Suddenly she had his complete attention. If she hadn’t broken into his house, someone dangerous was still out there. “If that was the only time ye were there, who cut the fence? Who left the last note and destroyed my house?”
“John.” She sighed. “The first time, the time he cut the fence, he wanted to find the letters, get them back if he could. But you were home, and he didn’t dare confront you. Then, Saturday night at the party he found out that you’d turned them over to the police, that you really were investigating them. I think he went a little crazy.”
Dear God. Kate. He lurched to his feet, knocking the chair backwards in his haste to find her. But one look at Lois’s face told him he was too late. She lifted her gaze to the door behind him, her expression filled with horror.
“John.”
Angus spun, fear knotting his stomach. John Wesley stood in the door, holding Kate in front of him, a gun pressed to her head. Part of him noted her holster was empty, but he couldn’t look away from her eyes. Silently, she was pleading with him not to do anything stupid.
“You just couldn’t stay out of this, could you Lois?” Wesley’s voice was calm, almost as though he were inquiring about the weather. With no warning he shoved Kate away from him into the center of the kitchen.
She stumbled, went down on one knee before Angus could reach her. When she stood, her right hand was partially hidden behind her leg and he caught a glimpse of black metal. Immediately, she placed herself between him and Wesley, and fear slashed through him.
Wesley smiled. “Very noble of you, Ms. Carson. Not that it will help my nephew any. He’s a much bigger target than you are, and I’m an excellent shot.”
Putting his hands on Kate’s shoulders, Angus moved her to one side. “Why do ye hate me so much, Wesley? Ye dinna even know me.”
“I don’t hate you. On the contrary, if Lois hadn’t interfered, you would never have heard from me.”
Lois stood, her face white. “John, please don’t do this. He’s Ellen’s son.”
“That’s exactly why you’re doing it, isn’t it Wesley?” Kate shifted in his direction and Wesley’s gun swung to cover her. “Legally, Angus is her next of kin, and thus her guardian.” She took another step.
“That’s quite close enough, Ms. Carson. Unless you want to end this now.” The gun swung back to Angus. “But you’re absolutely right. My sister is my responsibility and I won’t relinquish her again, not to anyone. She’s not going back to a hospital.”
“I wouldna take her away from ye, I swear. I only want the chance tae meet her, tae be with her for what time she has left.”
“Your father once said something along those same lines. He lied, too.”
“I’m not lying.” Every muscle in his body tightened as Kate took another step. He wanted to grab her, drag her behind him, but he didn’t dare. If Wesley saw the gun in her hand he’d fire.
“Listen, Wesley.” Kate stopped, her head tilted, and for the first time Angus realized he could hear sirens howling closer.
“Do you hear that?” she continued. “Apparently you didn’t manage to kill Calvin. He’s called the police. You’re never going to get away with this. What’s going to happen to Ellen when you’re in jail?”
Wesley gave a calm shrug. “What happens to me doesn’t matter as long as her son is out of the picture. Lois may be misguided, but she loves Ellen and has her best interest at heart. I know she’ll take care of her.”
Desperation filled him. He couldn’t allow Kate to continue, couldn’t chance her getting hurt. “Ye willna touch Kate?”
Wesley’s gaze flicked to Kate, then back. “Not unless she forces me to. I have nothing personal against Ms. Carson.”
Angus strode forward, his arms outstretched, blocking Kate’s progress. “Then get it o’er with, Wesley.”
“No!” Kate’s scream filled the room as she careened into him with her shoulder, shoving with all her strength. There was an explosion that deafened him and something heavy slammed into his body, propelling him backward. He was only dimly aware of Kate cursing frantically as she rolled to her feet, the .22 in her hands.
Everything seemed to be happening at once. The same instant she fired, the front door collapsed with a crash. From his left, Lois was screaming hysterically as dozens of people filled the room, swarmed over Wesley in spite of the blood coating his shirt.
