Her Fairy-Tale Life

"Just a little bit?" she laughed and rolled her eyes. "Okay, I give in, you can ask Selena if she would like a couple of days' work with us, but I can't pay her much, even with you taking care of the mortgage and Bob keeping things moving at the farm," she held up her hands awkwardly.

"If she goes to work on the farm, you can discuss that with her, but these four days are my idea, so let me handle that, please?" Kaeden asked, knowing how independent Maggie was and trying not to seem like he was taking over every aspect of her life. "You can think of it as an early wedding present if you like. It will cost me nothing to give her a room in my hotel and let her use all of the facilities, the gym and pool. It will be like a holiday for Selena, and she's probably never had one in her life. It's a win-win situation for all of us."

"I guess Doctor Kruger will be more likely to let me go home on Monday if he sees I have help," she agreed, only a little reluctantly. She looked at her watch and sighed. "I better eat something and take my medication first. What did Anne put in the refrigerator that's quick and easy?" she asked.

"Things that are easy for me to make for you," he chuckled. "Feel like some lasagne and salad for lunch?" Kaeden asked, pulling out a premade lasagne and a salad mix from the refrigerator.

"Sounds perfect," she laughed.

Chapter 15.

Maggie stood gazing at her reflection in the full-sized mirror in the master suite. She was getting used to the strange woman who stared back at her, with perfect makeup and her hair styled to frame her face as it was loosely pulled back in the front but cascaded down her back in waves. Leaving her hair unplaited allowed her to pull it over her shoulder and hide some of the bandages that told of the wounds to her shoulder and upper arm.

She and Selena had chosen a pretty halter neck dress for ease of being able to get in and out of it. The back was scooped down to her waist, and Selena, after a hurried phone call and delivery from Ravi, had introduced her to stick on bra cups that at least covered her nipples and defined the roundness of her breasts, if not giving her much support. She worried that they would fall off during the night, but Selena had assured her that the adhesive was specially made for skin contact. She was thankful that the shoes Claire had provided for her all had low, sensible heels.

She felt like a fraud, but she was more comfortable in this nice but casual dress than the glamorous designer dress she had worn to Alecks engagement party. She smiled and tilted her head. Maybe it was that she didn't mind dressing up for Kaeden. He never pushed her, and claimed to like her in jeans and a flannelette shirt just as much as in a dress, but his reaction when she mentioned a wedding dress when they had first agreed to marry replayed in her brain. He'd given her so much and done so much for her over the last two weeks that, if dressing up occasionally made him happy, it was the least she could do.

"Maggie," Selena interrupted her thoughts. "The concierge is here and asking to see you."

"Oh, okay," Maggie said confused. Kaeden had left for an hour after helping her shower, although it was more of a hindrance than a help, and she thought he would be back by now. Worry tickled her insides. Each time they planned to do anything together something invariably went wrong.

"Miss Harris, you look beautiful," Paul said as she entered the living area, making her blush. "Mr McConnell has asked me to escort you down to the lobby. He's been held up by a last-minute issue."

"Oh. Well, maybe we should let him work. We can go out tomorrow night," she said, unsure if she felt relief or disappointment.

"He thought you might say that, and his response is, no backsies," Paul said with a perfectly straight face. "He's waiting for you in the lobby." Selena giggled as the two women followed Paul into the elevator.

"Well, don't you look lovely," Hannah McConnell broke off her conversation with Kaeden and caught Maggie up in a gentle hug. "Now, you tell that stupid boy of mine if you get tired or sore and make sure he brings you straight home," she turned to give Kaeden a disapproving look.

"I will, Hannah, I promise, but I stood him up once before, so I better at least give it a try," she said gently and turned to smile at Kaeden.

"I will come and check on you tomorrow then," Hannah acquiesced. "You go and have a good time tonight, but don't overdo it." She walked her to where Kaeden stood. "And you behave, none of your usual shenanigans," she shook a finger indulgently at her youngest son.

"Come for lunch tomorrow, Mum. I promise we'll be home by then," he teased with a wink, and scooted out of her reach as she went to smack him playfully, making Maggie laugh. "These are for you," he presented Maggie with a small bunch of flowers in deep pinks and oranges and indigo, making her smile.

