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“Nah. I can do it; my mind is just scattered. Seriously, though, can you help me with this wrench? It’s stuck.”
It was a small consolation, her bid for help, but he took it as a lifeline. In less than two minutes, they had the tire off, and she was halfway to repairing the thing. He shook his head.
“You need anything else? I’m heading back to the ranch to prep the herd, but I could probably spare a few more minutes.”
“Thanks, but I’ve got it from here.” She glanced up at him and the force of her stare almost bowled him over. “I like working with you, Bennett. I mean as opposed to against you. If you ever want out of the ranching gig, you’re welcome to help at Steel Born. We could use a guy with your strength and ranching know-how.” She handed him the wrench, giving him a wink that meant more than the two-hundred-dollar tool.
“You can keep it. I have another at the house.”
“Are you sure? I can drop it by your place after I’m done.” Her smile was bookended by grease stains, her hair wild like the girl he knew fifteen years ago.
Memories of Maggie sneaking into his barn to mess around on his dad’s equipment, fixing whatever she touched, snuck up and nestled behind his heart. So much of this valley was stained with her fingerprints, and the darndest thing is, he wouldn’t change it, not even now.
“Sure, that’d be great. Have a good day, Maggie.”
“You, too. And thanks, Bennett. For everything.”
Bennett nodded and walked out of the barn before he’d be tempted to ask if she’d like to stay for steaks and a glass of wine? Because with Maggie there wasn’t an in-between. It was all or nothing, and she’d taken all off the table.
*
Maggie finished up at Bill’s and made a stop in town at Harvey’s to pick up a few more supplies to make sure the outfit had what it needed for the trip to the canyon. Before heading back to her dad’s, she swung into Mae’s to see if by some slim chance any of those blueberry-lemon scones were left. She’d need to unpack those running clothes she’d brought with her soon if she didn’t find the self-control to swear off Mae’s baking. Too bad time for a run was at the end of her too-long to-do list.
“Back again, are you?”
“Like I said, you may be the single reason I rack up too many miles on my dad’s truck when I head back to San Antonio. I literally can’t stop thinking about those blueberry scones.”
Mae grinned like Maggie had bestowed a queen’s honor on her. “You know, I might be able to rustle you up one in the back. I’ll go check.”
“You’re amazing. Thanks, Mae.”
Maggie sat at the counter and inhaled the scent of baked sweets and espresso. This place was growing on her. The town, too. She might have liked Deer Creek as a teen—or at least the life she led on her dad’s ranch, with the town at the periphery—but now she appreciated it. The people were kind and generous, the pace was easy, and the small-town shopping really didn’t leave much to miss about the city.
Still, her business was in San Antonio, not here.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She fished it out and smiled. One more thing she couldn’t get in Deer Creek—Jill.
“Hey, Mae, I’m gonna take this call. I’ll be back in a second.” She ducked out the door.
“Talk to me, lady. You get all the documents I scanned for you?”
“I did. And may I say, boss, you’ve outdone yourself?” Jill asked.
“You may. It’s crazy, isn’t it?”
“Um, you mean the CEO of MBE upping his order to include half the town you’re in? Yeah, I’d say that qualifies as crazy. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear he was trying to get a date with you by placing an order that big.”
Maggie inhaled sharply and swallowed the dry air into her lungs. She couldn’t think of a retort fast enough, and Jill jumped at the silence that spoke volumes.
“Wait—he isn’t actually trying to score a date with you, is he?”
Maggie squeezed her eyes shut. Dammit. She’d never really told Jill the whole story about how she’d ended up leaving Deer Creek; she’d never told anyone, really.
“It’s a long story. I actually know him. Or knew him when I was a teenager. We sort of, you know… dated. And maybe, he might have proposed.”
Jill squealed. “Stop it. I want the details. Now.”
A car door shut behind Maggie and she wheeled around to find Grace walking into Mae’s. She waved and Maggie attempted one back.
