LITMIR.BIZ

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      Maggie spoke up. “I’m staying in my grandfather’s old house. I’m trying to decide if I want to stay there permanently or get something here in town.”

      “Maggie teaches school,” Eli said.

      “Which one?” Reese asked.

      “It’s an online academy,” Maggie said as Belle leaned over, trying to wriggle free of the arms that held her. Maggie expertly kept the baby from tumbling backward and said, “I teach fifth grade. It allows me to earn a living and keep Belle with me.” And allowed her to try to figure out if she’d ever return home. She stiffened her spine. No, that house had never been home.

      For the past six months, Rose Mountain had been home.

      And she didn’t see that changing in the near future.

      Eli scratched the back of his head, and Maggie felt

      Reese’s gaze on her and Belle. And it unnerved her that every time his eyes landed on Belle, he looked away. In fact, other than asking her name, he hadn’t acknowledged her presence. Did he not like babies? Children? Disappointment shot through her.

      Squelching the unexpected feeling, she hugged Belle closer and said, “I’ve got to get her home for a nap. She’s going to start getting cranky if I don’t.”

      Eli nodded, placed the strap attached to his camera around his neck and said, “I just finished a weeklong crime scene processing training class last month.” His lips quirked. “Thought I should update my skills just in case, but the whole time I kept wondering why I was there.” He looked around and shook his head. “Guess now I know.”

      Maggie had lived in Rose Mountain long enough to realize that small town law enforcement officials often had to take care of the forensics side of things. If the nature of the crime warranted a higher level of expertise than the local sheriff, he had to call someone from a bigger city. Eli said, “You’ll need to see the psychologist about the shooting and file a report.”

      Reese grimaced. “I know.”

      Eli nodded. “Why don’t you see the ladies home, and I’ll finish up here.”

      “Uh...yeah, sure.”

      He looked caught, trapped with no way out. She frowned. What was his problem?

      Then he smiled and she wondered if she’d imagined the whole expression. She settled Belle back into her car seat carrier and he led her to the door. Stepping outside, she breathed in the fresh fall air, grateful to be alive.

      “Which one is your car?” he asked.

      “The blue Ford pickup.” He looked surprised, and she laughed. “Didn’t expect me drive a truck, did you?”

      “No, I was looking for a minivan or something.”

      Maggie clucked her tongue. “Shame on you. Stereotyping?”

      He grinned, and she felt that tug of attraction she’d been hoping she wouldn’t feel again. The last thing she or Belle needed—or wanted—was a man in their lives. His eyes held hers a bit longer than necessary. She looked away as he said, “Yes, I guess so. Sorry.”

      Maggie settled Belle into the back of the king cab and opened the driver’s-side door. Climbing in, she noticed Reese watching. He gave her a nod and let her lead the way. Pulling out of the bank, she turned right onto Main Street. As she drove, she listened to Belle chattering in the backseat. At least she hadn’t suffered as a result of their scary adventure this morning.

      Soon, she’d have to feed the baby her afternoon bottle or her sweet chatter would turn to demanding howls.

      Maggie headed up the mountain, the short mile to her home seemed to take forever. Pulling into the gravel drive, she cut the engine and waited for Reese to drive up beside her.

      He climbed out and looked around. He pointed. “See that house just across the lake?”

      “The one with the white wraparound porch?”

      “Yeah. That one’s mine.”

      “It’s beautiful. I noticed it the day I moved in.” Maggie pulled the carrier with the sleeping Belle from the backseat with a grunt. She slid the handle onto her arm up to the crook of her elbow. “She gets heavier every day, it seems like.”

      He shut the door for her and asked, “Where’s Belle’s father?”

      “Dead.” She heard the matter-of-fact tone in her voice.

      When she turned, surprise glistened in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said.

      “I am, too. Sorry he’s dead, not sorry he’s out of my life.”

      TWO

      The woman just kept surprising him. The gentle, mommy demeanor hid a spine of steel. Also evidenced by her cool-under-fire reaction at the bank earlier.

      Opening the door, she led the way inside, holding the carrier in front of her. “I’m surprised she’s still sleeping.” She set the baby carrier on the kitchen table and opened the refrigerator to pull out a bottle filled with milk.

      “Why aren’t you sorry he’s out of your life?”

      While Maggie placed the bottle in a pot of water she began heating on the stove, she kept her back to him. He wanted to turn her around so he could see her face. When she didn’t answer, he leaned against the counter and crossed his arms, wondering why he was asking questions that were none of his business.

      At first he thought she was going to pretend she hadn’t heard him, but when she turned, she said, “I shouldn’t have said that.”

      Reese lifted a brow at her.

      She shrugged and grimaced. “He wasn’t a very nice person.”

      He’d abused her. She didn’t say so, but she didn’t have to.

      His gut tightened as visions of women he’d pulled out of domestic violence situations crowded his mind. Their bruises, their damaged faces, bodies...souls. The ones who had died. He blinked the images away and focused on Maggie.

      “When did he die?”

      “About a month after Belle was born.”

      “Car accident?”

      Maggie sighed. “Not exactly.”

      She didn’t want to tell him?

      Belle woke suddenly and let out a howl. Reese flinched and watched Maggie calmly unbuckle her daughter from the car seat and pick her up. She then pulled the bottle from the heated water, tested the temperature of the milk on her wrist and stuck it in the squalling mouth.

      The silence was sudden.

      “You’re good at that.”

      Maggie laughed. “I’ve had a lot of practice.”

      As the baby ate, Reese took in his surroundings. “Nice place.”

      She looked up from Belle’s face to smile at him. “I like it. It’s simple, functional and pretty much everything Belle and I need.”

      He nodded. “You said you were an online teacher.”

      “I am. I teach learning disabled students online. It’s perfect for us. I get to make a living and Belle gets to stay home with me. So far so good.”

      “What about when you have to teach and Belle doesn’t want to cooperate with your schedule?”

      Maggie grinned. “I have a neighbor who comes over. Mrs. Adler. She’s a retired nurse and lives twelve hours away from her grandchildren. She loves Belle and acts as if every moment she gets to spend with her is the highlight of her day.”

      A shadow moved across the window right in his line of sight. He straightened and narrowed his eyes.

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