Page 78 of Time Out

“Of course.” She smiled, and this time it was real and soft, and I could tell she was trying, but there was still something…

“You know who I am, don’t you?”

She cringed and blushed. “Kind of?”

Which was at least an honest answer because no one really knew who I was who’d watched the show.

“So, you’re being nicer because of that, or…”

“Because I think you’re brave for leaving a life you didn’t want and fighting to make one on your own. Trust me, we hang out, I’ll tell you how much I can relate to that, so yeah… I know who you are, and I’m glad Davis has someone that strong in his life, I’d just forgotten that earlier and let stuff that doesn’t matter get in the way.”

Well… there was a whole basket of things to unpack with that…

“Maggie?”

Davis poked his head around the corner into the dining room. Behind his back, the door was open, telling me he’d left and come back in.

“Coming.” I turned back to Eden. “We’ll talk. And we’ll let today go?”

“I’d like that.”

“Good. I’ll talk to Davis and get your number from him then. Maybe we could do lunch someday?”

“I’d love that.”

“Your dad is staying here?” I whisper-yelled when Jim headed off toward the bathroom. The bathroom in the bedroom that I’d been using, and even though I wasn’t fully moved in, that was still where most of my stuff was. Since I hadn’t known his dad was staying there, I hadn’t thought to clear out my things… or stay the night at my own apartment. Davis’s third bedroom was his office and held workout equipment.

“Where am I supposed to stay?” I asked, panic flaring. “Or do I need to get an Uber?”

Davis twisted off the top of a water bottle and handed it to me. “Why would you leave?”

“Because your dad is staying here, sleeping in the bed where I normally sleep.”

“Not sure I see the problem.” He had a wicked little gleam in his eye and if he found this humorous, I was going to kick him in his humorous bone.

“I am not sleeping with you with your dad fifteen feet away.”

He grinned, eyes dropping to my stomach that was trying to shove its way through denim and zipper and a button to let loose. Dear God, my doctor had not warned me nearly enough how painful the bloating at night could be, or that because of how short I was, how quickly my stomach would start to balloon.

“I think he knows we’ve already done that, Maggie.”

He chuckled.

Argh… this man! I grabbed the kitchen towel piled on his kitchen counter and whipped it at him. It slapped his bicep, and he jumped back, both laughing and rubbing his arm.

“Ow. What was that for?”

“Because it’s your dad, and it’s us sharing a bed! He can’t… he won’t… he’ll…”

“Think we’re sleeping in a bed? Yeah, Maggie. He’s not going to think anything wrong about it at all.”

“But…”

The glimmer in his eyes died. “Okay, let me say it this way. If you’re concerned about my dad knowing we’ve shared a bed, I will absolutely either take you back to your apartment or sleep on the couch tonight. If this is about your strict upbringing, I can understand that. I can guarantee you my dad won’t think anything of it, and it will not change his already wonderfully positive opinion of you in any way, but if you’re not comfortable with this, that’s what matters.”

Darn it. How could he possibly be so absolutely wonderful and why was I always such a mess?

“I don’t want to mess up, and today’s been a lot.”

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