Текст книги "Charmed by His Love"

Автор книги: Джанет Чапмен

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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 21 страниц)

up, and the sadness in her eyes twisted his gut into a knot.

“It’s not that I wouldn’t like it to, but that I … can’t.” She

squirmed for him to let her go, and when he did she took a

deep breath and smoothed down her jacket. “So please

quit trying.”

“No.”

She snapped her head up. “It’s nothing personal, okay? I

just don’t want … I can’t … dammit, I need to stay focused

on my kids.” She waved at nothing. “Maybe in another

twenty years I’l think about having a love life.”

“You’l have forgotten how by then, lass,” he said just to

piss her off—because it was a hel of a lot better than letting

her come up with any more crazy excuses.

Her eyes widened, and within the next heartbeat she had

her I-mean-business scowl in place. “It’s like riding a bike,”

she snapped. “But if youneed the practice, I suggest you

try Angie’s Bar in Turtleback on the first Friday night of

every month, when they have strippers come in from

Canada.” That said, she stomped away—causing the

entire deck to shake precariously.

“Peg.”

She stopped with her hand on the storm door, but didn’t

turn to look at him.

“I have to go home for a couple of days to pul my crew

together, so if ye need anything, don’t hesitate to ask Alec

or Robbie. I’l be back on Saturday to see Mac and Olivia

off, and I’l pick you and the children up Sunday morning at

ten for our picnic.”

“No,” she said, stil not looking at him.

“Dress them warmly and in mud boots, and ye might want

to bring them each a change of clothes.”

He watched her lean her forehead on the door. “Please

don’t make me go.”

“Ten o’clock; and I’l have ye al home by sunset,” he said

quietly, the knot in his gut making the walk to his truck

nearly impossible.

By four o’clock Friday afternoon, Peg had decided that

Duncan’s idea of help was foisting her off on Alec and

Robbie. Oh, and leaving her his truck to use—which she

hadn’t because she was more stubborn than he was. She

didn’t dare give the man an inch, knowing damned wel

he’d take a mile before she even knew what he was up to—

including stealing more heartbreaking kisses.

How in the name of God had she gotten herself into this

mess? She’d real y just been minding her business—trying

to make ends meet by poaching deer and stealing coupons

and keeping her van running on duct tape and prayers—

when the earth had shaken and mountains had moved, and

Duncan MacKeage had shown up and started making her

tremble worse than the earthquake had.

Peg watched the boys building an elaborate road system

up from the beach to the driveway using the convoy of toy

construction equipment they’d found lined up on the deck

yesterday morning when they’d gone outside. She’d tried to

thank Robbie, but the man had gotten a sparkle in his

laughing gray eyes as he’d shaken his head, saying he had

no idea how those trucks had gotten there, as he and Alec

had been guarding the property al night. He’d then

pronounced in front of the boys that it must have been a

sneaky girlfairy, since al the boy fairies he knew always

made a lot of noise while making their special deliveries.

It hadn’t been until that afternoon when the girls had

gotten off the bus that Alec had jumped off the excavator

and come down and opened the door of Duncan’s pickup

to show Peg the fairy had also left Charlotte and Isabel a

little something—which she would have discovered that

morning if she’d used the truck. Her daughters were now

the proud owners of some pretty fancy L.L.Bean

backpacks.

Charlotte, being the bright bulb that she was, had quietly

thanked Alec for the special delivery, and Peg had watched

her daughter tug on his sleeve to get him to bend over to

give him a shy kiss on his cheek—which she’d noticed had

darkened as he’d straightened.

Oh yeah, little girls and little boys needed big strong men

in their lives. And dammit, so did she. But desirewas a

four-letter word as far as Peg was concerned.

It was also painful as hel .

Duncan MacKeage had walked into her life less than a

week ago, big and strong and handsome and unbelievably

appealing, and here the man had been gone less than forty-

eight hours and she already painful y missed him.

