Free The Shepherd by Ethan Cross Page B

said, “And Marcus…don’t break my little girl’s heart.”

CHAPTER 6
    Maggie scrubbed her hands with soap and water. She had done so five times within the span of thirty minutes, which exceeded her average.
    She wasn’t afraid of germs or dirt. She didn’t necessarily feel unclean. She just had a compulsion to wash her hands and make sure that things were in their proper places. She imagined that her psychology professors would attribute her behaviors to a minor imbalance of serotonin in her brain, but she had never sought treatment. Her compulsions didn’t affect her everyday life, and she could overcome them, if necessary. But she had always noted that the small urges—especially the hand washing—increased in ferocity when she was nervous.
    She dried her hands and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She took a deep breath and washed her hands for a sixth time.
    She exited the bathroom of The Magnolia Bakery and walked into the kitchen. She found Alexei, the bakery’s owner, straining noodles in preparation for her and Marcus’s dinner. Two young children, a boy and a girl, skittered around his legs and banged utensils on pots and pans.
    “My little matryoshkas, please, settle down. Did your mother give you the Mountain Dew before she dropped you off?” Alexei grumbled something more in Russian under his breath.
    She smiled. “Do you want me to get them out of your hair?”
    “What hair?” He rubbed the bald spot on the crown of his head. “I’ve already pulled it all out. Don’t you need to get ready?”
    “I’m as ready as I’m gonna be,” she said, with a slight tremble in her voice.
    He sat down the strainer and raised his eyebrows. “Nervous?”
    “Not too bad.”
    “Let me see your hands.”
    She rolled her eyes but thrust out her arms. He ran his hands over her skin and sniffed her palms. “How many times have you washed your hands in the past hour?”
    “I’m fine. I’m really not that nervous.”
    “Maggie, you’re trembling. If you are not nervous, then I am President of United States. Settle down. Just be yourself. This boy can’t help but fall madly in love with you.”
    The date wasn’t the only thing that she was nervous about, but she couldn’t share that with Alexei. “Thank you, Mr. President. But I’m fine…really.” She looked down at the kids as they scurried around Alexei’s legs. “I’ll take the kids upstairs with me. I think they might be able to help me with a little experiment. You just focus on dinner.”
    “As you wish, my dear Magd–”
    She pressed a finger over his lips. “I shoulda never told you. Come on, kids.” She took the children by the hands and led them toward the door.
    He chuckled. “I think it’s a beautiful name.”
    She didn’t acknowledge him.
    ~~*~~
    Marcus ascended the stairs with slow, deliberate steps. It had been a long time since he’d been on a real date, or at least one where he cared about the outcome. He had forgotten about the butterflies. He knew that most people felt the winged creatures swirl in their guts during moments of anxious anticipation, but his butterflies seemed to have razorblade wings.
    He heard footsteps and looked up, but the face that greeted him was not the one he expected. Andrew Garrison, the local realtor, smiled as he approached. “Hello. Marcus, right?”
    He had met Garrison when he picked up the keys to the ranch. They had been cordial, but there was something in the man’s eyes that didn’t sit well with him; an intensity that shouldn’t have been there. Sandy blonde hair topped Garrison’s head, and he possessed a trim athletic build.
    Good-looking guy . He felt a twinge of jealousy and a hint of suspicion to find Garrison coming down Maggie’s stairs, but he dismissed the emotions. He had neither the right nor the reason to feel either one.
    “That’s right.”
    “I heard about what happened last night. Don’t worry about them. When I first moved here, Glenn gave me a hard