Текст книги "Charmed by His Love"

Автор книги: Джанет Чапмен

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Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 21 страниц)

“Is it going to be a company picnic or a private … affair?”

Robbie asked, shoving a bottle of ale under Duncan’s

nose, then sitting down once he took it.

“I do admire a man who backs his word with action,” Mac

said as he dropped down next to Robbie, his soft grunt of

discomfort making Duncan smile into his bottle as he

downed half the kick-in-the-ass in one gulp.

Oh yeah; day one on the job and he felt like he’d worked

an entire season—and the day stil wasn’t over.

Chapter Nine

Peg stared out her bedroom window at the moon-bathed

hil side and hugged herself on a shiver. If she lived to be a

hundred and two, she would never forget turning around to

see Jacob in Duncan’s arms, then watching him sitting on

Duncan’s lap having an honest to God, everyday

conversation with a virtual stranger who also happened to

be a big, strong hero.

She could have kil ed Mac and Olivia for pushing her to

pin that badge on him, but had quickly decided it was her

chance to pay Duncan back for worrying her to death by

diving into the frigid water of the pit. That is, until she saw

him silently signal Robbie to pick up Peter so that Jacob

would al ow Alec to pick him up. Her heart had risen into

her throat then stayed there for Jacob’s entire conversation

with Duncan afterward, and hadn’t fal en back into place

until Duncan had mentioned their Sunday picnic.

Peg released a heavy sigh at the realization that Olivia

was right; little girls did need a man’s perspective of things,

and so did little boys. Why hadn’t she ever thought to

assure her children that their daddy’s death hadn’t been

painful? But worse, why hadn’t she known it had been

worrying Jacob? And even worse again, why had her

youngest son discussed that worry with Duncan instead of

her?

When she’d casual y asked Jacob while giving the twins

their baths what he and Duncan had talked about, the boy

had shot his brother a glance and said he’d tel her later. A

bit alarmed that he was keeping secrets from her with a

virtual stranger, Peg had made later come sooner by drying

Peter off and sending him to go put on his pajamas.

That’s when Jacob had told her he’d given Duncan one

of his worry stones and then asked if he thought he could

have saved himself or his brother. Peg’s heart rose right

back into her throat again when he’d gone on to say that

he’d also asked how come his big strong daddy hadn’t

been able to save himself. Jacob had then told her that on

their picnic, Mr. Duncan was going to help him explain to

everyone that his dad had bumped his head when his

excavator had fal en in the river, and it hadn’t hurt him to

drown because he’d been asleep.

Jacob had been nineteen months old when Bil y had

died, but apparently being too young to remember his

father hadn’t stopped him from worrying about him hurting.

Why hadn’t she known that?

Nearly every day that first summer after Bil y’s death, Peg

had taken her children down to the spring-fed, two-acre

pond in their pit to teach them to swim, being careful—or

maybe foolish, she now realized—not to reveal that their

daddy had swam about as wel as a rock. By the end of the

summer she’d been cal ing the four of them her little trout,

and by the next spring they’d been dragging her down to

the swimming hole every day to test the water temperature

with their toes, declaring by early June that is was warm

enough to resume their daily outdoor baths. Peg had

watched from shore until at least the Fourth of July, claiming

she was a warm-water bass, not a trout.

Oh yeah, she owed Duncan MacKeage big-time for

assuring Jacob that his daddy hadn’t hurt. And for saving

her from prostitution by giving her a fair price for her gravel.

And for helping butcher her deer, making her beach safe,

rescuing her son, loaning her his truck, and … and for being

a good man.

Except she didn’t want Duncan to be good, or big and

strong and quick, or sexy, dammit, because she real y

didn’t want to start liking him. But mostly she didn’t want to

ever fal in love with him because she didn’t want to kil him.

Peg started to turn away from the window with another

sigh, only to catch a flash out of the corner of her eye. She

stepped to the edge of the window and strained to see into

the woods to the east, holding her breath when she thought

she heard something. And there it was again: the distinct

sound of tires going slowly on gravel.

