Unexpected Trouble (The Unexpected Series Book 3) Read online

  Something close to excitement began to burn under my skin. What if Jake was right, and Maggie could do this? She could prove to us that she was fit to go, physically and emotionally, and then she kept going? Would Maggie and I be able to work with each other that way and have a relationship? Would she even want one with me?

  After last night’s kiss, I had to think that she might consider it, but before I got too excited about it, we needed to see if she could handle it.

  On the way back to the office, I stopped at Cocoa’s Coffee Café and picked us up coffee. The manager wouldn’t let me pay, said it was the least he could do after yesterday.

  Back at the office, I handed off the cup to Maggie and went back to my desk. I felt her staring at me, and I turned to see her toast me with her cup and then go to work. In the back of my mind, I was devising the perfect test plan for her while I worked on another proposal and caught up with an old buddy.

  I was kicked back talking to Will, one of our part-timers who had just gotten back from a quick operation in Saudi Arabia, when I noticed Maggie looking at me.

  Thoughts on what other kinds of endurance tests I’d like to do on her flew through my mind as I checked out every inch of her beautiful body. She knew that I wanted her; she knew it last night, so why not let her see it now? Maybe it would throw her off-kilter enough that she wouldn’t pass the physical obligations for the trip. I could use it to keep her here and out of danger.

  About an hour after Maggie disappeared into Jake’s office, she emerged, and Jake called us all back to the conference room.

  “Contract is back on,” Jake announced as soon as we were all seated. “Thanks to Maggie.”

  Trevor gave her a high-five as Harvey did a little whoop.

  “Alright, so when are we moving?”

  “Wheels are up in ten days.”

  Alex asked, “And Maggie is going with us?” I’m glad he asked because I didn’t want to.

  “Yes, or we are going to assume she will be with us. I want you and Greg to put her through the paces. It’s going to be a quick course, but I think she will be a quick study. This is only a level three operation, so if she knows the basics, I think she will be fine.”

  “Actually, can I have Trevor do it for me? I will be out of town tomorrow; remember I am meeting with High-Gen.”

  “Oh, yeah, shit. I forgot about that. Trev, you got a problem with that?”

  “Nope, I’m good. I only have one contact I was tracking, and Harvey can keep an eye on it for me.”

  “Greg, you got anything in the fire?”

  “Two, only one is important. The other one is a few months out.”

  “I’ll take it,” Mike offered.

  “Alright, so Maggie, you up for this?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “Well, I suggest you go home, catch up on your sleep, and then get ready for a busy couple of days.” Jake shook her hand and excused himself. Alex, Harvey, and Mike left too.

  “Any idea what courses we should roll her through?” Trevor asked.

  “Yeah, I have a few ideas, but Maggie, I have a question for you.”

  “Yes?” She lifted her chin as if daring me to do something.

  “What are you going to do with your mom?”

  For the flash of a second, her brow furrowed as if she were confused by the question, but it was gone so quickly, I wondered if I had imagined it. “I already have a plan for that.”

  “Yeah, what? Your neighbors gonna watch her while you are gone?”

  “No. I appreciate the concern, but I have this covered, Greg.”

  “Alright, if you think that’s not a problem. Can you meet us at our training warehouse at seven tomorrow morning?”

  “Yes, what do you need me to bring?”

  “Wear workout clothes; tomorrow will be a physical conditioning and self-defense day. Friday we will roll you through firearms and safety medical training. Monday and Tuesday, if you are still with us, we’ll work through book stuff and policies.”

  “Alright, sounds like a plan.” Maggie shook her hair back from her face and stood. “I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

  “Night, Maggie,” Trevor stated.

  “Good night, Trevor. Greg.”

  “Mags,” I replied as I leaned back in my seat and laced my fingers over my stomach. She stared at me for a minute, then twirled around and was gone.

  “And I thought things were hot with Davina and me; damn—you could get burned if you stepped between the looks you two give one another.”

  “That noticeable?”

  “Um, yeah!”

  “Are they as noticeable as the ones that Alice and Jake give one another?”

  Trevor frowned. “What are you talking about? Alice and Jake aren’t into each other.”

  I laughed. “They aren’t? You sure about that? You might want to check them out a bit closer. When we got back to the city yesterday, you should have seen the blatant sexual interest in both their eyes. It almost made me feel like a peeping Tom.”

  “No shit?”

  “Yeah, keep an eye on them. I don’t think they have hooked up, but I think it’s only a matter of time before they do.”

  “Damn, I never saw that one coming.”

  “Yeah, me either. Okay, I was thinking that we run Maggie through a fast track of the self-defense and physical challenge. Maybe get her started with a five-mile run, bring her into the gym and see what she can do with some obstacle course, and then put her through basic self-defense.”

  “Are you trying to kill her on her first day?”

  “No, I want to see how she holds up, what her endurance level is. This might be a level three op, but it’s going to be hot and dirty.”

  “Yes, I’m aware of the conditions, but are you trying to make it harder for her to succeed?”

  I laughed and stood. “Trev, one thing you need to know about Maggie is that if she wants something bad enough, she’s gonna get it. It doesn’t matter what you, me, or anyone else does.”

