Flirting with Disaster (9 page)

“Then you're going to have to spell it out for me. I don't have my decoder with me today.”

“Warren and your mother, for heaven's sake! What are you thinking?”

“I didn't have anything to do with him deciding to spend time with her. He seems fascinated by the whole Vegas thing.” He gave her a curious look. “Which seems odd since you couldn't be less flashy.”

She frowned. “He told you about the engagement,” she said flatly.

“He did. I'm still wrestling with that one. I have to say it doesn't make a lick of sense. What were you thinking?”

“I chalk it up to a momentary lapse in judgment,” she admitted. “Not that there's anything wrong with Warren. He's a wonderful man.”

“That's a given,” Josh said, his amusement plain. “But isn't he just a little bit too tame for you?”

“Well, that was certainly his conclusion.”

“And you? What did you think?”

Maggie considered the question for a long time before opting for the truth. “That he was perfect for my family.”

Josh nodded sagely, though there was a definite glint of amusement in his eyes. “Ah, one last attempt for parental approval.”

“Afraid so.”

He glanced in his mother's direction. “At least that's one thing that will never trouble me. Nadine's standards aren't that high. Not that she has any right to pass judgment in the first place.” He studied Maggie curiously. “Do you still figure your folks have that right?”

“It's not exactly a right,” she said. “It's just what they do.”

“And you care about their opinion?”

“To be honest, for years I did everything I could to show I didn't. My rebellion didn't turn out so well, so I changed course.”

“Which explains Warren.”

“Exactly.”

“Now what?”

“I wish I knew. I think celibacy may be the answer.”

Josh laughed. “I've come to that conclusion a time or two myself. Seems a shameful waste, though.”

Maggie grinned. “I couldn't agree with you more.”

She turned in Nadine's direction and saw that Warren was beginning to look just a little shell-shocked. “I think I'd better get over there and rescue Warren. Your mother can be a little overwhelming.”

“Tell me about it,” Josh said.

Maggie had taken only a few steps when he called her name. She glanced over her shoulder.

“Thanks for being nice to her. She drives me nuts, but I do care about her.”

Maggie regarded him in bemusement. There was something in his tone she didn't quite get. “She's fun. Why wouldn't I be nice to her?”

Josh seemed startled by her response. “I just thought…” His voice trailed off and his cheeks flooded with color.

“You thought I might consider her beneath me?” Maggie suggested, her tone cold. “I'm not sure if that's more insulting to her or to me.”

“I'm sorry. You're right.”

“She may not be polished or wealthy, but she has a good heart, Josh. Maybe you're the one who should take the time to get to know her.”

She could feel his gaze on her as she turned and walked away. Hopefully, his face was burning with shame.

 

With Maggie's disdain ringing in his ears, Josh felt about two inches tall. He was cursing himself every which way when he felt a tug on his pants at knee height. He looked down into Susie's upturned face. Amanda's four-year-old tended to pop up when he least expected her.

“Hi, Mr. Josh.”

He grinned despite himself. “Hey, squirt. What've you been up to today?” he asked, hunkering down so he could look into her eyes.

“I helped with lunch,” she said solemnly.

Ah, so that explained the mustard and ketchup streaks all over her bright pink T-shirt. Today's menu had been burgers and hot dogs cooked on a grill by one of the volunteers.

“Was there any ketchup and mustard left after you helped?” he teased.

“Sure. There was lots,” she said, taking the question seriously. “And lots of chips, too.”

“Where's your mom?”

“She's giving Jimmy and Larry a talkin'-to,” she said with disingenuous honesty. “They're in trouble again.”

“I see. What did your brothers do?”

Susie shrugged. “I dunno. Somebody told Mama something about a gun.”

Josh felt as if the earth beneath him had opened up. “Do you know where they are?” he asked, trying to keep the panick out of his voice.

“Over by the cars, I guess.”

“Let's see if we can find them,” Josh said. “You want a piggyback ride?”

Susie nodded at once, then frowned. “I don't know what that is.”

“You come around behind me and climb up my back, then hang on tight.”

Her expression brightened. “Okay.”