She ran out to the living room and opened the front door

a crack just in time to see the moonlight reflect off the

bumper of a vehicle—without any headlights—pul ing up the

narrow tote road along the east side of her property, and

worried that whoever it was wouldn’t realize the road had

washed away when the fiord had poured into the pit.

She waited, holding her breath again until she saw a set

of brake lights come on then go off just as she heard the

engine quit. She stepped out onto the porch, squinting to

see through the trees as she hugged her nightgown around

her. Dammit, she thought she’d made it clear that the

Thompson pit was no longer the local gathering place for

teenagers looking to party.

Doors opened and closed, and she frowned when she

heard voices whispering, because in her experience

teenagers never whispered. Unless it wasn’t kids, but—

Peg snapped her gaze to the hil side, just barely able to

see the excavator and harvester parked inside the back

tree line. Diesel fuel, at today’s prices, was liquid gold! She

didn’t know the size of a harvester’s tank, but an excavator

held over a hundred gal ons.

Yeah, wel , nobody was siphoning fuel from any

equipment on herproperty.

She quietly stepped back in the house and softly closed

the door before heading to her bedroom. Oh, she’d love to

cal the sheriff to come catch the idiots red-handed; only

problem was the closest deputy was over fifty miles away—

assuming he wasn’t answering a cal on the other side of

the county.

She pul ed her jeans on under her nightgown, then pul ed

off the gown and plucked her sweatshirt out of the laundry,

slipping it on over her head before hunting through the

basket for some socks. If those yahoos out there hadn’t

heard she didn’t tolerate trespassers, they were about to

hear it tonight, she thought as she shoved her socks in her

sweatshirt pocket. She walked over and pul ed her shotgun

out of the closet, then took the smal strongbox off the top

shelf and carried it to the window. Not wanting to turn on the

light, she held it up to the moonlight and worked the

combination, then set it on her bureau to take out the

shotgun shel s and shove them in her pocket.

She walked into the hal and leaned the gun against the

wal , then tiptoed into the girls’ room and gently shook

Charlotte awake. “Come on, Charlie,” she whispered next

to her ear before pul ing her upright. “I need you to come out

to the living room. Shh, it’s okay, honey, nothing’s wrong.”

She then guided the girl ahead of her, snatching up the gun

on her way by, smiling assurance when Charlotte finished

rubbing her eyes awake and blinked at the shotgun.

Her daughter sighed. “Trespassers again?” she

whispered with a sleepy smile.

“I’m afraid it’s not teenagers, but somebody who’s after

the diesel fuel in the equipment,” Peg said, sitting down to

slip on her socks and sneakers.

“Then cal the sheriff this time,” Charlotte said, rushing

over to catch the gun Peg had leaned on the arm of the

chair when it started to slide.

“They’l be long gone before he can get here.” Peg

finished tying her sneakers and stood up. “Don’t worry, I’m

not going to confront them; I’m just going to see what

they’re up to and get their license plate number.”

Charlotte handed her the shotgun. “You got birdshot?”

Peg took the gun from her with a nod. “Same signal as

always; you hear a shot, you cal 911 first, and then cal

Grundy Watts and tel him to hightail it over here.” She

walked to the pantry and pul ed the business card off the

bul etin board. “And then you cal Mr. MacKeage and tel

him what’s going on,” she instructed, handing her the card.

“He’s staying at Inglenook, so he’s actual y closer than

Grundy.” She lifted Charlotte’s chin and kissed her

forehead. “You’re growing up big and strong and smart,

Charlie, and I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Does that mean I’m grown-up enough to get my ears

pierced?” Charlotte asked as she started pushing Peg

toward the door. “Say, for my birthday next month?”

Peg stopped and looked back at her beautiful little girl

bathed in moonlight, and her heart rose into her throat

again. “You know, I think that might be exactly what a nine-

year-old should get for her birthday.”

