by LL Muir
She turned to look at the space above her door. “There are actually some old ones in the shed. You know, I’ve seen people nail horseshoes over doors before, but I’d never thought to do it. It might be cute.”
“Cute? ’Tis to ward off fairies. Ye must take precautions else they’ll cause ye no end of mischief.”
She chuckled. “Fairies?”
“Aye, fairies.”
She smiled as if she thought he jested. “Do you believe in fairies?”
“Of course I do. Doonae ye?”
She gave him a look that said she thought him daft. “Yeah. We don’t have a lot of problems with fairies around these parts.”
“Ye must not. In Scotland, they’re all about. Kelpies, sprites, the bodach. Brownies are the worst, o’ course. If they think yer ignorin’ them, they’ll run amok. The iron will protect yer home. I’ll make sure I nail some up later today. How’s that?”
“Knock yourself out,” she replied wryly.
He tried to work out her meaning and finally decided she’d given her consent and he smiled in approval. They headed to the old shed on the property, and looked around there for a while. There were tools and such and they did find some horseshoes. Next, she walked him to the river.
“This is where my property line ends. I like to swim. Do you?”
“Of course. But it’s been a long while.”
A friendly, yet slightly gravelly voice sounded behind them. “Howdy, there!”
They turned to see an older gentleman, tall, but slight of build, his arms propped on the top of the wooden fence, and they headed his way. The man eyed Kenrick with open curiosity.
“Hello, Mr. Larson.” Allison greeted the fellow. “This is Kenrick Macfie. He’ll be staying with me for the next couple of days.”
Mr. Larson offered his hand, and Kenrick shook it in the way he’d seen men do. The man was taking his measure.
“You live hereabouts?”
“Here with Allison.”
He nodded, glanced at Allison, but didn’t say any more.
Allison glanced down.
Was she worried the man would think ill of her with a man living in the house? “She is my betrothed.”
“Really? You two gettin’ hitched?”
Allison froze up, unsure of how to answer.
Kenrick nodded solemnly. “We are.”
“Well then, congratulations are in order.”
Allison was blushing. “Thank you.”
He didn’t want the man thinking badly of Allison, but of course, once he was gone, the man might think ill of her, anyway. Two broken engagements did not hang well on anyone’s reputation, let alone a young lady’s.
Ballocks.
He needed to think things through before he spoke.
He shot Allison an apologetic glance, but there was naught to do about it now. He gently shook the sagging fence. “I was thinking to fix this today.”
The older man straightened immediately. “I’ve been meaning to do that for a while now. I’ve got some lumber and a couple of nail guns. What do you say we work on this together?”
“Kenrick, you don’t have to do that. I mean, you’re already doing so much…”
Mr. Larson was already walking away. “Don’t interfere, woman! We men have work to do.”
She shook her head, her lips curving slightly upward. “All right, what you want me to do?”
Kenrick squeezed her arm. “Did ye not wish to tell the man of our betrothal?”
“No, it’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting it. It’s not like we’re going to keep it a secret.” She gestured to the fence. “Do you need my help?”
“We’ll be needing something to eat later.”
She smiled. “Women’s work, huh. Well, I do need to run to the store for potato salad fixings. I may as well pick up a few more things. Call me if you need anything.”
Kenrick watched her walk away, admiring the way she looked from behind, and then whistled as he headed to the shed for tools. He may only have the luxury of her company for a while, but he’d enjoy it while he could.
Chapter 6
A couple hours later, Allison carried groceries into the kitchen, then took a quick look out the back window. Kenrick and Mr. Larsen were hard at work as the dogs roamed the backyard. She wanted nothing more than to join them, but she had her own chores.
She quickly made sandwiches and lemonade, placed them in the refrigerator, and started in on the potato salad. A while later, she left the eggs and potatoes to cool, finished putting the groceries away, and went outside to help.
She was putting on work gloves when Kenrick spotted her. “What are ye doing?”
She looked at the fence, mostly taken apart, and some of the posts were on the ground. “I’m here to help. Where did Mr. Larsen go?”
“He’d promised to drive his wife somewhere, but he’ll soon return.” He scowled and looked back at the house. “What of the supper ye promised?”
“Already done.”
He turned his gaze to the partially dismantled fence and stared at it for a moment. He obviously didn’t want her here.
“What’s the problem?”
His frown deepened. “Do ye think I cannae fix this?”
“Of course I think you can do it. I just don’t think you should have to do it alone. You do want my help, don’t you?”
“Aye, ’twould be fine.” He said the right words, but he obviously didn’t mean them.
“Look, if you’re going to try and tell me there is women’s work and men’s work, I’m going to have to call baloney.”
He picked up the shovel, stuck the tip in the ground and started digging again. “Of course there is men’s work, and women’s work. ’Tis the way things.”
She placed her hands on her hips. “Is that so?”
“Ye wouldna wish a woman to go to war, would ye?”
She actually gasped out loud that. “If I wanted to go to war, I could and I would.”
He stopped working to straighten and stare at her, as if to check if she was serious. “Women doonae go to war.”
“Of course they do. All the time.”
