Love Inspired June 2015 - Box Set 1 of 2: The Cowboy's HomecomingThe Amish Widow's SecretSafe in the Fireman's Arms

by Carolyne Aarsen

  “What exactly did you have in mind, Susan?”

  Susan’s finely shaped brows knit together in deep thought. “Well, first, I’d like to see Chief MacLaughlin brought to his knees.”

  “This is not about Jake MacLaughlin,” Maggie sputtered.

  “When men are in the equation it’s always about them.”

  “No! My goal is simply to not embarrass myself. Couldn’t you help me to blend in? Not stand out.”

  Susan shook her head and sighed. “Maggie. Maggie. Maggie. You’re the smartest woman I know. Assistant professor of physical science at age thirty-two. Dr. Margaret Jones. Very impressive.” She crossed her arms and tapped her toe. “Why is it, do you suppose, that you have set such a low bar for your personal life?”

  Susan’s words hit the target with impeccable precision. “Um...I...” The air whooshed from Maggie’s lungs, deflating her outrage.

  Okay, fine. Susan was right. Maggie had spent a lifetime making her parents’ priorities her priorities, barely eking out a life of her own. Truth be told, she’d never even lived on her own until now. Pretty much everything in her life was a reflection of her parents’ choices.

  “Well?” Susan asked as she continued to tap an annoying beat on the tile floor.

  Resistance was futile. Maggie took a deep breath. “Fine. Let’s do this.”

  “That’s the attitude. Nothing like a little martyrdom to spark a well-deserved change.”

  Maggie glared.

  “You go right into that first dressing room.” Susan wiggled her fingers toward the back of the shop. “I’ll bring you some things to try on.”

  No sooner had Maggie stepped into the tiny dressing room than the louver doors burst open and Susan entered with a tall stack of clothing in her arms.

  “You can’t be serious,” Maggie said.

  “We’re simply checking for sizing. If they fit, put them in one pile. Those that don’t fit you can put in another pile.”

  “Fit. I’ll give you fit,” Maggie muttered as she quickly held up each garment, discarding most as too revealing, clingy or outrageous.

  “How are you doing in there?”

  “All done.” Maggie came out holding two hangers. One with an eyelet-trimmed, peach peasant blouse and the other with a pair of forest-green capris.

  Susan looked from the garments to Maggie. “They aren’t neutral, I’ll give you that.”

  “Good. Right?”

  “It’s a start. Now look what I found in today’s shipment from Denver.” Susan waved a coral dress on a pink satin hanger through the air.

  The fabric shimmered and shined in a manner that definitely said “look at me.”

  “A dress?” Maggie asked.

  “Not just any dress, this is your dress for the supper. No point in trying anything else on. This is you, and there isn’t another one like it in the area. You will be the envy of every woman in a twenty-five-mile radius.” Susan shoved the dress at her. “I’ll wait right out here.”

  Maggie slipped the confection over her head. “I can’t breathe,” she muttered, easing the fabric over her waist and setting it on her hips.

  “Breathe later. Come on out here.” Susan tugged on Maggie’s arm, pulling her to the center of the shop.

  “Oh, yes. Definitely, yes,” Susan murmured.

  “Yes what?”

  “It’s perfect.”

  Maggie smoothed down the bodice, appreciative of the modest neckline. The fabric nipped her waist then flared. A layer of sheer material covered the skirt as well as the cap sleeves, adding to the gossamer illusion.

  Could she, Maggie Jones, pull off wearing a dress like this?

  “Now wait right here, I’ll pin the hem and—” Susan stopped midsentence. “I nearly forgot. I need to call and make a hair appointment for you at the Emporium before they’re booked solid.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with my hair.”

  Susan simply shook her head and walked away.

  “I said, there’s nothing wrong with my hair,” Maggie called after her cousin. She pushed several loose strands back into her ponytail. Wandering around the shop, she stopped to examine a colorful array of silk blouses lined up on hangers like ice-cream parlor flavors in rainbow shades of raspberry, pistachio, lemon and peach.

  Turning, Maggie caught her reflection in the mirror. At least she thought it was her. Hmm, it was like her head was on someone else’s body. There was something special about the dress. Susan was right.

