Maggie pulled open the door and peeked in at the bathroom. Double sinks, oversize tub, separate shower. Fresh towels, no doubt his mother’s touch, on the towel rack.
A master bedroom. Why didn’t he use the master? Too many memories?
“Dr. Tanner, really, this is amazing. I love it.” She moved over the plush carpeting to the four-poster and ran her hand over the smooth wood of the footboard. Unless she missed her guess, this bed was an antique.
When she looked up, she caught him watching her with caution and something else, a something that made her skin get hot and reminded her she was alone with a gorgeous man. In a room with a bed.
The one man she couldn’t have and wouldn’t want anyway.
So why had her mouth just gone dry?
“Josh,” he said, and Maggie blinked, her thoughts thankfully derailed. “Call me Josh, please. You’re not my patient.”
“Josh, then,” she murmured.
A banging from downstairs made them both jump, shattering the awkward moment.
“That’d be Cody and my mother,” he said, relief clear in his voice. “Let’s go meet them.”
* * *
Cody Tanner, age four, looked up at Maggie with serious blue eyes ringed with long, dark lashes. Light brown curls haloed around his head. Her heart melted, and emotion crashed over her in a fierce wave. She ached to pull him in her arms. This little boy was the only link to the half sister she’d never have the chance to know. He dropped his gaze to her feet and she swallowed hard.
“Hi, Cody.” Maggie stuck out her hand, but Cody ignored it, instead pressing against his grandmother’s leg. She tried to ignore the sharp sting his rejection produced.
“Code,” his father said in a gentle voice, “you can do better than that.”
Cody looked up at Maggie, his big blue eyes swimming with tears, and shook his head.
Maggie’s heart cracked. “It’s okay—” she began but Josh shook his head.
“Cody, we talked about this. Remember?”
“Don’t want her,” Cody cried and Maggie sucked in her breath, each word almost a physical blow. “I wanna have Mrs. Herman!”
Josh knelt down in front of his son. He tugged Cody into his arms. “I know it’s hard on you. But she had to leave, Code,” he said. “You know that. She had to go help her daughter out. She’ll miss you and she loves you. She’ll call and send you letters. Remember?”
Cody dipped his chin. “I know,” he mumbled, and his father hugged him.
“Now, let’s try this again. What do you say to Ms. Thelan?”
Cody slid a sideways glance her way. “Hi,” he muttered and Maggie smiled.
“Nice to meet you, Cody.” Oh, if he only knew.
Ellen held out her hand to her grandson. “Cody, you want to help me make some sandwiches for lunch?”
Cody brightened. “C’n I have peanut butter?”
“Of course. You can even spread the jelly if you want.”
“Okay.” With a last cautious glance at Maggie, Cody followed Ellen into the kitchen.
Josh looked at Maggie. “Mrs. Herman is Cody’s former nanny. Her leaving has been hard on him. I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“Don’t be,” Maggie said, and meant it. “He is attached to Mrs. Herman. It’s a loss he has to process. I understand. It’ll take some time, but we’ll be okay.”
Maggie held her breath while Josh gave her a thoughtful look. “Let’s have a seat and go over what exactly you’ll be doing.”
Maggie’s heart soared. “Does this mean I officially have the job?”
“Yes.”
Even with the reluctance in his voice, relief flooded her. Maybe her luck had finally turned, after all.
* * *
Too young.
Later that evening, Josh’s thought upon seeing Maggie Thelan for the first time kept playing through his head. And too gorgeous, with that long dark hair and those blue, blue eyes rimmed with dark lashes. Similar to Lucy’s, really, but hers had been a paler blue. He pulled his thoughts back to the problem at hand.
His mother was playing matchmaker.
He groaned and clicked the TV remote, not seeing the images on the screen. He’d specifically requested an older woman so there’d be no chance of anyone thinking there was anything remotely marriageable about him. That possibility died with Lucy, as it should have.
But Mom clearly had other plans. She’d told him over and over to move on. To let Lucy go. He’d listened politely, but he knew it didn’t matter. He’d made a promise to her, intended to keep it. He’d managed it for nearly four years.
But then Maggie stumbled into his life and now things were not quite so cut and dried. She made something he’d buried long ago want to sit up and take notice.
Josh groaned again and scrubbed his hand over his eyes.
