Harlequin Special Edition July 2013 - Bundle 2 of 2: The Widow of Conard CountyA Match for the Single DadThe Medic's Homecoming

by Rachel Lee

  He pressed his lips to her forehead in a lingering kiss that she chose to interpret as a ditto.

  “The girls and I are going for a swim after breakfast, then I promised to take them for a trail ride at the stables down the road from here. After lunch, Kix wants to play at the carnival y’all have advertised and I promised Payton she could hang out with those boys for a while.”

  She had to smile at his disgruntled tone. “I’m sure she’ll appreciate getting to spend one last afternoon with her new friends.”

  “And that will be the end of her relationship with him.” He sounded a little too happy about that.

  “Oh, they’ll probably friend each other online and stay in touch for a little while, but then it will fade away when they get busy with school and their other friends.”

  She paused abruptly, wondering if she was foretelling a similar ending to her own affair with Garrett, but because that question made her too uncomfortable, she brushed it away. This was about his daughter, not herself. “Payton will probably have another boyfriend sometime during the coming school year,” she predicted.

  As for herself—well, she couldn’t imagine finding anyone else who made her feel the way Garrett did. Another unsettling thought she tucked away to mull over later.

  He scowled. “Great. I’d hoped I had another couple of years before that happened.”

  “They start earlier these days.”

  “If she thinks she’s going to start dating at thirteen, she is very mistaken. I’ll let her hang out with those kids here for a couple hours, but that’s only because I’m nearby.”

  Maggie laughed softly. “My dad always swore Hannah and I wouldn’t be allowed to date until we were thirty. Which would mean I still couldn’t be seeing you.”

  That made him frown a bit before he asked, “So when did you start dating?”

  “Officially? Sixteen.”

  “What does that mean?”

  She smiled. “Maybe I had a couple dates he didn’t know about before that. Mom knew, but we decided what Dad didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.”

  Garrett’s expression then could best be described as a glower. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

  “Trust me, it was all very innocent. Just hanging out with friends at the movies or the skating rink. Mom didn’t let me car date until she thought I was mature enough to handle any situations that might arise. And it was drilled into me from the start that if I ever got into a car with someone who’d been drinking or who tended to drive recklessly to show off to friends, I’d be locked in my room until I was old enough to draw retirement,” she added with a laugh. “I knew they exaggerated, of course, but there was just enough doubt that I always followed those rules. Besides, I had enough common sense to have figured that out myself.”

  “I’m having enough trouble just letting Payton hang out at the tennis court or volleyball courts with a boy. I’ll worry about the next step later. Hopefully much later.”

  She dropped a kiss on his chin. “It’ll be okay, Garrett. I turned out all right.”

  She wanted to believe Payton, too, would survive the turbulent teen years relatively unscathed. She knew Garrett had dedicated himself to making sure of that outcome as best he could, always putting his own desires second to his children’s welfare. As intimidated as she was by the thought of such responsibility for herself, she couldn’t think of anyone more capable or committed to the task than the strong, sexy man in her bed—for now.

  He swept a hand slowly down the length of her body. “You turned out more than all right,” he said, his voice deep.

  With a little shiver, she arched into his touch and lifted her mouth to his. The kiss quickly grew hot enough to evolve into much more. He shifted his weight, pinning her beneath him for several long, pleasurable minutes that might have stretched into another hour or more had he not determinedly dragged his mouth from hers and disentangled their interlocked limbs. “I really have to go.”

  She sighed and pushed a strand of hair from her flushed face. “I know.”

  Magnificently nude and still partially aroused, he climbed from the bed. She took a moment just to admire him before reaching for her robe. She felt his gaze on her when she stretched out her arms to slip into it, and maybe she took her time wrapping it around her. Maybe she wanted to give him just a little reminder of what he was leaving behind.

  When he was dressed, she walked him to the door. “Are you working tomorrow?” he asked.

  “I work pretty much every day, at least a few hours, unless I make arrangements for someone to fill in for me for a day or two.”

