Moonlight Over Montana E-Book

Race Lucinda

• Herausgeber: MC Two Press
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Enjoy this clean, small town western romance by award winning and bestselling author, Lucinda Race.

Will a single mom find love with the handsome cowboy who saved her and her daughter from danger?

Single mom, Maggie Brady lives above the Filler Up Diner in River Junction, Montana. When fire destroys the business Maggie built, her good friend Jed Steel is there to help them escape from the harrowing flames. Except, the fire wasn't an accident. It was arson. Reluctantly, Maggie accepts the temporary home Jed offers, unsure why anyone would threaten her or her teenage daughter, Susie.

Tall, lanky, with a rolling gait, a salt and pepper mustache, and a quirky sense of humor, Jed is the primary caretaker of the horses at Grace Star Ranch. Disowned by his family, the cowboy has also had a soft spot for Maggie for a long time. However, he's never felt worthy of a woman like Maggie. How could she fall for somebody like him when his own family doesn't want him?

During their stay at the ranch, Jed teaches Susie to ride and helps her to develop into a talented barrel racer. And while Maggie has only seen Jed as a friend before, the moonlight over Montana is close to convincing her to take a second chance on love. But someone is watching Susie - someone who could use Susie's talent if only Maggie wasn't in the way. Will the secret that Susie's keeping destroy Maggie and Jed's romance before it has a chance to begin?

Moonlight Over Montana is the third novel in the Cowboys of River Junction Series, although each book can be read as standalone. A sweet and clean romantic story with a guaranteed happily ever after. Happy reading!

Leseprobe

MOONLIGHT OVER MONTANA

A SINGLE MOM CONTEMPORARY WESTERN ROMANCE

COWBOYS OF RIVER JUNCTION

BOOK THREE

LUCINDA RACE

MC TWO PRESS

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter One

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About the Author

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2023 Lucinda Race

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Author Lucinda Race.

Editor Kimberly Dawn

Cover design by Jody Kaye

Manufactured in the United States of America

First Edition September 2023

Print Edition ISBN 978-1-954520-67-7

E-book ISBN 978-1-954520-66-0

1

QUICK NOTE: If you enjoy Moonlight Over Montana, be sure to check out my offer for a FREE novella at the end. With that, happy reading!

Jed ran his thumb and forefinger over his thick mustache before jamming his hands in his front jeans pockets. The air had a northern bite to it as he ambled toward The Lucky Bucket. He was looking forward to working off some frustration by knocking little balls into a side pocket, which usually helped. If that didn’t, darts were the next best thing. He tipped the brim of his cowboy hat back and drank in the stars, grateful to be alive in Montana. He touched the fresh scar on his forehead and placed a protective hand over his still tender ribs. Only a few short weeks ago, his life had nearly come to an end at the hands of a crazy man. But luckily, he and Polly, the head gardener at Grace Star Ranch and his good friend, had survived being kidnapped and held at gunpoint.

He loved River Junction in the late fall, especially after the harvest and before preparations for winter began. These few weeks helped him transition from the ranch being busy to the long months of cold and snow ahead.

Inhaling deeply, he expected the sharp crisp air; instead, it was tinged with the acrid smell of smoke. He waited, listening, looking up and down Main Street. Each storefront was dark. Jed began walking to his left as the wind had shifted and the smell was stronger now. He picked up his pace and had his cell phone in his hand. The minute he located the fire, it had to be called in. With buildings this close, a chain reaction fire was a possibility. His heart rate increased as the smell grew in intensity and his steps slowed as he saw red and yellow flames inside the front windows of the Filler Up Diner. His heart stilled. Maggie’s place.

Hitting the emergency number, he got the address out and stashed his phone before he had even reached the front of the diner. At this time of night, Maggie and her teenage daughter should be upstairs. He banged with all his might on the front glass windows, but his fist barely made a thumping sound. He raced down the alley to the back staircase, stumbling over what looked to be a large can, catching himself before he did a face-plant. Looking up, he saw smoke was swirling around the top of the wooden stairs, and it was the only exit.

Taking them two at a time, Jed shouted, “Maggie. Fire!” He pounded on the door as hard as he could with both fists, “Mags! Fire!”

