Chapter Three #2
Warm and welcoming, Sarah had included Maggie in everything the past week to the point Maggie understood Lukas’s concern.
Sarah saw good everywhere, even when she shouldn’t.
Between the bed and breakfast, her volunteer work, and her generous heart, if someone did arrive incognito with nefarious intentions, Sarah would invite them to church, dinner, then bake cookies to send home with them.
Otherwise, Pine Hill was the cushiest assignment Maggie had ever had.
Or maybe that should be “Christmasiest” assignment she thought as Sarah put Jeannie back next to her nativity set, popped the lid off another tote, and excitedly pulled out more decorations.
Eyeing the ribbons and bows, Sarah clasped her hands together.
“Bodie is going to be so surprised when he gets home, and we have this room all done. We won’t decorate the main tree as we’ll get a live one from your new employer.
Decorating it is something special he and I do together, using my Aunt Jean’s ornaments, but anything else, he’ll be grateful it’s already done.
He never complains, but decorating isn’t his favorite part of Christmas. ”
Maggie glanced around the room. “If you do the entire house the way you’re doing the foyer, I can see why. It seems a lot of work for something you’ll only have up for a couple of months.”
“It’s worth it. You’ll see,” Sarah assured.
Maggie wasn’t convinced but continued to do Sarah’s bidding as they made their way through another tote.
“Speaking of things that I saw and have photographic proof of”—Sarah giggled—“you never said what you thought about Walker last night.”
Maggie grimaced. She did not want to talk about him. Or think about him.
“You two looked so cute together on the bench that I couldn’t resist snapping those pictures once I spotted y’all.
” Sarah glanced up from where she dug through a tote.
A pleasant evergreen and cinnamon blend filled the air as she pulled out a bag of potpourri.
“If you grab my phone, I’ll show them to you. They’re really good.”
Maggie wondered if her face was stuck in its grimace because she couldn’t seem to relax the reaction. “No thanks.”
Sarah blinked with confusion. “You don’t want to see them?”
Maggie shook her head. She’d felt foolish in the dress and felt even more foolish that Walker had occupied so much of her thoughts. He was an unwelcome distraction. It really would have been better if he had been married.
“But, Maggie, you looked just like a storybook princess come to life. Didn’t she, Jeannie?”
The little girl looked up at Maggie. Rather than answering, she offered Maggie a plastic sheep from the nativity set. Kneeling, Maggie took the sheep, made some baaing noises, then gave the toy back to the toddler. Maybe Sarah would take the hint. No such luck.
“Walker sure seemed to think so too,” Sarah continued.
Keeping an eye on Harry to make sure the dog was okay with her doing so, Maggie picked up a toy donkey and made it walk up Jeannie’s leg.
As an adult, Maggie hadn’t spent much time around kids.
Growing up, there had been other kids in her foster homes.
She’d always looked out for the younger ones but had tried to not get attached since none of them were there permanently.
At least, she never had been. Maggie’s grip on the toy slipped.
The donkey fell, bouncing off Jeannie’s leg to hit the hardwood floor. Ears perking up; Harry gave a low bark.
The little girl smiled and clapped. “Again.”
Maggie’s gaze connecting with Jeannie’s bright blue one, she picked the toy back up and walked it up Jeannie’s leg. Jeannie giggled. A bit awed at how she felt a sense of accomplishment in making the little girl happy, Maggie repeated the donkey’s leg climb.
“You’ll tire of that before she will,” Sarah warned, smiling indulgently at her daughter, then back up at Maggie. “Now, tell me what you thought about Walker.”
“I don’t think about Walker.” At least, her plan was to not think about him. “I just met him last night.”
“Yes, but—”
“Meeting someone isn’t why I’m here, Sarah,” Maggie reminded, recalling how Sarah and the older women had been watching her with Walker. Had matchmaking been on their minds?
For a moment, Sarah looked repentant. It didn’t last. “Yes, but—”
Maggie held up her hand. “Please don’t push. Just accept that I’m here to heal. I need time to figure out me and am not interested in a relationship.” Ever.
She’d guarded her heart but lowered her defenses with William.
As a fellow soldier, she’d respected him and thought he would always have her back.
He’d abandoned her at the first sign of trouble.
Granted, it had been big trouble, but had the roles been reversed, she’d have stood by him.
That he had turned his back on her had hurt almost as much as the crash. Almost.