As soon as Susie's little hands were linked in a death grip around his neck, Josh went in search of Amanda and the boys. He couldn't imagine anyone being stupid or careless enough to bring a gun onto the work site, but he wasn't about to take any chances that Susie hadn't heard correctly.

He heard Amanda before he saw her.

“What were you two thinking?” she demanded, even as Caleb tried to calm her down with soothing words that Josh couldn't make out.

Larry and Jimmy, hanging their heads, didn't reply.

“I asked you a question,” Amanda said, her voice escalating.

It was Jimmy who finally looked up, his chin quivering. “We just wanted to help.”

“Did Josh show you what to do?” Amanda demanded. “Did he?”

“No, ma'am.”

“And isn't that the rule? That you only do what Josh tells you to do.”

She apparently caught sight of Josh then and turned an apologetic look on him. “I am so sorry. It won't happen again. I'll arrange for a baby-sitter next time.”

“But we're supposed to help,” Larry protested. “You can't leave us home.”

“Please, Mom,” Jimmy begged, his eyes filled with tears.

“Okay, guys, calm down,” Josh said quietly, shooting a questioning look at Caleb, who merely shrugged. “Maybe you'd better start at the beginning and tell me what happened. Susie said something about a gun.”

“Oh, my Lord,” Amanda said, staring at her little girl. “Not a real gun, sweetie. A nail gun.”

Josh breathed a sigh of relief, though a nail gun could be just as dangerous in the hands of a kid who didn't know how to handle it. Both boys turned to him.

“We thought we could figure it out and then we could be a real help,” Larry explained. “I watched you and saw how to use it, so when you walked away, I got a board and we were practicing.”

“Why didn't you ask me to show you?” Josh asked.

“Because then you would have thought we were babies,” Jimmy said.

“Any man who's responsible takes the time to learn how to use his tools the right way,” Josh scolded.

“I had Josh show me,” Caleb added. “That's just being smart.”

Josh met Amanda's still-worried gaze. “Was anyone hurt?”

“No, thank goodness. But I'd say they wasted a lot of nails.”

“Nails can be replaced,” Josh said.

“I can pay for more,” Larry offered, sounding seriously grown-up for an eight-year-old. “Mom can give you my allowance for a whole month.”

“Mine, too,” Jimmy piped up eagerly. “We don't get much and we won't have anything for candy or ice cream, but that's okay.”

“I don't think that'll be necessary,” Josh said, holding back a grin. “But I do think maybe you boys should go home now and think about what I just told you.”

Larry looked shattered. “You're sending us away?”

Josh had seen how much they loved being at the site. They were always underfoot. Still, he forced himself not to relent. “Just for today. Next week, I'll show you how to use the nail gun properly and then you can do it as long as Caleb or I are around to supervise. Not on your own ever again. Understood?”

They nodded.

“You're not really mad at us, are you, Mr. Josh?” six-year-old Jimmy asked plaintively.

“Not mad, just disappointed. I'm a lot like your mom, you know. It would make me feel awful if something happened to either one of you. You might want to tell her how sorry you are that you scared her.”

“I'm sorry, Mom,” they chorused dutifully.

Then Larry launched himself at Josh, causing him to stagger backward. “I'm sorry, Mr. Josh.”

“Me, too,” Jimmy said, his arms tight around Josh's leg.

“Okay, then,” Josh said, stunned by the emotions that welled up in him. Thoroughly disconcerted, he lifted Susie over his head and handed her off to Caleb. “See you guys next week, then.”

He walked away before any of them could see the unexpected tears that were stinging his eyes. Crazy kids. He'd known they were going to cause havoc. He just hadn't expected it to be with his heart.

He'd barely gone two feet, when Nadine appeared in his path.

“You have a thing with the single mom?” she asked, studying him curiously.

“Hell no,” he said.

She nodded. “That's good.”

He studied her curiously. “Why?”

“She's all wrong for you,” Nadine pronounced with authority.

Josh glowered at her. “You figure she's better than me?”

Nadine's lips curved. “Would my opinion matter?”

“Of course not.”

She grinned. “Didn't think so.”