The door opened, and Maggie stared at him. She was wearing sweats, her feet bare, confusion on her face. “Jed, what’s going on?”

“Hurry. The diner is on fire. Where’s Susie?” He could tell the moment the sight and smell of smoke registered with her.

“She’s in her room.” Maggie moved down the hall and Jed grabbed her arm. “Get out. I’ll get her.”

She nodded and hurried back down the short hallway as Jed burst through a closed door. “Susie.”

A lump of covers was in the middle of the twin bed and a groan reached his ear.

“Five more minutes.”

He tugged on the blankets. “Come quick, there’s a fire.”

She threw back the covers and leaped from the bed, the color drained from her face. “Jed?”

“Come on, we have to get out of here.”

He tossed a bathrobe from the bottom of the bed in her direction. “Put this on, shoes if they’re close.”

A look of pure panic filled her face and she froze. “I need my stuff.”

He gestured to the door. “I don’t know how much time we have.” The wail of sirens reached his ears as they grew closer, and even though he wanted to feel relief, right now he needed to get Susie out of this building.

She began stuffing clothes, which were strewn around the room, into her backpack, along with her laptop and cell phone.

“Susie,” he coughed as the smoke grew thicker. “We have to go. Now.”

With a final look around, she stepped into a pair of cowboy boots and he slung the backpack over his shoulder and grabbed her hand. “Stay close behind me.” They made their way cautiously down the hall, pausing to look into the open living room where Maggie was stuffing a duffel bag.

He shouted, “Maggie!”

She glanced over her shoulder as he waved his arm in the direction of the back door. Relief coursed through him as she hurried toward them.

Jed eased open the door with caution, unsure what they’d find waiting for them. Would the stairs be on fire, cutting off their only escape? He stepped onto the landing, testing it for strength as he witnessed flames licking the bottom steps. He put Susie in front of him. “Go fast.”

“I can’t.” She clung to his arm as tears coursed down her cheeks.

“You must.” He gave her an encouraging squeeze on her arm and pointed down. “At the bottom, jump out as far as you can.” Flames were creeping up the side of the building, headed in their direction.

Maggie reached out and took her hand. “Susie, ready?”

She took a smoke-filled breath and started coughing before taking the first tentative step behind her mom. Jed was right behind them as the wooden stairs groaned with their combined weight, but they had to get down as fast as possible.

They had only gone down two stairs when Jed noticed the second stair had flames licking around the open side. “When you get down there, you have to jump.”

Neither mother nor daughter answered, but Maggie let go of Susie’s hand and rushed to the next to last step and jumped out as far as she could. Once she was on her feet, she extended her hand. “You can do this, Susie.”

The girl stalled as if her feet were welded to the steps from the heat. “Momma, I can’t.”

Her tears were coming faster and Jed could hear the overwhelming panic in her voice. He knew he had to act fast. “Maggie, catch!” He tossed the bag he had over his shoulder and didn’t bother to wait and see if she caught it. Slinging Susie over his left shoulder as if she were a sack of potatoes, he yelled above the roar of the fire, “No matter what, don’t let go of me.” He raced down a few stairs and then jumped out as far as he could, away from the flames. He collided with the ground on his right side, taking the full brunt of the impact to protect the girl. He hit so hard it jarred his teeth and the tender bones in his body. He groaned and tried to get up, but Susie hadn’t moved. Was she hurt?

He struggled to his knees, a dead weight on his shoulder. Maggie was pulling at her, crying out her name.

Susie clung to Jed. He got to his feet and set the girl down while she continued to hold on to him. “It’s okay, you can let go now. You’re safe.” Their next most important move was putting distance between themselves and the burning building. A fire truck screeched to a stop and the sheriff’s vehicle pulled up.

Sheriff Blackstone ran over to them. He glanced at the diner before asking, “Is everyone okay? The ambulance is right behind me.”

Maggie nodded and pulled her daughter close to her side. “Scared but otherwise safe, thanks to Jed.”

An arc of water fell on the flames as they continued to greedily consuming the sides of the building.

