the whispers and stares. “If you can ignore them, so can I,” she assured him.
“I wish you didn’t have to.” Aaron seemed so deflated, which only fueled Maggie’s desire to make this evening a success.
“I have wonderful news,” she said cheerfully just as their food arrived. Aaron looked at her interestedly so she continued. “I bought a Jeep,” she announced.
“Wow, that’s great!” Aaron smiled genuinely and Maggie relaxed a bit. “I have to admit I was wondering who’s Jeep that was parked in the driveway. So where did you find it?”
Maggie told him of her trip to town and happening across Ms. Brandy’s flyer. As she recalled the events of the day she forgot all about the people in the restaurant around them.
“So I paid her the $3,000 down and I will work for her to pay off the rest, which should take just to the end of summer. I still have a little bit of money left over from selling my old car, enough to buy groceries the rest of the summer at least,” Maggie finished rather abruptly. She felt a bit awkward having mentioned the end of summer. It was something that neither of them had discussed yet, although it had been weighing heavily on her mind lately.
“Looks like it was a good day for both of us on the job market then,” Aaron replied, seemingly unaffected by the mention of the possible end to their current situation. “I got my first contract to start maintaining some properties in Savannah.”
“Is that what your meeting was about?” Maggie asked, relieved that their conversation had not stalled as abruptly as her story had.
“Yep. Earlier this week I was contacted by a Mr. John Branson, he owns some rental properties in Savannah and needs someone to help keep them up.”
“That’s wonderful, Aaron! I’m so happy for you.” Maggie felt a swell of pride that he was realizing his dream of branching out his business, although she wondered if that meant he’d be moving to Savannah. It was a several hour drive from Sweetwater. Suddenly she realized the decision of their fate was not only in her hands. “Will you still work for Ms. Devereaux as well?” Maggie asked hoping it sounded like a casual question.
“Sure. I explained to Mr. Branson that I couldn’t start until after the harvest. But once that wraps up, my schedule will be wide open. I still plan to maintain the grounds around the house for her, but that only requires one day a week. I do kind of owe her for all of this really,” Aaron answered. Maggie felt her chest tightening. If he only needed to be here one day a week then moving to Savannah would make the most sense. Was this dinner his way of telling her good-bye? Perhaps the decision was not hers at all.