There was so much noise, and it felt like his ears were stuffed with cotton. Why didn’t everyone shut up so he could find Kate, make sure she was okay? The odor of cordite filled the room along with the metallic scent of blood. He struggled to rise, but hands pushed him down, held him in place. “Katie?”
She was there, beside him, tears dripping onto his face as she cradled him. “Damn it, McLeod. Don’t you dare go into shock. It’s only a shoulder wound, do you hear me? The ambulance is right outside. You’re going to be fine.”
Angus licked his lips, his eyes fixed on her, afraid she’d vanish again if he looked away. “He shot me?”
“Yes.” She was half sobbing, half laughing. “And if you ever do anything that stupid again, I’ll shoot you myself.”
“I hope ye do a better job of it,” he whispered. “It hurts like hell.”
“What possessed you to jump in front of me like that? You knew he was going to shoot.” Her hand stroked his hair, his face.
“Aye. But ye were goin’ tae try something. I couldna let ye do it, couldna stand tae have ye hurt.” He took a deep breath and winced. A wave of dizziness sent his head spinning, and darkness flickered at the edges of his vision. “Can I faint now?”
“No. Not yet.” Her lips touched his forehead. “There’s something I have to ask you first.”
“Ye better hurry,” he whispered. He was having trouble keeping his eyes open.
“Will you marry me, McLeod?”
In spite of the pain sweeping him away, he smiled. “I thought ye’d never ask.”
* * * * *
Kate’s heart raced even faster than her feet as she rushed through the hospital corridor. They hadn’t let her ride in the ambulance with him, and the police had kept her busy with questions for over an hour. It had taken all her control to answer when her own fear kept intruding. What if Angus had been hurt worse than she thought? What if he’d gone into shock, or bled more than normal? He could be dying, alone, without her.
She nearly ran headlong into a white-coated man stepping out of an examination room, his gaze fixed on the chart in his hand.
Grabbing the doctor’s arm, she demanded his attention. “Angus McLeod?”
He jerked a thumb at the door. “In there.”
“I’m his fiancée. How is he?”
The man grinned as a bellow erupted from behind him. “If decibel level is any indication, I’d say he’s doing great. The bullet went in at an angle, so it didn’t hit any bones. He’s going to be stiff and sore, but that’s about it. As soon as the nurse finishes cleaning the wound and bandaging his shoulder, you can take him home.”
“Can I see him?”
“Sure. Maybe you can keep him quiet.” He spoke the second sentence to her back as she rushed through the door.
Another bellow sent her running to the curtain enclosed examining table at the far end of the room. Yanking the heavy material back, she slid to a stop at Angus’ side, the scent of antiseptic stinging her nose.
He was sitting up, glowering at the nurse who was attempting to clean his wound. The woman was glowering right back.
“Mr. McLeod, if you’ll just hold still we can get this over with.”
His head swung toward Kate. “The blasted woman is tryin’ tae kill me,” he growled.
“If you’d let us anesthetize the area this wouldn’t be hurting,” the nurse snapped.
“I dinna like needles,” he told Kate, looking embarrassed and apologetic.
“You haven’t had anything for pain?”
“We gave him some pills, but they’re slower than a shot.” The woman dump
ed a red-stained gauze pad in a shiny chrome bowl and reached for the paper-wrapped bandages.
Kate lifted a hand and brushed the dark, sweat dampened hair away from his face. He was still a pasty white, and she knew he was weak and shaken despite his roars. “The doctor said you could leave when the nurse is finished.”
He turned his head until his lips touched her palm, then closed his eyes briefly and nodded. “How’s Wesley?”
“He’ll live. It wasn’t much more than a flesh wound. The bullet went right through his side. The police have him in custody. Calvin wasn’t so lucky. He’ll make it, but he’s going to be in the hospital for a week or so. Wesley got him in the back, right through the seat. Calvin hung on long enough to call the police, then passed out.”
“Miss Trent?”
“One of the policemen took her back to Wesley’s apartment. She didn’t want to stay away from your mother any longer than necessary.”
