“All right, darlin’?” He winked at her and he took his hat.
She nodded, a big smile spread across her face.
“Good. Don’t forget to put those in water, now, will ya?” He indicated the large bouquet of beautiful flowers he had placed on the counter.
“Thank you.” She lifted them up. The sweet scent surrounded her.
He nodded and headed for the door just as the other couple took their seats by the window. The smirks on the customers’ faces told her they’d seen the kiss, but Maggie didn’t mind. She was proud that such a handsome guy had wanted to kiss her. And it looked as though he wanted to see her again.
She popped into the kitchen and filled a large jug with cold water before placing the flowers in. She placed them on the counter where they looked lovely. Now she could stand and admire them all day, remembering the gorgeous cowboy who had given them to her.
* * * *
It was a quiet day in the small café, and Maggie spent most of it cleaning. She was aware that most of the jobs didn’t really need doing, but she was eager to pass the time in the best way she could.
As she swept under one of the window tables, she noticed a newspaper that had been left on the sill by one of the customers. The daily paper was a luxury she couldn’t afford right now, so she was pleased to see that it was current, and she put it aside until she stopped for a coffee break.
A few minutes later, she came to a stopping point. She stretched as she hopped onto one of the stools at the counter and poured herself a warm drink. There had been no customers for over an hour, and she was sure the place would have to close down soon. Perhaps I could find another job in here? She spread the paper over the counter and started to read about the shenanigans and events of the local community.
An article caught her eye, and she felt herself go stone cold. Oh no! There was a photograph of a happy couple and a lengthy article about the man’s success. It appeared that a certain Robert Rossington had recently become engaged to a local lady, Lorraine Parry, and was planning some big changes for his fiancée’s large estate.
Maggie shook her head as the article waxed lyrical about the wealthy businessman and his benevolent nature, painting him as some kind of hero who deserved to be worshiped for his many charitable endeavors.
But he wasn’t a hero. He was a bully—and a thief. Maggie knew it, although she could never prove it. She closed her eyes as his voice invaded her thoughts, informing her that one of his contacts had discovered that the manager of her bank was about to be investigated for fraud.
They had been living in a large house in the country, which, although it was mortgaged to the hilt, served as a status symbol for Robert and a millstone for Maggie. He employed a housekeeper to enable her to spend more time writing, following the success of her first book, A Modern Guide to Social Etiquette. It appeared that many of the landed gentry had worked their way into their wealth and had little idea of what was expected of them in the social circles of the upper echelons. Those born into money had such niceties bred into them as part of their education, but the ‘new rich’ were at a loss.
Her book had soared, having already provided her with a large advance and nice royalties, which had led to her being invited to give talks on the subject at many of the ladies’ groups and society meetings in and around the local area. Maggie had become something of a celebrity and had even appeared on a daytime television program, which again saw a massive rise in sales of her book and in her presentations. Discretion was one of the most important parts of her new career, and she was often asked to help the nouveau riche on a one-to-one basis, hiding their embarrassment and ignorance, while netting her a small fortune.
Her fiancé of eighteen months suddenly had become famous by association, and he’d used his new position to his advantage—borrowing money and influencing decisions purely based on his name, or, rather, hers.
He’d begun mixing with people whom Maggie would rather he avoid, and he’d soon fallen into a gambling habit that he could never break in a month of Sundays. Of course, she had been unaware of the severity of his problem until it was far too late.
On his insistence, she’d withdrawn all her money from the bank, fearful of losing it to a potentially fraudulent manager, and she’d hidden it all in the safe in Robert’s study. It hadn’t been there more than a couple of days when she’d arrived home from a book-signing event to be told that they had been burgled and every cent was gone. The sheriff had been less than helpful, and she’d known she would never see her money again. The evasive attitude of the so-called investigating officers had roused her suspicions about the whole situation, but it hadn’t been until Robert’s activities had come to light that she’d finally realized the truth.
Having run up horrendous debts, her fiancé had taken to gambling his way out of trouble. It might have worked had he been a more skillful poker player, but he had lost everything they owned—and a lot more besides. To dull the pain of his loss, he would drink himself into a stupor, aided and abetted by his new ‘friends’ who, of course, had been only too happy to join him in running up his tab at the local bar.
Maggie’s promotional work and seminars had used up most of her time, and she had been unable to pen another book, although it had always been her intention. Oblivious to the problems at home, she had begun to donate a large portion of her earnings to local charities—a gesture for which Robert had taken all the credit, unbeknown to her at the time.
Her efforts to discuss financial matters with him seemed to increase his fury, and one night he rewarded her tenacity with a black eye. It wasn’t just her fiancé that had hit her that night. The truth had, too.
Chapter Five
“Did you ask her?” Josie whispered while she cleared the plates from the supper table.
“Not yet. I wanted to give her some space, you know? I mean, we only just made up.” Aiden shrugged as he followed her over to the sink with more dishes.
“Is this about the mystery woman?” Ben taunted when he came up behind Aiden, making him jump.
“She’s not a mystery.” Aiden pouted.
“Then come on, bro. Spill the beans. Who is she?”
