Chapter Six #3
“You mean getting to judge the cookie baking contest?” She breathed in a big whiff of the cookies Sarah had popped into the oven and that filled the house with the smell Maggie loved.
She’d never be able to smell fresh baked cookies and not think of Hamilton House.
“Too bad you aren’t eligible to enter. You’d win. ”
“Thanks.” Pride filled Sarah’s eyes momentarily at the compliment on how she helped supplement her income with the baked goods she sold to the Harveys. “I meant time spent with the other judges, though.”
Maggie grimaced. That Maggie had sidestepped Walker the past few weeks wasn’t for lack of Sarah trying.
Her hostess had even stopped by the firehall to drop off goodies, insisting Maggie help her carry them inside.
Fortunately, Walker had been away from the station while they’d been there.
Sarah had invited friends, including Walker, to the house.
Since Bodie had been home, Maggie had volunteered to help the Harveys.
She’d barely gotten out of the driveway before passing Walker’s SUV.
“Walker and Joshua are both single, gorgeous, and good guys. There are a lot of women who are quite envious that you’re going to be spending so much time with Pine Hill’s two most eligible bachelors.”
Maggie wrinkled her nose. “We’ve been through this before. I’m not interested.”
“I know and I’m not pushing,” Sarah assured, causing Maggie to give her a sure you’re not look. “I’m just pointing out that being a judge comes with a perk that many would love to experience.”
“I’d be fine with one of them taking my place”—except for the cookies—“because I fail to see how Walker and Joshua being bachelors is a perk when I’m not interested.
” She looked Sarah directly in the eyes.
“You, of all people, have to realize that my becoming involved with someone in Pine Hill would be disastrous.”
Sarah’s face scrunched. “Why do you think that?”
“Lots of reasons, but we’ll start with the fact that I won’t be in Pine Hill for long.”
Waving her hand dismissively, Sarah didn’t seem fazed. “You could be.”
“No, I couldn’t.” This small town was not Maggie’s end goal.
Her goal was to have her life back or as close as could come by working for iSecure.
Sarah’s mouth opened to no doubt attempt to explain the reasons why Maggie was wrong. Before she could, Harry let out a loud woof then took off toward the foyer just before the doorbell rang. Immediately, the oven timer dinged.
“Oh my. The next batch is ready to come out of the oven.” Sarah gave her a pleading look. “Will you get the door while I get the cookies onto the cooling rack, so they’ll be just perfect?”
Maggie knew the timing was coincidental but didn’t miss Sarah’s happy little smile as she turned toward the oven.
Maggie glanced toward Jeannie. “You don’t stand a chance, kid.”
Taking the Mrs. Santa doll, Maggie offered, Jeannie smiled, clueless that her well-meaning mother would someday happily orchestrate her life.
Maggie headed to the front door, opened it, and wished it had been the judge she’d yet to meet rather than the firefighter standing in front of her.
The gorgeous firefighter who was looking at her exactly the way she remembered him looking at her.
Her senses were going into overdrive exactly how she recalled too. Maggie swallowed.
“It’s a bed and breakfast. You didn’t have to ring the doorbell,” she pointed out, trying to hide how he affected her.
Although she’d been the one avoiding him, the one who’d expressed her lack of interest, seeing him, being close enough she could smell his tangy scent, made her realize just how much she’d missed him. Ridiculous. She couldn’t miss someone she barely knew.
“Hey, princess.” Walker bent to pet Harry who greeted him with a friendly lick. Seriously? Harry liked him, too? “Nice apron and why have a doorbell if it’s not to be used?”
Cheeks flushing at the ridiculous Rudolph apron she’d forgotten she was wearing, Maggie sighed. He had a point, but rarely did anyone use the doorbell during daytime hours. “Get him, Harry.”
Surprised by her comment, the dog cocked his head, gave her an odd look, then cast an equally confused look toward Walker.
“I know, buddy. She’s a tough one,” Walker told the dog, scratching him behind the ear. “She obviously doesn’t know that you and I have been friends from the moment we met.”
Of course, they had. The dog was still withholding judgment on Maggie after almost a month, but sloppily licked Walker’s hand.
“Harry has no taste.”
Walker laughed, gave Harry one last good rub, then stood. “Honestly, I think the only reason I was an instant hit was that Zoie was with me when Harry and I first met.”