  “So I’ll probably see you around sometime tomorrow, then.”

  “I’m sure you will.”

  He reached for the doorknob, then stopped. He spoke without looking at her. “Starting Monday, I’ll be back at work full-time. Taking care of the girls after work.”

  With an effort, she kept her smile in place when she nodded. “Yes, I know.”

  She hoped he understood that she didn’t expect anything from him after this lovely week ended. She knew he’d be busy. As she was herself.

  “So, what I’m asking is—maybe we can still get together occasionally? I mean, the girls can stay with Mom for a few extra hours sometimes. You and I could go out for a meal, maybe. Take the Cessna up for a spin. Maybe I could bring takeout and we could eat here.”

  They could do that, she thought with careful optimism. It would probably be good for the girls to spend a little time away from their father. And for him to have an occasional break from them. No one had to know what he was doing during those breaks, so there would be no reason for anyone to develop unrealistic expectations or conclusions. “Maybe I could cook for you sometime. I make a mean veggie lasagna.”

  He glanced at her then with a somewhat tentative smile. “I like lasagna.”

  “We’ll do that sometime, then.”

  “I’d like that.”

  “So would I.”

  He looked as though he wanted to kiss her again. Maybe he was afraid of how much longer he would end up staying if he did. Instead, he merely touched her face fleetingly and then let himself out. She locked the door behind him.

  This could work, she thought. For a while, at least. After that—well, she didn’t want to think that far ahead tonight.

  * * *

  “So, rumor has it you’re seeing that good-looking single dad in cabin six.”

  Maggie looked up from her tablet screen to find four of her employees grinning at her. They sat in her office upstairs in the main building early Saturday for a quick meeting before starting the workday. Located at the back of the building, her office window provided a nice view of the lake and the wooded shore on the other side. The furnishings were simple—a small, functional desk and office chair and a rectangular table with six padded chairs arranged around it, five of those chairs currently occupied by Maggie and her Saturday crew. A coffee carafe and a box of pastries sat in the center of the table and everyone had taken advantage of the availability.

  They’d already discussed inventory and maintenance issues and looked at the upcoming week’s work schedules. Starting Monday, one of the maids was taking a few days off to visit family, which meant a shift in hours for a couple of others. With the morning’s business out of the way, Maggie had asked if anyone had any more questions or items of discussion. Which was when saucy Caroline Churchill had commented about Maggie and Garrett.

  “Garrett and I are friends,” Maggie said calmly, knowing overreaction would simply fuel rumor. “Now, are there any other—”

  “He’s the one who plays guitar at Sunday services, right?” Lucia Soto Rivera, who’d worked for the resort since Maggie was in elementary school, inquired.

  “Yes. Do I have everyone’s supply request forms?”

  “I dated a single dad once,” Daphne Fernandez mused aloud as she dragged a bite of doughnut through the powdered sugar sprinkled on the paper plate in front of her. Heavyset Daphne, the s
econd-longest in seniority of the staff, had a notorious sweet tooth and could often be found sampling the pie of the day in the diner downstairs when she wasn’t diligently cleaning motel rooms or cabins. “A widower with two boys. We were together just long enough for me to get seriously attached to those kids, and then we broke up. I grieved over losing the kids more than I did him. Never saw them again. I heard he got married a couple months after we split, and I’m sure the new wife didn’t want his ex hanging around her stepsons. I always wondered if they ever asked about me,” she added wistfully.

  “I’ll bet they did.” Lucia heaved a heavy sigh. “I remember when Ray and I broke up, my kids asked about him about a dozen times a day. I hated to tell them he just wasn’t interested in seeing them anymore, so I just told them he was on a secret government mission in another country and couldn’t come home.”

  No one laughed. Least of all Maggie.

  New employee Darby Burns seemed a little uncertain of the personal direction the conversation had taken, as though she wasn’t sure exactly how the boss would take to being teased by the staff. Seeing the hesitation in the younger woman’s eyes, Maggie forced a smile. “Enough about my so-called social life. We have a busy day ahead. I’d like to have all the rooms and cabins cleaned by early afternoon, so concentrate on that first and laundry afterward, please.”

