can make some hot cocoa if you have the time.
"Sure!" He climbed down from the truck and walked
over. "Cocoa sounds good. But forget about the check,
Magpie. The tires are a gift."
"Oh, no, Jed. That's too much-"
"Now, if you keep going on about this, I'll have to forgo
the cocoa and go home," he warned.
87.
88Melody Carlson
"Better listen to him," said Leah as she stomped the snow
off her lightweight leather shoes. "I guess I'll need to get
some real snow boots."
"I have a pair that you can borrow until you get some,"
offered Maggie.
"Great. I'll go start up the cocoa," said Leah happily.
"How did your dinner go?" Maggie turned to Jed after
Leah closed the front door behind her.
"Very nice." He reached for her hand. "We even talked
about you some."
*"You did?" She looked up into his face and smiled.
I"Leah really admires you a lot, Maggie. She said that
sometimes she actually wishes you were her mother.''
"That's so sweet." She squeezed his hand, enjoying the
warmth and strength of his long, sturdy fingers wrapped
around hers.
"But she also said that sometimes she feels like she's in
competition with you-and she doesn't like that at all."
"Oh..." Maggie's smile faded.
"I tried to explain to her that the way I feel about you
doesn't in any way affect or diminish my feelings for her.
And I know she's trying hard to be very mature and under-
standing about all this, but she openly admitted that she
doesn't want to share me with anyone else right now."
"Oh..."
"And when you think of all she's been through-I mean,
her mom, the stepdads, the live-in boyfriends-well, it's not
all that surprising, I suppose."
"No, not at all. I understand it completely." More com-
pletely than she cared to admit, for the truth was, she didn't
Lwant to share Jed with anyone else right now either. But for
Leah's sake, and because she was the adult here, she knew
she would have to at least try.
"And so..." He bent his face closer to hers, his strong fin-
gers still wrapped securely around her own. "I told Leah that
maybe you and I could sort of.. well.. .put our relationship
on hold for the time being, just long enough to give her some IF'.
Looking for You All My Life89
time to adjust to everything." He smiled down at her. "It
doesn't change how I feel about you a bit."