A jolt shot through my chest as I sat there and stared at her. Was she even real? How did she say the exact things I always needed to hear? I was beginning to think she was my guardian angel. If there were such a thing. God sure had let us down, but maybe he’d sent Maggie to me to give me the strength and comfort I was missing.

  “Let’s go on in, then. I texted Momma and told her we were coming.” I hadn’t told Momma about Maggie. We didn’t talk much about anything except Dad. So when I texted her, I let her know Maggie was Brady’s cousin and we’d become good friends.

  Momma had said to bring her, that they would love to meet her. Dad was awake and talking some today. I hoped he’d be awake to see Maggie.

  When we got to the front door, Maggie’s fingers brushed my hand in that silent way of hers, reassuring me she was there and she wasn’t leaving me. I loved it when she did that. She always seemed to know when I needed it most.

  I opened the door and stepped back and motioned for Maggie to go inside. The entryway was empty, but I could smell cookies in the oven. Momma had gone and fixed us a snack. “Smells like Momma is in the kitchen,” I told Maggie, then placed my hand on her lower back to lead her to meet my mother.

  When we stepped inside the kitchen, Momma’s back was turned, and she was getting down glasses for us. Her hair had been brushed and pulled into a ponytail, and she was wearing a nice shirt and jeans. She didn’t spend much time getting fixed up anymore because she was afraid to leave Dad for too long. This was the most I’d seen her do to herself in a few weeks.

  “Hey, Momma,” I said quietly, not wanting to startle her.

  She spun around, and her gaze went straight to Maggie. She was curious. I never brought girls here. Momma had only seen Raleigh a few times at my football games, and we’d been together a whole year.

  “Hello, you must be Maggie,” Momma said, walking over to greet us.

  Maggie nodded. I had forgotten to tell my momma she didn’t talk. My momma wasn’t in on the town gossip, so she didn’t know anything about Maggie’s past. I opened my mouth to explain, when Maggie took a step toward her and held out her hand. “Yes, ma’am. It’s nice to meet you.”

  I closed my mouth and stared at Maggie. I’d never heard her talk to anyone else. Not even her family. Yet she’d not hesitated to speak to my mother. One more thing about her that made her so incredibly special. After all she’d faced and all she’d been through, she still had compassion. She still sacrificed for others. I wasn’t sure I could have done the same in her situation.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too. Please call me Olivia. West doesn’t bring friends home much anymore. I’m glad he felt like he could bring you,” Momma said with a light in her eyes I hadn’t seen in a while.

  Maggie blushed and looked up at me.

  “Maggie’s special,” I told Momma as I brushed my fingers over Maggie’s hand the way she so often did mine.

  “I can see that,” Momma said, smiling. Her face was tired and weary, but my bringing Maggie here was making her happy. I realized Momma must feel so isolated with just us and no other life in the house. No distractions to help her cope with what we were facing.

  “I think we both needed a friend who could understand us,” Maggie said, surprising me yet again by speaking.

  Mom turned her smile to me. She liked Maggie. But who wouldn’t? “Your dad is awake. He needs to take his medicine soon. So you can bring her in there to meet him while he’s not napping.” Momma nodded toward the hallway.

  He was in pain, was what that translated to. “If he needs to go ahead and take his medicine now, I can introduce her to him another time.”

  She started shaking her head. “Oh no, he knows you’re coming and bringing a friend already. I told him. He wants to meet her.”

  I glanced down at Maggie. “You ready?” I asked, wanting to give her one last chance to change her mind.

  She nodded, and all the encouragement I needed was in her eyes.

  I didn’t care that my mother would see me; I needed to hold Maggie’s hand right now. Slipping my hand over hers, I held it tightly. Then we walked down the hall to my parents’ bedroom.

  I eased the door open slowly and peeked inside.

  “Stop being quiet, boy. I hear you. Come on in.” He wheezed then coughed. It was a much weaker version of the booming voice I’d always known.

