by Rachel Lee
Not for the first time, he wondered what it had been like for Maggie growing up here, and whether she had any professional goals beyond working for the resort for the rest of her life. Not that he considered that an unworthy ambition in itself. He was simply curious about her. Very curious.
Just as he reached the Private Drive sign, a heavy-duty green utility cart paused at the end of the drive. He nodded when he recognized Aaron Walker in the driver’s seat. He’d met Aaron a couple of times and he seemed like a decent guy.
Dark-haired, dark-eyed Aaron leaned out of the cart to shake Garrett’s hand. “Nice to see you,” he said. “Enjoying your stay?”
“Very much, thanks. We took the boat out for a while earlier. The girls saw a couple of herons and egrets and a raccoon at the edge of the water. Kix especially loves seeing wildlife.”
“Go out early and you’re likely to see some deer in the coves.”
“I’ll take her out tomorrow morning. Maybe fish a little.”
They dawdled a few more minutes, talking about the most likely nearby spots for Kix to catch a fish, then Aaron had to move on. He and Bryan were stringing red, white and blue lights on the pavilion this afternoon, he explained. The back of the cart was filled with supplies he’d brought from storage. “You need a lift?”
Garrett shook his head. “Thanks, but I’m enjoying the walk.”
Aaron pulled his green resort cap down on his forehead. “See you around.”
Garrett waited until the cart buzzed away before walking on. He figured he might as well go straight to the main building and get the girls. It had been almost two hours since he’d left them, and Maggie was probably ready to get them out of her hair.
He knew his girls would get a kick out of the upcoming festivities. They’d been in surprisingly cheerful moods so far today, despite Payton’s inability to resist the occasional dig at his excessive rules—in her opinion. Maybe Kix’s idea of a family retreat, while unexpected, had been a good one after all. He had to admit there had been too much tension in his house lately as the girls had rebelled in their own ways against his stricter expectations than they’d had with their mother. The methods he’d used as an air force major to supervise young airmen didn’t seem to work nearly as well with a couple of adolescent daughters.
Stepping through the entry door, he saw that the lobby was already transformed from when he’d left. Flags and bunting festooned nearly every surface. Payton and Kix, assisted by Shelby, seemed to be looking for places to add even more. Maggie’s mom stood in the doorway of the store, watching the activities with a smile while keeping an eye on the few customers browsing among her shelves. Patriotic decals clung to the glass walls of the diner and store. Through the decorated glass he could see that business was picking up as the early dinner crowd shuffled in.
He didn’t see Maggie at first. And then he spotted her behind the counter, precariously balanced on a stepladder as she stretched up to place one last bunting rosette high on the wall. Shaking his head, he moved to steady the ladder, wondering why no one else had thought to do so. She smiled down at him. “Your cheeks are flushed.”
“I’ve been walking. The wind is picking up a bit.”
He stood eye level with her breasts, something he was trying hard to ignore. Being the healthy male that he was, he wasn’t doing a particularly good job of it. They were so nicely outlined by her purple wrap top. He kept his eyes focused upward on her face instead—which wasn’t exactly a hardship. “You’ve gotten a lot done since I left.”
She straightened the rosette in the bare space she’d been trying to fill. “We’ve had some good helpers. The girls worked very hard.”
That didn’t surprise him. Once his daughters became enthused about something, they gave it their all. Maggie started down the ladder and he put a hand on the small of her back to steady her. It was an automatic gesture he made without thinking. Yet when he felt the warmth of her through her clothing, felt the curve of her spine beneath his hand, felt the ripple of muscle when she climbed down, his entire body reacted with a surge of awareness that caught him off guard. He dropped his hand almost too abruptly, stepping back quickly out of her way.
“Too bad we don’t hang mistletoe for Independence Day,” Kix said, wide-eyed and innocent as she gazed at them. “It’s fun hanging mistletoe at Christmastime, right?”
Garrett raised an eyebrow. Surely his daughter wasn’t suggesting he should kiss Maggie?
