The MacTaggart Brothers Trilogy

by Anna Durand

  My husband didn't follow me.

  Chapter Six

  My flight landed at the Houghton County Memorial Airport at a little after one p.m., and I picked up my car to drive home — er, back to the place where I was living. Not home, not exactly. Somebody else owned the place. I paid rent. If the owners knew about my criminal behavior, they might not have rented to me.

  Shadows and light alternately slashed across my car as I navigated down the seasonal, two-track road toward the one-story log house nestled in the middle of nowhere. Another car sat parked in the driveway, next to where I always parked. Through the window beside the front door, I glimpsed a white shape springing up and down, and doggy ears flapping. When I clambered out of the car, barking greeted me.

  The front door flew open. A figure rushed out, and my house sitter slammed the door behind her.

  "Never again," Judith Landau declared, hurrying past me with a frazzled expression, her blonde hair flying wild around her head as she shook it. "I am never babysitting for you again. Your babies are demons."

  "They're not that bad."

  She flung her hands up to the heavens as if praying for patience. "They leaped on the bed at five o'clock and started licking my face while jumping around like insane rabbits."

  I had warned her about my rambunctious puppies, but she'd sworn she loved dogs. "Thanks for taking care of them for me. I'm sorry they were such a handful."

  She smiled ruefully. "They can be really cute when they're not pooping everywhere."

  "They were stressed about me being gone. I've never left them before. I'm so sorry."

  "It's not your fault, Calli."

  "Still feel bad about it. They know you and I thought they'd be okay."

  "Relax. I'm not mad, just frazzled." Judith gave me a quick hug. "Welcome home. How was the wedding?"

  "Beautiful. Romantic. I met a lot of new people." A vision of Aidan flared in my mind, but I tamped it down as best I could. Yeah, that worked.

  "Glad you had fun." Judith started toward her car. "Gotta get home. Talk to you later, okay?"

  "Sure."

  I watched her get into her car and waved as she drove off down the road. Judith and I had worked together at a gift shop until three months ago when the owner had let us both go due to financial reasons. Judith had found another job, but I hadn't. The difference between us was that she'd lived in this area her whole life, while I was a newcomer who'd moved here a year and a half ago. My first job — as a librarian at a public library, the job I'd moved here for — had evaporated for similar reasons as this one. Despite having a master's degree, I couldn't get a job that paid more than minimum wage.

  Now I couldn't get a job, period. When my savings ran out in a month or two, I'd probably have to move in with my brother in Minneapolis. He'd invited me to stay with him when he learned I'd lost another job.

  The barking inside the house grew more frantic. Through the living room window, I spotted a second, smaller body leaping up to peer out at me while the larger body kept boinging up and down as if mounted on springs.

  I trudged into the house, hauling my wheeled suitcase behind me. I'd barely shut the door and let go of the suitcase's handle when two furry bodies launched themselves at me. Mandy and Misty, my all-American mutts, struggled to get high enough to lick me, but their paws reached only to my belly. At six months old, they possessed a level of energy I often envied. I scratched Misty behind her floppy ears and patted the smaller Mandy on top of her head. They whined and whimpered, too excited to hold still, their tails wagging furiously.

  Misty resumed leaping side to side through the air, almost flying in her glee. Little Mandy ran circles around me, her tail wagging so hard it shimmied her whole back end. The two of them resembled a cross between a beagle and a Labrador, their pale golden coats splotched with brown.

  I managed to shamble down the hallway to my bedroom despite the puppies scooting around my feet. As I passed the open door to the guest room, where Judith had stayed, I wondered if the poor woman would ever set foot in this house again after spending three days in the company of my wild-and-crazy puppies. I didn't bother unpacking my suitcase but simply stripped naked and crawled under the covers, desperate for a nap after a sleepless night at the hotel.

  The moment my head hit the pillow, my phone rang. Grumbling, I flailed a hand out to grab the phone. "Hello?"

  "You sound sleepy. Did I wake you?"

  Words deserted me at the soft rumble of Aidan's voice.

  "Are you there?" he asked.

  "Yes." Here, yes. Able to converse, no.