Her desire for Bil y had been a subtle blossoming inside

her over their junior year of high school; Bil y being a bit

slow on the uptake, but quickly getting with the program

once she’d final y managed to catch his eye. They’d been

inseparable their senior year, and had gotten married the

September after graduation—Charlotte being born nine

months and three weeks later.

There was nothing subtle about her desire for Mr. Kiss-

stealing MacKeage, however; in fact, Peg felt somewhat

blindsided by the intensity of her attraction to him.

How was that even possible? How could she meet a man

on Saturday—by attacking him, no less—and already have

her heart aching from knowing she couldn’t act on their

obviously mutual desire? She real y didn’t want to go on

that picnic Sunday, because she real y liked Duncan too

much to lead him on. But tel ing a big strong man that

pursuing her would be detrimental to his health … Wel ,

once the guy quit laughing, he’d probably steal another kiss

just to shut her up. And then he’d set about proving her

wrong, because he real y was contrary.

So basical y the question was, how did a woman go

about discouraging a man she desperately desired?

Because just saying no didn’t seem to be working.

Come to think of it, why was Duncan even attracted to

her, anyway? The guy was sexy as al get-out, and

obviously successful judging by the fancy equipment he

was running; he could have any woman he wanted. So why

was he even bothering with a widow who had four little

heathens? Which, now that she thought about it, was almost

as disconcerting as her desire for him.

“Grammy’s here!” Peter shouted, abandoning his road to

run to the edge of the driveway and stop. Jacob was two

steps behind him, making Peg smile when he also halted

with his toes on the edge of the gravel until the car came to

a stop and they heard the engine shut off. Then both boys

bolted for the driver’s door.

“Gram, come on,” Peter said, grabbing Jeanine’s hand

before she even got her seat belt unfastened. “You gotta

come see al our new trucks!”

“A special delivery fairy brung them,” Jacob said,

grabbing her other hand the moment she got out. “Gram-

auntie, you come, too,” he added with a wave at Peg’s aunt

Bea as she got out the passenger side.

“I’l be right along,” Bea said as she walked over and sat

down beside Peg at the picnic table. “I thought you swore

they’d never play with toy trucks because you didn’t want

them playing with big ones when they grew up,” she said

softly.

“I guess I forgot to tel the truck fairy.” Peg fol owed Bea’s

gaze from the boys to the neatly stacked pine logs sitting

next to the tote road, then up the hil side where Alec was

digging stumps while the bul dozer pushed them into piles.

Alec had introduced her to Duncan’s foreman, Sam Dalton,

just that morning when Sam had arrived in another shiny

wheeler towing the front-end loader that would stay at the

pit to bucket the gravel into the trucks. Oh yeah, Duncan

was settling in for the long haul.

“Who is the truck fairy?” Bea asked.

Peg waved at the hil side. “The crew. I suspect they

figured if the twins had their own construction toys to play

with that they wouldn’t try to play with the big ones.” She

looked at Bea. “What brings you ladies here this

afternoon?”

Bea’s face lit up. “We’re auditioning.”

Peg’s mom walked over, her own face bright with

laughter. “I told you that you’d give in, didn’t I?” she said,

waving at the twins. “Boys and trucks belong together.” She

sat down beside Peg. “Land sakes, I can’t remember the

last time we’ve been able to sit outside in the middle of

April like this. We’re usual y stil knee-deep in snow, and

there they are digging dirt already.” She wrapped an arm

around Peg and gave her a squeeze. “And here you are,

final y on your way to financial independence. You should

be al moved in to your new house before the snow flies

again.”

Peg saw Alec get out of the excavator and start jogging

down the road they’d built along the west side of her old pit,

and she stood up and faced the women. “What did you

mean, you’re here to audition?” she asked. “Audition for

what?”

“We’re hoping to get a job cooking for MacKeage

Construction,” her mom said, also standing up when she

spotted Alec. She pointed toward him. “We overheard Alec

talking to Ezra this morning, saying he was looking for a

cook for the camp they’re building for their crew and

MacBain Logging to stay at through the week.”

