A Serial Romance

Chapter Nine, by Cheryl Newell Davis

Maggie, startled by the appearance of Cam, and his obvious snub, reached back for Jeffrey’s hand and held on tight.  Having come too late to the courthouse, all business was shutting down.  Well-oiled locks clicked as winners and losers headed for the nearest watering hole to soothe wounds and celebrate triumphs.

Jeffrey dropped Maggie off at the Book Nook, parting after several unsuccessful attempts to prolong the evening.  Though her body said otherwise, Maggie needed time to herself.  She was used up and felt more lost than ever in her entire life.

There was a hurricane swirling in her brain entangling her emotions and leaving her powerless.  She had always been a woman with direction.  Someone who could take charge, make decisions.  As she felt herself sucked into this vortex, she heard a voice pleading, “Get a grip on yourself! This is not you, helpless and needy.” Huckleberry startled, made an A-line for the top shelf. Maggie, shaken to the core by the sound of her own voice, began emerging from her “poor little me” mentality.

From the corner of her eye Maggie became aware of someone standing at the front door of the Book Nook.  Disconcerted by the thought of another witnessing her meltdown, she pushed it to the back of her brain to worry about later.  She approached the door anticipating a late customer for Bleeding Vampires which had arrived just today.  She was relieved to see a young woman holding a large manila envelope.   “Are you Ms. Maggie Lambeth?”

Maggie responded almost yawning in her face, “Yes, I am, but I’m about to close.”

“Oh, no problem,” chirped the young beauty, “I just need to get your signature on this mandated hand deliver.”

Maggie thanked her wearily as she signed for the mystery envelope.

Bleary eyed and none resolute about what to do next, she almost dropped the envelope on the entry table and went up to bed.  Instead, she absent-mindedly opened the “mandated delivery.” Really, what could be such a big deal.

She noticed the careful lettering of her name and the design of the document that had been written with obvious attention to detail.  She began reading:

My Dear Maggie Lambeth, you do not know of my existence but I must tell you a story in order for you to understand what will come next.  I met your mother, a rare and special woman, many years ago at a literary merchants market.  As these markets go, there was little time for buyers to browse through the stacks of new offerings.  One evening your mother and I, unbeknownst to the other, were plowing through the stacks, our idea of heaven.  An unstable shelf landed on my shoulder.

Your mother came to my rescue. It was obvious from our first inadvertent touch, there was no turning away from the attraction we both felt.  I would have done anything for your mother, and as a single man I could have. However, your mother loved you dearly and felt a profound loyalty to your father she would not betray.

The photograph I have enclosed was taken the last time we were together.  I am the man casting the shadow, the one who gave your mother the special baseball she holds in her hand.  In our precious time together your mother shared her unique perspective on publishing and her sweet passion for baseball.  After we parted,  I established a successful publishing firm incorporating the essence of her ideas.  I have made a fortune doing something I could not share with her.

The fact that you are reading this confirms that I have passed from this life.  It is my sincere and last wish that you, the child of the love of my life and the one responsible for the success of my endeavors, be the sole heir to my fortune.

Maggie sat dumbfounded, reading the document again and again.  Who was this person she knew as her mother? Things finally began to sink in.  One thing was clear. She now had the resources to do whatever necessary to preserve her family home in a way that would benefit the entire community, sports lovers and academics alike.  umm…Sports and Smarts…..Baseball and Brains…. Reading and Rookies… Oh! the possibilities!  No more kickbacks to power brokers in the statehouse. She would do this her way!

As Maggie settled into bed that evening, her nightly fantasy displaced time and reality. Two fierce and tender lovers consumed, lost in their passion for each other. … but still… still, she could not see the face of the one whose touch she so craved.