Read Online And the Bride Wore Plaid by Karen Hawkins - Free Book Online
Authors: Karen Hawkins
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Kat, his craggy face softening slightly. “There ye be! Annie has been lookin‘ all over fer ye.”
Kat grinned at Simon as she kicked her foot out of the stirrup and stepped down. “What does she want?”
Simon lowered his brow. “I don’t know, but she has some of her bosom friends with her. Last I heard, they were talkin‘ aboot the new guest at the castle.”
Kat undid Merriweather’s saddle, hefting it off the mare’s back and onto the fence rail. “I met him this morning.”
“Did ye now? What do ye have to say aboot him?”
Kat had an instant image of mischievous blue eyes fringed in thick black lashes, her body tingling at the memory of strong hands moving sinuously over her body. She forced a casual shrug. “I don’t have much to say at all.” Not to Simon, anyway.
Why
had
she been so slow to react when the stranger had kissed her? None of Malcolm’s other houseguests had managed to weasel a kiss out of her. But this guest... Kat had to smile a little. Whatever the reason, she wasn’t really sorry it had happened. It was a lovely, warm memory, and as long as it went no further, there was no harm. No harm at all.
Besides, the man had been damned good at what he was about. The thought made her grin even more.
Simon’s gaze narrowed. He set the wood against the fence. “Out with it, lass. What has ye smilin‘ so big?”
Kat’s cheeks heated. “Nothing. I was just thinking about—” Good Lord what did she say now? “Things,” she finished weakly. Things like strong, well-defined hands that could cup one ever so intimately and make one’s stomach tighten with need. Things like a pair of firm, warm lips that knew all too well how to send one’s thoughts to places they were better not going.
“Hmph,” Simon said, eyeing her up and down as she rubbed down Merriweather and then led the mare into the coolness of the barn. Simon followed along, his gaze never leaving her. “Whatever ye’re thinkin‘ aboot, ’tis makin‘ yer cheeks turn red.”
Kat wisely ignored him. Though he was a scant two years older than she, she thought of Simon as a father. Certainly he’d been more involved in her life than her own father had been.
“I’m fine, Simon. Just a bit heated from the ride back.” Kat closed the stall door on Merriweather, and then left the barn. “Where is Annie?”
Simon followed her outside. “She’s in the kitchen with Fat Mary.”
Kat curled her nose.
Simon nodded morosely. “That’s what I thought, too. Fat Mary does nothin‘ but spread rumors, night ’n‘ day. I don’t know why Annie puts up wid it.”
Kat could have told Simon that his sister was addicted to gossip. While Annie rarely passed on any information she gathered in her meticulous cullings, she enjoyed knowing more than anyone else.
Simon crossed his arms and leaned back on his heels. “I’ve got the lads down in the workshop, finishing off the last window for the Earl of Argyll. I tol‘ the lads they’d best make it something to behold. If we do a good job, there’ll be more where that comes from.”
Kat nodded. “The earl has a new wife. She’ll be wanting to put her own mark on his household. She told me she wants to commission a window for every child they have.”
“Women,” Simon said, shaking his head. “They can think of more ways to spend blunt.”
Kat lifted her brows. “I’m a woman.”
“Aye, but ye ain’t all trussed up in the need to tell everyone what to do.” Simon glanced at the house for a moment, before adding in an undertone, “Take Annie. M’sister has a bad habit of bossin‘ a man aboot until he’s ready to bundle his clothes and run for the hills.”
“Just see to it that
you
don’t run,” Kat said, leaning over to give him a quick hug. “Or if you do, at least promise to come back after you’ve enjoyed a pint or ten of freedom. I can’t do without you more than one day. Perhaps two, if things are slow.”
Simon’s smile blossomed. “I have to
Kat grinned at Simon as she kicked her foot out of the stirrup and stepped down. “What does she want?”
Simon lowered his brow. “I don’t know, but she has some of her bosom friends with her. Last I heard, they were talkin‘ aboot the new guest at the castle.”
Kat undid Merriweather’s saddle, hefting it off the mare’s back and onto the fence rail. “I met him this morning.”
“Did ye now? What do ye have to say aboot him?”
Kat had an instant image of mischievous blue eyes fringed in thick black lashes, her body tingling at the memory of strong hands moving sinuously over her body. She forced a casual shrug. “I don’t have much to say at all.” Not to Simon, anyway.
Why
had
she been so slow to react when the stranger had kissed her? None of Malcolm’s other houseguests had managed to weasel a kiss out of her. But this guest... Kat had to smile a little. Whatever the reason, she wasn’t really sorry it had happened. It was a lovely, warm memory, and as long as it went no further, there was no harm. No harm at all.
Besides, the man had been damned good at what he was about. The thought made her grin even more.
Simon’s gaze narrowed. He set the wood against the fence. “Out with it, lass. What has ye smilin‘ so big?”
Kat’s cheeks heated. “Nothing. I was just thinking about—” Good Lord what did she say now? “Things,” she finished weakly. Things like strong, well-defined hands that could cup one ever so intimately and make one’s stomach tighten with need. Things like a pair of firm, warm lips that knew all too well how to send one’s thoughts to places they were better not going.
“Hmph,” Simon said, eyeing her up and down as she rubbed down Merriweather and then led the mare into the coolness of the barn. Simon followed along, his gaze never leaving her. “Whatever ye’re thinkin‘ aboot, ’tis makin‘ yer cheeks turn red.”
Kat wisely ignored him. Though he was a scant two years older than she, she thought of Simon as a father. Certainly he’d been more involved in her life than her own father had been.
“I’m fine, Simon. Just a bit heated from the ride back.” Kat closed the stall door on Merriweather, and then left the barn. “Where is Annie?”
Simon followed her outside. “She’s in the kitchen with Fat Mary.”
Kat curled her nose.
Simon nodded morosely. “That’s what I thought, too. Fat Mary does nothin‘ but spread rumors, night ’n‘ day. I don’t know why Annie puts up wid it.”
Kat could have told Simon that his sister was addicted to gossip. While Annie rarely passed on any information she gathered in her meticulous cullings, she enjoyed knowing more than anyone else.
Simon crossed his arms and leaned back on his heels. “I’ve got the lads down in the workshop, finishing off the last window for the Earl of Argyll. I tol‘ the lads they’d best make it something to behold. If we do a good job, there’ll be more where that comes from.”
Kat nodded. “The earl has a new wife. She’ll be wanting to put her own mark on his household. She told me she wants to commission a window for every child they have.”
“Women,” Simon said, shaking his head. “They can think of more ways to spend blunt.”
Kat lifted her brows. “I’m a woman.”
“Aye, but ye ain’t all trussed up in the need to tell everyone what to do.” Simon glanced at the house for a moment, before adding in an undertone, “Take Annie. M’sister has a bad habit of bossin‘ a man aboot until he’s ready to bundle his clothes and run for the hills.”
“Just see to it that
you
don’t run,” Kat said, leaning over to give him a quick hug. “Or if you do, at least promise to come back after you’ve enjoyed a pint or ten of freedom. I can’t do without you more than one day. Perhaps two, if things are slow.”
Simon’s smile blossomed. “I have to
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