Maverick Holiday Magic. Teresa Southwick

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      “You’re younger than I thought you’d be.”

      And you’re even more handsome than you sounded on the phone. For a split second Merry Matthews was afraid she’d said that out loud. When the wariness in his green eyes didn’t change to fear of the crazy woman, she figured the thought stayed in her head where it belonged.

      She’d heard rumors in town about his exceptional good looks, but she had been woefully unprepared to see Hunter Crawford in the flesh. Then his deep voice had her nerve endings sparking and momentarily shorted out a commonsense answer. Now he was staring at her as if her hair was on fire. It was time to say something.

      “I’m Meredith Matthews but everyone calls me Merry.” She was standing on the front porch of his log cabin house on the Ambling A Ranch. The man practically filled the doorway and she was looking up at him. “And I’m not sure how to respond to that remark about my age, Mr. Crawford.”

      “Sorry. It’s just that my daughter talked about you and I just expected—” He shook his head and looked sheepish and, actually, pretty adorable. A dashing cowboy dressed in a snap-front shirt, worn jeans and boots. There was probably a Stetson around somewhere but he wasn’t wearing it. His short hair was light brown and there was the slightest indentation in his chin. “I apologize. That was rude.”

      “Not really. If you think about it, there’s no way to go wrong when you judge a woman’s age on the younger side.”

      “I suppose that’s true enough. But now I’ve kept you standing outside in the cold. Please come in.” He opened the heavy door wider and stepped back to let her enter.

      Merry glanced at the interior and liked what she saw. There were wood floors with colorful braided rugs strategically scattered over the surface. A comfortable blue couch and a leather recliner were arranged in front of a flat screen TV housed in an entertainment center. On the opposite wall a fireplace held freshly chopped wood just waiting for a match to light it. The place had a woodsy feel and was very cozy.

      When she looked at the man again, any hint of sheepishness had disappeared, and he was all business. Which he should be. After all, this was a job interview.

      “Please have a seat.” He indicated the sofa and took the chair at a right angle to it. “As I said on the phone, Wren mentioned you for a child-care position that I need to fill.”

      “I’m looking forward to hearing more about it.” She really needed the money and appreciated this chance.

      What she made as an aide at Rust Creek Falls Elementary School didn’t go far enough now. Since her father’s death, she’d had to shut down his electrician business and there went her extra income. This could be the break she so badly needed.

      She settled her purse beside her and rested the folder she’d brought on her knees. “How can I help you?”

      “My brother is getting married in a couple of weeks. It’s a destination wedding, in Colorado. A place called Rustler’s Notch. Have you heard of it?”

      She shook her head. “Sounds quaint and colorful. And interesting.”

      Exasperation flashed in his eyes, a clue that there was a story here. “Mostly it’s inconvenient.”

      “How so?”

      “My father is sparing no expense and insists the whole family be there.”

      “That’s very generous of him. And I can see how you’d think it’s incredibly unreasonable,” she teased. “Is there a problem?”

      Irritation flashed in his eyes again but this time it was directed at her. “I have five brothers. Four of them are married. One has a baby. They’ve offered to help keep an eye on Wren and have the best of intentions, but all of them have distractions. The bottom line is that she’s my responsibility. My daughter is at that stage where she’s curious and likes to explore, and while I like to think I can keep up with her, sometimes one person isn’t enough.”

      Merry had taken his daughter under her wing on her first day of school. Wren had been new to town and frightened and Merry understood how that felt because growing up she’d been the new kid a lot. Her father had moved around for work and she’d changed schools often. So it had become her mission to make Wren Crawford comfortable, introduce her to the other kids and facilitate friendships. The little girl had made passing comments about her life. Her mother was dead and her father was sad sometimes.

      She folded her hands and set them on the file folder in her lap. “Wild guess here. You don’t want to go to the wedding.”

      He grinned wryly. “And I thought I was being subtle. To be honest, I’d rather not. But I can’t let my daughter miss out on the chance to be a flower girl, which she wants more than another princess doll. Also I’m a groomsman, so...”

      “You don’t feel you have much choice.”

      “Yes. And—” His gaze narrowed.

      Merry had the fleeting thought that his intensity brought out a dark, brooding and slightly dangerous side that made her insides quiver. And that reaction needed to stay inside if she was going to land this gig. “Is something wrong?”

      “You’re judging,” he accused.

      “I’m not,” she lied. “Just clarifying. Trying to determine your expectations for the child-care professional you’re looking to hire.”

      He nodded. “Because of the commitments I have at the event, it will be impossible for me to keep an eye on Wren one hundred percent of the time, and while of course I want someone to watch her when I can’t, it would be great if that person could really relate to her.” His mouth pulled tight for a moment. “I want someone who is nurturing, caring and warm with my daughter.” Another slight grin ghosted across his face. “No self-defense training is required.”

      “Your little girl is an angel. I think I can handle the above qualifications without breaking a sweat.”

      “Wren really seems to like you. But she’s a kid. How do I know you’re the best person for this position?”

      “I brought references.” Based on the few things his daughter had said, she’d had a feeling she might need more than just her sincere and friendly smile to get this job. She handed him the folder.

      He opened it and glanced through the papers there. “What’s this?”

      “My résumé. Also I’ve included business, personal and educational references.” They were all glowing declarations of her interaction with people in general and children in particular.

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