Maggie walked out of her gym, sweat beading on her face, and headed to the kitchen. She’d worked out hard this morning, her mind spinning, thinking about Ridge. It had been two days since she’d opened herself to him, told him about Michael and how he’d died. She’d also thought long and hard about Ridge telling her about his life before going to live with the Boudreaus and becoming part of their family. Imagined how hard it had to have been as a small boy, losing his only parent to cancer, leaving Ridge and his twin all alone. Except they hadn’t truly been alone, because they’d had Douglas and Ms. Patti.
But the thing that kept her mind racing, her feet pounding along on the treadmill, was what happened after she’d heard his story. Her impulsiveness. Or was it stupidity? Shaking her head, she reached into the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, running it across her forehead. She needed to cool off in more ways than one, because every time she thought about Ridge, she relived that moment in the gazebo. The moment she kissed him.
The memory of her lips against his still sent her mind reeling. His lips had been soft beneath hers, and she’d felt his jolt of surprise at her brazen act before he’d kissed her back. And what a kiss it was, heady and mind-blowing and intoxicating all rolled into one soul-numbing kiss. His mouth parted beneath hers and she’d swept her tongue along his bottom lip, feeling a tingle race down her spine, that tiny frisson of excitement coursing through her blood. She’d wanted to do this forever, from the moment she’d seen him standing with his hands outstretched beside her house.
She remembered his arms wrapping around her, his hand spreading through her hair, gently tugging at the strands as he positioned her to deepen the kiss, and she’d wound her arms around his neck, using Ridge as her anchor to the world, because she felt like she was floating, buoyed by the blissful sensation evoked by her mouth meeting his.
Their kiss was the most beautiful, perfect thing ever—and it had ruined everything.
Darn the man, he’d been avoiding her ever since The Kiss. A brief smile tugged at her lips as she realized she was referring to it in her mind with capital letters. Like it was something momentous. Probably because it was, at least to her. Guess it didn’t mean anything to Ridge. So why couldn’t she stop replaying it over and over again?
“Hey, Maggie, mind if I cut out an hour early?”
Felicia practically skipped into the kitchen and put the caddy of cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink. The happy smile lighting up her face made it clear she had better things to do than clean. Not that she blamed her. Earlier, Felicia told her about the new guy she’d been seeing. Turned out they’d been dating for about six weeks. Funny how she’d never mentioned him before. It wasn’t like her friend to keep something like that a secret. It certainly wasn’t her norm. Usually five minutes after Felicia met a guy, she’d be on the phone, telling Maggie every little detail. Maybe this guy was special, more serious than Felicia’s usual hit-and-run relationships.
“No problem. Got a hot date?”
Felicia chuckled as she pulled off the smock she wore over her clothes when she was cleaning. Said she didn’t like getting all dusty, and this way she didn’t have to go home and change after she finished work.
“Yep. I’m telling you, Mags, this guy is different. He treats me like I’m special. Doesn’t mind picking up the tab when we go out, never even asks me to go Dutch. How cool is that? And he doesn’t take me to all the cheapo places like the losers I used to date. He treats me like a lady. I think he’s the one, Mags, I really do.
Maggie couldn’t help feeling happy for her friend. It was about time Felicia found somebody who treated her well. She’d been through a lot in her young life, and she worked hard to get ahead. It wouldn’t be long before she graduated, and Maggie couldn’t wait to see what life had in store for Felicia.
“Have a good time. I’m so happy you’ve found somebody special. You deserve it.”
Felicia leaned against the counter, resting her chin on her hands, her blonde hair pulled up in a messy bun, and stared at Maggie. “You deserve to be happy too. How are things between you and Ridge? You doing the mattress mambo yet?” She waggled her brows to emphasize her quip.
Maggie rolled her eyes and made shooing motions toward her friend. “No. I don’t know where you got the crazy impression that Ridge and I are anything but work colleagues.”
“Maybe because of the way you look at him. Or the way he sneaks glances at you when he thinks nobody’s watching. Honestly, could you be more blind? Tell me the truth—has he kissed you yet?”
Maggie felt heat wash into her cheeks, knew her blush gave her away when Felicia burst into laughter. “It’s not funny. And to answer your question, I kissed him.”
