The Misfit Inn のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 61 - チャプター 70

Something came into Porter's eyes as he looked at her. A fierce tenderness that made Maggie's chest ache. She hadn't seen him look at her like this in years. Not since before, when he'd volunteered to sacrifice his own future for her. She'd come so close to saying yes. So close to breaking that personal vow to never, ever be like her birth mother. Because he'd made her feel things. Things she couldn't trust and didn't believe in. But she felt the stirring of those same emotions now as she looked into his blue eyes. It couldn't work then, and it sure as hell wouldn't work now, for a whole host of different reasons. The last thing either of them needed was to go back to before, so she dropped her gaze, shifting her attention to the baby.Bailey was so tiny in her arms, but so full of precious life. Her heart sang with a potent cocktail of joy and grief. For so very many years, this day had been a nightmare for her. The anniversary of the day she'd lost her own child. Something she'd t

The problem with being a workaholic on forced vacation was that there was far too much time to think. Even with the extra duties she'd taken on around the inn and spa while Pru was on maternity leave, Maggie was desperate for something to distract her. Because the downtime meant far too many chances for her brain to replay every interaction she'd had with Porter for years, seeing them through the lens that his feelings for her were real. And that led to a very dangerous game of What If.What if she'd believed in what he felt back then?What if she'd said yes?What if she hadn't made assumptions because she'd lost the baby?It all led to visions of a possible future she'd destroyed by walking away. Because no matter that he was still here, that he still loved her, no matter that she felt more for him than she wanted to admit―it couldn't work. Even without the geographic distance between them, she wasn't fit for a relationship. The last decade had more than proven that, and he deserv

"Are you just gonna stand out here all night or are you gonna come in?"At the sound of Ari's voice, Porter froze midway through wiping sweaty palms on his good jeans. Did the nerves show? It was ridiculous, really. In all the years he'd been in love with Maggie, he'd imagined almost everything. What it would be like to kiss her. How he'd make love to her. What it would be like to marry her and raise a child. But somehow, in all of it, he'd never thought about what it would be like to pick her up for their first date. Probably because they'd leapfrogged right past that possibility when he'd proposed. He'd never imagined climbing the steps to the house that had been his own home for so many years. Never thought he'd hesitate, unsure of whether to just walk on in as normal or ring the bell. What was the protocol here? This was an honest-to-God date with Maggie Reynolds. His dream girl. He wanted―needed―to get this right.Ari cocked a brow, and Porter realized he still hadn't said any

The moment Maggie stepped through the door of Crystal's Diner, her stomach twisted into a queasy knot. Not from the scents of frying bacon, home fries, and coffee, but from the almost synchronized stares of the breakfast patrons. She'd thought it wouldn't be this bad at nine on a weekday, but evidently she'd underestimated the senior crowd's desire to linger over crossword puzzles and bottomless cups of joe.I should have asked Dahlia to meet me at the house. Except she'd wanted to get away from the inn for a bit. Athena had the guests covered this morning, and Kennedy was helping out at the spa. They'd all be on duty to clean and turn rooms once she got back, so this was the time she had.A quick scan of the tables showed that Dahlia hadn't made it yet. Maggie was a little early. She considered stepping back outside and waiting on one of the benches intermittently placed along Main Street, but that felt too much like retreat. She hadn't been a coward in high school, and she sure a

It was nearly two in the afternoon by the time Maggie got back to the inn.Porter glanced up at the house. "I'd offer to pull around by the old bodock tree, but I'm not sure you can shimmy up it in those shoes." She hadn't thought to pack others when she'd shoved clothes into a bag, so she was still wearing last night's heels. "Sneaking inside in broad daylight seems like a pointless endeavor anyway. Nobody's under any delusion about where I've been."He rolled to a stop in front of the house and parked. "Regrets?""Never." Hooking a hand behind his neck, she drew his mouth to hers for one last kiss and hummed with pleasure as his tongue snaked out to tease hers. When she found herself sinking into a fresh haze of lust, she pulled back. "Okay, this time it's really goodbye. We can't get derailed like we did before we left the house." There'd been two failed attempts that had ended with them both sweaty and naked. If she could even walk tomorrow, it would be a miracle.His face sc