Chapter Six #4
His brows lifted. “Now it’s me who’s not going to take offense.
I’ll assume that you meant because I’m so young and handsome that you can’t imagine Sophie transforming me into a plausible jolly St. Nick even though she apparently does that to her husband each year.
I’ve already told him that I can’t be held responsible for any teasing I do about him wearing a red velvet jolly old man suit. ”
Realizing he wasn’t kidding, Maggie shook her head. “This town is so weird.”
Walker chuckled. “I like it, though.”
That had her glancing toward him. “You like weird?”
“I like Pine Hill. Despite matchmaking Butterflies and blonds who tell me no, I love living here. I can’t imagine any place better to raise Zoie.”
Maggie’s face warmed from his blond comment. Her having said yes wouldn’t have been fair to him or to herself.
“You may not believe me, but just wait,” he warned. “Pine Hill will grow on you.”
Taking a step toward the kitchen, then another, she asked, “Like a barnacle?”
Laughing, he shook his head and followed her. “More like Christmas garland.”
“Probably garland complete with candy canes and glittery white and silver snowflakes too,” she conceded.
“Now, you’re catching on,” he praised as they stepped into the kitchen.
Sarah was just sliding the spatula beneath the last cookie to lift it from the sheet and onto a cooling rack. Harry had resumed his spot on the floor, head resting on his front paws, and watching Jeannie, perhaps hoping she would drop some of her still being played with cookie dough.
“Walker, I’m glad you’re here,” Sarah welcomed him, just as the doorbell rang again. “Oh, that must be Joshua.”
“I’ll let him in,” Maggie offered, straightening her Rudolph apron. “I hear he’s a veterinarian and I need to talk to him about teaching Harry some new obedience commands.”
*
Walker’s lips twitched as, Harry hot on her trail to make sure he approved of the new arrival, Maggie left the kitchen to go let in their other judge.
Walker had met Joshua Conway several times at various community events.
He seemed like a nice enough guy, and everyone commented on what a great veterinarian he was.
But Walker suspected he was going to view the guy as a third wheel.
Walker preferred it just be him and Maggie.
Unfortunately, no one had asked him. Either way, judging the contest with Maggie was going to be interesting.
And, possibly trying because every time he saw her, he liked her more.
Just as when they’d met and every time since, he believed she felt the same.
Why else would she have stood in the foyer, just staring up at him, with neither of them saying a word?
And her eyes—those eyes were something else.
So expressive. She was tough, gutsy, but those eyes gave away her vulnerability.
Someone had hurt her and bad. Or maybe it wasn’t even a someone but a something.
Maybe that pain was why she was a resident at Bed for Vets.
Every protective instinct in him wanted to hold her tight until every bad thing she’d ever experienced dissipated.
“Did Harry do something I should be concerned about?” Sarah pointed to the cookies, gesturing for Walker to take one. “Those on the plate have cooled. Help yourself.”
“Harry was the great dog he always is.” Walker didn’t have to be told twice and grabbed a cookie. Biting into it, his tongue thanked him at the still warm blend of chocolate, pecans, and cookie perfection. “Maggie is just in a tizzy because Harry likes me better than her.”
“Oh.” Sarah considered what he said, then nodded. “Maggie and Harry are still a bit leery of each other.”
“After a month of her living here? Surely, they’ve had time to figure each other out.”
Sarah wiped her hands on a towel, then gave a heartfelt sigh. “I think Maggie doesn’t want to get attached and Harry senses that standoffishness in her. He’s giving her time and space.”
Was that Sarah’s way of saying Walker should do the same?
“I’ve always said Harry was the smartest dog I’ve ever met.” When Zoie was a little older, he hoped to find a dog of similar disposition to love and protect her the way Harry did Jeannie.
Sarah smiled brightly enough to light a thousand Christmas trees. “I’ve always said that too. Harry is such a good boy.”
Having come back into the kitchen and seeming to know he was being talked about, Harry gave a woof of acknowledgement.
Popping the last bite of his cookie into his mouth, Walker knelt to pet the dog again. “You are a good boy.”
Maggie and Joshua came into the kitchen. Perhaps sensing how Walker tensed at the vision of the couple, Harry gave a low growl.
“Harry!” Sarah scolded, frowning at the dog. “We were just bragging on you.”
“No problem, Sarah.” Joshua chuckled. “Harry probably remembers me from his last checkup appointment. Although he was, in fact, a good boy considering he wasn’t a fan of his examination.”
Personally, Walker thought the dog brilliant for growling at the veterinarian.
Walker felt like growling too. Because when Joshua and Maggie had walked back into the kitchen, the man’s hand had been on Maggie’s shoulder.
Maggie stepped away from him, moving to the barstool next to Jeannie.
But she hadn’t done anything beyond that other than she’d been half-smiling at whatever Joshua had said.
That was the kicker. The guy had gotten Maggie to smile.
“Can’t say I blame him with what I hear you do to animals.” All eyes shifted to Walker.
Had he said that out loud? Shrugging, he reached for another cookie.
