with me.”
Was Declan a little drunk, or had the dancing settled something in him, too?
“Thank you, Declan, for helping deal with my ex,” she said. “I had no idea he’d follow me here, much less make a nuisance of himself.”
Declan ran his nose over Henry’s cheek, which made the baby giggle and wave his arms.
“Midgies are a nuisance. That fellow was simply an ass. Cromarty is an ass too, but he’s a Scottish ass. They’re the best kind. When shall you have a look at the will, Julie Leonard?”
Niall paused mid-reach for his beer. “MacPherson, I was simply pulling the twit’s chain. I’ll not expect you to—”
“Bugger your expectations. I’ve been thinking.”
“Whyever would you take up such a peculiar habit this late in life?” Niall muttered.
The dancing was apparently over, because people were rearranging the tables, returning them to a restaurant pattern, except for the corner opposite the hearth where chairs were now organized into a circle. A woman was tuning a harp, and another had a recorder of some sort to her mouth.
“Listen to Declan, Niall,” Julie said. “You should listen to each other, rather.”
“I liked you better when you were kissing me, woman,” Declan said. “Niall, you and I need to get our differences settled. If we leave it to the lawyers and bankers and historical societies, this baby will be old and gray and nothing will be resolved, but we’ll both be bankrupt. Either the will is authentic, and I have an easement or claim of some sort on half your golf course, or it’s not, and there’s an end to it.”
“And you’ll take Julie’s word for what the will says and whether it’s authentic?” Niall asked. “I’m on mink-kissing terms with the lady, Declan. Think carefully about what you’re offering.”
Declan stared at the baby, while Julie couldn’t fathom Niall’s expression.
“Julie is a friendly sort. She kisses a lot of people,” Declan said, kissing the baby. “So do I. The way I see it, because Julie has succumbed for the moment to your feeble charms, she’ll bend over backward to be fair to me, and maybe a little bit more than fair. She’s leaving soon, which means this won’t drag out. I’ll abide by her decision if you will.”
An odd feeling uncurled in Julie’s middle, part satisfaction, part terror. “Declan, are you proposing to let me informally arbitrate your case, even though Niall and I are involved? Niall, are you comfortable with this?”
Niall’s answer was swift, his smile sweet. “I trust your integrity, Julie Leonard. I’d rather have you thrashing through this for us than some expensive expert from Edinburgh. Declan has a point—time is money, for my golf course, for his farm.”
“Jack MacNicklaus agrees with me,” Declan said to the baby. “History is made, there’s hope for your uncle, lad. Let’s go find your mum and see if she’s handing out kisses tonight too.”
He sauntered off with the baby, while in the corner, a harper began playing a lullaby.
“After the dancing comes the musician’s session,” Niall said. “Declan will get out his fiddle and play such music as will make you want to weep. Can I get you another beer?”
I trust your integrity, Julie Leonard.
Not an instant’s hesitation, no manipulation, no lurking agenda.
“No more beer for me, thanks. I can walk back to the cottage if you’d like to stay for the music, Niall.”
He rose and draped an arm around her shoulders. “I’ve been coming to these gatherings since I was a small boy, but opportunities to be with you are fast disappearing. You promised me some time this evening, Julie. Are you withdrawing that offer?”
She could. She could tell him that having been given responsibility for the fate of his dream meant she couldn’t be intimate with him. A judge had to be impartial and free of even the appearance of conflict of interest.
She wasn’t a judge, yet, and all parties had waived her conflict of
Was Declan a little drunk, or had the dancing settled something in him, too?
“Thank you, Declan, for helping deal with my ex,” she said. “I had no idea he’d follow me here, much less make a nuisance of himself.”
Declan ran his nose over Henry’s cheek, which made the baby giggle and wave his arms.
“Midgies are a nuisance. That fellow was simply an ass. Cromarty is an ass too, but he’s a Scottish ass. They’re the best kind. When shall you have a look at the will, Julie Leonard?”
Niall paused mid-reach for his beer. “MacPherson, I was simply pulling the twit’s chain. I’ll not expect you to—”
“Bugger your expectations. I’ve been thinking.”
“Whyever would you take up such a peculiar habit this late in life?” Niall muttered.
The dancing was apparently over, because people were rearranging the tables, returning them to a restaurant pattern, except for the corner opposite the hearth where chairs were now organized into a circle. A woman was tuning a harp, and another had a recorder of some sort to her mouth.
“Listen to Declan, Niall,” Julie said. “You should listen to each other, rather.”
“I liked you better when you were kissing me, woman,” Declan said. “Niall, you and I need to get our differences settled. If we leave it to the lawyers and bankers and historical societies, this baby will be old and gray and nothing will be resolved, but we’ll both be bankrupt. Either the will is authentic, and I have an easement or claim of some sort on half your golf course, or it’s not, and there’s an end to it.”
“And you’ll take Julie’s word for what the will says and whether it’s authentic?” Niall asked. “I’m on mink-kissing terms with the lady, Declan. Think carefully about what you’re offering.”
Declan stared at the baby, while Julie couldn’t fathom Niall’s expression.
“Julie is a friendly sort. She kisses a lot of people,” Declan said, kissing the baby. “So do I. The way I see it, because Julie has succumbed for the moment to your feeble charms, she’ll bend over backward to be fair to me, and maybe a little bit more than fair. She’s leaving soon, which means this won’t drag out. I’ll abide by her decision if you will.”
An odd feeling uncurled in Julie’s middle, part satisfaction, part terror. “Declan, are you proposing to let me informally arbitrate your case, even though Niall and I are involved? Niall, are you comfortable with this?”
Niall’s answer was swift, his smile sweet. “I trust your integrity, Julie Leonard. I’d rather have you thrashing through this for us than some expensive expert from Edinburgh. Declan has a point—time is money, for my golf course, for his farm.”
“Jack MacNicklaus agrees with me,” Declan said to the baby. “History is made, there’s hope for your uncle, lad. Let’s go find your mum and see if she’s handing out kisses tonight too.”
He sauntered off with the baby, while in the corner, a harper began playing a lullaby.
“After the dancing comes the musician’s session,” Niall said. “Declan will get out his fiddle and play such music as will make you want to weep. Can I get you another beer?”
I trust your integrity, Julie Leonard.
Not an instant’s hesitation, no manipulation, no lurking agenda.
“No more beer for me, thanks. I can walk back to the cottage if you’d like to stay for the music, Niall.”
He rose and draped an arm around her shoulders. “I’ve been coming to these gatherings since I was a small boy, but opportunities to be with you are fast disappearing. You promised me some time this evening, Julie. Are you withdrawing that offer?”
She could. She could tell him that having been given responsibility for the fate of his dream meant she couldn’t be intimate with him. A judge had to be impartial and free of even the appearance of conflict of interest.
She wasn’t a judge, yet, and all parties had waived her conflict of
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