by Diane Darcy
“Set aside yer worries, lass. I accept this task and swear to ye I’ll do everything within my power to see it through.”
Her delicate face brightened and she clasped her hands in front of her. “Oh, thank you.”
She looked intensely grateful, but needn’t be. This was his mission to complete, and he would accomplish it.
Chapter 2
This was the best idea she’d ever had in her life! The man was … magnificent. His flawless, masculine face stole her breath away. Firm lips, high cheekbones that stood out giving him a slightly exotic appearance, and a broad, rugged jaw covered in a scruff of dark hair. Thick brown hair touched his shoulders, and add to that his vivid, slightly golden eyes, his large, muscular frame and whew!
The brogue and kilt didn’t hurt either.
Jenny tried her best to look unaffected as hope surged within her. This guy was going to be perfect, she just knew it. He was even better in person than she’d envisioned, and so nice! It seemed he really wanted to help.
Maybe the reason he’d agreed to this was because he was just building his practice and didn’t have a lot of experience yet.
Whatever the reason, she was grateful. No doubt, anyone who’d trained as a therapist was in it to aid and assist. And he was even willing to provide therapy on the sly for her brother. So, her takeaway so far? The man was amazing.
So, no, he wasn’t what she expected—he was even more awesome!
She quickly stole a peek at his ring finger confirming that he wasn’t taken.
Of course, that didn’t mean anything in this day and age, but still.
Feeling giddy, she turned away and gestured with her head toward her front door. “Please, come in and meet my brother.”
The man glanced around, looking suddenly hesitant, and she wondered if her boyfriend comment had scared him. Darn Pandora anyway for placing the thought in her head! She could be awkward and idiotic without her friends help, thank you very much. She’d do better.
“Please, he’s not a bad guy. He’s just slightly misguided at the moment.”
“And ye say his wife has left him?”
“They sort of left each other.”
He gave one short, sharp nod. “Is it early days yet in their marriage?”
“It is.”
“There is many a man, or woman, who falters at the beginning of something new. But tis not something that can’t be worked through. I’ve seen many a case where a man needs to be correct, and that only works when there’s one person in the room.”
Jenny turned to stare. “You are so right about that. If the two of them would stop playing the blame game, and just listen to each other, I know they could settle it.”
He made a soft noise of agreement.
She had such a good feeling about this whole thing. It really was all going to work out.
Niall followed the girl, Jenny, into the house.
Trying not to stare at her he glanced around at the gleaming wood floors, the smooth white walls, and colorful pictures that decorated the home. She led him directly into a room where a man sat upon a sofa, concentrating on the telly, working a device with his hands.
Niall had seen the guards play such games on their phones at the Culloden Moor visitors center. Much had been made over the colorful entertainment before it soon became commonplace.
It seemed to be a game for warriors, with much fighting and maiming and noise. Niall even recognized a couple of the weapons the players used before Jenny caught his attention.
“Zach, this is Niall MacDonald. He’s a friend of mine from college.”
The contrary part of Niall found that he wished she had said he was her suitor after all.
Which, of course, made no sense. He was only to be there a short while, and he would not let her beauty distract him.
The man on the couch simply leaned to the side to look around them and continued to play his game. “Uh huh. Pleased to meet you.”
The rudeness and dismissiveness of the gesture raised the hackles on Niall’s neck and his muscles bunched, as if preparing for a fight.
His first instinct was to grab the man by the scruff of his neck and stand him in front of his sister until he gave her the consideration she deserved.
Instead, he simply took a deep breath and a step backward.
“Zach!”
His sister’s irritated tone finally seemed to get to the man, and he threw the device next to him on the padded sofa and finally rose. He shot his sister a glare, and then turned to Niall and stuck his hand out. “I’m Zach Hudson. It’s nice to meet you.”
Even as he said the words, his gaze traveled over Niall’s clothing, and the man smirked. “Where are you from? Scotland?”
“Aye, that I am. What is that ye are doing?”
The other man shrugged. “Playing Halo Wars.”
“Ah,” Niall nodded. “Have ye been in a real war then, laddie?”
“As a matter of fact, I have.” The other man straightened as he made the pronouncement, and Niall found himself taking the man’s measure once again.
“We have that in common.”
“Really? Where’d you serve?”
“I marched to Prestonpans near Edinburgh and then onward to Carlisle and Derby before fighting at Falkirk and retreating to Inverness.”
The other man stared at him for a long moment. “Army?”
“Aye.”
“Me, too. I was with Fort Riley, out of Kansas, and then I was deployed to Southwest Asia. Not that I saw much action there.”
Niall appreciated the difficulty the other man must have had in admitting that and gave him a gracious nod. “We go where we’re told.”
“Ain’t that the truth of it?”
Jenny beamed at the two of them. “I’m so glad you have something in common. What do you say we go outside and play a game of basketball?”
Zach started to groan, and then seemed to check himself and finally shrugged. “All right. I just need to put my shoes on.”
