Maggie Undercover (6 page)

Hugging her middle, Maggie eased out of the
car.

"I think Maggie's ready to quit for today,
sweetheart. You and I can do the carving."

"No, she promised." Alexandra pulled away
from his touch and stomped her foot, revealing a petulant,
demanding side to her personality he hadn't yet seen. Part of it he
knew came from being over tired, but another part was pure
stubbornness. Though it was part of her emergence from the grieving
process, Jared didn't welcome it right now with Maggie watching.
Nothing but time and patience would end the storm that was about to
erupt.

"Alexandra…" he started.

"No, she's right. I did promise. And I'm not
tired. Let's you and I get the tools. Your dad can carry in the
pumpkins." She turned to him and held out her hand. "The house key
please."

Reprieved from having to be the heavy parent
and ruin a delightful day, he complied without argument.

With things going her way Alexandra's pout
disappeared. Like a docile puppy she followed Maggie into the
house.

A few minutes after they settled down on to
the porch and began working on the pumpkins, Bobby and Lisa showed
up. Heads bent together the three children argued without heat as
to the best way to carve the pumpkins. Bobby lobbied for scary,
gruesome faces, while Lisa and Alexandra wanted ones with sweet
smiles. Maggie resolved the conflict by pointing out that there
were more than enough pumpkins to do both. With innate skill she
directed the children's high spirits and energy. She knew when to
step in and help and when to sit back and let them find the answers
themselves.

"Hello."

He looked up and muffled a groan. The Widow
Larkins was coming up the walk. She'd been a godsend since he and
Alexandra had moved in, stepping in when his regular sitter
couldn't watch Alexandra. With his parents in Florida, she stood in
as a substitute grandmother. A widow with no children or
grandchildren, she'd adopted the whole town as her family. But her
blunt manner and ability to ferret out secrets made him
uncomfortable. She considered everyone's business her own and
didn't hesitate to hand out unwanted advice. A large basket hung
over each arm.

"I saw you working out here on those pumpkins
and thought you might appreciate something to eat." She held out
one of the laden baskets.

"Thank you, Mrs. Larkins. Won't you join
us?"

"No, I'm on my way to the church for the
senior social. But I appreciate the offer. You're a nice boy, Jared
Blake. You do your parents proud." She reached over and patted his
head like he was five years old.

Jared felt himself coloring. At Alexandra's
giggle he looked over and caught Maggie's grin.

The widow looked over at the children, her
sharp gaze focused on Maggie. "There's pumpkin muffins and cider
for you. I would have made hot chocolate, but it's a mite too warm
today. Enjoy."

"Thank you Mrs. Larkins," the children
chorused as the large woman made her way down the walk. Ignoring
the adults they dug into the treats.

The fragrant scent of the widow's steaming
pumpkin muffins made his mouth water. He took a bite. Tastes
exploded on his tongue triggering memories. Widow Larkins did have
her good points. He sighed in pleasure.

"These bring back my childhood. She's been
making pumpkin muffins for me since I was a boy. They're my
favorite. I didn't realize just how much I've missed them these
last ten years. Store bought doesn't compare."

"They're delicious," Maggie mumbled around a
mouthful of muffin.

"Widow Larkins' baking is famous in town.
Before her husband passed on and she retired they owned the bakery
in town. She still goes in every day to make sure the new owner -
they've owned the place fifteen years now – keeps up her standards.
I think she had it written into the contract."

He watched Maggie smile. A large crumb teeter
at the corner of her lips then tumbled down in to the open V of his
jacket. The crumb came to rest on the rise of her breasts just
above the green trim of her top. Leather rippled and as he blinked
the crumb disappeared. "What was that?"

"Nothing." She tugged the zipper up and
shifted away from his gaze.

Bathed by the full afternoon sun and
sheltered from the breeze the porch grew warm as they worked on the
pumpkins. Jared shed his sweatshirt and rolled up his shirtsleeves.
Alexandra took off her jacket, but Maggie remained bundled in his
leather jacket. Every so often he caught her hugging her waist and
pushing her nose beneath the zipper. Something was going on here
and he was going to find out what.

"Are you still cold?" he asked.

She looked up from where she sat cross-legged
on the floor. "Huh? No. Not really."