  Maggie didn’t pause but walked right inside with her hand still firmly tucked in mine.

  “That’s the prettiest friend you ever brought home,” he said, smiling as if he weren’t hurting all over.

  “Thank you,” Maggie said.

  “I thought I raised you better,” my dad said, still wheezing through his words. “Girl who looks like this one ain’t for friendship. You’re supposed to snatch her up.”

  Maggie laughed beside me, and Dad’s grin grew.

  “He’s got a train of girls waiting for their turn. He doesn’t need to add another to the long line,” she replied, and my dad laughed. It wasn’t the deep belly laugh he used to do, but it was the first laugh I’d heard from him in a while.

  After he coughed and got his breath back, he looked at me. “Got a line, do you now?”

  I shrugged. I didn’t talk about girls with Dad much. Not after he caught me looking at porn on the computer when I was thirteen and gave me the sex talk. We talked football, school, life. But not girls.

  “Yes. You should hear the girls in the stands at the pep rallies. He’s very popular with them,” Maggie informed Dad.

  He laughed again. “I’m sure you got boys lining up for you, too. If this one is too blind to lay claim, I don’t doubt one of them will.”

  My smile left. I didn’t want to think about that. Maggie was meeting my momma and my dad. What if she started talking to another guy? What if she wasn’t just mine anymore?

  Dad let out another laugh, and I lifted my gaze to see him looking directly at me. “Ain’t fun to think about, is it?” he said.

  My gut twisted and felt sour. I didn’t like thinking about that, and my dad clearly knew it.

  “All this laughter in here. What in the world am I missing?” Momma asked as she stepped inside, looking happier than I’d seen her in a long time. Hearing Dad laugh was good for both of us.

  “There’s my favorite girl,” Dad said as Momma walked over to him. He still looked at her like she was his every wish come true. Momma bent down and kissed his lips. “I had to go make these two a snack. Tonight is game night, and West needs some carbs.”

  Dad looked from Momma to me. “You gonna win tonight?” he asked. This was always our thing.

  “You know it,” I replied just like I always did.

  “That’s my boy.”

  It Takes Years Before They Wise Up

  CHAPTER 21

  MAGGIE

  I had texted with Aunt Coralee several times during the game to check on Mr. Ashby, or Jude, as he’d told me to call him. She had assured me he was sleeping and everything was fine. I wanted to be able to reassure West that everything was okay every time he looked up in the stands at me.

  He did it several times, and each time I nodded.

  Through it all, he managed to run in a touchdown and make several plays I didn’t understand but that, according to Uncle Boone, who explained things as they happened, were very impressive. West was always there for Brady to make the best plays.

  I knew tonight he wouldn’t be going to the field party. He was worried about being away from his dad. I had asked Aunt Coralee if I could go home after the game instead of going to the field party with Brady. Even though I was glad I’d met his parents, emotionally, I was spent.

  Although Jude had talked to me, it had been hard for him, and he was using all the energy he had to talk to us. He gasped for breath and coughed. Then watching the way he stared at his wife like he adored her had broken my heart.

  I couldn’t remember a time in my life when my parents had looked at each other that way. I could remember them fighting and yelling, and they’d always made up. Yet not once did they look at each other the way West’s parents did.

  To think that they would lose that was so incredibly sad.

  As the crowd made their way out to their cars, I followed Uncle Boone as he went to wait on Brady to come out of the locker room. I wanted to see West before I left. Leaving his dad today had been hard on him. He’d held on to my hand the entire ride back to my house. If I could’ve held his hand on to the football field, I would have.

  “There’s West,” Uncle Boone said, nodding toward the field house. “I reckon you’ll want to go see him. I think he’s probably looking for you.”

  I glanced up at Uncle Boone, and he gave me an understanding smile. I hoped he didn’t think what West and I were doing was anything more than friendship. I had explained it to Aunt Coralee because she’d asked me. But I hadn’t really explained it to Uncle Boone.

