I'll Protect You (Clueless Resolutions Book 1) by W B Garalt Read Free Book Online Page A

demeanor, she continued, “I do have a dead-bolt lock on the door and a cell phone, so I should be okay, Max.” Then, after a second’s pause, she relented, “Why don’t you come in, we’ll have a nightcap and we can wait until my neighbors come home”
    Relieved at what sounded like the best solution at that moment, Max agreed.  He felt a need to keep Maggie close to him at this point in time.  He followed her into the apartment as he cast a quick last glance up and down the street.
    The safe, contented feeling they both felt that evening evolved into the first time, since they had met, that they spent the night at Maggie’s apartment.

Chapter 10
    Dawn broke on Tuesday morning with a bright red sunrise beaming into Maggie’s duplex apartment and awaked Max, early, as always. He quietly got out of bed, went about gathering his clothes and dressed.
    Before leaving, Max peeked into the bedroom.  As Maggie was still sleeping soundly, he located a note pad on the kitchen counter and left her a message:
    “Mag, I don’t know about you, but I haven’t had a good night’s sleep like that for a real long time.  Maybe my concern about your safety was overdone, let’s hope so.  C U later, Max”
    Closing the door, pre-setting it to lock as he left, Max felt the same sense of dread returning which he had experienced the previous evening.  When he saw the tire marks on the street where the black coupe had peeled out, he recalled the license plate number, a Connecticut plate, with the last four numbers 7378.  He was going to talk to Lou Devaro about it as soon as he could. Right now he had to get home, clean up and get some breakfast on the way to his first appointment where he would meet Maggie, on time as usual, he hoped.
    Maggie awoke with her alarm doing a “song and dance” and, as she readied herself for the day’s activities she read Max’s note. Max, you devil, you really are a freaking romantic, she thought.
    As she jammed down a bagel with a cup of instant coffee, the lingering feeling she felt from the previous night with Max was good.  They really had a deepening appreciation of togetherness, it seemed. Whatever the future would bring, she felt that at least she would have experienced a meaningful relationship with a man she respected and she felt that his feelings were reciprocal. It doesn’t get better than that she thought.  But now, duty called, and she was out the door and on her way to her office by 7:30AM.
    “Good morning Francine’ she sang as she strode to the key rack to gather the keys to the three properties on her day’s agenda.
    While checking through her messages, she couldn’t help but notice the strong, lingering aroma of perfume that she had become accustomed to whenever  Carrie, the new trainee had been around.  Maggie appreciated perfumes and colognes used in the way they were designed, but the new girl walked around, many times, in an aroma bubble that could peel paint!
    After checking for messages, she entered her agenda in the office log of appointments.  On the way out to her first appointment, she ducked her head into Francine’s office.
    “How is the new trainee working out Francine?  Do you think she will be bringing in some new listings?” she asked rhetorically.
    “I think she may be a real producer,” was Francine’s reply, “She really turns heads wherever she goes, and that’s for sure.”  I wonder if that’s all she turns.  Maggie’s thoughts quipped.
    “Her perfume smells really expensive; do you know the name of it?”  Maggie asked with feigned interest.  Francine replied, in a distracted sort of way,
    “I think she said it was called ‘Maiden on the Mount’.  It was imported from some Slavic European company.  She said she will order some for me, I hope it’s not too expensive!” was Francine’s rather rambling response.  “ Oh, freaking great, I’ll have to wear a gas mask in here between these two!”  Maggie fretted