  “Yeah, well, if that’s the case, how come you two aren’t together, because I’m pretty sure you’re on her top ten list of things she wants.”

  “I doubt that.” I pushed my chair into the table as he got to his feet. “I walked away from her and never gave her a chance to fight for me. When she says that I broke her heart, I have no doubt that I did. The day after we broke up, I returned to my unit and deployed a day later. She had no idea where I was or how to reach me.”

  “Shit, man, that was cold.”

  “Yeah, I know that now, but I wanted her to move on with her life. I wanted her to have everything that I couldn’t give her.”

  “How did that work out for her?” He laughed as he slapped me on the back.

  “She’s divorced, taking care of her mother who has dementia, and not doing the job that she wants; what do you think?”

  “I think you’re in trouble, man. That’s what I think, but damn, it is going to be fun to watch.”

  “Screw you, Trev.” I laughed as we headed to our desks. “You going to be alright with her going with us?”

  “I don’t have a problem with a female on the team, as long as she can take care of herself. I don’t think anyone else will either. What about you?”

  I laughed a little. “I think I am damned if I do, damned if I don’t on this one. Let’s see how Maggie does over the next couple of days, and then I’ll let you know.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  That afternoon, I finished my work and headed home. I was tempted to go by Maggie’s house and talk to her, but I had a feeling if I did, we’d cross a line that we shouldn’t be tempting right now. Although, I was interested in what she was going to do with her mom while she was away. I’d have to see if she’d talk about it tomorrow.

  I was up early, dressed for a workout myself, and brought a change of clothes with me. When I pulled into the parking lot, I was surprised to see a car parked there already. Maggie opened her door, smiling my way as I
turned off my truck.

  “Okay, one point for you for being here early.”

  “You might remember that I was always the early bird when we were younger. It was me that was nagging you to get moving, remember?”

  I laughed. “Yeah, I remember.”

  I told her to grab her things, and we’d secure them in the small warehouse.

  “Do you do all your training here?”

  “About seventy percent here. We can’t do working range here because it hasn’t been built yet, but we do the classroom, physical, medical, and less than lethal training here.”

  I was turning on lights when the door opened, and Trevor arrived with his duffel over his shoulder. “I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?” he joked.

  I wanted to smack him upside the head. I didn’t want to think about the kinds of things he could have interrupted. I was already having a hard time not staring at the tight leggings and sports top she was wearing. I sure as hell hadn’t missed the fact that she had some serious definition in her biceps either.

  Before I could respond to him, Maggie did. “No, luckily, we haven’t gotten started yet.”

  Trevor glanced at me, and I knew he was wondering if his comment had gone over her head until she spoke again. “We were waiting for you. I’m much more interested in threesomes these days.”

  We both nailed her with a look, and she put her hands up in the air. “I’m kidding! That was a joke.”

  I shook my head as I chuckled at her. “Alright, sassy pants, why don’t you get stretched for a run.”

  “How far are we running?” she asked.

  “Five, think you can do that?”

  She spiked a brow. “Only five? I do at least eight every day.”

  Trevor snickered. “Yeah, let’s stick to five because we are going to put you through a lot after that.”

  “Bring it on,” she said as she leaned over and put her hands flat on the ground. My eyes zeroed on her tight buttocks, and I ground my teeth and turned away before I got myself all worked up.

  It was going to be a long day.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Maggie

  I hadn’t slept much the night before. My mind didn’t want to turn off, and I spent hours going over my decision time and time again to see if this was the right one to make.

  When Jake had mentioned that he wanted me to join the delivery and hinted, rather boldly, that this could be something more, I suddenly envisioned a new future for myself. No more bullshit romance column, no more trying to prove myself to my editors and their bosses. If I traveled with Safety Zone Security, I could report on real conditions, real-world problems, and solutions. I could give some credit back to those who were making a difference.

  The only thing that held me back from jumping in with two feet and holding on with both hands was my mother. If I made more than one trip, I’d have to make permanent arrangements for my mother in a nursing home. I wasn’t sure if I was prepared for that—hell, I wasn’t sure if she was ready for it. Yes, she was moving from the moderate decline to the moderately severe decline stage, and it would only be a matter of time before she would require more advanced assistance.

  That’s what I was dwelling over as I jogged between Trevor and Greg. I wasn’t thinking about what they had planned for me today, or how incredibly sexy they both were, and I wasn’t listening to the conversation that they were having about a client over the top of my head. Instead, my mind was playing back over a conversation I’d had with my mother many years ago.

  “Maggie, sweetheart, you know how much I love you and appreciate you, but you did not need to put your career on hold just to come back and take care of me.”

  “Mom, I didn’t put my career on hold for you. I am taking my career on a different path.”

  She pursed her lips and regarded me cynically. “You suddenly decided that you wanted to write about garden parties, kitchen remodels, and the hottest in home design?”

  I couldn’t lie to her; it was the last thing that I wanted to do, but the local architectural digest that I’d gotten a job with had an opening. The local paper hadn’t been hiring anyone at the time, not even in the obituary section. I had decided to take the position at the digest with hopes that eventually something would open at the paper. At least I would have a job. “You know that I got tired of pulling knives out of my back.”