He studied her and tried to reconcile this conversation with his earlier fear that she was going to try to set him up with Maggie. Maybe he'd gotten that wrong. “Don't try any of this reverse-psychology crap with me, Mother. I am not interested in Amanda. Period.”

“Whatever you say, Joshua,” she said sweetly, then walked away.

Josh muttered yet another curse under his breath just as he was joined by Maggie.

“Nice talk,” Maggie commented. “Especially when there are children nearby. What did Nadine do now?”

“Exactly what I warned her not to do. She's matchmaking.”

Maggie glanced from him to Amanda and unexpected patches of color appeared in her cheeks. “I see,” she said, her manner suddenly stiff. “Well, then, I just came over to tell you that I'm leaving. See you around.”

She was gone before Josh could figure out what the hell had just happened. “Women!” he said in frustration. Not one of them made a damn bit of sense.

“M
agnolia Forsythe, what is this I hear about you working on some construction site?” Juliette Forsythe demanded the instant she walked into Images on Monday morning. Her arrival not five minutes after the door had been unlocked was a very bad sign. Juliette rarely left the house before noon, unless it was to have her hair done.

Maggie regarded her mother with dismay. She'd hoped that this whole volunteer effort would escape her mother's notice. Juliette was all for charity and good deeds, as long as nothing more strenuous than writing a check or lending her name to a committee was involved.

“Good morning, Mother,” she said, pressing a kiss to Juliette's cheek and hoping she could get this ordeal over with before either of her employees arrived. Both Victoria and Ellie respected her, but once they'd heard Juliette raking her over the coals as if she were ten, they might not. “How have you been?”

“Humiliated, that's how I've been,” Juliette declared in a put-upon tone. “Wasn't it enough that you insisted on opening this little shop of yours and putting some of our priceless family heirlooms on display for anyone to see? Wasn't it enough that you let Warren embarrass us all by calling off the wedding? Now this! I can barely hold my head up.”

Maggie turned away before she snapped out a retort she'd regret. She knew her mother wasn't nearly as mean-spirited as she sounded. Something or someone had stirred her up.

To buy herself the time she needed to get her own temper under control, Maggie said, “I was about to make some tea, Mother. Would you like a cup?”

“I didn't stop by here to drink tea. I came for answers.”

Maggie ground her teeth. “Consider the tea a civilized bonus,” she bit out, and went into the back to heat the water. The coffee was already brewing, thank heaven, because she needed a very strong shot of caffeine before she faced the rest of this inquisition.

She put two Royal Doulton chintz cups on a tray, added a plate of paper-thin lemon slices, a bowl of sugar cubes, cloth napkins and silver spoons, then poured coffee for herself and tea for her mother. She carried the elegant service into the shop and set it on the low coffee table in front of her grandmother's Queen Anne sofa.

When she finally faced her mother again, Juliette's pinched expression made her look as if she'd sucked on one of those lemon slices.

“Is this the way you treat all your customers?” her mother inquired stiffly.

“If they have time to sit and chat,” Maggie said.

“It's a gracious touch,” her mother admitted grudgingly.

“You were the one who taught me to be a good hostess, Mother. You should be proud that the lesson took. Please sit down and have some tea.”

Her mother sighed heavily and lowered herself gingerly to the edge of the sofa, then accepted the cup of tea. “If only some of the others had,” she said wistfully.

Maggie bit back a sigh of her own. “I wish I weren't such a disappointment to you.”

To her amazement, her mother stared at her in shock. “A disappointment? How can you say such a thing? Your father and I may not understand some of the choices you've made, but you've never been a disappointment, Magnolia.”

“I didn't marry Warren.”

Her mother shrugged. “Yes, well, that was lamentable, but perhaps in time you can work that out.”

“Not in a hundred years,” Maggie said with certainty.

“Stubbornness has always been your downfall,” Juliette scolded, the refrain more a habit than anything else. Surely she knew Maggie was unlikely to change at this late date.

Maggie grinned, her tension easing slightly. “Where do you think I got that particular trait?”

Juliette regarded her indignantly. “Not from me, I'm sure.”

“We dislike most in others what we see in ourselves,” Maggie said. “I think you told me that once.”