With as protective as Harry was of Jeannie, Maggie could see the dog observing how Walker adored his daughter and viewing him as a kindred spirit.
“Sarah invited me here for the judges meeting,” he continued.
No longer getting Walker’s attention, Harry gave Maggie one last what-is-it-with-you look, then sauntered across the gleaming oak hardwood floors.
“Just follow Harry. Sarah’s in the kitchen and, no doubt, that’s where Harry’s headed. He’s never far from where Sarah and Jeannie are.”
“Harry’s a good dog.”
Debatable since he’d completely ignored Maggie’s orders. Not that she’d had any real desire for him to actually get Walker. Harry was way too smart to have acted on Maggie’s half-hearted comment.
“Sarah being in the kitchen explains whatever that heavenly smell is.” Walker glanced around the foyer. “Wow, and double wow at these decorations. It’s like walking into a Christmas magazine photo come to life.”
“The smell is cookies. Sarah’s a genius at baking as well as a master Christmas decorator.
” The house really should be used in magazine ads or a movie setting or something to where the world could see the magic her hostess created.
“If Sarah ever gets tired of running the Hamilton House as a bed and breakfast, she should open a bake house rather than selling her wares at Harvey Farms. Too bad she’s not eligible to enter the cookie contest because she’d be a shoo-in to win. ”
“The Halloween party goodies were great but weren’t fresh out of the oven. So, these taste as good as they smell?”
“Better. I have to limit myself.”
“Not because of your weight, I hope.”
Maggie narrowed her gaze.
“I mean that you don’t need to limit your calories because of your weight.” He gave a sheepish look. “I-I’m just digging myself into a deeper hole, aren’t I?”
“Possibly, but I’ll accept that you didn’t mean anything offensive.”
“I didn’t. I’m glad you recognize that.”
How could Maggie not? If not by his words, then she’d know by the way Walker looked at her. He didn’t make any pretenses about his interest. Part of her appreciated that forthrightness. Another wished he’d hide his attraction for the sole reason that it would make things easier.
His being attracted to her shouldn’t be an issue unless she felt something in return.
Not that she was considering doing anything about the attraction, just that she’d not thought it a possibility after William.
How could he have turned his back on her so readily when she’d needed him the most?
Oh, how that had hurt. At the point of his betrayal, she’d truly lost everything.
Maggie swallowed her pain, then took a deep breath.
That was in the past. Wasn’t that what her rehab counselor would have said?
That she couldn’t change her past, but could write her future however she wanted?
She held the pen. The only thing she should be scribbling was iSecure.
Her gaze went to where Walker was staring at her. Curiosity shone in his eyes. Curiosity and that blasted attraction that was as tempting as Sarah’s cookies.
Maggie straightened to her full five foot eight inches. “We should go. Sarah’s probably wondering who was at the door and why we’re taking so long.”
“Or she’s rubbing her hands in glee that we’re still out here talking.” Walker had a point. “Let’s go find out what we’ve gotten ourselves in for with this judging thing.”
Knowing he was on the money, Maggie motioned for him to follow her, but neither moved. Instead, they continued to stand just inside the foyer, staring at each other.
“For the record, I’m here under duress and wasn’t given a lot of choice.” She did not want him to think she’d wanted to judge with him.
Nor did she want to keep standing there so why weren’t her feet moving? Why was she soaking in everything about him? Why was she thinking that his golden eyes twinkled more than the lights on Sarah’s garland? Maggie bit into her lower lip, hating that doing so had her gaze lowering to his mouth.
No. No. No.
“Interesting,” he mused. “As I know you aren’t a woman who’s afraid to say no when she doesn’t want to do something.”
Laughing internally at how his comment confirmed her thoughts from moments prior, Maggie pointed out, “I’m not to you.
To Sarah is another story altogether.” She held up her finger when he started to say something.
“Which you aren’t allowed to judge me on, because obviously she got to you, too, and I’m fairly positive that neither of us wants to be judges. ”
His eyes crinkled. “Sarah’s not why I’m here.”
Maggie swallowed. Surely, he hadn’t agreed because—
“I was given the option of being the firehall’s Santa or being a judge in the Christmas festival,” he continued. “I didn’t realize at the time that the contest was going to be a drawn-out process, or I might be working on my belly and practicing my ho-ho-hos.”
“What?” Maggie’s eyes widened. “Why on earth would anyone ask you to be Santa?”