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Authors: Jillian Hart
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That was the simple truth, but across the table handsome, gorgeous, masculine Miles was smoldering. That left her only one choice. She had to say no. "But if I worked for such handsome men—excluding Miles of course—I'd just fall madly in love with you, John and you, Winston. I'd be destined to be alone for the rest of my life because I'd never find a man my age who could compare with either of you. Sorry, but I just can't stay."
"Well, we are a charming bunch," John agreed, raising a bushy gray eyebrow at her, as if he knew exactly what she meant. He wasn't fooled, not one bit. "Guess I can't blame you for that."
“A lady as nice and pretty as you deserves a loving husband." Winston peered down the table at her thoughtfully, his sharp hazel eyes intense on her. "We wouldn't want to be the reason you wind up alone."
"That's not your worry. But I will help you with cooking and housework while I'm here." She gave a great gulp, finally swallowing her first piece of beef. Doing her best to hide her grimace (it didn't taste so good), she reached for her glass of milk and took a long swallow before continuing. "I can cook and clean and do laundry. Maybe I can get a few meals made ahead before the trains are running again, so you are all taken care of for at least a little bit."
"Well, now, that's an offer we can't refuse." Pa stabbed his fork into a piece of potato, a man who knew a good deal when he saw one. "We'd be grateful. That's mighty nice of you."
"And we'll pay you, too," Pops added, his voice dipping fondly. He clearly thought well of Maggie.
Anyone would, Miles conceded. He didn't like the plan, but with any luck the trains would be back to running on time tomorrow and she would be gone. In the meantime, she wasn't so bad (as far as women went).
"No pay," she insisted. "I'm happy to help. That's what I like to do. I've spent so much of my adult life taking care of those I love. Caring for others makes me happy."
A flicker of fondness brightened her deep blue eyes before she turned her attention to her forkful of potato.
Well, any woman who truly cared for his grandfather and father was all right in his book. Miles saw her so clearly, and he didn't know why, when he hadn't been able to see the truth about his first love, Sylvia, or his fiancée, Bethleigh. Maggie had come here hoping to take care of the man she believed Chester to be. She had come here for love and she wasn't looking for the first available man to attach herself to. She was truly heartbroken and trying to hide it.
Well, maybe it wouldn't be so bad having her around for a day or two, Miles conceded as he dug into his potato (at least that wasn't overcooked). But now he had a bigger problem. He liked her—and he didn't like that at all.
Look at her sitting there with the lamplight soft on her face, burnishing her golden hair. She looked like an angel, sweet and innocent, a vulnerable woman alone. Something in him wrung tight and he couldn’t stop it—something that made him want to look out for her, to make her life better. Hell, it wasn't going to be easy having her in this house, but he'd survive it.
"Besides, I have just enough savings left over to buy train fare to Clark Creek." Little glimmers of dark blue twinkled in her eyes. Joy spread across her dear, heart-shaped face. "When the storm's over, I think I'll travel there instead. It will be a good stopover on the way home, and I'd feel better about letting my new brother-in-law buy me a ticket, than you, Miles. It's nice of you, but I've never been in debt to anyone before. I wouldn't be comfortable with it."
"As you wish." A lump gathered in his throat, sticking there painfully, and he didn't know why. "What's in Clark Creek?"
"My sister Callie," she explained, cheerfully, the longing to see her sibling soft on her face. "She invited us all to spend Christmas with her and see her new home, but we couldn't quite afford the train fare for all of us. It wasn't practical. But this
"Well, we are a charming bunch," John agreed, raising a bushy gray eyebrow at her, as if he knew exactly what she meant. He wasn't fooled, not one bit. "Guess I can't blame you for that."
“A lady as nice and pretty as you deserves a loving husband." Winston peered down the table at her thoughtfully, his sharp hazel eyes intense on her. "We wouldn't want to be the reason you wind up alone."
"That's not your worry. But I will help you with cooking and housework while I'm here." She gave a great gulp, finally swallowing her first piece of beef. Doing her best to hide her grimace (it didn't taste so good), she reached for her glass of milk and took a long swallow before continuing. "I can cook and clean and do laundry. Maybe I can get a few meals made ahead before the trains are running again, so you are all taken care of for at least a little bit."
"Well, now, that's an offer we can't refuse." Pa stabbed his fork into a piece of potato, a man who knew a good deal when he saw one. "We'd be grateful. That's mighty nice of you."
"And we'll pay you, too," Pops added, his voice dipping fondly. He clearly thought well of Maggie.
Anyone would, Miles conceded. He didn't like the plan, but with any luck the trains would be back to running on time tomorrow and she would be gone. In the meantime, she wasn't so bad (as far as women went).
"No pay," she insisted. "I'm happy to help. That's what I like to do. I've spent so much of my adult life taking care of those I love. Caring for others makes me happy."
A flicker of fondness brightened her deep blue eyes before she turned her attention to her forkful of potato.
Well, any woman who truly cared for his grandfather and father was all right in his book. Miles saw her so clearly, and he didn't know why, when he hadn't been able to see the truth about his first love, Sylvia, or his fiancée, Bethleigh. Maggie had come here hoping to take care of the man she believed Chester to be. She had come here for love and she wasn't looking for the first available man to attach herself to. She was truly heartbroken and trying to hide it.
Well, maybe it wouldn't be so bad having her around for a day or two, Miles conceded as he dug into his potato (at least that wasn't overcooked). But now he had a bigger problem. He liked her—and he didn't like that at all.
Look at her sitting there with the lamplight soft on her face, burnishing her golden hair. She looked like an angel, sweet and innocent, a vulnerable woman alone. Something in him wrung tight and he couldn’t stop it—something that made him want to look out for her, to make her life better. Hell, it wasn't going to be easy having her in this house, but he'd survive it.
"Besides, I have just enough savings left over to buy train fare to Clark Creek." Little glimmers of dark blue twinkled in her eyes. Joy spread across her dear, heart-shaped face. "When the storm's over, I think I'll travel there instead. It will be a good stopover on the way home, and I'd feel better about letting my new brother-in-law buy me a ticket, than you, Miles. It's nice of you, but I've never been in debt to anyone before. I wouldn't be comfortable with it."
"As you wish." A lump gathered in his throat, sticking there painfully, and he didn't know why. "What's in Clark Creek?"
"My sister Callie," she explained, cheerfully, the longing to see her sibling soft on her face. "She invited us all to spend Christmas with her and see her new home, but we couldn't quite afford the train fare for all of us. It wasn't practical. But this
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