After her brother left the room, Jenny grinned at Niall and stuck both of her thumbs in the air. “That was a good beginning, don’t you think?”
Niall didn’t know what to think.
Within moments, the other man was back and carrying a ball under his arm. “Come on. Let’s go out the back way.”
They were soon in the backyard and Niall had to admit to not knowing the game. The two siblings quickly explained the rules, and then it was game-on.
“So you went to school with my sister, did you?”
Niall grunted as he tried to throw the basketball into the hoop as instructed. “You married?”
“I am not.”
As Niall started to understand the game, it became more fun, and more competitive. He caught Jenny’s eye and she seemed to be giving him nods in her brother’s direction. He realized he’d already forgotten the part he was to play. “Are ye married then?” He asked the other man.
“Only for a couple of more days,” Zach said as he threw the ball toward the basketball hoop.
Niall quickly grabbed the ball before Zach could get it. He bounced it experimentally a few times, and then turned to shoot. “What do ye mean?”
The ball sailed past the hoop and Zach grabbed it out of the air. He bounced the ball repeatedly while he thought about his answer. “My wife and I are going through a divorce at the moment. It’s almost final.”
“A divorce, ye say? I’m sorry to hear that. Ye’ve done everything ye can to save the marriage then?”
Zach looked slightly startled. “Nothing left to save.”
Niall made a scoffing noise. “Where I come from, ye dinnae marry a woman and then leave her, ever.”
“You don’t have divorce?”
“Of course not.”
Zach shot the basketball once again and missed. “I hadn’t heard that about Scotland.”
“The church doesnae frown upon dissolving a marriage here?”
“We didn’t get married in the
church. The judge married us down at the courthouse. We’ll get divorced at the same place.”
Niall stopped and stared. “Did ye handfast first? Did ye never marry in church?” Niall could hardly grasp that.
Zach looked amused. “Not everyone does.”
“Still…” Niall shot the ball and missed. “Ye held the woman in enough esteem to marry her at one time. Has she sunk so far in your estimation then?”
The other man didn’t like that, and Niall could see it in his stormy expression. “There is nothing wrong with her.”
“Then why discard her like yesterday’s trash?”
Zach slammed the ball down on the ground and shoved both palms against Niall’s chest, throwing him back a foot or so.
“Obviously I’ve said something amiss. If ye’ve still feelings for the lady, why not get her back? I’d let no man take my wife from me.”
“I didn’t say anything about another man, did I?”
“I just figured she must have been taken from ye by a better, stronger man for ye to be doing naught to stop it.”
Zach shoved him again. “That’s not what happened!”
“Then what?”
Zach took a step back and shook his head, his face pinched.
Niall inexpertly dribbled the ball. “Mate, no one is perfect, ‘o course, but the best way to keep yer wife is to try tae be the kind of person ye’d like to be married to.”
He shot the ball, missed and noted Jenny standing off to one side, her phone raised.
“Bring the best words, best touches and kisses, and best laughter to the other half of ye. Be thankful for her. Love covers a multitude of sins. Ye get the best out of others when ye bring the best of yerself.”
“It’s not like that.” Zach glared over at Jenny.
Niall jerked his chin. “Jenny, didnae ye say something about making dinner?”
She hesitated a long moment, looking reluctant to leave. Finally, she nodded. “I’ll just go inside. Come in when you’re ready.”
With that, she left, and Niall turned to face the shorter man. As soon as the door was shut, he gave the other man a shove that sent him a couple of feet back. “Now, ye were saying?”
Jenny went inside to make dinner, but it wasn’t easy for her to leave the two men in the backyard alone.
If she wasn’t paying for the man’s expertise, she didn’t think she could’ve done it.
Still, that’s exactly what she was paying him for: his know-how. Hopefully, he’d help her brother solve his marriage issues. So if he wanted her gone, then she was gone.
She quickly started to scramble hamburger and cut up lettuce and tomatoes for tacos.
She glanced out the back kitchen window to see the two of them going at each other, fists flying, until Niall captured Zach in a headlock.
She dropped a tomato into the sink.
Mouth gaping, she snapped out of the trance and hurried to the back door.
The moment she opened it, the two men sprang apart, and started talking once more. She stood, indecisive. She couldn’t quite hear them, but again, she was paying for Dr. Salazar’s or rather, Niall MacDonald’s services, and no doubt he knew what he was doing.
The way his presence had quickly induced her brother to get off the couch when he’d been glued there for the last three hours?
Brilliant.
If he thought her brother needed a good thrashing, who was she to say otherwise? She’d certainly wanted to smack him around these last couple of months.
She quickly shut the door again, and hurried back into the kitchen. She washed off the tomato and started chopping it, keeping an eye on the two of them, as they moved from the basketball court to the small garage in the backyard. Moments later, Zach was backing his motorcycle out and showing it to Niall.
