Magic Man Read online

  The smirk on his face told me he knew exactly who wore them. I snatched them away from him and stuffed them back in the broken suitcase, along with the other offending items. Smiling, he bent over and picked up the whole bag, holding it in such a way the broken zipper wouldn’t matter.

  I was so flustered I didn’t know where to look. Ivy saved me by handing me her box to hold, carefully not meeting my eyes. I knew she wanted to laugh. Hell, I wanted to laugh, but not now, not yet. Ivy grabbed another small box from the car, and Maxwell turned toward the barn.

  I followed after him. He bypassed the enormous rolling doors and went straight to a side door. He opened it and indicated we should head up the stairs.

  Conscious of his eyes on my backside, I headed up after Ivy. Maybe I was imagining his eyes on me? I wasn’t sure he even liked me. It was probably the long drive and the crazy heat getting to me.

  There was a short hallway at the top of the stairs with two doors leading to unknown destinations. I paused to wait for Maxwell to tell us which way to go next.

  Maxwell joined us outside of the first door. “This is the laundry room. It’s where we wash the horse blankets and whatever. It’s also your laundry room for your, uh, personal items.” He cut his eyes at me, smirking again.

  I blushed and had to look away.

  Maxwell continued to the second door and somehow managed to pull a set of keys out of his pocket without dropping my suitcase. “This is your apartment.” He unlocked the door and shouldered it open. Placing my luggage down just inside the door, he turned back to me and grabbed the box I was carrying and put it down next to the suitcase. He repeated that maneuver with Ivy’s load, and then he handed me the keys.

  The rush of cool air-conditioned air soothed me as I walked into the apartment.

  “One key is for that outside door. We don’t usually keep that one locked, but now that you are living here, I thought you might appreciate it being secure.” Maxwell waved a hand back toward the hallway. “Especially if you are going to be doing laundry across the hall. There’s good security on the estate, so it’s really safe here, but two pretty ladies living together can never be too careful.”

  He winked at Ivy, who smiled back at him with no hesitation. Hmm. My daughter was usually a little shy. Interesting.

  Maxwell stood back while I glanced over the furnished apartment.

  Ivy and I had lived in all sorts of housing before, good and bad, so we were not snobs. My only requirement was that it had to be safe. Dirty I could clean up, and dated décor didn’t matter, either. I needed my kid to be safe at all times. That was priority number one.

  But I had never expected this. The apartment was incredible. Ivy twirled in the middle of the living room, excited, trying to take it all in at once. The living room alone was the size of our entire last place. Light hardwood floors flowed beneath our feet. A big window at one end let in plenty of light and wooden, whitewashed shutters stood ready to provide privacy. A white slipcovered sofa sat opposite a brick fireplace, and a large television was mounted above it.

  Maxwell noticed where I was looking. “The fireplace is gas, and the remotes for it and the TV are in the end table drawer. I’m sure you were told that basic cable is included with your accommodations.”

  I nodded, still shocked that we would be living in such a beautiful place.

  Ivy grabbed her dark red braid and tugged. “That’s the biggest TV I’ve ever seen.”

  We didn’t even have a television in our last apartment.

  I stepped toward the kitchen. There was no dining area, but the living room and kitchen were separated by a long granite counter with bar stools. The kitchen itself had lovely whitewashed cabinets and gleaming stainless steel appliances, including a dishwasher. Maxwell showed us the large double pantry and the built-in, commercial coffee maker. I was so stunned by how nice the accommodations were I was struck speechless, at least for the moment.

  Past the kitchen was another short hallway. Maxwell showed us a linen closet and three bedrooms. Two of the bedrooms had large, cedar-lined closets and shared a bathroom with a double sink and a tiled tub/shower combination. Both bedrooms came equipped with queen beds and matching dressers. Ivy would be very comfortable in either of the rooms.

  “Do I get my own bedroom here?” Ivy did another twirl as she spoke and then bounced gently on the bed. Her tone was hushed, as if afraid she would disturb someone by speaking.