It took al of Peg’s wil power to keep her composure,

even as her stomach tightened in dread. “No,” she

whispered, her gaze darting between her mom and aunt. “I

don’t … You can’t …”

Bea also stood up. “We butted right in to the

conversation,” she said excitedly, “and told Mr. MacKeage

that feeding thirty men required twopeople in the kitchen,

and that we just happened to be wonderful cooks.”

“But—”

“We told him we also happened to be looking for jobs,”

her mom said, cutting Peg off. “And that we have

experience running a camp kitchen.”

Peg gasped. “No, you don’t.” She glanced over her

shoulder to see Alec was almost to them, then narrowed

her eyes on her mother. “Serving pancakes one day every

year on Maine Maple Sunday at a sugarhouse is notcamp

cooking experience,” she softly growled.

“Hush,” Jeanine growled back, turning to smile at Alec.

“Mr. MacKeage,” she said with a nod. “We’ve brought you a

sample of the meals we plan to serve if you give us the job.”

She gestured toward the picnic table. “We thought we’d

cook you and your crew and Peg and the heathens supper

tonight right here over an open campfire.” She beamed him

a bold smile. “I promise no one wil leave the table hungry.”

The smile Alec gave Jeanine disappeared when he

looked at Peg and she didn’t turn her scowl off quickly

enough. “Is there a problem?” he asked.

“No, there’s not,” Jeanine said at the same time Peg

said, “Yes.”

“Mom,” she softly hissed, darting a glance at Bea.

“They’re going to be here for twoyears; five days a week

times three meals a day.”

Jeanine also lost her smile. “I can read a calendar,” she

said, striding to the car.

“But you don’t understand,” Peg whispered tightly,

fol owing her. “There are people in town who don’t want the

resort to be built, and anyone who works for anyone

building it is going to become a target.”

Her mother opened the trunk and blinked at her. “What

are you talking about?” she asked, not bothering to

whisper. “Everyone is excited about the resort. It’s going to

create a lot of good paying jobs.”

“Not everyone,” Peg hissed. “There are some who are

violently opposed to it.”

Jeanine reached in the trunk, picked up a box of food,

and shoved it at Peg. “They’l change their minds soon

enough,” she said with a dismissive wave. “And Sister and I

intend to be the first in line for those jobs.” She touched

Peg’s arm. “We’re so excited about this, honey. You know

how much Bea and I love to cook, and we … wel , we need

to feel needed.”

“But you both already have jobs.”

Her mother picked up another box and handed it to Bea

when she and Alec walked over. “I can do the bit of

freelance bookkeeping I have on weekends.”

“And I already told Sylvia Pinkham I wasn’t coming back

to housekeep at her resort this summer,” Bea chimed in.

“With the cost of gas now, I was losing money driving al the

way to Turtleback for five hours of work every day, and she

wasn’t wil ing to give me a raise.” She smiled, nodding at

Alec when he also picked up a box from the trunk. “And

even including the tips I made at the Pine Point Resort, I’l

stil be earning twice as much working for Mr. MacKeage.”

“Please, ladies, cal me Alec,” he said. He looked at Peg

and arched a brow. “Mind tel ing me what seems to have

you worried?”

Jeanine made a dismissive sound before Peg could

answer and grabbed the last box out of the trunk. “My

overprotective daughter is afraid we’re going to get the

cold shoulder from the fewpeople in town who are opposed

to Olivia’s new resort if we work for you.” She balanced the

box on the bumper and closed the trunk with a snort. “But

it’l be a cold day in hel —pardon my French—before I’l let

a bunch of idiots tel me who I can or can’t work for. Now,”

she said, carrying the box to the picnic table. “You just go

back to whatever you were doing, Alec, and we’l ring the

dinner bel .”

He stepped in front of Peg when she started to fol ow

them. “Where’s your van?”

“It’s taking a real y long, wel -deserved nap.”

He sighed. “We’re going to find it, ye know. And

personal y, I’d rather not be standing in your shoes when we

do.” He canted his head, studying her as she glared at him,

and smiled. “I’ve never actual y seen anyone stand up to

Duncan and … survive. Are ye not even a little bit afraid of

pushing him too far?”