Charlotte gasped so hard, she had to use both hands to

clutch her nightgown. “Real y?” she squeaked in a whisper.

“You’re gonna real y let me get them pierced?”

“We’l go down to Bangor to have it done,” Peg said with

a nod. “Just you and me on a mother-daughter date.”

“Oh, Mom, thank you!” Charlotte cried, throwing her arms

around her. She leaned her head back to look up, the

moonlight revealing her beaming smile. “Can we get our

fingernails done?”

“And our toes,” Peg promised, kissing the top of her curly

brown hair then stepping away. “But first I have to go see

who’s out there trying to steal Duncan’s fuel.”

“You’re just going to get their license plate number,

right?” Charlotte warned more than asked. “You’re not

gonna confront anyone.”

“Not unless I recognize them and know they’re more

stupid than dangerous. Then I’m going to stop them from

committing a felony.”

“Oh, Mom,” Charlotte said with a snort, running to

the coffee table and picking up the phone. She climbed up

on the couch and knelt facing the window, as was her ritual.

“Just let al the air out of their tires so they got no way to lug

the diesel fuel off.”

Peg stil ed with her hand on the doorknob. “What?”

“That way they’l be more worried about getting their truck

out of here before sunrise instead of stealing anything, and

you can just come back inside and go to bed.”

“Ohmigod, Charlie, when did you get so sneaky?”

Charlotte rol ed her eyes, shooting Peg another

moonbeam smile. “I’ve been living with you for almost nine

years.” She waved her away. “Go on now; we both need our

beauty sleep.”

Peg opened the door with a snort, slipping outside

before her smile disappeared on a shiver of horror. Good

Lord, she thought as she headed down the stairs and

across her driveway at a dead run. That girl was going to

be flat-out scary at sixteen. But Peg smiled again as she

ducked behind a tree at the edge of the tote road, figuring

she had it coming since she’d turned her own mama’s hair

prematurely gray.

She quietly loaded the shotgun as she decided it was

better to raise two smart and independent young ladies

rather than two doormats for some dumb, chest-beating

jerks. And if she died making it happen, every last one of

her heathens were going to col ege so they could get the

hel out of Spel bound Fal s, because so help her God, not

one of them was going to earn a living driving a stupid

excavator.

Peg double-checked to make sure the gun’s safety was

on, smiling when she heard several of the thieving idiots

cussing in whispers, figuring they’d just discovered they

couldn’t reach the hil side because the road had been

washed away. And that meant they had to go clear across

her beach and al the way around the pit, giving them quite

a hike for lugging back the heavy fuel—which also meant

she’d be able to get a good look at them in the moonlight.

And while they were gone, she might as wel get their

license plate number and let the air out of their tires so they

could spread the word that the Thompson pit was no place

to rip off the new boys in town.

Gee, maybe Duncan would make hera hero’s badge for

saving his fuel.

Peg stood with her back to the tree, listening to branches

snapping and an occasional curse as the men made their

way down the steep wooded knol beside their vehicle. It

sounded like three, maybe four of them, but she didn’t

recognize any of their voices or the SUV—at least not from

this distance.

Hearing them reach her beach, she peeked around the

tree to make sure they hadn’t left anyone behind, then

crouched down and quietly scurried toward the truck,

guessing they—

Peg’s scream never made it past the large hand that

pressed over her mouth at the same time an arm pinned

her arms to her sides and lifted her off her feet. She kicked

out even while trying to bite the hand al but suffocating her,

the arm around her middle nearly finishing the job when it

tightened against her struggles.

“Lady, you are one second away from feeling the flat of

my sword on your backside,” he quietly growled into her

hair.

Duncan! Peg stopped struggling, but instead of

loosening his hold or at least removing his hand so she

could breathe, he turned and headed toward the main road

like he was lugging off a– Wait, had he just said his

sword?

Wel , of course he had, because everyone knew men

said and did stupid things when they were angry. But

threaten her with a sword? Seriously?