"They're perfect," she said, amazed that he had found a bunch like it with a sunset blend of colours. She leant up to kiss him chastely, aware of his mother still standing with them. "Do you think Paul would take them up to your apartment for me, I only have one hand, and this could get awkward," she explained.

"To our apartment, yes," Kaeden corrected her, and took the flowers, handing them to Paul who stood nearby in case of any further instructions. "Shall we go?"

"It's now, or never, I guess," she took his hand and farewelled Hannah as they walked out to his car which was parked in the valet area of the hotel. Kaeden held her door open for her and then slid into the driver's seat. "No Ravi tonight?" she asked with a smile curling her lip.

"We don't want him in the car when I take you out to the point to watch the submarine races later," he said, as if it was obvious why he was driving. "This date is all about you and me." He slid his phone into a specialised dock and music came on, it was a song she didn't know, but the woman had a nice voice, and she smiled, listening to the lyrics.

"This is nice," she said. "Not what I expected from you, but a nice surprise." She relaxed back into the seat as he navigated the city traffic and merged onto the arterial road heading north.

"It's Rachel Platten," he explained. "I've been listening to her a lot lately. Her songs remind me of you." He reached out and held her hand, setting the cruise control and relaxing in his seat as they listened to the music. Maggie listened more carefully to the lyrics after he spoke and was even more surprised as she took in the repeating phrase, "It's a better place since you came along."

Once she'd started listening to the song lyrics closely, she found she couldn't stop, and they drove in silence as the woman sang about imperfect relationships and standing together with the people she loved through most of the songs that played while they drove. Kaeden released and retook her hand as he navigated the traffic, seemingly content with the silence that had sprung up in the car as she listened to the music and gazed out of the window.

"I suppose I should warn you that I am taking you to a steak house, not anywhere glamorous. I thought you'd like it here though, and..." he paused, unsure how to tell her why he'd chosen this place.

"And..." she prompted.

"My mates are pretty pissed that I am getting married and they haven't even met you," he admitted. "They're playing a gig up here tonight, so I thought we could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. We don't have to stay and eat if you hate it, just a drink or two."

"I guess having a drink with friends is pretty normal for a date. I mean, on our first date I met your whole family practically, why not your friends this time," she tried to sound unconcerned when her belly felt like it was twisting inside her with nerves. "Your friends are in a band?" she asked.

"Yeah, we were gonna be the next Green Day or Foo Fighters," he chuckled. "We had everything going for us, the best equipment, roadies, groupies, we just lacked one thing, the drive to go after that big break instead of expecting it to fall in our laps. Now my mates just do gigs up here a couple of times a year."

"You're part of this band?" she was stunned.

"Not anymore, I just do a guest appearance now and then when I need to let off steam or impress a girl," he chuckled.

"What instrument do you play? Do you sing? Will you join the band tonight?" Her head spun with questions about this different side to Kaeden that she didn't know existed.

"Bass, yes, and that depends entirely on you," he squeezed her hand and pulled into a carpark that was already quite full. "I told Tighe that we would call in for a drink and maybe dinner, whether we stay for that dinner or the gig is entirely up to you. There are lots of other things we could do on this date, but I thought we could start here and you could meet my friends."

"Oh, you're singing or playing, or whatever it is you do," Maggie laughed. "I wouldn't miss that for anything."

"If you insist, but I warn you, I'm not very good," he said seriously, getting out of the car and moving around to her side to help her.

"What else don't I know?" she asked, still amazed by this discovery. "Do you have any other secret identities, or is Rockstar the only one?"

"You've googled me, so you know the tabloid press version of me. You've met my family, so I guess you know their version of me, now you get to see who I am with my friends and the people I choose to have in my life," he said with a shrug. "I guess I'm a complex guy. Who knew," he gave her his crooked grin and took her hand, leading her inside.

