Looking For You All My Life Part 54

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, st.u.r.dy fingers wrapped

around hers.

"But she also said that sometimes she feels like she's in

compet.i.tion 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 relations.h.i.+p

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."