Niall

by Diane Darcy

  Jenny still couldn’t read him. She walked past, the hair slightly prickling on the back of her neck. It wasn’t like she thought her brother was going to attack or anything, but she had to admit she was nervous.

  Again, she was so glad Niall was beside her, and that he was well-versed in family disputes.

  They walked into the spacious kitchen and set the coffee and donuts on the counter.

  Tina immediately snatched the bag, took out a sprinkled donut, and started nibbling.

  Jenny took one of the coffees out of the cardboard container and slid it across the counter. She tried to catch Tina’s gaze, to get a read on how she was feeling, but Tina simply took the hot drink and turned away, sipping.

  Zach ignored the refreshments completely. He leaned back across the counter, crossed his arms, and didn’t say a word.

  Jenny looked to Niall, who seemed perfectly relaxed regardless of the tense atmosphere. Very aware of their accusing gazes, she removed the phones from the bag and plugged one back into place, and set the other on the counter.

  When Jenny finally couldn’t stand it, she cleared her throat. “I hope you know what we did, we did out of love and concern for the two of you.”

  Niall looked amused, seeming to get some sort of weird enjoyment out of the situation. “Of course they know that, lass. They’re well aware our intentions were for the best. What remains to be seen is whether the two of ye have worked it out or not? Well?”

  Aghast, Jenny spluttered, “Well, just throw it out there!” She’d hoped he’d sound conciliatory, or therapist-like, or something. For heaven’s sake, the man had gone to how many years of schooling to learn how to do this?

  “As I was saying,” she went for the conciliatory tone, since someone had to. “We hope you know we did this out of love and concern, and hope you had the chance to talk and maybe work things out?”

  Tina finished her donut. “I’m ready to go. How about you Zach?”

  “Ready and willing.” He snatched up the bag of donuts, the coffee, and headed out the front door. Tina followed behind him.

  Jenny stood gaping.

  “Well, shall we go, lass?”

  “Go?” She glared. “Niall, what just happened here?”

  “What do ye mean? It looked like everything worked out just fine. Let’s take them home and let them take it from here.”

  “But, you were supposed to talk to them! You were supposed to say wise words that would help them see the light!”

  Niall looked slightly hurt. “Are ye upset with me, lass?”

  “Yes, I’m upset! I let you talk me into a kidnapping and now, instead of getting back together, they’re mad at me!”

  Niall snorted. “They’re not mad, lass. They’re trying to save face.”

  “What are you talking about? Did we just walk into the same cabin? I was hoping to see a happy, reconciled couple!”

  “They are.” Again, he simply looked confused.

  “They weren’t even talking to each other!”

  “Nae. They weren’t talking to us.”

  Jenny threw her arms up in the air. “Whatever, let’s just go.”

  She looked around to see if they’d left anything behind, snatched up the leftover grocery bags, and headed out the door.

  Niall followed and as soon as he was outside, she locked the door.

  Zach and Tina were already in the backseat.

  “See? They’re sitting together. It’s them against us. When they’re ready, they’ll let us know what happened in that cabin.”

  “In the meantime, we have to drive back home with them glaring at the back of my neck?”

  Niall chuckled. “If ye’d like, I can throw them in the boot again.”

  That finally got a smile out of Jenny.

  “Come on, let’s get this over with.”

  Chapter 13

  Niall had to admit he was well amused. Jenny was clutching the steering well, and leaning slightly forward. She had turned on music after the silence had become too much.

  For his part, Niall was once again enjoying the breeze, the trees, and the sense of contentment he felt simply by being with Jenny.

  He liked the girl even when she was nervous, angry, and upset.

  He watched as she darted glances into the mirror above her so she could look at the couple in the backseat.

  For his part, he was convinced they were putting on an act for their benefit. They’d get over it soon enough. Especially Zach. The man owed him for getting his wife back.

  He was determined to enjoy what would essentially be his last day alive before going to his reward, whatever that might be. As there was no way for him to control what happened, he refused to worry.

  Occasionally, Jenny tried to engage her brother and his wife in conversation, but they effectively shut her down.

  He could see her getting more and more upset, and he finally reached out and took one of her hands off the steering wheel and held it in his own, offering a measure of his strength.

  Startled, she glanced down, then twined her fingers with his while watching the road. He left his hand loose enough that she could pull away if she needed to drive, but she seemed content to let him hold it.

  Between holding Jenny’s hand, enjoying the sights, and the constant warm breeze floating in the window, Niall leaned his head back and just enjoyed the moment.

  At their instruction, they dropped Zach and Tina off at Tina’s house.

  As they exited the car, Zach leaned into Jenny’s window. “I ought to have you both arrested for kidnapping.”

  Niall chuckled. “Truly, that’s your answer to getting your wife back?”

  “You put my pregnant wife in the back of the trunk.”

  “So I did. Though we did do our best not to frighten her.”

  “Zach, I’m —”

  “I know you meant well, Jenny. But there are times when you shouldn’t meddle in someone else’s life.”

  Jenny hung her head, and Niall didn’t like to see it.