Only then, did her heart start to slow.
She’d done the right thing, hadn’t she? Interfering?
Watching the two of them, seeing Zach throw his head back and laugh, she assured herself that she had.
She chuckled as the two of them bent over the bike. She was good with mechanical things, always had been, but her brother was not.
She hoped that the good doctor didn’t do anything to help Zach fix his bike.
Watching them for a few minutes longer, she was relieved to note it was like the blind leading the blind. Apparently neither one of them knew anything about mechanics.
She threw the spices into the meat and warmed some tortilla shells. Each time she glanced out the window, she looked more at Niall and less at her brother.
The man did something to her. For her. She shook her head. She didn’t know what she meant.
He certainly was attractive, and she hadn’t expected that. He was turning out to be one surprise after another.
She shouldn’t care that he wasn’t married, but she did. She ought to keep things professional. After all, she’d hired the man to help her brother.
But what about after he was done?
Would it really hurt to let the man know she was interested?
With a huff of disgust, she turned her back on the window. This was Pandora’s fault for putting these thoughts in her head to begin with!
Really, even if nothing ever came of it, she’d never be sorry she’d tried.
But somehow she was certain she would be if she didn’t.
Chapter 3
Ten minutes later, Jenny called them in for dinner. Niall didn’t want to leave the motorcycle, as it fascinated him. If he could get it working, perhaps Zach could teach him to ride it.
But, hunger, as well as politeness, overrode his desire to stay outside with the machine.
He was starving—he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so hungry—and looked forward to getting something to eat.
He followed Zach inside and was so aware of the girl that he could practically feel her without even touching her.
He wished he wasn’t, because he wasn’t to be trusted around lasses.
Jenny moved gracefully as she rinsed off a knife and carried silverware to the table. “Both of you need to wash up.”
Even her voice was pleasing; the woman seemed designed to attract and torment him. Though he kept his eyes averted when he moved past her to the bathroom, it didn’t seem to make any difference; her presence was like a lightning charge.
After Zach finished washing up, he entered the bathroom. When water ran from the faucet when he turned the handle, he was amazed. He’d seen it before, of course, but never felt it on his own skin, and adjusted the temperature until the water flowing over his hands was just a shade on the hot side. Using the liquid soap, he washed up thoroughly. The luxuries these people took for granted was astounding.
Warm water that came directly out of the tap?
Soap that lathered up and smelled like fruit?
He shook his head and walked back into the kitchen. A moment later, he accidentally met Jenny’s gaze, before lowering his own and his heart pounded. The impact this girl had on him was stunning.
He sat in the chair she indicated and sniffed the delicious-looking food before him. “What is it?”
She smiled. “It’s just tacos.”
He glanced up at her, and his expression must’ve given him away.
“Haven’t you ever had tacos?” Jenny raised a brow when he shook his head.
“It’s a regular meal around here, but I suppose you have different dishes in Scotland.”
“Aye, that we do.”
As they passed the food around, Niall took everything that Zach did and copied the way he wrapped it all up in a thin, flat piece of bread.
Zach took a bite of food, surprising Niall. “Aren’t ye tae say grace?”
Jenny and Zach glanced at each other, and then clasped their hands in front of them. Jenny quickly blessed the food, and they all started to eat.
Flavor exploded over his tongue and he moaned in pleasure.
Jenny’s eyes danced in amusement. “That good, huh?”
Niall swallowed, and took another bite as he nodded. “Tis, indeed that good. In fact, it might be the best meal I’ve ever eaten.”
Again, the siblings exchanged a glance, and finally Jenny shrugged and chuckled. “I’ve never been told that before. My skills in the kitchen are rudimentary at best, but thank you.”
Niall made short work of the taco, and then made himself another. “My grandmother always used to say that cooking with love was food for the soul.”
Jenny lifted her phone and pointed it at him. “Could you repeat that, please?”
He gave a small shrug, and repeated the words for her.
“What about ye Zach?” Niall asked. “Did ye find that to be true in your marriage?”
Zach snorted. “I think we only had about three meals that weren’t fast food in the last year.”
“Who made those meals?” Jenny asked.
Zach glanced up, then shrugged. “She did.”
Niall made himself another taco. “Some of my fondest memories were made around the kitchen table.”
Zach looked at him. “You always ate dinner with your family?”
“Every meal.”
Zach nodded, glanced down at his food, and then started eating again.
Perhaps it was as simple as that—the couple had not spent time together. He glanced up at Jenny, who was still holding her phone at him in that strange way.
He thought of his girl, the one he left behind. He’d been a frequent guest at their dinner table, but as they’d never married, perhaps he didn’t have the experience to be giving Zach advice.
But he was here, and it had to be for a reason, so he finally just said, “A woman can always tell if a man loves her by the time he spends with her.”
Jenny gave him a soft smile.
Niall looked away, uncomfortably aware of the attraction the girl held for him.
Was she to be part of his test?