He leaned his head against her as the nurse went to get a sling, and she could tell the pills were finally starting to work. Some of the color had returned to his face and the pain lines around his eyes were easing.
“I need tae go tae Wesley’s apartment as soon as we get out of here. I have tae see my mother, Katie.”
“I know you do,” she soothed. “But it’s the middle of the night, and you aren’t in any shape to be coherent. You’d only scare her right now. Let me take you home and put you to bed. You can see her tomorrow after you’ve cleaned up and gotten some sleep. Okay?”
“As long as ye dinna leave me,” he whispered.
* * * * *
“Sure you don’t need some help getting him inside, Ma’am?”
Kate smiled at the young officer. “Thanks, but I can take it from here.” She steadied Angus. His good arm was draped across her shoulder and he was leaning on her heavily.
The medication he’d taken had a tight hold on him now. He’d slept most of the way home from the hospital, his head in her lap. It had taken two tries to get him out of the patrol car, and he was still more asleep than awake.
She managed to get him through the door someone had haphazardly repaired, and into the bedroom. While he swayed on his feet, she undid his pants and pushed them over his hips. At least she didn’t have to try and get his shirt off. They had tossed what was left of it at the hospital.
Easing him down, she settled his head on the pillows then finished removing his pants, noting his half-lidded gaze following her.
“I dreamed ye asked me tae marry ye,” he murmured, his voice husky.
Careful not to jar his shoulder, she pulled the blanket up then sat gingerly beside him. “That was no dream, McLeod. I did ask you.”
“What did I say?” His good hand reached for her and she caught it in her own, brought it to her lips.
“I don’t believe you actually gave me a yes or no.”
“The answer is yes.” He sighed happily, a smile lifting the corners of his lips. “We’ll have lots of babies, a whole houseful.”
She laughed. “Only if you promise me they’ll have your hair.”
“I promise.” His hand tightened around hers. “What made ye change yer mind?”
“You.” She hesitated. “You were willing to take a bullet to protect me, Angus. How could I still believe you’d be like my father after that? And while it was a stupid move, no one has ever done anything like that for me. I’ve always been the one taking care of everyone else.”
She sat down on the side of the bed. “No matter what I said before, I was afraid, Angus. I kept thinking if it didn’t work I could always leave. If we weren’t married I could get out of the relationship. But when Wesley shot you I realized I never wanted to get out of it. If he’d killed you, part of me would have died, too. I don’t want to live without you.”
“Ye’ll ne’er have tae,” he whispered. “I love ye, Katie.”
She leaned down and brushed his lips with hers. “And I love you. Now try to get some sleep.”
As soon as his eyes closed, he was out of it, but even under the influence of the medication it was a restless sleep. She watched him for a while, unable to resist touching him, caressing him lightly. She’d come so close to losing him tonight that it sent pain streaking through her thinking about it.
It had been so foolish to think she could go through her entire life without love, to let what happened to her parents color her own view of the world. Somewhere inside her, that terrified, hurt little girl still dwelt and would, no doubt, cause her problems from time to time. But she wasn’t going to let that child rule her emotions anymore.
It was time to grow up and accept that she hadn’t been responsible for what happened to her mother. Her parents had headed down that path long before she was born. Only they could have stopped it.
She gazed at Angus for a moment, then glanced at the poster. If it hadn’t been for that picture, for her fantasies surrounding it, she never would have accepted this job, never met him. A smile curved her lips. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Epilogue
“Damn it, McLeod, you lied to me.” Kate glared at the man sprawled in the chair next to her bed. After twenty-two hours of labor, he looked worse than she felt, and she couldn’t help grinning. There had been several times she didn’t think he was going to make it. At least not and stay conscious.
“Nay,” he said weakly. “She has black hair.”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” She glanced down at the small, warm bundle cradled in her arms. Margaret Ellen McLeod, weighing in at seven pounds and three ounces. And with thick, black hair that looked like it had been styled with a cement mixer. So much for his promise.