  My mom sighed. “Well, if you hadn’t married a man who was as competitive as you were, you might not have had that problem.”

  “Mom, he is not the one that was stabbing me in the back.”

  She crossed her arms on the table. “Newspapers, like law offices, are still boys’ clubs, Maggie. Women have to work twice as hard to prove themselves. It took me years longer to make partner than my counterparts.”

  “Yeah,” I grunted. “I know.”

  She took hold of my arm. “Maggie, I need you to promise me something.”

  “What’s that, Mom?”

  “When this disease takes my mind, and I mean really takes my mind, and you come to a point in your life where you need to decide if you should follow your career or care for me, I want you to go for the career.”

  “Mom—”

  She put her hand up. “Maggie, listen to me, sweetheart. I’ve lived my life, and while it has been shorter than I anticipated, I’m happy with what I had. I don’t want you putting your life on hold for me if something comes along that you honestly want to do and that can make you shine. You deserve to shine, Maggie.”

  “How can I just decide to walk away from you and put myself first? You never did that to me. One of the reasons it took you longer to make partner was because you put family first; you put me first. I can’t just turn my back on you because I want a career.”

  “Yes, you can, Maggie. I’m giving you permission to do just that. I know that it might be years before this disease takes over my mind and my life, but I do not want it to take yours. I want you to put me into a nice home, come to visit me when you can, and I want you to live your life. I want you to find a good man, marry him, and live your life to the fullest.”

  “Mom, I can’t just park you in a nursing home and walk away.”

  “I know it will be hard, sweetheart, and at times I’m not going to understand it.”

  “No, you’re right. You won’t. You’ll be confused and scared and not know where you are.”

  “And I won’t know those things even if I were here at home. When my time comes and God calls me home, your father will make sure that I understand that you did everything that I asked, and he’ll remind me that I gave you permission to do that. I love you, Maggie, and I do not want you to hold back on life because of me. Jump and grab life with both hands and hold on. That’s want I want you to do. Will you promise me that?”

  I hesitated, but I told her yes, I would do that.

  Now six years later, I was seriously contemplating that promise. Could I do that? Could I turn my back on my mother for my own personal agenda? Oh, I wanted to, but when push came to shove, could I be that selfish? I wasn’t sure.

  If Mom didn’t have as many good days—well, more like hours—as she did, it might have been an easy decision, but she was still alright—sometimes—once in a while. Would Jake keep the option open for me for a little while?

  Something told me that if I didn’t take him up on this offer now, he’d find someone else to do it. Jake didn’t strike me as the type of guy to be patient; he was crazy intense, and his mind was lightning fast.

  I was going to have to see how this trip went. I’d already reached out to the head of the nursing home where my mother went for day-care programs. This wasn’t the first time that I had put her into a facility for a short period. A couple of years ago, I’d gone on vacation with friends, and Mom had gone in for a week. Now I was working on scheduling her for up to two weeks. Maybe I could consider this a trial of sorts. See how she did, and how guilty I felt.

  “Mags, you there?” Greg’s deep voice broke through as
he spoke my name.

  “What?” I glanced at him quickly as we started to bank a turn, and Trevor dropped back behind us.

  Greg chuckled. “I asked you how you were doing.”

  “Oh.” I smiled at him. “I’m fine. I told you, I usually try to run eight to ten miles a day.”

  “That’s good, shows you have stamina.”

  “Yeah, I do. You know, if you guys want to up the pace a bit, I’m good with that.”

  Greg held his hand out. “The pace is all yours. You set it, and we’ll keep up with you.”

  “Great,” I told him and quickened my speed a little bit. Neither of the two men had trouble keeping up, and before I knew it, we were back in the parking lot of the training facility for Safety Zone Security.

  Trevor let us in, and Greg retrieved water. We took a few minutes to cool down, but before I had even stopped sweating, Greg and Trevor were setting up the obstacle course in the middle of the warehouse. It took them a while, and I took advantage of the time to stretch my muscles, breathe deeply, and tell myself I got this.

  “You’re going to run this a few times, and we are going to time you. We expect people to do it in under two minutes.”

  I scanned the warehouse floor. “That’s easy.”

  Trevor snickered. “Yeah, maybe if you aren’t wearing an extra fifty pounds.”

  “What?”

  Greg reached into a closet and pulled out a military vest that had bulging pockets. “We’ll be nice and take off ten pounds for you.”

  Well, damn. I wanted to tell Greg to leave it, but I wasn’t sure I would even be able to complete the obstacle course with the forty pounds. I glared at the offending vest. “Let’s give it a try.”

  Greg brought the vest to me and helped me get it situated over my shoulders. After a five-mile run, that I had kind of pushed to prove to them that I could do it, the extra forty pounds almost made my knees shake. Ugh, maybe I shouldn’t have pushed it so hard. They could have said something about wearing a forty-pound vest!

  Greg secured it around my torso, tightening the straps, and then he yanked on it to see if it was tight. I lost my footing and started to fall toward him, but I shot my hands out before I could come in contact with his body. My palms planted firmly on his very defined and sweaty chest.