“I called a plumber, but he couldn’t get out today. Said pipes are freezing all over the city, apparently this cold is so bad and long it’s penetrating the soil.”
“Yikes. We’re lucky then, to still have running water.”
“Sounds like you deserve a break after George. Can I see the kitchen?”
“Come on back.”
When they passed through the dining room, Mac stopped to look at the projects underway: the finished quilts and clothing on one side and the large quilting frame set up for sewing. “I have a friend who would love this. Maybe she can come over sometime,” he said, fingering one of the wall hangings Charlene had done. “She’s into this kind of stuff.”
“She’d be welcome. I love talking about quilting. Unfortunately my sister tolerates it only. She’d rather be out in the wilderness talking about mountain lions,” Charlene said with a teasing look at Sam.
Mac raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Sam. “Mountain lions?”
“An old dream. Come on back.” She felt a pang thinking about the wildlife talks she could have given over the years, if things had been different. But they weren’t and most of the time she really didn’t regret the lost opportunity. Like when she was asleep.
Mac followed her into the kitchen, leaving Tommy talking a mile a minute to Charlene as they headed back toward the living room in her wheelchair.
“Whoa, this is a mess. How have you two managed all these months?” he said when he saw the plywood-covered opening, the gaping space where a range had once stood.
The back of the room was boarded up with plywood. The destroyed stove and other debris had been removed. The room was drafty and cold. The tree had missed the sink, but it was still old with chipped enamel. Nothing like the modern open floor kitchen he had.
The camp stove she’d talked about sat on a makeshift table near the wall, a pot of spaghetti sauce bubbling merrily in one pot. Water boiling for the noodles threw steam up from the second pot.
“It wasn’t very bad before it got so cold. The roof was of more importance. I told you about messing up with the insurance coverage. I rectified it immediately, but it wasn’t retroactive. We almost have that roof repair paid off. Then we can see about getting in a contractor for bids on this work and start saving for that.”
“I know a couple of guys who might give you a good deal,” he said, walking around the perimeter assessing the damage.
“I’ll be glad to have them. I know nothing about this kind of thing. We think now we’ll wait until spring. It’s cold enough in here with the plywood—can you imagine how cold it would be with no wall for a few days?”
“You two could stay at my place,” he said.
She spun around and looked at him in surprise. “You don’t know us well enough to make such an offer.”
He looked back. “I just did. What does length of acquaintance have to do with it? I have known some people for decades who I would not want in my house.”
“Thanks for the offer, but Charlene has special needs. This place is set up for her. We’ll be fine.” Sam turned back to add the spaghetti noodles to the boiling water. For a few seconds she could imagine staying at Mac’s lavish home. She’d seen the bathrooms, Huge in comparison to their own. She had explored the house one evening after Tommy went to sleep, and could picture herself staying in the guest bedroom with the lovely old-fashioned bed and en suite bath.
But his house wasn’t set up for a handicapped person so they would not be staying with Mac.
“I’ll have the names and phone numbers for you on Monday,” he said.
“Okay, thanks. Can you watch this? Just give it a stir in a minute, I’ll be right back.”
Sam dashed to the neighbors to get the bread as soon as she put the noodles in the boiling water. By the time she returned, dinner was ready.
She and Charlene had set up a table in the living room to eat—where it was warmer than at the table in the kitchen. The fire in the fireplace gave it a nice ambiance and Sam turned down the lighting so the well-worn look wasn’t as evident.
Tommy loved the spaghetti. To Sam’s delight, so did his father.
The evening went better than expected, with Charlene coming out of her shell and talking easily with Mac and Tommy. Mac didn’t seem the least bit off put by Charlene’s situation, which pleased Sam no end.
There was only ice cream for dessert, but Tommy relished every spoonful.
“Thank you for dinner,” Mac said when they finished. “I had better get Tommy home before he falls asleep in the empty ice-cream bowl.”
Charlene glanced at Sam. “Why don’t you walk them out? I’ll clear the table.”
“We can help,” Mac offered.
“No, thanks. I have my own method,” she said easily.
Sam was surprised at how her sister had blossomed during the McAlhenys’ visit. She wasn’t falling for Mac, was she? For a moment Sam felt almost sick. What if her sister fell in love with him? He had been kind to her over dinner, but she didn’t see any special interest in his eyes. Not like when he looked at her.
The thought caught her by surprise. She had no illusions about an affair with her boss. But the odd feelings she had if she imagined her sister with him caused her concern. She would do nothing to stand in Charlene’s way of happiness.
“See us to the door, but not outside. It’s even colder now than during the daylight,” Mac said as he bundled Tommy up in his jacket and mittens. He donned his own jacket and glanced back at the dining room. Charlene was no longer there. He turned and looked at Sam.
“Thanks for having us to dinner,” he said, leaning over and brushing his lips against hers.
Sam wanted the kiss to last longer. She was growing to expect them. Maybe they should part more often; it seemed to engender kisses now. She leaned down to hug Tommy. “Stay warm,” she said, afraid to look at Mac lest he see something she didn’t want to reveal in her expression.
