Read Online Spellbound Falls [5] For the Love of Magic by Janet Chapman - Free Book Online Page A

her watch. “Speaking of my sweet little angel,” she said, pushing back her chair and standing up. “I promised Duncan I’d meet him at the marina at nine thirty to take Charlie off his hands so he can leave for Pine Creek. He’s going to see if he can talk one of his MacBain cousins into becoming our chief of police.”
    “But I thought he was going to ask his . . . ah, cousin Niall to fill the position,” Julia quickly prevaricated, since Vanetta also had no idea that Niall was Duncan’s distant
ancestor
. “At least that’s what Nicholas told me.”
    Peg snatched her purse and jacket off her chair and started backing away. “We found out Brodie MacBain just got back from Afghanistan, and Duncan feels it’s only fair to give a decorated veteran first dibs.”
    “I’ll walk you out,” Rana said, also standing. “I have a favor to ask you, Peg,” she said in a whisper as soon as they reached the door.
    “What’s up?” Peg asked as she slipped on her jacket, only to sigh when she tried zipping it closed but couldn’t. “Dam—darn,” she muttered, hiking her purse over her shoulder. “It looks like I’m gonna have to dig out my old maternity clothes already.”
    “Were you showing at four months with Peter and Jacob?”
    “Not this much.” Peg smoothed her fleece over her softly protruding belly. “I didn’t blow up like the Pillsbury Doughboy until my seventh month, which is why we didn’t know I was having twins until Repeat popped out, taking Billy and me
and
the doctor by surprise.”
    Billy being Peg’s deceased first husband, Rana knew. It was Billy Thompson who had given Jacob the nickname
Repeat
, when he had exclaimed in the delivery room, “Hey, it’s Pete and Repeat!” The man had died in a construction accident fourteen months later, leaving Peg to single-handedly raise their two daughters and twin boys. That is until Duncan MacKeage had somehow managed to capture the guarded woman’s heart, likely by falling just as madly in love with her small tribe of heathens. The newly formed family had expanded nine months to the day after the wedding, when Peg had given birth to a handsome and gregarious second-generation Maine highlander they’d named Murdoc Charles MacKeage. Duncan called the boy
Mur the Magnificent
and Peg vehemently called him
Charlie
.
    Rana was looking forward to their upcoming battle to name the new twins.
    “Your favor?” Peg reminded her.
    “Oh, yes.” Rana moved closer, putting herself between Peg and the women at the far end of the room. “I was wondering if you would teach me to drive.”
    “A car?” Peg said in surprise.
    Rana nodded. “A pickup, actually. A rather old one. I was told it’s a standard shift, whatever that means.”
    Peg gave a crooked smile. “It means I hope you have good hand-foot coordination and really strong neck muscles.” She suddenly frowned. “What sadistic salesman sold you a standard shift?”
    “I didn’t purchase it from a dealership, but from the man I bought my house from.”
    Peg’s expression turned to horror. “Are you talking about Pops’ old pickup?” She shook her head when Rana nodded. “But that doesn’t sound like Gene Latimer. He’s the last person I would expect to take advantage of someone who didn’t know better, especially a woman. Gene’s so straight shooting he makes
Reverend Peter
uncomfortable.”
    “Gene tried to talk me out of buying the truck,” Rana assured her, “but I insisted he include it with the welding equipment. I don’t wish to own a new truck, anyway, as it will get ruined when I load it with rusty old iron and steel.”
    “When you what?”
    Rana opened the door and guided Peg outside. “I also purchased Averill Latimer’s welding equipment, and Zack is going to teach me how to cut and weld metal into beautiful statues.”
    Peg went back to smiling, albeit crookedly again. “Wow. When you take off your tiara, you don’t mess around, do you?”
    Rana smoothed