  “Whoa.”

  “Excuse me?” Maggie whirled around, bumping into a display of scarves. Lace and satin slithered to the floor. Her gaze moved from the puddle of color on the floor to Jake MacLaughlin, who stared at her, his mouth agape.

  He reached down to scoop up the material at the same moment she did. Their heads knocked.

  “Sorry. You okay?” he asked.

  “Yes.” She rubbed her forehead. “Are you supposed to be in here?”

  “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Isn’t it bad luck or something?”

  “I think that’s brides,” Jake said, handing her back the pile of scarves.

  “Oh.” Maggie shoved the tangled material onto the glass display counter. “Did you need Susan?”

  “Nope.” He eyed her for a moment longer.

  “Are you just going to stand there and stare at me?” she asked, her voice rising an octave.

  His mouth curled into a slow grin. “I’m trying to decide.”

  “Stop that,” she demanded, flustered.

  “Stop what?”

  “That smile.”

  “What’s not to smile about? That’s a nice dress.”

  “Right.” Maggie inhaled. “Look, you’re a very handsome man, and I am sure you are accustomed to women drooling over you—”

  “Drooling?” He choked on a laugh.

  “Yes.”

  “Wait, back up there a minute. You think I’m handsome?’

  “Don’t mess with me, Chief MacLaughlin.” She headed toward the dressing room.

  “Jake, it’s Jake,” he called after her. “And trust me, I am not messing with you.”

  Maggie stopped and glanced over her shoulder. “I guess you haven’t noticed that half the women in this town are in love with you.”

  “Big on sweeping generalities, aren’t you?”

  “I’m not blind.” She opened the louver door. “Stay right there.”

  Jake cleared his throat. “What is it about you? We always seem to get off on the wrong foot. You notice that?”

  Maggie closed and locked the door before she quickly pulled off the dress, and tugged her jeans and shirt back on.

  “Hello?” Jake called.

  “I heard you.” She marched out of the dressing room, her sneakers dangling from her fingers.

  He tucked his hands into the back pockets of his jeans and leaned back on the heels of his boots, watching her. “I’m here because I was across the street when I saw you go into your cousin’s shop. I need your phone number.”

  She shoved her feet into her sneakers and glanced across the street to the neatly painted gray building with gleaming windows. The perimeter of the property was surrounded by trimmed bushes and several black benches. A black awning announced it was a hardware store.

  Maggie eyed Jake with renewed interest. “Nice store,” she said as she leaned over to tie the laces on her high-tops.

  “It is.”

  “I don’t remember that building being there when I was a kid.”

  “Brand-new. Opened up about five years ago.”

  Silence stretched as Maggie again stared across the street.

  “Your number?”

  “Hmm?” She turned back to Jake. “I gave you my number the other day.”

  “That was for the report. I didn’t actually save it. That would be a tad bit unethical.” He handed her his cell.

  “You need my number, why?”

  “In case, oh, say I’m running late on Saturday due to a fir
e. Or I get lost.”

  Maggie narrowed her eyes and took the phone. She punched in her digits, casually, as though she gave men her number all the time.

  “Well, well. Look who’s here,” Susan purred. “Can I interest you in anything, Chief MacLaughlin?”

  “I’m good for now.” He winked at Maggie as she handed him back his cell, then he did a neat about-face and headed out of the shop.

  “What was that all about?” Susan asked.

  “He needed my number for the...the Founder’s Day thing.”

  Susan looked at his retreating form and then back to Maggie. “You have an appointment at eleven Thursday for your hair. I thought we could do lunch while we’re out.”

  “Susan, I can’t just leave the shop in the middle of the day. On a Thursday, no less. One of the busiest days of the week.”

  “Of course you can. Mother told me Beck Hollander is back from vacation. He’ll cover for you.”

  “Beck who?”

  “Didn’t Daddy tell you? Beck works part-time a few days a week. He’s going to be a senior this year. Kind of a strange nerdy kid, but real smart, too. He’s been helping Daddy for a few years now.”