“What’s he going to do,” she drawled, stepping around

him, “use the flat of his sword on my backside?”

“Nay, lass,” he said with a chuckle as he fol owed. “I’d be

more worried about seeing him with a short length of rope

in his hands if I were you.”

Having absolutely no idea what he was talking about,

Peg stopped and turned, making him nearly bump into her.

“The moment I so much as hear anyone in town has

threatened my mother or aunt,” she whispered tightly, “I

swear I’m ripping up my agreement with MacKeage

Construction and chaining off the pit.”

Alec’s usual y warm eyes turned deadly, and he stepped

closer. “Where’s your van, Peg? Did someone run you off

the road?”

“And you can tel Duncan that I don’t make idle threats,

either,” she said, turning and walking away on rubbery legs.

Dammit, she had to figure out how to stop them from

hiring her mom and aunt, even if she had to dump a whole

shaker of salt in tonight’s supper when no one was looking

–especial y her little tattletale son.

Chapter Thirteen

Duncan showed Jacob and Pete how to buckle themselves

into the booster seats he’d set in the second row bucket

seats, and handed them each the books on heavy

equipment he’d brought them. He then stepped to the side

to usher Charlotte and Isabel into the third row seat and

handed them the magazines he’d brought—that he’d had

his mother pick out because what in hel did he know about

little girls? He final y climbed in behind the steering wheel,

hiding his smile when he saw Peg studying the dashboard

that looked like it belonged in a Black Hawk helicopter.

He’d driven the ful -sized SUV back from Pine Creek in

the wee hours of this morning, leading his convoy of

equipment through a gauntlet of moose out licking the salt

that had pooled in the potholes from this winter’s sanding.

At the rate this spring was going, he wouldn’t have many

more nights of below-freezing temperatures, which was the

only time he could run his trucks until the road postings

were removed—which didn’t happen until the frost heaves

settled back into place and the roadbed dried up.

“Do ye like the truck?” he asked conversational y.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many accessories,” she

said, fingering the buttons on her door handle. He saw her

glance over her shoulder. “Or one with bucket seats instead

of a bench in back.” She tapped the built-in navigation

screen and shot him a sassy smile. “You get lost a lot, do

you?”

“No, but my mother does, apparently. This is her truck,

not mine.”

“Then why are you driving it?”

“Because she’s wanting to sel it, and I told her that I

happened to know someone who might be interested in

buying it.”

“Who? Olivia?” She leaned back in her seat with a

chuckle. “That way she and Mac would have twin SUVs,

only his is pearl white, not gold like this one.”

“Actual y, I was thinking youmight be interested in buying

the truck, since you … sold your van.”

She half laughed, half snorted in surprise. “Yeah, right; I

might be able to afford the down paymentif I were getting

two fiftya yard for my gravel.”

“The truck’s six years old, Peg, and has close to eighty

thousand miles on it, making it very affordable at two

twenty-fivea yard. It’s also considerably safer than what you were driving. It’s four-wheel drive and has a ful frame

underneath it, which gives you and your tribe a fighting

chance against logging trucks in an accident.”

“Affording the truck and affording the gas for it is another

matter,” she said, even as Duncan saw her studying the

dash a bit more discerningly.

But he was ready for her arguments. “Actual y, I believe it

gets the same gas mileage as your van did. The rear end is

geared for economy rather than towing because it was

Mom’s vehicle.”

“Real y?” she said in surprise, glancing at the children in

back before he felt her eyes narrowing on him. “How much

commission is she paying you to lie to a nearly

destitutewidow about the gas mileage?”

Hearing the laughter in her voice, Duncan started to

relax. “Wel , she did promise to bring me an apple crisp

and large bowl of whipped cream when she and Dad come

to visit my work site next week.” He smiled over at her. “If I

have her truck sold so she can go buy the shiny red sports

car she has her eye on.”

Peg settled into her seat again with a sigh. “I don’t think

the bank wil give me a loan based on future income.”