“Ye try to trip me up with that shotgun or bite me again

and I willput ye over my knee,” Duncan said quietly. He

final y stopped when they reached the main road and set

her on her feet, ripped the gun out of her hand and tossed it

in the woods, and had her spun around and his nose stuck

in her face before she even gulped in her first decent

breath. “Are you insane or just suicidal? Ye don’t go after

men al by yourself with a shotgun.”

“Wel , gee, I don’t own a sword.”

He shook her.

So she kicked him. Or at least she tried to, but he had

her spun around and slammed up against his chest so fast,

she ended up kicking herself in the ankle.

“Where are your children?” he growled.

“Charlotte’s keeping watch in the window,” she growled

right back at him, “with the phone in her hand.”

He muttered what sounded like a curse in some

language she didn’t recognize and suddenly let her go, only

to snag her hand and start dragging her down the main

road toward her driveway. “Is there a reason you didn’t cal

your brother-in-law to come check out who was in your pit?”

he asked, stopping to give her a jerk when she dug the

nails of her free hand into his wrist. “That wasn’t an idle

threat I gave ye, Peg,” he said way too quietly.

Boy, he must be real y angry, because she real y

believed him. “Um, Galen lives twenty miles away,” she

said, shoving her free hand in her pocket. “Charlotte’s

supposed to cal 911 and then a neighbor if she hears a

gunshot. And I gave her your cel phone number,” she

rushed on when his eyes narrowed, “and told her to tel you

what’s going on. Wait, my shotgun,” she said, trying to pul

him to a stop when he started dragging her off again—only

to stumble when she saw he real y didhave a sword

strapped in some sort of sheath on his back.

“The gun’s not going anywhere tonight.” He stopped and

grabbed hold of her shoulders. “They’re almost to the

equipment,” he said softly. “I’m taking you to your house,

and you’re to go inside and tel Charlotte not to cal anyone,

especial y not 911. We’ve got this covered.”

We? Come to think of it, what was hedoing here? “Who

in hel died and left you king?” she muttered, only to lean

away when she saw the look in his eyes.

“You step a toe outside before sunrise, and I swear to

God I’m going to—”

“Oh, give it a rest,” she snapped as she stomped down

on his foot and jerked away, bolting for the house as she

wondered if she might be insane andsuicidal—although

she did have sense to stay in the shadows of the trees

lining her driveway.

The man was guarding his excavator with a friggin’

sword!

He caught up with her in less than two strides but merely

ran beside her, not touching her again until he nudged her

toward the end of the deck facing away from the pit, then

pul ed her to a stop next to the house. “I mean it, Peg,” he

said tightly. “You go inside and staythere.”

God, he wasn’t even a little winded, while she could

barely catch her breath—although that was probably

because her heart was pounding so hard it hurt.

He suddenly crushed her against his chest, threading his

fingers through her hair to hold her looking at him. “And,

lady? I ever catch ye outside after dark again not wearing a

bra, you’l have only yourself to blame for the

consequences.”

He dropped his hands to her waist, had her lifted halfway

over the railing before she even got out a gasp, and

finished helping her the rest of the way with a less than

gentle hand on her backside. She caught herself from

fal ing flat on her face and spun around with a whispered

growl of outrage, only to discover he’d vanished.

Peg took a steadying breath as she ran trembling fingers

through her hair, and brushed down the front of her

sweatshirt as she walked to the door on rubbery legs.

Okay, maybe she wouldfal in love with the sword-carrying,

chest-beating jerk, so he’d have only himself to blame for

the consequences of the Robinson curse.

The door opened just as she was reaching for the knob,

and Charlotte pul ed her inside. “What’s going on? Where’s

your gun? I thought I saw you walking out the tote road with

somebody.”

“Did you cal 911?” she asked, leading Charlotte into the

bedroom.

“No, not yet; I didn’t hear your signal.”

Peg led her over to the window and unlocked it, then

pul ed her daughter down on her knees beside her.