"Then why don't you take off my jacket and
help us out here." He motioned with slippery hands toward the
mounds of yellowy-orange pumpkin guts piled atop the newspaper
covering the wooden floor.

"You're doing just fine." She gave him a smug
smile.

"Hey, kids. Do you think it's fair that we're
doing all the work, getting all messy while Maggie sits there and
directs?" He held up his arms, dripping from fingertips to elbows
with orange slime.

The children squealed in agreement and turned
towards her.

Maggie eyed the four sets of goop-covered
hands. She scooted backwards and scrambled to her feet. "You
wouldn't dare. Your jacket will be ruined."

"Take it off." He scooped up a handful of
pumpkin guts.

"No."

"Then I'll take my chances. Let's get
her."

Shrieking in mock horror she bolted from the
porch, three small banshees and one large, grinning predator in hot
pursuit. Leaves crunched beneath her feet as she raced around the
house looking for a place to hide. The large backyard with its
scattering of trees and wooded border offered a multitude of hiding
spots. Breathing heavy she leaned against the side of the house and
listened for her pursuers. She'd lost them.

Disturbed by the loud noises and sudden
motion the puppy woke. Frightened it squirmed in her grip. She
sucked in her breath as his claws raked over her belly, ripping the
thin nylon of her tank top and drawing blood.

"Sh-h-h," she soothed him. "It's okay."

He wiggled his head upward until it popped
out under her chin. Warm and wet his tongue bathed her throat. She
buried her nose in his fur.

"I don't know why I'm keeping you a secret. I
can't keep you, you know. Daniel's allergic to anything with fur
and my apartment back in L.A. doesn't allow pets. But I can't
abandon you to a shelter. No one has ever picked me to take care of
him before. Don't worry we'll figure something out."

Sudden warmth stung the scratches on her
belly. "Oh, gross." She yanked down the zipper and snatched out the
puppy. Tongue lolling out of his smiling mouth, he hung in her
hands a sorry bundle of damp, malodorous fur.

"There you are."

She spun to face Jared as he came around the
side of the house. He stopped a couple feet away.

"What in the world is that?"

"A puppy."

Nose wrinkling, he came closer and peered at
the animal. "Are you sure?"

She tucked the puppy close to her chest.
"I'll have you know this animal comes from the finest stock."

"Musk ox is my guess. I can smell him from
here. Where did you find him?" He looked around the yard.

"Next to the highway by the pumpkin farm. He
was in a garbage bag. Someone must have thrown him out of their
car."

Jared muttered a curse. "Is he injured? Why
didn't you tell me right away?

Why hadn't she? She wasn't sure.

"He seems fine. I didn't want to disrupt the
day. Until he's checked out by a vet, who knows what kind of germs
he has."

"Good thinking. A puppy would be more
interesting than pumpkins, but I doubt he's dangerous to anyone.
Can I see him?"

Reluctantly she handed him the puppy. Without
his warm, damp body against her, she felt cold and empty.

The puppy whimpered in protest but settled
down under Jared's gentle touch. "Ugly little fellow, aren't
you."

"He is not ugly. Once he's clean I think
he'll have the prettiest white fur, with black ears and tail. He
just needs a bath." She jumped to the puppy's defense.

"So does someone else I know. Guess you
didn't need pumpkin guts to ruin my jacket or your top."

His gaze lingered on her chest. Beneath her
breasts her once bright orange tank top was wet, torn and dirty.
She clutched his jacket closed. "I'm sorry about your jacket. I'll
pay to have it cleaned."

"Don't worry about it. It suffered for a good
cause. Let's check this fellow out. I'm not a vet, but nothing
feels broken. His eyes are clear. His nose is wet and cold. Aside
from being dirty and skinny, I'd say he's healthy enough. He looks
about five to six weeks old. A little young to leave his mama."

She reached out and took the puppy back. "I'd
like to find the person who dumped him. He's so small."

"He may be little now, but when he grows into
those paws he's going to be a big dog. What are you going to do
with him?"

"I don't know. Dan-Daddy's allergic to
anything with fur."

"There's a no-kill shelter outside of town.
I'm sure once he's cleaned up they'll be able to find a home for
him."

