Must Love Flowers(52)
“Heavens no, why should I mind?” If anything, having her son take an interest in Maggie thrilled Joan. If she were to have a daughter, Joan would want her to be someone exactly like her boarder.
Maggie visibly relaxed. “It looks like you’re heading out yourself.”
“It’s Wednesday. I’m meeting Mary Lou for the grief therapy group.”
“That’s great.”
It definitely was. Although they talked nearly every day now, Joan had resisted asking Mary Lou about Phil’s wife. He’d been by the house, per the contract for lawn maintenance, several times. They’d exchanged pleasantries, but his wife had never attended the group. Joan would be interested in meeting her. Joan had grown fond of Phil, not in a romantic way, though. He was a good man, conscientious and caring, with a subtle sense of humor. His wife must be a special woman, and Joan hoped that one day they could all be friends.
Phil was something of a mystery, though. He drove an expensive Tesla, and she remembered him mentioning that he’d left his former job to take over Harrison Lawn and Landscaping when his father retired. Joan couldn’t keep from wondering what he’d done before. She’d wanted to ask but hadn’t because it never seemed to be the right time and she didn’t want to pry, either.
Nick came to collect Maggie, and Joan noticed that he’d cleaned up. He’d shaved and wore a pair of Dockers and a button-down shirt. Joan couldn’t remember the last time her son had cared that much about his appearance. Even when he’d taken her to dinner, he’d worn jeans. This told Joan her boy had strong feelings for Maggie. The two had had their troubles, but somehow they’d managed to come to the meeting of the minds.
With barely an acknowledgment, they were out the door. Joan noticed them holding hands, which to her way of thinking was a good sign that their relationship was progressing along nicely. That made her heart glad.
Edison cried pitifully as she placed him inside his crate, and, gathering her purse, Joan prepared to leave herself. She felt guilty leaving Edison, especially when he looked up at her with his dark brown eyes. The one bonus was how happy he would be when she returned. He’d all but leap for joy. The puppy, along with Maggie, had helped her with the healing process, she realized, grateful for them both.
* * *
—
Nick opened the truck’s passenger door for Maggie. Because it was a stretch for her five-foot-three frame to climb inside, he helped by giving her a boost. “Thanks,” she said, scooting as gracefully as she could manage into the seat. Men and their trucks!
Nick joined her and started the engine. He appeared to be in a happy mood, and for that matter, so was she. She’d been excited and pleased when Nick had asked her to join him and his friends for what was sure to be a fun evening.
“Tell me about your trivia team,” she said, wanting to be prepared.
“You already know Kurt.”
“Right.” He was the one who came in each weekday morning with Nick.
“He has a lot of general knowledge about movies, actors, and that sort of thing.”
She nodded.
“Then there’s Bruce. He’s an engineer, so the technical stuff is his thing.”
“What’s your strength?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I’m hopeless with pop culture, but I read a lot, mostly history and science, which is why Kurt calls me Einstein.”
Maggie smiled.
He glanced away from the road. “Does Kurt’s nickname for me amuse you because it annoys me?”
“It isn’t your nickname I find laughable, it’s your humility,” she said. “I suspect you invited me for my medical knowledge.”
“Yeah,” he agreed, and then grinned as if hiding a secret. “The truth is it was a good excuse to spend the evening with you.”
Maggie had her suspicions. “Are you really down a team member?”
He hesitated before answering. “Okay, confession time. Each team is allowed four members. The three of us are pretty competitive and show up every week. Not so much with Tyler. He’s more of a floater and comes when he feels like it. He hasn’t shown up for the last two weeks. We can’t depend on him, so I called him earlier and said we had a fourth person this week.”
“You did not!”
“I did,” he confessed. “Besides, when it comes to anything having to do with medicine, Kurt, Bruce, and I are at a loss.”
“Now I understand. You invited me for my brain?”
“Rest assured there are other parts of your body that interest me as well.”
Maggie blushed and let the comment pass. She wouldn’t say it aloud, but there were parts of him that interested her, too, and more than his apparent intelligence.
“Obviously your input on medical questions will certainly help the team,” he said, briefly looking away from the road and at her. “On the other hand, I wanted a chance to get to know you better and this felt like the perfect opportunity. Are you upset?”
“I’m actually flattered.”
“Good.” He reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Within a few minutes, Nick pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant and angled into an empty space. “The trivia game is played in the bar. We order a few appetizers and beer, but if you want anything else, let me know.”