  “You’re welcome.” He told the other man curtly. He didn’t like him haranguing his sister over something he should have done himself.

  Exasperated, Zach pushed away from the window, rounded the car and joined his wife on the sidewalk. He gently led her toward the front door as Jenny watched, amazed. “Oh my gosh, you’re right! They are back together again,” she breathed out the words.

  Niall chuckled. “What did I tell ye? Leave a husband and wife together, and get out of their way. They’ll patch things up quick enough.”

  Wide-eyed, Jenny turned to look at him. “I think you’re brilliant.”

  Jenny pulled away from the curb and started down the road. Not because she had a direction in mind, but because she didn’t want to sit gawking in front of Tina’s house.

  Scratch that. Zach and Tina’s house, once more!

  A block away, she glanced at Niall. “Are you coming back to my place?” Or did he feel his work was done?

  He shrugged. “Until Soni shows herself, I’ll stick around if that’s all right with ye.”

  “Oh, yes, that’s fine. Who is Soni?” A wave of inappropriate jealousy surged up within her. Regardless of the silly way she’d been acting around Niall, she didn’t have a claim on him and she knew it.

  More’s the pity.

  “Soni is a young girl who’s going to take me where I need to go.”

  Jenny thought about offering him a ride, but bit her lip at the last moment. While she wouldn’t mind a road trip with the man, if it turned out to be only thirty minutes long or so, she might lose time with him and feel she lost out.

  “Where is she taking you?”

  Niall seemed to hesitate.

  “You don’t need to answer that. I’m just being nosy.”

  Niall shook his head. “It’s not that. It’s just that I’m not sure where it is she’s taking me.”

  She wanted to ask more, but felt she’d already been intrusive enough. If the man was willing to stay and
hang out with her for the day, she was going to take him up on it.

  Her phone dinged, and when she stopped at a stop sign, she glanced at it out of habit.

  She quickly read the message from her boss, and grimaced.

  “What is it?”

  “My boss wants me to come into the office.” She sighed, then read the text. “Get in here. Work to be done. No whining about it being a Sunday, either. Don’t make me ask you twice!”

  Niall looked stunned. “The man wrote that to ye?”

  Jenny nodded.

  Niall straightened, no longer looking relaxed. “He’s not to talk to ye in such a manner. Ye are a lady, and will be treated with respect.”

  She grinned, liking the sound of that, liking that he was protective of her. “It’s really not that big of a deal. He talks to everybody that way.”

  “What are ye going to do?”

  She considered. It would be more time with Niall. She did want to show him where she worked. It might keep him from going off with the mysterious Soni if he wasn’t at her place.

  “Well, it wouldn’t take me that long. I suppose I could go in. Unless you have something else you’d like to do?”

  “I’ll be going with ye.”

  She couldn’t help but wonder if this was part of the service for the weekend. Maybe he meant to help both her and her brother? If so, that was fine by her. Her heart jumped when he said he’d go; she didn’t want to give up what little time she had left with him. Pathetic? Maybe so. But, she’d take what she could get of the man.

  She grinned and turned her car in the opposite direction. “That sounds great.”

  Maybe, just maybe, the more time she spent with the man, the more he’d notice her.

  Niall tried to bite back his anger.

  She wouldn’t thank him for confronting her boss, so he had no intention of doing anything of the kind. He wanted her to remember him kindly.

  But perhaps a large male in her vicinity would let the man believe Jenny had someone to protect her from such behavior.

  Not that Jenny seemed to notice or care. It concerned him she let others push her about.

  It was unacceptable.

  If he was in her life, no one would get away with treating her thus.

  When they arrived at her office, Jenny unlocked the glass door and he followed her inside. She pushed a button on the wall and he was startled when the wall slid open.

  “What is this?”

  She glanced around as if expecting to see something, and when the doors started to close, she held up her hand and they opened once more. “What is what?” she asked, and stepped inside the small room.

  Cautiously, he followed. Was this her office, then? It seemed a small space to conduct any sort of business, and there was nothing inside.

  The door slid shut again and he had the urge to spring forward and hold them open.

  Jenny studied him. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine, lass.” There was no doorknob, or anything else to suggest a way out. But as Jenny didn’t seem nervous or alarmed in any way, he simply stood still, waiting to see what she would do next.

  She pushed another button and the entire floor jolted!

  He reached forward, grabbed Jenny, and pulled her close.

  “Oh!” She glanced up at him, and then smiled. “What are you doing?”

  Every protective instinct he possessed surged forward when he felt her in his arms. The floor settled after the initial jolt, but he still didn’t let her go.

  Her arms went around his waist and she looked up at him expectantly.

  He pulled her closer, until she was flush against him, and when she tilted her head back, a question in her gaze, it took every ounce of honor he possessed to keep from kissing her.

  The doors slid open once more.

  “What is going on here?”

  Niall looked at the handsome man standing outside the doors, and then beyond. They were in a completely new location.

  “Ye tell me what is happening here.” Niall challenged the other man.