For once the spotlight was not on her as Kaeden's friends welcomed her as if she had been part of their circle of friends for as long as he had. No one mentioned her injuries or the whole Cinderella story the press was running with. Instead, they poked fun at Kaeden for having to crash his plane to be able to get a date to one of their gigs. There was such a vast range of people who were in the bar and restaurant of the hotel that she neither felt overdressed or underdressed. For the first time since meeting Kaeden, she didn't feel out of place being with him at all.

The Kaeden she saw with his friends that night was still the kind, confident and persistent man she had gotten to know, but she realised he was also genuine. He didn't flatter or mask his feelings for his friends or her, and it took her by surprise as his friends revealed a fun side to him that she would never have guessed there. Toward the end of the night, she looked up at the stage and saw Kaeden move towards the lead singer, Navin.

"I'd like to introduce our often invisible member of the band, Kae. We weren't gonna let him sing tonight because it's been a while and we thought he might be a bit rusty, but, as Tighe just pointed out, he always sounded rusty, even when he wasn't. So why not," Navin chuckled as Tighe did a rim shot on the drums.

"Gee, thanks," Kaeden stepped up to the mic. "I hope the girl I am trying to impress is just as understanding as you guys. I'd like to do a cover of a snow patrol song called Just Say Yes," he paused as there were a few whoops and cheers. "You see, the first time I proposed to this girl she turned me down flat. The second time she just laughed. Being the persistent guy that I am, I asked for the third time, and she agreed to marry me in a roundabout way, but she never actually said yes, so, baby, this one's for you," Kaeden looked at her and smiled.

Maggie smiled as they began to play. For some reason, she didn't feel self-conscious or worried here in the dimly lit room as she watched him. For once she pushed away all the negativity and just enjoyed the teasing chaos that was his group of friends. She was his friend, true, a friend with awesome benefits, but a friend none-the-less. When he opened his mouth to sing his voice was rich and smooth, and she listened carefully to the words.

"I'm running out of ways to make you see. I want you to stay here beside me. I won't be ok, and I won't pretend I am. So just tell me today and take my hand. Please take my hand. Please take my hand. Please take my hand. Please take my hand. Just say yes, just say there's nothing holding you back. It's not a test, nor a trick of the mind. Only love." He sang and she died a little inside knowing love was not what their marriage was about, but she smiled and convinced herself that it was just part of the show and the song he'd chosen to sing because of their unique situation. When the song ended, he jumped off the stage and took her in his arms, kissing her.

"That looks like a yes to me!" Navin yelled into the mic, and a spontaneous round of applause went up. The last set of the night wrapped up, and after saying prolonged farewells to the large group of friends, Kaeden and Maggie headed back toward the city.

"That was a fun night, thank you for taking me there and letting me meet your friends," Maggie said once they were back on the arterial road and he had taken her hand again.

"The nights not over yet," he smiled and squeezed her hand.

"It's pretty late," she said dubiously. "I was thinking we would be going home."

"Is your shoulder hurting? Are you in pain?" He asked, taking his eyes from the road momentarily to look at her face with concern.

"I'm fine," she reassured him. "I'm just surprised there's more to this date. You're usually in such a hurry to get me home and, well..." she blushed, knowing she was just as eager to enjoy his expert brand of pleasure after a week of being in the hospital.

"That's true, but this is our first official date where my sister didn't set us up. Date nights are important. I was thinking about you always saying that we don't know each other, and I realised that maybe you needed to see more of who I am when I'm not at the farm. I got to see you in your home and at work often, and you have never had that opportunity. So you've met my friends now, and I thought I'd show you maybe one or two other things I like to do," he explained.

"Thank you, I didn't realise," she said softly. "I did enjoy meeting your friends. They made me feel like I belonged there. I don't feel that way in the city where everything is so glamorous, even your family, who have done so much for me, make me feel like some poor little country bumpkin that needs looking after," she admitted. "Your friends didn't try to fix me or help me, they just treated me like they treated each other." Maggie tried to explain.