“Duncan’s out there,” she said, slowly lifting the window

open. “And Robbie and Alec, I think.” She snorted. “They

must have camped out on the hil side, worried about

someone stealing their fuel.”

“Then let’s cal the sheriff,” Charlotte whispered, holding

up the phone.

Peg took it from her and set it on the floor. “Duncan said

not to. And he’s right; you don’t pul into a town you’re trying

to do business in and have the locals arrested the very first

night. That’s why I was only going to give them hel if I

recognized them.”

“Is that what Duncan’s going to do?”

Peg wrapped her arm around the girl. “I guess we’re

about to find out, aren’t we? Let’s watch and listen; and that

way maybe we’l learn how big strong men deal with

trespassers. Um, speaking of which, you might get your

very first up-close look at a real y angry man tonight,

Charlie. So if Duncan comes in here acting like a chest-

beating jerk once everything is over, you just smile and nod,

okay, no matter what outrageous thing he says. You need to

understand that when men get angry, they go a bit crazy.”

She gave her wide-eyed daughter a squeeze. “But it’s

usual y only to cover up the fact that they’re scared we

womenfolk might get hurt.”

“Was Duncan angry at you just now?”

“Um, maybe just a tad.” She sighed. “Which is why my

shotgun is now in the woods and we’re probably not going

on that picnic Sun—” The hil side suddenly flooded with

light just as the harvester and excavator engines roared to

life, fol owed almost immediately by shouts of startled men.

“Ohmigod,” Charlotte gasped, covering her mouth with

her hands. She pointed to the left side of the woods.

“Ohmigod, he’s chasing them with the excavator!”

Peg gave her daughter a fierce squeeze. “Quit

swearing,” she muttered as they both watched two men

stumbling over branches and bumping into tree stumps as

they ran down the hil just feet ahead of the reaching boom

of the excavator, its bucket rattling up and down.

“Ohmigod,” Peg in turn gasped when another man fel over

the side of the bank, his panicked shout ending abruptly

when he hit the water.

“Um, Mom? Did Duncan have that sword he had in his

truck this morning with him tonight?” Charlotte whispered,

pointing up the hil . “Or is that a stick he’s holding to that

man’s chest lying in front of the harvester while he’s …

talking to him?”

Peg watched Duncan suddenly step back and the man

on the ground jump to his feet and start running, not even

slowing down when he reached the bank—jumping off it

right into the water. “Ohmigod,” she said, hugging

Charlotte.

The lights on the harvester suddenly went off, fol owed

almost immediately by the excavator’s lights, which was

fol owed by utter silence when their respective engines shut

down. Wel , it was silent except for the sound of splashing

as the two men swam toward the east side of the pit, and

one of the other men let loose a string of curses when he

ran into one of the boulders on the beach. His buddy hauled

him back to his feet and they started running to where the

fiord cut into the pit and waded into the water to haul out

their two coughing cohorts.

Branches snapped as the four of them scrambled up the

wooded knol to their vehicle. The SUV’s engine started

with a whining roar and gravel spewed from its tires as

backup lights—and this time headlights—arced through the

trees as it backed out of sight. Peg felt Charlotte holding

her breath just like she was as they listened to the vehicle

screech to a halt on the pavement, then go squealing away.

“Ohmigod,” Peg heard Charlotte whisper at the same

time she did. “Um, Mom? It looks like the men are coming

to the house,” Charlotte said, a hint of panic in her voice.

She suddenly jumped up. “I guess it’s time I went to bed.”

“Oh, no you don’t,” Peg muttered, snagging the hem of

her nightgown. “You’re putting on your bathrobe and

slippers and coming out to face them with me.”

“What? But I’m too young to smile and nod at angry men.”

“Then I guess you’re too young to get your ears pierced.”

“Mommm.”

Peg stood up. “Make sure Isabel doesn’t wake up when

you go get your robe; I’l check on the boys. Close your

bedroom door behind you, but make sure you’re on this

side of it when you do,” she said, pointing a threatening

finger.

