Right in Time by Dahlia Potter Read Free Book Online Page A

now and everything is great, but at the time she was living alone and as I had just finished school, I had the most flexible schedule and was able to be there, spend nights, take care of her after surgeries.  Take care of her in general.  We toyed with the idea of me moving back home, but it was a big step and my mom didn’t want me to give up the life I had built here for her.  But after her first session of chemo there were some complications and she collapsed.  That was the scariest moments of my life; trying to wake her up, seeing her eyes roll back in her head…” Maggie broke eye contact and shook her head, trying to get that image out of her head.  “That was the first time I had to call 911 for anyone or anything.  That was also the first time I cried throughout the whole process; all the tests, surgeries, treatments.  I just chocked it up to being ‘sick’, but this was something completely foreign and I just can’t imagine if I hadn’t been there what would have happened.  She would have been all alone with no one to help her.  So, I decided that I would move home.”
    Caleb got up out of his seat and came to her side of the table.  Cupping her face, he planted a chaste kiss on her lips before returning to his seat.
    “What was that for?”
    “You’re pretty amazing, you know that?”
    “She took care of me for eighteen years… hell, she’s still taking care of me now.  The least I could do is take care of her for two.  Anyways, when she got better, I actually contemplated moving to Calgary.  It was a good idea at the time.” She said, knowing she was being quite vague.  “Anyways, when that fell through, I knew it was time to get things straightened out and back to normal here.”
     
    And from there she went on to fill him in on anything else he wanted to know.  She didn’t want to go in to too much detail about her past relationships, but in the end she didn’t care anymore if she thought the information would bore him or if she was sharing too much on the first date.  Her stories just flowed out of her.  When she finished, her face turned up a bit in confusion.  Here was the woman who was so quick to judge Caleb of cheating, and who hasn’t let anyone in since Thomas, and yet she just told her life story openly and freely.
    “Are you okay? Caleb asked, breaking Maggie’s thoughts.
    “Yeah, I am.  Sorry.  I just...I don’t know where that all came from.” Maggie replied honestly.  “Or why I felt safe and secure telling you all that.” She added under her breath. 
    “Maybe because deep down you know that I’m not one of the bad guys?”
    Maggie’s face was one of shock.  While the comment was one that was meant for herself, her tone was such that Caleb had heard.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to hear that.”
    A small smirk p layed upon Caleb’s lips.  “I gathered that.” he replied, letting out a small chuckle before turning serious.  “But Maggie, know that when I say I would never do anything intentionally to hurt you, I mean it.  We’ve all been there.”
    Maggie just stayed there in that moment, looking at the man that sat across the table from her.  Sincerity was written all over his face and she knew that he was right.  “You’re not Thomas.” she said mater-of-factly. 
    Caleb reached out and took her hand lightly and gently brushed his thumb over the top of her hand.  “The only way I want to be like Thomas, is that he got the chance to be with you.”
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter Thirteen
     
    In all honesty, the majority of the first date went by like a blur for Maggie.  After realizing that Caleb had the potential to be everything that Thomas wasn’t, she was just completely in the moment, enjoying everything that was happening and taking everything in stride; something that was new to her, yet she found it inspiring. 
     
    After dinner, Caleb led Maggie down to a