Angus hoisted himself out of the chair and leaned over to push the blanket away from his daughter’s face. “She’s beautiful, Katie. She even has yer chin. I only wish my mother could have lived long enough tae see her.”
“I know.” She reached for his hand. “But she got the only thing she ever really wanted. Your forgiveness and love. She died peacefully, thanks to you.”
“I owed her that much. ‘Twas the least I could do after what my father put her through.” He lifted Ellie from her arms, holding the baby as though she were made of spun glass.
Kate’s heart turned over with love at the sight. “You’re just a good man, Angus McLeod. I don’t know how I got so lucky.”
“It wasn’t luck.” He leaned down and kissed her. “‘Twas fate. I told ye all along we were meant for each other.”
“So you did.” She smiled at him. “Have you talked to Calvin?”
“Aye. He said tae tell ye not tae worry about Safety First. Everything is under control. He’s goin’ tae drop by later today tae see the baby.”
“And the new house?” She reached over to touch his arm, taking pleasure from the contact. “Are you sure you don’t mind living in the city, Angus?”
“Stop yer frettin’, Katie. I can live with the publicity as long as I have ye by my side. Besides,” he grinned at her. “If anyone gets tae pushy, ye can always pull out yer gun.”
There was a fluttering movement near the door and she looked up to see Lois Trent hovering behind a bouquet of spring flowers. “Come in, Lois.”
“I heard you’d had the baby.” The woman eased into the room. “I wanted to bring you these.”
Lois looked different these days, Kate mused. Her clothes were more stylish and her hair had been cut and colored. Maybe being in charge of Pages, Wesley’s chain of bookstores, was good for her. “Thank you. They’re beautiful. Would you like to see the baby?”
“Oh, yes. I’d love to.” Lois put the flowers on the bedside table and turned to Angus. Very gently, he put Maggie in her arms. She gazed down at the baby raptly, tears filling her eyes. “Oh, my. She’s wonderful. Ellen would be so happy to know what you’ve named her. She and Maggie became very close those last few weeks.”
“They loved the same man,” Kate mused. “I suppose that gave them a lot in common.”
“Aye. She was here the entire time. I had tae make her go home earlier or she’d have been asleep on her feet by now.”
The baby squirmed, opened her tiny mouth, and let out a bellow that would have done justice to a stevedore. Kate pressed her palms over her sore stomach and laughed helplessly. “I guess we know where she got that from.”
Angus looked indignant as he retrieved his daughter and handed her to Kate. “I dinna bellow.”
“Of course you don’t, your Lordship.” She grinned at him. The baby settled down as soon as she felt her mother’s arms around her again, her tiny lips turned down in displeasure.
“How are sales going on Angus’s new book?” She asked Lois.
The woman lifted a hand to her chest. “I’ve never seen anything so amazing. After the reviews came out, we couldn’t keep enough copies on the shelves. All the stores have it on back order, with more requests coming in every day. Have you started the next one yet?” She beamed at Angus.
“Aye, and it’s almost done.”
“I don’t suppose you’d care to give me a hint about what happens to Katherine and Jack Connor?”
Angus laughed. “Nay. Ye’ll have tae wait along with everyone else.”
“I thought you might say that.” She sighed and glanced around the room. “I expected your sister and her husband to be here, Kate.”
“They don’t know yet. I didn’t want to disturb them on their honeymoon. We’ll call them later. They’re due back tomorrow, anyway.”
“‘Twill be strange having Marc for a brother-in-law,” Angus commented. “I’ll not be able tae fire him anymore.”
“Sure you can. And he’ll keep right on ignoring you like he’s always done.”
Lois smiled at their banter. “Well, I have to get back to work. I hope you’ll allow me to visit occasionally.”
Kate took her hand and squeezed. “Of course we will. You’re welcome any time, Lois.”
“Thank you.”
They watched her leave, then Angus settled himself on the bed beside Kate. “Do ye think she ever visits Wesley in jail?”
Undercover Mistress Page 22
