Accidental Fiancé (Unintentionally Yours #5)

11. Maggie

Chapter 11

Maggie

I never knew a man who could shop like Jules. His first suggestion was a series of boutiques, but I opted for a mall. I couldn’t stand the idea of him dropping boutique money on me. It felt like taking advantage. But once I got him into the mall, I realized my mistake.

The way his eyes lit up when we looked at the directory should have been my first clue. I should have gotten worried when he insisted the first store we hit should be the sneaker store. His explanation was innocuous enough. “That way we have comfortable shoes for walking around.”

Which made sense so I didn’t see the marathon coming.

Six hours later, he had made half a dozen trips to unload our bags at his SUV. He insisted we grab a bite to eat before heading to his place, so we stopped at a little diner close by. When we sat in the booth, my back creaked like I was a hundred years old.

“You’re sure you’re not going to make me do more shopping after this? Because I’ll need more espresso if that’s the case.”

He smiled and shook his head as he perused the menu. “Unless there’s something else you need.”

“Oh my God, no. I didn’t even need the last three handbags you bought, Jules. Why all the stuff?”

“You looked at them like you wanted them.”

I cocked my head and frowned. “Huh?”

“You looked at them the same way you looked at me last night.”

My cheeks heated. What the hell was I supposed to say to that? “I was just… it was acting when I looked at you like that last night.”

“Acting. I see.” His sly smile made me tingle in places I should not have been tingling. We were friends, nothing more. He lowered his voice, his tone cocky as he teased, “Then should I return them?”

He wasn’t wrong about the purses. I wanted them. I just didn’t realize how easily he could read me. I tried to sound casual. “No, we can keep them. I like them.”

His damn smirk said he knew I wasn’t acting last night. So I dodged his gaze by ducking behind my menu. It was safer back there.

Once our food arrived, I said, “Tell me more about Piper.”

Again, he lit up. “She goes to a private day school for kids her age. It’s at a semi-retired nanny’s house, Etta Pence. Etta is amazing. She takes eight kids a year, maximum, and she has them during the day from ten to three, Monday through Friday. She teaches them all kinds of things—Piper can already read at a fifth-grade level, thanks to Etta.”

“That’s great.” What am I going to do during the five hours she’s gone?

“You have a car, right?”

“Yeah. She’s older than I am, but she runs.”

A single vertical line formed right between his brows as he frowned. “No safety features?”

I laughed flatly. “Outside of seatbelts? No.”

“We’ll have to rent you a car since you’ll be taking Piper to Etta’s.” He must have noticed my expression because he quickly added, “If you don’t mind.”

I shrugged. “I’ll kind of be nannying for her, right? While we get to know each other, I mean.”

His mouth tightened. “If you’re okay with it, yes.”

“Then, sure. I don’t want to cart her around in something you’re not comfortable with.”

Jules paused, smiling slightly. “Sorry, I assumed you’d be alright with taking care of Piper. Not everyone is a kid person, and I shouldn’t have assumed that.”

“Not a big deal.”

“It is a big deal. But I appreciate that you’re giving me some leeway on it. I’ll try not to assume things like that going forward.”

“It’s going to be an adjustment for all of us. We’re both bound to say and do some out-of-pocket things, right?”

He nodded. “Agreed. After we eat we’ll stop by a rental place and get a safer car squared away.”

“More shopping?” I whined.

“Is picking out a car really that much of a burden?”

“Stop having a good point.”

It was after dark by the time I followed him in my rental car to his house. Even still, I could see how beautiful his home was. I parked and stared up, muttering to myself, “A mansion. Of course.”

I shouldn’t have been surprised, but the place was huge, especially for only two people. The building was three stories of white brick surrounded by sharply manicured foliage. Even the front walkway was white brick, illuminated by subtle lighting. Everything was neat and tidy, and as much as I appreciated the look, it somehow made me feel out of place. Like I’d come in and mess everything up.

Jules stood at my door with a questioning smile on his handsome face, and suddenly, I wanted to go inside with him. He asked, “Do you like the car so much that you’re going to sleep in it?”

I rolled my eyes and got out. “No, smart ass. I’m coming in.”

“Good. I can’t wait for you to meet Piper.”

“Me too.”

He drove into the four-car garage and emerged with a trolley to transport the bags from our shopping trip. As we loaded it up, he said, “Grocery day is easier when you have a trolley.”

“How much food are you buying that you need a trolley? There’s only two of you.”

“It comes in handy when my cousin comes to visit or when I’m hosting friends or clients, having a party, that kind of stuff. Ready?”

“Sure.”

The truth was, I was nervous. What if Piper didn’t like me? What if all of this went wrong before we even got to Yaya’s birthday party? When the reunion came up, I believed Nora would be by my side, weathering it with me. With her by my side, I could handle anything.

She wouldn’t be by my side these next three weeks.

Wait. Last night, I handled it. Sure, Julian came along and helped—a lot—but I was handling Chloe just fine. I can handle this, too. A four-year-old can’t be any worse than a pack of adult mean girls, right?

“Worried?” Julian asked as we wrangled the trolley to the side door. Tightly packed rose bushes lined the side walkway, illuminated by solar lights. No one was getting through those bushes without losing skin.

“Hmm?”

“You’re drumming your nails on the trolley, Maggie.”