  Maxwell regarded her with a tender expression. I realized my child was giving away how tight our situation was, and I cleared my throat.

  “Sure, Ivy, pick out the bedroom you like best, and after I get paid, we’ll buy new bedding for you.” I was a little worried because I knew I wouldn’t get paid for at least two weeks, and the bedding I had packed was for a double bed. Oh, well. She could sleep with me in the meanwhile, and we would stretch the sheets out and make them work somehow. She had slept with me for the last two years in our little studio apartment that had come with my most recent job.

  Maxwell smiled at her. “While you are deciding on a bedroom, I’m going to show mom the master bedroom, okay?”

  Ivy waved a hand, already distracted by the empty bookcase. I knew she was imagining putting all of her books there, instead of keeping them in packing boxes like we usually had to do.

  I followed Maxwell across the hall to the master bedroom. More hardwood flooring here like in the rest of the apartment, and a queen bed with a wrought iron headboard dominated the space. I knew it would be pretty with my grandmother’s quilts stretched across the bed and a couple of Ivy’s paintings hung on the wall.

  I stepped into the private bathroom and gasped. I couldn’t help it. I found a large, claw-footed bathtub for soaking and a separate shower, along with two sinks. There was a massive walk-in closet, and another linen closet in here completed the luxurious setup.

  Maxwell smiled. “I take it the apartment meets your specifications?”

  I looked at him as if he was crazy. He had to be. “I don’t think I have enough belongings to do this place justice, but we will do our best. It’s perfect and definitely more than I was expecting.”

  Maxwell indicated I should follow him again. We went back into the living room, and he showed me double French doors I hadn’t even noticed earlier. They led to a large screened porch that overlooked a beautiful green pasture. Several gorgeous horses were grazing the lush grass down below.

  Tears filled my eyes. This was by far the most beautiful place I had ever lived in. I tried to compose myself and act like this was all perfectly normal, but I knew I couldn’t pull it off.

  “Thank you, Maxwell. This apartment is exactly what we needed.” I braced myself against the wall and wrenched my gaze away from the horses below me.

  Maxwell nodded. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of currency. “I’ll just give you your hiring bonus now. I hope cash is okay.”

  “Hiring bonus?” I was confused. I didn’t remember any discussion of a hiring bonus.

  Maxwell didn’t look at me while he peeled off several bills. “Nathan probably forgot to mention it to the hiring agency. We always give a bonus to our live-in staff to help them get settled into their accommodations.”

  I smelled a rat. “A bonus isn’t necessary. I’m sure anything we might need can wait until payday but thank you.” My voice was as chilly as the air conditioning.

  Maxwell’s eyes were just as cool when he regarded me with one hand outstretched with the money. “I’m afraid I must insist, Millicent. You wouldn’t want my employer to get angry with me because I didn’t fulfill the terms of the contract to the letter, now would you?”

  I was confused. I was sure no one had mentioned a bonus to me before now, but Maxwell looked like he could care less if I took the money or not.

  Hesitant, I reached out, and he pressed the money into my reluctant hand.

  “Take the rest of the day to get settled. I’ll bring up a load or two of boxes, but I can’t stick around t
o help much because I have my own business to attend to.” And with that, Maxwell disappeared out of the door, leaving it open behind him.

  Ivy appeared, beaming from ear to ear. “Isn’t this place great?” She glanced down where I was still holding out my hand full of money. “Whoa. That’s a lot of cash.”

  I counted it out. Eight hundred dollars in new bills.

  A lot of cash, indeed.

  Three

  Maxwell showed up at my door again a couple of minutes later with a hand truck loaded down with boxes. It must have been a bitch to haul that up the stairs. The three of us made quick work unloading it, and when I thanked him, he grunted at me in response and disappeared again.

  We followed him down. One more trip with the hand truck loaded down again, and both Ivy and mine’s arms full of our belongings was almost enough to finish our moving experience. I stared at the small pile of our things in the living room and stammered out thanks to Maxwell for helping.

