replied. “How’s she doing?” he said, gesturing to Leah riding her pony.
“Really well. She’s a natural.”
Ryan’s heart soared. Leah looked so happy, so untroubled, the way a nine year old girl should look. Maybe it was true what they said about the healing effects of horses?
Once again the hairs on the back of his neck pricked up and he spun round, scanning the surrounding countryside, but there was nothing there. His instinct had been honed from years of living dangerously and taking on the worst elements of society. He wasn’t the type of man to imagine danger where there was none. But what could he do if he couldn’t even see it coming?
CHAPTER 10
It was a relief when Mikey returned home to a quiet house, everyone already tucked up in bed. Before going up himself he had a sneaky whisky in his office, he really was getting too fond of Ryan and Rachel’s Abercraig whisky. Then he crept upstairs, looking in on Jamie, who was fast asleep. He’d always been a good sleeper, right from birth, for which he was very thankful. The sight of this little boy he’d made with Amber softened him to her after their argument earlier.
He crept into his bedroom and found her wide awake reading a book. Angrily she cast the novel aside when he walked in and folded her arms across her chest. “Where have you been?” she whispered so as not to disturb the rest of the house.
“I had a bit of business to attend to.”
“How do I know you haven’t been out with some woman? You stink of alcohol.”
Mikey was non-plussed. She’d never accused him of cheating before. “I’ve had one whisky and I had that in my office when I came in.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Yes because it’s the truth. You’ve never called me a liar before, not until your mum came to stay. Been telling you I’ve been seeing other women, has she?”
He knew he’d hit the nail on the head when she pouted and evaded the question. “Stop dragging my mum into everything, this is between us. Do you fancy her too?”
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I want her to go home to Ken so we can be a family again.”
“You leave my mum alone. I want to know where you’ve been.”
“I told you I had some business with Jez.”
“What business?”
“You know I can’t tell you that.”
“Because it would be dangerous for me to know?”
He nodded.
“It’s just a bit too convenient is this. You can’t ever tell me what you’ve been up to because it’s supposedly dangerous knowledge. You could be up to anything and I’m stuck here like a lemon.”
“You’re not a lemon, you’re too cute,” he said playfully.
She was unable to resist a half-smile. “Mikey, please, I’m trying to be serious.”
He kicked off his shoes and crawled across the bed to her on all fours. “You’re so adorable with your big red curls and your pouty little mouth. I want to kiss that delicious little mouth.”
She allowed him to plant a kiss on her lips before she said, “we need to talk Mikey.”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” he said, burying his nose in her curls, enjoying her delicate perfume. “I really have been with Jez on business then I came straight home, had a cheeky whisky then came up here to you because it was where I wanted to be.” He pulled back slightly to look into her sea green eyes. “Because I love you Mrs Maguire, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and all evening all I could think about was coming home to you and making love to you.”
Amber’s resolve melted. “You haven’t been cheating on me?”
Gently he cupped her face. “Where’s this come from? I’ve never cheated on you, not once. You’ve never doubted me before.”
“I know, I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
Mikey thought he knew exactly what was wrong but decided to keep it to himself, for now. She looked so beautiful he just wanted to devour her. “I love you Amber,
“Really well. She’s a natural.”
Ryan’s heart soared. Leah looked so happy, so untroubled, the way a nine year old girl should look. Maybe it was true what they said about the healing effects of horses?
Once again the hairs on the back of his neck pricked up and he spun round, scanning the surrounding countryside, but there was nothing there. His instinct had been honed from years of living dangerously and taking on the worst elements of society. He wasn’t the type of man to imagine danger where there was none. But what could he do if he couldn’t even see it coming?
CHAPTER 10
It was a relief when Mikey returned home to a quiet house, everyone already tucked up in bed. Before going up himself he had a sneaky whisky in his office, he really was getting too fond of Ryan and Rachel’s Abercraig whisky. Then he crept upstairs, looking in on Jamie, who was fast asleep. He’d always been a good sleeper, right from birth, for which he was very thankful. The sight of this little boy he’d made with Amber softened him to her after their argument earlier.
He crept into his bedroom and found her wide awake reading a book. Angrily she cast the novel aside when he walked in and folded her arms across her chest. “Where have you been?” she whispered so as not to disturb the rest of the house.
“I had a bit of business to attend to.”
“How do I know you haven’t been out with some woman? You stink of alcohol.”
Mikey was non-plussed. She’d never accused him of cheating before. “I’ve had one whisky and I had that in my office when I came in.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Yes because it’s the truth. You’ve never called me a liar before, not until your mum came to stay. Been telling you I’ve been seeing other women, has she?”
He knew he’d hit the nail on the head when she pouted and evaded the question. “Stop dragging my mum into everything, this is between us. Do you fancy her too?”
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I want her to go home to Ken so we can be a family again.”
“You leave my mum alone. I want to know where you’ve been.”
“I told you I had some business with Jez.”
“What business?”
“You know I can’t tell you that.”
“Because it would be dangerous for me to know?”
He nodded.
“It’s just a bit too convenient is this. You can’t ever tell me what you’ve been up to because it’s supposedly dangerous knowledge. You could be up to anything and I’m stuck here like a lemon.”
“You’re not a lemon, you’re too cute,” he said playfully.
She was unable to resist a half-smile. “Mikey, please, I’m trying to be serious.”
He kicked off his shoes and crawled across the bed to her on all fours. “You’re so adorable with your big red curls and your pouty little mouth. I want to kiss that delicious little mouth.”
She allowed him to plant a kiss on her lips before she said, “we need to talk Mikey.”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” he said, burying his nose in her curls, enjoying her delicate perfume. “I really have been with Jez on business then I came straight home, had a cheeky whisky then came up here to you because it was where I wanted to be.” He pulled back slightly to look into her sea green eyes. “Because I love you Mrs Maguire, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and all evening all I could think about was coming home to you and making love to you.”
Amber’s resolve melted. “You haven’t been cheating on me?”
Gently he cupped her face. “Where’s this come from? I’ve never cheated on you, not once. You’ve never doubted me before.”
“I know, I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
Mikey thought he knew exactly what was wrong but decided to keep it to himself, for now. She looked so beautiful he just wanted to devour her. “I love you Amber,
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