Miracle Baby (Harlequin American Romance) by Laura Bradford Page B

I simply saw carpentry as this pie in the sky.”
    â€œHis death changed that?”
    â€œIn many ways, yes. It showed me how fleeting and unpredictable life can be.”
    She pondered Rory’s words. “And so that was the push you needed to pursue your passion?”
    He shrugged again. “Maybe there was a tiny bit of that in my decision to get out from behind a desk, but I also think it was the desire to do what I failed to do with him.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” she asked, willing herself to focus on the conversation rather than the feel of his hand in hers.
    â€œI should have found a way to fix him. Instead, I stood by and figured he’d get it together on his own.”
    Maggie looked up at Rory as his voice faltered. She knew about second-guessing. She did it all the time. What if she and Jack had heeded the weather reports and stayed home that night? What if they hadn’t missed their turn? What if she hadn’t forgotten Natalie’s diaper bag, and they had been able to keep going?
    There was so much she wished she could say to wipe the regret off Rory’s face. But it was hard to sell something she had trouble buying, too.
    The tightening of his hand around hers broke through her thoughts. “Hey, I didn’t mean to pull you down with my inability to fix things.”
    Fix things…
    With a gentle tug, she freed herself from his grasp andgrabbed hold of her creation. “You fixed something of mine.”
    His eyebrows furrowed. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”
    â€œYou took away my last mental excuse for not opening a gift shop one day.”
    â€œI took away… Ohh. You mean the coupon?”
    â€œYes. The coupon. Delilah stopped by yesterday afternoon and taught me how to knit.”
    He grinned. “And? How’d you do?”
    â€œWhy don’t you tell me?” Maggie held out the scarf. “But remember…fine detail isn’t your thing, okay?”
    He looked at her, clearly puzzled.
    â€œWhich means you won’t notice the mistakes—deal?”
    His laugh echoed around the room. “Deal.” Taking the scarf from her hands, he unfolded it and looked it over from top to bottom. “Delilah helped you with this?”
    â€œShe showed me how to knit. I made the scarf after she left.”
    â€œYou made this after she left? Wait. She was just there yesterday. How long did this take you?”
    â€œI finished about an hour ago.” Leaning to the right, Maggie studied her handiwork once again.
    â€œYou worked on this all night?”
    She nodded. “It helped me bypass a few nightmares.”
    â€œI guess I should lecture you on the importance of sleep at this moment but—” he held up the scarf “—this is too good.”
    â€œYou really think so?” The breathless tone in her voice made her cringe inwardly.
    â€œI really know so.”
    â€œThen I know it’s going to an appreciative home,” she quipped.
    He stared at her. “You made this for me?”
    Fiddling with a corner of the scarf that draped across her leg, she nodded. “It’s the least I could do after you set up that lesson and all.”
    â€œYou had a wish. And I had an in for making it happen.”
    â€œA wish,” she repeated.
    â€œA little wish,” he corrected. Lifting the scarf once again, he looped it around his neck and leaped to his feet. With six quick strides he was across the room and back again, a familiar gift box in his hands. “You left this here yesterday.”
    â€œI know.”
    He handed it to her. She handed it back.
    â€œDon’t you want to hang it on your tree?”
    â€œI’ve decided not to decorate a tree this year, after all.”
    â€œC’mon, you have—”
    She cut him off midprotest. “I just can’t. But it would mean a lot to me if you hung it on your tree instead.”
    He looked from her to the ornament and