  I nodded and headed over to West. But Serena got to him before I could. She squealed and wrapped her arms around him. I stopped and waited. I had come to realize that sometimes West needed me, but other times he needed her. Or someone like her. I wasn’t sure if this was one of those times.

  West listened to her talk, and he gave her a nod. I decided it was Serena time not Maggie time, and I turned and headed back to Uncle Boone. He was standing where I’d left him, watching me. He didn’t look happy, but he didn’t look mad, either. Just concerned.

  I stopped when I got back to his side, and we waited on Brady.

  After a few moments Uncle Boone cleared his throat. “Boys don’t always make the right decisions. It takes years before they become men and wise up.”

  He didn’t have to explain. I was already starting to understand.

  “You deserve more, Maggie. He’s hurting, but you’ve had your share of hurt too, sweetheart.”

  I knew Uncle Boone meant well. And I also knew he was right. I did deserve more, and I knew it wouldn’t be from West. He never promised me more than friendship, and friendship was what he needed from me. And until he didn’t need me anymore, I’d be there for him. Even if it was hard, and even if I had flutters from time to time. It was my job to remember he had no other deeper feelings for me. I would guard myself. I had made it through hell and survived. I could do this.

  “We killed it!” Brady’s voice boomed, and I looked out to see him walking toward us, beaming at his dad. Uncle Boone stood there with pride etched on his face. I imagined this was why it was so hard for West. This was one of the things he’d already lost.

  “Good game, son.” Uncle Boone patted Brady on the back. “You headed to the field?”

  “Yeah, you coming, Maggie?” he asked, looking at me.

  I shook my head.

  He looked relieved and concerned at the same time.

  “She’s gonna go on home with me tonight,” Uncle Boone told him, not mentioning my visit to West’s this afternoon.

  “All right, I won’t be home too late,” he assured his dad, then turned and headed toward Ivy, who was waiting for him.

  I glanced back in West’s direction, and our eyes collided. He was already headed my way. Serena was following behind him. This was not something I wanted to do in front of Uncle Boone.

  “You want to wait on him to get here, or you want to go?” Uncle Boone asked.

  I glanced up at Uncle Boone and gave him an apologetic smile. I knew he didn’t agree with this situation, and I loved that he cared enough about me to be worried. But I wasn’t running off on West. Not after seeing Brady with his dad and recognizing West wouldn’t ever have that again.

  “Hey,” West said, bringing my attention back to him.

  Serena stopped behind him. The look on her face was pure annoyance.

  I moved my gaze away from her and back to West. I smiled at him. I wanted him to know everything was good. I’d text him later and tell him “good game.”

  “You going to the field?”

  I shook my head.

  “She’s not going. So can we leave now?” Serena asked, reaching out and taking West’s arm.

  He didn’t pull away from her, and I refused to let that hurt me.

  “You going home?” he asked me.

  I nodded.

  “You played a good game,” Uncle Boone said, placing his hand on my shoulder. “That touchdown was impressive. Your dad will be happy to hear about it.” Then he started steering me toward the parking lot. “Y’all have a good night now. Maggie and I are headed home.”

  He hadn’t left any room for argument.

  West looked torn. Like he wanted to stop me, but he didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t make that decision for him. I lifted my hand and gave him a small wave before turning and walking away with Uncle Boone.

  She Will Always Be Just My Friend

  CHAPTER 22

  WEST

  I didn’t leave the house all weekend except to run to the store for some milk and eggs. Once Maggie had left with her uncle on Friday, I’d gotten it through Serena’s head that I was going home. Alone.

  When I got home, Dad had been asleep, but I’d sat and talked to Momma about the game and Maggie. She really liked Maggie. She also wanted to know why Coralee thought that Maggie didn’t talk. Momma had been smart enough to know something was up and didn’t tell Coralee that Maggie had in fact talked when she was here.

  It was the first thing she’d asked me when I’d gotten home. I knew she was reading more into things with Maggie than was true. She might have wanted us to be together, but I wasn’t in the right mindset to have a relationship with someone like Maggie. Someone who deserved so much more than I had to give.