Kaeden was stunned by what she had said. If he hadn't have fallen a little in love her and tried to help her, she would have lost everything, but in doing so, he had put a wedge between Maggie and his family, who also tried to help her at every turn. He had blamed her stubbornness and independence for her reactions and keeping him at arm's length, when, in reality, she had been more uncomfortable with their generosity than he had realised

"I guess I can understand you feeling that way, but my family were only doing what I asked, for the most part. Claire did her own thing, as she always does, but my brothers were helping me," he said, pulling up along the esplanade overlooking the bay. "In the beginning, I just wanted to make sure I hadn't caused you any hardship by crashing the way I did. You were so sweet and good and kind that I just wanted to make sure you had everything you needed and deserved for saving me. Then you called me about Elena, and I knew there was more to the story, and I needed to help you."

"I know, and I'm grateful. I can't even tell you how much. I still can't believe everything that's happened in the last month. I would never have believed they meant me any real harm until you made me see what they were doing," Maggie looked at Kaeden. "I had a lot of time to think about it while I was in the hospital, and I am glad Elena has stopped trying to contact me. It hurts, though, that everyone knows how stupid I was, and that I had to keep relying on them to help me after I was injured."

"Let's go for a walk," he smiled to try and ease the tension that had sprung up between them. He got out of the car and went around to her side to help her out. "The day I got my driver's licence I borrowed Wade's car and brought my girlfriend out here. The Esplanade looked very different back then, but I thought I was so romantic bringing her down here to watch the submarine races and make out."

"You brought me here to make out like teenagers?" she stifled a small laugh.

"Not exactly, I'd like to think I'm a little more romantic these days," Kaeden grinned as they came around a cement block picnic shelter and saw a candle lit loveseat swinging in the breeze with an icebox sitting beside it.

"You organised this?" she asked the obvious question, and regretted it as he chuckled and held the swing still as she took a seat.

"Nutella cheesecake," he pulled two sealed mason jars from the icebox. "I have tea or water if you'd like," he offered handing her a jar and a spoon. When she shook her head, he sat beside her. "My dad's first strike was a small gem mine, Mum's engagement ring is made out of stones from that mine."

Maggie said nothing as he spoke, eating small spoons of the delicious dessert.

"He knew he loved her within days of meeting her, she didn't believe it, but he was persistent," he said with the crooked smile that Maggie adored. "Maggie, you're unlike any woman I have ever known. You're brave and strong and fiercely independent, but you're also kind and caring, and I would hope you realise by now how sexy I think you are," he leant forward and kissed her before she could protest. "Let me finish before you say anything," he murmured as the kiss broke.

Maggie tilted her head at the tone in his voice. He almost sounded nervous, but she said nothing as she looked at him curiously.

"I knew from the day you called to warn me about Elena that I wanted you in my life. I wanted to know more about you, I wanted you to know more about me. I felt immediately protective of you, and I guess that translated to my family. We're all pretty close, and they probably picked up on it, particularly Claire, who knew Alecks and Suzie socially and didn't like the way they talked about you. I never asked her to give you the fairy godmother treatment, and was surprised when Scott called me," he said sincerely. "Happily surprised, I'd been trying to get you off that farm with me for over a week."

Maggie opened her mouth to speak, but he kissed her again and chuckled, "Not yet, you'll know when I'm done. The point I am trying to make is that we have been through more than any other couple I know of in the last month, yet, here we are, and I still want to marry you and find out more about you and show you more about me." Kaeden slid from the seat to one knee and opened a ring box, "Magnolia Rose Harris, I love you. Will you marry me?"

"You shouldn't have done this, Kaeden. It's not fair," Maggie's voice cracked as she spoke. She'd been okay and able to guard her heart against the heartbreak of knowing he would leave her once he had everything he wanted from his family. She'd been okay until he told her he loved her so sincerely and proposed properly down on one knee like it was real instead of just a deal they had made. "I need to go home. I can't be here. I can't do this. I'm so sorry. I'll pay you back for everything you've done for me. I just need to go home."

"What? What's not fair?" he asked. "I don't understand what just happened. I thought you loved me too." He was hurt and suddenly unsure of himself. He watched as she started to cry and stood walking to his car where she waited for him to drive her home. He turned back toward the water, confusion and pain lancing through him. He had believed she had feelings for him now that they had grown together, Hadn't he proved how much she mattered to him? When she'd been injured, hadn't she asked for him over and over again and listed him as her next of kin?