“No way! Seriously, you made the first move?” Felicia raced around the counter and hugged Maggie. “I am so proud of you. I never thought I’d see the day when you finally came back to life, girlfriend. Go for it! Ridge is a total hottie, and you’d be crazy not to see what could happen between you. I bet there’ll be fireworks, because if the sparks between you are anything to go by, you’re gonna set the house on fire!”
“Go, get out of here! Hugo’s probably waiting for you, and I need a shower.”
“See ya!” Felicia stopped long enough to grab her purse out of the closet before heading out the front door, leaving Maggie alone. Wondering if what Felicia implied was true. Did Ridge watch her when he thought nobody was looking?
Shaking her head, she gulped down the rest of her water and headed for her room. She definitely needed that shower, and she wanted to call Henry. He’d promised keep her updated on when he’d be returning, and so far, she hadn’t heard a word from him, which worried her. It wasn’t like him to disappear. Hopefully there wasn’t anything wrong.
She stripped off her clothes and turned on the shower, adjusting the temperature to hot. After her workout, she needed to keep her muscles loose, and the hot water should help. Plunging beneath the deluge, she made quick work of cleaning up, because she wanted to make that call. Wrapping a towel around her, she walked into her bedroom, and grabbed her cell phone. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she pressed the speed dial for Henry and listened to it ring several times before switching over to voicemail. She left another message, telling him she was worried, and for him to contact her as soon as possible.
Ridge had headed into town earlier to handle something to do with an emergency with his company, which left Maggie free to deal with the cabins. She needed to do a final check and make sure they were ready to be occupied. There couldn’t be any hiccups, not with something this important. In less than twenty-four hours, they’d be filled with people, and she refused to allow any screw-ups to derail something she’d worked so hard to accomplish. Nothing and nobody would keep her from fulfilling her word.
Not even Ridge Boudreau.
Ridge sat across the table from his brother at the coffee shop. Shiloh had sent him a message that he was in Santa Lucia, had driven in and wanted to see him. They’d always been close growing up, dealing with everything at a young age, until they’d gone their separate ways due to their jobs. Ridge had an apartment in Shiloh Springs, but more often than not he got called to work a job out of town, oftentimes across the country, as part of his DEA cover. Shiloh lived in San Antonio, working as a private investigator, and was rapidly climbing the ladder, earning a reputation for being one of the best in the state. He was proud of his baby brother, though he never let Shiloh forget Ridge was the oldest by a whole thirteen minutes.
“How long you gonna be around, bro?”
“Probably a couple of weeks depending on a case that’s pending. In the meantime, I’m taking a break. This last case burned me out. It turned ugly fast.” Shiloh took a long drink of his coffee, before adding, “I hate liars. Have I mentioned that?”
“All your life. Unfortunately, seems like that’s all people do nowadays.”
“Tell me, dude, why’d you want to meet here? I figured I’d meet up with you, maybe crash at your place.”
“You’re welcome to it for as long as you’d like. You’ve got a key. I’m working a case, and I’d love to get your take on a couple of things.”
“Ask away.” Shiloh leaned back in his chair, studying Ridge’s closed-off expression.
Ridge contemplated where to start. His brother was one of the few people who knew what he really did. He’d kept it on the down low, because if his cover got blown, he’d wind up unable to work undercover any more—or dead. He’d just as soon not have either scenario happen.
“We got a reliable tip a drug cartel is using a passage right here in our own backyard. I’ve been working with Daniel Kingston, trying to figure out exactly where the trucks are disappearing off our surveillance. They’re funneling that crap onto the streets, raking in millions, and killing I can’t even tell you how many people.”
“That stinks. I can’t fathom strangers’ trucks loaded with contraband going through Shiloh Springs, much less the residents allowing it. But why are we here? Santa Lucia, Texas, doesn’t strike me as the latest drug capital of the southwest.”
“Our tipster implicated a local landowner, said she agreed to allow the trucks to cut through an unincorporated portion of her property in exchange for a share in the profits. The land in question rides along both sides of the border, Burnet County and Shiloh Springs. Since I’m intimately familiar with the area, the DEA felt I would be an asset in uncovering the truth, and plugging the hole.”
“She? You’re telling me a woman is allowing millions of dollars’ worth of illegal drugs to cross her land?” Shiloh shook his head. “Doesn’t she sound like a peach?”