  He cleared his throat. "Is it too soon to ring you?"

  "No, I guess not." I pushed up, braced on one elbow, and rubbed my eyes. It was afternoon, not early morning, and I should've been more conscious. "You don't waste any time, do you?"

  Aidan sighed and chuckled. "Impulsive, remember?"

  Impulsive and determined. Having a man so intent on spending time with me was flattering, but these days a woman had to be careful. Particularly a woman with a husband intent on mucking up the divorce. Which begged the question of why I'd given Aidan my number. Not a clue.

  Lying to myself wouldn't help anything. I'd given him a way to get in touch, encouraged him to do so, because I liked him. I wanted to see him or at least talk to him.

  "What are you doing?" he asked, sounding casually interested.

  "Not sleeping." It came out a little bitchy, so I added, "Sorry. I get grumpy when I'm tired. Exhausted from the trip."

  "Tell me one thing before we say goodbye."

  "What do you want to know?"

  "Are you with anyone? A husband, a boyfriend, a lover?"

  I pondered how to answer without exposing my secret. "I'm not interested in starting anything."

  "Hmm." He paused, then said, "You seemed interested at the club and again after the wedding."

  My thoughts wound back to the moment in the velvet-encased booth when I'd been dangerously close to compromising myself. Did Aidan think I was an easy score?

  "I'm not having sex with you," I said.

  "Sex? Didnae mention that. I meant seeing each other as in dating." His voice dropped to a husky whisper. "But if you'd rather skip straight to the good part…"

  "No. I wouldn't rather." I slapped a hand on my forehead, praying for some of my usual composure. The universe ignored my pleas. "I have to go. To sleep. Not with you, just to — Oh forget it. I'm exhausted and I have no idea what I'm saying."

  "I am sorry for disturbing you, but I'd love to see you again. I'm tired of the city, hired a car for a drive… anywhere." He cleared his throat and said, in a hesitant tone, "May I come to see you?"

  Visit me? A warm little shiver rushed through me and I couldn't stop the words from tumbling out. "Well, we could meet in a public place. When will you get here?"

  "I could be there tomorrow. Mid-morning."

  "Okay. Meet me at the beach." I gave him directions to my favorite beach, punctuating my words with a yawn.

  "Better let you go," he said. "Get some rest."

  "See you tomorrow."

  I shouldn't have invited him. I shouldn't have acted like I was free to hang out with a man who wanted to pursue me. Maybe if I told him about my husband, Aidan would flee back to Scotland on the first flight out. Why hadn't I told him already? Telling Aidan might make him some kind of accessory. I didn't know for sure and I couldn't take the risk — the same reason I hadn't told my brother or Tara. Yet here I was, courting disaster with a stranger.

  Mandy and Misty leaped onto the bed as if they sensed I needed comforting. As they licked my face, tails wagging, I gave up trying to sort out why I was drawn to Aidan. He'd made me feel like a human being again after so long in solitude, but more than that, he made me feel alive again.

  The puppies settled down at either side of me and we all fell asleep. What they dreamed of, I had no idea. But I dreamed of a man in a kilt whose smile melte
d the shell I'd constructed around myself.

  I could enjoy his company, then send him on his way. One day of pretending. Nothing more. One day with Aidan MacTaggart.

  Then goodbye.

  *****

  I stood before the full-length mirror affixed to the back of the bedroom door, considering my outfit — the tenth one I'd tried this morning. Aidan had texted me two hours ago to report he would arrive by eleven o'clock. Since it was a quarter past ten, I had only fifteen more minutes to decide on my wardrobe before heading to the beach.

  Mandy and Misty sat nearby watching me with intense interest.

  Spinning in a circle, I asked them, "What do you think? Appropriate for a date — a meeting with a stranger I met in a nightclub?"

  Misty chuffed. I took that as agreement.

  I kept assuring myself I didn't care what Aidan thought of my outfit or if he liked my looks. Why, then, had I spent the better part of an hour scouring my closet for the right outfit?