  “I’m sure Beck and I will get along just fine. I speak fluent nerd.” Maggie’s gaze drifted across the street to the hardware store. “Um, Susan, I have to run.”

  “What about the dress? It needs to be hemmed.”

  “Can we do that later? Maybe tonight?”

  “Sure. I’m taking mom to Four Forks in about thirty minutes.”

  “Four Forks?”

  “Little town, north of us. They have a yarn shop she likes to visit.”

  “Got it.”

  “I’ll call you when we get back. We’ll need to talk makeup and accessories, too.”

  “Makeup and accessories.” She sighed, resigned. “Okay. Whatever.”

  Leaving the shop Maggie hurried crossed the street and pulled open the expansive glass doors of the hardware store. A heady excitement raced through her. She breathed deeply, and forced herself to relax. Now she was in her element. No need to rush the pleasure. Her steps slowed as she moved with purpose down the aisles, getting the lay of the land.

  Birdseed and birdhouses. Nuts and bolts. Shiny tools. Pails and buckets. Even pots and pans. Oh, wow, there was even stick candy. Sassafras, horehound and peppermint.

  Oh, this was a real, old-fashioned hardware store.

  Her pulse quickened.

  What clothing stores did for women like Susan, and bookstores did for her parents, well, that was what hardware stores did for Maggie. It was like coming home.

  “Can I help you?”

  Jake? Maggie’s head jerked as she turned around. “What are you doing here?”

  He glanced around curiously. “Why shouldn’t I be here?”

  Over an intercom a voice boomed. “Chief, you have a phone call.”

  “You work here?” She arched a brow.

  “I own the place, Maggie.”

  A small gasp slipped from her lips. “You own a hardware store?” She barely squeaked out the words.

  “Yeah, why?” He glanced back at her with a confused frown. “Hang on a second, I’ll be right back.”

  “He owns a hardware store,” she murmured. How could she resist such a man? Handsome, charming, bigger than life and he owned a hardware store.

  Certainly the Lord never promised life would be fair, but this was more than even she could handle at the moment.

  She strode to the exit.

  “Maggie, wait.”

  His words only increased her pace, as though a scary dog nipped at her heels.

  “Maggie.”

  “I. Have. To. Go.” Hands on the glass, she shoved open the door and ran, passing nearly a half a dozen small shops, until she was well around the corner and nearly to her uncle’s place.

  Dear Lord. Help me. I’ve only just gotten the pieces of my life glued back together.

  She was naive and inexperienced and if she wasn’t careful she’d give her heart away to a man who’d carelessly break it into little pieces...again.

  * * *

  “You’re fast, I’ll give you that,” Jake said as he turned the corner a full minute after Maggie.

  Thankfully she had stopped. Her brown eyes were wide as she stared at him. “Why didn’t you tell me you own a hardware store?”

  He rubbed his jaw as he considered the question. “Ah. You got me there.”

  Strands of silky brown hair had escaped her ponytail in places, the only indication that she had raced an entire block without breaking a sweat.

  “What happened back there?” he asked.

  She was silent, her eyes on the sidewalk.

  Jake shook his head. “You know, maybe you and I should start over.” He stuck out his hand. “Hi, I’m Jake MacLaughlin. Part-time volunteer fireman, full-time owner and manager of Paradise Hardware.”

  She raised her head and eyed his hand for a moment before finally placing her small one in his. It fit nicely.

  Pink tinged her cheeks.

  “And you are?” he nudged her along.

  “Margaret Jones, assistant professor of physical science.” She sighed. “Currently unemployed.”

  He nodded and reluctantly released her soft fingers. “Nice to meet you.”

  She gave him a short nod, and a grudging smile.

  “A professor? Physical science? Really?”

  “Yes.” Her eyes brightened. “My area of specialty is agronomy.”

  “You don’t look like an agronomist.”

  Maggie frowned, confusion in the depths of her dark eyes.

  Jake couldn’t resist a grin.

  “You’re kidding,” she said flatly.

  “I am.”

  “Do you know what agronomy is?” Maggie asked.

  “No, but I have complete faith you’re going to tell me when we have our date.”

  “It’s not a date.”

  “Right. Right. Civic duty.”