  His voice gruff, he replied, “No thanks are necessary. It’s too hot to be making a bunch of trips up and down those stairs with a lot of boxes, and working as a team, we made a quick job of it.” He nodded at me. “I’ll see you at eight in the morning to talk about your job responsibilities. I’ll meet you in the barn office on the first floor.”

  Ivy came in with the last suitcase as Maxwell nodded goodbye to me. He was a lot warmer to Ivy, tweaking her nose and her braid and making her laugh again. And then he was gone.

  Now that Maxwell was out of the apartment, I had to sit down. I collapsed on to the down cushions of the sofa and kicked off my shoes with a groan. “We made it, kid.”

  Ivy did a little dance of joy, and I envied her energy, but her next words made me groan again. “I’m hungry.”

  “Of course you are hungry. I think that’s your job these days...to eat as much as possible while staying thin as a reed.” I shook my head with affection as I surveyed my pretty girl. “One of these boxes has our snack stash in it. Let’s unpack everything, and we will snack while we work.”

  Ivy was agreeable to this plan, and we started working side by side. It didn’t take us long to unpack most of the boxes, and Ivy grabbed a stack of towels and headed to the bathrooms with them.

  I broke down the boxes with care. You never knew when we might have to move again. My previous job had lasted two full years before my boss revealed his lecherous intent. Hopefully, this one would last at least that long.

  My daughter deserved to live with stability, to get to go to a local school and make friends. I was good at my job, and so I was confident I could make this job work.

  Regardless, I kept the folded moving boxes and slipped them into the guest room closet. It’s always good to have a backup plan when you are a single mom.

  Ivy breezed in, waving a bag of popcorn. “Can we make this? There’s a microwave built in over the stove.”

  Our last apartment hadn’t had a microwave or a stove. Just a few cabinets, a sink, and a tiny refrigerator. For anything else, we had to venture into the barn common areas and use the more public kitchen there.

  Ivy and I grinned at each other. “I’ll race you to the kitchen.” She squealed and took off, and I struggled to get to my feet.

  I needed a nap after this popcorn. The long night of driving was catching up to me. I appreciated that my new employer was giving me the whole day to settle in before putting me to work.

  We shared the bag of popcorn on our screened porch. A fan spun slowly over our heads, and automatic misters helped keep us cool. The deep overhang of the roof and the eastern-facing direction of our view helped, too. It was too hot to stay out for long, however, and soon I was draping the too-small sheets over my bed and settling down for a nap. Ivy elected to curl up on the couch with her sketchpad and the TV remote, but I could tell by her eyes that she wouldn’t be awake for long. I draped a light blanket over the arm of the couch so it would be within reach if needed, and I put her pillow behind her back.

  I stretched out on my new bed and marveled at how comfortable the mattress felt. I twirled a corner of my pillow and closed my eyes, sighing. The pillow still smelled like our old home, an unpleasant combination of musty carpet and wet plaster. I would rather concentrate on something more enjoyable.

  Immediately, Maxwell’s gorgeous face sprang into my mind. Ugh. Stop it, Millie. There was no way I would willingly jeopardize my new job by getting involved with my employer, not that he even seem interested in me. Despite my fervid vow, a smiled ghosted my lips as I drifted off into sleep, thinking of his dark eyes.

  WHEN I WOKE UP, I FOUND Ivy sketching in her room. Her sleep-tousled hair told me she had enjoyed a good nap, too, but she had awoken before me.

  “What are you doing, Picasso?” I sat down next to her, cross-legged.

  “I’m more of a Monet today, I think.” Ivy held up her drawing for my inspection.

  Sure enough, she was drawing the duck pond that was visible from her bedroom window. A landscape instead of a portrait today.

  “Love it. And isn’t this a better view than the one we had of the parking lot back in Texas?” I bumped shoulders with her and continued looking at her sketch. She was so talented, and I felt a familiar pang that I had never been able to afford art lessons for her.

  This new job was going to change all of that.

  “Sure is. I guess this means I will turn out to be a romantic painter who creates gentle poetry on canvases, instead of the gritty, urban artist who creates industrial art.” She spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, but I caught the mischievous twinkle in her eye.

