Niall

by Diane Darcy

  “Never! Do you?”

  Looking into her smiling face, Niall’s attention was completely captured. Her laughing green eyes, her smile, the blush rising in her cheeks. The way her body pressed against his pushed the air from his lungs as panic started to rise.

  He didn’t want to let her go, and that scared him even more.

  Needing to end this, he took a step back, bent down, lifted Jenny over his shoulder, and walked off the log. He quickly set her down beside her jumping dog. “I win.”

  His voice was husky, and he couldn’t meet her gaze, convinced she’d read his growing feeling in his expression.

  She chuckled. “So you do.” After a slight hesitation she led the way once more. “Come on, the trail winds around, and then comes out a block from my house.”

  He followed behind, determined to keep his gaze off of her.

  He was a man of little willpower. He could still feel the softness of her hands within his, her body pressed against his, and the feel of her in his arms.

  What had Soni been thinking to send a weak man such as himself to Jenny?

  “Tell me more about the military. Why did you join?”

  He heaved out a breath, glad to focus his thoughts elsewhere. “It wasnae exactly my choice to join. The laird needed men and I was pressed into it. Taken right out of my field, my old life gone in an instant.” Niall could hear the bitterness in his voice all these years later.

  Jenny looked shocked, as well she might. “They can’t do that!”

  He shot her a look of grim amusement. “Aye, lass. My allegiance was clear.”

  “That’s not fair!”

  Niall shrugged. “Life rarely is.”

  Jenny reached forward and took his hand. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

  At the acknowledgment of his pain, his lack of choice, something within him seemed to shift, to lighten. Jenny seemed to do that. She drew him with her warmth and made everything brighter.

  After a few more minutes of comfortable silence, they arrived back at her house. “I guess we should get ready to go to Pandora’s. Perhaps I could cancel …”

  Niall shook his head. “Dinnae be daft. Let’s go.”

  She chuckled. “Well, kidnapping is a tough business. I’m sure you’re as hungry as I am, and Pandora is a great cook.”

  Her teasing made him want to pull her close and hug her again. He really shouldn’t be alone with the lass. “I’m always up for a good meal.”

  “All right, we have about an hour until we have to leave. I’ll just grab a quick shower and meet you back down here in say forty-five minutes? You can use the downstairs bathroom if you’d like to shower or anything.”

  He nodded.

  The girl was going to grab a quick shower?

  It seemed indecent that his thoughts went to the fact that she’d be unclothed and in the same house as him.

  What was the matter with him? He quickly tried to think of his girl, Fiona.

  Once more, he couldn’t even remember what she looked like. He knew she’d been blonde, but beyond that, nothing.

  The only face he could see in front of him was Jenny’s.

  Was he so fickle then?

  He gave Jenny a quick nod, and then headed toward the back door. “I’ll just wait outside while ye get ready.”

  “All right. Suit yourself. I’ll be down in a bit.”

  He was there to complete a task, no more, no less. He was doing it to the best of his ability, and then he was to move on to his just reward.

  He felt slightly panicked as he considered the goals he’d once had. To confront Bonnie Prince Charlie, and to discover Fiona’s fate. Those were the things important to him. Or so he tried to remind himself.

  Unfortunately, in his mind’s eye, all he could see was Jenny.

  They arrived at Pandora’s house and Jenny bit her lip. “I’m going to have to apologize in advance for what’s about to happen.”

  He glanced over at her and then away again, something he’d been doing on and off all day. Almost as if he couldn’t bear to look at her, which sort of hurt her feelings.

  “Why?” he asked.

  “My friend, Pandora, has been trying to set me up with dates for a while now. Sometimes she’s a little psycho about it, but she means well. Anyway, showing up with a friend who happens to be a man is bound to get her excited. She’s likely to ask all sorts of intrusive questions, and I’ll do my best to run interference.”

  When he just looked slightly confused, she shrugged. “Anyway, she’s a really good cook, so hopefully that will make up for any awkwardness.”