Maggie chuckled. “I don’t think we want to deal with mistletoe year-round, Kix. My grandfather would try to hang out here in the lobby and kiss all the pretty girls who come in.”
Shelby laughed musically. “You’ve got that right. Pop does like to flirt.”
Payton and Kix stood in the center of the lobby to look around critically. “Does it look good, Maggie?” Payton asked. “Miss Linda, do you see any empty places?”
Maggie and her mother made a show of studying the room from every angle, tilting their heads and narrowing their eyes. Both declared it to be perfect, an opinion solemnly endorsed by Shelby and Rosie.
“This must be the most patriotic resort lobby in all of Texas,” Maggie added, reaching for the two big boxes that had held decorations.
“Let me help you with those,” Garrett offered.
Maggie smiled at him over the armload. “I’m just taking them upstairs to the storage room.”
He relieved her of the stack without giving her a chance to protest. Shrugging, she turned and led the way upstairs.
It was the first time Garrett had been upstairs in the big building. He noted the tidy office spaces, the well-organized storage rooms filled with supplies and seasonal decorations and the sweeping view of the marina and the lake from big back windows. There was very little clutter and no dust that he could see; he’d bet Maggie was the one responsible for that. Cabin six had been immaculate when he and his family had settled in, and he’d once overheard two Sunday-morning resort guests agree that the motel was one of the cleanest lodgings they’d ever patronized. He suspected she supervised her staff closely but fairly. He already knew she didn’t shy away from hard work herself—just one more thing he found to admire about Maggie Bell.
His daughters were still admiring their handiwork when he and Maggie rejoined them downstairs a few minutes later. “Isn’t it beautiful, Daddy?” Kix breathed, spinning in a circle in the gaily bedecked lobby.
He smoothed the flyaway red hair she’d inherited from her mother’s family. “Yes, it is. Great job.”
“We had fun.”
“I’m sure you did. Maybe you should thank Maggie for letting you help.”
“We’re the ones in their debt,” Linda replied with a smile, coming out of the store. “They worked very hard. And to show our appreciation...”
She handed each of the girls a reusable green market bag emblazoned with the resort’s bell-shaped logo. “Here’s a souvenir water bottle for each of you. And Kix, because it’s your birthday I added a little something extra for you.”
Kix squealed in pleasure when she drew a little stuffed toy from the bag. The smiling, six-inch stuffed raccoon wore a green resort-logo T-shirt. Garrett felt a moment of gratitude that his little girl was still young enough to appreciate a toy. His daughters were growing up much too fast.
“I love him,” Kix said, hugging the raccoon. “I’m going to name him Belly after the resort. Thank you, Miss Linda.”
Maggie’s mom hugged Kix, wished her happy birthday again, then moved back into the store to relieve her mother-in-law at the register.
“That was very generous of her,” Garrett murmured to Maggie.
Maggie smiled. “Mom loves kids. She’s already started spoiling my niece terribly.”
He glanced at his watch. “We’d better head back to the cabin, girls. We have things to do there before the party.”
This would be Kix’s second birthday party. He and his mother had hosted a group of her friends at a local pizza parlor Saturday afternoon
. His head had hurt for an hour after that giggle-fest. It hadn’t helped that one of Kix’s friends had a single mom who’d stayed for the party and determinedly hit on him at every opportunity. He hadn’t let it go to his ego; she’d flirted just as enthusiastically with the good-looking waiter. Garrett thought she’d have left the restaurant with whichever one responded first to her overtures, her daughter’s presence notwithstanding. While he would never punish a child for her mother’s behavior, he had made a mental note never to let Kix visit that particular friend at the girl’s home. They could meet at his or his mother’s house instead.
No one would be flirting with him at tonight’s party. Not that he’d mind so much this time, he thought, watching Maggie as she thanked the girls for their help and assured them she would see them later for cake. A guy could fantasize, right?
* * *
Maggie thought about walking from her mobile home to the cabin for the birthday party, but she was a little tired from her busy day. She decided to take a golf cart again instead. There were always carts around for the family’s use.
