The Marriage Contract
Page 21
“That won't be necessary.”
“It's no trouble, really.”
She let out a quick breath and looked around at the people walking up and down the sidewalk, until her gaze settled back on his face again.
“Look, you seem like a nice man and all. But I don't make it a habit of getting into cars with strange men I've never met before?”
“I'm not a strange man.”
She tilted an eyebrow as her eyes drifted down to his tuxedo.
“Right. The clothes again.” He motioned back to the diner with his hands. “What was it you said earlier about being neighborly? We’ve just shared coffee and pie together. You could hardly consider us strangers anymore.”
Maggie chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand to hide her laughter. He liked the sound of her laugh, musical and sweet.
“Every day people come into my shop.”
Nodding, he said, “I see your point. These days you can never be too careful.”
“Exactly. Thank you for the offer. That’s really sweet of you. But the bus will be here shortly.”
Jonah turned and started toward the limousine, then abruptly stopped and angled back. He didn't know why this should mean so much to him. It wasn’t just her kindness that had him making the extra effort. He’d met many selfless people working with the Foundation for Young Wanderers. Something told him Maggie was a woman with a heart of gold and perhaps saw little back.
Now that he knew she'd been working directly across the street from him, he knew he could see her at the coffee shop again. He would see her. Something inside him told him it was a certainty.
He wasn't a gambling man by nature, but he decided to go for broke.
“Still, it is August and I hear the busses don't always run on schedule. The limo is air conditioned.”
Maggie eyed him speculatively, but didn't say a word.
“I promise to be a perfect gentleman and sit tight on my side of the seat. Scout's honor.”
She pursed her lips, grinning as she had before, making his heart hammer in his chest.
“You were never a boy scout.”
“Correct, but one good deed does deserves another, wouldn't you say?”
“I suppose,” she said quietly, glancing back at the limo, then at her coffee shop.
“If you accept my offer, you'll be home in no time. Or you could spend the next fifteen minutes to however long it takes for the bus to arrive roasting in this heat. And then of course, because the busses are usually crowded, another fifteen or more minutes standing with aching feet on a sweaty bus after a long day of--”
She tossed him a wry grin. “You're pulling out all the stops, aren’t you. All this for a lousy cup of coffee and a piece of pie?”
“Air conditioning,” he said, smiling devilishly, knowing that would be the catalyst to push her over the edge to accepting.
She heaved a sigh and then laughed, pointing a finger at him. “If my feet weren't killing me so much... You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Wallace.”
He gestured to the car with both hands, a grin of satisfaction stretching across his face. “Right this way.”
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