Miracle Baby (Harlequin American Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page A

booth, lifted the menu from the table and handed it to the owner “—every other item she makes. Today, though, it’s her Belgian waffles I’m after.”
    â€œThat’s better.” Delilah tucked Rory’s menu under her arm and nodded at Maggie. “And how about you, darlin’? What can I get you?”
    Maggie skimmed the menu, to no avail. She simply couldn’t focus. Couldn’t wrap her mind around the notion of eating an actual meal. “I don’t know. I can’t recall the last time I ate anything besides an apple….” Her voicetrailed off as she looked from Rory to Delilah and back again, their raised eyebrows proof positive she’d spoken the words aloud. “Um, I’ll have a waffle, too.”
    The woman poised her pen above the pad. “How about I have the cook make you a half-size order?”
    â€œHalf-size?”
    Not unkindly, Delilah nodded. “Rory, here, has an insatiable appetite. Where he puts it is anyone’s guess. But if you’re not used to eating, it’s best to take it slow. You know, let your body build back up again.”
    â€œThat sounds good.” When Delilah turned toward the kitchen, Maggie sank back against the booth’s vinyl cushion. “I think you should have asked for a job description from my uncle before you agreed to renovate the inn.”
    His eyebrows furrowed. “Why?”
    She fiddled with the flatware on the paper mat and shrugged. “Because I imagine babysitting isn’t something carpenters often find themselves doing.”
    â€œBabysitting?”
    â€œYeah, like you’re doing right now. With me.” Maggie released the fork and continued on folding her paper napkin. “My uncle can be a little transparent at times.”
    Rory shook his head and reached across the table for her hand. “Your uncle has absolutely nothing to do with us having breakfast together.”
    She leveled a look of disbelief in his direction as she pulled her fingers out of reach. “C’mon. I’ve known my uncle my whole life and I know all about his sweet—albeit meddling—streak. I know he put you up to this.”
    Again Rory shook his head. “No. All he told me wasthat you’d be arriving the day after Thanksgiving and that you’d be staying in his suite during the renovations. He told me I might not see much of you and that I should try to keep the noise to a minimum when possible.”
    â€œYou’re supposed to renovate quietly?” She propped her elbows on the edge of the table. “Please don’t let my being at the inn affect your work. Really, I can handle the sound of hammering and drilling. It’s the sounds I replay in my head that—”
    She threw her shoulders back, causing her ponytail to sway against her neck. “Look, just do whatever work you need to do and don’t worry about me.”
    â€œThat’s a mighty tall order when you look so sad.”
    She shrugged, the desire to talk to someone virtually overpowering. The fact that this particular someone was handsome and kind only made it—
    Don’t go there!
    Shaking off the memory of his warm arms wrapped around her as she sobbed through the pain of finding Natalie’s ornament, Maggie met his pointed gaze with her own, determined not to be lulled into a conversation that would only result in tears. “You mean like you just did five minutes ago when that woman mentioned a twin brother?”
    The second the words were out of her mouth she regretted them—regretted the hurt that momentarily dulled the sparkle in his eyes. She held her palms up. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I know what it is to feel pain and I know what it means to want to hold it close.”
    â€œThen you also know about the damage that can becaused by holding it close, yes?” Rory swiped a hand through his hair.
    â€œDamage? I don’t