Her mother looked genuinely flustered. “Well, that's neither here nor there. I want to talk about this construction business. Why on earth would you get involved in such a thing? It's beneath you.”

Maggie had a hunch that whoever had told Juliette had deliberately put a negative spin on the project. No doubt it had been one of those from Caleb's congregation who opposed the construction of a house for Amanda. George Winslow came immediately to mind. He'd been lying low lately. Now it appeared he might be taking his case to people like her folks, hoping to get them to do his dirty work.

“Since when is it beneath me to help with a good cause?” Maggie asked, curious about her mother's logic.

“Well, when you put it that way, there's nothing wrong with doing a good deed, but this is something else. George Winslow spoke to your father. George is quite overwrought about the whole thing.”

Maggie sighed. “I thought as much. Mr. Winslow should mind his own business. He's only trying to make trouble because he doesn't want to see this house built for Amanda O'Leary. If it were anyone else, he'd never have said a word.”

Juliette frowned. “Well, you have to admit, he has a point. The woman does have resources of her own. Why should she get something for nothing when there are so many truly needy families out there?”

“I'm sure there are plenty of needy families, but if you're referring to Big Max as her resource, he hasn't spoken to Amanda in years. I'm sure you're well aware that he cut her off without a dime. Now there's a
real
example of stubbornness, if you ask me.”

Juliette's gaze narrowed. “I knew there was bad blood between Max and his daughter, but he cut her off with nothing? I can't believe that. Are you sure?”

“I'm sure,” Maggie said, her expression grim. “He did it simply because he didn't approve of her marriage. He's refused to even meet his grandchildren.”

“I had no idea it had gone that far,” her mother said, her expression thoughtful. “That's really quite shameful, especially now that things have gone so terribly wrong for her.”

Maggie risked asking a question that had plagued her for years. “Would you and Father ever go that far?”

Juliette looked shocked for the second time that morning. “Absolutely not. You're our daughter and we love you.”

“But I've seen how infuriated you get when I don't do things your way,” Maggie said.

Juliette regarded her speculatively. “So you've been testing us to see if we'd disown you?”

“Maybe I have been,” Maggie replied, suddenly viewing her years of rebellion in a new light. “Maybe I wanted to see how far I could push before you kicked me to the curb.”

The teacup in Juliette's hand rattled against the saucer. She set it down and met Maggie's gaze. “Get that notion right out of your head, Magnolia. We would never disown you. Never!”

“Good to know,” Maggie said, oddly relieved by her mother's adamant statement. Her parents' wealth had never mattered to her, but as she'd conceded to Josh over the weekend, their approval mattered in ways she'd never fully understood. She'd craved it, even as she'd done everything she could think of to guarantee that she wouldn't earn it.

“Well, believe it,” Juliette said fiercely. “You're our daughter, our only child, and that's that.”

“For better or worse,” Maggie declared, amusement threading through her voice.

“Oh, darling, it's mostly for the better,” Juliette said, her expression softening. “I think I could even tolerate all these rebellions of yours if I saw they were making you happy, but inevitably they lead to heartache. That's what your father and I find so upsetting.”

Maggie sighed. “I've noticed that myself. Then again, Warren was supposed to change all that, and look what happened.”

“He's not the only appropriate man out there,” Juliette consoled her. “If you can't work things out with him, you'll simply find another one.”

Josh immediately came to mind. Maggie seriously doubted that her mother would see him as “appropriate.” Was that the reason she seemed to find him so tantalizing? Was he just the latest in a long string of tiny rebellions?

More than likely, she conceded with a sigh. And maybe for once she could stop herself before she went down that path.

She dragged her attention back to her mother and noticed that Juliette was studying her worriedly. “I'm not heartbroken about Warren, Mother. You don't need to fret about me.”

“I know you're resilient,” Juliette said. “You did get that trait from me.”

“Then why are you looking so worried?”

“Because I know how impulsive you can be. You have to admit that the combination of your impulsiveness and construction work is a recipe for disaster.” She gave Maggie a stern look. “I do not want to get a call that you've fallen and broken your neck. Is that understood?”

Maggie grinned. “Understood. I'd say we're in total agreement on that one.”

“Okay, then. I'll tell your father to tell George to mind his own damn business.”