Hell. She’d be the nanny. Meaning she’d be living here, under his roof, right down the hall from his bedroom.
Josh shifted on the bed. Uh-uh. No way could his thoughts take that course. No.
Maybe he could tell her he’d changed his mind, they didn’t need her and he’d go find a nanny on his own.
A nice, grandmotherly type. Someone who wouldn’t remind him he couldn’t get involved with another woman.
“Daddy?” Cody’s voice sliced across his thoughts.
“Cody. I thought you were sleeping.” Josh hit the mute button on the TV. He patted the bed beside him. “You okay?”
Cody nodded as he crawled up next to Josh. “Yeah. Is Miz Thelan gonna be my new nanny?” His voice dropped off.
“Mrs. Herman isn’t coming back,” Josh said gently. “You know that, Code. We need someone to help us out around here. Ms. Thelan seems really nice. I think she’ll be a good nanny.”
So much for not hiring her.
Cody bit his lower lip. “But—don’t—if I don’t get a nanny won’t Miz Herman hafta come back?” The words tumbled out in a rush.
“No. Oh, Cody, is that what you thought?” Josh’s heart broke and he reached over to hug his son to his side, felt the little body nestle into his own.
Cody shrugged his small shoulders, then nodded.
Josh spoke gently, knowing how hard this had been for his son. “Cody, she loves you, but she had to go.”
“Like Mama,” Cody said matter-of-factly, and pain seared through Josh, cutting off his air for a heartbeat. Like Mama.
“Mama can’t come back. But she loved you, too, Cody.” His voice grated in his throat. Lucy had adored Cody, doted on him, loved him with every last fiber of her being. This Josh knew without a doubt. Guilt crushed him every time he thought of it. He was the reason his son didn’t have a mother anymore.
“Miz Thelan is pretty,” Cody said. Josh said nothing, stymied by the realization that he couldn’t deny he agreed, or what it meant. “Will she live here? With you an’ me, Daddy?”
“Yeah,” Josh said and wondered again if having Maggie under his roof was a good plan.
“Then I guess it’s okay to try her, Daddy.” Cody’s small face was serious. Josh hid a smile.
“Then we will. I think she’ll be just fine.”
“Is she gonna cook for us?”
Josh shrugged. “She said she could but we’ll see.”
They looked at each other for a moment, and Josh knew they were both thinking of Mrs. Herman’s practical casseroles.
Years of casseroles.
“No, um, cassy-oles?” Cody ventured and Josh laughed.
“She doesn’t look like the casserole type but we’ll ask her tomorrow when she gets here just to be sure. Okay? Now let’s get you back to bed.”
“Okay.” Cody slid off Josh’s bed. Josh followed him across the hall and tucked Cody back in. He ran a hand over the boy’s curls and Cody gave him a sleepy smile.
“G’night, Daddy.”
“‘Night, Code.” Josh lingered for a moment, enjoying the little rustles Cody made as he settled. Then he returned to his room, flopped on t
he bed and stared at the ceiling.
Sleep wouldn’t come easy for him tonight.
* * *
Maggie pulled in the driveway of the big blue house, her car packed to the gills. Everything else had gone into storage when she sublet her apartment. That had been a bit of a risk. If this nanny position had fallen through, she’d have been up you-know-what creek without a paddle.
At least it would be familiar territory.
She got out of the car and hesitated in the driveway. Hired or not, it didn’t seem right to just walk in the house. Ellen burst out the front door.
“Maggie! Oh, my goodness, let me help. Josh, come on,” she yelled over her shoulder. “Maggie’s here.” She hurried across the lawn and gave Maggie a quick hug. “Let Josh and me help you. Is this all you brought?” she asked as she opened a rear door.
“All?” Maggie laughed. The car practically groaned under the weight of her “necessities.” The front door banged shut before she could say anything else and she turned to see Josh step out on the porch. His flannel shirt looked soft and worn with age, and his jeans held the same patina. His whiskey gaze caught hers and her traitorous pulse tripped. He gave her a half smile, strode down the steps.
“Good morning, Ms. Thelan,” he said, his deep voice resonating in the very core of her.
“It’s Maggie,” she said, and mentally winced at the husky element in her voice.
“Maggie, then,” he said and looked at her with… Was that regret?