Sheriff Blackstone pointed across the street. “We need to get out of the way. The fire department needs room to work.”

They hurried across the street. Maggie looked back, horror on her face as firemen laid out water lines and kept the water pumping. From where they stood, the sounds of the building popping and glass shattering filled the night. Jed slid his arm around Maggie’s shoulders as she buried her face in her hands. “This is insane.”

“Jed, can you tell me what happened?” Blackstone looked from Susie to Maggie before looking back at him.

“I was on my way in to The Lucky Bucket when I smelled smoke. As soon as I knew it was the diner, I called it in and then alerted Maggie and Susie.”

“Did you see anyone around?”

“No, the street was empty.”

The sheriff nodded. “Maggie, did you close up at the normal time and anything out of the ordinary happen tonight?”

Susie took a step into the circle of Maggie’s arm. “We had dinner in the diner just like always. You know it get slow after seven. I had a couple of stragglers for pie, and when they left, Susie and I cleaned up and shut down before going upstairs. That was about seven thirty.”

“Did you see anyone loitering?” he asked.

“No, Sheriff. We went up through the inside stairs. It’s a lot easier after a busy day. The fewer steps, the better.” She looked at the alley. “Maybe if we had gone up the back, we would have seen something.”

Blackstone didn’t react to her comment. “I’m assuming you have a normal routine as you shut down for the night, checking the stoves and ovens?”

Jed wasn’t sure he liked where this line of questioning was headed.

She said, “I’ve done the same process ever since I took the place over. All machines are off, doors locked, and I even check the walk-in refrigerator and freezer to make sure no one got stuck in them. Tonight was just like every other night.”

Susie began to cough and Maggie focused her attention on her daughter. “Hey, how are you feeling?”

“My chest hurts,” as she coughed harder.

Jed pointed to the EMTs. “Let’s have you get checked out.”

Sheriff Blackstone said, “You too, Jed. You inhaled a lot of smoke as well.”

“Will do.” He guided Maggie and Susie toward the ambulance as Nina, one of the emergency medical techs, met them halfway.

“Anyone burned?”

“No,” Maggie said. “Just smoke. Can you check on Susie? She’s started to cough pretty hard.” She glanced at Jed. “And he kissed the ground pretty hard with Susie. Jed might need to have his shoulder looked at.”

Nina took Susie’s arm and guided her to the back of the ambulance where Nina had her sit in the open doorway. Joe, her partner, slid three small oxygen tanks in her direction. “Let’s get them on O2 as soon as we get their vitals, and then we can transport them to emergency.”

Within minutes, Jed, Maggie, and Susie’s vitals had been checked and they were wearing oxygen masks. Jed was surprised; it did help with his breathing. But his right side was beginning to ache, and his shoulder had already stiffened.

The way the back of the ambulance was positioned, Maggie watched the fire department working to extinguish the flames. Her shoulders drooped lower with each passing minute. “Our home. Where are we going to go?”

Without hesitating, Jed said, “As soon as we get cleared from the ER doc, I’ll take you out to Grace Star Ranch. We’ve got an empty cabin you can stay in until you figure out your next steps.”

Maggie glanced at him before looking back to the Filler Up. “You can’t just offer up Annie’s ranch to us without asking her.”

For the first time since this ordeal began, Jed let a small smile tweak the corners of his mouth. “Are you kidding? If I didn’t, Annie would have me mucking stalls for the rest of my life as my only responsibility on the ranch. I’d never touch a horse again.”

A flicker of life reached her eyes. “Please ask her first. I won’t just show up.”

“Mags, you and Annie have been friends for years; you know she’d fling open the doors for you or anyone for that matter.”

“I mean it. Call and put her on speakerphone, okay?”

He could see the unmistakable pride in her eyes and with the tilt of her chin. Pulling out his phone, he dialed the house line. Either Annie or Linc would pick up and this would be resolved in less than a minute.

2

Maggie kept one arm around her precious daughter. She inwardly shuddered to think what might have happened if Jed hadn’t been in town and banged on her door. Would they have died from smoke inhalation or worse? The diner had become an inferno. Would there be anything salvageable at sunrise?

