by Diane Darcy
He took a deep breath and a step back in the same moment. He grasped her hand and led her off the dance floor and back to their table. When he helped her into her seat, she smiled up at him and, again, it was all he could do not to snatch her up, carry her off, and do things to her that would have a broadsword at his back and a priest at his front before the sun rose.
Hmm.
He literally stood frozen in place above her as his brain told him that his idea was a fine one, very fine, indeed, and that he should carry it out forthwith.
“What is it?”
Her words snapped him out of whatever madness held him in its grip and he took a step back. “I’ll refresh yer drink,” he said, and turned to stride away before he could make a fool of himself.
He blew out a gust of air and went to the bar, waiting at one end for his turn. Jimmy and another man he didn’t know were kept busy taking orders and fixing drinks and Calum was fine with marking time because it gave him a chance to cool off and collect himself.
Dancing was now out. He’d thought she’d be the one to tire of the pastime first, given her condition, but his heart would soon fail him if he didn’t keep his distance.
By the time Jimmy asked what he wanted and they’d finished their transaction, Calum was feeling more himself again.
Carefully carrying the two drinks through the crowd and back to the table, he’d almost arrived when he saw the man, thick blonde hair hanging down to hide his features, sitting across from Mandy, their heads bent close together as they spoke.
Possessiveness such as he’d never known flooded through him as he crossed the distance, moving around a couple, and then another before reaching the table.
He set the glasses down with a snap and glared at the other man as the two of them sat back. “Introduce me, won’t ye, lass? I’m curious tae know the name of the man sittin’ in my seat.”
Calum watched the man scramble to stand, to face off against him, and was pleased to see that while he might be considered handsome with his strong jaw and chiseled features, he was shorter, and without much bulk.
No one was stealing Mandy on his watch.
Certainly not a little sneak who’d waited until his back was turned to make a move.
Chapter 10
Mandy blinked.
One minute she’d been having a conversation with Wyatt, and the next Calum was starting something.
Over her.
She wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of it, and had to wonder if she was being spoofed. She was six months pregnant, and a gorgeous Highlander, for heaven’s sake, was staking a claim? Over a short, insignificant conversation with an ex-boyfriend that she wouldn’t give a second chance to if he got down on his knees and begged?
Which he absolutely had not been doing.
Though he might have been feeling out the territory. Who knew with Wyatt?
Still, Calum shouldn’t be worrying about it anyway. It wasn’t as if they were an item … although if that were true, maybe she shouldn’t be doing … whatever it was she was doing with him.
What was she doing? The two men faced off as she sat there analyzing the situation. Taking a deep breath, she tried to get hold of herself. “Calum, this is Wyatt Rooker. He lives in town. I’ve known him since grade school. Wyatt, this is Calum Milne. He’s staying at the house.”
“How do you know him?” Wyatt’s suspicious tone took her by surprise. What did it matter to him?
“He’s a friend.”
Calum shot her a disappointed look that made her feel a bit panicked and she amended, “He’s a really good friend.”
Calum snorted and then walked in on the smaller man, pressing closer, forcing him to either try and stand his ground or retreat.
Wyatt tried, she’d give him that, but Calum was like an unstoppable force, and Wyatt was no immovable object. He gave ground and finally pulled back a few feet altogether. “I’ll call you.” He shot a glare at Calum. “Soon.”
“Ye’ll be doing nae such thing. The lady’s busy, and doesnae need the likes of ye bothering her. If I see ye hangin’ about, ye’ll have me to contend with.”
Wyatt looked outraged. “Oh, is that so?”
“It is so.”
Wyatt shot Mandy a look that said, are you kidding me, and Mandy simply shrugged, then glanced around noting the attention they were attracting. “Nice to see you again, Wyatt.”
Now it was Calum who shot her an outraged look.
Jeez, she couldn’t win here.
Wyatt huffed out a breath and headed past Calum, bumping his arm as he went by, heading toward the bar.
Again, Calum didn’t so much as move, and Wyatt was rubbing his shoulder as he moved through the crowd.
After a few moments of watching the other man, Calum sat down, and the people around them went back to their own conversations.
Calum looked displeased.
Which was ridiculous. She was the one who ought to be taking him to task, not the other way around. “What?”
“What, indeed. I leave tae get ye a drink and come back to find another man sittin’ in my spot. Ye are with me.”
She should be jumping down his throat right now for daring to lecture her, but instead felt a feminine thrill run through her at his words. “Possessive much?”
“Aye.”
Again, that feminine thrill of pleasure stopped her from saying the right thing and instead left her feeling amused, at both of them.
He pushed the fresh cranberry juice toward her and she picked it up and took a sip. “Thank you.”
He was still looking slightly combative, like he might jump up at any moment and go after Wyatt, so she put her hand over the top of his fist where it rested on the table.
He shot her a startled look, which quickly turned into one of pleasure as he turned his hand over and captured hers.
She lowered her gaze to hide what she was feeling. For someone who considered herself a feminist, she was veering into dangerously politically incorrect feelings.