Sarah gave him a look that said she was on to him.
“Okay, y’all, I appreciate you meeting at Hamilton House to review what the rules are for the Grandma Games.
” She handed them each a sheet of paper she’d pulled out of a folder.
Cartoon photos of Christmas characters brightened the borders of the colorful page.
“It’s easier with Jeannie, but mostly, it’s the best location for no one to overhear our conversation.
Although, I wouldn’t put it past certain participants to have bugged my kitchen if they got wind that I was doing this today. ”
Bugged? Amused, Walker bit back a grin at Sarah’s pun. He wouldn’t put it past the Butterflies, either. Rosie had been fluttering her lashes at him every opportunity she got the past few weeks.
“You think someone may have bugged your kitchen?” Maggie had tensed, seeming to go on high alert, probably something left from her time in the military.
What had she done in the military? He’d not heard her, or anyone, mention much about her service. Then again, that she was staying in free accommodations at Hamilton House due to her service, was enough for him to conclude she’d endured something traumatic.
“I don’t really think the Butterflies bugged my kitchen,” Sarah told Maggie, giving her an empathetic look that she’d also thought Maggie’s question arose from her military days.
“Are the rules secret?” Joshua dried his hands from where he’d washed them so he could help himself to one of Sarah’s cookies.
“No, not secret,” Sarah clarified, smiling at the man taking one of the cookies she’d offered. “They’ll be public knowledge and available for all the contestants, but I felt our initial meeting needed to be where we could talk freely so I could address any concerns any of you might have.”
Whether from Sarah’s comment or the fact that Joshua sat down on the barstool next to Maggie’s, Walker frowned. “What kind of concerns? It’s just a friendly town contest, right?”
“Yes, but—” Sarah smiled much too innocently for what she said. “There are those in Pine Hill who are too competitive at times. Certain individuals might be inclined to try to get a heads-up on what was required to gain points for each round of the contest.”
“That sounds ominous. Cole mentioned that I was chosen because I was newer to town and didn’t have long histories with anyone here.”
“You were. Joshua was chosen for the same reason,” Sarah pointed out. “Maggie too.”
“I may not have been here long, but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t formed bonds with people who live in Pine Hill,” Walker assured.
He had. He loved living in Pine Hill. Spending time with Maggie was a big attraction, but not if it meant he was going to end up upsetting townspeople whom he cared about. Because Sarah’s bugged comment was buzzing around his head like a bee—and a butterfly.
“Short of us going outside of town to get our judges, which was a consideration, but was ultimately nixed, then you truly are the three best judges.” Sarah’s gaze touched on Maggie. “Especially Maggie since she doesn’t plan to stay. Of course, there’s still time for us to change her mind.”
Both men looked toward Maggie, but she kept her gaze glued on Sarah.
Her expression was tight. Too tight. Sarah might think there was time to change Maggie’s mind, but Maggie didn’t.
What were her plans? Where would she go when her time was up?
Was there someone waiting for her? Did she have a family somewhere?
Friends? A life that was so different from Pine Hill that she couldn’t imagine staying?
Although Walker had told Maggie lots about himself, she’d revealed next to nothing to him. Not that he hadn’t tried, but getting information out of her was almost impossible.
Moving on with the meeting, Sarah reviewed the contest, the rules, and the judging criteria for each portion of the event. “Any questions?”
“Just one,” Joshua said. “Is how we score each contestant anonymous?”
Walker gave the guy due credit. His question was a good one.
Maybe all three judges could be anonymous.
They could put on Christmas costumes or something like that masked television competition, only it was to protect the identity of the judges.
Not that that would work at this point since the word was already out.
“Absolutely. The tally of the scores will be posted each round, but only each judge and me will know how they scored each contestant. Unless you reveal it amongst yourselves, that is. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk Thanksgiving.
Walker, are you and your family coming to Claudia’s Thursday? ”
“That’s the plan.” Walker nodded. “When Cole invited my family, he said Sophie’s aunt always has a big to-do and that it was a more the merrier kind of meal.”
“See, Maggie. I told you that Sophie wasn’t just saying that to you.” Sarah took Jeannie out of her seat and carried her to the sink to wash her hands. “Claudia loves hostessing Thanksgiving for everyone who can attend.”
Maggie didn’t say anything.
Joshua did. “Sophie invited me last week, too, when I was giving Bobbins a checkup.”
“She sure loves that cat.” Sarah ran warm water over Jeannie’s hands and cleaned off the dough. “I’m still surprised she left him for Darlene and Isabelle.”
They chatted for a few minutes. Maggie sat quietly. Walker, too.
“Guess, I’ll see you Thursday then,” Joshua told Sarah, then looked at Maggie. “Great to meet you, Maggie.”
Walker really didn’t like how the man was smiling at Maggie.
Fortunately, she didn’t seem fazed by the veterinarian.
She didn’t look at the guy the way she looked at Walker, didn’t have that what-if in her eyes.
But just because she looked at him with interest, Walker had no right to feel possessive of her.
Their matching costumes last month did not give him dibs.
Unfortunately.