Jed removed his oxygen mask and was now talking. “That’s right. I got ’em out, but the diner’s still burning. I figured we could put Maggie and Susie up in bunkhouse six. It’s got two bedrooms.” He nodded and scuffed the ground with the toe of his boot. “Let me put her on.” He pushed a button and held it horizontal. “We’re on speaker.”

“Maggie, it’s Annie. Are you and Susie hurt badly?”

Her voice was muffled as she said, “Nothing serious”—she pulled her oxygen mask down—“but we’ll get checked out at the emergency room. I’m not ready to leave the diner yet.” She didn’t want to say she needed to know if she’d have a business to come back to, but the sad truth was, it wasn’t looking good.

“As soon as you’re done there, let Jed drive you out to the ranch and you can stay at the main house; we have plenty of room, or I’ll run down to number six and make sure it’s ready for you tonight. Whatever you’d like.”

The last thing she wanted was to be an imposition to anyone, but one look at Susie with streaks of soot on her pale, drawn face and she didn’t hesitate. “If you’re sure it’s not a problem, we could stay in the cabin for a couple of nights. Just until we can move back home.”

“There won’t be any rush, so don’t worry about that. And I’ll have Linc come to town. I’m sure Quinn will bring him in, and they’ll get your SUV so it will be here when you need it.”

Jed shook his head at her before speaking up. “It was parked too close to the building; it might not be in any shape to be driven.”

She blinked hot tears from her eyes. There was no way she was going to stay on the sidewalk and blubber for the whole town to witness. Annie was talking so she had to refocus.

“Not a problem there either. We’ve got plenty of vehicles around for you to borrow until we know yours is safe to drive.”

Nina said, “Maggie, we should get you three to the doc.”

Jed shook his head. “I’ll drive over. I need my truck.”

She frowned. “Not the best idea, Jed with your potential shoulder injury, but I won’t argue with you as long as you let me check your vitals one more time.”

Linc’s voice came over the line. “Jed, don’t be takin’ any chances. If Nina says you need to go by ambulance, do it.”

Maggie said, “Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on him.”

“Good, then you come along when you can and we’ll be waiting for you.” Annie’s voice was firm and had that ‘don’t question her either’ tone.

“Thanks, Annie, Linc.” She swallowed the lump that was rising in her throat. “Susie and I appreciate your kindness.”

“We’ll see you in a bit and remember, it’s what friends do,” Annie said. “Jed, take me off speakerphone.”

“See you later,” Maggie said. Nina was helping Susie into the back of the ambulance as she watched Jed.

“Hold on a second, Linc.” He brushed his lips over Maggie’s cheek. “I’ll be right behind you. And the most important thing for you to focus on is making sure you and your daughter are okay.”

Joe held out his hand to help Maggie inside. Before she could turn, Jed was striding down the street in the direction of The Lucky Bucket. It was the first time she noticed he wasn’t wearing his cowboy hat. It must have gotten knocked off in all that had happened tonight. It was something she’d replace for him when she had a free minute. She took one final look at her diner and home as a groan ripped through the night air and what must have been the ceiling crashed down, sending flames, smoke, and debris out of what used to be large windows but now just jagged glass.

Maggie had finished signing a stack of discharge papers while Susie sat on a vinyl-covered chair in the small waiting room. She was hugging her backpack to her chest with Maggie’s duffel at her feet. Their only possessions. Jed was still in an examination area, and she wondered if he got admitted, maybe she could take his keys and drive out to the ranch. A few hours of shut-eye would be good for Susie before they had to face the harsh reality that all they had ever known was ash.

“Mags?” Jed’s deep voice broke her sad train of thought. “Are you ready to leave?”

In the bright lights of the waiting room, she looked into his cool-gray eyes, crow’s feet at the corners from spending years in the sun which had bronzed his chiseled face. His dark hair was cut short and a well-trimmed mustache added to his rugged good looks. For tonight, Jed Steele had been her real-life hero and she was eternally grateful to him for being in the right place at the right time.

“Maggie?” It was only when he said her name again that she realized she had been staring at him.

“Sorry, it’s been a night.”

