Dancing in the Moonlight - Harlequin.com
Dancing in the Moonlight - Harlequin.com Dancing in the Moonlight - Harlequin.com
RAEANNE THAYNE 33 “Why? Guillermo loves this place! He has poured his heart into the Luna. It belongs to him as much as us. He owns part of the ranch, for heaven’s sake. You can’t fire him!” “So you think I’m a crazy woman, too?” “I didn’t say that. Did Guillermo call you crazy?” Her mother and her father’s brother had always seemed to get along just fine. Guillermo had been a rock of support to both of them after Abel’s death and had stepped up immediately to run the ranch his brother had loved. She couldn’t imagine what he might have done to anger her mother so drastically that she would feel compelled to fire him—or what she would have said to make him quit. “This makes no sense, Mama! What’s going on?” “I have my reasons and they are between your tío and me. That is all I will say about this to you.” Her mother had a note of finality in her voice but Maggie couldn’t let the subject rest. “But Mama, you can’t take care of things here by yourself! It’s too much.” “I will be fine. I am putting an ad in the newspaper. I will find someone to help me. You are not to worry.” “How can I not worry? What if I talk to Guillermo and try to smoothe things over?” “No! You are to stay out of this. You cannot smooth this over. Sometimes there are too many wrinkles between people. I will hire someone to help me but for now I am fine.” “Mama…” “No, Magdalena.” Her mother stuck her chin up,
34 DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT looking at once fierce and determined. “That is all I will say about this.” This time she couldn’t ignore Viviana’s firmness. But Maggie could be every bit as stubborn as her mother. “Fine.” She pulled herself up to stand. “Between the two of us, we should be able to manage until you’re able to hire someone.” Her mother gaped, her flashing dark eyes now slightly aghast. “Not the two of us!” She reverted to Spanish, as she always did in times of high emotion, and proceeded to loudly and vociferously tell Maggie all the reasons she would not allow her to overexert herself on the Rancho de la Luna. Maggie listened to her mother’s arguments calmly, hands in her sweater pockets, untilViviana wound down. “Don’t argue. Please, Mama,” she finally said, her voice low and firm. “You need help and I need something to keep me busy. Working with you will be the perfect solution.” Her mother opened her mouth to renew her objection but Maggie stopped her with an upraised hand. “Please, Mama. The doctors say I must stay active to strengthen my leg and I hate feeling so useless. I want to help you.” “You should rest. I thought that is why you have come home.” Maggie had her own reasons for coming home but she didn’t want to burden her mother with them, especially as she was suddenly aware of a deep, powerful need to prove to herself she wasn’t completely helpless.
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- Page 50 and 51: RAEANNE THAYNE 49 “Are you happy
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34 DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT<br />
look<strong>in</strong>g at once fierce and determ<strong>in</strong>ed. “That is all I will<br />
say about this.”<br />
This time she couldn’t ignore Viviana’s firmness.<br />
But Maggie could be every bit as stubborn as her<br />
mo<strong>the</strong>r. “F<strong>in</strong>e.” She pulled herself up to stand. “Between<br />
<strong>the</strong> two of us, we should be able to manage until you’re<br />
able to hire someone.”<br />
Her mo<strong>the</strong>r gaped, her flash<strong>in</strong>g dark eyes now<br />
slightly aghast. “Not <strong>the</strong> two of us!”<br />
She reverted to Spanish, as she always did <strong>in</strong> times<br />
of high emotion, and proceeded to loudly and vociferously<br />
tell Maggie all <strong>the</strong> reasons she would not allow<br />
her to overexert herself on <strong>the</strong> Rancho de la Luna.<br />
Maggie listened to her mo<strong>the</strong>r’s arguments calmly,<br />
hands <strong>in</strong> her sweater pockets, untilViviana wound down.<br />
“Don’t argue. Please, Mama,” she f<strong>in</strong>ally said, her<br />
voice low and firm. “You need help and I need someth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to keep me busy. Work<strong>in</strong>g with you will be <strong>the</strong><br />
perfect solution.”<br />
Her mo<strong>the</strong>r opened her mouth to renew her objection<br />
but Maggie stopped her with an upraised hand.<br />
“Please, Mama. The doctors say I must stay active to<br />
streng<strong>the</strong>n my leg and I hate feel<strong>in</strong>g so useless. I want<br />
to help you.”<br />
“You should rest. I thought that is why you have<br />
<strong>com</strong>e home.”<br />
Maggie had her own reasons for <strong>com</strong><strong>in</strong>g home but<br />
she didn’t want to burden her mo<strong>the</strong>r with <strong>the</strong>m, especially<br />
as she was suddenly aware of a deep,<br />
powerful need to prove to herself she wasn’t <strong>com</strong>pletely<br />
helpless.
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