The Thorne at My Side

EPILOGUE

Mr. Maggie Collins

AUSTIN

“I’m nervous!” I say as I wipe my palms on my shorts. Maggie is stepping out of my shower and reaching for a towel. She wouldn’t let me shower with her this morning because we’re on a schedule. We tend to ignore the clock when we're in there together.

Try as I might, she just won’t accept the simple fact that I own my company and she owns hers. This makes us the bosses and we make the rules, or at least we can not punish ourselves for being late. But my Maggie likes to stick to her routine.

My Maggie.

I still smile a little every time I think it.

It’s been an adjustment to get used to waking up early when she leaves for a run. After our first date we went back to her place and in the morning I told her to pack a bag. I was tempted to whisk her across the globe to Japan but I settled for a night at The Ned.

Getting us together was a feat of patience and determination but as soon as we accepted our devotion to each other things have flowed.

Felix met her and instantly knew she was the one for me. They gang up against me whenever they can. Maggie because she naturally disagrees with me, Felix because he knows it irks me. We get together a lot more than we used to because Maggie and I just moved to a house that’s about five minutes from his in NoVa.

Elle was happy to take over my condo and even though Dad was upset I left Thorne to go into business with her, he honored her trust fund access agreement. Dad grumbled about it being a waste of our time but I’ve made a point to not agree with the man. Together we opened Girl Fox Publishing and will be putting our first book out in a few weeks

Maggie turned down the book deal and formed a consulting company where she works with female policy makers on their tone and wording. She’s been talking with Ben from President Quinn’s administration about contributing to the state of the union address next year.

“You don’t have to be nervous. My family is pretty chill,” she can barely say this with a straight face. “Maybe chill isn’t the right word but they’re normal enough.”

“You have to realize I’ve never been around normal people.”

“This is true, it’s a wonder you turned out as okay as you did.”

“I’m more than okay and you know it.”

“I know it!” Felix chimes in and Maggie yelps before slamming the bathroom door shut.

“Dude, boundaries!” I yell before ushering him downstairs to the kitchen. “Don’t make me change the door code again.”

“You wouldn’t,” he says, astonished. “That was the worst three days of my life.”

“And it should have taught you a lesson not to walk in on my wife in her towel.”

“Not yet,” he wags a finger at me.

“Close enough.”

That’s right, I’ll be proposing to Maggie this weekend. We’re headed up to Lakeville for the town pontoon parade and summer festival. Float Fest they call it. And when Maggie told them we were coming up over Facetime a few weeks ago her sister started gyrating her hips, her mom clapped at a furious pace and her eyes doubled in size. Her sister’s husband nodded and her dad tipped his beer in my direction.

I snuck her dad’s number out of her phone and called him on my own the next day. I told him that I wanted to make Maggie my wife and was hoping to have his family involved in the proposal.

As much as she gives her family grief, there’s a deep affection there.

Felix helped me pick out the ring. Well, actually all he did was look over my shoulder and make unhelpful comments as I inspected each one. The ring box has been burning a hole at the back of my sock drawer for a week and anytime Maggie calls to me from the bedroom I break out in a cold sweat.

“Are you all packed?” I ask Felix because once he heard Maggie describe Float Fest he said he wanted in. She can’t say no to him so he’ll be riding up with us today.

“Yeah boy, I’m so excited. Upstate New York is so close to home, I wish my parents were still there, I’d swing by.” He pops some grapes from the counter into his mouth. “Are you going to pay Greg time and a half?”

“Greg isn’t driving us,” Maggie says and we both spin towards her as she walks down the stairs.

“What do you mean Greg isn’t driving us?” I ask as she rolls her suitcase into the foyer.

“I mean, I talked to him about it and said we’d get ourselves there.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever actually driven the Tesla,” I say as I rack my brain, I didn’t even drive it when I bought it, just picked up the keys and tossed them to Greg.

“Oh, we’re not taking the Tesla.” Maggie laughs. “No way. The good people of Lakeville would have a field day with that car. No Foxy, we need a normal car.”

