physically demanding work and she couldn’t even stand up for longer than a few moments at a time.She couldn’t see any way that she could spend a whole shift on her feet. Or on one foot and one stump, to be more precise. It wouldn’t be fair to her patients.
In her mother’s eyes she saw the one thing she hated above all other maternal manipulative tactics—disappointment.
“I gave Jacob my word that he would have a translator, Lena. If you refuse to do this, I will.”
Maggie pinched the bridge of her nose. Did anyone on earth know how to lay on the guilt better than her mother?
More than anything, she would have liked to tell her to go right ahead. Translate for the sneaky bastard. But Viviana’s English could be dicey sometimes and she had absolutely no background to translate difficult medical concepts.
While it would serve Jake right if she sent her mother to his clinic in her place, she knew she couldn’t put Viviana through something that would be so difficult for her.
“You would be much more help to the people than I, of course,” Viviana said guilelessly, “but I will do my best.”
She watched Jake again, who was looking suspiciously cheerful as he pulled another bale of hay off the truck.
If he’d been within arm’s reach, she would have been hard-pressed not to slug him.
He had very neatly boxed her into a corner, and she couldn’t see any way to climb out without hurting her mother.
“Fine,” she growled. “I’ll do it.”
Viviana’s smile reminded her of a cat with a mouthful of canary feathers. “Oh, good. Jacob will be so pleased.”
“Yippee,” she muttered, wondering how she could have so completely reverted to her childhood after being home less than a week. Her mother could play her as well now as she could when Maggie was ten.
Viviana stepped away from the window, and for the first time, Maggie registered her clothes. Her pale-green sweater, slacks and bright, cheerful silk scarf weren’t exactly appropriate for ranch work and Maggie’s stomach gave an ominous twist.
Her mother’s words confirmed her sudden suspicion. “I must go to Idaho Falls today for a meeting of the Cattleman’s Association. I told Jacob you would be here to show him what to do.”
“Me?”
“Is that a problem?”
I don’t want to, she almost said. But since she had taken a solemn antiwhine pledge to herself at Walter Reed, she just shrugged and went on the offensive. “What about Tío Guillermo?”
Her mother’s shoulders stiffened. “What about him?”
“When are you going to stop this silliness and hire him back to do his job?”
“I hear he has a new job now. He works for the Blue Sage. Lucy Warren told me when I went to the feed store yesterday.”
She digested this and tried to imagine her uncle working anywhere but the Luna, especially for a Hollywood actor and wannabe rancher like Justin Hartford.
“Even if that’s true, you know he would come back in a minute if you said the word. He loves the ranch.”
“Not this time.” For just a moment, Maggie thoughtshe heard something deeper behind her mother’s brisk tone, but before she could analyze it, Viviana turned away. “I will be late if I do not leave. You are to be nice to Jacob while I am gone.”
Hmmph. When those cows out there started singing “Kumbaya.”
After her mother left to finish preparing for her meeting, Maggie shifted her weight, trying to ignore the ache in her leg from standing in one position. Though she knew it was cowardly, she couldn’t seem to bring herself to walk out there.
She dreaded facing him again, especially knowing she would have to spend an entire day with him, after all.
No, more than one, since her mother had committed her to helping him as a translator.
So much for staying away from him. She sighed, despising her cowardice. She could do this. He was only a man.
Only a man she couldn’t stand, a man she wanted absolutely nothing to do with.
A man who had played the
In her mother’s eyes she saw the one thing she hated above all other maternal manipulative tactics—disappointment.
“I gave Jacob my word that he would have a translator, Lena. If you refuse to do this, I will.”
Maggie pinched the bridge of her nose. Did anyone on earth know how to lay on the guilt better than her mother?
More than anything, she would have liked to tell her to go right ahead. Translate for the sneaky bastard. But Viviana’s English could be dicey sometimes and she had absolutely no background to translate difficult medical concepts.
While it would serve Jake right if she sent her mother to his clinic in her place, she knew she couldn’t put Viviana through something that would be so difficult for her.
“You would be much more help to the people than I, of course,” Viviana said guilelessly, “but I will do my best.”
She watched Jake again, who was looking suspiciously cheerful as he pulled another bale of hay off the truck.
If he’d been within arm’s reach, she would have been hard-pressed not to slug him.
He had very neatly boxed her into a corner, and she couldn’t see any way to climb out without hurting her mother.
“Fine,” she growled. “I’ll do it.”
Viviana’s smile reminded her of a cat with a mouthful of canary feathers. “Oh, good. Jacob will be so pleased.”
“Yippee,” she muttered, wondering how she could have so completely reverted to her childhood after being home less than a week. Her mother could play her as well now as she could when Maggie was ten.
Viviana stepped away from the window, and for the first time, Maggie registered her clothes. Her pale-green sweater, slacks and bright, cheerful silk scarf weren’t exactly appropriate for ranch work and Maggie’s stomach gave an ominous twist.
Her mother’s words confirmed her sudden suspicion. “I must go to Idaho Falls today for a meeting of the Cattleman’s Association. I told Jacob you would be here to show him what to do.”
“Me?”
“Is that a problem?”
I don’t want to, she almost said. But since she had taken a solemn antiwhine pledge to herself at Walter Reed, she just shrugged and went on the offensive. “What about Tío Guillermo?”
Her mother’s shoulders stiffened. “What about him?”
“When are you going to stop this silliness and hire him back to do his job?”
“I hear he has a new job now. He works for the Blue Sage. Lucy Warren told me when I went to the feed store yesterday.”
She digested this and tried to imagine her uncle working anywhere but the Luna, especially for a Hollywood actor and wannabe rancher like Justin Hartford.
“Even if that’s true, you know he would come back in a minute if you said the word. He loves the ranch.”
“Not this time.” For just a moment, Maggie thoughtshe heard something deeper behind her mother’s brisk tone, but before she could analyze it, Viviana turned away. “I will be late if I do not leave. You are to be nice to Jacob while I am gone.”
Hmmph. When those cows out there started singing “Kumbaya.”
After her mother left to finish preparing for her meeting, Maggie shifted her weight, trying to ignore the ache in her leg from standing in one position. Though she knew it was cowardly, she couldn’t seem to bring herself to walk out there.
She dreaded facing him again, especially knowing she would have to spend an entire day with him, after all.
No, more than one, since her mother had committed her to helping him as a translator.
So much for staying away from him. She sighed, despising her cowardice. She could do this. He was only a man.
Only a man she couldn’t stand, a man she wanted absolutely nothing to do with.
A man who had played the
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