In moments they were gone. The cold had blown in with the opened door and she was glad she wasn’t going out in it tonight.
When she carried some of the remaining dishes from dinner into the kitchen, Charlene was humming as she wrapped the leftover food before placing in the refrigerator. She looked up at Sam.
“Wow, he’s something else!”
“Who, Tommy?” Sam asked, avoiding her sister’s searching gaze.
“No, silly, Mac. He’s the one who danced divinely at the ball, right?”
Sam nodded, not wanting to get into what else he did divinely.
“That Tommy is as cute as can be. How old did you say he was?” Charlene asked.
“Three. I’m not sure when his next birthday is.” Sam thought she should find out. If he celebrated his fourth birthday while she was still working for his father, she’d want to do something for him.
“If I were a walking woman, I’d go for him myself,” Charlene said.
Sam turned and glared at her sister. “There’s no reason for you not to become involved with anyone you want. Walking is not the only thing that defines a person.”
“I know, I’m just saying most men don’t want to be tied down with a cripple.”
“There’s more to you than that. You’re funny, intelligent, talented, creative—”
“Whoa, sis. Thanks for the great endorsement, but let’s face it. I’m never going to get married.”
Sam felt her eyes fill with tears at Charlene’s statement.
“That’s not true, but you would have to go out a bit more,” she said, blinking and turning away.
“So it’s up to you to get married and give me lots of kids to play with.”
Sam brushed her cheeks and began to run the hot water to wash the dishes.
“I’m not getting married—at least not for years. If I can swing it, I still want to work out west. Once the repairs are made, it’ll only take another year to get my degree. Then, watch out.”
Charlene put the rest of the food into the refrigerator and
moved over to be near Sam.
“I’m holding you back. If it weren’t for me, you would have fulfilled your dream years ago.”
“You don’t know that. Besides, everything happens for a reason. This way, I’ll be more mature, more certain what I want, and have lots more experience dealing with people than I would have at twenty-one.”
“Don’t you want to get married?” Charlene asked.
“One day, maybe. I might meet a fellow ranger and we can be married at one of the parks.”
“Oh. I thought you could fall for Mac and have an instant family for me to spoil.”
“Too much baggage. I couldn’t do all I need to do if a young child was involved. I’d have to spend time with him for years and that would set me back even more.”
“Don’t you like Tommy?”
“Of course, who wouldn’t?” Sam felt like a Scrooge calling Tommy baggage. But she knew what would happen if she fell for a man who had a family to care for. She’d be tied down even longer. She wouldn’t be able to walk away to pursue her dream.
Keep that thought firmly in mind, she told herself. No more wishing for kisses from Mac McAlheny. She needed to focus on her goal and not get sidetracked by a sexy guy who could kiss like no one else she’d ever known and who sent her heart into spins every time she thought about him.
“I know you’ve had your goal of a job out west since you were a teenager. If it hadn’t been for the crash, you would have had years of service under your belt by now. But don’t close your mind to other forms of happiness because you are too focused on your goal. National park rangers have families and friends. They own homes and take vacations and live normal lives.”
“I know that. But they don’t have a spouse two thousand miles away, which is how it would end up if I got involved with someone from Atlanta.”
Charlene didn’t say any more and in a few moments moved back to the dining room.
Sam finished the dishes trying to keep her mind a blank. She did not want to dwell on might-have-beens. Or could be. Life was as it was. She never would have met Mac if she hadn’t used that ticket. Closing her eyes, she could see the expansive vistas of the western parks—soaring mountains snowcapped all year long, or distant horizons with a hundred-mile view. That’s where she wanted to be. Learning all she could about the history and natural resources that made the places so special. Walking the land where Indians had once roamed and the cavalry had ridden.
She was not going to get sidetracked by falling for some man who had a darling little boy. A child who would not understand why a mommy lived so far away.
Not that Mac had given any indication of moving beyond the boss/nanny scenario they now had. Except, maybe, for the kisses.
CHAPTER SIX
SUNDAY evening Sam was about to take a quick shower before bed when the phone rang.
“Sam? It’s Mac. The water pipes are worse than first thought. They burst near the water main at the street this morning. We have a real mess out front, as do several of the neighbors. And no water. An estimated three days before everything is restored. You and Mrs. Horton can’t work here with no water, so I’m taking some time off from work and will get a hotel room for Tommy and me.”
“Don’t do that,” she said. “You offered me a place to stay, let me return the offer. We have four bedrooms upstairs that aren’t being used at all. I can’t volunteer Charlene to watch Tommy, but I bet she won’t mind if Mrs. Horton watches him here during the day and I’ll be home evenings to take over.”
“I can’t impose like that.”
“It’s no imposition. I know Charlene would love the company. She was captivated by Tommy last night. And so far our water is flowing.”
“Be careful what you say, you’ll jinx it.”
She laughed, suddenly feeling inexplicably happy. “Come on over. You can even have the first shower in the morning.”
There was a pause, then Mac said, “Thank you, Sam. We will take you up on the offer.”