“It’s time to go. The truck’s just outside.” He slung the duffel bag over his shoulder and held out his hand to Susie, pulling her up from the chair. “Come on, kid. Let’s hit the pavement.”

She wrapped her arms around his midsection and began to sob, the deep gut-wrenching, heartbreaking kind. He dropped the bag to the floor and pulled her close to his chest and held out the other arm for Maggie, as if understanding they needed a minute to cry it out. She stepped into the safety of his embrace and put her arms around Susie and Jed, and she too cried until there was nothing left but hiccups. To his credit, he didn’t rush them or try to placate them with words like everything was going to be alright. He just remained silent and held them while they cried.

Unsure how much time had passed, Maggie pulled back and in one smooth motion, he pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and handed it to her. Susie was still clinging to him.

“It’s clean. Dry your eyes.” He ran his hand up and down Susie’s back, protective like a father would be.

Maggie’s gut churned just thinking of Cash Gordon, wondering what city he was in on the rodeo circuit. Not that it mattered; he had washed his hands of his daughter and her a long time ago and he was not any kind of a father to her girl.

“Sweetheart, Jed’s going to take us out to the ranch. Maybe a hot shower and some rest will help.”

Sniffles reached Maggie’s ears and her daughter looked up. Her eyes were rimmed from crying and her face was red and blotchy. “I don’t have anything to change into.”

Jed gave her a small smile. “With all the clothes you jammed into your bag, I’ll bet you have something to put on.” He was doing his best to lighten the mood, but Susie wasn’t going down that path yet.

“Jed, thanks for saving us.” She hugged him tight and Maggie was thankful the flood of tears didn’t kick in again.

“My pleasure. Now let’s take off.”

Maggie wasn’t surprised to see Susie keep one arm around Jed’s waist while they walked to the truck. She had been shaken to her core tonight and needed all the support she could get. Once Susie was settled in the back seat of the quad cab pickup, Jed opened the passenger door for Maggie.

He tipped her chin up with his finger so he was looking into her eyes. “You’re going to have a lot of help settin’ things right so don’t go gettin’ all tough thinking you can move mountains tomorrow. We’ll need to find out what happened, why it happened, and how bad the damage is, and then I promise you, we’ll get everything back the way it should be.”

“Jed, you’re the eternal optimist, but sometimes it’s harder to set things right.”

“But you’re not alone and that’s somethin’ I don’t want you to forget.” He gave her a hard hug and helped her inside. In a gruff tone, he said, “Buckle up.”

When he got in and the truck had rumbled to life, she asked, “Any chance we can drive past the diner?”

“Probably not. With the firehoses laid out, they’re not going to let traffic through tonight. I’ll bring you into town tomorrow.”

“Annie said I could borrow a truck or something.” Her heart constricted. The idea of seeing the destruction in broad daylight was a lot to handle but she could do it. She didn’t have much of a choice.

“Did you already forget what I said and meant? You are not the lone momma wolf with a cub in this world. You have friends. Lean on us to get you through this tough time.”

Maggie didn’t have to turn around to know that Susie’s eyes were locked on her.

“Me and Susie have been doing this a long time together so no worries, we’ll get through this too.”

Jed clenched the steering wheel with his hands. “You’ve had a shock tonight and it’s understandable that you’re ready to dig deep and fight like you’ve always done, and I’m not sayin’ you’re not one tough lady capable of rising to meet this challenge head-on. But this time you’re not going to. And if you won’t listen to me, just wait until Annie catches up with you.” He chuckled a bit. “You know, you and Annie are like twins from different parents.”

Maggie turned in her seat and stared at him. “I’m going to assume that is your way of giving me a compliment?”

“Absolutely. I hold Annie in very high regard.” A small grin tugged at one corner of his mouth.

She buckled her belt. “Then I accept.” Slumping against the seat, the last of her adrenaline evaporated. “You’re right, I can see the diner tomorrow. Susie needs some rest.”

“Mom, you do too.” She placed her hand on Maggie’s shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze.

Jed backed the truck out of the parking spot. “Next stop Grace Star Ranch.”

Maggie let her eyes close as Jed drove out of town. “You know, besides being strong women, me and Annie, we have something else in common.”