I’m confused but I still smile inside at the use of her nickname for me.

“I’ve got a normal car!” Felix chimes in. “I’ve got four normal cars. Well, I guess we won’t all fit in the Ferrari so that one is ruled out.”

“No,” Maggie shakes her head. “Your cars are too flashy and far from normal for the good folk of Lakeville.”

“What about the Rivian? That’s a pick up truck!” Felix pleads. “It’s a car of the people.”

“It’s an electric pickup. Doesn’t count.” Maggie says as she pulls a drink out of the fridge. “Guys, I got it. Stick with me.”

As if on cue the doorbell rings and Maggie smiles. She walks to the front door and opens it up to a kid who doesn’t look old enough to drive wearing a car rental polo and khakis standing at our door.

“Ugh, hello, I’ve, umm, got a car here for Maggie Collins.” He rushes through the sentence.

“Yes, thank you,” Maggie smiles at him. Felix grabs his duffel and steps into the foyer behind her. I grab both our bags and join them.

“Wait, you’re Felix Fornier,” the kid says.

“Hi, nice to meet you.”

“Big fan but what happened at the end of the season?” The kid asks and I see Felix’s grip on his bag tighten.

“We didn’t win the cup, that’s what happened,” he grits out and gives the kid a tight smile.

Maggie comes to the rescue. “Do we need to drop you off at the office or are you able to get picked up by a colleague?”

“Ugh,” the kid looks back at her, “The contract says I’ll be picked up by a colleague.”

“Fantastic, I’ll take the keys, and I really appreciate you bringing the car over to us today.” She smiles to end the conversation and we step out the front door and walk to the driveway.

Parked there is a giant, black F150.

“How is this less flashy than my car?” I protest as she uses the key fob to unlock it.

“It’ll fit in much better, trust me.” She pats my back after I lift our bags into the back seat. “You want to do the first shift?”

“No,” I say and I shake my head. “I haven’t driven in years, I’m not even sure my license is valid.”

“Ugh, excuse me, ma’am, the contract only has your name on it so you are the only authorized driver for the length of your rental agreement.” Kid chimes in from where he’s taken a seat on our front stoop.

“Shotgun!” Felix yells and he tosses his bag on top of ours and rounds the front of the truck.

“No way, you do not get to sit in the front seat while Maggie drives, that’s clear boyfriend territory.”

“Thorney, the rules of shotgun are very clear. And, I’ve got witnesses who will corroborate I said it first, and clearly.”

I slide my glasses off my face and pinch my nose. Maggie steps into my side and kisses my jaw.

“You can call shotgun for the next leg,” she says and I deflate because I kind of expected her to overrule shotgun.

◆◆◆

“There it is!” Felix yells from the back seat. “What do I get for seeing the sign first?”

“Nothing,” I grumble.

“In our house, the first one to spot the sign gets a five minute late start on dishes. It was our biggest bargaining chip growing up,” Maggie says as she signals to change lanes. “Do you guys want to drive through town or go straight to my parent’s?”

“Town!” Felix yelps and Maggie smiles. She looks over to me for confirmation and I nod.

Lakeville is the quintessential small town. The square downtown with locally owned businesses lining the street, beautiful landscaping, and friendly waves even to the unfamiliar truck slowly moving down the street.

Although, I do spot three other black F150s and we’ve only been in town for a few minutes.

“That’s my sister’s studio,” Maggie points out the window, “and be careful what you say in that coffee shop. It’s owned by the matron of town gossip.”

She comes to a stop at the corner and in front of us is the park and the lake. The setting sun sparkles off the water and while DC is beautiful there is an urban grit to everything that I can see hasn’t tainted Lakeville.

After Maggie makes the turn I reach over and slide her hand into mine. She’s sitting up a little straighter in her seat and I can tell she’s nervous. We wind down the road away from town with the lake to my right.

“This place is really pretty,” Felix says from the back seat. I can’t see him but it sounds like his face is pressed up to the window.

