A Change in Altitude Read Online Free

conditions,” Barb said.
    â€œI am not a pioneer woman.”
    â€œMaybe not, but you’ve certainly blazed a few new trails since you left Houston. The old Maggie would never have chopped her own firewood and snowshoed to the neighbor’s house in a blizzard, or half the things you’ve done here.”
    She shrugged. “That’s just life in a small mountain town.” It wasn’t a life she’d ever imagined herself living, until she’d come to Eureka to view her inheritance and learn more about her dad. Back then, newly divorced, unemployed, and more than a little lost, the chance to live on her own and rely on her own strength for a while had been exactly what she’d needed. Finding Jameso and a place where she truly felt at home was a bonus.
    â€œYou’ve really blossomed here.” Barb patted her hand. “You’ll make a beautiful bride and a great mom. No worries, I promise.”
    Neither woman spoke again as Barb turned onto Eureka’s main street. Lucille Theriot waved from the porch in front of her shop, Lacy’s. They passed the Eureka Miner, the newspaper where Maggie worked, and the library where Cassie Wynock reigned like a not-so-benevolent despot. So many familiar people and places. To think a year ago Maggie had been a stranger to them all, and now they were like family.
    She had new friends, a man who loved her, and the baby she’d always wanted on the way, so why didn’t she feel more settled? “I think part of me can’t believe I’ve been so lucky,” she said. “I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
    â€œLet’s hope it’s one half of a lovely pair of Manolos.” Barb parked between the Last Dollar Cafe and the Dirty Sally Saloon.
    â€œI just want to stop in and say hi to Jameso before we have lunch,” Maggie said.
    â€œOf course you do.” Barb smiled. “And I need to let that handsome fiancé of yours know the wallpaperers are finished and he can install the shelves in the library at the B and B whenever he’s ready.”
    â€œAre you sure you don’t want to hire a carpenter?” Maggie asked as she slid out of the Escalade. “I know you’re anxious to get the remodeling done, and Jameso’s schedule is kind of erratic.”
    â€œThat’s all right. I know he’ll do exactly what I want.”
    â€œYou mean, you like ordering him around.” The two women met on the sidewalk in front of the saloon.
    Barb’s smile was enigmatic. “Maybe I just enjoy watching him work. He does know how to fill out a pair of jeans.”
    Oh, yes. Jameso did do that. A brisk wind tugged at their clothes and Maggie tried to wrap her coat over her stomach, but it wouldn’t close. Was she ready for marriage to a man eight years younger who was better looking than she was?
    This time of afternoon on a weekday the bar was far from busy. Bob Prescott nodded from his usual stool, and Olivia Theriot greeted them with a smile. “Hello, ladies. How are things?”
    â€œWe just stopped in to say hi.” Maggie scanned the bar for some sign of Jameso.
    â€œHe’s over there.” Olivia pointed toward a table by the front window, where Jameso sat with a dark haired woman and a young girl, their three heads close together in intense conversation.
    â€œOh.” Maggie hesitated. The tense expression on Jameso’s face—and the fact that he hadn’t yet acknowledged her—hinted that she shouldn’t interrupt.
    But he must have felt her stare on him. He raised his head and met her gaze, and the tips of his ears reddened. “Maggie!” He half-rose from his chair.
    She had no choice but to go over to him then. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Hello, dear.” She looked at the woman and the girl. They both stared at her, openmouthed. “I’m Maggie. Jameso’s fiancée.” She offered her