  “That sounds all right to me, lass.”

  They got out of the car with Jenny leading the way. She pushed her finger against the doorbell while Niall hung back a few feet, further giving the impression he wanted to distance himself.

  Hurt speared through her and she tried to ignore it. She barely knew the man—she needed to remember that.

  Pandora flung the door open with a huge smile on her face, her blonde and pink hair swinging before the curls settled on her shoulders. “Jenny!”

  Her gaze landed on Niall, and her eyes widened as she looked back to Jenny. “And you brought a friend! A really big one.”

  “Yes. Sorry I didn’t let you know, but you always cook a lot, so I figured you wouldn’t care.”

  Pandora’s mouth opened and closed as she seemed to try and pull her thoughts together, all the while staring at Niall. Jenny couldn’t exactly fault her as Niall was certainly something to look at, but still…her friend was acting really weird.

  “Pandora? If there’s not enough, we can—”

  “No! No, of course there’s plenty of food. There’s always plenty of food.”

  Pandora still hadn’t backed away from the doorway yet.

  “Well, then, can we come in?”

  “Of course!” Pandora visibly gathered herself as she stood back and opened the door all the way. “Of course. How foolish of me. I’m just … I’m just so glad you brought a friend.”

  “He is just a friend. We’re working together on a project.”

  Was it her imagination or did Pandora seem relieved? “Oh, that’s good. For a minute I thought—” her fingers fluttered in the air. “Never mind, this will work out great. The more the merrier, I always say.”

  As Jenny entered the house, she shot Pandora a glare. They would be having words later over her friend’s weird behavior. “Is the munchkin around?”

  “Sorry, she’s with her grandma tonight.”

  “Seriously? I was hoping to see her.”

  “Next time.” Jenny stifled her disappointment as they walked into the living room where Andrew, Pandora’s ultraconservative husband, was waiting. He smiled at her, and then furrowed his brow and cast an odd look back at her when Niall came up behind her.

  What was going on? Granted, she’d never brought along a guy before, but did they have to act so surprised? Andrew glanced at his wife, and there seemed to be some sort of communication flying between the two of them, before he glanced into the kitchen area.

  Another step into the room and Jenny saw the reason why.

  A sandy-haired, athletic-looking man, probably in his late twenties, was standing near the patio doors, drinking a bottle of water.

  Jenny came to a halt and Niall stepped up beside her.

  Pandora sprang into action. “Jenny, this is our good friend Logan Mickelson. We go to the same gym, and,” she giggled, “we invited him to dinner tonight too!”

  Jenny didn’t know whether to laugh or to kill Pandora on the spot. At least that explained the undercurrents and odd behavior. Pandora had invited a date for Jenny, and Jenny had shown up with her own.

  Awkward. Also, the last thing she needed tonight.

  The only one who seemed oblivious was Logan, probably because Pandora hadn’t told him he was being set up tonight.

  Sudden amusement had her lips curling. “Awesome!” The smile that Jenny threw Pandora was genu
ine. This totally served her right! “It’s nice to meet you Logan. And this is my friend Niall.”

  After everyone said their hellos, Pandora insisted the men watch the baseball game on TV while Jenny joined her in the kitchen.

  “Are you kidding me!” Pandora’s eyes were sparkling with pure incredulity.

  “I know, right? Excuse me while I savor the moment. How often is it you get hoist with your own petard?”

  “I don’t think that means what you think it means.”

  “What I think it means is you set me up on a blind date, without my permission, and I bring my own along, and now you’re going to have to pretend this is what you planned all along.”

  Pandora giggled. “As much as I’d like to, I can’t deny it. But come on, you’ve got to admit the guy is cute. I saw him, all toned and muscular and buff, so of course I thought the two of you would be perfect together. Until, that is, you walked in with the man who put his muscular physique to shame.” She giggled again.

  “Should we just bow out? I can pretend I’m sick or something.”

