Chapter 66: EngagedMaggie stared at the engagement ring on her hand. Since that night three months earlier when Mike had ambushed her in front of his friends and family, she'd been in a fog. There were times when she was sure she was doing the right thing. Mike was a good man and a hard worker, plus he was crazy about her. There were other times when doubt consumed her. Could she really stand beside him and promise him forever?She considered the changes around her apartment since Mike had moved in. He wasn't exactly particular about where his clothes landed when he took them off after work. Maggie was forever picking up dirty socks and undershirts, tossing them into the hamper while Mike stalked into the kitchen to grab a beer. Their sex life hadn't improved at all. If anything, it had declined, as though now that Maggie had accepted his proposal, Mike didn't seem to feel the need to try to impress her anymore.The usual peaceful atmosphere of the apartment building was dis
Chapter 67: Nice Day for a WeddingMichael arrived fashionably late and found a place to stand behind the rows of white chairs trucked in for the occasion. With a seasoned eye, he scanned the friends and family gathered there, smiling when he spied her red hair shimmering in the sun. She always sticks out in a crowd.It was a sparkling June afternoon, the sky crystal blue. The ceremony took place in front of a vintage red barn, field flowers surrounding the seating area that hosted about a hundred guests. When the minister pronounced Rance and Jason married, the crowd clapped and cheered. Guests were invited to make their way to the reception tent while the wedding party posed for pictures. "I gotta find the can," Mike told Maggie and he left her standing by their seats. Maggie watched as Rance and John smiled for the camera."You're looking great, Mags."She whirled around to see Michael standing in the aisle beside her, grinning mischievously. "Michael!" she exclaimed. "Ho
Chapter 68: When You Need Your Best FriendMaggie called Casey from the train. "I'm on my way. I hope you don't mind, I just needed to get away," she said quietly."Don't worry about a thing," Casey told her. "John can stay with the kids, I'll pick you up."On the drive from the train station, Casey watched Maggie out of the corner of her eye. Maggie stared straight ahead and said little. Casey noticed that she didn't have any bags other than her purse. She also noticed that the engagement ring was missing. When they arrived at Casey and John's, Casey offered her dinner or something to drink. Maggie shook her head. "I'm so tired," she said. "I just want to go to sleep."Casey hugged Maggie tightly. "Well, the guest room is all yours. Sweetie, I don't know what's going on, and you don't have to talk about it until you're ready. But you know I love you, and we're here for you, both John and I."Maggie wiped a tear from her cheek. "Thanks," she choked. In the guest room, M
Chapter 69: New NeighborOn the red-eye to Los Angeles, Michael smiled as he thought about running into Maggie at the wedding. When he'd approached her, she'd looked genuinely surprised. On the other hand, he'd been positive she would be there. After all, Rance was her boss. He tried to tell himself that his motivation in attending the wedding had been purely professional respect for the happy couple. Another of those things I probably shouldn't ponder too hard.He sipped his bourbon and looked over his notes for the trial he was covering in LA. Another celebrity had gone and gotten herself into trouble. Pretty much a Michael Rannigan staple. But his mind wandered. Mags…getting married. Michael thought about the guy she'd introduced as her fiancé. Doesn't seem like her type, though. The guy seems a little… He sighed. The guy seems like a douche bag. He shook his head. I'm happy if she's happy. Michael traveled all that summer, covering trials across the country and
Chapter 70: New BeginningThe fabled Manhattan skyline began to grow on the horizon. Bobby Beaulieu had to admit to himself that he'd be glad to finally be finished with the long drive. The network had obviously offered to fly him up and to have his belongings professionally moved, but he'd opted to drive his black Range Rover the nearly 1,600 miles from Dallas. He'd told them he wanted to have his truck with him in the city and to bring with him the few possessions he cared to move, but he knew the real reason was a little different. Life was changing drastically, and he hoped the solitude of the drive would help him wrap his head around the events of the last year.At the end of the previous season, Bobby had made the difficult decision to retire from the only job he'd ever had, pitching for the Texas Rangers. At thirty-seven, he was young to retire, but a lifetime of throwing injuries had caught up with him. His recovery from the last surgery on his elbow had been slow, and ba
Chapter 71: Settling InBobby's first week with the network was a flurry of activity. He had an appointment with a stylist who helped him spend his first wardrobe allowance, directing him in choosing suits, shirts, and ties. "With your coloring, we want to stick with charcoal suits, definitely not black," she'd said confidently. She also took him to a salon where his wavy brown hair was trimmed, and his facial hair groomed. "Let's leave you with a little five o'clock shadow," she'd told him, nodding thoughtfully. "The ladies are going to love you." Bobby tried to draw the line at a manicure, but she'd insisted. "Once you do it, you'll wonder how you ever made it without." He was glad when the ordeal was over, defiantly dressing in an old t-shirt and ripped jeans when he got back to the apartment.Work went much better. He realized that he knew many of his colleagues, at least by reputation, and they welcomed him warmly. He was briefed on the expectations, and he went throu
