Trouble Walks In by Sara Humphreys Page B

God.
    â€œGreat.” He nodded and grabbed the doorknob of the front door. “Do you have plans for Thursday?”
    â€œUm…isn’t that Thanksgiving?”
    â€œWhaddya know?” He smacked his forehead in an overly dramatic gesture. “It is!”
    â€œAre you serious?” She let out a short laugh. “You want to take me on a date for Thanksgiving dinner?”
    â€œYup. And don’t try to tell me you have plans because I know you don’t.”
    â€œOh really? And how could you—” Maddy’s mouth snapped shut and her eyes narrowed. “You’ve been talking to Jordan and Gavin, haven’t you?”
    â€œWhen Gav called trying to get me to go home for the holiday, he might have mentioned that you refused their invitation and planned on staying home.” He pointed around the room. “Not real festive around here.”
    â€œAre you asking me out or insulting me?”
    â€œI’m teasing you…and asking you out.” He grinned. “So what do you say? You and I will go out for Thanksgiving dinner. Provided you can walk by then, of course.”
    â€œI’m sure I’ll be walking—or limping, at least, by tomorrow. It’s feeling better already.” She held up one hand before he could argue with her. “Where should we meet?”
    â€œWoman, what kind of man do you think Carolyn McGuire raised?” He arched one eyebrow and tugged the door open. “I’ll make a reservation and pick you up here at seven.”
    â€œWhat about Bowser?”
    â€œHe can get his own date. Besides, if I bring him a doggie bag, he’ll forgive me.” Ronan winked. “See you then.”
    The image of her smiling face filled his head all the way home. Maddy Morgan was going to start living again, and if he had anything to say about it, it would be with him.

Chapter 5
    Her phone had buzzed somewhere in her bag several times already, but Maddy made it a habit not to answer calls while showing a home. It was rude and could give the client the impression that they weren’t her number one priority. Mr. Gregory was definitely one of those clients—finding him and his wife a new home had become her most important job.
    Mr. Gregory took his time strolling through the fifth apartment of the day. Maddy gritted her teeth against the pain in her ankle but kept a polite smile plastered to her face. She’d already gone through the place with him once and was now standing by the front door, giving him the privacy to look on his own. Many real estate agents hovered over their clients, but that wasn’t Maddy’s style.
    She leaned against the wall and gently rotated her ankle to loosen it up, but to no avail. The tall leather boots she wore had a low heel, and while they weren’t as tough to walk in as her shoes with higher ones, she’d give just about anything for a pair of flip-flops.
    Being a real estate agent in New York City was a far more formal venture than when she’ had her business in Old Brookfield. Back home, she could wear her long, flowing skirts and peasant tops, and nobody would look twice. If she did that in this market, her clients would never take her seriously. Nope. Gone were her trademark hippie-chic clothes, and her free-spirited lifestyle had vanished right along with them.
    When Rick died, that part of her had died too.
    She hadn’t glimpsed that side of herself since that fateful August day—at least, not until recently. Something about Ronan McGuire brought that missing part back to life—or a glimmer of it anyway. Maddy pressed her fingers to her lips, a smile blooming there. The man could kiss like the devil. Hot, passionate, demanding. Holy hell. Ronan McGuire was a force of nature, and equally dangerous.
    â€œMs. Morgan?” Mr. Gregory’s voice interrupted her memories. “I’ve seen enough. I’m afraid this won’t do either.”
    â€œI