it’s over now, so no harm done.”
Elena and Maria exchanged a glance…a sort of unspoken mother/daughter communication that Maggie was fairly certain she wouldn’t have been able to crack even if her own mother hadn’t disappeared into the night before Maggie even reached puberty.
“What?” she said warily.
Elena leaned forward, elbows on the table, looking every bit a beautiful, confident woman who knew what she wanted…and more alarming, who got what she wanted.
It was Maria who spoke up, her facial expression all the more effective for its subtlety. “Maggie, sweetie, we’re probably overstepping our bounds here…”
“ Definitely overstepping,” Elena said unapologetically.
“Are you seeing anyone?” Maria asked, dropping her tone just slightly to avoid eavesdroppers.
Maggie’s eyes went wide as she realized the real reason that these two women had gone out of their way to come to the diner.
A setup.
“Um.” It was all Maggie could manage.
Maria reached forward to pat her hand. “What I mean, is there a special man in your life?”
“Yeah, Mom, I think she probably knows that’s what you meant,” Elena said with a little wink at Maggie.
“No. And no,” Maggie said. “Not seeing anyone. No special man.”
Maria sucked in her cheeks, looking thoughtful. “Would you like there to be a special someone?”
“Oh. Well. Sure. Someday. I mean, everyone wants…I don’t know,” she said finally.
“I get it,” Elena said, taking a sip of her iced tea. “I’ve never been married…or divorced. But I’ve dated some real pigs. It’s hard to want to put yourself out there again.”
Her mother gave her a look. “When have you ever put yourself out there?”
Elena ignored her mom. “Look, Maggie, we like you. A lot. And with the exception of Luc who somehow managed to snag Ava, the rest of them have horrible taste in women…”
“Only because they need a little help in seeing what’s right in front of them,” Maria said. “Say, a pretty waitress with a nice smile…”
Maggie blew out a long breath, wondering how the heck she was going to dodge this situation. “I’m flattered. So flattered. And I adore you two…your whole family is amazing, but…”
“But…?” Maria prompted when she didn’t continue. “You don’t like my boys?”
Uh-oh.
Luckily, Elena jumped to her rescue.
“Easy, mama bear,” Elena soothed. “You have to admit, they’re all a bit overdosed on testosterone and a little lacking in romantic charm. Can you blame Maggie for wanting someone a little more refined?”
“It’s not that,” Maggie broke in, even as her brain begged her to be quiet. “I actually like the…testosterone.”
She winced at Elena’s smirk, but it was true. She always wanted to like a nice guy with pretty manners, maybe a soft sense of humor, but when it came to who caught her eye…who she thought about on restless nights, well…
Then Maggie made it worse because she kept talking. Rambling, actually. “It’s just, I don’t think Anthony and I could ever work. He’s so, um, rigid, and I can’t seem to look at him without dumping coffee in his lap, and he’s so—”
She broke off when she realized,
(a) she was babbling
(b) Maria and Elena were both looking at her in amusement and confusion.
“Who said anything about Anthony?” Elena said, sitting back in her chair with a puzzled expression.
“We thought you might be a good fit for Vincent , honey,” Maria said. “He’s always so standoffish, but we’ve noticed that he talks to you. Even smiles at you from time to time.”
“In other words, he likes you,” Elena said. “Trust me that is a rare phenomenon indeed.”
Oh. Oh .
They weren’t trying to set her up with the captain.
Of course not.
As if their precious captain would go for a waitress.
And Vincent was…nice.
She liked Vin. He wasn’t as friendly as Luc, but there was something about him that was steady. Reliable.
Elena and Maria exchanged a glance…a sort of unspoken mother/daughter communication that Maggie was fairly certain she wouldn’t have been able to crack even if her own mother hadn’t disappeared into the night before Maggie even reached puberty.
“What?” she said warily.
Elena leaned forward, elbows on the table, looking every bit a beautiful, confident woman who knew what she wanted…and more alarming, who got what she wanted.
It was Maria who spoke up, her facial expression all the more effective for its subtlety. “Maggie, sweetie, we’re probably overstepping our bounds here…”
“ Definitely overstepping,” Elena said unapologetically.
“Are you seeing anyone?” Maria asked, dropping her tone just slightly to avoid eavesdroppers.
Maggie’s eyes went wide as she realized the real reason that these two women had gone out of their way to come to the diner.
A setup.
“Um.” It was all Maggie could manage.
Maria reached forward to pat her hand. “What I mean, is there a special man in your life?”
“Yeah, Mom, I think she probably knows that’s what you meant,” Elena said with a little wink at Maggie.
“No. And no,” Maggie said. “Not seeing anyone. No special man.”
Maria sucked in her cheeks, looking thoughtful. “Would you like there to be a special someone?”
“Oh. Well. Sure. Someday. I mean, everyone wants…I don’t know,” she said finally.
“I get it,” Elena said, taking a sip of her iced tea. “I’ve never been married…or divorced. But I’ve dated some real pigs. It’s hard to want to put yourself out there again.”
Her mother gave her a look. “When have you ever put yourself out there?”
Elena ignored her mom. “Look, Maggie, we like you. A lot. And with the exception of Luc who somehow managed to snag Ava, the rest of them have horrible taste in women…”
“Only because they need a little help in seeing what’s right in front of them,” Maria said. “Say, a pretty waitress with a nice smile…”
Maggie blew out a long breath, wondering how the heck she was going to dodge this situation. “I’m flattered. So flattered. And I adore you two…your whole family is amazing, but…”
“But…?” Maria prompted when she didn’t continue. “You don’t like my boys?”
Uh-oh.
Luckily, Elena jumped to her rescue.
“Easy, mama bear,” Elena soothed. “You have to admit, they’re all a bit overdosed on testosterone and a little lacking in romantic charm. Can you blame Maggie for wanting someone a little more refined?”
“It’s not that,” Maggie broke in, even as her brain begged her to be quiet. “I actually like the…testosterone.”
She winced at Elena’s smirk, but it was true. She always wanted to like a nice guy with pretty manners, maybe a soft sense of humor, but when it came to who caught her eye…who she thought about on restless nights, well…
Then Maggie made it worse because she kept talking. Rambling, actually. “It’s just, I don’t think Anthony and I could ever work. He’s so, um, rigid, and I can’t seem to look at him without dumping coffee in his lap, and he’s so—”
She broke off when she realized,
(a) she was babbling
(b) Maria and Elena were both looking at her in amusement and confusion.
“Who said anything about Anthony?” Elena said, sitting back in her chair with a puzzled expression.
“We thought you might be a good fit for Vincent , honey,” Maria said. “He’s always so standoffish, but we’ve noticed that he talks to you. Even smiles at you from time to time.”
“In other words, he likes you,” Elena said. “Trust me that is a rare phenomenon indeed.”
Oh. Oh .
They weren’t trying to set her up with the captain.
Of course not.
As if their precious captain would go for a waitress.
And Vincent was…nice.
She liked Vin. He wasn’t as friendly as Luc, but there was something about him that was steady. Reliable.
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