He said, “Well, it’s not pie making. Annie can’t cook, much less bake.”

She smiled at the truth to that statement and opened her eyes. “Annie is the first one to admit to that, but I was talking about Mr. Lucas Gasperini. Remember the guy who wanted to buy Riverbank Orchard and then Grace Star Ranch so he could turn our little slice of heaven into the mecca of dude ranch resorts?”

“I remember him.” Jed’s voice held a hint of reserve.

“Gasperini was at the diner today and made me quite an offer if I’d sell him the Filler Up.”

He glanced her way, his gray eyes unreadable in the dashboard light. “And what did he say when you turned him down?”

“You know me so well.”

He gave her a wink. “Again, remember who you’re like?”

“Well, right before I showed him to the door, he said I might come to regret my decision.”

3

Jed slowed the truck and controlled his voice so he didn’t scare Maggie unnecessarily. “Did he threaten you?”

She waved a hand in the air. “Nothing like that; he said he was going to continue to make offers to the businesses around town and either way he was going to achieve his goals and one of those was putting me out of business.”

His blood boiled in his veins. “You’ll need to tell that to Sheriff Blackstone in the morning.”

She glanced his way. “You don’t think he would have done something like this, do you?” Her voice trembled as it grew softer. “We could have died.”

He took her hand in his and applied gentle pressure. “But you and Susie are safe and we’ll find out who or what is responsible for the fire. At Grace Star Ranch, you’ll both be safe.” Jed hoped Maggie would trust that he and everyone at the ranch would protect them should the need arise. Her hand was ice cold as she clung to his as they spent the rest of the trip in silence.

The moon glinted off the sign, Grace Star Ranch, as Jed turned under it and drove down the gravel road. “We’ll go right to the cabin and you can see Annie in the morning.”

Maggie nodded. “Thanks. How close is this place to yours?”

“I’m in cabin four which is next door. Odds on one side, evens on the other. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to shout and I’ll give you my cell too.”

She turned to look at the passing pastureland. Despite the darkness, the vastness of the property was evident.

From the back seat, Susie said, “This was really nice of Annie and Linc, but how will I get to school?”

“We’ll figure that out, but for tomorrow”—she glanced at the clock on the dashboard—“I mean today, you can hang out with me. We need to buy some clothes and heaven only knows what else.”

Jed hated that her voice was filled with raw emotion. Holding back tears, anger, and disbelief were just a few that he could think she might be feeling. He drove past the main house and all the lights were on, but he didn’t stop. If Maggie wanted to get to the cabin, that is what he’d do. Five minutes later, he pulled up in front of the wood structure next to his. Light shone through the slats of the blinds and the front door opened. Annie stepped onto the small porch and Linc was right behind her. Before Maggie had time to get out of the truck, Annie had opened the door and pulled her into outstretched arms, and she wiggled her fingertips in Susie’s direction too.

“Group hug.”

That was the last straw for Maggie as she burst into fresh tears. Before her body crumpled and connect with the ground, Linc grabbed her and slipped his arm around her waist. He caught Jed’s eye and he knew that look. Controlled anger simmered under his calming façade. Even without knowing that just today Maggie had refused to sell the diner, they both knew she was extremely protective when it came to the diner and her home. She would never have been careless. The fire had either been due to an electrical issue or something far worse.

“Maggie.” Jed was opposite Linc. “Let’s go inside. Annie and Susie are coming too.”

Nodding, she gave Linc a weak smile. “Sorry about the late arrival.”

“Don’t give it another thought. Annie tells me I’ll need to get used to it once we open the resort cabins.”

She took a few slow, unsteady steps before pulling herself upright, and with Jed holding her elbow, she climbed the few stairs to the porch. The door was standing open, and she sucked in a breath. “Annie, this wasn’t necessary.” Inside there was a small fire burning in the woodstove; flowers were on a side table, and all the lights were on, as if welcoming them.

She said, “The bedrooms are down the hall and we’ve got fresh sheets on the beds. The bathroom is between the bedrooms, and I added a couple of toiletries. We can get what you need tomorrow in town. I also set out some sweatpants, tee shirts, and cozy socks on the beds for you both—oh, and a fleece in case you feel chilled. When Mary heard what had happened, she put together some breakfast items and snacks and they’re in the refrigerator, which is just through the arch.”

