Free Plum Deadly by Ellie Grant Page B

“Maggie, you’re also welcome to come and use the computers at the newspaper whenever you like until you get your laptop replaced. If there’s anything else I can do, please let me know.”
    Stuffed full of good food, Maggie thanked him profusely, almost ready to weep at his kindness and generosity. He was a good man. Aunt Clara had been right to point out his qualities to her earlier.
    In the car, on the way back to the house, her aunt pushed it one step further. “You know, Ryan, I was surprised that your wife didn’t come with you this evening.”
    How can she think of matchmaking at a time like this? Maggie shook her head. She was almost too tired to care. Besides, she was already pretty sure he was single.
    “I’ve come close to getting married a few times, Clara,” he said. “But I’ve never made it to the finish line. There was a girl in college. That was a long time ago. My mom and dad had been married fifty-two years when she passed. He keeps wondering when I’m going to settle down. I always tell him I’m looking for the right woman who’ll put up with me.”
    Aunt Clara giggled. She had the answer she wanted.
    Maggie knew what Aunt Clara was after. She’d seen her aunt staring at Ryan’s hands all evening. Not all married men wore wedding rings. She was making sure that he was marriage material.
    That had been one aspect of living without family that she hadn’t minded. No one constantly pushed people into her path thinking she should get married. In fact, very few of her friends in New York were married. Some had moved in together. That was the extent of their commitment.
    She didn’t feel like she had ever even come close, as Ryan had said. She had plenty of friends and acquaintances to visit museums, go to bars, and watch Broadway plays with. There had been a few men who were special.Never anyone she was serious about. She was happy being single.
    She still was, for that matter.
    Ryan dropped them off at the house—after coming inside and making sure they were alone. Aunt Clara immediately went up to bed—with a wink at Maggie.
    “I hope she’ll be okay.” Ryan watched her go. “Sometimes it’s hard to get over things like this.”
    “I know. She’s very resilient. I think it might be from running the pie shop, first with my uncle, then alone.”
    “I know what you mean. My mother and father started the newspaper together forty-six years ago. When you grow up as part of a working family business, it makes you more independent than most people. You have to be ready for anything.”
    Maggie smiled and tentatively reached her hand toward him. “Thank you for a nice evening, Ryan. I really appreciate your help in all this. I feel kind of lost right now. I don’t really know what I’m doing. Maybe I should’ve worked more at the pie shop when I was growing up. Nothing I’ve ever done has prepared me for this.”
    “I think you’re holding up pretty well, considering the circumstances. You’ll get through it. I can see you come from tough stock.”
    They stood there looking at each other for a few seconds. She wasn’t exactly sure how it happened, but in the next instant, they were in each other’s arms, kissing.

Eight

    M aggie opened her green eyes and looked into Ryan’s blue ones, their faces close together.
    “Wow,” he said. “That was something.”
    “Yeah,” she muttered. “Something.”
    “Something good, right? I thought it was good.”
    “Oh! Yes. Something good.” She grinned at him like a crazy person. Later she could blame her lack of cool on the fact that it had been a while. Now she wanted to make sure he understood that she’d liked it. “I wasn’t expecting you . . . it.”
    “Me either. I’ve thought about it since I met you, though.”
    “It was probably Aunt Clara throwing me at you.”
    “I don’t think so. I think it was all you. I didn’t need any prompting.”
    “Really?” She was pleased, but embarrassed that she couldn’t say the