  Explaining that to Momma wasn’t really a good idea, though. She’d worry about me. And she already had enough to worry about. We both did.

  Saturday I’d spent the day in Dad’s room watching college football. When he was awake, we talked some about the game Friday night. Mostly I talked and he listened. It was hard for him to talk now. Breathing was getting harder and harder on him. The hospice worker came, and I stayed with Dad while I could. I only stepped out when she and Momma bathed him.

  Sunday was a repeat of Saturday, except we watched the NFL games. Momma curled up on the bed with us, and we talked. We talked about our first camping trip and how Momma had screamed when the black bear had gotten into our cooler. Then we laughed about the first time we had taken Momma fishing. She’d been horrified by the fact we put live crickets on the hook.

  Dad also wanted to know about Maggie. She’d charmed him easily enough. He had warned me not to mess that up, saying she was a keeper. Momma had patted my hand as if to agree with him.

  Each night after Dad went to sleep, I’d go to my room and text Maggie. She always answered, and eventually we’d end up talking on the phone until we both fell asleep.

  By Monday I was more than ready to see her. Dad had actually slept through the night and seemed better this morning. Momma had been happy about that, and leaving them hadn’t been as hard.

  My good morning was over right quick, though, when I saw Serena talking to Maggie at her locker. I could tell by the look on Serena’s face that they weren’t having a nice chat. Maggie had backed away from her and was pushed up against the locker door, her green eyes wide and nervous. That didn’t make me fucking happy at all.

  I shoved through the crowd, and eventually everyone moved for me. When I got close enough, I heard Serena: “He fucks me. He doesn’t want you. Back off.”

  “Get the hell away from Maggie. Now,” I roared as I moved in between them and put my hands on Serena’s shoulders to move her back. “Don’t ever. Ever. Get in her face again. Don’t breathe the same air she breathes. Don’t even fucking look at her. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  Serena’s eyes went wide with surprise. She hadn’t expected me to catch her. She’d been furious that I’d wanted to go see Maggie after the game. Until then she hadn’t seen her as competition.

  “She’s flirting with you. She thinks she can have you. I was just telling her what we’ve been doing. That you just see her as a friend,” Serena began explaining as if she were completely innocent.

  I felt Maggie’s body move behind me, and I reached back to touch her hand. She wasn’t leaving. I missed her. Serena wasn’t gonna mess up my morning with her misplaced jealousy.

  “You don’t know what she can have. But I’ll tell you what you can’t have. Me. We had a fun little fling, but that’s done. We’re done.” I didn’t leave room for her to reply. I turned my back on her, knowing we had the entire hallway’s attention now. I knew she wouldn’t stand there, begging me to look at her. She had more pride than that. So I wasn’t surprised when she stalked away. And then everyone went back to their business.

  Maggie’s eyes were still wide and so damn pretty as she stared up at me.

  “I’m sorry about that. It’s my fault. I make stupid-ass decisions, and they should never affect you.”

  She moved her hand to squeeze mine. “It’s okay,” she whispered so softly, no one would hear her.

  “It’s not okay. No one talks to you like that. No one,” I said, feeling my anger start to build again. I hated seeing Maggie afraid.

  She gave me a small smile then slipped her hand from mine and reached for her book bag on the floor. I watched her as she got her books, wishing I had her alone so we could talk. So I could hear her voice. I had heard it over the phone just last night, but it was always different in person.

  Stepping close to her, I inhaled and let her vanilla scent wash over me. I could take that with me to first period. Since I couldn’t take her.

  When she turned around, we were so close, our bodies almost touched.

  Almost immediately a hand landed on my shoulder and squeezed hard. “Friends. Remember?” Brady’s voice wasn’t threatening, but it sure wasn’t friendly, either.

  I took one more deep inhale then stepped back. Maggie glanced at Brady, then smiled one last time at me. Her cheeks turned pink as she held her books close to her chest and hurried away.