Chapter 72: Meeting Beau BeaulieuOne problem, Michael realized, with traveling as much as he did, was that his body clock was often way off kilter. He'd been back from the west coast for a couple of days, but on this particular night, he still found himself restless after midnight. He considered seeing if one of his dates was available to come over but opted instead for a session on the treadmill down in the gym.When he walked in and saw someone already working out at that late hour, he was surprised. Then he realized it was his new neighbor. Beau definitely looked annoyed that someone had ruined his solitude, but Michael left him to his business and started on the treadmill. He'd been hoping to meet Beau anyway. Michael thought of the people who were often in the gym during regular hours. Yeah, buddy, I don't blame you. I'd probably come down here in the middle of the night, too. He resolved to leave Beau alone, but when the former baseball pro glanced Michael's way, he c
Chapter 73: Making Time for the Important ThingsMichael had enjoyed chatting with Beau. He seems like a genuinely nice guy. He had thought it a shame that Beau wasn't interested in meeting one of his lady friends. It might have been fun to go out on the town together.It seemed that Beau often worked the primetime shift at the network, finishing late at night. Michael ran into him a few times as they both returned home around midnight, Michael usually with a girl or two in tow. He'd been surprised when he found himself feeling slightly embarrassed in front of Beau that time in the elevator when Shannon and Michelle were going at it. Somehow, Michael suddenly felt like an errant teenager, but he knew it was in his own head, in his own conscience. Beau had certainly not seemed judgmental.Throughout February and into March, Michael continued to travel quite a bit. There was a trial in Oklahoma City for a couple of weeks, then he spent another week doing speaking engagements th
Chapter 131: EpilogueIt was a crisp fall day as the new black Range Rover made its way carefully through the narrow lanes, coming to a stop at the base of a hill. The deep cerulean sky was accented by the vibrant scarlets, pumpkins, and golds of autumn leaves. Bobby shifted into 'Park' and looked over at Maggie.She chewed her lip anxiously. "I won't be long.""Take your time, cher." He smiled at her reassuringly. "We're not in any hurry."Maggie sighed deeply and unfastened her seat belt. She stepped out of the car and opened the door to the backseat, leaning in to retrieve a small bundle before closing the door again. "I won't be long," she repeated.Bobby watched as she carefully picked her way up the hill. "Daddy, can I go, too?" Savannah chirped from the back seat."No, June bug, let Mommy have a minute. Then we'll go to the country. Are you ready to pick some apples?""Yes! Apples!" she responded, and she began to sing a song about picking apples.At nearly the crest
Chapter 130: So Typically MichaelBrian smiled warmly as he welcomed Maggie and Bobby into his office. "I'm happy to have you here," he said, "I only wish it were under different circumstances."Maggie nodded mutely as she took in her surroundings. The law offices of Brian Murphy & Associates occupied a converted three-story building on W. 79th. The building had once been residential. The outer walls were exposed brick, and Maggie found that along with wood accents and details, everything worked together to create a comfortable, relaxed feel. Brian himself was casually dressed in khaki slacks and a white button-down shirt topped by a forest green V-neck cardigan. "This is a nice place," she murmured thoughtfully.Brian gave her a curious look and smiled again. "Well, it's not Murphy, Rannigan, but I think I actually like it better. We don't stand on formality around here. We're a small firm, and we like to think of ourselves as the friendly neighborhood lawyers. You know, whe
Chapter 129: HeartbrokenSean Michael Rannigan was buried on a cold morning in late March. The frozen ground was bare of snow, but flurries swirled through the air on a biting breeze. Maggie found the grey day fitting for a funeral. As she watched the assortment of mourners gathered around the grave, her thoughts went back four days earlier to the day Michael had died.There had been a blur of activity. Rosalie had made the necessary calls to the necessary parties. Attendants from the funeral home had come and discreetly ushered his body away. Maggie had been disconsolate. Bobby had held her until she'd run out of tears.By the time they'd left to pick up Savannah from school, the apartment had been restored to normal, the medical equipment packed up and hauled away. Maggie had sensed the emptiness of the place and insisted that they pack up their things and return to her apartment.She'd forced a smile when Savannah came running up to the two of them in front of the school. "