“Maggie’s not like that. I knew from the moment I met her that she’d never allow anybody to run drugs on her property. It’s not possible.”
Ridge knew he’d given himself away when Shiloh leaned forward in his chair, a smirk on his lips. “Maggie? I take it you like this woman?”
“She’s different than anybody I’ve ever met, bro. Feisty, intelligent, and doesn’t take crap from anybody. First time I met her, she pointed a gun at my head.”
Ridge knew he’d surprised his brother, who straightened in his chair, attention focused solely on him, where before he’d been distracted, only halfway paying attention. “Now I’d give anything to have seen that. My big brother stopped in his tracks by a pretty gal. I am assuming your Maggie’s pretty?”
“She’s beautiful. And before you think about it, she’s not for you. Maggie isn’t the one-night stand type of woman, and you’re—well, you.”
Shiloh scratched his fingers against the light scruff on his cheek, and Ridge wanted to squirm under his brother’s scrutiny. Nobody knew him better than Shiloh. Maybe it was part of that whole twin telepathy thing, but his bro knew exactly what buttons to push to get Ridge riled up, and when to back off. Now was one of those back-off moments.
“I get that you like her. But what makes you think she isn’t involved? People will do a lot of shady things for money, regardless of whether it straddles the lines of decency or not. Allowing safe passage for a drug cartel would net her a huge payday.”
“That’s the thing. Maggie’s loaded; she doesn’t need money. She inherited enough money, she couldn’t spend it all in her lifetime. It doesn’t fit.”
“Okay.”
When Shiloh didn’t elaborate on his monosyllabic comment, Ridge countered, “Okay? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I believe you. Question is, how’re you going to prove it before the next run goes through? Because I’m thinking if you’re here, it has to be happening soon.”
“That’s the million-dollar question. I’ve been working on her security, going over the past logs with a fine-tooth comb, and I’ve found nothing. Zilch. Granted, a good chunk of the property isn’t fenced or alarmed, so it’s plausible that somebody is sneaking across her land without her knowing about it, but that’s a stretch. Maggie hasn’t done anything untoward, nothing to make me think she knows the trucks are going to roll any time now.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Ridge realized that actually wasn’t true. The past two days Maggie had been acting antsy and distant, spending more time by herself, or disappearing for a couple hours without telling him. Not that she needed his permission; they weren’t in any kind of relationship. Maybe it was part of her routine. Her comings and goings weren’t any of his business—except they were, as part of the investigation. Like it or not, he was going to have to confront her and get some answers, before anybody ended up hurt.
“From the look on your face, you’ve thought of something, dude. Spill.”
Ridge sighed deeply. “Maggie’s been…different…the last couple of days. Disappearing for chunks of time, being more distant. I probably would have noticed sooner, but I’ve been a little preoccupied.”
“Any reason, other than the obvious, why you’ve been off your game?”
Darn his brother, he’d always been so astute and tuned into Ridge’s emotions. Couldn’t hide a thing from his twin. “She kissed me. In the gazebo at the Big House.”
Shiloh laughed, the sound ringing loud enough that other customers looked their way. Ridge sat stone-faced, waiting for his brother’s hilarity to die. It wasn’t funny, not in the least.
“Dude, you’re a goner.”
“It’s not like that,” Ridge protested.
“Sure, sure. It wasn’t like that with Rafe. Or Antonio. Or Brody. They all kissed their gals in the gazebo, and look what happened.” His brother’s mood grew pensive, his lids half-lowered, obscuring his gaze, and Ridge found himself wanting…needing…to know what his brother thought.
“Do you love her?”
Ridge hesitated, wanting to deny the truth, but he couldn’t. He wouldn’t lie to his brother. “Yes. I don’t know when it happened, but somewhere, somehow, I’ve fallen in love with Maggie.”
Shiloh picked up his coffee and saluted Ridge. “We need to figure out how to clear Maggie’s name then, so you can be with your woman.”
“That’s my plan. One way or another, I’m getting Maggie out of this mess. And I think I’m gonna need your help. You game?”
Shiloh gave him his patented stop-acting-like-an-idiot look, the one he’d perfected in his teens. “I can’t believe you’d even ask such an asinine question. Anything you need, brother, I’m here for you.”
“Good. Here’s the plan.”
Leaning closer, he told Shiloh exactly what he wanted him to do.