“I didn’t mean to push. Truly.” Sarah’s sincerity shined in her eyes. “I just thought—”
“It’s okay.” Why was Maggie the one feeling guilty when it had been Sarah prying? “I would appreciate it, though, if you accepted that I’m not thinking about or interested in a man. Please.”
Disappointment shone on Sarah’s face. Her hostess couldn’t seem to fathom that someone might not want to be as happy as Sarah herself felt.
The problem wasn’t that others didn’t want that, but rather that what Sarah and Bodie had was a rarity that Maggie still wasn’t one hundred percent convinced she believed.
That type of happiness only existed in fairy tales. And Pine Hill.
“Oh, okay,” Sarah conceded, popping a lid onto an emptied tote, then stacking it on top of another near the base of the stairs.
“Well, I won’t push, but I make no promises where the Butterflies are concerned.
Maybelle has taken a liking to Walker. If she saw that wink, like I did, then there will be no stopping her and the Butterflies.
Cupid doesn’t have a thing on those ladies. ”
Maybelle liked Walker? No doubt he had used his good looks to charm the older woman. “They shouldn’t read anything into his wink. I didn’t. He probably winks at every woman.”
Sarah shook her head. “He’s nice to everyone, but not a flirt. As far as the winking at every woman, there’s none he’s winked at that I’m aware of.”
None? Maggie didn’t let herself infer anything from Sarah’s words. What Walker did and didn’t do didn’t matter because Maggie wasn’t interested.
“He moved to Pine Hill earlier this year, along with his sweet younger sister, Amy, and his precious little Zoie.” Sarah continued with her decorating while Maggie walked the donkey up Jeannie’s leg, eliciting another smile.
“He’d met Ruby’s grandson Andrew while at firefighter training a few years ago.
After becoming a single father, he moved his family here, saying he couldn’t imagine anywhere better to raise his daughter than the way Andrew described Pine Hill.
” Sarah’s shoulders lifted proudly. “He was right, of course. There is nowhere better than my fabulous hometown.”
Sarah one hundred percent believed what she was saying. In her hostess’s eyes, Pine Hill was the best place in the world.
“I’m happy that he found what he was looking for, then.”
“Maybe he’s still looking for something more.”
“Then he shouldn’t be looking my way. We both know I’m only here for a short while.”
Sarah shrugged. “It’s almost Christmas, Maggie. Anything can happen at Christmas. You just have to have a little faith.”
*
An hour later, Maggie sat at the kitchen table with four elderly women all vying for Jeannie’s attention as they helped the toddler stack snowmen blocks.
The girl’s toothy grins at the women triggered collective sighs.
Harry lay on the tiled floor with his head resting on his paws, again.
Occasionally his eyes would close, but his attention never wavered far from the little girl and the women acting silly over her.
Then again, it hadn’t been that long ago that Maggie had been baaing and making the donkey walk up Jeannie’s leg, herself.
“Have you given more thought to a name for the Christmas contest?” Sarah placed a tray of freshly baked cookies that smelled heavenly on the table, then sat down next to them on the built-in bench seat.
“A final decision has to be made this week and I’m just not happy with anything I’ve come up with so far. ”
“I still think the inaugural Pine Hill Christmas contest is the way to go.” Ruby Jenkins brushed a dyed red hair away from her face.
“I love that you’re adding in something that will up interest in local businesses and our Christmas festival.
My Charlie suggested we change up the tree lighting ceremony too. ”
“Boring. Boring. Boring!” Rosie dismissed with a roll of her fake eyelash enhanced eyes.
Whereas Ruby’s hair was a shade of red that could have once been her natural color, the flirty woman from the previous night’s party’s blue locks shone brightly.
Although something Maggie would have expected to see on someone much younger, the color somehow fit.
Rosie appeared to be in her sixties but was possibly older based upon her friend group.
She had pizzazz. As a lifelong rule follower until the accident, Maggie felt a bit of awe at the flamboyant woman’s This is me.
Bask in the glory of being near me attitude.
She’d met a lot of interesting types over the years, but never anyone like Rosie.
Or any of the Butterflies, for that matter.
Sarah’s warning about them replayed in her mind. Fortunately, Walker’s name had not come up. Hopefully, it wouldn’t. Just how often the man kept popping up in her mind was more than enough.
“There’s something to be said for simple and to the point.” This came from classically beautiful Maybelle.