Free Thea Devine by Relentless Passion Page A

considered friends suddenly wanted to be more. Nothing different.
    Or was she different? Had she somehow changed with Frank’s passing and a year’s solitude?
    On the surface nothing was different that morning either. Mother Colleran carped as usual as she made her way downstairs to let in the delivery crew. Maggie hadn’tslept much, nor had she come to any conclusions while she tossed and turned. The whole day had been an aberration, something out of context, never to be repeated again because she had imagined the whole.
    But she wasn’t imagining the tall bulk of Logan Ramsey’s body relaxing against the doorframe, waiting for her as if he had always been waiting for her.
    Instantly she felt closed in, surrounded. His appearance made things complicated and lent credence to the things he had said, the things she didn’t want to know.
    There was only one way to handle that: she would have to keep as far away as possible from him so she didn’t have to listen to his words or feel what he could make her feel.
    “What do
you
want?” she asked briskly as she swept into the room and past him without looking at him.
    “I won’t say the obvious thing,” he drawled, amused by her testy tone.
    “Good.” She knelt beside A.J., who was counting out and bundling papers on the floor, and took the first bundle up into her arms. “I’ll take this over to Bodey’s store.”
    Two male voices said simultaneously, “I’ll help,” and she looked up, startled, to see Reese standing in the stairwell door, and Logan’s grim expression.
    “Let’s hire these ole boys on,” A.J. said, heaving a bundle up into Reese’s arms. “These can go by the express office and the stage stop if you don’t mind. These to the hotel, Logan—” Another packet flew through the air toward Ramsey, “and I thank you kindly, gentlemen.”
    “Just a range-rovin’ cowboy,” Maggie murmured as Logan passed her as she held the door open for him and Reese.
    “Nothing more, nothing less,” he agreed, as he waitedfor her to fall into step beside him. “But a man of many talents nonetheless. Don’t you agree, Maggie?”
    “You roped in a bundle of newspapers at ten paces. I’m mighty impressed,” Maggie said lightly, utterly avoiding the question and wondering what passersby thought of the odd triumverate making its way down the plankboard walk. She felt like she was enclosed in a parenthesis. This early in the morning few stores were open except Arwin Bodey’s general store and the hotel, which kept round-the-clock hours.
    “Ah, Arwin,” she said gratefully, hailing him as he poked his head out the door. “Reese, you can just dump those by the express office door. Someone will pick them up in about an hour. Logan, those go to the hotel desk, please. Excuse me, gentlemen,” and she left them both standing nonplussed outside Bodey’s door.
    “Oh, Maggie, come on in and tell me all the news,” Arwin said comfortably as she plunked her bundle down on his well-worn counter.
    “The usual,” she said noncommittally as she watched them slice through the cord with his pocket knife.
    “Beg your pardon, Maggie, but isn’t this issue Harold Danforth’s moment in the sun?”
    “Oh that, I believe so. Except I know there’s a lot of people who agree with him, Arwin, and there’s nothing I can say that will sway them.”
    “You’re right. The really big news will be when you decide to sell up,” Arwin said, scanning the tightly printed front page. “So, what can I do for you this morning, Maggie?”
    “Mother Colleran has prepared her usual list, so I’d appreciate delivery on those items later on today. We’ll need a sack of coffee for the office, and I guess that will do it.” She handed Arwin the list, and thought again how much she liked him. He was kind, straightforward, and personable without being invasive. Except this morning.
    “Hear tell Mother Colleran and you have a visitor,” he said idly as he turned the page to read