Christmas Male Read Online Free PDF Page B

before a familiar voice called out, sounding rather chipper.
    "What do we have here?" Pa ambled over with a smile on his weathered face. "Miles, are you really sitting right next to a beautiful woman, or it is my imagination? Maybe I've lost my mind."
    "No need to be sarcastic." Miles rolled his eyes. He should have known he'd come to regret trying to help a woman. Nothing good ever came from it. He grimaced, thinking of Bethleigh and how she'd humiliated him. Or of Sylvia who'd tried to pass off another man's baby on him. Yeah, he knew how it felt to be duped. "Chester Collins asked this young lady to be his mail-order bride and marry him. She traveled here by herself only to find out it was a joke."
    "That just isn't right." Pa's rugged face wrinkled with sympathy. "Sorry to hear that, dear. Do you have family you can go back to?"
    "Yes, but my older sister is never going to let me forget this." She blew out a troubled sigh, resigned, the tears still sparkling. "The thing is, I spent nearly all of my savings coming here."
    "He didn't wire you a ticket?" Miles asked, not sure why outrage began to burn in his chest again. Surely he didn't care—he wasn't invested in this woman, he didn't even know her name. That's the way he wanted to keep it. "The swine."
    "Chester told me he'd reimburse me once I got here." Her mouth twisted and she hung her head. Just a fragile little thing, dusted with snow, and in trouble. He couldn't just walk away. That wouldn't be right.
    "Hell. I'll buy your ticket," Miles offered, thinking it would be better to get her out of town and fast, judging by the way his father stood there, hand to his chin, forehead furrowed in thought. No doubt a scheme was coming to light inside that brain of his. No, best to send the pretty woman on her way, he decided. It would be money well spent. "C'mon, Miss. I'll drive you back to the depot. The eastbound train ought to be coming soon. If you sweet-talk Bill, I'm sure he'll let you wait inside the office, where it's warm."
    In fact, Miles thought grimly, I'll do the sweet-talking to make sure he does it.
    "Oh, I can't let you buy a ticket for me. It just wouldn't be right." She trained those gentle blue eyes on his, her gaze beaming the innocent sort of kindness that he'd always been a sucker for. Maybe she wasn't too bad, as far as women went. She truly did look troubled. She hitched up her chin. "I don't take charity. I've always paid my way. I've been working for a living since I was sixteen."
    She straightened her slender shoulders, full of pride. To his surprise, she pushed off the steps and stepped into the storm with dignity.
    Dignity. That hit him hard. That wasn't a trait he was used to in a woman.
    "And I'll find my way to the depot as well." She faced him and brushed snow out of her face and hair. Her nose had turned red from the cold, her eyes full of pain. "Thank you for rescuing me, Miles. It was lovely to meet you, Miles' father."
    "Nice to meet you, Miss—-?" Pa called out, his brows arched with a question.
    "Miss Carpenter," she answered pleasantly. She really did seem rather sweet. "But it's Maggie to you both. Thank you so much for your kindness."
    Miles's chest hitched strangely when she walked away. The howling wind whipped at her, tangling her skirts and hair, knocking her slightly off course. A blizzard was brewing—he recognized that low, eerie note in the wind that always meant one was on the way. Where would she go? There wasn't a hotel in this town, and she couldn’t stay at the depot forever, not if the blizzard kept the eastbound train from pulling in. And even if the train made it, how would she buy a ticket if she was low on money? He chewed on his bottom lip, not liking this, not liking this at all.
    And not liking that he didn't like it. He opened his mouth to call her back, but Pa landed on the step beside him and called out after her.
    "Come back here, Maggie, and we'll help you figure things out." Pa looked ready to leap into