Charlotte suddenly smiled and actual y nodded. “You’re

figuring they won’t dare be angry if I’m there.”

Peg turned her around with a nudge. “See, I always knew

you were the brightest bulb in the room. Now go on, hurry.”

Because, hey, what good was having kids if she couldn’t

hide behind them once in a while? Peg ran to her bureau,

grabbed a bra out of the drawer, pul ed her arms out of her

sleeves and put on the bra, then smoothed her sweatshirt

down with a steadying breath. She’d just made it out to the

living room after checking on the boys—having to drag

Charlotte out with her—when she heard footsteps as soft

as church mice on the deck and a soft knock on her front

door.

“Could you get that, Charlie?” Peg said, giving her a

push.

“I want my birthstone for earrings, not just gold studs,”

Charlotte muttered, going to the door. She stopped with her

hand on the knob, looking eight years old until her deep

breath threw her shoulders back and her sudden smile

turned her sixteen. She flipped on the porch light and pul ed

open the door. “Dun—Mr. MacKeage, what are you doing

here?”

The man actual y stepped back in surprise, bumping into

Robbie and Alec, his face turning a dul red. “Is your mother

here, Charlotte?”

Her precious, sweet little heathen nodded. “Would you

like to speak with her?”

Peg walked over and took hold of her daughter’s

shoulders. “Can I help you, Mr. MacKeage?” she asked

through the missing pane on her storm door.

“Could you come outside a moment, please?”

Peg’s eyes widened in horror and she shook her head.

“Oh, I’m sorry, but I was told in no uncertain terms not to

step foot outside of my house after dark ever again.”

Alec turned away, politely covering his mouth when he

started coughing—which must have been contagious

because Robbie walked to the rail to clear his throat.

Duncan sighed through the missing glass hard enough

that Peg actual y felt her hair move. “I’m sure whoever set

those terms would make an exception,” he said way too

quietly. He opened the storm door and stepped back, and

Peg pushed Charlotte out ahead of her—smiling when she

heard him curse under his breath.

“We’re both dying to hear what al the commotion was

about,” Peg said brightly, ignoring Duncan in favor of

addressing Alec and Robbie.

Charlotte, however, didn’t seem at al concerned about

smiling and nodding—although come to think of it, none of

the men seemed al that angry. In fact, they appeared

downright proud of themselves for having scared the

bejeezus out of the trespassers. Wel , except for Duncan.

Charlotte pul ed away from Peg and turned to him. “Was

that your sword I saw you holding to that man’s chest?” she

asked.

His startled gaze rose to Peg, two flags of red coloring

his cheeks again.

“No, Charlie,” Peg said quickly, pul ing the girl back

against her. “I’m sure it was just a stick like we thought. So,

were they carrying fuel cans when you caught them?”

“No,” Robbie said, drawing her attention as he held out

his hand. “They were carrying a couple of these.”

“Bags of sugar?” Charlotte said in surprise.

Peg looked at Duncan. “They were going to sugar your

fuel? But why?” She looked at Robbie, then Alec, then back

at Duncan. “You hired most of the available local men, so

why would they try to sabotage your equipment?”

“We doubt they were construction workers,” he said,

shaking his head. “There’s been talk around town of some

opposition to having a large resort built here.” He gestured

at the busted bag of sugar. “This is a game changer, Peg,

and reason enough for you to give me your word that ye

won’t try to take matters into your own hands again like you

did tonight.” He looked down at Charlotte. “I want your word,

too.”

Charlotte canted her head up at Peg. “I agree with him,

Mom.” She looked back at Duncan. “We promise to stay

inside at night from now on. Do we cal you when something

happens, then? Because it takes forever for anyone to get

here.”

Peg saw Duncan relax. “You won’t have to cal me,

because as long as any of my equipment is on your

property there’l be someone guarding it just like we were

tonight. And I’m building a temporary camp a mile up the

road for my crew to stay at through the week, so there’l be

plenty of help close by.” He lifted his gaze to Peg, and the

softness left his eyes. “I’l hear your promise as wel .”