  I turned and stared at her. “How old are you again? I don’t think I had a baby nine years ago. I think I hatched an alien.”

  Ivy giggled, turning back into a kid right before my eyes. I loved all the sides of my Ivy.

  “What say we head into town? My hiring bonus is screaming “spend me” right now. We could check out the metropolis that is Peacock, and maybe we will find a store with some cool sheets and comforters for our new beds. We need some groceries, too.” I stood and stretched, already knowing what her answer will be.

  Ivy jumped up, ready to go. “Good idea. I guess we could live off our supply of microwave popcorn, but it’s probably not a great life plan.”

  Soon we were headed to the small town of Peacock, Mississippi, a short drive away. We drove down the main street with great anticipation but found little more than a bar named Maude’s, some law offices and other businesses Ivy pronounced boring, and a cute little bakery with the confusing name of Bob’s Bait and Tackle.

  We pulled up to the bakery, and I parked the car. “Let’s grab a cupcake and get the scoop on this town. I need to know where everyone shops or we will be stuck with that popcorn, after all.”

  Ivy scrambled out of the car before I could even get my seatbelt off. I heard the ding of the bell over the door as she held it open for me.

  We walked into the bakery together, and I silently thanked God for air conditioning. A pretty blonde about my age was wiping down a countertop, but she looked up with a smile.

  “Welcome to Bob’s Bait!”

  I smiled back. “I don’t know if I should order worms or a brownie. What do you recommend?”

  The girl laughed. “The worms used to be great, back when Uncle Bob was running this place, but we haven’t sold them in some time. I recommend you get something sweeter today.”

  Ivy was already studying the contents of the glass case. “I think I want one of these cupcakes with the pink icing.”

  The girl slipped behind the counter and pulled out a cupcake. “Here or to go?”

  “Here, please.” I looked at the display full of tempting goodies and made my choice. “And I would love one of those cinnamon rolls. Plus two milks.”

  The girl arranged our food on a tray and indicated we should choose a seat. She followed us to the big front window and placed our choices in front of us. Then she surprised me by pulling up a chair and sitting down close by.

>   I guess it’s true what they say about small Southern towns and their hospitality.

  “I’m Casey, the owner of this bakery. Are you passing through or new to town?” She leaned forward and started wiping at the table again, even though it looked spotless. Casey took pride in her bakery, that much was clear. The whole place was pristine, and one bite of the cinnamon roll told me it was made from scratch and was divine.

  I moaned a little around my bite of food, and I could see Ivy doing a happy dance as she enjoyed her cupcake.

  “We are new to town. I’m Millie, and this is my daughter, Ivy. I’ve started a job training horses outside of town, and we just moved here today.” I took a cool sip of milk. “My goodness. Do you do the baking? This roll is unreal.”

  “I hope unreal means it’s good, because, yes, I do all the baking.” Casey grinned at me. “You must be working for Nathan and Darby, out at Peacock Alley.”

  Surprised, I raised my eyebrows at her. “Yes, I am. How did you know that?”

  “Darby and I are good friends. She told me they had acquired some horses that were acting like problem children, so her husband was hiring a trainer.” Casey stood up and moved to a different table to continue her work, but still close enough we could talk.

  “Yep, I’m the trainer. I haven’t met the Randolphs yet. I met Mr. Maxwell this morning, though.” I frowned a little remembering my strange reaction to the handsome older man.

  Casey smiled. “Mr. Maxwell? Never heard him called that.”

  I liked her easy going ways, so I took a leap. “Can you take mercy on the new kid in town, and give me some information? Maxwell was hard to read, and I think I will be reporting directly to him. Anything I need to know?”

  Casey pulled a chair up to our table this time. “He’s a great guy. I’m sure he will be a fair boss.” She surveyed me closely. “And he’s easy on the eyes, that’s for sure.”

  I blushed, making her laugh again. “I don’t think that matters, since Mr. Maxwell is my boss, and a lot older than me, as well.” I felt awkward as hell all of a sudden.