She was twenty-six years old, for heaven’s sake, not sixteen. Having a man ready to fight over her was a ridiculous and unnecessarily savage thing to do.
She certainly didn’t want to encourage it.
Or, rather, she shouldn’t want to anyway. But, dang it, after what Wyatt had done to her when they were younger, it was just a thrill to watch him back down and slink away, over her!
She was an idiot! But she couldn’t fool herself even if she wanted to, and she’d loved seeing Wyatt tuck tail run!
Loved it!
Her hand gripped Calum’s tightly, and she smiled at him. “Thanks, I didn’t want him sitting here, but I just sort of froze up and didn’t tell him to get lost like I should have. But thank you for making him leave.”
At her words, Calum seemed to relax, and he finally offered a slight smile. He brought his other hand up to cup hers, and leaned forward. “Ye’re not tae worry, I’ll no’ let any harm befall you while ye’re with me, nor will I allow others tae irritate you.”
That he delegated Wyatt to irritation status had laughter bubbling out of her.
She had to force herself not to look toward the bar in case Wyatt was watching them. She didn’t want him to know they were talking about him, and certainly didn’t want him to see her laughing.
Still, when she’d seen him, she’d been ready to leave, and now, all she wanted to do was dance again. “Excuse me while I use the ladies’ room, and then, would you like to dance again?”
“Lass, I’d like nothing better.”
As she made her way to the ladies’ room, she glanced back over her shoulder to see him watching her.
Her heart went thud in her chest.
The things that man was making her feel.
About an hour later, they were still dancing, and Calum was in heaven.
He had Mandy wrapped in his arms, hers were around his neck, her cheek snuggled against his chest. Any distance she’d kept between them was long gone.
He swore she was imprinted upon him. The feel of her, the scent of her, the way she clung to him in return. He’d never felt this all-encompassing desire to have, protect, and focus on another person.
Somehow, she was already everything to him. Certainly, his future because he felt he couldn’t possibly be without her. This small, feminine, smart, funny, beautiful woman was to be his.
Was already his.
He felt it in his newly restored bones.
The song ended, and he reluctantly loosened his arms so she could move back enough to look up at him.
He brought one hand to her face and rubbed his thumb gently over her cheek. “Are ye ready tae go, lass?”
She smiled up at him, her eyes slumberous, sensual in the dim lighting. She slid her hands down his chest and then slowly took a step back.
The space between them seemed unacceptable, but he resisted the urge to tug her back against him.
With slightly glazed eyes she glanced at his chest for a long moment before drawing in a breath. “Yes, I guess it is getting late, and we better be starting back home.” She yawned as she finished speaking, and they both laughed.
He swept his arm around her waist and urged her forward through dancers who were now breaking apart to dance to an upbeat tune.
He led her back to their table and helped her into her sweater before shrugging into his own jacket and they were soon walking out the back door to the parking lot. As they crossed the pavement to the car, he tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow.
She searched her pockets for her keys for a moment, and then stopped to look up at him. “Did I give you my keys?”
“Nay, lass, ye did no’.” He instantly felt guilty for not taking them as, panicked, she searched for pockets on her dress and found none.
She glanced back toward the bar. “They must have fallen out of my pocket.”
“Come,” he swept his arm around her again, feeling she needed the comfort. “Do no’ worry, we shall find them.”
They’d only taken a couple of steps back toward the bar when Wyatt, grinning and triumphant, stepped into the light off to one side.
He lifted something in the air and dangled it from one finger, swinging it back and forth, a jingling sound ensuing. “Looking for these?”
“My keys!” Mandy said, outrage coloring her tone.
“That’s right, your keys. But what do they say? Finders keepers, losers weepers?”
“Finding them in my pocket is an act of theft, something you’re familiar with, as I recall?”
Wyatt made a rude noise, balled up the keys and threw them out into the darkness.
He started backing away immediately. “Just be glad I didn’t take a whiz in your car, because I seriously thought about it!”
“Are you crazy?”
He was still backing away when Calum started after him.
“Calum, no, he isn’t worth it!”
But, Calum knew his duty. And when the man started to run, Calum did as well, quickly overtaking the slower man.
He grabbed him by the back of the neck, and the man squealed, and Calum kept going, not wanting Mandy to witness what was about to happen next.
Mandy was torn between looking for her keys and going after the men.
She couldn’t see them anymore, but heard Wyatt yelling in the distance, and when a couple came out the back door, decided to leave them to it.
She certainly wasn’t worried about Calum.
“Excuse me? Could you help me out here?”
The man and woman crossed the distance and she realized she knew them. Nate and Brenda Ryerson, a cute couple in their thirties, and members of her church. She explained about her lost keys and Brenda took out her phone and turned on the flashlight to help search, while her husband went after Calum and Wyatt.
They quickly found her keys and Mandy inspected her car. Nothing looked amiss and, as she hadn’t brought a purse along, she didn’t have to worry about that.