She’d showered and changed out of her work clothes for the party, dressing in slim jeans, heeled sandals and a drape-neck sleeveless red top. She wore her favorite earrings, tricolored metal dangles that her sister had given her. Climbing into the cart, she set her gift for the party on the seat beside her. She hoped Kix would like it.
It was just before seven when she stopped in front of cabin six. She was a bit surprised to see a couple of extra cars in the driveway. Having heard about the prior party, she’d thought this one was just for the family. She carried the brightly wrapped gift to the door, which opened before she had a chance to knock. Kix must have been watching for her. “Hi, Maggie! Come in.”
She couldn’t help laughing in response to the enthusiastic greeting—as if they hadn’t just parted a couple hours earlier. “Hi, Kix. Happy birthday yet again.”
Kix giggled. “Thank you yet again.”
Tugged inside by the girl, Maggie noted that a few balloons and streamers had been scattered around the main room and a cake with pink frosting and eleven as-yet unlit candles sat in the center of the bar. Esther sat in the armchair with the view of the lake while Paulette bustled around in the kitchen, chatting with another woman of about her own age. She spotted Garrett through the glass doors, standing outside on the deck talking to two other men. The lowering sun cast intriguing shadows across his face, and her heart fluttered in instinctive reaction.
His eyes met hers through the glass and she saw him say something to his companions before reaching to open the door. The three men entered just as Paulette noticed Maggie’s presence. She hurried to greet her.
“Kix, why didn’t you tell us Maggie’s here? Come on in, Maggie, and meet our guests. You know Reverend Bettencourt, of course. And this is my husband’s sister, Coralee, and her husband, Mickey Lovett. They’re here this evening to celebrate Kix’s birthday with us.”
Maggie shook hands with the older couple, then exchanged warm greetings with Jay, all the while aware of Garrett standing nearby watching her.
Paulette wanted to get the party started immediately. She snapped photos with a little digital camera when Garrett lit the candles and everyone gathered around the cake to sing the “Happy Birthday” song. Kix blew out the tiny flames with a big gust of breath, earning a round of applause. She responded with a giggle and a bow. “May I open my presents before we eat the cake?” she asked eagerly, waving toward a small, colorful pile of packages.
Given permission, she ripped into the stack. She shrieked in delight at each of her gifts. Her great-grandmother had crocheted a floppy pink-and-white beach hat in loose, airy stitches dotted with lime-green plastic beads. It was so cute Maggie immediately wanted one herself. Kix obviously loved it every bit as much as the department store gift card that accompanied it. A hot pink digital camera from her grandmother made Kix start to bounce again and announce her plans to take “a million” pictures of the lake tomorrow.
Her great-aunt and uncle had brought her a pretty silver-bead bracelet from which dangled a silver heart engraved with the letter K, which earned them each a hug. Payton gave her a couple of favorite films on Blu-ray for their home library, both of which seemed to please her greatly. “We’ll watch them together,” Kix promised her sister.
Jay had purchased another gift card, this one for ebooks. “Your dad said you like buying books for your ebook reader.”
Kix beamed. “Yes, I do, Uncle Jay. I love to read. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”
The last gift in the stack was the one from Maggie. Like Esther’s, hers was handmade—a denim shoulder bag lined with a bright pink floral fabric and fastened with a big pink plastic button. On the front of the bag was an appliquéd white sleeping kitten wearing a pink ribbon bow. Beneath the kitten, Maggie had machine-embroidered Kix’s name in flowing hot pink script.
Judging by her shrill squeak, Kix was a bit more than satisfied with the gift. “A purse! And it has a kitten. And my name! Maggie, it’s so pretty. Thank you.”
She patted the girl’s back when she received an enthusiastic hug. “You’re welcome, sweetie. I hope you’ll enjoy it.”
“I love it! I’ll carry it every day.”
“Did you make this, Maggie?” Esther asked, closely examining the bag. “Very nice work.”
