Maggies Marriage (Cloverleaf #2) by Gloria Herrmann Page A

tried teaching Maggie things when times were quiet and he was busy organizing everything. Maggie enjoyed her part in the whole operation, answering phones, setting up appointments, and making sure there was plenty of coffee waiting for the guys when they returned from a job. Granted, she handled invoices and other paperwork, but a lot of the time she sat at her desk letting her mind wander with games of solitaire on the computer. She was thankful her brothers offered the job to her. She was starting to squirrel away a little money and felt satisfied that this could be a part of her future.
    The shop was quiet after Daniel and Patrick left. She knew they would be gone most of the day today, and she prayed the weather would be kind to them. She was stapling some statements together when the phone rang.
    “Good morning, thank you for calling O’Brien Construction, how can I help you?” Her voice was professional and warm.
    “Good morning, dear,” Mary replied.
    “Hey, Mom, how’s it going?”
    “Splendid. I was hoping I could steal you away on your lunch?”
    Maggie smiled. With her working during the day, she found herself spending less time with her mother, and was actually starting to miss her company. “Sure, Mom.”
    “Herrick’s?” Mary offered.
    “Sure, sounds great. You want to meet me here?”
    “I’ll come by the shop, say, around one. Will that work for you?”
    Maggie looked at their large, white dry erase board. They used it to keep the day’s work organized so that way everyone was on the same page and knew what was going on. The board looked clear for one, and for most of the afternoon.
    “One is fine, Mom. See you then.” Maggie hung up the phone. She was delighted to spend her lunch hour with Mary. Her belly was already growling for food, she could almost taste one of Herrick’s golden fries, cooked to absolute perfection. She eyed the clock above the dry erase board; it was only a little after nine.
     
    ***
     
    Maggie had just beat another round of solitaire on the computer when her mother arrived at the shop.
    “Hello, dear,” Mary said. “You ready to get some lunch? I’m starved.”
    Maggie smiled. “Great, let me grab my coat. You want to take my car?”
    “That’s fine, or we can walk?”
    “It was pouring earlier, I don’t trust this weather,” Maggie replied.
    Mary nodded and followed Maggie out to her car. Once they were inside, Mary ran her hand slowly against the caramel-colored leather interior. “Such a lovely car, Maggie.”
    “I remember when Michael picked it out, I told him I was fine with my other car, but he insisted that I needed this one.” Maggie felt sick at the memory. She recalled them purchasing her previous car only a couple of years before this one. That car was equally stunning, and it had been her first actual “new” car. For some reason Michael felt like she needed the one she drove now, it was more expensive and had so many features that Maggie never even touched. She regretted the purchase because she knew what the car payments were like on this type of luxury sedan, and that meant her husband had to work harder to provide something she didn’t really need.
    “Have you talked to him lately?”
    Not bothering to reply as she drove a little faster to the dinner, Maggie worried that this was what their lunch date might entail. She knew her mother only wanted the best outcome and was considering everyone involved. Maggie knew she was acting a little selfish, and it tore her up inside keeping Melanie away from Michael. But the door was open, and when he finally figured out that family meant more than work, she would be waiting.
    They pulled into the parking lot of their favorite place to eat. When Mary took hold of Maggie’s hand as they walked to the door, it reminded Maggie of when she was a child. Once they entered the aging building, the warm smells and loud chatter of the customers greeted them. They worked their way to a booth near the