I chuckled at myself and stretched my fingers out. “Sorry.”

He stopped the trolley, the hanging bags swinging silently back and forth for a moment. “It’s okay to be nervous about all of this. I am too. But I’m here for you. If this is too much, just tell me.”

I shook my head. “It’s not. I’m just overthinking things. It’ll be fine once I meet her.”

“Ok, good. Then let’s go.” He opened the French doors to the pristine white kitchen, and my breath caught. I wanted to live there. It was decked out in the latest top-of-the-line professional gear and stainless steel appliances. There was a large section of stainless steel countertop beneath a window, perfect for rolling out dough. The rest of the counters were white and gray marble, matching the floor. A large island sat in the middle, several gorgeous pots and pans hanging above it. There was a walk-in pantry next to the industrial-sized fridge. A large gas stove top, double ovens… a fantasy home kitchen if ever there was one.

Julian called out, “Rena? Pip? Where are you guys?”

The pitter-patter of tiny feet slapping against the marble floors drew my attention. “Pop!” An enthusiastic black-haired blur ran past me to hug his leg. He scooped her up, swinging her onto his hip. Only then did I realize she was also holding a purple stuffed squid-monster. It matched her pajamas.

Every time Julian had spoken of his daughter, he glowed. But now, his smile was almost blinding.

“Piper Black, I’d like you to meet Maggie Bryant.”

Instead of shaking my hand, she held out her monster. “This is Cooloo.”

I shook one of the monster’s stuffed tentacles. “Pleasure to meet you, Cooloo.”

Jules laughed. “It’s Cthulhu, but she can’t pronounce it, so?—"

“Coo…loo…,” Piper proudly said, as if she was showing off her pronunciation skills.

“Sounds like Cooloo to me, Jules.”

She stuck her tongue out at her father, who sighed at me. “Already ganging up on me, huh? I knew this was a bad idea.”

“Hey, Mr. Black.” A twenty-something girl with long red hair and bright green eyes walked into the kitchen. She had the kind of looks that belonged painted on the side of a World War II bomber plane. A walking, breathing fantasy straight out of a men’s magazine. She gave me a cautious smile and stuck out her hand. “I’m Rena.”

“The weekend babysitter?” I asked her as I shook her hand.

Julian nodded as he set Piper down. “Rena, this is Maggie. She’s moving in.”

That statement earned wide eyes from Rena but they quickly vanished in a slight smile. “Okay, well, since you’re home, I’m going to head out unless you need me for anything else.”

“Dinner?”

“She’s one peanut butter and jelly in.”

“Alright, thanks Rena.”

“See you later, munchkin.” Rena brushed her hand against Piper’s cheek and said goodnight.

Julian set his daughter onto the trolley then ran it down the hallway with her squealing all the way. As much as I hated her mom for leaving her behind, I enjoyed seeing them together like this. I followed, half-paying attention to them while the other half took in my surroundings.

Sandy beige walls complemented the light wood floors, and every space we passed had warm lighting and enormous windows showcasing the views of the ocean landscape. Family pictures and Piper’s drawings lined the walls. Not much in the way of decor other than a few plants here and there. Despite the enormity of the mansion, it felt like a home.

Julian stopped the trolley at the end of the long hallway. “Okay, Pip, this is where Maggie will be sleeping. Grab some bags and?—"

“No!” she shouted with glee, giggling as she ran into the bedroom.

He turned to me. “One of these days, I’ll train her to be a good bellhop. Alas, today is not that day.”

“Terrible service at this hotel. Two stars,” I teased as I brushed past him into the bedroom.

The large canopy bed begged for me to jump on it next to Piper, who was busy tucking Cooloo into the crisp sheets. There was a large set of windows offering a beautiful view of the ocean. I walked over and cracked one open to allow the breeze to fill up the space and so I could listen to the waves all night long. I’d always wanted that but had never lived anywhere I could hear the waves crashing on the cliffs below.

The rest of the bedroom was as lovely as the house, with the same wood floors and sandy beige walls. The rich oak furniture was modern with fine detailing, copper handles, and smooth lines. A few watercolor paintings hung on the walls, each one an herb in the style of a scientific drawing. I spotted a quaint ensuite bathroom off to the left. Simple and cozy, yet elegant.

“What do you think?” Julian asked from behind.

“It’s perfect,” I breathed.

“Are you sure? There are three others available if you want to switch.”

“I love it. I might explore the house some more tomorrow, but for tonight, I want this room.”

Wonder lingered in his eyes. He didn’t say what he was thinking, but I wasn’t going to drag it out of him in front of Piper. His smile faltered. “Then this is your room for the night. You can unpack or wait until after you’ve toured the other bedrooms tomorrow. Entirely your choice. Pip, how about we leave Maggie to it?”

“To what?” she asked innocently.

“She needs to get settled in, change into her pajamas, that kind of thing. Come on.”

“But I just put Cooloo to bed. He needs his beauty sleep.”

“I don’t think he’s going to get any prettier, sweetie.” He swiped Cooloo from my bed and picked Piper up. “You carry him, and I’ll carry you, and we’ll go eat leftover Thai food. Deal?”

“I get the noodles.”

“Of course.” At the doorway, he said, “Welcome home. If you want to join us for leftover Thai or order something else, feel free.”

“Thanks, Jules. For everything.”

“Same here.”