are no openings where I applied. Besides, I have no references.”
An idea formed. He had to tread carefully, though, because he didn’t want to push Maggie the wrong way. “Have you ever worked construction or anything like that?”
She didn’t answer.
Oh well, it had only been a hope. He’d been lucky that Shirley had experience in that area. Still, maybe if this woman could just keep good notes…
“I worked in a building company,” Maggie said, breaking into his thoughts. “I did everything from dealing with the people who ordered lumber to talking with people who were building their own houses. I loved that. I thought, at one time, building would be my future.”
She had a distant look. He wondered what experience from her memories of that job had to do with the lingering pain in her eyes. He couldn’t help but ask, “Why aren’t you still there?”
Maggie snapped back to the present, the wary look returning. “No reason. Why are you asking me all these questions?”
He smiled. “I just might know of a job.”
He turned in to the trailer park. “But why don’t we talk about that after I get your car fixed, okay?”
“Sure,” she said.
He didn’t hear much hope in her voice, though.
“It pays better than a fast-food restaurant, and I think you’ll be perfect,” he added, and was glad he did when he saw a small spark of hope in her eyes.
“I’ll go fix dinner,” she said. “If you’ll excuse me…”
Jake turned off the engine and slipped out. After going around to her side of the vehicle, he opened her door to assist her down. “I appreciate the meal. Watch your step here,” he warned, realizing he’d parked in a huge puddle.
Jake reached up to help her at the same time her foot slipped on the running board. She fell forward against him.
He caught her small body against his, feeling her arms snake around his neck for support. The soft smell of strawberries wafted up from somewhere. He gazed into her deep-green eyes and saw her hint of dismay.
Then it registered what else he was feeling.
His eyes widened, and he glanced down. Sure enough. Though they were touching in the middle, the rest of her body came nowhere near to touching him.
He thought of the pictures of starving kids in Africa but of course knew that wasn’t her problem.
Totally surprised, he looked back into her eyes and said, “You’re pregnant”
“Gee,” she replied, roughly, her eyes brimming with sudden defiance and a cynical smile slowly twisting her lips, “what was your first clue?”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
Maggie shrugged. “No big deal,” she said. And it wasn’t She had no business thinking of this man the way she had been thinking of him.
“Go on and fix the car. I have to prepare dinner.”
She walked off, leaving him standing there gaping. No wonder he’d been so nice to her, she thought dispiritedly. He hadn’t realized she was pregnant How could he have missed it?
After unlocking the dead bolt, she went inside before pushing the metal door closed behind her.
Wearily Maggie took off her raincoat and her shoes. She was soaked. She went to the bathroom, grabbed a towel to dry her hair, then combed the long curly red strands before clipping it back out of her face with a large clasp. Gazing at herself in the mirror, she realized she looked tired. Purple circles shadowed her eyes.
She’d get some sleep tonight, she vowed. No more nightmares.
She changed into a blue summer dress with flowers. She’d found it at a secondhand store. “Beggars couldn’t be choosers,” the saying went. And it was true. She’d learned a lot about shopping and buying things she wouldn’t necessarily have ever considered before. However, the dress looked okay on her. She would have preferred green or black, but blue it was.
Maggie pulled on a pair of fuzzy slippers. With a long sigh she pushed herself up and then padded back into the kitchen to see what she had to fix.
She wondered if Jake was still out there, or if had he run as soon as she was out of sight. He’d been shocked enough to want nothing more to do with her.
Pulling back the flowered curtain, she peeked out the kitchen window. Nope, he and his friend were still there, working on her car, talking—probably about her. Slightly curly, dark-brown hair was slicked down against Jake’s head. His wide shoulders blocked out most of the engine as he pointed to something and motioned at Tyler.
When he’d first stopped she’d been frightened. Of course, that was a leftover from the past, from things she tried to forget. Since she knew what an acquaintance could do to a woman, a stranger automatically made her nervous. People didn’t really help other people. She didn’t believe it.
But Jake had been willing to help her.
She still couldn’t get over how friendly he had been, or how willing to help. She knew nothing about him. He didn’t know her, yet he’d pulled more information out of her than anyone else had over the past six months.
He was easy to talk to. Too easy.
And she’d been glad to have him there. That had made her automatically nervous. She didn’t need anyone. She’d learned that, and she wasn’t about to risk it now. But if she decided to take a chance, she thought, glancing out the window again, she’d definitely want it to be with him.
He certainly was gorgeous, she acknowledged as she watched him stand up straight Tall, a good six inches taller than her, and strong. He’d held her above the ground a minute ago while staring into her eyes as her condition dawned on him. He hadn’t acted as though she weighed anything. But where strength had scared her before, it was strangely reassuring when coming from the man with the gentle eyes. While her heart had been tripping over a surprising attraction, his had been recoiling at his discovery.
Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. It had to be her hormones that had made her react to the man.
Maggie opened her cabinets, trying to figure out what to fix. It’d been a while since she’d cooked. She was very careful and rationed her food to make it last Two bags of egg noodles, one larger bag of spaghetti noodles, four cans of tomato sauce, various spices, six macaroni-and-cheese dinners.
Spaghetti it was. She couldn’t offer him any of the other supplies.
She went to her freezer and looked in. One small container of hamburger meat and a whole chicken sat there.
She’d splurge and add meat to the spaghetti sauce. She pulled the meat out and put it in the frying pan to thaw, wishing again for a microwave.
But she couldn’t afford a microwave without a job. Nor would she be able to afford more groceries. That’s why her car was so important. Next week’s paycheck was supposed to go for groceries.
This week’s had to go for rent. She rented on a month-to-month basis, with the understanding that if she dropped over fifteen days behind she’d be evicted. She had three days to go.
Her jobs just weren’t bringing in enough money to support her, and she didn’t know what she was going to do.
When she’d walked in today and seen her manager’s face, she’d realized her parents had found out where she was.
Maggie had asked the manager point-blank if her parents were behind her dismissal. He’d avoided her eyes