Mary Leo – Falling for the Cowboy (страница 8)

Blake took note of her plate of food. “You’re gonna love this.”

“I’m sure I will.”

And as simple as that, Maggie knew what all the other women in the town had known all along. Doc Blake was sinfully irresistible.

* * *

HE HAD DRIVEN into town precisely to fire Maggie Daniels. Had gone over what he was going to say a dozen times, and if he hadn’t stopped at Belly Up for a steak first, he would have been able to carry out his plan to tell Kitty of his decision. He had wanted to avoid meeting up with Maggie altogether.

The whole idea of firing anyone, much less Kitty’s sister, gnawed at him terribly. But Kitty already knew about his confrontational misfortune, and would have broken it to her without too much coaxing. Then he would have driven over to Mrs. Abernathy’s house—calling her wasn’t an option—and given her the good news.

Unfortunately, Maggie had been standing in the doorway of the Belly Up, smelling like a wild rose garden after a rainstorm, and messed up everything.

Sharing a meal with Maggie Daniels somehow felt just about perfect to Blake. One look at her and he knew his hunch had been right. He’d hoped that once she’d lost that corporate suit and heels Maggie would be as down-home as her sister, minus the organic-vegan thing.

Maggie was a good ol’ girl at heart, who could probably knock back a cold one with the best of them, if it ever came to that. But right then, sitting across from her, he knew getting her to drink a beer was out of the question. She was still carrying around the city in her back pocket, and as long as she did, Briggs was simply a town where her baby sister lived.

There was nothing he could do about that, and besides, who was he to point out that life in a small town beat city life any day of the week. He’d already been down that path with his ex. He’d met her in college, at UCLA. She’d grown up in L.A. and had told him she wanted a simpler life. He believed her. She lasted in Briggs for only a short time and soon after Scout was born, she wanted to move back to California. Blake obliged, but he never took to the place, and Bethany eventually lost interest in being a mother—at least, not the kind of mother Scout needed. That lesson was enough of a burn in one man’s life. He wasn’t about to go close to the fire again.

Now, he had to let Maggie go before she’d even set foot in his office. It was for the best, all around. He had to tell her, but telling her face-to-face seemed almost impossible.

He’d have to man up for his daughter’s sake. Maggie was danger personified. Scout needed a mother, someone more like Helen and not a woman like Maggie. Helen was stable, kind, and sure as rain she wasn’t going anywhere. Helen could love Scout—heck, she probably already did—and could easily be a good mother to his sweet little girl.

Maggie was an unknown—albeit an attractive unknown that sent his pulse racing and weakened his resolve with every heartbeat. But even though she was temptation in borrowed boots, he wouldn’t allow himself to put his daughter through another disappointment, so he buttoned up his emotions and moved on with dinner.

He watched Maggie pack it away as if she’d been without food for weeks. “How’s the steak?”

She gazed up at him with a look on her face that told him it was the first time she’d noticed he was still there since the plate of food had been placed in front of her.

Maggie paused for a moment, chewed and swallowed. “Amazing. I mean San Francisco has some great steaks, but, wow…”

He watched as she took another bite. “So this is your first real meal since you’ve been here, right?”

Maggie nodded, her mouth once again so full of food she looked like a cartoon chipmunk. She chewed and swallowed while Blake waited, enjoying watching her try to appear like she had everything under control…which she didn’t. “How did you know?”

“I know your sister, remember?”

Maggie nodded and swallowed, then took a long draw of wine.

He said, “I love a woman with a hearty appetite. You want me to order another steak in case that’s not enough?”

She put her fork down and sat back with a sigh. “Sorry. I love my sister, so don’t get me wrong, but if I have to eat one more piece of soy chicken or a beeflike product I might have to disown her.”

“What do you think brought me in here tonight?”

“Tell me she didn’t—”

“She did. A tofurkey.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Not a problem. It was better than her flourless cake for my birthday last year.”

“Crazy as it seems, I now know how to make one. You don’t treat me right and I’ll bring one into the office.”

Blake emptied his glass of wine and poured another then topped hers off. “Funny you should mention the office. There’s something I need to tell you.”

