Read Online Her Irish Surrender by Kit Morgan - Free Book Online

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    “She just showed up one day, came in, and took over. My folks love her, and she’s been with us ever since.”
    “When did this happen?”
    “About a year ago,” he said and scratched the cat’s head. “She’s a good mouser, and likes to lounge about the shop. Sometimes though, she gets it in her head to do things like this.”
    Adaline smiled. “When was the last time?”
    “Remember the barn incident I mentioned?”
    She nodded, her smile broadening.
    “That was real.  Must have been five dogs barking at her from the ground .  Made me miss a fi … er, an appointment.”
    “Did you do that to him?” Adaline scolded as she cuddled the animal.  Mrs. Fitzsimmons began to purr loudly, as if in answer. Adaline smiled mischievously and held the cat to her chin. “Did he deserve it?”
    “Hey now, can a man not speak in his own defense?”
    “Oh, so you did deserve it?”
    “I … well, maybe.”
    Adaline pressed her lips together a moment, then laughed. Lorcan joined her, and Mrs. Fitzsimmons, continued to purr.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Five
     
    It felt good to laugh. Not th at Lorcan never did, but laughing with Miss Dermont was preferable to laughing with say, Finn, or Mr. Cotter from the mercantile and definitely better than Mr. McPhee. As soon as he did any laughing with him, he got his face bashed in, McPhee doing most of his laughing right before a fight. Miss Dermont was definitely much better to laugh with, prettier too.
    He watched her snuggle Mrs. Fitzsimmons and had a flash vision of her with a child in her arms. It came out of nowhere, and he almost jerked at the sight of it. His chest tightened for a scant second, and he swallowed.
    “We should get her back to the shop,” Miss Dermont suggested. “Your mother told me to bring her once you were done with the ah … rescue.”
    Lorcan smiled. “Ol Mrs. Fitzsimmons is a mischievous one. We’ll bring her back, but it’s only a matter of time before she’s off again.”
    Miss Dermont smiled before she turned toward the gate. “How long was she gone this time?”
    “A few days, which is strange, she’s never left home for more than one at the most.” He stopped her, opened the gate, and let her precede him. “Maybe she has a suitor.”
    “Oh my. You’d best prepare for the result of that!”
    “Aye, just what I need, more mouths to feed.”
      She stopped and waited for him to walk beside her. “She can’t eat that much.”
    “You’d be surprised,” he said with an exaggerated nod. They walked in companionable silence the rest of the way to the shop. Once inside, Miss Dermont set the cat on the floor. Mrs. Fitzsimmons took off like a shot to the back of the store, and up the stairs.
    Miss Dermont laughed in delight and clapped her hands together. “Someone is happy to be home!”
    “Running straight to her milk no doubt. Maither will have it waiting for her. Sometimes I think that cat has it better than I do.”
    “Oh come now, Mr. Brody, I think your mother holds you in higher regard than a kitty.”
    He looked down at her, his expression flat. “Don’t be too sure, Miss Dermont. After you’ve been around for awhile, you’ll see.”
    She looked away. “Do you expect me to be around … for awhile, Mr. Brody?”
    He watched as she turned back to him, her eyes shining with something he could not identify. Was it defiance? No, not that. But it held a spark, a fight, and he liked it. He smiled. “That’s up to you, Miss Dermont.” He went to the counter and straightened a random stack of books. “I cannot make you stay, or go.”
    Guilt suddenly assailed him. Hadn’t he already tried to make her go? Yet here she was, standing before him with an innocence that beguiled him, and a quiet strength of heart that he realized didn’t strike out in anger at what he’d done, though she did say a f ew things, he recalled. But at the time, he’d deserved it. Now however, the pretty