"No! No," she repeated in a softer tone. Over
his shoulder she caught a glimpse of the Alexandra coming around
the side of the house toward them. The solution hit her. "I have a
much better idea. I'll give him to you."

"Wait a minute."

"Too late." She grinned. "Alexandra's already
seen him. Try and say no to her now."

Jared turned and groaned in what sounded like
defeat to Maggie.

"A puppy!" Alexandra rushed up to Maggie.
"Can I hold him? Is he yours? Where did he come from? He's
beautiful. Does he have a name?"

Maggie just looked over at Jared and waited.
His shoulders heaved in a silent sigh.

"He's a stray. Maggie found him out by the
pumpkin farm. We're going to take him over to the shelter."

"Oh, Daddy, no. Can we keep him? Please,
Daddy, please. I'll never ask for another thing ever in my life.
I've always wanted a puppy, but Grandmother and Grandfather said
they were dirty, smelly things that carry germs that make children
sick."

"Pompous old prigs," he muttered so only
Maggie could hear. "Well, they had the dirty, smelly part right,"
he added in a louder voice.

Maggie gave him a smug look. "I think little
Ugly has found a home."

"He is not ugly," Alexander said. "And Bobby
and Lisa have dogs and they don't get sick, at least not more than
I do," she added with typical honesty.

Still, he tried to hedge. "He has to see the
vet first before we'll know if we can keep him."

But it was obvious Alexandra only heard the
'keep him' part of the sentence. "Thank you. Thank you, Daddy. Let
me hold him."

The puppy strained toward Alexandra as she
reached for him. She cradled him her arms and giggled when he
proceeded to wash her face. Though Maggie knew it was for the best,
her life didn't allow room for a puppy, she couldn't stop the pain.
She'd miss the little critter. In the short time since she'd found
him he'd burrowed deep into her heart, reminding her that it was
safer not to let yourself care. Caring for someone or something
made you weak and vulnerable. Long ago she'd learned to be strong,
learned to survive alone.

"Let's get him inside, give him a bath and
something to eat."

Having heard the commotion Bobby and Lisa
arrived. "Our mom knows a lot about animals. She works for the vet.
If you want, she can look at the puppy," Bobby offered.

"We can give him a bath and some food at our
house. We've got all the stuff," Lisa added.

"Can we?" Alexandra asked.

"Sure. Go on." Jared waved them away.

After they charged off he turned to Maggie.
Humor and the promise of retribution glinted in his dark eyes. "I
owe you one, Ms. McCade. And I always pay my debts."

***

First thing Monday morning Jared knocked then
stuck his head into Grace Matthews' office. "You wanted to see
me?"

"Yes, come in and sit down. Please close the
door."

A too well remembered knot formed in his gut
as he moved into the neat, organized office of Council Falls High
School's current principal. He still remembered the dread he'd felt
ten years ago when Principal Harold Matthews had first told him the
Campbell girl had accused him of inappropriate conduct. Forcing
himself to relax he sat. "What's up?"

Grace paused for a moment to remove the
reading glasses perched on her nose. A trim, brunette in her
mid-forties she didn't fit his image of what a high school
principal should look like. Harold Matthews, now retired, with his
plump body and balding head had filled the role of father confessor
to his students and benevolent dictator to his teaching staff.

Jared could picture Grace at the head of a
Fortune 500 company boardroom. But like her father, Harold, and her
grandfather before him she'd chosen the field of education. She was
Council Falls first female principal and when she'd been hired for
the position three years ago, the youngest. Ten years Jared's
senior, she'd been his baby-sitter on more than one occasion. He'd
known her all his life.

"Jared, I hear that you're conducting
tutoring sessions from your home.

His stiffened. "There's nothing unusual about
that. Many of the teachers do extra tutoring from their homes. And
the computer club often meets in my home."

"Yes, I know. But considering your past -
experience, do you think it's wise for you to do so?"

He started to stand. "Are you ordering me to
stop?"

"Oh, do sit down, Jared. Don't loom. I'm not
intimidated and you're giving me a crick in my neck. I can see why
you bolted from teaching ten years ago. When I hired you I thought
you'd learned to control that righteous indignation of yours."