hardheaded ways!â With a muttered snarl, Taggart cursed as he scanned the felled tree line to his right one last time before taking off to follow her. As he headed up the path, a snorting buck barreled out of the brush, blocking the lane with his massive antlered head lowered.
âYe canna protect her the way I can. Now, see reason and step aside.â Taggart came up short. He admired the animalâs loyalty, respected the multi-pronged antlers the pawing deer tossed with a threatening jerk of his bulging neck. But the creature needed to understand the adversary they faced couldnât be defeated with physical forces of this world.
The deer snorted again, glanced at Hannahâs retreating form, then returned a stony glare to Taggart.
âI swear to ye upon my birthing shell, Iâm here to keep her safe.â Taggart nodded toward Hannah. âNow, let me go. Theyâre still near and she doesna need to travel alone.â
The deer eased aside and faded into the trees without another sound.
C HAPTER T WO
W ith a flick of his wrist, Taggart erased Sheriff Mattâs memory. That should make the man forget why he thought he needed to follow him around Jasper Mills. The sheriffâs persistent shadow had become a nuisance. The man needed to tend to his regular business and get on with running from that whining lass that herded all those bairns over at the nursery.
Taggart settled back in the seat of his rental car and watched Hannah through the window of the diner. Godâs teeth, but the woman vexed him. She refused to return any of his calls and left the room whenever he entered. Surely, she hadnât meant what she said about selling off Taroc Na Mor.
Scrubbing the dayâs growth of beard on his cheek, Taggart heaved a troubled sigh. He had to convince her to come back to Scotland. If he could just get those pretty feet of hers on what she didnât realize was her homeland, he knew sheâd be there for life.
Taggart shifted in the seat as he remembered how sheâd felt clutched against him under the bridge. He chuckled to himself. What fire she had, when sheâd drawn back that tiny fist and bloodied his lip. A woman with such fire would also house great passion. He squirmed again and adjusted the seam of his suddenly too snug pants. Gads, he needed to think about something else.
The late-evening sun glinted through the diner window on her auburn hair and reminded him of brandy swirling beneath the light of a torch. He loved the way she tossed her head when she laughed, although he noticed she didnât laugh very often. She seemed relaxed now that it was just her and her friend. Hannah kept her guard up when others were around.
Taggart sucked in a deep breath; he understood completely. Perhaps, he and the guardian had more in common than either of them knew. Well, guard or not, Taroc Na Mor needed Hannah MacPherson and he wasnât returning to Scotland without her.
Â
âYou should at least go see it before you sell it.â Millie thunked steaming plates of scrambled eggs and still-sizzling bacon on the table as she settled into the booth.
âI said you could feed me. I didnât say you could lecture me.â Hannah scooped a heaping spoonful of the fluffy mound of eggs onto her plate. Millie could be such a noodge sometimes, but man, she sure could cook. Hannah added several slices of thick, hickory-smoked bacon, crisscrossing them atop the crispy mound of hash brown potatoes in danger of sliding off the rim of the dish. She always ate whenever she was troubled over a problem. âWhereâs the gravy, Millie? You promised me sawhouse gravy too, remember?â
Millie wrinkled her nose as she did a double take at Hannahâs overflowing plate. âHow can you eat like that and still be so tiny? No wonder everyone hated you in school.â Sliding her way back out of the booth, she headed back to the kitchen to get the thick white gravy
âYe canna protect her the way I can. Now, see reason and step aside.â Taggart came up short. He admired the animalâs loyalty, respected the multi-pronged antlers the pawing deer tossed with a threatening jerk of his bulging neck. But the creature needed to understand the adversary they faced couldnât be defeated with physical forces of this world.
The deer snorted again, glanced at Hannahâs retreating form, then returned a stony glare to Taggart.
âI swear to ye upon my birthing shell, Iâm here to keep her safe.â Taggart nodded toward Hannah. âNow, let me go. Theyâre still near and she doesna need to travel alone.â
The deer eased aside and faded into the trees without another sound.
C HAPTER T WO
W ith a flick of his wrist, Taggart erased Sheriff Mattâs memory. That should make the man forget why he thought he needed to follow him around Jasper Mills. The sheriffâs persistent shadow had become a nuisance. The man needed to tend to his regular business and get on with running from that whining lass that herded all those bairns over at the nursery.
Taggart settled back in the seat of his rental car and watched Hannah through the window of the diner. Godâs teeth, but the woman vexed him. She refused to return any of his calls and left the room whenever he entered. Surely, she hadnât meant what she said about selling off Taroc Na Mor.
Scrubbing the dayâs growth of beard on his cheek, Taggart heaved a troubled sigh. He had to convince her to come back to Scotland. If he could just get those pretty feet of hers on what she didnât realize was her homeland, he knew sheâd be there for life.
Taggart shifted in the seat as he remembered how sheâd felt clutched against him under the bridge. He chuckled to himself. What fire she had, when sheâd drawn back that tiny fist and bloodied his lip. A woman with such fire would also house great passion. He squirmed again and adjusted the seam of his suddenly too snug pants. Gads, he needed to think about something else.
The late-evening sun glinted through the diner window on her auburn hair and reminded him of brandy swirling beneath the light of a torch. He loved the way she tossed her head when she laughed, although he noticed she didnât laugh very often. She seemed relaxed now that it was just her and her friend. Hannah kept her guard up when others were around.
Taggart sucked in a deep breath; he understood completely. Perhaps, he and the guardian had more in common than either of them knew. Well, guard or not, Taroc Na Mor needed Hannah MacPherson and he wasnât returning to Scotland without her.
Â
âYou should at least go see it before you sell it.â Millie thunked steaming plates of scrambled eggs and still-sizzling bacon on the table as she settled into the booth.
âI said you could feed me. I didnât say you could lecture me.â Hannah scooped a heaping spoonful of the fluffy mound of eggs onto her plate. Millie could be such a noodge sometimes, but man, she sure could cook. Hannah added several slices of thick, hickory-smoked bacon, crisscrossing them atop the crispy mound of hash brown potatoes in danger of sliding off the rim of the dish. She always ate whenever she was troubled over a problem. âWhereâs the gravy, Millie? You promised me sawhouse gravy too, remember?â
Millie wrinkled her nose as she did a double take at Hannahâs overflowing plate. âHow can you eat like that and still be so tiny? No wonder everyone hated you in school.â Sliding her way back out of the booth, she headed back to the kitchen to get the thick white gravy
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