LITMIR.BIZ

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house?”

      Celeste shook her head. “If that were true, wouldn’t I be behind bars? Anyway, your house didn’t burn down.”

      “No thanks to you. Lucky you didn’t leave any evidence or you’d be in jail right now.”

      Celeste shook her head as if sad. “As I told Flint, I haven’t done anything to keep the two of you apart. Maybe one of you is using it as an excuse. If you wanted to be together, I couldn’t keep you apart no matter what I did. Flint sure didn’t have any trouble asking me to marry him.”

      The woman always had to remind Maggie that she’d had Flint first. She bit her tongue, afraid of what might come out, and willed Celeste to walk away before it was too late. But, of course, she didn’t.

      One of the woman’s finely honed brows lifted. “So if Flint is dragging his feet, it isn’t because of me. Maybe he’s realized what I’ve been telling him, that the two of you are wrong for each other, nothing personal. Then again, Flint has never listened to any advice I ever gave him. Why would he now?” With that, Celeste let out a light laugh and said, “Merry Christmas!” and turned and left, her high heels tapping briskly as she rounded the corner of the aisle.

      Maggie stood, shaking violently with rage. Why did she let the woman get to her like that? Because Celeste was determined to keep her and Flint apart, no matter what she said. It wasn’t that long ago that Celeste had stopped by the beauty shop as she was closing and warned her to leave Flint alone. She might act innocent, but she was far from it.

      Feeling sick to her stomach, Maggie leaned against her grocery cart and tapped in Flint’s number. For weeks, she’d been the one dragging her feet.

      “I want to move in with you,” she said into the phone when he answered now.

      He laughed. “Just like that?”

      “Just like that.”

      “Well, whatever made you change your mind, I couldn’t be happier. When?”

      “I think I’ll bring a few things over today.” She knew if she put it off, she might change her mind again.

      “Great. We’re still on for our date Friday night, though, right?”

      “Absolutely,” she said, feeling herself calm down a little. Flint had that effect on her. She loved this man and had for some time. If it wasn’t for Celeste they would have been together long before this.

      As she disconnected, she reminded herself that when Flint had suggested they move in together it was right after an incident at her beauty shop. Maggie had said she wasn’t going to let Celeste run her life and be the impetus that had them living together. Had she just let Celeste force her into this?

      She sighed and looked into her nearly empty grocery cart. Her refrigerator was almost as empty. She really needed to shop, but her heart wasn’t in it. She was moving in with Flint. As much as she’d tried, she couldn’t work up any enthusiasm about it because...she’d let Celeste goad her into it. This was definitely not the way she wanted her relationship with Flint to go.

      Maggie almost called him back, but stopped herself when she saw Celeste at the end of the aisle. Had the woman overheard her phone call to Flint? She groaned at the thought. Now if she called Flint back, Celeste would still think they were moving in together, so the damage was already done. And Flint would think she’d lost her mind for changing it again.

      Maybe she had lost her mind, she thought, because she should be happy. She realized a part of her was happy. She wanted to be with Flint. She had let Celeste keep them apart too many times. Moving in was the right thing to do. She took her time shopping, hoping if she dragged it out long enough, Celeste would have left the store. She wasn’t up for another run-in.

      It had been months since Celeste had done something to interfere in her relationship with Flint. If Celeste had overheard the call, then now she knew. Better to hear it from Maggie than from the local gossips. Maybe this would all turn out fine, Maggie told herself as she took her full cart and headed for the checkout. She’d bought something special for dinner tonight—at Flint’s.

      * * *

      “I’M A LITTLE worried about Flint,” Lillie said when she found her brother Darby behind the bar at the Stagecoach Saloon, the bar and café they owned together.

      “This is something new? What did he do? Arrest Dad again?” her handsome brother asked, not sounding worried.

      “No, but only because Dad has been up in the mountains since our joint wedding,” she said. “Which reminds me—where is Mariah?”

      “She went into town. She thinks we need more than one set of sheets.”

      Lillie laughed. “She is going to domesticate you yet.”

      He grumbled under his breath. “So what is up with Flint?”

      “He’s going to ask Maggie to marry him.” She climbed up on a stool and he poured her a cola. Having shared the womb together, she and Darby often communicated without a word. Lillie loved how close they were, so close that they’d had a double wedding.

      “So he’s finally going to do it,” Darby said. “Good luck with that.”

      She took a sip of her cola and frowned. “What?”

      “Just that word will get around. Isn’t he worried about Celeste, given her former reactions to him and Maggie? The woman always did seem...unhinged.”

      “I know. Flint’s worried, considering what Celeste has done to keep them apart. But he isn’t going to let her stop him. Why does she have to be like that? It makes me want to go over to her house and—”

      “Punching her in the mouth probably wouldn’t be helpful, but please be my guest. I suspect she just can’t let go of him. She certainly took him on a wild ride when she was married to him. She always has to get her way. I often wondered if she wouldn’t go over the edge if Flint ever found someone else. Maggie is perfect for Flint. I’m just glad he realizes it.”

      “They deserve a happy-ever-after.”

      “You’re such a romantic,” Darby said with a shake of his head, but he was smiling. “Maybe we’re all worrying for nothing. As far as I know, Celeste hasn’t done anything crazy for a while.”

      “No, but Maggie and Flint haven’t moved in together, either. Once he pops the question and puts that big diamond on her finger...” Lillie shrugged and finished her cola. “I have a doctor’s appointment.” She slid off her stool and patted her tummy, grinning. “How is Mariah feeling? When I talked to her she hadn’t had any morning sickness yet.” Lillie mugged a face. “I wish I could say that. Too bad it isn’t only in the mornings.”

      “So far so good,” he said, tapping the top of the wooden bar. “I can’t believe you two might give birth just days apart.”

      “Days, ha,” Lillie said. “I’m going into labor when she does. I want our kids to be close. We couldn’t have planned this better.”

      He shook his head. “Knowing you, you probably will go into labor when Mariah does. Once you make up your mind on something...”

      “I hope Maggie lets me help with the wedding,” Lillie was saying, having already shifted gears. “Where do you think she’d want to have it?”

      Her brother threw up his hands. “I’m not talking wedding with you. Go find Mariah. Or better yet, go see what Hawk and Cyrus would suggest for the wedding.” He laughed. Their brothers were rancher bachelors who hardly dated. They’d had a hard enough time getting through the recent double wedding and reception since they spent more time with their cows than people.

      “Maybe I will go visit Hawk and Cyrus. Did you see Hawk talking to that old girlfriend of his at our reception? I think there is still something there.”

      The front door opened and two couples came in. Darby looked relieved to

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