  The man, prettier than a male should be with his blond, swept-back hair and chiseled features looked at him like he was insane before turning his attention to Jenny. “About time you got in here.”

  Jenny moved past them both into the new room. “Are you kidding me right now? You just barely texted me and I came straight here.”

  The man shot Niall one last suspicious look, then followed. Niall stepped forward just as the doors began to close once more. They jerked back at his approach, but it was enough to spook him.

  “I need some advertising done on the Hamilton account.”

  “No one’s done the initial work?”

  “Brandon, but we’ve had some complaints. I’ll need you to take over and get it back up to speed. I want these clients kept happy.”

  “I’ll need all the information so I know where we’re at.”

  “Already sent to your computer.”

  Jenny walked into a square area that contained a desk, a computer, and a bookshelf. Various papers and folders were strewn about.

  “Who is this guy?” The man rudely stuck his thumb in Niall’s direction.

  “Sorry. You don’t get to call me to work on a Sunday and then question if I bring someone along.”

  The man shot her another glare, sent another suspicious glance in Niall’s direction, and then stalked away. “Just do your job.”

  Niall watched the man go. “I doonae like the way he spoke to ye. Wait here, while I have a word.”

  Jenny shot up from her chair. “No! Absolutely not.” She went into another square, and then came out with a chair and placed it next to hers. “You just sit here and help me out. Okay?”

  Niall hesitated, finally sinking down beside her. His gut burned with jealousy and irritation. “He should not talk to ye in such a manner,” he grumbled, more than unhappy at the attractiveness of the man. Had Jenny noticed?

  Jenny chuckled. “He’s a jerk, but he’s my boss. So what are you going to do?”

  “Teach him some manners.”

  She chuckled again. “It would be pointless. He’s unteachable.” Jenny worked with her computer a moment, and then pulled up an image. She looked pleased.

  “Would you look at that? Over 200,000 people have seen this already. Do you realize how amazing those numbers are?”

  She pushed a device on her desk and his image came to life.

  Amazing.

  He watched and listened to himself give advice to Zach on the basketball court once more.

  “Look at how many comments we’ve got.”

  Niall nodded again, unsure of the response she wanted from him. “That is good?”

  “That’s great! I wasn’t kidding earlier. I’m more than willing to help you build your business with social media if you need any help. Free of charge, of course. You’ve done so much to help my brother and, beyond your regular fee, this would be my chance to pay you back.”

  Again, he wasn’t exactly sure what she offered, but she seemed to want to help him with his business.

  His nonexistent business.

  The girl really was sweet of heart, and he wished he could take her up on it just because she seemed so earnest. But, of course, he wasn’t even truly who she thought he was.

  “Thank ye for the offer. Tis verra kind, but I’ve no need for it at present.”

  Her face fell.

  “But if I do, ye’ll be the first one I come to.”

  She nodded. “Well, it’s an open offer. So anytime you need my help, just feel free to ask.”

  As she worked on her computer, he glanced around her small square. There was a picture on the wall of Jenny with a group of people. He recognized her brother, her grandparents, and suspected the others were family members as well. There was another picture of Jenny with Pandora, both making silly faces.

  There were others he didn’t recognize. She had a potted plant on her desk, a bookshelf decorated with silly figurin
es that looked to be made out of forks and spoons.

  “Do ye come here often, lass?”

  “Most days. I can do some of the work at home, so sometimes I stay there as well.”

  “You like this job?”

  “I do. I like helping make people look good, and helping businesses grow.”

  He lifted a round circular object from her bookshelf and it sent the beads inside skittering about.

  “What is this?”

  Jenny chuckled. “They don’t have those in Scotland?”

  He shook his head.

  “Here, let me show you.” She demonstrated the game for him. “You roll these little basketballs around,” she concentrated and did exactly that. “Until you capture them in the little holes.” She caught one, and then looked at him in triumph! “See?”

  He did. He took the game from her, and tried to do it on his own. The little ball would not go in the hole.

  He tried again.

  The ball was still elusive.

  Again.

  The ball rolled over the hole, cheating him of his win.

  He growled, and Jenny giggled.

  He glanced up at her suspiciously. She worked at her computer once more, and seemed to pay him no mind.

  He went back to the game, trying until one of the three balls landed perfectly in a hole and he shouted out in triumph!

  Jenny chuckled. “Got one?”

  “Look!” He held out the game to her and the ball rolled out of its hole. “Blast it!”

  Jenny chuckled as he continued with the fiendish game.

  He stopped to watch her work. Her fingers flew across the keys and her face was bright and happy.

  They’d have to part soon. It was almost time for him to go, and this might well be the last he ever saw of her.

  As he continued to watch her animated face, his heart started to ache, then it hit him.

  He loved this kind, fun, warm-hearted girl. His stomach clenched once, hard enough to hurt. He really, truly loved her. The words felt right and real to him as the feeling raced through him.

  From one moment to the next, bitterness at the thought of losing her washed over him. He’d just found her, and she was never meant to be his. Eventually she’d be with someone else, someone not him, and the thought of it was like a dirk to the stomach.