Page 6 of Maggie’s Match

Maggie and Becca were complete opposites in everything except their love for and skill as bakers.

Where Maggie’s thin flyaway blonde hair took several bobby pins to keep it up in a messy bun, Becca’s thick curly black hair was easily contained.

Maggie was on the thicker, shorter side and stood at a whopping five and a half feet, while Becca’s impressive five feet and eleven inches and her long, narrow frame made her look like a professional dancer.

Maggie’s pale skin easily burned in the Texas sun, while Becca’s darker skin, courtesy of her father’s Costa Rican heritage, glowed in the sunlight.

“I was eager to bang my frustrations out on this,” Maggie answered, motioning to the dough she was currently rolling out.

Becca smiled. “Okay, where can I start?” She looked around.

Maggie glanced over and then motioned with a very floury hand. “The dough. We need at least a dozen more loaves.”

“Do you really think it’s a good idea to give all this away?” Becca asked, walking to the mixer, and starting another batch.

“It’s what I did before opening my bakery. You give people free samples and get them hooked.”

“I know, but we’re weeks away from opening our doors.”

“All the more reason to get them hooked on the sweet stuff. Besides”—she glanced up and smiled at her cousin—“I needed an excuse to bake.”

Becca laughed. “You never need a reason to bake.”

While the two cousins enjoyed their time in the kitchen, catching up and plotting opening-day details, the smells of summer bled through the open back door and mixed with the sweet scents of rising dough. Maggie could almost imagine a life here instead of in Fairplay.

Sure, she loved her hometown. She enjoyed the people in it and couldn’t quite imagine herself anywhere else for too long. But for a moment, the worries of facing Rick were gone, and in their place was a breath of fresh air and a feeling of home.

Then she glanced out the kitchen window, and everything came crashing back.

Her eyes caught three figures riding horses towards the house from across the grassy fields that surrounded her cousin’s ranch.

One of the figures was obviously her uncle Bryson. The older man’s large frame was familiar, as was the way he sat in the saddle. The second figure was Bentley with his standard worn jeans and large cream-colored Stetson hat. His shoulders and frame were narrow, much like Becca’s.

The last figure’s shoulders were wide and very well known to Maggie. Rick fit in the saddle like he was born for it.

She knew exactly what it was like to run her bare hands over every inch of the impressive muscles underneath his button-up shirt. To scrape her nails over that toned, tanned skin.

Her breath caught at the memory of the last time she’d enjoyed him, of how he’d made her body explode like no one else ever had. Then she watched him dismount the horse and her anger flared.

Tossing down the lump of dough that she had balled in her fingers, she marched out the back door as Becca called after her.

Her anger carried her all the way across the freshly cut grass to the edge of the tall grass of the field where her uncle and the others had tied their horses to the fence.

“What in the hell are you doing here?” she demanded as she glared up at Rick.

Chapter Three

Rick watched the way Maggie marched across the yard and held in a smile. Damn, she was pretty. Especially with the bits of flour on her face and apron. She’d obviously been baking, something that always made her skin and eyes glow with sheer happiness.

He took his time answering her while he tied off the horses’ reins.

“Well,” he said slowly as he turned back towards her. She was actually tapping the toe of her foot, waiting for him, which made him smile even bigger. “I’m just here helping out some old friends of my folks.” He motioned to Bryson Barrantes.

Maggie narrowed her eyes at him. “Helping?”

“Sure.” He reached up and tipped his hat to block out the sun before running his hand slowly down the horse’s mane. “It seems they’ve had a string of sick cattle. I’m here to help get to the bottom of it.” He shrugged, only half lying. There were sick cattle on the ranch. But Bryson and Bentley were pretty sure that they had all been poisoned on purpose and had plans to step up the security around the ranch. The fact that his trip up here coincided with the animal’s bad luck had been his good fortune, since he’d been looking for a good excuse to give to Maggie for his visit.

Maggie’s eyes narrowed even further. He knew that she must have heard about the sick animals. After all, she’s been on the ranch more than a full week already. In that time, the ranch has lost more than ten cattle already.