Dancing in the Moonlight - Harlequin.com

RAEANNE THAYNE
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seen her in the crowd, Maggie had kept an eye on her.
Carmela had started out sticking with others in the
Latino community; now she was talking with two Anglo
women, one of whom also looked pregnant.
Maggie probably would have found it all heartwarming,
a reaffirmation of small-town values, if she hadn’t
been the guest of honor.
“We couldn’t be more proud of you, young lady.
You’re a credit to the whole town.”
She turned back to Charlie Bannister, the mail carrier
who had been mayor of Pine Gulch as long as she could
remember. She didn’t think his years of service to the
town had anything to do with a particular craving for
power, more that no one else wanted the job.
She smiled politely. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate that.”
“Purple Heart, I understand.”
“Yes sir.”
“A great honor. Yes, indeed. I’m only sorry you had
to make such a sacrifice to earn it. But looks like you’re
learning to adjust. Good for you. Good for you.”
She didn’t know what to do except nod and smile as
the mayor went on at length about how his cousin had
to have a leg amputated—“the diabetes, don’t you
know”—and how he never walked again.
“You’re getting around well. I wouldn’t even know
your leg was a fake if I didn’t know your story,” the
mayor said.
As the mayor went on and on, Maggie spied Jake
moving among the guests. Though she tried to catch his
eye to send him a subliminal message to rescue her, he
seemed to be as much in demand as she was.