“I don’t know. But Sara wants him. I know that for sure…which means it’s just a matter of time before they…” She shrugged, feeling miserable. “He certainly seemed captivated with her yesterday, and she’s…she’s gorgeous. You saw her.”
“Aye! An’ heard her too!”
“Well, she’s not like that around him. Sara’s very good at showing a different face to different people. To him, she’s beautiful and adorable, fawning all over him and hanging on every word. He’ll never see the side of her you saw. She’ll make sure of it. She’ll be charming.”
Maggie lifted the tray off the hood of her car, opening her car door and putting the cups gently on the passenger seat. “She’s charmin’ and I’m English. We’ll just see about this, Jane. She’s puir trouble and no mistake.”
Maggie bussed Jane on the cheek before getting into her car and rolling down the window. “The Prairie’s closed all day tomorrow, but we’ll still have euchre tomorrow night! I expect to see you there, Jane. Tell that witch to go t’the devil if she doesn’t like it!”
***
Lars wasn’t surprised to see Maggie walk into the Lindstrom & Sons office with coffee. She came by now and then when the Prairie Dawn was quiet.
“Good morning, Maggie May!” said Lars’s father in greeting.
“Heya, Mr. Lindstrom. I had two extra coffees and dinna want them to go to waste. I figure you can fight over ’em.” She put the tray holding two cups on Karl’s desk and winked at him.
Nils looked up from a transportation schedule he was reviewing, and Lars could practically see the sparks fly between his brother and the redheaded barista, but per usual, Nils did nothing about it.
“Pop,” said Nils, still looking at the schedule. “You remember I’m taking a vacation day tomorrow, right?”
“Yup. Lars’ll handle the talent and I’ll drive the others. Where’re you—”
“Did you want the other coffee, Nils?” interrupted Maggie.
“Sure,” he said, standing up. “What’d you bring?”
“Leftovers. Jane, the wee, sweet lassie took the black one. The pain in the arse took the latte. There’s two left.”
“The—the what?” Lars stood up from the loveseat in front of his father’s desk, staring at Maggie’s back.
Maggie looked around at Lars with a meaningful purse to her lips then glanced at his father.
“Oh. Sorry, Mr. Lindstrom. The talent took the latte,” she amended, smiling sweetly at Mr. Lindstrom. She glanced back at Lars. “The smokin’, screamin’, cursin’ pain in the arse of talent who treats our Jane like rubbish. That one.”
“Are you talking about Samara?” demanded Lars, crossing his arms over his chest. The same Samara who was so easygoing and funny in the van yesterday? Who liked the cottage far more than Jane thought she would? Who didn’t have a negative word or glance for anyone the entire time Lars was in her company?
“Aye. The very one.”
Nils, still standing by the tray of coffees, searching Maggie’s face. “She screamed and cursed at you, Maggie May?”
Maggie took a deep breath and tapped her index finger on her chin, considering. “Aye, she did. She snarled, ‘Do ye own a clock?’ at me, and she asked, ‘Stare much?’ She blew a raspberry at me face and then she said, ‘Did ye at least get me feckin’ coffee right?’ Oh, wait. I guess she actually said that last part to our Jane.”
Nils furrowed his brow looking at Lars. “I don’t like it. I don’t care if she’s talent or not. She has no cause to curse at Maggie. I don’t care who the heck she is.”
Maggie smiled at Nils, her face softening. “Dinna worry for me, Nils. Jane got the brunt of it, poor lass.”
Lars wasn’t sure what to make of this new information, but he didn’t like it. Suddenly Maggie turned to him, pulling at his arm. “Come for a walk to the Prairie Dawn, Lars. I’ll make you a coffee, too. Whatever you like.”
“Yeah, uh…okay.”
Maggie grinned at Nils for a second, then turned and headed out the door, with Lars falling into step beside her.
“Can’t figure you two out to save my damn life,” said Lars, glancing at her. “You and my brother.”
She crossed her arms. “I dinna want to talk about Nils. Brother or not, it’s none of your business.”
“Fair enough.”
“No, wait. I take it back. I do want to say somethin’ about Nils. He never offered me anythin’ but friendship. Never led me down the garden path. Never kissed me in public, at the park, durin’ the fireworks, in front of the whole town. Never—”
Lars interrupted her with a soft growl. “Now who’s sticking her nose in someone else’s business?”
“I am.”
“Well, Miss Smarty-Pants, you don’t know what you’re talking about. She broke things off, Maggie, not me. She’s not interested. I promise you she’s not. She said as much yesterday and barely looked at me after. Blamed it on work. Blamed it on her cousin. But, come on, I know when I’m being blown off. I know when I’m being let down easily. I do it often enough.”
“If you think that’s a blow off, you’re daft, Lars. You’re a bloody fool.”
“Am I?”
“You are.”
“Well, thanks for that. Great talk. I think I’ll head back to the office and get my own cup of crappy coffee.”
Maggie put her hand on his arm. “I dinna mean to rile you, Lars. And you’re right: I dinna know all the details of what passed between you. But you wouldn’t believe what she puts up with, our Jane. Her cousin is a bloody nightmare.”
Lars took a deep breath and huffed softly.
“Jane pushed me away. Not the other way around. And Samara? Well, I hate to break it to you, but, Samara’s gracious and warm, as beautiful as she is charming.”
“You’re callin’ me a liar?”
“No! Not at all! But maybe you took their exchange out of context, Maggie. You know, cousins are like siblings. They can be rough on each other. It’s not our business to judge them.”
“Och! Ye think I’m judgin’ them unfairly?’ Aye, of course. Now, I’m rememberin’ all the times ye lads called yer Jenny a feckin’ bitch. Sure. Of course.”
Lars bristled even hearing the words come out of Maggie’s mouth. No way, no how any of the Lindstrom men would use that kind of language in conjunction with their sister. It was unthinkable.
“You’re saying that’s the sort of language Samara and Jane used with each other?”
“Not with each other. One uses it. The other takes it.” They had arrived at the Prairie Dawn and Maggie stopped, her hand on the door, looking up at Lars. “Will you do me a favor, Lars? Keep your eyes open. She’s not who you think she is, this Samara Amaya. Dinna be taken in by a pretty face and pretty ways.”
“Is that what this is all about?” asked Lars. “You don’t like her because she’s pretty? I’m surprised at you, Maggie.”
Maggie’s brow furrowed as she stared at him, as stunned as if he’d slapped her. For a minute he thought she might tell him off for the accusation in his words, but her face softened in concern.