“You do that,” Maggie said with enthusiasm. “Even better, perhaps you and father would like to stop by some Saturday and help.”

Juliette looked completely thunderstruck by the notion, but then she seemed to perk up. “You're probably teasing, Magnolia, but who knows? One of these days your father and I might just turn the tables and surprise you. We've done an impulsive thing or two in our time.”

Maggie laughed. “Well, then, I'll look forward to it.”

Juliette's expression turned thoughtful. “I wonder if they make hard hats in pink?”

“Call Dinah's mother,” Maggie advised. “If they do, I'm sure Mrs. Davis knows, after all those months she's spent on the Covington Plantation renovations.”

“Excellent idea,” Juliette said. “I'll speak to her this afternoon.” She leaned down and kissed Maggie. “Bye, dear. Come see us. Your father misses you.”

She was gone before Maggie could recover from the shocking image of her mother on the construction site in her own pink hard hat. For a woman who prized predictability and tradition, Juliette had been full of surprises this morning.

 

Nadine sighed at the destruction of her acrylic nails. Most of the polish had chipped off, and all but one of the nails was broken beyond repair. She had Josh to thank for this. Her son seemed to be taking some sort of pleasure in working her to death.

As if the demise of her manicure weren't bad enough, every muscle in her body ached. She longed for nothing more than a long soak in a hot bath—she was running the water now. Waiting tables for ten or twelve backbreaking hours a day had been easier than this job Josh had dreamed up for her.

Maybe she'd go out first thing tomorrow and find a job as a waitress. Even working in some dump would be better than this, and at least she'd have her own cash, instead of being dependent on whatever handout Josh deigned to give her.

Thoroughly disgruntled, she was about to climb into the tub, when someone knocked on the door. Since it could only be her son, she shouted at him from the doorway of the bathroom to go away.

“Nadine, it's me. Warren Blake.”

She stood stock-still and stared at the door to her room. Now,
that
was a stunner. Warren didn't seem like the kind of guy who'd come chasing after her. The man was a real straight-arrow and a shrink, to boot. Definitely not her usual type, and that was even before she took into account the age difference. It was flattering to think a man like Warren was here because he was attracted to her, but more likely he wanted her to be some sort of weird case study.

She wrapped herself in her old silk robe, then cracked open the door to her room and regarded him with suspicion. “Why are you here?”

“Josh sent me.”

“Why?”

“He figured you'd be starving and he couldn't get back to pick you up. He said if I'd come by to get you, he'd meet us at the restaurant.”

Nadine noted that Warren kept his gaze carefully averted from her robe-clad body. The man was a real gentleman, no doubt about it. With any other guy, she probably would have been insulted that he didn't sneak a peek.

“I figured I'd just order a pizza,” she told Warren. “You can stay if you want.” She grinned at his dismayed reaction. “I'd get dressed, of course.”

He laughed. “Well, since you're planning to get dressed, anyway, maybe we should just meet Josh. He's already suspicious of my motives where you're concerned.”

Nadine studied him with interest. “And what
are
your motives? I can usually tell with a man, but you're harder to read than most.”

Warren held up his hands. “No motives. You're relatively new in town and I figured you could use a friend. Besides, I hate eating alone.”

“You do that a lot?”

“More than I'd like lately.”

“Why is that? You're a good-looking guy and you must make good money.” She frowned before he could respond. “You're not gay, are you?”

“Nope.”

“Sorry,” Nadine said, even though he hadn't seemed to take offense at the blunt question. “It was the only explanation I could come up with. You should have women beating a path to your door.”

“I think a lot of them are put off by the kind of work I do,” he admitted. “And I was engaged until recently.”

“Anyone I know?”

“Maggie.”

Nadine couldn't help it. Her mouth dropped open. “You and Maggie?”

Warren laughed. “Your reaction seems to be the consensus. Do you think we could continue this discussion after you get some clothes on?”

“Sure,” she said. She was about to pick up her clothes and head for the bathroom when she was struck by an idea. “You know, Josh has forbidden me to interfere in his love life, so I have some time on my hands.”

Warren regarded her suspiciously. “What does that have to do with me?”