Part 14 (2/2)

”Now where are you going?” Susie jumped up from her desk chair. ”Mitch? Are you okay?”

”I think I'm coming down with something.” He continued to walk out of the office. ”I'm going to work at home if you need me.”

He didn't wait to hear her reply. His plan was to get out of the courthouse before he ran into Maggie. He was coming down with something. It was something he'd felt for years. An aching, a yearning for something he would never be able to have. Maggie.

Chapter 34.

Faith makes things possible, not easy. ~ Unknown Maggie twirled around. Surely she didn't just miss him or that rickety old truck that Mitch loved.

She ran up the courthouse steps and into the building. Maybe someone had taken Mitch's truck to run an errand. It wasn't unusual for friends to borrow your truck or anything else they needed around here.

”Hi, Susie.” Maggie tried to catch her breath. She didn't know what she was going to say to Mitch when she saw him, but she knew she had to be honest.

”Maggie, are you okay?” Susie's eyebrows narrowed.

Maggie waved her hand in front of her. ”I'm fine. Just a little out of breath. Maybe I need to take some exercise cla.s.s or something. I have nothing but time.” Maggie nervously laughed. ”Is Mitch in his office?”

”No, he was acting strange too.” Susie looked her up and down. ”Sort of like you; in a hurry to get out of here.”

”Oh.” Maggie couldn't help but wonder if Mitch had seen her and Grady. Probably not. ”Did he say where he was going?”

”Nope.” Susie started to click away on the computer.

”Did he say anything about tomorrow?” Maggie felt like she was pulling teeth to get any information out of Susie.

”Well, Patricia Van Meter did call to say she was going to be here first thing in the morning.” Susie didn't take her eyes off the computer.

”Susie, listen. I'm not going anywhere. I'm back. And I'm thinking about taking the County Attorney position. So we are going to have to put our differences behind us.” Maggie planted her briefcase on Susie's desk. She dug Mitch's keys out of it and tossed them on Susie's desk.

Susie picked them up. ”He gave you the keys to the office?” Her mouth dropped open.

”Yes. Now is there any other information you can tell me?” Maggie pleaded. She cared about the case, but she cared about Mitch more.

”He said he wasn't feeling well and was going home to work for the day.” Susie sat back in her chair and folded her hands. ”So, what are your intentions with Mitch? You know, we aren't those teenage kids anymore.”

Maggie sat down in the chair in front of Susie's desk. For some reason Maggie felt that she needed someone to talk to, and Susie was there.

”Grady came into town this morning. He left me because he knew my heart was really in Grandberry Falls. He said he didn't want to settle for half of my heart.” A tear dripped down Maggie's face. ”I'm afraid I'm in love with Mitch, and I might have screwed it up after all these years.”

Susie set the tissue box in front of Maggie.

”You know that he and Wendy aren't engaged anymore, right?” Susie gave Maggie a little hope.

”Yes. Wendy told me. He hasn't said a word and that is what scares me.” Maggie wiped her cheek.

”You and I have our differences, but we both love Grandberry Falls. I'm sure you haven't screwed things up with Mitch.” Susie got up and walked around the desk. She sat down in the other chair next to Maggie. ”I was here to pick up the pieces for everyone when you left and decided to never come back. And when Mitch came to New York and saw you with Grady, I was here. I saw what you had done to him after all of these years.”

”I know. I know,” Maggie whispered, looking down at her fingers. ”It's taken losing my Granny's farm to get my head out of my a.s.s.”

”I wouldn't worry too much about that. Mitch is going to save the day. I'm sure of it.” Susie got up to answer the phone.

Maggie had to do something. She had to find Mitch. She grabbed her briefcase off the desk and headed back to her car. Susie said he was going to work at home, and that is exactly where Maggie was going to go.

Mitch glanced at his cell every time it rang. When he saw it was Maggie, he pushed the decline b.u.t.ton. She was the last person he wanted to talk to. He was on a high from learning about the property he could offer Van Meter, but quickly fell flat on his face when he saw Grady holding Maggie's hands across the table.

You are so stupid. He couldn't stop beating himself up. Maggie didn't want him years ago, and she didn't want him now.

He had to keep his distance. The only reason she had been spending time with him was for Hazel and her family.

The phone rang again. He didn't even look at it. He knew it was Maggie wanting to know what he had found out. She could wait. He didn't need her to give the proposal to Patricia. He'd gotten this far on his own. He'd finish it tomorrow.

There was no guarantee that Van Meter's clients would take the deal, but Mitch would offer his property. The only thing Maggie did do was put the correct wording in his mouth.

He rehea.r.s.ed the speech over and over. The speech he would give tomorrow to Patricia and Hazel.

Chapter 35.

Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to. ~ George Seaton Maggie reached for her ringing cell. She was positive it was Mitch calling her back.

”Hey. Where are you?” Maggie asked.

”Where are you?” Belle asked back.

Maggie pulled the phone away from her ear to confirm it was Belle's number. It had to be Mitch calling her back. She was wrong.

”I'm heading over to Mitch's house.” Maggie let it slip. ”Ummm. . .to talk about the case.”

”You need to get over here to help decorate.” Belle demanded.

Maggie sensed a hint of anger in Belle's voice.

”You said you were going to be here by eleven. And it's noon.” Belle said.

Maggie looked at her watch. d.a.m.n, Belle was right. How did the time slip away?

”Fine. I'm on my way.” Maggie did a u-turn on the old country road leading to Mitch's.

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