Cooper Land and Cattle

Chapter 5 - Small Packages

"Jack, I made a mistake, it doesn't need to wreck everybody's life." She walked slowly to him and grabbed both hands. Her eyes pleaded her case but Jack could not save her this time. This was something she was going to have to fix on her own. She needed to talk it out with Will. She needed to finally be honest with herself and admit she needed Will.

"Not a mistake, Maggie. This could be a beginning."

"Jack, I can't trap him. Who would believe that I didn't do this on purpose! I am not going to have him hold this mistake over my head for the rest of my life besides he would probably offer me a check to take care of the probIem. I don't know if our friendship could survive that."

"This is not something that you can simply sweep under the carpet. People are going to notice. I can't get you out of this one." he said sympathetically. He turned his back on her knowing that the idea of Maggie in a jam would make him save her. Saving her, has been his job since he was three years old. Maggie always needed saving and he always saved her. No matter what it cost him he was going to get her out of the trouble. But they aren't kids anymore and this was not something that would go away. The shear thought that he had the ability to make it all better was more of a temptation than he could stand. This was the rest of his life, he would be more wrapped up in this than he ever wanted to be. He had gone out on the Rodeo circuit to purge himself of Maggie and now he was actually contemplating giving her the rest of his life. Everyone would believe it, of course, it was expected.

"Yeah, you can - you know you can." Maggie said pleading.

"No Maggie, not this time, this is not something I can keep from him." Jack started to waiver. Maggie heard the weakness in his voice. She knew this was her one and only chance to sway him. If she didn't get him on board right now, then no one would ever accept her plan as fact.

"Jack it could be you, it isn't like we didn't have the opportunity."

"Maggie, you know that it is impossible. Hell, it's been years and too many bulls ago. I have been on the road for way too long. Hell, there was television coverage in almost every town. Anybody can see - and prove, I wasn't here."

"Jack, I have traveled a lot, my new job takes me out of town regularly. I have to write about new resorts and hotels. Who's to say that I didn't meet up with you in Cheyenne, or Greeley. I could have even been with you at the Cow Palace. I could have been doing a travel piece anywhere." She was on a roll. Maggie just had to make it believable. Just make it seem that they were back together.

"There is only one small problem with your plan, Maggie - Will knows."

"You told him!" the world started to spin and Maggie thought she was going to lose her breakfast.

"NO! but he was there...he can count. For God sake, Maggie he can look at a cow and know when she is going to calve. Don't you think he will be able to backtrack and know that it is at least a possibility. You can tell everyone that it was a lonely cowboy on the road - why does it have to be me?"

"Jack, that is why it has to be you. He would never hurt you. He would never say a word if it was you."

"Maggie, I am pleading with you just go talk to the man. It will all work out."

"Sure, that's why the wedding is still on. He came back from being with me to his perfect trophy wife-to-be. Hell, she is up there planning the remodel of the main house. Barbara is up there spending his money faster than a tornado. She is what he wants. What he needs. I am not walking in and putting a stop to all that. If he wanted me, he would have said so."

Maggie's confidence was shaking as she remembered the phone call. Will couldn't wait to get back to Barbara that morning and she was not going to be second choice. She had lost and she knew it. There was only one last card to play.

"Jack, you either marry me or I am going to tell everyone that it's yours anyway. I am going to explain how you are just a dog and won't give me stability for the baby. I am going to explain how you are blaming anybody and everybody else for your mistake. We can go by this the happy way or we can fight about this for the rest of our lives. It's up to you."

Jack grabbed Maggie and kissed her with all his might. She tried to return the passion but that was not how she saw him. He was her protector, not a lover. Maggie just didn't have those feelings for Jack and he knew it. Jack would always be second best, he would be Maggie's best friend but not the love of her life.

"Maggie, you know I'll cave, I have always caved. I won't leave you hanging, like this, but you have to know I am not going to settle. I want a wife in every sense of the word." Jack said with remorse, he hated taking Maggie this way but he had to admit that his heart was doing backflips. "I have always loved you and you know that. I can live with you not loving me as much, but I won't live as a monk, and I am not a cheat."

"Crap - I didn't know." Maggie said with a smile. " You mean I have to sleep with you after we're married?" Maggie smiled and giggled knowing that she won. She had what she needed to give her baby - a family.

"I have the same pride that is keeping you from telling Will. I want you with me and not thinking about being with him."

"Then you will marry me?" Maggie said almost ready to jump out of her skin. "I will make you so happy Jack! I promise you will never regret it."

Jack smiled and took Maggie in his arms. "That's not the promise I want Maggie." His face became very serious, "You have to promise me that this will be my kid. No questions, no remorse. You can't take him back."

"Jack, he'll be married to someone else in a month and I'll be married to you." Maggie was almost drunk with joy, she could finally breathe.

"Maggie, I'm serious. I won't let him or you go. It took everything I had to leave the last time and I don't think I have it in me to leave again. I won't go back on my word, but I won't let you either. You need to think about this, make sure this is what you want," Jack warned. "Make sure I am what you want. I will not give my life up once we establish it. The kid would be mine in every way and you would be mine. Will would never cross that line for you again. You would be guaranteeing that he would never be yours."

"Oh, Jack, you are the best." Maggie exclaimed and Jack knew she was not listening. She was going forward with her plan and no one will ever make her see reality until it slapped her in the face.

"Go up to your parents cabin, Maggie take some time to think. Storm won't be coming in till tonight, so go early - take a cell in case you need me, when you get back, we'll talk." To make sure he was making the right decision he kissed her one last time with every ounce of passion he could muster. Maggie returned the feeling with the drunk intoxication of a plan coming together. Maggie was out of a jam and she was going to keep the three of them together - sort of.