“But I have faith in your future income, which is why on my

drive back this morning I thought of a deal we might work

out.”

He felt her eyes narrowing on him again. “What kind of

deal?”

“What if we took one day of wheeler loads out of your

weekly check for … say, the next twelve weeks?”

He could almost hear the gears turning in her brain just

before he heard her gasp. “That’s less than ten thousand

dol ars! This truck is worth at least three times that.”

“Not in today’s economy. That’s why Mom is sel ing it

instead of trading it in at the dealership, because their offer

was an insult. And,” he said when she tried to say

something, “I’ve recalculated after walking Mac’s mountain

a couple of times, and I’ve put on two extra trucks so that I’l

be hauling at least forty loads a day out of your pit for the

next four months. So that’s closer to thirteen thousand

dol ars for twelve weeks.”

He stifled a smile when her brain started grinding away

again. “But that would mean—wait. I don’t havethat much

gravel.”

“Oh, but ye do. That vein is deeper than even I estimated.

I dug test holes nearly up to your northern line, and the

farther I went, the nicer the gravel was.”

He saw her glancing around the interior a bit longer this

time before she turned and gave the dash another scan—

al while rubbing her hand over the leather arm on her seat.

Oh yeah; was he a quick study or what? He had Peg pretty

much figured out—except for where and whyshe’d ditched

her van.

“Ten weeks,” she suddenly said. “One day’s worth of

wheeler loads for tenweeks and we might have a deal.”

“What! That’s not even eleven thousand dol ars. Are ye

trying to steal the truck from my mother? Do you have any

idea what it cost new?”

“And the booster seats stay with it,” she said, her eyes

fil ed with laughter. “I get the title signed over with my first

gravel check so I can register it, and we put the deal in

writing. But only after I talk to your mother on the phone,

which I intend to do the minute we get back from sending

Olivia and Mac on their way this morning.”

And right then, in less than a heartbeat, Duncan realized

he could live to be a hundred and ten and never have the

woman figured out. He turned to glance out the side mirror

to hide his smile, wondering why instead of scaring the hel

out of him that actual y turned him on. “Eleven weeks,” he

said into the pregnant silence. “And you have to bake me

an apple crisp drizzled with maple syrup and topped with

real whipped cream each one of those weeks.”

“Are you serious?”

“I’m always serious when it comes to apple crisp.” He

smiled over at her. “But I can be persuaded to share.” He

held out his hand. “Deal?”

She hesitated, biting her lower lip as she looked around

the interior again. “It’s awful … showy,” she whispered,

mostly to herself, he realized.

“It’s more about safety than luxury, Peg.” He put his

unshaken hand back on the wheel when she continued to

hesitate, and arched a brow to disguise the black thought

she’d just triggered. “Would looking showy prove to be a

problem for you?”

“Some people might feel I’m ra—that I’m stripping my

land bare just for money, and seeing me driving around in

something this fancy would only fuel the … gossip.”

Duncan glanced in his side mirror again, this time to hide

his scowl as he shrugged a deceptively negligent shoulder.

“Buying this truck was just an idea I had, Peg, because it’s

safe for your children and reasonably priced. And I know its

history, so I know it won’t be breaking down every time ye

go to town.” He smiled over at her. “But if what some

people might say is more than you want to deal with, I’l

understand if you pass on the offer.”

He saw her frown as she looked around again, absently

toying with the buttons on the door before she suddenly

thrust her hand toward him. “Okay, we have a deal. Eleven

days of gravel for the truck.”

He started to reach out but stopped. “And eleven apple

crisps.”

“It’s your waistline,” she said with a laugh, reaching more

than halfway to grab his hand and shake it. She squirmed in

her seat. “So pul over.”

“What?”

“I want to drive it.”

“You’re supposed to test drive a vehicle before you

shake on it,” he said with a laugh, turning onto the Inglenook

road and bringing the truck to a halt.

“Mom, why are we stopping?” Pete asked when Duncan

undid his seat belt and opened his door at the same time

Peg did.

