reasons she’d seemed to so easily connect with the man. They were both in their own way CEOs, organized souls dedicated to doing what needed to be done.
I bet Richard’s just as anal as I am at times.
A voice echoed in her thoughts, a voice that sounded suspiciously like her mother. What about the other two, Margaret Mary? What’s your excuse for the way you feel around them? Without permission, her mind supplied the answer to its own question.
Trevor seemed to be tuned in to her moods in a way she found comforting. Kevin’s joie de vivre and delight in things made her laugh and reminded her not to take herself too seriously.
Maggie brought herself back to the moment, grateful Kate appeared to be absorbed in taking in the changes to the parlor and not her own woolgathering.
“That’s the last of it.” Henry came into the parlor, went right over to Kate, and kissed her on her cheek.
Maggie had nodded approval as the Kendalls went ahead and loaded up a dining table, some chairs, and a few other pieces of furniture for some of the rest of the house. Maggie figured the only rooms still empty of furniture were the guest bedrooms.
“What do you think of our new B and B so far?” Henry asked Kate.
“I think it’s wonderful. And with everyone pitching in, I’ll bet Maggie will be ready to open the doors in no time.”
Maggie let herself think about her “to do” list. “There’s still a lot to do, business-wise. I haven’t decided on the bedrooms yet. Will I just furnish them or will some of them have a theme? Then I have to set up the business as a legal entity. I’ll need to open an account at the bank, do some research so I know who my target client is, design a marketing strategy…” Maggie stopped when she noticed Henry’s eyes gloss over.
He shook his head. Turning to Kate, he said, “She sounds just like Rick.”
Kate only beamed.
“This is such a lovely house.” Ginny came back into the room and hugged her.
“I should have taken you for a tour,” Maggie said.
Ginny shook her head. “Samantha and I had a quick look around. I have to get on to the restaurant. But once you have some time, I’ll be over for that tour and a good chat.”
“It’s going to be wonderful.” Samantha Kendall came into the room from the back of the house. “Henry, I’m so glad you’re still here. Ginny’s car is in the shop, and so she’s taking mine. You can give me a ride back home.”
“Of course, Mother.”
“I need to get going, too.” Kate reached over and squeezed Maggie’s hand. “I’ve an appointment I need to keep. You be sure and let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”
“Me, too. Always glad to lend a hand,” Henry said.
“Oh. Um, thanks.” Maggie felt a little like a ship going down since everyone seemed to be leaving at once. David and Robert Jessop corralled Henry into helping them with another load of furniture once his mother had been delivered back home, and the next thing Maggie knew she was alone in the parlor.
After the sound of so much hustle and bustle, the silence seemed a little eerie. Well, this is going to take some getting used to. One minute I’m surrounded by Texans and the next I’m all alone—
Maggie blinked.
She’d waved good-bye to the Jessops, Henry and Samantha Kendall, Ginny, and Grandma Kate.
But not the brothers Benedict.
She realized then that except for that one time when Richard had come out to ask her about the bed, she hadn’t seen or heard from them. Neither had she ventured toward the master bedroom since they’d returned with two truckloads of furniture.
Curious, Maggie decided it was time for her to discover just what the Benedict men had been doing for the last hour or so.
The house was set up so that the front door opened into a hallway. The parlor, with its amazing fireplace and windows to the porch, lay on the right. Straight ahead, the hall opened into a rotunda, with a gorgeous, sweeping staircase that led to
I bet Richard’s just as anal as I am at times.
A voice echoed in her thoughts, a voice that sounded suspiciously like her mother. What about the other two, Margaret Mary? What’s your excuse for the way you feel around them? Without permission, her mind supplied the answer to its own question.
Trevor seemed to be tuned in to her moods in a way she found comforting. Kevin’s joie de vivre and delight in things made her laugh and reminded her not to take herself too seriously.
Maggie brought herself back to the moment, grateful Kate appeared to be absorbed in taking in the changes to the parlor and not her own woolgathering.
“That’s the last of it.” Henry came into the parlor, went right over to Kate, and kissed her on her cheek.
Maggie had nodded approval as the Kendalls went ahead and loaded up a dining table, some chairs, and a few other pieces of furniture for some of the rest of the house. Maggie figured the only rooms still empty of furniture were the guest bedrooms.
“What do you think of our new B and B so far?” Henry asked Kate.
“I think it’s wonderful. And with everyone pitching in, I’ll bet Maggie will be ready to open the doors in no time.”
Maggie let herself think about her “to do” list. “There’s still a lot to do, business-wise. I haven’t decided on the bedrooms yet. Will I just furnish them or will some of them have a theme? Then I have to set up the business as a legal entity. I’ll need to open an account at the bank, do some research so I know who my target client is, design a marketing strategy…” Maggie stopped when she noticed Henry’s eyes gloss over.
He shook his head. Turning to Kate, he said, “She sounds just like Rick.”
Kate only beamed.
“This is such a lovely house.” Ginny came back into the room and hugged her.
“I should have taken you for a tour,” Maggie said.
Ginny shook her head. “Samantha and I had a quick look around. I have to get on to the restaurant. But once you have some time, I’ll be over for that tour and a good chat.”
“It’s going to be wonderful.” Samantha Kendall came into the room from the back of the house. “Henry, I’m so glad you’re still here. Ginny’s car is in the shop, and so she’s taking mine. You can give me a ride back home.”
“Of course, Mother.”
“I need to get going, too.” Kate reached over and squeezed Maggie’s hand. “I’ve an appointment I need to keep. You be sure and let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”
“Me, too. Always glad to lend a hand,” Henry said.
“Oh. Um, thanks.” Maggie felt a little like a ship going down since everyone seemed to be leaving at once. David and Robert Jessop corralled Henry into helping them with another load of furniture once his mother had been delivered back home, and the next thing Maggie knew she was alone in the parlor.
After the sound of so much hustle and bustle, the silence seemed a little eerie. Well, this is going to take some getting used to. One minute I’m surrounded by Texans and the next I’m all alone—
Maggie blinked.
She’d waved good-bye to the Jessops, Henry and Samantha Kendall, Ginny, and Grandma Kate.
But not the brothers Benedict.
She realized then that except for that one time when Richard had come out to ask her about the bed, she hadn’t seen or heard from them. Neither had she ventured toward the master bedroom since they’d returned with two truckloads of furniture.
Curious, Maggie decided it was time for her to discover just what the Benedict men had been doing for the last hour or so.
The house was set up so that the front door opened into a hallway. The parlor, with its amazing fireplace and windows to the porch, lay on the right. Straight ahead, the hall opened into a rotunda, with a gorgeous, sweeping staircase that led to
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