A Mum For Amy. Ann Evans

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СКАЧАТЬ wished she could think that he’d aged horribly in eight years, that somehow an overachieving lifestyle and corporate stress had whittled him down. But the truth was, the picture on her computer hadn’t done him justice. He still had that vigorous, youthful strength about him. Not a touch of gray in his dark hair. Not one inch of flab at the waistline. His clothes only accentuated his power and grace, making Maggie wish she’d opted for her best suit instead of this too-casual skirt and blouse.

      She turned back to Teddy. “If I’ve interrupted anything, perhaps we could—”

      Teddy waved away the suggestion and motioned for her to take one of the vinyl-covered chairs in front of the desk. “No, no. You’re here now. Sit.”

      He indicated Will should do the same. That put him awfully close to Maggie, but there wasn’t much she could do about it. She lifted her chin a little. No way was she going to let him know his proximity bothered her.

      “Will is involved in every phase of the project, of course, so there’s nothing he can’t hear,” Teddy said. He gave Maggie a sharp look. “Tell me what’s on your mind. You look a little flustered.”

      That was the last thing she wanted either man to think. “No,” she said firmly. “I’m…I just drove up this morning. I’d like to find out where Sapphire Seas stands with this contract. Do we have it or not?”

      Teddy tilted his head at her. “You don’t waste any time, huh? Okay. Not.”

      Her heart swooped. Just as she’d feared. “You’ve signed with someone else?”

      “Not yet, but you’re out of the running, I’m afraid. I’m sorry. It’s just a business decision. You understand that, don’t you?”

      “Of course. If that’s what it really was. A business decision.”

      Teddy’s brow puckered. “What are you getting at?”

      Maggie’s eyes flicked toward Will. He sat utterly still, but distant, as though he could hardly expend the energy to listen. It only strengthened her resolve. “I’m a businesswoman,” she said, leaning slightly forward in her chair. “I can take bad news, Teddy. But I think I deserve complete honesty. I thought my bid on this project was fair—”

      “Your bid was fine.”

      “Then my designs, perhaps. Did you want something different? You seemed to like what I showed you.”

      “I did.”

      “Then why isn’t Sapphire Seas getting this job?”

      Will spoke up for the first time. “Miss Tillman, this project isn’t right for your company.”

      Maggie turned her head to give him a frank but carefully civil look. “I’d like to know why. And I’d like to hear that reason from Mr. LaCrosse, if you don’t mind.”

      Teddy laughed, a loud, genuine sound of amusement that drew her attention. “That’s one of the things I admire about you, Maggie. You’re not afraid to speak up.” He shook his head. “But it’s not enough.”

      “Then what is?”

      There was a moment’s pause. She saw Teddy’s glance cut to Will for an instant, but she refused to check his reaction or what signals he might be sending. Then Teddy crossed his arms, a silent indication that she wasn’t going to like what he had to say. “I need a company with deeper pockets and a full-time crew,” he told her. “Your guys are strictly job-to-job. You have equipment issues. That can create inconsistencies in production and quality.”

      Maggie shifted in frustration. “I told you what the company situation was when we first met and the measures I take to overcome challenges like that. That didn’t seem to be a problem then. In fact, you said you admired my entrepreneurial efforts because that’s how you’d gotten your start.”

      “Sapphire Seas is young. Too young for a job this size.”

      “What we lack in experience, we more than make up for in—”

      “Maggie, this project is a huge investment for me, and I have to believe that an older, more experienced outfit like Coastal Communities will meet our needs more effectively.”

      “Why must you believe that?” Maggie asked, running out of patience. She jerked her hand out to indicate Will seated beside her. “Because this man advised you to go with Coastal?”

      “As a matter of fact, I did,” Will admitted quietly.

      That nearly took Maggie’s breath away. She hated that he sounded so sure of himself, so superior. Inside, her blood seethed, but she’d never let him see just how much he’d upset her. “I knew you would,” she told him. “As soon as I saw your name attached to this, I knew you’d do everything you could to keep me from being involved. This isn’t a business decision. This is your personal, petty revenge.” She shook her head slowly. “It’s not worthy of you, Will. In the old days, you’d never have done something so underhanded.”

      The solid power of her anger left her unable to go on. They stared at one another. At least until Teddy cleared his throat and spoke up. “Would one of you like to tell me what’s going on here?”

      Will looked at Teddy. “Miss Tillman and I—”

      Maggie, her heart cold and hard as a jewel, couldn’t take any more. “For God’s sake,” she snapped. “Considering the fact that we slept together for almost a year, you’d think you could call me Maggie.”

      She felt her cheeks go hot, but frankly, she was pleased to see that Will was momentarily speechless. Obviously annoyed as hell, but speechless.

      Teddy raised a hand to catch their attention. “Hold on, you two. I love a good tussle, but let’s keep the gloves on.”

      Maggie wasn’t sure Will was listening. And she didn’t much care, because she was perfectly willing to go toe-to-toe with him now, even though she could hear her own heartbeats drumming in her ears. Will swung toward her, clearly intending to…

      Well, she didn’t know what he intended, and she never found out.

      At that moment, the construction trailer door was thrown wide, and a small, bustling tornado that turned into a little girl came barreling in. She headed straight for Will. When she got to his chair, she threw herself into his arms. The hard hat she wore, too big for her head, went flying, and a cascade of brown curls fell down her back.

      “Daddy!” she cried. “Look! I got scared, and so did my arms.”

      Maggie stared, transfixed not by the fact that the girl’s thin arms were covered in goose bumps, but by the realization that this child was evidently Will’s daughter.

      In all the scenarios she’d ever imagined for his future, a house bright and noisy with children had never been a consideration. Perhaps not even a wife. Silly, really, because Will, a handsome, successful man in his thirties, must surely have caught many a woman’s eye.

      She watched father and daughter interact, her mind straying into new and disturbing channels. A child. Family. Something she’d longed for once upon a time.

      Some queer pang stabbed her heart, СКАЧАТЬ