“Because I’m going to drive our brand-new truck,” she

said excitedly as Duncan glanced in the rearview mirror

and saw al four children gaping at her, only to look over

and see her I-mean-business scowl make an appearance.

“So today’s chal enge of no muddy feet continues

indefinitely.”

“What’s infiniditlymean?” Pete asked.

“It means forever,” Duncan answered before she could.

“You’re a bit of a tyrant, ye know that,” he muttered as he

got out.

“Oh, yeah?” she said when they crossed paths in front of

the truck. “Then maybe I’l let you be the boss of them on the

picnic tomorrow, and see how long you last before you’re

either barking orders or throwing yourself off a cliff.”

“Not a problem,” he said across the hood when she

reached the driver’s door. “I’l just make sure to wear my

sword.”

Peg sat with Olivia on the steps of the main lodge, watching

their children down at the paddock trying to coax the huge

draft horses over to the fence with carrots. “Where are Ezra

and Sam?” she asked. “I thought they’d be here to see

you guys off.”

“We said our good-byes this morning,” Olivia said with a

sad smile. “And I swear it turned into a tear-fest, with me

doing most of the crying.” She sighed and looked around. “I

guess I’m excited about going, but I real y don’t want to

leave Inglenook for two whole months, especial y with

everything that’s going on in town.” Olivia gave her a

sidelong glance. “What happened the other day, Peg?

Henry and Sophie weren’t too happy I made them help

pack the RV instead of letting them stay at the barn with

your tribe, but the truth is I was surprised that Alec and

Robbie were watching your children. And then I saw you get

out of a car and climb into Duncan’s truck, and you looked

wet and cold and … angry.” She touched Peg’s knee.

“Where’s your van? Did you have to take it in for repairs

again?”

“No, it’s definitely dead this time.” Peg shot her a smile

and waved toward the parking lot where Duncan and Mac

were studying what appeared to be a site map spread out

on the hood of Duncan’s—no, of hershiny gold SUV. “And

that’s why I am now the proud owner of that fancy truck

down there.”

“That’s yours?” Olivia said with a gasp, looking from it to

Peg. “You bought it from Duncan?”

“No, I bought it from his mom, but it was Duncan’s idea

that I pay for it by taking one day’s worth of gravel off the

check he’s going to give me every Friday.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful, Peg. And smart. I know you’re

going to love driving it, since I can’t keep my hands off

Mac’s. I told him he’s going to have to buy himself an old

pickup when we get back, because he’s not driving that

beautiful SUV up a half-constructed muddy road to see his

work site.”

Peg snorted. “I guess that’s one way to take over his

truck.” She looked down at the men again and pul ed in a

shuddering breath. “I’m in real y big trouble, Olivia.”

“Now what did Duncan do?” Olivia asked with a laugh.

“He keeps stealing kisses.”

Peg flinched when her friend suddenly hugged her. “Oh,

Peg, that’s wonderful.” Olivia leaned away. “Wait, how is

that big trouble?”

“Every time I tel him to stop doing it, he kisses me again.

Sometimes I think he does it just to shut me up, then

sometimes I swear he’s just trying to make me angry. And

sometimes,” she continued in a growl when Olivia started

laughing again, “I think he does it just to get a reaction out

of me.”

Olivia folded her hands on her lap and tried to quit

smiling. “Men do like to push our buttons.” She nudged Peg

with her shoulder. “So how do you react? Do you kiss him

back or punch him in the bel y?”

“I just stand there like an idiot fighting not to cry,

because …” Peg hid her face in her hands. “Because it

feels so damned good.”

“Oh, Peggy,” Olivia said, wrapping an arm around her.

“Being kissed by a big strong man is supposed to feel

damn good.” She gave her a squeeze. “And the only

reason you want to cry is because you’re scared.” She

brushed Peg’s hair back to see her face. “And maybe

feeling guilty that you’re alive and Bil y isn’t?” she said

softly.

Peg sucked in a shuddering sob. “I loved him.”