“Josh! This box has books. Can you get it?” Ellen’s voice reached them, and he turned toward his mother.
“Sure, Mom,” he said. Maggie went around to the other side of the car as her insides twisted. Was Josh having second thoughts about hiring her? He’d been ambivalent, she knew, but she’d hoped a few days of space would have erased his doubts.
An hour later, she decided she’d imagined the whole thing. Josh was polite, and said no more than necessary, but she didn’t catch any more weird vibes from him. Ellen made up for it with chatter and Maggie was grateful for her warmth. Cody hovered around the edges of the activity, helping sometimes without being asked, but mostly dogging his father’s shadow. Her heart ached for the boy.
She hoped by Monday he’d have accepted her enough that they could spend the day together comfortably.
“Okay,” Ellen announced, placing a box on the floor by the bed. “Josh has the last one, he’s coming up behind me. Looks like you’ve made progress already,” she added, nodding to the closet where some clothes hung.
Maggie laughed. “That’s why I leave all that stuff on hangers. Makes me feel like I’ve done a lot when actually…well, actually, I haven’t.” She sank down in a chair near the fireplace, looked around at the mess. “I can’t thank you enough for helping me.”
Ellen waved her hand, dismissing Maggie’s thanks. “It was nothing, honey, really. Do you need any help unpacking?”
Maggie shook her head. She wouldn’t ask for anything more even if she needed it. “No. Thanks, though. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, then.” Ellen crossed to the door, then stopped. “You have my number if you need it on Monday? If you have any questions at all, you can call. Josh can’t always get away, but I’m usually available.”
“I do have it. I’m sure we’ll be fine, but it’s a big comfort to know you’re there if we get stuck,” Maggie assured her. Ellen nodded.
“Okay, then. Sorry to run, but I’m meeting a friend for dinner and it’s a good hour drive.” She left, and Maggie heard her voice in the hall before Josh came in, carrying the last of the boxes.
“Where can I put this?” he asked.
She waved her hand. “Anywhere’s fine. I have to go through them all anyway.”
Josh deposited the box near the one his mother left and stood still. An awkward silence fell over the room as Maggie tried her hardest to look everywhere but at him, but her gaze kept darting back as if he were magnetic.
“I—”
“Do—”
They both stopped, and he dipped his head in her direction. “You first.”
She drew in a deep breath. “I was just going to thank you for the help,” she said. “It wasn’t necessary but I really appreciate it.”
“No problem. Do you like pizza? You’re welcome to eat dinner with us.”
Maggie hesitated. She needed to erect some kind of wall between her unexpected emotions and this man. On the other hand, it would be an opportunity to interact with Cody. “Will Cody mind if I join you? I don’t want to infringe on his time with you.”
Josh shook his head. “You won’t be. It’ll be good for you to spend some time together. Any requests for toppings? Anything you can’t stand?”
They settled the pizza question with no onions or peppers for her but anything else was fair game. Josh left the room, pulling the door closed behind him. Maggie stared at the closed door, then flopped back on the bed as the enormity of her situation began to take root.
She’d found Cody, gotten the job she wanted so badly.
But she’d never figured on her brother-in-law. She hadn’t counted on seeing him as an attractive man. Somehow, she needed to figure out how to ignore that while keeping her true relationship to Cody a secret from his father. A flash of guilt made her swallow hard. Would it have been better to own up to her connection to Lucy?
No. She stood up and moved to the nearest box. The last thing she wanted was to inflict any more pain on either Josh or Cody. They’d experienced a terrible loss before Cody’s first birthday and she had no desire to open any old wounds for them. With any luck she could spend a year or so with Cody, and have enough of a relationship with the little boy that Josh would allow her to stay in his life after Cody no longer needed a nanny.
So she’d get over this ridiculous quasi-attraction to Josh and that would be that.
Wouldn’t it?
So why didn’t her plan seem to be quite so simple anymore?
Copyright (c) 2013 by Ami Weaver
ISBN-13: 9781460321300
A MAVERICK UNDER THE MISTLETOE
Copyright (c) 2013 by Harlequin Books S.A.
Special thanks and acknowledgment to Brenda Harlen for her contribution to the
Montana Mavericks: Rust Creek Cowboys continuity.
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