“About Mrs. Abernathy?”

“Who? No. This is something entirely different.”

“Another rule you and Kitty left out?”

“Not exactly.” He hated this kind of stuff.

“If it’s about the cake, I promise not to bring one in, or anything else that’s even remotely good for you. But you realize my sister will probably outlive us both.”

“I know. She’s a regular food doctor.”

“Yeah.” Maggie sliced off another piece of steak. “But we’ll have so much more fun.”

That brought on an actual giggle and Blake couldn’t help but notice how deep that dimple was in her left cheek, and how downright pretty her eyes were, and how her forehead wrinkled, and how he was thinking about what it might be like to kiss those full lips.

He had it bad and he barely knew the woman.

Blake forced himself to look at the line dancers in front of him. The place was jumping tonight, and for a Sunday that was a rare occasion. Briggs was gearing up for Spud Week and the harvest. Two things that put happy in everyone’s heart.

The thought made him smile, and as he watched the couples kickin’ it up, he decided that as soon as Maggie gobbled down the last bite, he’d ask her to dance. One dance couldn’t hurt.

Then he’d fire her.

And just as he considered how he would accomplish these tasks, her cell phone chirped.

“Excuse me,” she told him and took the call. In seconds her entire demeanor changed. “I’ll be right there.” She stood. Her napkin fell to the floor. She looked at Blake and her eyes went moist.

He felt his stomach tighten. “What’s wrong?”

“That was a nurse at Valley Hospital. Kitty’s been admitted. I have to go.”

“I’ll drive you.”

And before Blake could think of what this might mean, he and Maggie were in his pickup racing toward the hospital.

Chapter Four

Valley Hospital was bigger than Maggie had expected. She somehow had a preconceived idea that any hospital in this minor town would be small and inadequate. On the contrary, it took up about a half-acre of land, had four floors and a staff that seemed as professional as any hospital the Bay Area had to offer.

Fortunately, Doc Blake was the calm breeze to Maggie’s hurricane of emotions and knew exactly where to go and who to ask about Kitty. For the most part, he didn’t exactly have to ask anyone anything. Maggie witnessed firsthand the benefits of living in a small town.

“Hey, Doc, Kitty’s up on the third floor in maternity,” someone behind a desk shouted as he and Maggie walked into the E.R. waiting room. “Room three-twenty-four, but she’s just getting up there so it might take a bit before you two can see her.”

Blake nodded. Maggie hadn’t taken another step, though, when several people wanted to meet Kitty’s sister. Maggie was cordial with the introductions while her mind raced through countless scenarios that her sister might be dealing with.

One of the people in the waiting room was an older woman. She didn’t appear to be an E.R. patient, rather, someone who was waiting for a loved one already inside. She walked up to Maggie and wrapped her arms around her, giving her a tight hug. “Don’t you worry about nothing, honey. Nothing bad’s gonna happen to your sister or them babies. They got the best doctors in all of Idaho working at this here hospital, so you just keep smiling ’cause that’s what your baby sister needs right now.”

For some inexplicable reason, Maggie believed her and held on tight for a moment before she let go. “Thanks.”

“Whew. Take it easy, honey. These bones of mine are getting mighty fragile,” the woman said. Then she looked over at Doc. “You gonna make a formal intro or do I gotta do it myself?”

Blake chuckled and said, “Mrs. Abernathy, this is Maggie Daniels. Maggie this is Mrs. Esther Abernathy.”

“Don’t mumble, son. Speak up.”

Maggie raised her voice a couple of decibels. “Doc Blake has mentioned you. It’s great to finally meet you.”

Esther turned to Blake. “I can hear her perfect. Why can’t you learn to talk like that?”

She didn’t wait for Blake’s response. Instead, she turned back to Maggie. “What your sister is gonna need is complete bed rest till it’s safe for them babies to be born. She’s been having contractions for the past couple weeks and the poor thing didn’t know it. Caused her cervix to flatten to one-point-two centimeters. Not good. They pumped her full of terbutaline to stop them contractions and a corticosteroid to get them babies’ lungs to mature…just in case.