  “Don’t you dare!” Pandora grinned, brown eyes dancing. She obviously wasn’t too upset by the situation. “You know I was only doing this for your own good, so you’re going to stand by my side and help me through this.”

  Jenny shook her head. Maybe this wasn’t a bad thing. Certainly something to take her mind off Zach and Tina. “You do know, don’t you, that we’ll still be talking about this when we’re old and gray.”

  They laughed, and the tension was gone. Jenny helped Pandora cut vegetables, then placed them on a dish and took them out to the other room.

  The men were explaining baseball to Niall.

  Pandora set chips and dip next to the veggies, and the men started eating without breaking stride.

  Jenny settled next to Niall and noted the way Logan’s gaze bounced between the two of them. She was pretty sure he got the message.

  “So how long have the two of you been seeing each other? I only ask because I was under the impression I was going to be your date tonight.” The look he shot his hostess was filled with irony.

  Jenny laughed out loud, Niall looked confused, and Pandora and Andrew looked embarrassed.

  So much for just ignoring the situation and pretending that this wasn’t as awkward as it was.

  “We just met yesterday.”

  “So I still have a chance?”

  Surprised that he wanted one, Jenny was at a loss for words. If she blurted out no, how would Niall take that? If she blurted out yes, then she’d give Logan some unfounded hope, or just make it even more awkward for all concerned.

  She chuckled uncomfortably. “Uh ...”

  “I think it’s time to grill the meat, don’t you, honey?” Pandora quickly jumped in, sparing Jenny the need to answer.

  “You three step outside and get the grill going. Jenny and I will bring out the marinated meat.”

  Andrew led the way as the men went out onto the patio.

  Pandora rushed Jenny back into the kitchen. “Oh, my gosh. I swear I will never do anything like this again. I swear it! Friend or whatever, I can tell you like Niall.”

  Jenny leaned against the counter and shrugged. “While it’s good you’ve learned your lesson, we still have to get through tonight. And this isn’t the only thing that I’m dealing with.”

  Pandora, a platter of chicken and steaks in hand, stopped short. “What’s the matter?”

  Jenny took the platter of chicken and said, “I’ll tell you later.”

  As soon as they handed over the meat, Pandora insisted that Jenny help her set the patio table. “Come on, I think we’ve got some things in the kitchen.”

  Once they were back inside, Pandora turned to face her friend. “Spill.”

  After Pandora’s sneaky trick, Jenny was tempted to make her wait, but she needed the other woman’s perspective. Or, maybe she just wanted to share the burden. “Niall and I kidnapped Zach and Tina and left them in a cabin in the woods so they can work out their marital problems.”

  Jenny sucked in a breath and both hands flew to her mouth.

  Pandora’s eyes widened and her mouth parted. “Are you serious?”

  Jenny nodded and dropped her hands. “Unfortunately, yes, I am.” She started from the beginning and told her everything: how she’d hired Niall, how they’d cooked up a plan and executed it. She ended with, “If I end up in prison, you’ll send me care packages, right?”

  “You’re not going to end up in prison. How did you get them to stay there?”

  “It’s a pretty remote cabin. I suppose if they’re well motivated they could hike out.”

  “Neither one of them has contacted you though?”

  Jenny shook her head.

  “That’s telling. Do you think it worked? Do you think it got them back together?”

  Jenny shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out tomorrow morning when we go to pick them up.”

  “Oh, Jenny. And here I thought I was the wild and crazy one. And now Logan … he was just such a cute guy, and I just thought …”

  Jenny sighed. “I know, I know. It’s okay.”

  Pandora handed her a stack of paper plates, and then picked up napkins and utensils.

  “Kidnapping?” Pandora shook her head. “You are one crazy girl.”

  Jenny chuckled and shook her head. “Don’t I know it.”

  Chapter 11

  It had taken Niall a while to understand, but now that he did, he watched the other man, Logan, with suspicion.

  The man was there to court Jenny?

  Niall found he was not all right with that scenario.

