drawled, returning his grin. “I believe Alec was smelling a little off this morning, though. And he spends enough time on the ski slopes that he’s likely permanently numb.”
Peg couldn’t imagine what they were talking about—that is, until she saw Duncan start unbuttoning his shirt. “Never mind,” he said with a snort. “I’m soaked to my thighs already, so I might as well finish it. Hel—heck, maybe it will numb my ribs.”
She grabbed his arm. “Wait, you … you’re not actually going
swimming
?”
“For the love of God, man,” Galen said in surprise, hugging Jacob to him. “That water’s freezing!”
Duncan gently pulled free of Peg, reached in his back pocket and took out his wallet, then unclipped his cell phonefrom his belt. “Somebody has to check the slope on this side of the old pit,” he said, handing his belongings to Robbie, “before you walk out one morning and find your driveway underwater.”
“No,” she growled, grabbing him again when he went back to unbuttoning his shirt. But she was ready for him this time when he tried to pull free, and dug her fingers into his arm. “You are not doing this. I don’t care if the entire dooryard sinks into that pit; I’m not going to stand here and watch you drown.”
The building gleam in his eyes disappeared, and he covered her hands with his own. “I’m not going to drown, lass. I’ve been swimming in cold mountain ponds since I was Peter and Jacob’s age. We all have,” he said, gesturing at Robbie. “And I need to see what that slope looks like so we can shore it up with the excavator. It might only be a matter of setting some large rocks in a few strategic places.”
“No,” she growled again, actually trying to shake him.
“I’m not willing to risk having it cave in,” he said, gently prying her hands off, then holding them against her angry tugging. “Not when it could happen while your children are out here playing, like it did just now.”
“Wait, what about the scientists?” she said. “The other day Steve told me they have an unmanned rover, so I’ll go to Inglenook and ask him to bring it here to look at the slope. He can drive their boat right into the pit.”
Duncan shook his head. “It would likely take them an entire day to bring a rover in here, when I can be in and out of the water in ten minutes and have the problem fixed in an hour. Robbie,” he said, turning away as he went back to unbuttoning his shirt. “Radio Alec from my pickup and have him bring down the excavator.” He glanced over his shoulder when Peg muttered a nasty little curse of her own under her breath, and arched his brow. “Maybe ye should take your boys inside for their naps.”
She started to spin away in disgust, but gasped instead when he shed his shirt and she saw the large bruise on his side and several small cuts on his arms and back. “Did you fall down the mountain
naked
?”
He turned in surprise and looked down at himself, then rubbed a tiny cut on his ribs with a grin. “It’s a very tall mountain.”
“And yet your jacket doesn’t seem to have so much as a scuff mark,” she said, gesturing at Jacob still wrapped up in his leather jacket in Galen’s arms.
Duncan walked over to sit on the picnic table and started taking off his boots. “Just be a good lass and go in the house, Peg,” he said as she walked toward him, “and let us men do our work.”
“Dammit,” she softly hissed in deference to the men standing behind her as mute as fence posts, she assumed because they were trying to decide if their new boss really was as tough as he looked or certifiably insane. Heck, even Peter was speechless for once. “This is crazy. You don’t have to prove anything to Galen and the others.”
He glanced up in surprise, then took off his socks, stuffed them in one of his boots, and stood up. “Did ye know a person can see the entire length of Bottomless from the top of the mountain, and all the way to
Peg couldn’t imagine what they were talking about—that is, until she saw Duncan start unbuttoning his shirt. “Never mind,” he said with a snort. “I’m soaked to my thighs already, so I might as well finish it. Hel—heck, maybe it will numb my ribs.”
She grabbed his arm. “Wait, you … you’re not actually going
swimming
?”
“For the love of God, man,” Galen said in surprise, hugging Jacob to him. “That water’s freezing!”
Duncan gently pulled free of Peg, reached in his back pocket and took out his wallet, then unclipped his cell phonefrom his belt. “Somebody has to check the slope on this side of the old pit,” he said, handing his belongings to Robbie, “before you walk out one morning and find your driveway underwater.”
“No,” she growled, grabbing him again when he went back to unbuttoning his shirt. But she was ready for him this time when he tried to pull free, and dug her fingers into his arm. “You are not doing this. I don’t care if the entire dooryard sinks into that pit; I’m not going to stand here and watch you drown.”
The building gleam in his eyes disappeared, and he covered her hands with his own. “I’m not going to drown, lass. I’ve been swimming in cold mountain ponds since I was Peter and Jacob’s age. We all have,” he said, gesturing at Robbie. “And I need to see what that slope looks like so we can shore it up with the excavator. It might only be a matter of setting some large rocks in a few strategic places.”
“No,” she growled again, actually trying to shake him.
“I’m not willing to risk having it cave in,” he said, gently prying her hands off, then holding them against her angry tugging. “Not when it could happen while your children are out here playing, like it did just now.”
“Wait, what about the scientists?” she said. “The other day Steve told me they have an unmanned rover, so I’ll go to Inglenook and ask him to bring it here to look at the slope. He can drive their boat right into the pit.”
Duncan shook his head. “It would likely take them an entire day to bring a rover in here, when I can be in and out of the water in ten minutes and have the problem fixed in an hour. Robbie,” he said, turning away as he went back to unbuttoning his shirt. “Radio Alec from my pickup and have him bring down the excavator.” He glanced over his shoulder when Peg muttered a nasty little curse of her own under her breath, and arched his brow. “Maybe ye should take your boys inside for their naps.”
She started to spin away in disgust, but gasped instead when he shed his shirt and she saw the large bruise on his side and several small cuts on his arms and back. “Did you fall down the mountain
naked
?”
He turned in surprise and looked down at himself, then rubbed a tiny cut on his ribs with a grin. “It’s a very tall mountain.”
“And yet your jacket doesn’t seem to have so much as a scuff mark,” she said, gesturing at Jacob still wrapped up in his leather jacket in Galen’s arms.
Duncan walked over to sit on the picnic table and started taking off his boots. “Just be a good lass and go in the house, Peg,” he said as she walked toward him, “and let us men do our work.”
“Dammit,” she softly hissed in deference to the men standing behind her as mute as fence posts, she assumed because they were trying to decide if their new boss really was as tough as he looked or certifiably insane. Heck, even Peter was speechless for once. “This is crazy. You don’t have to prove anything to Galen and the others.”
He glanced up in surprise, then took off his socks, stuffed them in one of his boots, and stood up. “Did ye know a person can see the entire length of Bottomless from the top of the mountain, and all the way to
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