  I faced the mirror, studying my ensemble. Tan shorts that stopped a third of the way down my thighs. A tank top in bright pink, with sparkly red flowers over my chest. A loose, partially transparent shirt with short sleeves. Tennies and white ankle socks completed my outfit.

  My gaze dropped to the neckline of my tank top. It dipped rather low, but not so low I'd feel like a slut. Just enough to hint at my cleavage.

  Not that I cared if Aidan noticed my cleavage. My clothes were comfortable and appropriate for the warm, late-spring day. His approval meant zilch to me.

  I winced. This was probably what they called protesting too much.

  The two canines seated to my right thumped their tails.

  I glanced at Mandy and Misty. "How do I look, girls?"

  Misty panted and thumped her tail some more. Mandy eyed me with her head canted.

  "Don't look at me like that," I said, wagging a finger at her. "I'm going to a public place, which means I have to look respectable. But I can still wear something attractive."

  Like the bikini I'd put on under my clothes, in lieu of lingerie, just in case I wanted to go for a swim. With Aidan. I imagined him in swim trunks, rising out of the lake, water sluicing down his chiseled chest.

  "Tell me, puppy babies," I said. "Have I turned into a raging slut? I mean, I practically begged a total stranger to visit me. Not to mention the way I made out with him twice. Sheesh, this could be a huge mistake." I glanced at the dogs. "What do you think?"

  Misty sneezed. Mandy swished her tail, swaying her whole back end.

  Oh jeez. I was discussing my love life with puppies. Maybe I had spent too much time sequestered in the woods.

  I stopped, reflecting on my own thoughts. Love life? No, this had nothing to do with love or even dating. Pure lust. An indulgence that would go no further than flirtation. And maybe some kissing. Possibly a swim.

  Groaning, rolling my eyes at my reflection in the mirror, I snagged my purse from the dresser and hurried down the hallway with the puppies nipping at my heels — literally. Well, Mandy nipped at the heels of my tennies. Misty preferred to jam her nose into the backs of my knees.

  I shooed her away, and she hopped up, all four feet in the air.

  My phone rang. I dug it out of my purse, answering with a hiccupping hello as Mandy shoved her snout into my butt.

  "Calli, how are you this morning?"

  Sighing, I laid a palm on my forehead. "Rade, why are you calling me?"

  "To check on my wife. I worry about you, all alone there in the forest." He paused for a second, then added, "And to ask when your server might come by."

  I'd called the process server this morning, so at least I had an answer for him. "Tomorrow. At your house, around two o'clock."

  "I will make sure I'm at home." He paused again, his breathing audible. "Though I would still prefer to forget the divorce."

  "What's going on with you?" I asked. "You promised after you got your citizenship, we'd wait six months and then get divorced. You swore you'd initiate the proceedings, but you never did. I'm paying for all of this and you damn well better accept the papers this time."

  "I will. You have my word."

  "Keep your word this time. You got what you wanted, now give me what you owe me."

  Except I owed him far more than I could ever repay and we both knew it. Tens of thousands of dollars, in fact.

  "I don't have everything I wanted," he said, sighing wistfully. "I don't have you."

  "You never did have me."

  "Give me a chance to show you we can have a good marriage."

  I shoved a hand into my hair, scraping my nails on my scalp. "It's time to move on with your life, Rade."

  When I punched the button to disconnect the call, the clock appeared on the phone's screen. Unless I left right this minute, I'd be late for my meeting with Aidan at the beach. A picnic with a stranger. With another man from a foreign country. Aidan seemed to have a lot in common with my husband. Sweet, attentive, empathetic. Today, I would tell him the truth — the parts I could tell him, without possibly involving him in my crime — and he would lose interest. He had to.

  Yes, that was a good plan. Scare him away with the truth.

  I dashed to the kitchen to retrieve the plastic cooler I'd packed with supplies for a picnic lunch. Then I patted the puppies on their heads and hurried out the door.

  "Sorry, puppy babies," I told the mutts as I shut the door. "You have to stay home. This is grown-up time."

