Free Falling for the Boss by Erica Matthews

on a familiar silver car parked along the sidewalk.
    Wit hout being aware of it, she quickened her steps, failing to notice the horse-drawn carriage full of tourists approaching from the other direction. The young driver couldn’t stop fast enough to avoid her, and the over-sized front wheel knocked her to the ground with bone-rattling force. Maggie felt a moment of intense pain before everything went black.
    People were talking in whispers all around her, but the words hardly registered. Slowly opening her eyes, Maggie’s blurry gaze locked on to a pleasant-looking man in a white coat standing next to her bed. He smiled reassuringly in her direction.
    “ Hello, Maggie. I’m Dr. Logan and I hope our chattering didn’t disturb your rest.”
    “ No, not at all.” Was that raspy voice hers? A tentative glance around the room was enough to tell Maggie she wasn’t at home. She was in the hospital. This did explain the bandage covering her head that she’d felt from time to time in her sleep. It was then she realized someone was standing just behind Dr. Logan.
    “ You have a visitor; he’s been haunting these halls since your accident.”
    Maggie was confused. “I don’t remember an accident.”
    “ I’ll let your friend tell you all about it. No doubt he would prefer to have you to himself anyway.” The doctor winked at her as he left the room, and while Maggie was trying to assimilate what she’d been told, Marcus appeared at her side.
    “ It’s a relief to see you awake.” He noted the numerous cuts and bruises on her face and arms with concern. He could only imagine what the rest of her looked like. “How do you feel?”
    “ Confused and sore. I can’t seem to remember how I got here.”
    “ Basically, you walked in front of a tourist carriage, knocking yourself out in the process. I’d just come from one of the shops across the street and saw it happen.”
    “ Did you? The last thing I remember is eating at Angelo’s.”
    “ That’s probably for the best,” he pointed out gravely.
    “ Yes, I suppose you’re right.” She paused, her eyes again roving over the room. She spotted a crystal vase full of pink roses. “Look at those lovely flowers! I wonder who sent them.”
    A faint smile appeared. “An ardent admirer, no doubt. They remind me of the color of your cheeks when you blush.”
    Maggie swallowed quickly. “It’s nice of you to come; I know how busy you are.”
    Marcus clasped one of her hands, much to the disruption of her pulse rate. “There’s nothing very nice about it. It would be remiss of me not to visit any of my employees should they find themselves in the hospital. In your case, it was imperative.”
    Maggie could hear the teasing note running through his deep voice. “Why was it imperative?” she asked quietly.
    His eyes locked with hers. “Don’t you know? You’re my favorite. I thought I ’d made that obvious.”
    “ I hardly think picking me for the historical society conference counts as favoritism.”
    “It doesn’t. I was referring to several more personal moments that you and I have shared.”
    “I don’t know what you mean,” she said primly.
    “ Yes, you do, but now is not the time for reminiscing. We have more important things to discuss. In a day or so, you’ll be released from here. Obviously, you’re going to need time and a suitable place to recover. Dr. Logan mentioned two weeks, but it’s early to be worrying about that. I think the best thing would be for you to come and stay at Bradford House. Your room is still available.”
    “ No work for two weeks? Are you kidding?”
    “You have a knot the size of a goose egg and about 100 stitches to go along with it and that’s just on your head. Two weeks is probably overly optimistic.”
    “Well, I can stay home then. There’s no need to impose on you. I bet you forgot about Mittens, too.”
    “You’re not an imposition and accommodating Mittens has already been taken care of. If those are