He gaped at her. “Are ye in earnest?”
“Of course I am. Are you?”
“Women go to war?”
“Uh, yeah. Something like fourteen percent of the people in the military are women. Are you saying that’s not true in Scotland?”
He shook his head and went back to digging. “I’ve heard tale of a woman or two who went to war, but they pretended to be men, of course, and dressed in loose clothing.”
She shook her head. “That is simply archaic.”
“Ach. It may well be.”
She clapped her gloved hands together. “So, what can I do?”
He looked around for a moment, as if floundering, then finally said, “Can ye hold this post steady as I move it into the hole?”
She knew good and well he was giving her an easy task, but that was fine with her. She wouldn’t want to step on his masculinity or anything. “Sure.”
They worked steadily for an hour, returning the posts to their newly dug holes and filling in the dirt, and at the end of it they were both hot and sweaty. Allison wiped the back of her wrist across her brow as morning turned to afternoon. She noticed the three dogs were panting in the shade, Bonnie a short distance from the others. “Have I mentioned how much I appreciate you doing this for me?”
That got a genuine smile out of him. “I’m glad I could help ye, lass.” And he did seem proud of himself, his chest bowing slightly at her praise. His reaction made her want to praise him all the more.
“You’re so strong; you make lifting these huge poles seem effortless.”
He ducked his head, but couldn’t hide his grin.
She couldn’t help but smile herself. You’d think no one had ever praised the man. “In fact, I don’t believe I’ve been around anyone as well-built as you, and not only that, but you seem to know what you’re doing. Were you
born knowing how to fix things? Or did you have to study and learn?”
His shoulder’s straightened as he finished tying off a section of the fence and twisting with the pliers to keep the metal in place. “Some things are just common sense, doonae ye think?”
“I suppose so. Though I wouldn’t have thought to bend the metal into the wood the way you are. I’d have ended up with sharp bits sticking out all over. You did much better than I would have.”
He was blushing now, and it made her want to heap more praise on him, but if she overdid it, he might believe she was insincere. “Anyway, like I said, I can’t thank you enough for everything you’re doing. The dog, the reunion, helping me fix up the place while you’re here. I’m very grateful.”
“No need for gratitude. I’m more happy to be here than ye could understand.”
“Well, thank you, anyway. All right, I’m going to go finish the salad I started earlier.”
“Ye do that.”
She rolled her eyes at the relief in his tone. The man really was a cave dweller. “Come on in when you’re done. Lunch is ready whenever you are.”
A few minutes later she heard a knock on the front door, and her brother called out, “Allison?”
“I’m in here.” She went back to getting out ingredients, and smiled when her brother came into the kitchen. Tall and lean, Nathan liked to work out and keep himself in shape. He said he did it for his job as a police officer, but she suspected there was a bit of vanity involved as he was, once again, one of the most sought-after bachelors in the area.
His young son Tyler filed in behind him. “Aw, you have Ty for the weekend?”
Nathan nodded and rubbed six year old Ty’s head. “Yeah, Kira let me have him again this weekend, what with the reunion and all, so the two of us are hanging out today. Thought we might swing by and see how things are going.”
She raised a brow. “How things are going? They’re going fine.”
He hesitated a moment, then leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms. “You know what I mean.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you? All right, I’m stoppin’ by to find out how you’re feeling about tomorrow. You going to be okay when Linnie shows up with her new fiancé in tow?”
Allison shrugged. “What’s it to me? As it happens, I have a fiancé of my own, and could care less about hers.”
Nathan’s brows rose. “What are you talking about?”
Ty was standing at the back door now and he turned to call over his shoulder. “Aunt Allison? Who’s that man in the backyard?”
She walked to the door and looked out. Kenrick was still working hard. Was he trying to impress her? The thought brought a flutter to her heart. She was already impressed. “That, boys, is my new fiancé.”
Her brother shot up off the counter and headed to the door. “The heck you say.”
Smiling smugly, she jutted her chin and nodded. “No, really. He is.”
Nathan rounded his son, pushed open the back door, and headed down the stairs. He called over his shoulder. “We’ll just see about that, won’t we?”
“Wait! You can’t!” Allison’s words struck the backdoor as it slammed shut behind them.
Her brother was twenty feet away before Allison managed to dry her hands and chase after them. She arrived in time to hear her brother call out, “And just who do you think you are?”
Kenrick turned, visibly surprised as her brother bore down on him.
He was going to ruin everything if she didn’t stop him!
Before she had a chance to do anything, Bonnie rushed over, growling and snapping at Nathan. Her brother grabbed Ty up in his arms and dodged the animal, but before anything horrible could happen, Kenrick had Bonnie by the collar.
“Stop, Bonnie. Ye’re not to act in such a fashion. Hush, now.”
The dog immediately subsided.
She ran to her brother and gave him a shove, “Why did you do that? This is none of your business!”
Nathan was gaping, his son firmly in his arms. “My sister is not my business?”
“Why did you push my dad?” Ty looked furious.
