its fullest?”
“So have you called on Katie down at Archers?”
Not even thrown off the scent. Ian was a regular bloodhound, he was.
“I’ve plenty of work to do, and so does she.” He thrust his shovel into the ditch blockage.
“We’ll likely see her at church, as it is.”
Tavish kept working, knowing Ian meant to prick him into a response. His silence must have at last got his message across. They were back to work after a moment. Two more ditches were soon free of unintended dams.
Thoughts of Sweet Katie—he had to smile remembering how hard she’d worked to show him she didn’t care for that pet name—only slipped in a few times. As he’d told Ian, she was intriguing, but she’d made her determination to dislike him abundantly clear. He’d enjoy teasing her when she came around but had no thought beyond. None.
Tavish’s irrigation canals were finally clear and ready to run again. He and Ian walked down the road to Ian’s farm to begin working on the clogged ditches there. Rain was ever a mixed blessing in Wyoming. The water was sorely needed, but the soil seemed to do nothing but run when wet.
Biddy cut them off as they passed between the barn and the house. “I’ve had a fine idea, Tavish.”
The gleam in her eyes was too excited for Tavish’s peace of mind, though he couldn’t help a bit of amusement at seeing it.
“From the look of you, I’d say what you have in mind is more of a scheme than a mere idea.”
She was undeterred. “Only wait ’til you’ve heard me out.”
Ian chuckled low. “Send him out to the ditches when you’ve finished with him, love.” He gave his wife an affectionate kiss before moving on.
Biddy spared a moment to watch her husband walk off, a look of contented happiness on her face. Tavish seldom envied his siblings’ loving marriages, but every now and then he did wonder what it would be like to have someone look at him in just that way. Plenty of women blushed at him when he smiled. And there was a certain woman newly arrived in town who scowled at him regularly. None gave him anything resembling the fond gaze he saw on Biddy’s face.
“So I had a thought earlier.” Biddy was back on topic in a heartbeat. “I don’t think anyone has stopped by the Archers’ to invite Katie to the céilí tomorrow night. No Irishwoman alive could resist the lure of an Irish party such as we have here.”
Tavish eyed her with suspicion. “And are you trying to say I ought to go extend an invitation?”
He thought he saw Biddy roll her eyes. “It’s an absolute miracle any man ever wins a woman’s regard. The lot of you are so hopeless at courting.”
Tavish smiled. “Would it do a bit of good to tell you I’m not looking to win Katie’s regard?”
She waved him off. “I saw the way you looked at her.”
“And how, I beg you, did I look at her?”
“Much the way you looked at Bridget when she first arrived.”
Again, talk had turned to Bridget. He shook his head firmly. “I’ve had this discussion with your husband already. I’ll say this much, Katie Macauley is too stubborn by half and has made no secret of the fact that she doesn’t much care for me. Amusing, certainly, but that’s all it is.”
He made to walk away, but Biddy’s hand on his arm stopped him. “Tavish.”
Saints, he hated it when she used that sympathetic sister voice of hers. Soon she’d be looking at him as one looked at an abandoned puppy.
“I’m not saying you’re in love with her. You don’t even know her.”
At last someone was making some sense.
She, of course, wasn’t finished yet. “But I’ve not seen you look twice at a woman these past four years. You flirt a bit and give them a smile meant to leave them weak in the knees. But I watched you watching Katie when she was here. That she’s grabbed even a tiny bit of your interest isn’t a bad thing, you know.”
No, not bad. But not the sign from above his family wanted to make it.
“Would it hurt
“So have you called on Katie down at Archers?”
Not even thrown off the scent. Ian was a regular bloodhound, he was.
“I’ve plenty of work to do, and so does she.” He thrust his shovel into the ditch blockage.
“We’ll likely see her at church, as it is.”
Tavish kept working, knowing Ian meant to prick him into a response. His silence must have at last got his message across. They were back to work after a moment. Two more ditches were soon free of unintended dams.
Thoughts of Sweet Katie—he had to smile remembering how hard she’d worked to show him she didn’t care for that pet name—only slipped in a few times. As he’d told Ian, she was intriguing, but she’d made her determination to dislike him abundantly clear. He’d enjoy teasing her when she came around but had no thought beyond. None.
Tavish’s irrigation canals were finally clear and ready to run again. He and Ian walked down the road to Ian’s farm to begin working on the clogged ditches there. Rain was ever a mixed blessing in Wyoming. The water was sorely needed, but the soil seemed to do nothing but run when wet.
Biddy cut them off as they passed between the barn and the house. “I’ve had a fine idea, Tavish.”
The gleam in her eyes was too excited for Tavish’s peace of mind, though he couldn’t help a bit of amusement at seeing it.
“From the look of you, I’d say what you have in mind is more of a scheme than a mere idea.”
She was undeterred. “Only wait ’til you’ve heard me out.”
Ian chuckled low. “Send him out to the ditches when you’ve finished with him, love.” He gave his wife an affectionate kiss before moving on.
Biddy spared a moment to watch her husband walk off, a look of contented happiness on her face. Tavish seldom envied his siblings’ loving marriages, but every now and then he did wonder what it would be like to have someone look at him in just that way. Plenty of women blushed at him when he smiled. And there was a certain woman newly arrived in town who scowled at him regularly. None gave him anything resembling the fond gaze he saw on Biddy’s face.
“So I had a thought earlier.” Biddy was back on topic in a heartbeat. “I don’t think anyone has stopped by the Archers’ to invite Katie to the céilí tomorrow night. No Irishwoman alive could resist the lure of an Irish party such as we have here.”
Tavish eyed her with suspicion. “And are you trying to say I ought to go extend an invitation?”
He thought he saw Biddy roll her eyes. “It’s an absolute miracle any man ever wins a woman’s regard. The lot of you are so hopeless at courting.”
Tavish smiled. “Would it do a bit of good to tell you I’m not looking to win Katie’s regard?”
She waved him off. “I saw the way you looked at her.”
“And how, I beg you, did I look at her?”
“Much the way you looked at Bridget when she first arrived.”
Again, talk had turned to Bridget. He shook his head firmly. “I’ve had this discussion with your husband already. I’ll say this much, Katie Macauley is too stubborn by half and has made no secret of the fact that she doesn’t much care for me. Amusing, certainly, but that’s all it is.”
He made to walk away, but Biddy’s hand on his arm stopped him. “Tavish.”
Saints, he hated it when she used that sympathetic sister voice of hers. Soon she’d be looking at him as one looked at an abandoned puppy.
“I’m not saying you’re in love with her. You don’t even know her.”
At last someone was making some sense.
She, of course, wasn’t finished yet. “But I’ve not seen you look twice at a woman these past four years. You flirt a bit and give them a smile meant to leave them weak in the knees. But I watched you watching Katie when she was here. That she’s grabbed even a tiny bit of your interest isn’t a bad thing, you know.”
No, not bad. But not the sign from above his family wanted to make it.
“Would it hurt
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