Glasgow Grace by Marion Ueckermann Page A

and her voice was already tinged with a hint of her motherland.
    He liked that. Her mother wouldn’t.
    Red washed Skye’s face like a summer sunset. She chewed on her lip, breathing in deep. Her brow crinkled. “What do you mean I’m already adopting that common patter? I would never have lost it if you hadn’t interfered.” A moment’s pause. “Yes. You heard me right. In-ter-fe-red.” She glanced at Callum again.
    Was she waiting for some sign of approval from him so she could let her mother have it? He gave a weak smile, unsure whether he wanted to land in the middle of their fight, knowing full well he would. He had always been the bone of contention between this mother and daughter. Callum rose from the bed and walked across to Skye. Might as well get everything out in the open. If he planned to fight for Skye, he’d have to start now. He gestured for her to hand him the phone.
    A grin spread across her face.
    Taking the phone, he drew in a breath and raised it to his ear.
    Skye placed a hand on his arm and elevated herself on her toes, laying her head beside his. She pressed her ear to the edge of the phone.
    “Good evening, Mrs. Hu—Robinson. Please allow me first to wish you and your husband a Merry Christmas.”
    “Wh-who is this? Skye…are you entertaining a man in your room?” Rita Robinson’s voice burst through the phone speaker so loud Skye had no need to press her ear against it. Her fingers tightened on his arm.
    Callum turned to her and placed a finger on his lips, shaking his head ever so slightly. Let me handle this.
    “It’s me, Callum McGuire. Don’t you recognize my voice?” Of course she didn’t. He sounded totally different.
    Rita spluttered on the other side of the line. “Callum McGuire,” she finally managed, her tone composed, cold. Some things never change. “There’s a name I’d hoped never to hear again.”
    “It’s good to hear your voice, too, Mrs. Robinson.” Easy. Don’t let the bad blood of the past allow you to stoop to her caustic level.
    “McGuire, stay away from my daughter. I think she made it perfectly clear sixteen years ago that she didn’t want to have anything to do with you.”
    “See, that’s the thing, Mrs. Robinson, that’s not true, and you know that. Skye didn’t want to lose contact with me all those years ago, but you made certain that she would, didn’t you?”
    “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about. Put my daughter back on the phone. I demand to speak to her. Now.”
    Callum released a brave chuckle. “Oh, I think you do, Rita. You see, Skye and I spent Friday night catching up, and we discovered some interesting things.” He tsked as he clicked his tongue. “All those letters…what did you do with them?”
    “I told you. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    “Deny it all you want, but you know that Skye and I are onto the truth. Are you calling her a liar and saying she never wrote letters to me? I don’t understand how you could do that to your own daughter.”
    “Because you were no good for her, that’s why,” Rita blurted. “You still aren’t, so stay away from Skye.”
    Callum chuckled. “You can’t bully either of us, Rita. We’re not kids anymore, and the world’s not as big as it was back then. I don’t intend to ever lose Skye again.”
    Skye moved her hand from his arm and slid it around his waist. She nestled her head on his shoulder. “Callum.”
    “Now, if you don’t mind, Skye and I have a lot of catching up to do. Good night, Mrs. Robinson.” Without waiting for a response, Callum cut the call. He turned the phone to silent and threw it onto the bed. Then he wrapped Skye in his arms. “Where were we?”
    She tipped her head and brushed her lips against his. Her breath warmed his skin. “Right about here, I believe.”
    Callum showed her exactly where they’d left off as he drew her into his kiss.
    When they finally came up for air, Skye breathed out a question. “Did you mean