this pitchfork."
"All right then," Maggie said. She shoved her hands deep into the front pockets of her jeans and walked into her horse's stall. "Hey, Shawny. How's my guy this morning?"
John stepped out of the tack room. "Where's that wind coming from? Did you leave the barn door open, Maggie?"
Just then, a flash of light appeared in the area of the barn where the hay bales were stored, drawing John's attention. "What in tarnation—?"
Maggie's exited Shawny's stall a moment later. "John, are you sure you don't want help with the hay?"
Suddenly, her attention was drawn to a cracking sound above her head. A split second later, she found herself tackled to the ground as a large metal winch hit the dirt with a resounding thud, right next to her.
"Get off me." Maggie scrambled to her feet. "What the hell happened?" she said as she watched her would-be rescuer also stand and brush herself off.
"John," Maggie screamed. "John, I need you in here, right now."
Maggie circled the heavy winch then looked up at the rafters. "Son of a bitch — I could have been killed," she exclaimed.
John ran into the barn from the tack room, just as a petite woman with short blonde hair entered the barn.
"Maggie. What happened?" John asked.
Maggie pointed at the winch. "That is what happened. John, I need you to inspect the rafter this thing was hanging from. Something caused it to snap, and I want to know what."
"Yes, ma'am," John said.
The petite woman shot a questioning look at Jordan. "What happened?" she asked, placing a comforting hand on Maggie's back.
Maggie rubbed her forehead. "I don't know. I was walking toward Shawny's stall when all of the sudden this woman—" Maggie gestured at Jordan "This woman appeared out of nowhere and tackled me to the floor. The next thing I knew, the winch was sitting in a crater on the floor, exactly where I'd just been standing."
The smaller woman wrapped her arms around Maggie and hugged her. "Thank God you weren't hurt," she said. "I'll investigate this. I promise we'll get to the bottom of it."
Maggie cupped the side of the woman's face and smiled. "Thank you, Jan."
Maggie turned abruptly and looked at Jordan. Her brows knit together as she considered the woman who had saved her life. She watched Jordan shift her weight from foot to foot, uncomfortable under Maggie's intense scrutiny. Maggie extended her hand.
"And you are?" she asked.
"Jordan. Jordan Lewis," she replied as she shook Maggie's hand.
Maggie smiled, clearly aware of the effect she was having on Jordan as she saw Jordan struggle to look away. "Well, Jordan, I guess I am indebted to you. I can't thank you enough. If you hadn't come along when you did, that winch would have killed me."
Jordan inhaled deeply. "You're welcome," she replied. "When I heard the rafter crack, I pretty much acted on instinct."
"Thank God for instinct," Maggie declared. "So, the question is who are you and what were you doing in my barn?"
"Ah… ah… I was actually looking for work," Jordan began, "No one answered the door at the house, so I came to the barn."
Maggie smiled again. "Work, huh? Well, why don't you join me for a glass of lemonade while we talk about it?"
Jordan smiled back at her. "I'd like that."
* * *
Maggie filled two glasses and handed one to Jordan, who was seated at the kitchen table. Maggie leaned against the cupboard and assessed Jordan as she drank.
"So, Jordan, where are you from?" Maggie asked.
"I'm actually from the area," Jordan replied.
Maggie sipped her drink. "I see. So, what kind of work are you looking for?"
Jordan sat back in her chair and crossed her legs. "Well, my parents raised horses, so I have experience in the care and training of horses, and I'm pretty good with my hands," she added.
"Hmm," Maggie murmured as she watched a wide array of expressions cross Jordan's face. "Is it safe to say you'll need to bunk here as well? I mean, assuming I hire you, of course."
Just then, the kitchen door swung
"All right then," Maggie said. She shoved her hands deep into the front pockets of her jeans and walked into her horse's stall. "Hey, Shawny. How's my guy this morning?"
John stepped out of the tack room. "Where's that wind coming from? Did you leave the barn door open, Maggie?"
Just then, a flash of light appeared in the area of the barn where the hay bales were stored, drawing John's attention. "What in tarnation—?"
Maggie's exited Shawny's stall a moment later. "John, are you sure you don't want help with the hay?"
Suddenly, her attention was drawn to a cracking sound above her head. A split second later, she found herself tackled to the ground as a large metal winch hit the dirt with a resounding thud, right next to her.
"Get off me." Maggie scrambled to her feet. "What the hell happened?" she said as she watched her would-be rescuer also stand and brush herself off.
"John," Maggie screamed. "John, I need you in here, right now."
Maggie circled the heavy winch then looked up at the rafters. "Son of a bitch — I could have been killed," she exclaimed.
John ran into the barn from the tack room, just as a petite woman with short blonde hair entered the barn.
"Maggie. What happened?" John asked.
Maggie pointed at the winch. "That is what happened. John, I need you to inspect the rafter this thing was hanging from. Something caused it to snap, and I want to know what."
"Yes, ma'am," John said.
The petite woman shot a questioning look at Jordan. "What happened?" she asked, placing a comforting hand on Maggie's back.
Maggie rubbed her forehead. "I don't know. I was walking toward Shawny's stall when all of the sudden this woman—" Maggie gestured at Jordan "This woman appeared out of nowhere and tackled me to the floor. The next thing I knew, the winch was sitting in a crater on the floor, exactly where I'd just been standing."
The smaller woman wrapped her arms around Maggie and hugged her. "Thank God you weren't hurt," she said. "I'll investigate this. I promise we'll get to the bottom of it."
Maggie cupped the side of the woman's face and smiled. "Thank you, Jan."
Maggie turned abruptly and looked at Jordan. Her brows knit together as she considered the woman who had saved her life. She watched Jordan shift her weight from foot to foot, uncomfortable under Maggie's intense scrutiny. Maggie extended her hand.
"And you are?" she asked.
"Jordan. Jordan Lewis," she replied as she shook Maggie's hand.
Maggie smiled, clearly aware of the effect she was having on Jordan as she saw Jordan struggle to look away. "Well, Jordan, I guess I am indebted to you. I can't thank you enough. If you hadn't come along when you did, that winch would have killed me."
Jordan inhaled deeply. "You're welcome," she replied. "When I heard the rafter crack, I pretty much acted on instinct."
"Thank God for instinct," Maggie declared. "So, the question is who are you and what were you doing in my barn?"
"Ah… ah… I was actually looking for work," Jordan began, "No one answered the door at the house, so I came to the barn."
Maggie smiled again. "Work, huh? Well, why don't you join me for a glass of lemonade while we talk about it?"
Jordan smiled back at her. "I'd like that."
* * *
Maggie filled two glasses and handed one to Jordan, who was seated at the kitchen table. Maggie leaned against the cupboard and assessed Jordan as she drank.
"So, Jordan, where are you from?" Maggie asked.
"I'm actually from the area," Jordan replied.
Maggie sipped her drink. "I see. So, what kind of work are you looking for?"
Jordan sat back in her chair and crossed her legs. "Well, my parents raised horses, so I have experience in the care and training of horses, and I'm pretty good with my hands," she added.
"Hmm," Maggie murmured as she watched a wide array of expressions cross Jordan's face. "Is it safe to say you'll need to bunk here as well? I mean, assuming I hire you, of course."
Just then, the kitchen door swung
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