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Authors: Janet Chapman
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fingered the jacket on her lap. “He must have been watching our building, because two days later he ran Birch off the road and . . . and he . . .”
“And he what?” Niall gently prodded, covering her knee with his hand.
“After forcing her car into the ditch, Leo got out and started beating on the driver’s window when Birch locked the doors, shouting that she had no right to interfere in our marriage. But she managed to back out of the ditch and drive off even though the passenger window was blown out and the right front fender had crumpled in on the tire.” Hazel crumpled like Niall assumed the fender had and hid her face in her trembling hands. “My
bébé
could have been badly hurt or even killed because of me.”
“Hey there,” Niall murmured, sliding to one knee in front of Hazel and pulling her hands into his. “We both know it’s going to take a lot more than some cowardly man to bring down your daughter.”
Hazel drew in a shuddering breath. “Well, I certainly don’t need any stupid law to tell me I can’t ever remarry, because when I saw the bruise on Birch’s cheek and her swollen knee, I swore on my
mémère
Hynes’s soul that I’m never even
smiling
at another man again.”
She must have forgotten her vow today with Sam, Niall decided as he fought his own grin. “Ye best start practicing in the mirror then, because I believe your mouth is permanently lifted at its corners. Or better yet,” he continued at her surprise, “maybe Birch could give ye lessons. She seems to have perfected a good scowl.”
The corners of Hazel’s mouth twitched higher. “Oh, Niall,” she said, wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands. “You’re incorrigible.”
“Aye,” he said on an exaggerated sigh as he stood up. “I’ve a fear my dear sainted mother would agree with ye.”
“Oh, go on now,” she said, waving him away. “Go see what Sam meant about finding you a jail so you can finally arrest someone.”
Niall hesitated, until he saw Hazel wipe her eyes again and realized she wanted time alone to compose herself. “As soon as I’m done with Sam, I’ll give you a ride home,” he said, turning toward the back of the store.
“But you can’t arrest Logan Kent,” she added, making Niall stop. “I think that poor man should be given a medal for staying married to Noreen for forty-six years.”
“If that’s how ye feel, then I’m afraid you’re in the minority of women in town.”
“Only because none of them have lived with Noreen for the last two weeks.”
“You’ll stay put?” he thought to clarify, “and let me drive you home?”
“I’ll stay put. Oh, there’s Peg and Charlie. Peg,” Hazel called out, not a tear in sight as she motioned for Duncan’s wife and three-year-old son to come over.
“Mizry Hazel!” the boy shouted, hurling himself at her. “Eww, you is all wet.”
“And look at you, Mr. Charlie, as dry as a duck in a desert.”
“Ducks don’t live in deserts; them live in seas. And I’m Mur the Magwificant.”
“Not today you’re not,” Peg said, plopping down in the chair beside Hazel and resting her hands on her very pregnant belly. “Today you’re Mr. Incorrigible.”
Apparently forgetting she was through smiling at men, Hazel beamed Niall a brilliant smile as she pulled Murdoc—the kid’s name was Murdoc Charles MacKeage, with Duncan calling him Mur and Peg calling him Charlie—up onto her lap and ruffled his curly blond hair. “That’s okay, Mur the Magnificent, because it so happens I adore incorrigible rogues.”
Which is why your daughter doesn’t want you talking to them,
Niall refrained from saying. He nodded at Peg, then headed down the aisle, thinking it was more like Hazel adored incorrigible bastards—remembering that one of her husbands had cheated on her, one had claimed to be a king, and the last one had already spent this year’s trust fund installment.
Upon realizing he’d likely be living in
“And he what?” Niall gently prodded, covering her knee with his hand.
“After forcing her car into the ditch, Leo got out and started beating on the driver’s window when Birch locked the doors, shouting that she had no right to interfere in our marriage. But she managed to back out of the ditch and drive off even though the passenger window was blown out and the right front fender had crumpled in on the tire.” Hazel crumpled like Niall assumed the fender had and hid her face in her trembling hands. “My
bébé
could have been badly hurt or even killed because of me.”
“Hey there,” Niall murmured, sliding to one knee in front of Hazel and pulling her hands into his. “We both know it’s going to take a lot more than some cowardly man to bring down your daughter.”
Hazel drew in a shuddering breath. “Well, I certainly don’t need any stupid law to tell me I can’t ever remarry, because when I saw the bruise on Birch’s cheek and her swollen knee, I swore on my
mémère
Hynes’s soul that I’m never even
smiling
at another man again.”
She must have forgotten her vow today with Sam, Niall decided as he fought his own grin. “Ye best start practicing in the mirror then, because I believe your mouth is permanently lifted at its corners. Or better yet,” he continued at her surprise, “maybe Birch could give ye lessons. She seems to have perfected a good scowl.”
The corners of Hazel’s mouth twitched higher. “Oh, Niall,” she said, wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands. “You’re incorrigible.”
“Aye,” he said on an exaggerated sigh as he stood up. “I’ve a fear my dear sainted mother would agree with ye.”
“Oh, go on now,” she said, waving him away. “Go see what Sam meant about finding you a jail so you can finally arrest someone.”
Niall hesitated, until he saw Hazel wipe her eyes again and realized she wanted time alone to compose herself. “As soon as I’m done with Sam, I’ll give you a ride home,” he said, turning toward the back of the store.
“But you can’t arrest Logan Kent,” she added, making Niall stop. “I think that poor man should be given a medal for staying married to Noreen for forty-six years.”
“If that’s how ye feel, then I’m afraid you’re in the minority of women in town.”
“Only because none of them have lived with Noreen for the last two weeks.”
“You’ll stay put?” he thought to clarify, “and let me drive you home?”
“I’ll stay put. Oh, there’s Peg and Charlie. Peg,” Hazel called out, not a tear in sight as she motioned for Duncan’s wife and three-year-old son to come over.
“Mizry Hazel!” the boy shouted, hurling himself at her. “Eww, you is all wet.”
“And look at you, Mr. Charlie, as dry as a duck in a desert.”
“Ducks don’t live in deserts; them live in seas. And I’m Mur the Magwificant.”
“Not today you’re not,” Peg said, plopping down in the chair beside Hazel and resting her hands on her very pregnant belly. “Today you’re Mr. Incorrigible.”
Apparently forgetting she was through smiling at men, Hazel beamed Niall a brilliant smile as she pulled Murdoc—the kid’s name was Murdoc Charles MacKeage, with Duncan calling him Mur and Peg calling him Charlie—up onto her lap and ruffled his curly blond hair. “That’s okay, Mur the Magnificent, because it so happens I adore incorrigible rogues.”
Which is why your daughter doesn’t want you talking to them,
Niall refrained from saying. He nodded at Peg, then headed down the aisle, thinking it was more like Hazel adored incorrigible bastards—remembering that one of her husbands had cheated on her, one had claimed to be a king, and the last one had already spent this year’s trust fund installment.
Upon realizing he’d likely be living in
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