He could picture it, exactly as she described, and he couldn’t deny the appeal. “You really are good at this,” he acknowledged.
“Told you.” Her smile was more than a little enticing.
And if she’d been anyone else—not an employee and not a single mom—he might have lowered his head to taste those sweetly curved lips.
But she wasn’t anyone else. She was the manager of the inn, and he had to respect that professional relationship and keep his hands off.
She also had three babies at home, a fact that should have destroyed the last vestiges of temptation. But when he was with Macy, it was an effort to remember all the reasons he shouldn’t be attracted to her. Because he couldn’t deny that he was.
She, however, gave absolutely no indication that she felt the same way, and he knew that was probably for the best. His unrequited attraction might be the cause of physical frustration, but at least it wasn’t going to lead to a broken heart.
While he was mulling over these thoughts, she was chatting with the vendor. Haggling over the price on the tag, he realized, but in such a way that the seller looked pleased to be able to negotiate a sale with her. She waved as she walked away, with a smile on her face and his business card in hand, and Liam following with the much more cumbersome wash-basin stand.
“And now the andirons,” she said.
He just sighed. “Can I put this in the truck first?”
She nodded. “That’s probably a good idea.”
* * *
Liam had never been a fan of shopping, but he couldn’t deny that he had fun exploring the market with Macy. And the happiness that lit up her face whenever she spotted what she referred to as a hidden gem was almost worth the price of the trio of brass oil lamps she talked him into buying.
And when they got back to the inn and she’d arranged his purchases as she’d envisioned them, he couldn’t deny that she had a good eye.
Actually, she had gorgeous eyes. Deep and clear and dark.
And a temptingly shaped mouth with a sexy dip at the center.
And he really needed to stop focusing on all the parts that appealed to him and remember that she was off-limits.
On Wednesday morning during her second week on the job, he got a pointed reminder when he found her in the kitchen, arranging spices and seasonings. She moved with her usual brisk efficiency, but he noticed that she was wearing something a little different than her usual business casual attire.
“Is that part of the uniform in Vegas?” he asked, gesturing to the baby carrier strapped to her body.
“So much for thinking you wouldn’t notice,” she remarked. “But a stylish accessory, don’t you agree?”
He eyed the contraption dubiously as he took a few steps closer to peek at the baby snuggled up against her mother’s chest. “Cute kid,” he noted.
She smiled. “This is Ava.”
“Eight months?” He seemed to recall that was a number she’d mentioned.
“Eight months, two weeks and four days now,” she clarified. “I hope you don’t mind that I brought her with me, but my mom had an appointment this afternoon and my dad would struggle on his own with three babies.”
“I don’t mind,” he said.
In fact, he was kind of glad she’d brought Ava with her today, because the more time he’d spent with Macy over the past several days, the harder it had been to remember all the reasons she wasn’t his type. Now one of those three reasons was strapped to her chest, and he refused to acknowledge that he found the sight of his new manager and her infant daughter at all appealing.
But the baby really was a cutie, with her adorably chubby cheeks, little button nose and big blue eyes fringed with ridiculously long lashes. She was also surprisingly content to be hauled around in the carrier, those big eyes taking in every detail of her surroundings.
When she shoved her fist into her mouth and began sucking on her knuckles, Macy took a bottle out of the fridge. She didn’t miss a beat in her telephone conversation but switched the phone to speaker mode and set it on the counter so that her hands were free to unhook the carrier and lift out the baby.
She expertly cradled her child in the crook of one arm, and Ava’s little hands helped hold the bottle as her mouth worked the nipple. Liam was so preoccupied watching the baby that he didn’t realize Macy was wrapping up the call until she pressed a button to terminate the connection.
“Fifteen percent,” she said.
“What?”
“That was your dinnerware supplier. He’ll be emailing you a revised invoice with the amount due reduced by fifteen percent.”
“I’m impressed.”
She smiled. “Impressed enough to add a fifteen percent bonus to my paycheck?”
“Not this week,” he said. “But we’ll discuss your salary at your performance review after six months.”
“You’re going to give me a raise,” she said confidently.
He didn’t doubt it was true. If he’d learned nothing else during their trip to the antique and craft market, he’d learned that his new manager knew how to get what she wanted.
She gently pried the nipple of the now-empty bottle from her daughter’s mouth, then lifted her to her shoulder and rubbed her back. The baby emitted a shockingly loud burp for such a little thing, then yawned hugely and closed her eyes.
“She’ll sleep now for at least an hour,” Macy told him. “Is it okay if I put her down in the library for her nap while I meet with the wine merchant?”
She’d set up the baby’s playpen in that room earlier, so he knew she was informing him as a courtesy more than asking permission, but he nodded anyway.
While she was in her meeting, he signed for a delivery and carted the boxes from the bookstore into the library. Four boxes of books—and each one weighed as much as a sack of grain.
He’d just torn open the flaps on the first box when Ava woke up.
