out that sympathy card and women threw themselves at their feet. There was nothing like a wounded hero to get an otherwise sensible woman into his bed.
Not this time. And most definitely not in this small town.
Downtown Briggs consisted of exactly three blocks of attached brick buildings with glass storefronts. The majestic Teton mountain range was its backdrop. It could be quite a spectacular place, if it wasn’t for the corniness of some of the shops.
Maggie couldn’t imagine settling in a town that allowed a huge plaster potato to be perched on the roof of the Spud Bank directly across the street from Holey Rollers, or the monster plaster llama that stood watch in front of Deli Llama’s. But her favorite was the black-and-white life-sized cow standing in front of Moo’s Creamery, complete with pink udders. She wondered if the entire business community was caught up in some kind of silly name contest and these were the big winners. Part of her thought they were cute, while the city girl in her thought they should be outlawed.
“Look, Doc’s leaving,” Doris announced as if the sun had just dropped from the sky.
Maggie’s attention fell back on Doctor Granger. He was laughing now as he stood up, a tall, slim man with a muscular build. And when two elderly ladies pushed open the door to the doughnut shop, she could hear his great big baritone guffaw. She liked a man who could laugh like that. Most guys in the business community seemed to be too nervous to really laugh. To let it rip. She’d almost forgotten what that kind of male laughter sounded like. For some reason it made her feel happy and safe…or maybe it was the coffee. She couldn’t be sure.
All she really knew at the moment was that Doc Blake drank real coffee, ate real sugar and had a fabulous laugh. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad working for him and living in this colorful town while Kitty was on maternity leave. At least she could collect a paycheck until something more permanent came along.
This time, Maggie would sit back and watch all the other women swoon over her heartbroken boss.
Maggie thankfully wasn’t the least bit interested in a relationship. And according to Amanda, neither was the good doctor.
Chapter Two
“This is going to work out so perfectly that I feel calm already,” Kitty told Maggie. “I knew it would. I dropped off a thank-you basket of goodies at the ranch about an hour ago.”
Maggie could only imagine what that completely organic basket contained, something raw or dried or juiced no doubt.
They were standing in Kitty’s overly bright and cheerful kitchen, completely created with vintage linens, salvaged wood and reclaimed natural materials. Lovely as everything was, Maggie longed for the familiarity of laminated flooring and labels like Ikea, Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel.
“I wouldn’t say we hit it off. It was more that we can probably work together effectively.”
“He’s the easiest boss ever. You’re going to love working for him.” Kitty peeled the top off a pint-sized plain Greek-style yogurt, sat down at the table and dug in.
“How can you eat that stuff? Don’t you miss the fruit and sugar?”
“Refined sugar is the enemy. It’s responsible for a litany of bodily ailments, including heart disease.”
“Yeah, but it tastes sweet.”
“So does radiator coolant.”
Maggie looked at her, puzzled. “How do you know these things?”
“My sweet hubby’s parents own a hardware store over in Idaho Falls. Nice town, but a little too big for us.”
“Unless they drink the stuff for breakfast, how would they know that?”
Kitty shrugged. “They just do.”
“Oh, okay then. Sugar is off the table. Is honey acceptable?”
Kitty hesitated, as if making up her mind. “It’s stressful to the bees.”
“Isn’t that their job?”
“Not all jobs are good for you.”
Maggie stared at Kitty then blinked a couple times. Ever since she’d moved in a week ago, she had learned how to create her own kitchen compost, how to recycle effectively, and more recently, how to bake the perfect flourless cake using some kind of cactus sugar. A dessert Maggie would never be fully able to appreciate.
“We can’t have this conversation.”
“Okay,” Kitty said, then made a couple of yummy sounds. She took another big bite of the yogurt and put the spoon down on the table, resting her hands on her belly as a smile stretched across her sweet face. “Thank you again for doing this. Except for a couple of Tim’s cousins, and an obstinate great-aunt who pops in whenever she sees fit, and the occasional visit from Tim’s parents—I couldn’t ask for more supportive in-laws, but with their store hitting some rough times, it’s hard for them to leave it—I’m kind of on my own here. Not that I mind. We chose to live in Briggs, and I love it. I’ve made a lot of friends here, but family is different.”
Kitty looked radiant, and seemed happy to have Maggie living with her. For that, Maggie was willing to endure just about anything.
“Don’t be silly. You saved me. My unemployment checks were barely making it, and I had no idea how much longer I was going to be able to keep my car. Plus, searching for a job in Silicon Valley was getting me nowhere. If I were Allison Bennett, the absolute goddess of marketing, I’d have twenty job offers by now, but I’m Maggie Daniels. Nobody cares.”
“I care, and you’re a fantastic marketing, social media guru. People will be knocking down your door. They just don’t know you’re free, that’s all. When the right person finds out, he or she will come calling. You wait and see.”
Maggie loved her sister’s enthusiasm, but no one had come knocking so far, and they clearly wouldn’t come knocking in this remote potato town.
“Country life is a nice change. But I have to admit, working in a dental office five days a week, and being that close to all those nasty little drills, may put me over the edge. You know how much I hate having my own teeth worked on.”
“That’s not what’s bugging you. Not really. I think you’re upset because you think it’s an insignificant job with no future and that your baby sister should be soaring up the ladder, like you, instead of stuck on a broken lower rung.” Kitty’s eyes welled up. “You just don’t get it. I’m not that corporate person anymore.”
“Why are you crying? I would never think any less of you or your choices.”
“You’re my sister. You’re supposed to say that. I love you, and—” She paused and took a few ragged breaths before continuing. “I’m pregnant, and my husband is a million miles away and I miss him.”
The woman would cry or rage at least twice a day. Maggie didn’t know how Tim, her husband, would ever have been able to deal with it. Although, Tim was one of those rare men who actually loved everything about his wife. It seemed that anything Kitty did or said, especially during her pregnancy, was just short of perfection.
But