  Daphne crammed the last of the doughnut in her mouth, wiped her lips with a paper napkin and tossed the plate in the trash. She scooped up her coffee cup to take with her when she left. “He is a looker, though,” she said to Maggie. “The dad in cabin six, I mean. And I’ve always had a weakness for a man who can play a guitar. Maybe things would work out better for you and him than they did for me.”

  Maggie only smiled rather weakly and focused immediately on the job.

  * * *

  Later that busy afternoon, Maggie was leaving the motel headed toward the main building when she spotted Payton and the Ferguson boys getting into a bit of mischief. Her dad and Aaron had been working on putting a new roof on cabin three. They were occupied now with getting the kids’ entertainment area set up for the afternoon, scheduled to last from 3:00 until 7:00 p.m. Maggie had noted earlier that they hadn’t left the ladder propped against the cabin, but lying nearby with the other supplies they would return to later.

  The ladder leaned against the cabin now. Trevor Ferguson sat on top of the roof, knees drawn up in front of him, watching as Payton made her way tentatively up the rungs while Drake stood below and kept a steadying hand on the ladder.

  Maggie immediately changed her path to hurry toward the cabin. “Payton, boys, what on earth are you doing?”

  Payton startled, but kept her grip on the sides of the metal ladder. “Um...”

  “Hi, Miz Bell,” Trevor called down from the rooftop. “From up here, we can see all the way to the pavilion. It looks pretty cool.”

  “I’m sorry, Trevor, but you’re going to have to come down. I can’t let you kids stay up on the roof.”

  “It’s okay, Miz Bell, we do this all the time at home,” Drake assured her earnestly. “We like looking at things from up high. Someday me and Trevor are going to climb a mountain.”

  “Yes, well, you’re not going to climb here. Come down, Payton, and you, too, Trevor.”

  Payton looked up at Trevor, who shrugged back at her. “What did I tell you?” he muttered.

  The girl sighed gustily and backed off the ladder. Maggie thought Payton looked just a little glad to be back on the ground, but that expression was quickly hidden behind a sullen frown. “We would have been fine,” Payton said. “It’s not much higher than sitting on top of the monkey bars.”

  Maggie shook her head. “Honestly, Payton, do you really think your father would approve of you climbing a ladder to the top of a roof?”

  At the mention of her father, Payton’s scowl deepened. “You’re going to run and tell him?”

  “I’m not running to tell him anything. I have to take care of some things in my office now and then check on the activities at the pavilion. Why don’t the three of you head over there? We have free cotton candy and entertainment.”

  On the ground again now, Trevor rolled his eyes. “Bouncy castles and a cheesy magician? A bunch of rug rats covered in sticky candy and running around on a sugar high? Yeah, sounds great.”

  “Yeah, great.” Payton had the older teen’s scornful expression and bored tone down to perfection.

  It was probably a good thing the Ferguson boys would be headed back to Bossier City that evening. Payton wouldn’t like saying goodbye to her new friends—Trevor, especially—but all in all, Maggie wasn’t sure Trevor was the best influence on the girl.

  Setting her tablet computer on the picnic table provided for the cabin, she moved to take hold of the ladder. “Trevor, get the other end of this,” she instructed. “I want to put it back with the roofing supplies so no one else is tempted to climb it.”

  “If you want it moved so bad, you can move it yourself.” With that, Trevor turned and started walking away, saying over his shoulder, “C’mon, Drake, Payton. We’ll take a walk. If boss lady doesn’t think that’s too dangerous for us.”

  Drake grimaced, but fell into step obediently behind his older brother. Looking a little shocked by her friend’s rudeness, Payton hesitated. She took half a step toward Maggie, as though to help with the ladder, but then Trevor called her again. “You coming, Payton?”

  “I’ll, uh, see you later, Maggie,” she muttered, then turned and hurried after the boys.

