Patricia Thayer - A Mother For The Tycoon's Child

“Please, come in,” he said and moved aside so she could wheel the food tray in.

Morgan placed it in front of the hearth. He watched as the slender woman bent over the table to arrange the meal. Her long skirt prevented him from telling if she had any curves but did catch a glimpse of her slim ankles.

When she started for the door, he blocked her path. “Please, stay and join me,” he asked. “I hate to eat alone.”

She hesitated, then looked toward the bedroom. “What about Lauren?”

“She’s sound asleep.” He carried the chair from the desk to the table. “Please, sit.”

“You don’t have to wait on me.”

“A lady should always be seated before a man.”

When she passed by him, he caught a whiff of her shampoo. It was some kind of soft, citrus scent. He took a seat opposite her.

“I guess I should have asked if you’d eaten.”

She shook her head. “Milk or coffee?”

“Coffee, please.” He watched as she poured him a cup, then one for herself. He nodded toward the plate of sandwiches and after she took one, he helped himself to the thin sliced roast beef. It was delicious.

“Would you mind if we went over some questions I have about the project?”

She blinked. “Not at all.”

“I’m concerned about access leading to the Silver Sky Canyon. The map shows it’s pretty far from the highway.”

“That was a problem for a while. The private land owner is my brother-in-law Holt Rawlins. The original road was to cut across his ranch. In fact it’s a very beautiful natural area with waterfalls and wonderful hiking trails.”

“Sounds like a place I’d like to see.”

“It can be arranged for tomorrow, if weather permits.” Her gaze locked with his, but she quickly glanced away. “To get back to your question about access to the ski area, we found another way in. It’s on the back side of Holt’s ranch. It’s less intrusive to the environment and there’s less chance of disrupting the beauty of the area. Most importantly, Holt is willing to sell the property.”

Justin tried to focus on her answers, but found he was more interested in watching her sip her coffee. The slender fingers that held the bone china cup were the same fingers that made the intricate stitches in the quilt downstairs. How would those delicate hands feel on him? He swiftly pushed aside the thought. He was way off track.

“It sounds like you’ve spent a lot of time working out every detail of this project.”

“It’s important to me. This town is important to me. I’ve lived here nearly all my life. And as mayor, I promised to help bring in revenue. We can’t survive without new business resources.”

Justin smiled as he got up from the table and went to the window. “The view is breathtaking.”

Morgan joined him at the large window overlooking the mountains. “You must have a view of the Rockies in Denver.”

“Denver is beautiful, too. But there’s something here. A certain peace…serenity that seems to surround the town.” He gave her a sideways glance. “I have to say, Morgan, I’m more than intrigued with this area.”

Her smile was breathtaking, and so unconsciously seductive that his pulse began to race. She must have felt the change, too.

“I should go.” She backed away, but her long skirt caught on the edge of the table and she started to fall. Justin reached for her arm and pulled her upright, but the movement brought her body against his. He immediately responded to her warmth…her softness. Morgan Keenan definitely had curves. But when their gazes met, she began to tremble.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

She nodded, and quickly untangled herself from him. “I’m clumsy sometimes.”

“It happens.”

“I should help my mother with dinner.” Morgan hurried toward the door. “She wanted me to extend an invitation to you and Lauren.”

“I don’t expect your family to entertain us.”

“It’s a pleasure. Dinner will be at six,” she said, her hand on the doorknob. “If there’s anything you need just call down. Goodbye.”

Then she was gone, leaving him to wonder what had happened. Why did she tremble at his touch? There were a great many questions he wanted answered, but the main one was, did he want to get involved with a woman who wouldn’t be easy to forget?

He turned back to the scene outside the window. Well, Morgan Keenan would definitely be part of the picture if he decided to make Destiny his permanent home.

“Dinner was delicious, Mrs. Keenan,” Justin said as he pushed his plate away with the remains of his second helping of succulent roast pork and potatoes.

“Thank you.” She rose from her seat next to her husband at the head of the long table in the Inn’s formal dining room. Morgan was seated across from him. She’d changed into a black sweater that accentuated her fair skin. Auburn hair lay in waves around her face. He flashed back to the way she’d felt in his arms.

Not a safe place to go.

He quickly glanced down at Lauren seated beside him. She had wanted to change into a pretty pink dress for tonight, and he done his best to comb her hair and fasten it back with barrettes. Not his best skill.

“I hope you saved room for dessert, Mr. Hilliard,” Claire Keenan said. “Morgan made double Dutch apple pie.”

“Please, call me Justin.”

“And we’re Claire and Tim,” she said as she collected plates.

Morgan stood and looked at Lauren. “Since you finished all your food, I have a special treat for you.” Her smile and emerald gaze moved to Justin. “Of course if it’s all right with your father.”

The impact was more than he wanted to admit. He turned his attention to his daughter. She’d eaten her food without being coaxed. “Sure.”

Morgan held out her hand to the child. “Want to come with me and help?” she asked.

Lauren nodded excitedly as Justin lifted her down and the twosome walked out hand in hand.

“Daughters. They’re hard to turn down,” Tim Keenan said as the two left.

Justin turned to the big man with the warm smile. He’d caught the loving looks Tim had shared with his wife.

“Lauren’s had a rough time. It’s hard for me to deny her anything.”

“Losing a parent is difficult,” Tim agreed. “Our girls lost their biological parents early on. We were truly blessed when they came to us.”

Before coming to Destiny, Justin had dug deep into the town’s history along with the young mayor’s background. He’d learned how close the Keenan family was, and how the town helped raise the girls when they first arrived to town. It was apparent the three sisters had a special bond.

“You must be proud of them.”

The older man nodded. “That goes without saying. And it has nothing to do with their careers or what they’ve chosen in life. Morgan, Paige and Leah turned out to be good people. They’re kind and caring, and most importantly, happy. There’s nothing more a parent could ask for.”

“I’d give anything to make that happen for Lauren.”

Tim stared at him. “I’d say you’re making a good start. You brought her with you. There’s nothing better than spending time with your child.”

“It isn’t always that simple in my line of work.” After seeing her reaction to Morgan and the rest of the Keenan family, he realized how hungry Lauren was for a stable life. He wasn’t sure if he could give her that.

Tim leaned back in his chair. “It’s only as complicated as you make it. Of course there are choices to make.”

“Explain that to my father,” Justin said. Marshall Justin Hilliard, Sr. believed in success at all costs. Marriage and family had always come second.

“Hilliard Industries is a large conglomerate, with interests all over the world. I expect it takes a lot of manpower to run, but you should be able to delegate some of the work.” Tim arched an eyebrow. “In fact, you could have sent an assistant to oversee this project.”