  The man was muscular and seemed able-bodied, but what of his character? Who were his family? Could he fight with a sword? Plan a battle? Could he raise enough food to last through a winter?

  Andrew and Logan were deep in conversation about the game once more, a frivolous pastime, but it seemed to be of great importance in this time.

  What of Jenny’s future? How was she to be content with such a man? She already had one parked on her couch, engaged in useless pursuits.

  She certainly didn’t need another in her life.

  When the meat was cooked, Niall helped carry the platters to the table and set them in the middle.

  Jenny chatted with her friend, and as Niall turned to assist Andrew again, Logan wandered off to talk to the women.

  Again, unacceptable.

  What was the man even doing there? Possessiveness rushed through Niall, though he knew it wasn’t appropriate as Jenny wasn’t his, either.

  The man laughed too much.

  Jenny didn’t need a worthless lay-about in her life, inclined to frivolity. She needed a steady one. Someone dependable. He’d once been a man who took life less seriously, acted thoughtlessly, so he knew the truth of the matter.

  Soon they were all sitting down to dinner, and Niall made sure he sat next to Jenny.

  Unfortunately, Logan sat across from her.

  Niall’s temper rose and he scowled. He wasn’t the type of man to lose his head, so he was surprised by the reaction.

  “Have you seen any movies lately?” Logan addressed Jenny.

  She lit up as she talked about a recent movie she’d seen, and as Logan had seen it too, the two of them dove into a conversation.

  Niall wasn’t exactly sure what a movie was, but thought it was to do with the telly.

  Logan and Pandora joined in the conversation, leaving Niall feeling useless and uninformed.

  Pandora turned to him. “Tell me about your practice, Niall. Or should we be calling you doctor?”

  “Niall is fine.” He quickly grasped she was asking about the therapy Jenny supposed he did for others, something he still didn’t understand.

  “My practice … well, I suppose it is good.” Jenny looked at him expectantly and he considered what he’d done for Zach. “There is a lot of chastising involved as some people need to be told directly how to change.”

 
“Ah.” Pandora nodded. “I suppose that’s true. Do you specialize in couples? Or see mostly men or women?”

  Jenny raised her phone at him again, as she had in the past, a strange habit of hers. Again, he considered her brother, but also those out at Culloden Moor who’d come to share remembered regrets and wishes that they could do things over again.

  “I mostly help men. Many get to the end of their lives and wish for circumstances to be different. It makes no sense not to change things now, to grasp the opportunities available now, rather than wait until the end and have eternity to stew in regrets. Sometimes eternity starts tomorrow. None of us know how long we have.”

  “So true,” Pandora said.

  He thought of the regrets he’d carried. “Dinnae wait on opportunities to arise to change who ye are. Ye build character by doing the right thing no matter the circumstance or your own wishes. Ultimately, choosing well brings the happiness that so often seems out of reach.”

  He shot Logan a glance, and felt bad for his earlier grievances against the man. The man was trying to find himself a wife by connecting with others. Niall should be the last to disparage him.

  “I bet you have people lining up to see you,” Pandora said.

  “And the fact that you actually make house calls, unheard of in this day and age, speaks well for your dedication,” Jenny added.

  Niall lifted a shoulder, feeling uncomfortable with the praise. Soni had sent him here but he’d little enough to do with it. “Thank ye.”

  They all went back to eating dinner, the conversation turning to other things, as Niall once again watched Logan try to capture Jenny’s attention.

  The sight of it left him feeling down.

  He’d no right to her and would be gone soon enough. No doubt Jenny would end up with the likes of Logan, or some other man. She was too pretty to remain unclaimed for long. Too funny, too attractive, too everything.

  Guilt welled up within him as he thought of Fiona once more. What had become of her? Had she a babe, and cursed his name for the rest of her life?

  Had she moved on, married another, never thinking of him again?

  He would dearly love to know the answers to those questions, and hoped they would absolve him of the guilt he felt.