She didn’t make any sound at first. It was the movement he noticed, as she rolled herself over from her back to her belly. She lifted her head, a happy smile on her face as she looked up, no doubt expecting to see her mama—and finding a strange man instead.
The smile disappeared, and her big blue eyes filled with distress.
Chapter Five
Macy lost track of time while she was with the local wine merchant, selecting options for the daily wine and cheese hour Liam had proposed and negotiating quantities and prices. When she finally signed the order and glanced at her watch, she hurried to the library and her daughter.
Any concerns she’d harbored about momnesia interfering with her job performance had, so far, proven to be unfounded. In fact, with each day that passed, she felt more and more confident in her role.
And increasingly unnerved by the unexpected—and unwanted—attraction to her boss.
The revelation that she had three infants seemed to have effectively killed any romantic interest on his part, for which she knew she should be grateful. Instead, being in close proximity to the sexy cowboy-turned-innkeeper only made her feel churned up.
And that was before she stopped in the doorway of the library and saw him cuddling her baby girl in his arms.
“You really are just a little bitty thing, aren’t you?” he mused aloud. “Of course, you’re a few months younger than Tessa, but I don’t think my niece was ever such a lightweight.”
Ava’s gaze was focused on his face, as if trying to decide if he was a friend or foe. She didn’t have a lot of experience with strangers, and the furrow in her tiny brow along with the quiver of her lower lip warned Macy that the little girl was close to tears.
She started to take another step forward but paused when Liam spoke again, obviously reading the same signals and wanting to soothe the baby’s distress.
“I know I’m not your mama,” he said. “But your mama’s
busy right now, so we’re just going to hang together until she finishes her meeting. She shouldn’t be too much longer, and if you give me a chance, you might discover that I’m not such a bad guy, really.
“And when I say ‘give me a chance,’ I mean no crying, okay? Because I’m at a complete loss when it comes to tears.”
What was it about a strong man showing his gentle side that arrowed directly to her heart? Macy wondered.
Or was it specifically this man?
Or maybe the fact that her baby was the beneficiary of the tender demonstration?
Regardless of the rationale, she suddenly realized that she was in trouble.
Prior to this exact moment, she’d been so focused on her excitement over the job that she hadn’t let herself worry that working in close proximity to a sexy man would be a problem.
Obviously she’d been wrong.
“Some people might say I’m clueless about a lot of things when it comes to women,” Liam continued his confession. “And they’d be right, but tears are probably my biggest weakness. Thankfully you’re too young to understand what I’m saying—so this will be our little secret, okay?”
“My lips are sealed,” Macy promised.
Liam started and turned toward the doorway, then spoke to Ava again, “See? I said your mama wouldn’t be too long.”
The baby squirmed in his arms, stretching her own out toward her mother.
“Your books were delivered,” Liam said, as Macy took Ava from him. “And when I came in to unpack the shipment, I discovered that she was awake. I hope you don’t mind that I picked her up. She seemed to be looking for you, and getting distressed when she couldn’t find you, so I tried to distract her.”
“Of course I don’t mind,” she said. “I’m grateful you were here.” She patted Ava’s bottom, then reached for the tote bag beside the playpen. “But I do wonder—if my meeting had gone five minutes longer, would she be wearing a clean diaper?”
“Not likely,” he said.
She laughed softly. “At least you’re honest.”
“I’ve found that’s the best way to eliminate misunderstandings.”
“In which case—” she unfolded the portable change pad and laid Ava on top of it “—there’s something I should tell you.”
“What’s that?” he asked, wariness evident in his tone.
“This probably won’t be the last time I have to bring one or more of my kids to work with me.”
“You don’t have an unsuspecting brother you could leave them with?” he asked dryly.
She smiled as she unsnapped Ava’s pants. “Actually, I have two brothers, but neither of them lives in town.”
“I was only joking, anyway,” he assured her. “I’ve grown to appreciate the juggling act that is required of a working mom, and I don’t have a problem with you bringing your kids to work on occasion. But if I have a choice, I don’t do diapers.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she promised, sliding a dry one under her daughter’s bottom.
“And since you’re busy with that...do you want me to shelve these books? Or will you just rearrange everything when I’m done?”
“Can you group them by genre then alphabetize them by author?”
“I can take them out of the box and put them on the shelves.”
She shook her head as she refastened the snaps on Ava’s pants. “I’ll do it.”
And she’d be grateful for a task that required her focus and attention, keeping her mind busy so it wouldn’t spin any romantic fairy tales about handsome cowboys and single moms and sweet babies.
“Okay,” Liam agreed readily. “I was planning to head out to the Circle G after the staff meeting to show my grandparents the new brochures this afternoon, anyway.”
While they were at the antique and craft market, he’d confided that his grandparents had helped him with the down payment on the property, allowing him to move ahead with his plan to purchase the Stagecoach Inn.
But it was the first part of his statement that snagged her attention. “Staff meeting?”
“‘Meeting’ sounds more official than ‘greeting,’” he explained. “But it really is just a chance for the employees to get acquainted with one another.”
