“Which makes you sad.”
Maggie smiled, pleasantly surprised by his small, but accurate insight. The house did seem unbearably lonely when Jen was gone. “Despite teenage angst and troubles, yes, it does. I miss having her close by. Speaking of, she should be here by now.”
She pushed her chair back and stood, fluttering a hand when he made a similar move out of courtesy. “It’s okay. Jen knows to be on time. I’ll call her.”
Maggie made her way to the bottom of the stairs. What she’d said was true. She did miss having Jen closer, even though at times she was glad Jen was away from here and making new friends. Not all her acquaintances at home were ones Maggie would have chosen. And the last thing Maggie needed was for the marshal to know about Jen’s brush with the law.
“Jennifer. Dinner,” she called up the stairs.
There was a muffled thump from Jen’s room, then she came down, earbuds still stuck in her ears and her MP3 player stuffed in her pocket.
They went to the kitchen together, but when Jen sat and reached for the bread, Maggie shook her head.
“Not at the table, please.”
Jen seemed unconcerned as she plucked the buds from her ears. “Hey, Nate,” she greeted, snagging the piece of bread as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
Maggie saw Nate try to hide a smile. Honestly, she wondered sometimes if the manners she’d tried to instill had gone in one ear and out the other.
“Hey, Jennifer.” Nate politely answered the greeting and broke the awkwardness by starting a conversation. “So…spring break is just about over. You looking forward to getting back to school?”
Maggie relaxed and ladled soup into bowls. Nate apparently had paid good attention to his upbringing. Manners and a natural sense of small talk. And for once, Jen didn’t seem to mind answering.
“I guess. It’s been kind of boring around here. Nothing to do.”
“Oh, I don’t know. With all this snow…there must be winter sports. Skiing, skating, tobogganing…or are those things uncool these days?”
Maggie grinned behind her water glass. She’d suggested a day of cross-country skiing earlier in the week, only to have the idea vetoed by Jen. The same Jen who a few years ago would have jumped at the chance.
“I dunno,” Jen replied.
Nate nodded. “I’m looking forward to spending lots of time outdoors,” he said. “No snow where I live. This is a real treat for me.”
Maggie pictured him bundled up, his boots strapped into a pair of snowshoes, with his eyes gleaming like sapphire bullets beneath his toque. Her heart thumped heavily. His lean, strong build made the outdoors a natural choice.
“I suppose you’re all athletic and stuff.” Jennifer paused and tilted her head as if examining him.
“It’s part of my job. I have to stay in good shape. Just because I’m not…working, doesn’t mean I can ignore the routine.” He paused to take a spoonful of soup. “Besides, if I eat your mother’s cooking for the next two weeks, I’m really going to have to watch myself.” His smile sparkled at Maggie. “This is delicious.”
“Thanks,” Maggie responded. She was used to receiving polite compliments on her cooking. It made no sense that his praise caused her heart to pitter-patter like a schoolgirl’s.
She considered steering the conversation so that Jen didn’t monopolize it, but she realized two things. Jen was more animated than she’d been the whole break, and Maggie was learning a whole lot more about Nate by sitting back and listening to their exchange.
“So, Nate…when you’re not vacationing, what’s your job like? Are you like a regular cop or what?” She popped a spoonful of soup into her mouth while waiting for his answer.
Nate concentrated on adding grated parmesan to the top of his soup. “No, not like a regular cop. I get to do special stuff. A lot of what I do is finding fugitives, people who have committed crimes and are on the run.”
“You mean like America’s Most Wanted?” Jen leaned forward now, her dinner forgotten.
Nate nodded. “Exactly like that. And sometimes I’m sent out on high profile security details, too.”
“Isn’t that dangerous?” Maggie’s voice intruded. A cop was bad enough, but even she knew that a police officer dealt with a lot of the mundane. This seemed like a whole other level. “Don’t you worry about getting killed?”
His eyes were steady on hers. “Yes, but not as much as I worry about getting the job done.”
Maggie’s chin flattened. Tall, strong and handsome was one thing, but having a target painted on his chest was quite another. She couldn’t imagine anyone choosing such a lifestyle.
“Have you ever killed anyone?”
“Jennifer!” Maggie put down her spoon and glared at her daughter for her crassness in asking such a thing. Nate’s eyes made the transition to look at Jennifer, the smile disappearing completely.
“Jen, that was beyond inappropriate.” Maggie spoke sharply. “Please apologize.”
But Nate shook his head. “There’s no need. It’s a valid question. I get it a lot.” He took a drink of water. “I work as part of a team. And our goal is to bring fugitives to justice, or to protect those we are assigned to protect. Of course we prefer to bring them in unharmed. But if we’re fired upon, we have to fire back.”
Silence fell over the table.
Maggie tried to fill the uncomfortable gap the way a hostess should, yet all she could see was Nate, holding a smoking gun. The thought chilled her considerably.
“That must be very stressful.”
Nate nodded. “It can be, yes.”
Jen’s voice interrupted again. “Is that why you’re here?”
Maggie kicked her beneath the table. Jen bit down on her lip but watched him, undeterred.
Nate swallowed. “Part of it, yes. I was directed to take some time off after a…particularly challenging case. A little rest and relaxation is just what the doctor ordered.”
He smiled, but it wasn’t as warm as before. “In keeping with that, I’d appreciate if you’d keep my presence here low-key. I realize it’s a small community, but right now I want to enjoy the outdoors and not worry about speculation.”
Maggie aimed a stern look at Jennifer before turning to Nate and answering.
“Of course. You are a guest here, and of course we’ll respect your wishes. That’s what the Haven is all about.” At least she didn’t have to worry right now. He was on vacation. What he did for a living had no bearing on anything.
“Thank you,” he murmured. He picked up his spoon again and resumed eating, and Jennifer wisely let the subject drop for the rest of the meal.
“Dessert, Mr. Griffith?”
Nate looked up at Maggie as she removed his plate and bowl. The meal had had its uncomfortable moments, but he was actually glad the questions had been asked and answered. He got the feeling that Maggie would have been too polite to ask point-blank what her daughter had. Not only that, but the questions had provided a natural way to introduce his cover. Even if he did feel a bit guilty about the half-lie. He’d deliberately prodded her about some things, like asking if she ran the bed and breakfast alone when he knew darn well she did. Still…it was all necessary.
Maggie was waiting, her lips curved pleasantly in what he now realized was her hostess smile. “I shouldn’t…but maybe you could tell me what it is first.”
Her lips twitched…a