Okay, she’d like to think she was at least as bright as her

daughter. “You’ve got it,” she said with a nod, nodding at

Robbie and Alec before pushing Charlotte ahead of her

toward the door. “If you’l excuse us now, I’d like to salvage

what I can of a night’s sleep. Charlie, go on in to bed; I’l

only be a minute,” she said, pushing the girl inside, then

grabbing the knob. She waited until Charlotte was heading

down the hal before she shut the door and turned and

walked back to Duncan. “Thank you,” she said, “for not

treating my daughter like she’s eight.”

He folded his arms over his chest and rested back on his

hips. “I hope ye know you have trouble coming in another

six or seven years with her.”

Peg started to beam him a smile but turned when she

realized Alec and Robbie were leaving. “And thank you

guys for … tonight’s entertainment.”

“It was our pleasure, lass,” Robbie said with a wave over

his shoulder.

Peg turned back and stepped right up to Duncan, and

even stood on her tiptoes to make sure he didn’t miss her

scowl. “You ever manhandle me like that again,” she softly

growled, “or even mention putting me over your knee, I’m

going to make your little sport up on the mountain with Mac

seem like child’s play. Speaking of which,” she said,

dropping back to her heels and stepping away, “Sunday’s

picnic is off.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Give me one good reason why I should go, after your

threatening me tonight.”

“Because ye might be the most contrary woman I’ve ever

met, but you’re not a coward.” He stepped closer. “Don’t

make me pul out my hero’s badge, Peg.”

“You’re using my children?”

He nodded; the porch light exposing the gleam in his

eyes. “We MacKeages can be real bastards like that

sometimes.” He pressed a finger to her shoulder, snagged

the strap of her bra right through the material, and let it go

with a soft snap. “I see you’re also as smart as ye are

contrary,” he murmured, palming her face in his warm

broad hands and kissing her right on her startled mouth. He

lingered just long enough for Peg to realize he honest to

God was kissing her, then straightened away and was

gone before she could sputter in protest. “Ye manage to

stay out of trouble the rest of the night, and ye just might find

some cinnamon buns on your doorstep in the morning,” he

said over his shoulder as he descended the stairs in one

leap and strode off toward the hil side—leaving Peg staring

after him with her hands bal ed into fists at her sides.

She ran her tongue over her lips and suddenly pressed

her hands over the sharp ache in her chest as she tried to

remember the last time she’d felt a man’s mouth on hers.

Dammit, she didn’t want to like Duncan MacKeage.

Chapter Ten

Duncan lay sprawled spread-eagle on the cold granite

ledge, his chest heaving painful y as he tried to catch his

breath. He turned his gaze away from the gathering storm

clouds to glare at Mac. “I thought we agreed no magic.”

Considering that last blow should have rendered the

bastard unconscious, Duncan didn’t know where Mac got

the strength even to shrug. “I guess I forgot.”

“Ye forgot you were only supposed to use mortalbrain

and brawn?”

“And skil .”

“Speaking of the magic,” Duncan said in a winded growl.

He rubbed an itch on his bel y, only to sigh at the feel of

blood on his fingers. “I don’t suppose ye could bottle up

some of your energy to leave with me?” He used his next

growl to propel himself into a sitting position. “Say, enough

to put a protective bubble around my operation and Peg’s

property until ye get back?”

Mac also attempted to sit up but fel back with a groan.

“Sorry, my friend, but I’m not even certain I could cal forth

enough energy to walk home right now. Or slow that storm’s

arrival until after we get off this mountain,” he

muttered, making a halfhearted attempt to gesture at the

sky.

Duncan rubbed his face to hide his smile.

“You’re a quick study,” the wizard continued. “One

afternoon of swordplay and you’re already anticipating my

next move.”

Duncan reached over to snag his shirt and bal ed it up

under his head as he lay back down. “Enough that you had

to resort to trickery, apparently.”

“I did not conjure up that rabbit.”