“I’m so tired.”
“Aye, sorry I am that I woke you,” he said. “I’ll just go back to my room and leave you be.”
“ Mmmmmm-hmmmmm ,” she mumbled, her breathing deep and rhythmic.
“Good trick, professor,” Mike said, looking down at Mary from the end of the bed.
“Did she wake the children?” Ian asked.
Shaking his head, Mike said, “No, you were in here calming her before they had a chance to hear her. Not sleeping too well are you?”
Ian sighed deeply and slipped off the edge of the bed. He stood next to Mike and looked down at Mary. “It’s my fault,” he said simply. “If I hadn’t suggested hypnotism…”
“Jeannine’s murderer wouldn’t have been found and the creep could have killed another woman,” Mike said. “And, I’m sure you forced Mary to do this and she didn’t twist your arm one little bit.”
“Well, I could have said no,” he argued.
“You’re a smart guy,” Mike said. “You understand people pretty well, right?”
Ian nodded.
“Mary’s third generation cop,” he said. “She stepped in front of a bullet to save her brother. She doesn’t let people tell her what to do. She knew there was risk, but she felt the risk was worth it. Probably still does.”
“I hate to see her hurting like this,” Ian whispered.
“Yeah, me too,” he said. “We just need to make sure we’re here when she needs us.”
“Aye, I’m not going anywhere.”
Mike grinned. “Yeah, I didn’t think so. Go to bed, professor, I’ll watch over her.”
Ian nodded. “Aren’t you tired… ”
Mike lifted one eyebrow and Ian shook his head. “Must be more tired than I thought,” he said. “Good night, Mike.”
“Night, professor.”
Chapter Eleven
Mary was surprised to find Ian already working in the kitchen when she came down the stairs the next morning. Ian looked up from the kitchen table and smiled. “We have a wee bit of time before the bairns need to be up,” he said, getting out of his chair. “Would you join me in a cup of tea?”
She nodded. “That would be nice,” she said, running her hand through her hair. “I don’t feel very rested.”
He poured her a cup from the teapot on the counter and carried it to her. “Well, you had a bit of a nightmare last night,” he said.
Pausing in the midst of getting a sip of tea, she looked up at him. “A nightmare?” she asked, “Did I wake Andy and Maggie?”
He shook his head and smiled. “No, I only knew because I was listening for you,” he said. “I thought your first night home might be a hard one.”
She sat at the table and placed her cup down. “I do remember that you were in my room,” she said slowly. “I thought it was a dream.”
He sat down next to her and grinned. “So, do you oft have dreams about me being in your bedroom?” he asked, wagging his eyebrows.
She chuckled. “No,” she said baldly, grinning at his dejected face, “Which is why it stood out as strange.”
“Ach, she cuts out me heart and then does a quick Highland fling upon it.”
Mary placed her hand on Ian’s. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “But you are already promised to both Gillian and Maggie. I don’t think I can stand the competition.”
He placed his hand on top of hers and took a deep breath. “And now, darling, we need to have a serious conversation,” he said, his face and the tone of his voice becoming serious.
She nodded.
“I need to understand why you won’t let me hypnotize you again,” he said. “Can you not trust me anymore?”
Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “Oh, Ian, no,” she insisted, “It’s nothing like that at all.”
He sat back and studied her for a moment. “And if it’s not that,” he said. “Then what’s the reason?”
She slipped her hands out from under his, picked up the hot mug of tea and took her time sipping it in order to gather her thoughts. Slowly placing the cup on the table, she lifted her eyes to him. “If you were to hypnotize me,
“Aye, sorry I am that I woke you,” he said. “I’ll just go back to my room and leave you be.”
“ Mmmmmm-hmmmmm ,” she mumbled, her breathing deep and rhythmic.
“Good trick, professor,” Mike said, looking down at Mary from the end of the bed.
“Did she wake the children?” Ian asked.
Shaking his head, Mike said, “No, you were in here calming her before they had a chance to hear her. Not sleeping too well are you?”
Ian sighed deeply and slipped off the edge of the bed. He stood next to Mike and looked down at Mary. “It’s my fault,” he said simply. “If I hadn’t suggested hypnotism…”
“Jeannine’s murderer wouldn’t have been found and the creep could have killed another woman,” Mike said. “And, I’m sure you forced Mary to do this and she didn’t twist your arm one little bit.”
“Well, I could have said no,” he argued.
“You’re a smart guy,” Mike said. “You understand people pretty well, right?”
Ian nodded.
“Mary’s third generation cop,” he said. “She stepped in front of a bullet to save her brother. She doesn’t let people tell her what to do. She knew there was risk, but she felt the risk was worth it. Probably still does.”
“I hate to see her hurting like this,” Ian whispered.
“Yeah, me too,” he said. “We just need to make sure we’re here when she needs us.”
“Aye, I’m not going anywhere.”
Mike grinned. “Yeah, I didn’t think so. Go to bed, professor, I’ll watch over her.”
Ian nodded. “Aren’t you tired… ”
Mike lifted one eyebrow and Ian shook his head. “Must be more tired than I thought,” he said. “Good night, Mike.”
“Night, professor.”
Chapter Eleven
Mary was surprised to find Ian already working in the kitchen when she came down the stairs the next morning. Ian looked up from the kitchen table and smiled. “We have a wee bit of time before the bairns need to be up,” he said, getting out of his chair. “Would you join me in a cup of tea?”
She nodded. “That would be nice,” she said, running her hand through her hair. “I don’t feel very rested.”
He poured her a cup from the teapot on the counter and carried it to her. “Well, you had a bit of a nightmare last night,” he said.
Pausing in the midst of getting a sip of tea, she looked up at him. “A nightmare?” she asked, “Did I wake Andy and Maggie?”
He shook his head and smiled. “No, I only knew because I was listening for you,” he said. “I thought your first night home might be a hard one.”
She sat at the table and placed her cup down. “I do remember that you were in my room,” she said slowly. “I thought it was a dream.”
He sat down next to her and grinned. “So, do you oft have dreams about me being in your bedroom?” he asked, wagging his eyebrows.
She chuckled. “No,” she said baldly, grinning at his dejected face, “Which is why it stood out as strange.”
“Ach, she cuts out me heart and then does a quick Highland fling upon it.”
Mary placed her hand on Ian’s. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “But you are already promised to both Gillian and Maggie. I don’t think I can stand the competition.”
He placed his hand on top of hers and took a deep breath. “And now, darling, we need to have a serious conversation,” he said, his face and the tone of his voice becoming serious.
She nodded.
“I need to understand why you won’t let me hypnotize you again,” he said. “Can you not trust me anymore?”
Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “Oh, Ian, no,” she insisted, “It’s nothing like that at all.”
He sat back and studied her for a moment. “And if it’s not that,” he said. “Then what’s the reason?”
She slipped her hands out from under his, picked up the hot mug of tea and took her time sipping it in order to gather her thoughts. Slowly placing the cup on the table, she lifted her eyes to him. “If you were to hypnotize me,
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