“I can’t believe Wyatt would do this,” Mandy said to Brenda as she looked off into the distance where the three men were now talking. “Seriously, all of this because Calum asked him to get out of his chair?”
Brenda laughed. “A little bit of hurt pride, a little bit of alcohol, mix the two and sometimes what you get is an idiot.”
“You can say that again.” Calum and Nate walked toward them, and Wyatt took off across the field and soon the building blocked him from view.
When Calum stood in front of her, male satisfaction etched upon his features, she managed not to roll her eyes. “Are you all right?” she asked.
“Never better.”
Since she didn’t see any obvious damage to his face, and, since she knew Wyatt, she figured he was telling the truth.
“Nate,” she said. “Thanks for your help diffusing the situation.” She turned to Brenda. “And thank you, for helping me find my keys.”
The couple grinned, shook hands, and wished them well and were soon on their way, leaving her and Calum standing in the parking lot.
She wasn’t sure what to say. Did she apologize for Wyatt? Or did she take Calum to task for his role in chasing the other man down?
Neither felt like the right thing to do, so she just asked, “You’re sure you’re all right?”
“Fine, lass,” he said, in a slightly smug tone.
She mentally rolled her eyes again and gestured him toward the car. “Shall we go?”
“Ye’re overcome. Would ye like me tae drive?”
“Nice try, bucko, but no banana.”
“What? Are we in agreement?”
Mandy laughed, shook her head, and opened the driver’s side door before he could do it for her. “Let’s go.”
He was soon seated beside her, and they were headed home. After a mile or so, he asked, “Are ye fashed with me?”
From the context she gathered he was asking if she was angry. Fashed, indeed. “Nope. Just thinking about the strange turn my life has taken lately.”
“Ye think me strange?”
She laughed. “Not strange, exactly. And that wasn’t a comment about you. Just circumstances, I suppose.”
“Uh, huh,” he sounded as if he didn’t believe her. When she glanced at him, she could tell from his smile that he was teasing her.
“Did you hurt yourself? On Wyatt’s hard head?”
He snorted. “The man was slapping at me as a woman might. I didnae have the heart tae hit him, so I simply shoved him intae the dirt.”
“I feel I should protest on behalf of all women, but Wyatt’s reaction sounds about right. He’s got a big mouth, but doesn’t have the ability to back it up.”
“Ye’d think he’d have learned that lesson by now.”
“You’d think so, wouldn’t you? Brenda and I agreed that alcohol might have pushed him over the edge.” She gripped the steering wheel as they drove down the road. “But thanks for coming to my defense. I’m sure Wyatt would’ve had a lot more ugly to spew if you hadn’t been there.”
“O’ course.”
The situation with Wyatt, and the cool evening air, had cleared Mandy’s head somewhat. She certainly wasn’t tired anymore.
She kept both hands on the steering wheel, and stared straight ahead, unable to glance in Calum’s direction.
She was feeling a little embarrassed about how she’d acted earlier. Plastering herself all over him as they’d danced, and giving him every reason to think her feelings for him were growing.
And weren’t they?
Again, embarrassment pulsed through her and the silence in the car was starting to get to her. “I guess you met the winner I was with in high school.”
“Winner?”
“I’m being sarcastic. I think he was a good enough young man at the time. After high school, he ended up s
leeping around, getting multiple girls pregnant, and generally becoming a jerk.”
Calum didn’t respond and her embarrassment grew. “I try not to beat myself up too badly about it, because I really think he was a decent person when I was with him. And, of course, though my heart was broken at the time, it didn’t take long to realize that I was far, far better off without him.”
“And there was another?”
She shot him a quick glance. Someone had been gossiping. “When I was in college. I really thought we were going to take on the world together. Graduate college, start businesses, start a family. But it turned out he was in love with someone else.”
Calum snorted. “Was the man touched in the head?”
Mandy chuckled. “I don’t think so, but please, insult him as much as you like.”
“Tis hard not tae. Obviously, the man is a misbegotten cur, that goes without sayin’. But, to tell ye true, I’m just so glad that he doesnae have ye, that I’m thankful for whatever affliction he suffers. Because I’ll not give ye up now that ye’er mine. If he ever realizes his misfortune and tries tae come back, I’ll make sure he knows he’ll no’ get a second chance, just like Wyatt.”
Surprised pleasure kept Mandy silent. His possessive attitude should offend her, and the fact that it didn’t left her thinking she was the one suffering an affliction.
Houses were getting far and few between as they headed to the ranch, and searching for a topic of conversation, she pointed out the house they were passing on their left. “This is where Frank and Connie Williams live. Frank’s the pastor at our local parish, and one of my grandfather’s best friends. They were at the bar earlier tonight.” She glanced his way. “Oh, that’s right, I think you met him already, didn’t you?”
“Stop the car, lass.”
Slightly panicked, she glanced around, looking for deer, raccoons, or skunks in the road, but saw nothing as she slowly eased to the side and pulled to a stop.
He turned in his seat to face her, and she swallowed, and finally did the same. “What is it?”
