Whispered Secrets by Elizabeth Lennox

Chapter 7

“We have a major problem!” Molly announced as the others gathered at the Center.

Lilly Gataki waddled over to the group of chairs that Molly had arranged, groaning when she spotted the overstuffed recliner.  “I’m not sitting there!” she declared, grumbling under her breath.

Jimmy glared at her. “Woman, you are too pregnant to be this stubborn,” and he took her hands.  “If you won’t do it for me, do it for your baby.  She needs rest.”

Lilly glared up at the former Navy SEAL, but he was even more stubborn than she.  With a resigned sigh, she allowed him to lower her into the chair. “I feel like a beached whale,” she grumbled. 

“You look like one too,” Louise agreed cheerfully as she stepped into the circle and sat down on a folding chair.  “But a beautiful beached whale.”  She patted Lilly’s hand and grinned. 

Lilly glared at her friend.  “You’re not my favorite anymore,” she decided.

Nora came around on Lilly’s other side, handing her a small plate of cookies.  “That’s because I’m your favorite, right?” she asked.

Lilly sighed with happiness as she took a bite of a cookie.  “Absolutely!”

Jimmy shook his head, and grabbed an apple from one of the tables.  With surprising speed, he swiped the plate of cookies and replaced them with the apple. “The baby needs vitamins.”  He turned to glare at Nora.  “Not sugar.”  He walked to the opposite side of the circle, scarfing down the cookies as he went. 

Lilly knew he was right, but her mouth watered for another cookie anyway.  Unfortunately, Jimmy was too far away for her to steal them back.  Plus, Molly snuck around behind the chair and, with a flip of the side switch, swooped Lilly’s feet into the air with the footrest.  That meant that there wasn’t much she could do about retrieving her stolen cookies.  Jimmy knew it and snickered as he ate another one.

Thankfully, Eddie came around and snatched the plate, taking the last two cookies and gobbling them up.  He turned to Lilly and gave her a wink, as if he were somehow conspiring with her against Jimmy. 

Not so much, Lilly thought miserably as she took a bite of the apple.  It was sweet and delicious and much healthier.  But those were Nora’s cranberry walnut cookies!  She loved how the sweetness of the cookie as well as the contrast with the tart cranberries.  Besides, Jimmy didn’t even like nuts in his cookies!

“The walnuts are good for arteries,” she mumbled around a bite of apple.

Molly sat down next to Mick.  “Can we get down to the urgent reason I called us together?” she asked, looking around with a look that informed everyone that she would not be delayed any longer.

“What’s up?” Lilly asked, shifting so that she was more comfortable.  As embarrassing as she found the chair, it was incredibly comfortable. Plus, the elevated footrest definitely helped with her swollen ankles. Just a few more months, she promised, patting her belly as she took another bite of the apple.

“The problem is that our plan isn’t working.  We need to be more actively pushing Maggie and Oliver together.”

“I thought that he’d moved into one of the apartments?” Lilly asked, looking around.  “Maggie always helps with the renovations.  They should be together all the time then, right?”

“That’s true,” Molly explained.  “But from what I can figure out, Oliver is doing it all himself during the evening hours.  Maggie is working on the renovations with the teams during the day.  She doesn’t venture anywhere near Oliver’s apartment.  So, we need to up the stakes if we’re going to get these two together.”

Louise nodded her head.  “Seems to me that all those two do is watch each other from a distance.  No action.”

“Oliver is trying to be a gentleman,” Nora sniffed.

“Yeah, I agree,” Eddie put in.  “But this is Maggie we’re talking about.  And in the year that she’s been here with us, she hasn’t shown interest in anyone we’ve brought around. But the moment she saw Oliver, she was smitten.”

“And he’s just as head over heels with her,” Molly agreed.  “But something is holding him back.”

“It’s Maggie,” Nora announced.  “She’s always running away from him.”

“Texas!” Mick snorted.  “Something happened to her in Texas and now she’s afraid of her own shadow.”

“She only gets nervous around Oliver,” Louise pointed out. 

Everyone in the group nodded, except for Lilly.  “Who is this Oliver guy?  I don’t know about him.”

“He’s a construction worker that showed up looking for a place to live.  Maggie thinks he’s ex-military.”

“But he’s not,” Jimmy countered.

No one argued as Molly continued.  “She gave him the apartment four doors down from hers.  But he’s a mystery.”

“Should someone do a background check on him?”

Jimmy shook his head. “He’s fine.  I’ve already looked into him.”

There was a brief silence as that news was absorbed. No one doubted him though.  The former Navy SEAL was coming back to life with a vengeance. 

“Okay, so Oliver is a good guy.  But Maggie is running away from him.  What’s our plan to get them together?” Molly asked, looking around the small group of friends and co-conspirators.

“Soccer!” Lilly blurted. 

Everyone turned in her direction, not sure if her outburst was a symptom of her pregnancy or a solution.

“Soccer!” she repeated when their blank looks continued.  “Maggie took over the girls’ soccer team last year.  Soccer is about to start again now that school is back in session.”

Eddie nodded, chuckling.  “She asked if I could help her coach the team!” he announced, leaning forward.

Slow smiles lit up every face.  “You’re going to ask Oliver if he would fill in for you, aren’t you?” Nora asked, grinning mischievously. 

“Damn straight I am,” he agreed as he theatrically clutched his back. “I’m feeling a bit of sciatica coming on.”  He added a slight groan for effect.

“Excellent!” Molly replied, clapping her hands.  “Okay, what else?”

“Isn’t the community garden harvest coming up next weekend?” Louise offered. 

“Sure is,” Molly laughed. 

“And we need a few more volunteers, don’t we?” Lilly asked. 

Molly jumped up and grabbed a big piece of paper from her desk.  “That’s a good idea.  I’m working out the assignments now.  I can make sure Oliver and Maggie are stationed in the same area.  Maggie wouldn’t dare leave until everything is done, which will give Oliver a chance to make his case.”

“Okay, what else?” Molly asked, scribbling frantically.

For the next hour, the group brainstormed.  By the time they walked back out into the gorgeous autumn afternoon, the plans were in place.  It was ingenious!