“It is, I’m lucky to have grown up here,” Maggie says with a small smile at me.

She pulls her hand away to turn the truck into a driveway. There are already two other trucks parked there. We’re barely out of our seats when the front door opens and the screen slaps shut behind a blur of blonde headed our way.

“MAYBE! Congratulations!!” The ball of energy yells.

“Hey Lizzard,” Maggie and Liz wrap each other in a hug. I slide my hand into my pocket. “What are you congratulating me on?”

Liz steps back and has a wide eye look of unease on her face. “Ummm, congratulations on making it up here safely?”

Maggie narrows her eyes at her and turns her head towards me but keeps her eyes on Liz. “This is my boyfriend, Austin.”

“Hey Liz, great to finally meet you,” I say and I step forward. Her eyes somehow get even bigger when she wraps her arms around me in a hug.

“Have you not proposed yet?” She whispers in my ear and I start to cough in shock.

“No, he hasn’t,” Felix says and I have to close my eyes not to lose my shit.

“What is he waiting for?” Liz asks Felix before extending her hand, “Liz Collins Sutherland.”

“Felix For–”

“Oh, I know who you are.” Liz says as she pulls her hand back from the shake.

Maggie has, thankfully, moved further from this conversation to give hugs to her family members on the porch. Liz leads Felix and me over to the group. A woman who looks like Maggie but thirty years older steps down off the porch and wraps me in a hug.

“I’m so excited to have another son-in-law!” She squeals and I stiffen.

“Mom,” Liz hisses before she starts slicing across her throat with her hand.

“Why can’t I call him my son-in-law? He will be soon enough right?”

“What are you talking about?” Maggie asks as she joins us.

“Why didn’t you tell us yourself, Maggie dear?” Her mom asks.

“Tell you what?”

“That you’re engaged to Austin!”

“I’m not engaged to Austin.” Maggie says with a quick shake of her head.

“Well, not yet,” I give her a sheepish smile and a shrug. I feel Felix’s hand on my shoulder so I bend down to one knee. No time like the present I guess. “Maggie, you are the best thing in my life and I never want to spend another day without you as my partner. You’re my ride or die and I need you at my side.” Maggie's eyes are wet with unshed tears and everything else I wanted to say about looking forward to fighting with her, about the light she brings to my life, about how I took a risk by signing up for SMS Connect but our relationship was a bigger reward than I could have imagined disappears. “Will you marry me?”

She nods and reaches for me. My arms wrap around her and I press her to me while our lips crash together.

“Is that a yes?” I say against her lips.

“Yes Austin, it’s a yes. I’m in!” Maggie says as I use my thumbs to catch her joyful tears.

“She said yes!” Felix yells from behind me and Maggie startles. I hug her tighter before we break apart and accept hugs from our friends and family.

Later that night, as we sit as a group in the Collin’s back deck, I’m holding Maggie’s hand under the table and my cheeks hurt from laughing. I help clean up the dishes with Maggie while Felix enjoys his bonus five minutes from seeing the sign first. I sneak kisses every chance I get and at first Maggie is embarrassed but she has started to lean into them so I keep going. We start the dishwasher and instead of joining her family on the deck again she pulls me up the stairs behind her.

We step into her room and I take in Maggie's high school choices. Political posters alongside movie stars and post it notes are all right on brand for her. She closes the door and then she jumps into my arms.

“I’m sorry my family ruined your proposal,” she says after a few kisses.

“They didn’t, I was going to do it this weekend but I didn’t know when, it was perfect.”

“You were?”

“Yeah, it was one year ago tomorrow that we started texting on SMS Connect so I felt like the timing was right.”

Maggie curls into me and I cradle her against me. One year ago I was completely oblivious to the deep connection that was possible between two people. My conversations with TalkShopGirl opened my eyes to true companionship. My attraction to Maggie Collins the first time I saw her was undeniable.

And, as awful as those winter months were, I think we needed to break apart in order to come back together. Because of everything we endured, we’re stronger than ever.