Maggie rolled her eyes in frustration at her mother. She had a way of finding fault with everything, even if it was something right.
“Mama,” Maggie said, setting a bowl on the table, “it’s not like he’s a mass murderer or anything.”
“You don’t know that. I’ve told you about being so trusting. He could just be waiting for the right moment to attack you. Then, you will wish you had listened to me. And I won’t feel sorry for you because I told you about it. Mark my words, missy.”
Maggie felt the beginnings of a headache. Funny, she only had them when she spent too much time with her mother. Today was a good day and she didn’t plan for her mother to ruin it. Goodness knows she would certainly try. It was always her way or no way at all.
“Go on and call your father and your friend to the table, Maggie. I’ll finish putting the food out.”
“Mama, this is my kitchen. You are my guest. Let me do it. You should be in there with Daddy,” Maggie told her, trying to take a plate from her hands.
“Nonsense. You don’t know how to set the table. You’ll just end up burning yourself like you did before.”
“I was twelve years old,” she said, her voice beginning to rise. “OK, fine. You do it. You’re right, I don’t know how to do it right. I’ll go get them.”
She went to the living room where Kevin and her dad were watching a ball game on TV. Kevin looked up, sensing someone in the room.
“Hey,” he said, smiling at her. His expression changed when he saw that for once she didn’t appear as happy as usual. “Something up?”
“Yeah,” she told him, leaning against the doorframe. “Dinner’s ready. Y’all come on before Mama has a fit.”
“She’s right, Hoss,” her dad said to Kevin. “You don’t want to get her mother riled up.”
Maggie stepped aside as her father left the living room. She started walking behind him and stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
“You all right?” Kevin asked quietly, concern in his voice.
“Ask me in about two hours when they leave,” she said, attempting to find humor in the situation.
“So, Kevin, tell us about yourself. Magnolia doesn’t want to let us know that much. In fact, if it hadn’t been for Mrs. Beamen, we wouldn’t know you had been seeing her at all,” Joanne Martin said as they sat down at the table.
“Mama,” Maggie said, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “He hasn’t been seeing me. I mean, he’s just… Can’t we have a peaceful meal? Kevin said it’s been a long time since he’s had a family dinner. Could we give him that without the third degree?”
“Well, you don’t have to be so snappy about it. I was just asking,” her mother said, giving her daughter an angry look.
Kevin was afraid of what was about to happen. “It’s all right, Maggie. I don’t mind. Mrs. Martin, there’s not too much to tell about me. I’m from Kentucky. I got a little stressed with my job and ended up here for something of a vacation. Maggie has been nice enough to make this a pleasant stay. We’re just good friends. She helped me when I needed it and I help her out, too.”
Maggie gave him a grateful look. He winked at her as he took a helping of roast.
“I saw the job you did with the storm door, Hoss. You did all right,” her father told him. “Maggie May usually does things like that by herself. Handiness runs in the family. Even if it didn’t, I raised her to be independent and do things for herself. She’s a pretty sharp cookie, let me tell you.”
*********
“What was that about?” Kevin asked later after her parents had left.
They were sitting in the backyard while the two dogs chased each other around. The swing was under a big shade tree and the canopy was covered with the leaves from the tree.
“A trip through hell,” Maggie told him, pushing at the ground lazily with her foot. “I’m so sorry about that. I don’t know what I was thinking. I guess I wasn’t, huh?”
“It was nice. I miss that since I lost my dad a few years ago,” he said, playing with a twig from the tree.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“Thanks. It’s still rough sometimes.”
“I can’t imagine there ever being a day that I can’t call Daddy about something. Even Mama, though she bugs the stew out of me!”
He laughed. “Why did you dad keep calling me ‘Hoss’?”
“Oh, he calls everyone that. It’s kind of his way of calling you friend. That and it’s easier for him to remember. He’s not too good with names sometimes. Ooh, it’s getting chilly out here. Let’s go back inside.”
He followed her in, holding the door open for the two big dogs. They stood in the yard, looking at him. “Fine, stay out there,” he told them, shutting the door.
Maggie had stopped in the middle of the hall. Kevin was looking back as he walked and ran into her.
“Omph!”
“My bad,” she said, laughing as he reached out a hand to steady her.
She looked up at him, studying his face. "You look really nice with your beard trimmed along your jaw like that.”
“Thanks,” he told her. “I thought I should clean up some, what with the family and all.”
“Well, my dad liked you.”
“What about your mother?” He inquired, raising an eyebrow at her.
“Oh,” Maggie said, shaking her head, “she’s a different squirrel all together. She thinks you are waiting for the right moment to attack me.”
“How do you know I’m not?” Kevin asked, attempting an evil smile.
“Trust me, I know I have nothing to worry about.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He asked as they entered the living room. “Are you insinuating something about me?”
“Oh, no,” she said, insisting she didn’t mean it that way. “I was talking about me.”
Kevin took hold of her shoulders. He stared into her eyes, only inches away from her.
“No,” he told her. “Whatever you’re thinking, your wrong. I know you’ve heard that it’s what inside that counts, right? Maggie, what you have inside shines so brightly that it only adds to your outward appearance. I don’t ever want to hear you even hint at something like that again.”
She felt something at the pit of her stomach that she had never felt before. It scared and excited her. His immediate closeness made her feel awkward. She moved away, breaking his hold on her.
“I, um, have a few papers left to grade for tomorrow. I didn’t get a chance to do it yesterday, what with fixing the door and all,” she said, blushing deeply.
“Right. I need to go so you can do that,” he said, upset he had embarrassed her. He grabbed his jacket and walked to the door.
“Kevin,” she said, catching up with him. “The homecoming game is this Friday. Do you have any plans of going?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world. I used to play football, you know.”
“No, I didn’t. That’s why you were so into the game Friday night,” she said, stalling, not knowing how to end it.
“Yeah. I’ll be there. I guess I’ll see you then, huh?”
“I guess so.”
“I’ve gotta go,” he told her. He moved closer to her, propping his hand against the door frame.
Maggie glanced up as he bent down, kissing her softly on the cheek. Her eyes widened in surprise as he winked at her. Maggie stood on her porch watching him drive away, knowing full well that Mrs. Beamen across the street was having a conniption at the kiss in broad daylight.
“Whoa,” Maggie said to her herself as she touched her cheek lightly. “I didn’t see that one coming.”