Allison glanced at her nephew. “You’re right, Tyler. I shouldn’t have done that. I wouldn’t have if your dad hadn’t been in such a hurry to shove his nose where it doesn’t belong.” She glared at her brother, but couldn’t maintain it. They’d always been close. She felt the tension abate.
“Don’t believe a word she says Ty, she used to do it to me all the time when we were kids.”
Slapping his arm, she retorted, “You’re not helping here!”
Kenrick came up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. “’Tis all right, lass. Introduce me to yer brother.”
Reluctantly, and only after giving her brother a fierce glare, she introduced the two men. “Kenrick, this is my brother, Nathan King. Nathan, this is Kenrick Macfie.”
“Can I put my son down? Or is your dog going to attack him?”
“She’s my dog. I got her from the clinic.” She glanced at Bonnie, lying a few feet away and watching Kenrick’s every move. “You can put him down. She just thought you were attacking Kenrick.”
Nathan lowered Ty, straightened, and eyed the other man. “What’s this fiancé nonsense?”
“What? Just because The Toad didn’t want to marry me, you think no one does?”
That got him to look at her. “Ah, come on, now. You know I didn’t mean it that way. But you can’t just throw something out like that, introduce a guy wearing a skirt, and claim him as your fiancé.”
“It’s a kilt. He Scottish.”
“Is he like an actor or something? Did you hire this guy to pretend to be your fiancé to save face tomorrow?”
Heat climbed up her face. “Ever hear of a whirlwind romance? Maybe you should try it sometime.”
Nathan scowled. “That’s a low blow. It’s not my fault—” he glanced down at his son, and his lips tightened. But she knew what he was going to say. It wasn’t his fault his wife had had an affair. Kira was still trying to get back with him, had apologized profusely, but it had done her no good.
In the meantime, Nathan was dating up a storm, determined to regain his self-esteem, while proving to his ex-wife he didn’t have a care in the world.
She could certainly relate. Sometimes all you had were the tattered remnants of your pride.
“Anyway, we met…” she considered making up a story, but decided to stick as close to the truth as she possibly could. “When I hit him with my truck.”
“What? Did you report this?”
Her gaze dropped. “I thought about it.”
“I understand yer siblings,” Kenrick stepped forward to stand next to Allison. “But ye need to stop haranguing the lass.”
“Oh, I do, do I?” Nathan breathed the words threateningly.
Allison lifted a finger. “You are going to stop that right now, Nathan.”
Nathan took a breath as if to say something else and Allison held her finger higher in the air. “I mean it.”
Her brother exhaled and finally glanced around. “What are you doing here?”
“Kenrick is fixing the fence for me.”
Looking at the yards of fence left to fix, Nathan looked at Kenrick appraisingly and asked, “Do you need help?”
Allison arched a brow. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
Ignoring her words, Kenrick nodded to Nathan. “I could use a hand.”
“What?” She shot Kenrick an exasperated look. “That’s not what you said earlier.”
“You can get back to what you were doing,” Nathan never took his gaze off of Kenrick. “We’ll be fine out here.”
“Aye,” Kenrick agreed. “Ye should finish yer kitchen chores. We’ll be in shortly for a meal.”
Oh, that was the way of it, was it? She wasn’t needed anymore? Well, that was just fine by her. Let them duke it out. If Kenrick needed backup, he c
ould call on Bonnie.
“Can I help too?” Ty glanced between the two men.
Allison turned back toward the house. “Come on, kiddo, you can help me in the kitchen.”
“Aw, man!” Tyler hesitated, then trotted behind her.
Kenrick did is best to manage Nathan’s questions as they worked their way down the fence, one of them on each side. Upon Mr. Larsen’s return, the man supervised and kept them well-supplied with nails and fresh lumber.
In truth, he didn’t mind Nathan’s questions. He just wished he had a better way to answer them.
“How long have you known my sister?”
“Long enough.”
“Why didn’t you file a police report when she hit you with her truck?”
“I didnae think to.”
“You didnae think to? Why not? You saw a pretty face and didn’t want to get her in trouble?”
“’Tis true, I would hesitate to distress her.”
“You know, some guys will run out into the road on purpose to get a girl out of her car.”
“Nae, I didnae know such. Surely there are more pleasant ways to meet a female.”
Nathan continued to look suspicious, but the longer they worked, the more the man seemed to relax. “Where in Scotland are you from?”
“Lochaber.”
“Like I know where that is.”
“I’m a Macfie of Clan Cameron.”
“Whatever.” Nathan stopped to wipe his brow with his shirt sleeve. “What’s with the kilt?”
Kenrick glanced at his clothing. “’Tis what we wear, and most comfortable.” He glanced at Nathan’s leggings. “Do ye not find such clothing restricting?”
Nathan snorted. “You implying something, buddy? Because I’ve got no complaints from the ladies, I can tell you that.”
It was Kenrick’s turn to snort.
“Come on, boys, back to work.” Mr. Larson broke into the conversation.
Nathan started in on another post hole. “Well, I just hope you’re going to have a long engagement. Ya need to get to know each other, not rush into a wedding.”
“Agreed.” It didn’t hurt to humor the man, as no such wedding would ever take place.