“Never you mind.” Aiden brushed past his older brother and finished clearing the table.
Ben chuckled. “I’ll find out sooner or later,” he promised him, giving Josie a quick kiss on the cheek.
Aiden glared at him, knowing it was true. He could never keep a secret from Ben for long.
“What time’s Greg due back?” Ben asked their sister when he picked up his hat.
“About another hour or so, I guess. I’ve got his supper ready to reheat as soon as he calls to say he’s on his way.” Josie wiped her hands in a thick towel.
“Well, you just take it easy,” Ben warned her with a wink as he left.
“I will.” She grinned.
“I hope this dinner party isn’t going to be too much for you.” Aiden frowned, suddenly remembering that their sister was pregnant. “You have plenty people to help, haven’t you?”
“Yes, of course. The caterers will deal with all the food, and I’ve hired some help to wait on us all. And there’ll be Maggie, of course. I thought she could be in charge of ‘front of house’ duties. What do you think?”
“Sounds good. I just hope she’s free.” Aiden had begun to wonder if asking her on the day of the party wouldn’t be too short notice for her, but he really hadn’t felt that it was right to talk about it earlier.
“Hmm.” Josie nodded thoughtfully. “It would be good to have her take a look over the table and everything just to make sure it’s all perfect before the guests arrive. Then she can help greet them and take their coats. We’ll have drinks in the front room. If it’s not too cold, I thought we’d open up the French windows so we can go out onto the decking if we want to.”
Aiden nodded. “Great. It’ll be good to have plenty of space to talk business with the guy if the opportunity arises.”
“Give
me a call in the morning. Let me know what she says.” Josie followed her brother to the door. “Goodnight.”
Aiden bent down and gave his sister a kiss on the top of her head. “Night, sis. Shout up if you need anything.”
She smiled then he left her to go to his own house, which was just a short way down the drive.
* * * *
Maggie felt a shiver run down her back as she left her apartment in the darkness of the dawn. It was sure getting toward winter, but it wasn’t just the chill in the air that made her feel uncomfortable. Although there was no one in the quiet backstreet, she felt as though she was being watched…again!
Shaking her head with a self-deprecating sigh, she told herself it was just her imagination. She often had feelings like this, more so in the past few weeks, though. Probably Aiden’s comment about the lack of lighting around here putting me a little on edge.
Bracken Ridge was a small, sleepy village and right now most of the townspeople were sleeping, she reminded herself. Pulling her well-worn coat tighter around her, she quickened her pace a bit and headed for the café.
Once she had the coffee pot on and the smell of fresh bread wafting from the oven, she felt a lot better. The flowers on the counter looked stunning, the roses already emerging from their tight buds. She smiled. Aiden Fielding sure was a handsome guy, and she was flattered that he would pay so much attention to her. Being only a year or two older than her, she wouldn’t normally consider any kind of relationship with him, but the guy actually seemed older than his years. She was impressed that he was planning to expand the ranch, and the idea of riding lessons around here was a really good one. No one else was offering them. The Fieldings were going places, and that’s just where she wanted to be, too.
“Morning, beautiful.”
As though some magic spell had brought him straight from her thoughts into the café, Aiden was suddenly standing in front of her.
“Aiden.” She gasped in surprise, not having even heard him come in.
He wore a dazzling smile that she couldn’t help but reciprocate.
“It’s early.” She frowned. “I haven’t even got the cinnamon buns in the oven yet.”
“That’s fine. I can manage without them just this once,” he told her with a surreptitious smile.
She eyed him curiously. “Is everything all right?” She wedged open the kitchen door so they could talk while she put the food to cook.
“Yeah, fine. Mind if I help myself to coffee?” He was already on his feet and around the counter.
“Sure. Sorry, I should have—”
“No, no. You’re busy. I can see that. Besides, you’re right. I am a little early. You can’t be expected to do all your preparation and serve me.” He grinned as he took the pot and poured himself a cup. “You want one?”
“Yes, please.” She switched on the timer and joined him behind the counter.
“Here.” He handed her a cup, and she smirked at the irony of him serving her.
“Haven’t we got this the wrong way around?”
He chuckled. “I think, after all the running around you do for everyone else, it’s about time someone waited on you for a change.”
She smiled, taking a sip of her coffee. “I like the sound of that,” she told him.
“Good.” He winked at her then went back to the other side of the counter where he took his usual seat.
“The flowers are beautiful,” she said, nodding toward the jug on the counter.
He smiled. “You’re real good at arranging them.”
She laughed. “I didn’t have to do much, although, actually, I have qualifications in flower arranging.”
He grinned. “I was kind of hoping you might say that.”
She raised her eyebrows, relieved that he hadn’t thought she was boasting.
“My sister’s throwing a dinner party tonight, and I wondered if you’d like to come along? Between you and me, she’s a bit out of practice with these things and could use a little help and guidance, if you wouldn’t mind?” He looked sheepish, and she stared at him in surprise.
“Me?”