  Chapter Seven

  Wispy white clouds slid across the blue sky as gentle waves lapped at the golden sand on the beach, the water shimmering a pale aqua blue. The four-foot cliff behind us jutted out at our right, sequestering us from the beachgoers frolicking on the long, straight stretch beyond. Sitting cross-legged on a beach towel, I tried to concentrate on the gorgeous view of Lake Superior, but my focus kept drifting back to the gorgeous Scotsman reclining on the beach towel adjacent to mine.

  Aidan rested on his side, propped up on one elbow. His tight jeans and T-shirt showed off his muscular physique while leaving enough to the imagination that any hapless females passing by — and okay, me — couldn't resist gawking.

  "You like me," he said in a casual tone, as if it were an obvious truth. His chestnut hair glistened in the sunshine and a delicate breeze ruffled the locks.

  I had the overwhelming urge to thrust my fingers into that hair, to find out if it was as silky and soft as I imagined. Maybe the truth was obvious, but I couldn't help saying, "You have no idea what I think about you. And vice versa."

  He gazed at me, his bright eyes locked on mine, his lips quirked with secret amusement. His voice flowed over my senses as smooth and decadent as melted milk chocolate. "If ye donnae like me, why would you bring me to a private place?"

  Why, indeed. I'd met Aidan in the parking lot, where he'd been chatting with an elderly couple, the three of them smiling and laughing like old friends. Damn, he really had a knack for ingratiating himself. Maybe I was a little envious of his social aptitude, but that did not explain why I led us down the beach, past the groupings of people scattered along the main stretch of shoreline, around a bend to a spot where trees shrouded us and only the occasional passersby wandered past us. Mostly teenage girls. Who drooled. At Aidan. I swore I'd seen actual saliva dribbling from their hanging tongues.

  Not jealous.

  "I'm starting to think," Aidan said, "you have lascivious intentions."

  Yeah, it sure was a mystery why he'd think that. I'd only shoved my tongue down his throat back at Dance Ardor. Still, I aimed for nonchalance when I said, "I like the shade. Too much sun makes me feel sweaty and icky."

  "I like a sweaty lass. Watching the drops of perspiration run down between a woman's breasts makes me want to lick it away."

  A quick glance reassured me I did not have sweat trickling between my breasts or anywhere else. The day was warm but not too warm, and the breeze kept things temperate. The sha
de of the trees ensured I would not get hot, at least not from the weather.

  I fiddled with the lid of the plastic cooler I'd stocked with provisions for a picnic. "Do you want to eat yet?"

  "In a bit." He settled a palm on the sand between us, moving his fingers in a petting motion. "First, I'd like us to get to know each other better."

  "Okay, but we need to be perfectly clear on a few things before we share our life stories or whatever."

  "Such as?"

  Wriggling my butt on the towel, I adjusted my position so I was turned partway toward him and looked straight into his eyes. "You need to understand the rules I live by."

  He pushed up into a semi-erect sitting position, still on his side, held up by one hand flat on his towel. "Tell me your rules, then."

  I bit my upper lip, reminding myself that no man would appreciate my rules, and since I couldn't tell him why I lived this way, I couldn't expect him to understand. Inhaling a deep breath to fortify my nerves, I plunged ahead. "These are my rules. No sex, no love, no marriage."

  His brows crinkled, cinching together over his nose. His smile turned bemused. "I don't understand. Not wanting marriage, that's not too unusual. But no love? Giving up sex is one thing but —"

  "I haven't given up sex."

  Those luscious lips parted, and his knit brows lifted. "You just said —"

  Holding up one finger, I silenced him. "I said exactly what I meant. Don't make assumptions about what you think it means, take it at face value." When he still looked baffled, I sighed and my shoulders crumpled. Time to clarify and accept the consequences. "I've never had sex, therefore I can't give it up. I am a twenty-five-year-old virgin."

  He shrugged. "Are you thinking I'll be shocked? I'm not."

  I folded my arms on my knees. "No one in this day and age believes a person over the age of eighteen could be a virgin unless there's something terribly wrong with them."

  He leaned forward to touch my arm. "I've been with virgins older than you."

  "They must've been nuns, right?"

  "No. Each had her reasons for staying innocent and I'm sure you have yours."

  "I'm not innocent."