I’m still that naïve?!”
“I ken hoo it looks, Callie,” Euan countered. “I canna change wha’ I did but I want t’ make things right wi’ ye…”
Callie got past Jim and hurtled toward Euan, striking him a solid blow that would have knocked him into the fireplace had John not caught him. She began punching him and called him everything but a human being.
Jim grabbed her and locked her into a submission hold while John placed himself in front of Euan, who was trying to reach out to Callie. Callie fought with all of her might, crying and cussing at all of them. After several minutes her strength and rage were spent and she sagged in Jim’s arms with great sobs racking her small frame. He held her close and spoke soothingly to her.
Euan held his bruised ribs but wished he was the one holding Callie and consoling away the hurt he’d caused. Dear God, what had he done to her? Inwardly he cursed himself for having been such a bastard.
Darlene came back into the room asking, “What the hell’s going on out here?”
When she saw Callie crying, she strode over to stand in front of Euan, hands on hips, and demanded, “What did you do to her?”
Jim spoke up. “Callie had a meltdown. All those years of holding this stuff inside, and the dam busted wide open. Where’s the kids? They don’t need to see her like this.”
“Out back with Nancy Jo collecting eggs from the hen house,” Darlene answered. Her eyes narrowed as she looked Euan over. “I see she landed a few on you. Good! You deserved every one of ‘em!”
Euan didn’t argue. This was definitely where Callie got her temperament and one arse-kicking for the day was enough. Even John took a step away from Darlene.
Eyeing the two of them up and down with enough fire in her glare to scorch rock, Darlene warned, “I’m a mother and that’s my baby. Do the math and see if you boys can’t figure out what I’ll do if you hurt her again.”
Both men mumbled, “Yes ma’am,” and tried to shrink into themselves for a moment. Later John would swear that was the closest that he’d ever come to being unmanned. “If I get oot o’ here wi’ m’ balls intact I’ll be fit braw” he whispered to Euan as Darlene turned and went to Callie. “These wimmen here can cut ‘em off wi’oot e’en a knife.”
Jim and Darlene held Callie between them and started towards the back. “You two stay here,” Jim ordered. “We have some unfinished business.”
Chapter 4:
Fangs And Roses
An hour later Jim and Darlene sat at the kitchen table with Euan and John, listening as Euan recounted his and Callie’s relationship and his shameful treatment of her at the end of it. He spared himself nothing but laid it all bare before them. He admitted that it had been John who had seen Callie with the children at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in Linville that summer and who had convinced him to come to Tennessee to settle things in regards to his children.
Darlene had sent Nancy Jo home as there were no guests expected for a couple of days and because she didn’t want the woman overhearing things that were none of her business. Nancy Jo was a terrible gossip and it was bad enough that she knew that Callie’s ex had shown up to solve the mystery of who the children’s father was.
Euan studied Jim and Darlene. He had known that Jim was not Callie’s biological sire but the man was definitely her father. It was obvious that he loved her as his own and was fiercely protective of her. His jet black hair had a few silver strands and there were a few creases about his eyes but the man was by no means showing his fifty-some-odd years. Strength of character radiated from him despite the low-key persona and quiet voice. Keen intelligence gleamed in the almond-shaped obsidian eyes right along with fierce determination. He was as rugged as the mountains and as immovable when standing his ground. This was a man who didn’t allow anyone to mess
“I ken hoo it looks, Callie,” Euan countered. “I canna change wha’ I did but I want t’ make things right wi’ ye…”
Callie got past Jim and hurtled toward Euan, striking him a solid blow that would have knocked him into the fireplace had John not caught him. She began punching him and called him everything but a human being.
Jim grabbed her and locked her into a submission hold while John placed himself in front of Euan, who was trying to reach out to Callie. Callie fought with all of her might, crying and cussing at all of them. After several minutes her strength and rage were spent and she sagged in Jim’s arms with great sobs racking her small frame. He held her close and spoke soothingly to her.
Euan held his bruised ribs but wished he was the one holding Callie and consoling away the hurt he’d caused. Dear God, what had he done to her? Inwardly he cursed himself for having been such a bastard.
Darlene came back into the room asking, “What the hell’s going on out here?”
When she saw Callie crying, she strode over to stand in front of Euan, hands on hips, and demanded, “What did you do to her?”
Jim spoke up. “Callie had a meltdown. All those years of holding this stuff inside, and the dam busted wide open. Where’s the kids? They don’t need to see her like this.”
“Out back with Nancy Jo collecting eggs from the hen house,” Darlene answered. Her eyes narrowed as she looked Euan over. “I see she landed a few on you. Good! You deserved every one of ‘em!”
Euan didn’t argue. This was definitely where Callie got her temperament and one arse-kicking for the day was enough. Even John took a step away from Darlene.
Eyeing the two of them up and down with enough fire in her glare to scorch rock, Darlene warned, “I’m a mother and that’s my baby. Do the math and see if you boys can’t figure out what I’ll do if you hurt her again.”
Both men mumbled, “Yes ma’am,” and tried to shrink into themselves for a moment. Later John would swear that was the closest that he’d ever come to being unmanned. “If I get oot o’ here wi’ m’ balls intact I’ll be fit braw” he whispered to Euan as Darlene turned and went to Callie. “These wimmen here can cut ‘em off wi’oot e’en a knife.”
Jim and Darlene held Callie between them and started towards the back. “You two stay here,” Jim ordered. “We have some unfinished business.”
Chapter 4:
Fangs And Roses
An hour later Jim and Darlene sat at the kitchen table with Euan and John, listening as Euan recounted his and Callie’s relationship and his shameful treatment of her at the end of it. He spared himself nothing but laid it all bare before them. He admitted that it had been John who had seen Callie with the children at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in Linville that summer and who had convinced him to come to Tennessee to settle things in regards to his children.
Darlene had sent Nancy Jo home as there were no guests expected for a couple of days and because she didn’t want the woman overhearing things that were none of her business. Nancy Jo was a terrible gossip and it was bad enough that she knew that Callie’s ex had shown up to solve the mystery of who the children’s father was.
Euan studied Jim and Darlene. He had known that Jim was not Callie’s biological sire but the man was definitely her father. It was obvious that he loved her as his own and was fiercely protective of her. His jet black hair had a few silver strands and there were a few creases about his eyes but the man was by no means showing his fifty-some-odd years. Strength of character radiated from him despite the low-key persona and quiet voice. Keen intelligence gleamed in the almond-shaped obsidian eyes right along with fierce determination. He was as rugged as the mountains and as immovable when standing his ground. This was a man who didn’t allow anyone to mess
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