“You didn’t need to.”

Annie crossed the room and placed a hand on her arm. “I don’t need to do anything, but you’re one of my oldest friends and anything I can do to help you and Susie, I’m going to do. No arguing.”

Linc chuckled. “Despite the situation, just roll with all of this. Annie was the mastermind, but she used all her resources to make this happen on short notice.” He pulled his wife to his side and kissed her on the temple.

“Thank you. And I promise we’ll get out of your hair as soon as we’re cleared to go back home.”

If she noticed the shake of Jed’s head, she didn’t acknowledge it. For now, it was better she kept that bit of hope alive, at least until they went into town and she saw for herself there wasn’t much left.

“Nonsense. You’ll stay as long as you need a home.” She took Linc’s hand. “We’re going to head up to the house, and if you want breakfast in the morning, Mary style, we’ll eat around eight. But don’t set an alarm to get up. You know Mary; there is always plenty of hot food any time of the day and night.”

A look of confusion flashed across Maggie’s face. “I thought you said we had food?”

Annie held out her hands, palm side up as if they were two sides of a scale, as she lifted one hand higher and said, “Home cooking from Mary’s hot frying pan or microwaved leftovers.”

Jed chuckled. “And if neither of those choices appeal to you, there is always something hearty from Quinn’s kitchen.”

Fresh tears welled up in her eyes and she blinked them away, but Jed could see something was eating at her. “Hey, what’s the matter?” He could have kicked himself. She had just lost her business and home in a matter of hours and now the sky was beginning to lighten with the promise of a new day. And she wasn’t in her diner getting ready to open to serve customers breakfast. “I’m sorry, Mags, that was insensitive.” He gave her a one-armed hug. “Guys, we should take off and let these two ladies get some rest.”

She flashed him a forced but grateful smile. “Thanks for understanding, and Annie, I appreciate your generous offer, depending on how long we sleep, that will dictate if we’ll be up for breakfast.”

Linc said, “Fair enough and the mess hall is always open for business, and Quinn would be happy to make you anything.”

Annie gave Susie a quick hug. “I’m sorry for all that’s happened to you tonight.”

“Thank you, Annie.” She hurried down the hall and into the bedroom on the left. The door closed firmly behind her with a soft thud.

Jed crossed to the counter and scrawled his cell number on the notepad. “My number’s here if you need anything.” He gave her a brisk nod and headed for the door. Her hand shot out and touched his arm.

“Jed, I know I said thank you for coming to our aid tonight. You’ve done more than you had to, and I’ll never forget your kindness.”

He wasn’t the kind of man to blush, but he could feel his neck get warm as it crept toward his hairline. “Anyone would have helped. I was just in the right place at the right time.”

She slipped her arms around his waist and held him close. The smell of smoke from the fire clung to her. With a quick peck on the cheek, she released him. “But you risked yourself to save us, and I will never forget that.”

“Jed is one in a million, Maggie,” Annie said. “It was fate that he was in town tonight.”

He dropped his chin and cleared his throat. “I’ll see you after you get some rest.” He waited for Linc and Annie to walk out ahead of him and pulled the door closed.

Linc laid a hand on his shoulder and guided Jed down the front steps. They made the short walk to his porch, and Jed sank down on the top step. Suddenly, his legs felt like wet noodles. Rubbing a hand over his head, he winced.

Annie said, “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

“I lost a good hat, and it seems I might have a burn on the top of my head.”

She withdrew her phone from her back pocket and tapped on the flashlight option. “Let me take a look.”

Linc stood by as if standing guard. While Annie looked at the top of his head, Linc said, “So it was bad?”

Jed nodded. “I’ve never seen anything like it and hope to never witness that again. I heard what sounded like the second floor crash into the first. I can’t see how there will be much left come daylight.” He clenched his fists. “Gasperini was poking his nose around today and Maggie turned down his offer to buy the diner. Do you think it’s possible he’s responsible for the fire?”