  Disappointed in the girl’s choice, Maggie moved the ladder herself, balancing it carefully as she pulled it down and hauled it to the pile of roofing materials. She laid it flat on the ground, then set a few heavy bundles of shingles on top of it to discourage any other aspiring climbers. Her dad didn’t usually leave ladders lying around where children could get at them; he must have been called away for a maintenance issue and planned to return soon. She was sure he hadn’t imagined that a trio of teens would set the ladder against the cabin and decide to climb up to the roof.

  Resuming her walk to the office, she mulled over whether she should mention Payton’s escapade to Garrett. Maybe not, she decided. After all, the boys were leaving tonight, so that should be the last of their adventures. And she’d hate to see Garrett crack down on the girl again over such a minor transgression—well, relatively minor, she corrected herself. It could have been very serious had one of the kids fallen and broken a bone, at the least.

  Shaking her head, she thought it was a wonder most kids grew up to adulthood. Herself included, she thought, remembering some of her own misadventures. Had to be a constant worry for parents. She couldn’t quite explain the root of her own fears of dealing with those issues. Yet just the thought of being responsible for innocent, vulnerable lives—say, Payton and Kix, for example—filled her with dread. She was totally unqualified, lacked any training for such a crucial undertaking. How would she know what to do in an emergency? What to say to soothe their fears or give them guidance? What if her own ignorance caused them irreparable harm, either physical or emotional?

  Did Hannah and Andrew already fret about baby Claire’s future teen rebellions? Were they preparing themselves already for any eventualities and if so, how? She knew her aunt and uncle still worried themselves half-sick over their grown, now-married daughter Lori. Would she ever have the courage to take on that commitment responsibility herself?

  Half an hour later she approached the festivities on the pavilion lawn, noting in satisfaction that the end-of-the-holiday-weekend celebration seemed to be going well. While parents watched and visited, children romped around the playground and stood in line for the three inflatable bouncers, the merry-go-round, tilt-a-whirl and free cotton candy. A “duck pond” sat in the center of the pavilion, consisting of a large round metal tub filled with water in which floated dozens of multicolored rubber duckies. Children were allowed to choose a duck, then received the prize correlated to the num
ber written on the bottom. The small plastic toys and beanbag animals given out as prizes seemed to please the kids she watched play the game. Many of them were dressed in swimsuits, indicating that water sports were a part of the day’s plans.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for this holiday weekend to be over.”

  Maggie turned to find her grandmother behind her. “It’s gone well, though,” she pointed out. “We’ve had lots of visitors from the surrounding towns and I’ve talked to several people during the past couple of days who said they’d like to come back and rent a cabin or stay in the campgrounds. The marina, store and diner have all done extra business this week. Two future brides have checked out the pavilion as a potential location for autumn weddings—you know Hannah wants to boost our reputation as a wedding venue. All in all, it seems the weekend festivities have been successful.”

  “I hope so,” Mimi grumbled. “I’d hate to think we’ve spent more money putting it on than we’ll get back in extra business.”

  “You’d have to talk to Shelby about the numbers, of course, but I think she’ll tell us that we’ve almost broken even this weekend. So if we get extra business in the future from our efforts, then it will all pay off. If not—well, it was worth a shot.”

  “There’s some business I’d just as soon not have,” her grandmother muttered, looking over Maggie’s shoulder.

  Sensing whom she would see behind her, Maggie turned her head. She spotted Garrett first, with a strong jolt of purely physical reaction. With Kix and his mother following close behind, he accompanied his grandmother, who made good progress toward the festivities with her walker. It was the first time Maggie had seen Esther at one of the scheduled events. She wondered if the family had pressured her to come with them today just to get her out of her chair for an hour or so.

  “Be nice, Mimi,” she said automatically. “She’s not your old foe today, she’s a paying guest of the resort.”

  “I know how to do my job,” her grandmother retorted. And with that, she swept toward the little group, making Maggie hurry to keep up, a little concerned about what would happen next.