Page 18 of Rival Hearts

“A marathon? All that sweat, heavy breathing, quivering muscles? That sounds boring? Maggie May, delayed gratification is where it’s at. You can’t beat the feeling of sliding into the finish.”

A wry smile passed across Maggie’s face as she gave me another bag to stack and took another step further down the line to hold off the flow of water, which wasn’t rising as quickly as before. We might be able to stop stacking the sandbags soon and hope for the best.

“Isn’t it interesting most men slide into the finish before women?”

I tsked. “Sounds like a physiological problem. Or a chemistry problem. You’re the expert on substances mixing, aren’t you?” I took another bag from her and stacked it, my heart hammering. My tone had gone from teasing to pointed almost against my will.

Maggie frowned and turned to take another bag from Kelvin. A gust of cool air blew between us.

The taunt had been instinctual, but I’d been enjoying our banter. I could salvage the easiness between us, and I only hesitated a moment. “Isn’t friction the key?” She glanced up at me, and I wanted to drown in her brown depths.

“Ahh.” A hint of a smile passed across her face before she dropped another bag into my arms. “Rookie mistake. Friction isn’t enough. You need combustion.”

“Sounds explosive.”

Maggie stifled a laugh as she turned back to me with another bag. “Done right? It’s earth-shattering.”

When our eyes connected, she placed another sandbag in my hands. Sparks jumped between us, threatening to start a fire. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to put it out this time. Did I even want to? Her smile faded, and her gaze traveled to my lips. Instead of putting the bag down, I searched Maggie’s face, my own smile vanishing. How could it still be like this between us? Right now, I wanted to drop the sandbag, sweep her into my arms, and kiss her with all the pent-up feelings that had been simmering for years. She’d kiss me back. Her expression was naked with need.

But what good would kissing her do? She was still the same Maggie who’d stayed silent when Trent was arrested, the same one I’d never be able to trust.

“Maggie!” Tyler’s voice pulled me out of my head and back to the moment. “Come here!”

Maggie’s eyes widened and flicked back up to meet mine as though suddenly realizing we were surrounded by other people. Truthfully, I forgot too. Panic was evident on her face.

She backed out of the sandbag line, and Kelvin came closer, shooting me a knowing smile.

I took the bags from Kelvin while trying to keep an eye on Maggie and Tyler’s heated conversation. When half the workers from the water company along with Maggie and Tyler disappeared, I knew there was trouble somewhere else.

“I wonder where the problem is now,” I muttered as I stacked another bag.

“What?” Kelvin asked.

“Maggie and Tyler disappeared along with half the water company.”

“I have a police scanner in my SUV if you want to know. It would probably make you look good to head over and help out with whatever else is happening. I can keep things going here. The water seems to have mostly stopped.”

I stood taller and rolled my shoulders. The water was more ankle-deep instead of knee-deep. Glancing behind me, it was clear they’d managed to stop most of the water from reaching the base of the train station. A heavy rain rather than a flood. Wherever the water had rushed, it hadn’t been into the train station. I hoped the runoff had gone straight into the river, which was only about two streets south of the station. Could the town be that lucky?

“Yeah, okay,” I conceded, taking Kelvin’s keys and passing him my own.

As I walked to Kelvin’s vehicle, I made sure to thank everyone who’d been in the line or who’d helped the emergency workers. Many of them slapped me on the back and congratulated me on my quick action. Moments like these reminded me what I’d loved about Little Falls. I’d never experienced this feeling of community, of knowing every person you worked beside, of being part of a bigger picture when I’d traveled. Now, looking around the sea of people, all talking and helping each other, I wasn’t sure why I’d wanted to leave so badly when I was younger.

Inside the SUV, I switched on the scanner. It only took a moment before I heard the intersection of the newest burst water main. At first, a feeling of dread settled across my chest. Unlike the train station incident, this one was right in the middle of town. While it was terrible for Maggie, it might not be bad for me. I shifted the car into drive and navigated along the familiar streets until the rushing water sloshed against the SUV’s tires. I slowed and parked next to the curb. As I opened the door, water squished out of my clothes onto the seat. Unknowingly, Kelvin and I had been standing right beside the water main when it burst, dousing me in water and narrowly missing Kelvin. At least it hadn’t been sewage. Small mercies.

As I ambled toward Maggie’s pharmacy, I caught a glimpse of a moving white thing rising into the air, which gave me a moment of pause. Come to think of it, the air seemed misty, like it did when you stood beside Niagara Falls. Frowning, I picked up my pace a little, and soon water was pouring onto me like rain. With a hand shielding my eyes from the spray of water, I rushed forward to see a swarm of people, including a now soaking wet Maggie, frantically trying to prevent the water from doing optimal damage everywhere. Even from where I stood, I knew their efforts were a lost cause. What was coming out of the ground here resembled the Jet d’Eau Fountain in Geneva more than a burst water main.

When I reached Maggie, I lowered my head as rain drenched us. “Jesus, Maggie. I can’t believe you didn’t fix this when you knew there was a problem.”

Her eyes blazed black when she turned. “You think it’s that simple? Where the hell does the money come from, Grady? What do you even know about the town’s finances or the tax structure or even how a water main works?”

“I got the basic plumbing down, Mags.”

“Well, good for you. One out of the however many things I listed is so incredibly impressive.”

We were shouting over the roar of the water, but even if we hadn’t needed to, we probably would have been.

“I’ll call a truck for more sandbags.” I stepped toward Kelvin’s SUV.

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