“Good,” Olivia said, straightening away. “Then you know

what love feels like. But what you don’t seem to know is the

difference between a broken heart and a dead one. Yours

took quite a blow, but it’s stil beating strong enough to fal

in love again.”

“It … I wouldn’t survive another heartbreak.”

“Of course you would, because you’re stronger than your

fears.” Olivia leaned into her again. “I was scared to death

to fal in love with Mac, but I was more scared of dying a

lonely old widow without ever having experienced honest to

God passion. Do you real y want to hide in your safe little

prison for the rest of your life just to protect yourself from

something that mighthappen? Or do you want to shock the

pants right off of Duncan the next time he steals a kiss by

kissing him back?” She ducked down to look Peg in the

eyes. “Because I’m here to tel you that experiencing honest

to God passion with a man who makes your insides clench

and your mouth go dry and your heart pound so hard you

think you’re going to pass out is definitely worth the risk.”

Peg felt her lips twitch. “Oh man, you’ve got it bad,

haven’t you?” She looked at the parking lot again. “But what

if my passion kil s him? I don’t think you can even

understand what I mean, Olivia,” she said, looking at her.

“You can’t imagine anything kil ing Mac because he’s so

big and scary, just like that mythical god … what was his

name? Hercules or Atlas or whichever one of them was

holding up the world.”

Olivia suddenly paled and went very stil , but then shook

her head with a laugh. “Duncan MacKeage is big and

scary, too. And he’s got shoulders that appear broad

enough to hold up yourworld. Do you honestly believe that

he’s going to die if you fal in love with him? Honestly and

truly?”

“I wrote my family’s curse off as nothing more than freaky

coincidences just like you did the other day, until I found

myself standing in the middle of my kitchen listening to

Bil y’s boss tel me he was dead.”

Olivia darted what appeared to be an uncertain glance

toward the men, then took hold of Peg’s hands. “Do you

believe in magic?” she whispered. “I’m not talking about

special delivery fairies,” she rushed on, giving Peg’s hands

a squeeze. “I’m talking about earth-shaking, mountain-

moving magic that can’t be explained. Have you ever

thought about thatkind of magic?”

Peg felt her lips twitch again. “Not since I found out Mom

was Santa Claus.”

“Then if you don’t believe in magic, how can you believe

in curses?”

Peg blinked in surprise.

“If one is real,” Olivia continued, “then wouldn’t they both

have to be real?”

“I hadn’t thought about that,” Peg murmured, looking

toward the Bottomless Sea. She looked back at Olivia.

“Are you saying you think the earthquake last month was …

magic? Not just some freaky act of nature?”

“I’m not saying anything,” Olivia muttered. “I’m just asking

that if curses are real enough to actual y kil people, then

why wouldn’t magic—the good, benevolent kind—be just as

real?” She squeezed her hands again. “That wasn’t a

rhetorical question; tel me why you choose to believe

you’re cursed but you can’t seem to believe Duncan could

be … what was that word I used the other day? Charmed,”

she said with a nod. “Why can’t Duncan be strong and

powerful and charmed enough to beat your family curse?”

Peg was back to blinking at her.

Olivia nodded again. “I thought so; you can’t come up

with one good reason, can you? That’s because if your

family curse real y does exist, then something with the

power to break it must also exist.” Olivia folded her hands

on her lap again and looked down at the men. “You want to

know what real magic is, Peg? It’s finding love when you

didn’t even know you were looking for it. It’s honest to God

passion. And it’s joy and peace and contentment. It’s lying

in bed with a big strong man, waiting to kiss him awake the

moment dawn cracks so you can make him think you

command the sun.” She lowered her voice to a whisper.

“But mostly, real magic is realizing you have the power to

overcome anything, even the fear of having your heart

broken again.”

Olivia stood up when she saw the kids running across the

parking lot and looked down at Peg with a warm smile.

“You’re made of the same stern stuff I am, Peg; which

means there isn’t a man walking this earth who’s big and

strong and scary enough to send either of us running.” She