“Yeah. It’s nothing too fancy but it’s an important event—well, to the family, anyhow. Thing is… Josie’s pregnant, and we don’t want her getting all stressed about stuff, so I just wondered if you’d—”
“I’d love to!” She beamed. It had been years since she had been invited to any kind of formal event.
“You sure? You wouldn’t think—?”
“I wouldn’t think anything. I’ll look forward to it. What time should I be there? I don’t finish here until six tonight, I’m afraid.” She chewed her lip as her mind raced. She knew it was early days for her and Aiden, but this sure was a step in the right direction if they were going to try any kind of relationship, as she’d hoped. It was endearing of him to be a bit coy about asking her over to the family spread, and she guessed he must be nervous about introducing her to his kinfolk.
He frowned, seemingly a little surprised. Had he thought she would read too much into it? Was he afraid that she would think he was moving too fast? He needn’t worry. She was quite happy to take things slowly.
He pursed his lips thoughtfully. “We’ve arranged for guests to arrive from eight o’ clock with dinner being served at nine, so really, as soon as you can get there would be great.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t let you down,” she promised as a young couple entered the café.
“I know. You’re great, Maggie. I really appreciate this.”
“I’m real glad you asked me.” She smiled.
“What time should I pick you up? Shall we swap cell numbers?”
Maggie reached for a napkin and hurriedly scribbled her contact number down for him, secretly amused at his subtle way of asking for it. “Call me, and I’ll save yours,” she told him, smiling.
“Great. Thanks, darlin’.” He tucked the napkin into his pocket then grabbed his hat before leaning over the counter to give her a quick peck on the cheek.
Maggie felt herself go hot. She watched the handsome hunk leave the café before turning her attention to her customers. Today just wasn’t going to go fast enough.
* * * *
Having spent all day deciding what to wear for her date, Maggie rushed home to prepare as soon as her shift ended. It had been a long time since she had been invited anywhere as prestigious as a dinner party, and she couldn’t wait. After a quick shower, she dried and styled her hair into a sleek updo with plenty of pins and some diamante clasps. Her makeup took a little longer than she had expected, and she had only just finished when her cell rang.
The unknown number could only be one person, and she felt a warm glow as she answered it.
“Maggie? It’s Aiden.”
That was what she’d hoped. “Is everything okay?” She couldn’t help noticing some concern in his voice and, for a horrid second, thought he was going to tell her he’d changed his mind about taking her tonight.
“I’ve just been delayed a while, darlin’. Nothing to worry about. I’m still in Almondine sorting out some business. I’ve arranged a cab to pick you up and take you over to the ranch, and I’ll meet you there. Is that okay with you?”
Her body relaxed. “That’s real thoughtful of you, Aiden. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I’m real sorry to let you down, sweetheart, especially as you’re doing us such a favor and all. I just didn’t want to get you there any later than you had to be.”
Her heart melted. Me doing him a favor? He clearly had no idea how much it meant to her that he had asked her to accompany him tonight.
“It’s fine, Aiden, honestly. I’m almost ready anyhow,” she assured him.
“Well, that’s good. The cab should be there for you in about ten minutes. Is that okay?”
Maggie gasped. He sure wanted her to get there on time. In fact, she was concerned that she would be the first to arrive at this rate.
“That’s great. I’ll see you soon.”<
br />
“Thanks, darlin’. I look forward to it.”
She beamed as she placed the cell back on the dressing table. Her best evening dress was hanging on the outside of the wardrobe where she had put it. Admiring it as she put on her underwear and nylons, she let her mind drift to the last time she had had a chance to wear it. It had been a few years ago, and she and Robert had hosted a party for some important clients of his. He had bought her the dress especially, and she’d felt really good in it, although slightly self-conscious. Her hand trailed over the sparkly material as she took it down and began to put it on. When she had first tried it, she had balked at the amount of cleavage she’d had on show, and she had been surprised that he hadn’t told her to change. She had felt sexy in the dress, right up until he’d said it might help his case if the guests were too busy gawping at her tits to read the contracts properly. Robert had a way of ruining things.
He wasn’t going to ruin tonight, though. She was sure Aiden would appreciate her body in the dress, although she had a small wrap just in case it was a bit inappropriate in front of his family.
She stood up straight while she pulled the zipper up the side, shocked at how much tighter it was than she remembered. She winced as she peered at her reflection, disappointed at how large she looked, but there was no time to change now. She could already hear the cab beeping down in the street.
“I’ll just be a minute,” she called out of the open window, and the driver gave her a wave.
Maggie stole a couple more minutes to double-check her hair and makeup, then she took her silver purse and slipped her cell into it. One more glance in the hallway mirror on her way out convinced her that, if nothing else, the midnight blue of the dress complemented her eyes perfectly, and she cautiously made her way downstairs. It had been a while since she’d worn heels and the dirty, sticky, steps were totally at odds with her cocktail dress and strappy sandals.
On the way to the party, she saved Aiden’s number into her contact list and sent him a quick text to say she was on her way. As she typed an X at the end, she felt like a horde of butterflies was racing through her stomach.
Maggie’s Man (The Cowboys of Cavern County Book 2) Page 4