The total number of employees was six—including Liam and Macy. Rose was a part-time desk clerk who would be called upon to fill any gaps in the schedule, Camille would help out with the housekeeping on weekends, Emily would cook breakfast for the inn’s guests and her grandson Nathan would serve it. Macy was pleased that Liam had thought to bring them together to make the introductions and, after that was done, she was looking forward to working with all of them.
“How was work today?” Beverly asked, when Macy sat down for dinner with her parents later that day. “Did you manage okay with Ava?”
“Ava wasn’t a problem at all,” she said. “And work was good. Of course, the inn isn’t officially open yet, but I’ve loved helping with all the little details. Folding sheets and fluffing pillows, cutting flower stems and arranging decorative soaps. With every task, I feel more invested in the inn and its success.”
“You always did love playing house as a kid,” Norm recalled. “You would push that pretend vacuum around with one hand, carrying a doll in the other.”
“Multitasking,” she said.
“Fake multitasking,” her mother pointed out. “You were never as eager to push around a real vacuum.”
“I learned, though,” Macy said. “I vacuumed more guest rooms than I could count when I worked in housekeeping.”
“And now you’re the manager of Haven’s own upscale hotel,” Bev said proudly.
“Which sounds good but doesn’t get me out of folding sheets and fluffing pillows.”
“I’ve thought about stopping by, to sneak a peek into one of those fancy guest rooms,” her mother confided.
“You should do more than sneak a peek,” Macy said. “You and Dad should spend a couple of nights.”
“Why would I pay to sleep in a hotel less than five miles away from the perfectly good bed I have here?” Norm wanted to know.
“You wouldn’t have to pay—it would be my treat,” Macy said, knowing it was the least she could do to thank her parents for everything they’d done for her. “As for the why...it might add a little romance to your marriage.”
Her father scoffed at the notion. “I don’t think we need to be taking romantic advice from our unmarried daughter.”
He was teasing, of course, but it still stung when the barb struck home.
Because her dad was right—compared to her parents, who had been married for almost forty-one years, Macy knew less than nothing about romance. And when she’d become disillusioned with the whole dating scene, she’d given up hope of ever finding love.
Except that wasn’t really true. Even while she’d moved forward with her plan to have a baby, she hadn’t completely written off the possibility that she might someday meet a special someone. A man whose eyes would meet hers across a crowded room and be drawn to close that distance by the instant sparks he felt. Then they’d meet and they’d talk, they’d kiss and fall in love, and he’d love her baby, too, and want nothing more than to marry her so they could be together forever—a family.
It was, admittedly, a romantic dream.
When she’d realized she was going to have three babies, that romantic dream shot straight into the realm of fantasy.
Because only in the pages of a novel could she imagine a man wanting to take on the responsibility of three kids who weren’t his own.
* * *
“This was not a good idea,” Macy muttered, as she juggled the baby while rifling through the diaper bag for the tube of homeopathic teething gel she was certain she’d tucked inside—to no avail.
Sam continued to cry, deep, wracking sobs that shook his wh
ole body. She offered a teething ring, which he immediately threw to the ground.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “But I can’t give you what’s not here.”
He wailed louder.
“Shh.” She jiggled him gently, swaying and swirling, trying to take his mind off his obvious distress. “It’s going to be okay, I promise. But you need to pipe down a little so that Mama’s boss doesn’t fire her.”
“Do you really think your boss would be that callous?” Liam asked.
“No,” she said, turning to face him. “But I think he’d be justified in feeling irritated that there’s a screaming baby in the lobby of his fancy hotel.”
“A fancy hotel that is, at the moment, empty of guests who might complain about the screaming baby.” He took a few steps closer to peer at the infant in her arms. “Who’s this big guy?”
Sam looked back at Liam through tear-drenched eyes, then he drew in a deep, shuddery breath and stretched his arms out.
“Benedict Arnold,” Macy muttered.
Liam chuckled. “Do you want me to hold him while you pack all that stuff back up?”
“Please,” she said, and willingly passed him the baby.
Sam sniffled...then offered his new friend a droolly smile as Macy began to shove diapers and toys and various paraphernalia into the bag.
“I didn’t think there existed, anywhere in the world, a diaper bag bigger than the one my sister hauls around,” he noted. “But I think hers would fit inside of yours.”
“I have three babies,” she reminded him, then shook her head as she looked at the one currently snuggled contentedly in her boss’s arms. “And that one was crying for forty minutes before you showed up. Nothing I said or did would make him stop. Now suddenly he’s all smiles and cuddles.”
“Kate says that babies sense when their mothers are stressed,” he said. “And that mothers with babies are almost always stressed.”
“I won’t argue with that,” Macy told him. “And I promise, this won’t be a regular occurrence, but my mom was going to Battle Mountain with Frieda Zimmerman today and, as great as my dad is with his grandbabies, I couldn’t leave all three of them with him for the whole day.”
Claiming the Cowboy's Heart Page 6