Mac replaced the phone and remained at the study desk. He had other resources. He could even take Tommy to stay with Chris’s parents or his own for a few days. They’d love to have their grandson visit. But both sets of grandparents lived in Savannah and he didn’t want Tommy to be so far away.
He could have taken a few days off and found a motel for them both. Staying with strangers hadn’t figured in his plans. Yet when she’d offered, he hadn’t thought about it for long before accepting.
Now what? Was he getting into a relationship that would prove sticky to get out of?
Leaning back, he considered the ramifications. Which he should have done before. He was content with his life, with the casual dates and superficial relationships he’d had over the past couple of years.
Was that changing?
What message was he giving by staying with Sam and her sister? Especially when he had friends of long standing who would put him and Tommy up in a heartbeat. Why hadn’t he called them?
It wasn’t too late. But even as he had the thought, he reached for the phone to call Mrs. Horton and let her know about the change of venue for the next couple of days. He just hoped Tommy wouldn’t be too much trouble and wear out their welcome before the pipes were repaired.
Monday morning Sam waited for Mac and Tommy to arrive before leaving for work. It continued to be cold and now snow was predicted. She’d talked to Charlene about Tommy’s being watched at their home for a few days. She said little about his daytime caregiver and hoped her sister could get along with Mrs. Horton.
Of course, the nanny arrived first. She glanced around the entryway and frowned at Sam. “Does Mr. McAlheny expect me to clean this place while I’m here?”
“Not at all,” Sam said defensively. Maybe the home did not meet Mrs. Horton’s impossible standards, but it was clean and tidy and more suitable, in Sam’s opinion, to a young boy’s exuberant activities than his own home.
Her sister glided into the foyer to meet Mrs. Horton. For a moment Sam worried the older woman would make some unkind remark, but she merely shook hands and began to take off her coat. Her eyes caught a glimpse into the dining room at the array of fabric spilled over the table and she stopped and stepped closer for a better look.
“Quilting?” she asked, her gaze roaming over the various projects hanging from the wall, or spread on adjacent tables.
“I quilt,” Charlene said.
“As do I. Only not as good as this!” Mrs. Horton, still wearing her coat, walked into the room and began exclaiming over some of the art pieces Charlene had created. She stopped before one of a garden as if seen through a leaded glass window.
“This is breathtaking,” she said, tilting her head and studying every stitch. “I wish I could do something this lovely. What a talent you have. I envy you.”
Sam looked at her sister in surprise. Who would have thought dour Mrs. Horton could have such passion?
“I have a pattern,” Charlene offered, wheeling over next to Mrs. Horton. “And I’d be glad to help you get started.”
“I should love that,” Mrs. Horton said, giving the first smile Sam had ever seen.
Sam heard voices outside and went to the door to open it before Mac could ring the bell.
“Mrs. Horton is already here,” she said as she welcomed them into the foyer.
“She’s always punctual,” Mac said.
“Where’s Charlene?” Tommy asked. “I want another ride.”
Samantha laughed at his excitement and reached down to unfasten his coat and help him out of it. “She’s in the quilting room with Mrs. Horton. Wait until they finish talking, okay?”
“Okay.” He ran into the room and Sam rose, putting Tommy’s jacket over the knob to the closet. She looked at Mac.
“How’s the water situation?”
“Major repairs are now underway on the street. The agency was on the job before we left, digging up the asphalt, a dozen men standing around waiting to work when they can get to the pipes. In the meant
ime, there’s slush bubbling up from the break.”
“It’s still freezing out and expected to grow colder,” she said. “And I hear snow is coming. Did you bring suitcases?”
“They’re in the car. I’ll bring them in now.”
Sam closed the door against the cold when Mac left, watching through the small glass panes near the top of the door. When he returned, two suitcases were all he brought.
“Where to?” he asked.
Sam led the way upstairs, already nervous about the sleeping arrangements. She’d cleaned her parents’ room thoroughly after Mac’s call and made up the bed with fresh linens. That would do for Mac. The room next to hers she’d prepared for Tommy. She showed him the rooms. His was opposite hers. With the doors open, they could look directly into each room.
“Nice.”
“Ignore the water stain on the ceiling. Another gift from George,” she said, looking at the room with nostalgia. Sam had rearranged the furniture, bought a new bed and repainted after her parents’ death. They’d hoped their aunt Lila would come live with them, but she retired to Florida and had died less than two years after her sister. The room had never been used since Sam’s remodeling.
Mac put one suitcase by the bed and studied the ceiling for a moment.
“You know, Samantha, I might be able to help you a bit, in exchange for letting us stay here. I know a bit about repair work.”
“Like?”
“Like it looks as if it would only take a couple of sheets of drywall, and some new paint, to repair this problem. Unless something is damaged above in the attic.”
“No. We had the house inspected after the hurricane, and got a list of all problems. The rafters are sound, the water didn’t sit—it poured through.”
“The main damage was to the kitchen,” he said, turning and carrying Tommy’s suitcase.
She showed him the smaller room next to hers and they headed back downstairs. She entered the living room beneath the master bedroom and gestured to the ceiling in the corner.
“That’s stained as well. It’s not as noticeable because it didn’t get as wet.”
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