“Yes, I did, and thank you. My grandmother taught me to sew when I was young, but I’ve started learning appliqué and embroidery since my niece was born last year. I’ve made her a few monogrammed things. Shelby and her mom like to quilt, so they’ve made all the nursery beddings. Little Claire is already in danger of being quite spoiled,” she added with a laugh.
“Your grandmother was always an adequate seamstress,” Esther conceded rather royally. “I believe she finished as high as second to me a few times in our home economics sewing competitions.”
Maggie had to make a massive effort not to laugh in response to Esther’s smugness over those high school victories sixty-plus years ago. Just showed that people didn’t really change that much on the inside, even as the passing years took their toll on the outside, she mused.
Kix was already stashing her gift cards in her new bag. “Look, Daddy. Isn’t it pretty? Maggie always knows how to dress just right, doesn’t she?”
“Yes, she does,” Garrett agreed easily. “Doesn’t mean either of you girls is getting a red leather coat for this coming winter just because Maggie has one,” he added with a meaningful look toward Payton.
Payton released an exasperated sigh. “It wouldn’t have to be real leather,” she grumbled.
“Garrett, aren’t you going to give Kix your gift?” Paulette prodded.
Garrett plucked a small wrapped box from the top of the fridge and handed it to his younger daughter. “You changed my plans a bit when you asked to spend the week here,” he said to Kix. “Open it and I’ll explain.”
Looking curiously puzzled, Kix pulled away the wrapping paper and lifted the lid of the square white box inside. “It’s a bracelet,” she said, drawing out a narrow pink leather circle fastened with a silver buckle and studded with a few tiny rhinestones. She shook it lightly and a little silver bell tinkled. “It’s cute, Daddy.”
Payton groaned dramatically. “Wow, Kix, sometimes you can be so dense.”
Jay chuckled. “I don’t think that’s a bracelet, Kix.”
Kix caught her breath. “A collar? A kitty collar? Really, Daddy, I can have a kitten?”
Smiling wryly, he nodded. “I’ll take you to the shelter to choose one next week. I’d have taken you today, but it will be better to wait until we’re back home.”
She launched herself at him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Loosening her stranglehold around his neck enough to allow him to speak, he said, “You’re welcome. But don’t think I’m going to be cleaning the litter box or putting out food and water. That’s all on you. Like I’ve bee
n telling you, owning a living creature is a major responsibility. The first sign I see that the cat isn’t receiving proper care, we’ll be looking for a new home for it.”
Kix bobbed her head in eager agreement. “I’ll clean the litter box every day. And I’ll feed it and water it and brush it and play with it and teach it tricks and love it soooo much.”
“Good luck with that teaching-a-cat-tricks part, huh?” Jay murmured to Maggie.
Both touched and amused by the child’s joy, Maggie smiled at Jay. “Seriously. But I like cats, too. I’ve thought of getting one for myself.”
“I already have one,” he confessed. “A big, battered old tom I call Frankie, short for Frankenstein. He adopted me right after I moved back here and the two of us get along very well together. Kix is crazy about him, and he tolerates her when she visits.”
She chuckled, enjoying the mental image he’d created. She wouldn’t have pegged Jay as a cat guy. But then, she didn’t know that much about his personal life, really. As generous as he was with his time and compassion for the community, she sensed there were parts of himself he kept quite private. She suspected he was a man who had known pain and heartache firsthand. Perhaps those personal trials had made it easier for him to connect with his congregation, especially in their times of distress.
She glanced around toward the others and her gaze clashed with Garrett’s. He was frowning a bit when she met his eyes, but his expression quickly smoothed back into a polite smile. “I’ve probably lost my mind,” he said.
She laughed. “I bet Kix will take good care of her kitten. She’s certainly old enough to handle the responsibility.”
“I know, right?” Kix beamed up at Maggie. “I knew you would understand.”
“Who’s ready for cake and ice cream?” Paulette asked, setting aside the camera she’d been using to snap photos of Kix opening her gifts.