Chapter 128: Michael's JourneyMaggie clasped and unclasped her hands as she sat anxiously beside the hospital bed in Michael's bedroom. Michael lay propped up against a mountain of pillows, his grey t-shirt showing above the crisp white cotton blanket that covered the rest of him. He'd insisted that the bed be placed beside the window and the drapes be left open so he could look out over the city. He drifted off now and again, but he seemed determined to be awake.It had been a rough night. Maggie and Bobby, along with the overnight nurse, had tag-teamed sitting up with Michael, who had alternated between sleeping fitfully and waking to spells of deep coughing and ragged wheezing.Bobby went to shower and get Savannah ready for school while Maggie and Michael watched the sun come up over the city. The colors were extraordinary, washing the sky in shades of pink, orange, purple, and blue. Maggie couldn't recall the last time she'd watched the sunrise. Michael watched the scene a
Chapter 127: Michael's Family By ChoiceSavannah's clear blue eyes were huge as Bobby introduced her to Michael. "Savannah, you remember Mr. Michael. We met him at the airport that time. He's invited us to stay here with him for a while until we find our own house."When the doctor had released Michael from the hospital, he'd given him a timeline of a few weeks. Maggie had approached Michael, asking if she and Bobby could bring Savannah and stay with him for a while, and Michael had balked. "I don't want a bunch of people waiting around for me to die."She'd convinced him that he'd be doing them a favor, buying them time to find the right place. The truth was, she couldn't bear to think of being all the way in the East Village when he might need her.Now, the little girl regarded Michael solemnly, taking in his gaunt appearance, his grey sunken cheeks and his eyes with their dark circles. Her little brow wrinkled. "What's wrong with your face?" she asked."Savannah!" Bobby excl
Chapter 126: FamilymoonMaggie sat up on her beach blanket and hugged her knees, wriggling her toes and burying them in the cooler sand below the surface. Further down the beach, Bobby dutifully carried a small pink plastic pail as Savannah gathered shells. Maggie gazed past them to the sailboat anchored a few hundred yards offshore. It was their home for the week, and they'd sailed it to remote coves and empty beaches, relishing the quiet and the opportunity to bond as a family. Her gaze returned to Bobby and his daughter, and she smiled contentedly. It wasn't conventional, but it was just right.As if he felt her eyes on him, Bobby turned and smiled knowingly. He bent and said something to Savannah who looked to Maggie and waved. Maggie smiled and waved back as the pair returned to where she sat, Savannah scampering along while Bobby strolled purposefully, dropping his tall frame to the empty space beside her on the blanket."You've worn me out, June bug. Let me sit here by M
Chapter 125: Michael, Back in the SaddleMichael sat back in his chair at the large oak conference table and relished the feeling of being in control. It had been too long since he'd done real casework. He'd forgotten how it felt, the rush of knowing that he held all the right cards. His charcoal grey suit hung a little loose due to the weight he'd lost, but he still knew how to project a confident presence. Figuring it would negatively impact his intimidation factor, he'd left his oxygen in the rental car.Bobby sat quietly beside him, tension radiating from his body. Michael had thoroughly prepped him. "Don't say anything. If they speak to you, look at me. Above all, don't let them bait you."Across the table, Deanna, in her white blouse and navy-blue knee-length skirt with her honey blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, looked more the sad abandoned single mother than the scheming opportunistic gold-digger that she was. Her gaze flitted nervously between Michael and Bobb
Chapter 124: Custody IssuesThe deceptively bright sun and cloudless blue sky seemed at odds with the brisk cold day. But it made for a perfect afternoon spent skating at Wellman Rink in Central Park. Savannah squealed in delight as she struggled along on her ice skates. She was in no real danger of falling, safely tucked between her father and Maggie who each held a hand. She looked up, and Maggie could see the child's pink cheeks and sparkling eyes. "Are you having fun?" she asked the little girl."Yeah! This is awesome!"Bobby looked at Maggie over his daughter's head and winked, smiling. He was beyond grateful to Maggie for taking the unscheduled visit in stride. She'd even taken off work on Friday afternoon so that she could stay with Savannah when he'd had to leave for the studio. He'd arrived home late that night to find the little girl fast asleep in a makeshift tent constructed out of a blanket draped over a card table. "We decided to pretend we were camping," Mag
Chapter 123: EngagedBobby's eyes twinkled with mischief. "How's that?"Illuminated only by the handful of candles scattered about the room, Maggie pulled against the restraints that bound her wrists to the bars of her iron headboard and giggled softly. "It's fine.""No, you're fine," he murmured as his hand lightly traced along the side of her body. He continued down her leg to bind first one ankle then the other to the corners of the bed. He stood at the end gazing over her nude body spread out before him, candlelight bathing her skin in a soft glow. "Aiee, cher, how did I get so lucky?"Slowly, keeping his eyes on hers, he removed his shirt, jeans, and boxer briefs. His impressive erection stood at attention. "Where do I even start?" he whispered, and she giggled again.Bobby crawled onto the bed between her open legs, moving up over her body until he reached her face. Leaning down, he kissed her deeply. "Oh, Bobby," she whispered against his lips.He lightly nipped down t