  “I better go...” She turned.

  “First-time customers get a ten-percent discount. There’s a coupon on our new webpage.”

  Turning back toward him, her face lit up, and a smile curved her generous mouth.

  Jake had a sudden notion that he’d like to keep Maggie Jones smiling all the time.

  “Really?” she murmured.

  “Yeah. We really have a webpage.”

  “I meant the coupon.”

  “That, too. We’re having a big sale on fire extinguishers right now.”

  The smile slipped from her face. “Very funny.”

  “Sorry. I couldn’t resist.” Jake looked around. They were nearly to her shop and right around the corner from Patti Jo’s Café and Bakery. “Why don’t I buy you a cup of coffee?”

  “No. But thank you. I really do have to get back to the shop. There’s a Beck Hollander coming by today.”

  “Beck? Good kid. A little strange, but a good kid.”

  “That’s what Susan said.”

  “Have you decided if you’re staying in Paradise yet?” Jake asked.

  “Oh, that depends.”

  “On what?” he asked, once again prodding her for an answer.

  “If I have a reason to stay.”

  He nodded and tucked her words away. “So I guess I’ll see you on Saturday?”

  “Yes. Saturday,” she murmured.

  Jake turned slightly and then paused and faced her again. “Are we—” he raised a palm “—okay?”

  “Yes. It’s all good,” she said with a shaky laugh.

  “You’re sure? I have this unsettling feeling that I did something wrong. But I can’t quite figure out what.”

  “No. It’s me, not you.”

  He scratched his head. “I’ll guess I’ll have to take your word for it.”

  Jake stuck his hands in his pockets as he walked slowly back to the store, silently counting sidewalk cracks and pondering his conversation with Maggie. Was that a panic attack she’
d had in the hardware store? Maybe she had medical issues? The woman was a mystery, that much was clear.

  That didn’t explain why his good intentions and resolutions disappeared when he was around her. It seemed the more he resisted, the closer he danced to the flame.

  He stopped outside the Paradise Floral Shop and stared at a sign in the window.

  Don’t forget to order your date a corsage for the Founder’s Day supper!

  Despite what Maggie thought, it was a date. He’d call in an order later.

  Right now he had to get back to the store.

  He had just pulled open the glass door to the hardware store when the fire horns began to sound. Simultaneously his cell phone rang, the tune indicating a text.

  Jake raced to the parking lot while reading the message.

  10-24. Auto fire.

  The address was Bob Jones’s fix-it shop.

  He swallowed hard and headed to the fire station while silently praying. Trouble seemed to court Maggie Jones.

  Chapter Four

  Maggie was wedged under the sink in the back room when the shop’s front door opened. Now what? From the street the echoing rumble of the Paradise Volunteer Fire Department’s pump engine could be heard as it finally departed.

  She blew strands of hair out of her eyes and gave the pipe wrench a quick turn. Only early afternoon, yet she was more than ready to call it a day before anything else happened. The steely look Jake had given her as he assessed the smoldering remains of her uncle’s ancient and battered Ford engine was enough to keep her praying for the Lord’s protection and assistance to stay out of trouble and out of Jake’s way, at least until the Founder’s Day supper.

  Apparently Jake was so fit to be tied he sent another fireman, Duffy McKenna, to fill out the report. Fine with her. Redheaded Duffy had a face full of freckles. He was sweet and he kept her laughing. Of course he wasn’t as...well, as three-dimensional as Jake. In fact all the firemen were nice, and understanding. The only one glaring at her was the chief. It seemed that the word accident wasn’t in his vocabulary.

  “Hello?” a voice called out.

  “Coming,” Maggie returned.

  She wiggled out from beneath the drain pipes and stood up, straightening her clothes as she approached the front counter. A dark-haired teenager stood straight and tall. His bright blue eyes, magnified behind black-framed glasses, darted around the room as he wiped his hands on his jeans. The kid seemed to be all arms and legs. An earbud was hidden beneath his black curls, and the other end of the cord dangled around his neck. A wrinkled, once-white T-shirt hung on his lank body. He adjusted his glasses and stared at a point beyond her right shoulder.