love, ” Liz cooed. “ We just wanted to see if you were well. ”
“ With two men chasing her skirts, I’d assume the lass is fine, ” Phyllis offered in response.
“ You’re sure you won’t at least have a coffee, ” Calan offered, clearly trying to ease the tension. “ It’s nice and hot. ”
“ Thank you. No, ” was Phyllis’s clipped reply.
What the hell? Why should Phyllis care about who joined Maggie for breakfast in a state of near nudity? It was her house! She could be nearly nude with whomever she pleased!
“ That’s a shame, ” Calan replied, smiling. “ Maggie and I were just discussing Nora’s favorite things. We’d planned to visit some of her haunts today, in order to pay homage to the dear, departed woman. You ladies knew her. What would you say were Nora’s favorite places? ”
Maggie narrowed her eyes at him. What was he doing?
Liz seized on the topic with enthusiasm. “ Oh! Well, Nora loved St. Magnus Cathedral. She belonged to the Society of Friends and even conducted tours. And, of course, she still worked a few hours at the Olde Bookshop. They will miss her there. I understand she was a wonder at sales. Even after she retired, they didn’t want to let her go. But most of all, she loved her pub. The Deacon’s Bench. After all the G and T’s she drank there, they should build the poor dear a shrine. ”
“ Well, Maggie, ” Calan said with determination. “ It seems we have some sightseeing to do. ”
“ Uh, right. ”
Phyllis stood. “ We shan’t stand in your way. I’m sure you young people want to be moving on. Liz, come. ” She marched to the door, opened and paraded through it, and left.
Liz pushed her Tupperware toward Maggie. “ This will reheat, ” she whispered, as if she were part of some big, sexy conspiracy. “ Have a good day! ” Then she, too, was gone.
Once Calan locked the door behind them, she pounced on him. “ What was that all about? ”
“ That was a fact-finding mission. I wanted to know where your granny might have hidden the skin. While you were slumbering, like a princess I might add, I took the opportunity to check every last nook and cranny in this house. The skin isn’t here, Maggie. ”
She tried not to look disappointed. For a moment, she’d fallen for the illusion that Calan was going to whisk her out for a sexy day soaking in the quaint Kirkwall atmosphere, but that wasn’t his aim at all. He just wanted his skin back.
Like all the other men she’d known of late, he had his own agenda.
“ Do those locations match what you knew of your granny’s favorite places? ”
“ Pretty much. ”
“ Good. I suggest we start with the Olde Bookshop. I know exactly where it is. ”
“ Right. Well, I’ll get dressed. ”
He looked awkward, almost as if he sensed her disappointment. “ Maggie, do you mind if we stop at my place before we get started? ” He looked down at his bare chest and grimaced. “ I’d like to put on some fresh clothes. ”
“ Yeah, sure, ” she answered with a dismissive hand gesture as she turned and climbed the stairs to the bedroom. “ Whatever you want. ”
And then she tried really hard not to hate herself for acting like a four-year-old whose ice cream had just fallen on the ground.
* * * *
Maggie had the capacity to dress herself, but beyond that, she barely knew what was
happening. All she knew was that Calan was on her mind and she couldn’t get him out.
When she’d come downstairs, only to find him preparing breakfast in her kitchen, it had filled her with excitement as much as lust. The scene was homey as well as sexy. She couldn’t remember Matthew or any man ever being so solicitous, so kind. God, he’d washed her porridge-encrusted dishes! And it had left her with a nagging, gut-churning sensation.
And she didn’t even know him! It was absurd. She didn’t want this. Was in no way ready for this.
She came back downstairs only to find him locking up the house as best as
“ With two men chasing her skirts, I’d assume the lass is fine, ” Phyllis offered in response.
“ You’re sure you won’t at least have a coffee, ” Calan offered, clearly trying to ease the tension. “ It’s nice and hot. ”
“ Thank you. No, ” was Phyllis’s clipped reply.
What the hell? Why should Phyllis care about who joined Maggie for breakfast in a state of near nudity? It was her house! She could be nearly nude with whomever she pleased!
“ That’s a shame, ” Calan replied, smiling. “ Maggie and I were just discussing Nora’s favorite things. We’d planned to visit some of her haunts today, in order to pay homage to the dear, departed woman. You ladies knew her. What would you say were Nora’s favorite places? ”
Maggie narrowed her eyes at him. What was he doing?
Liz seized on the topic with enthusiasm. “ Oh! Well, Nora loved St. Magnus Cathedral. She belonged to the Society of Friends and even conducted tours. And, of course, she still worked a few hours at the Olde Bookshop. They will miss her there. I understand she was a wonder at sales. Even after she retired, they didn’t want to let her go. But most of all, she loved her pub. The Deacon’s Bench. After all the G and T’s she drank there, they should build the poor dear a shrine. ”
“ Well, Maggie, ” Calan said with determination. “ It seems we have some sightseeing to do. ”
“ Uh, right. ”
Phyllis stood. “ We shan’t stand in your way. I’m sure you young people want to be moving on. Liz, come. ” She marched to the door, opened and paraded through it, and left.
Liz pushed her Tupperware toward Maggie. “ This will reheat, ” she whispered, as if she were part of some big, sexy conspiracy. “ Have a good day! ” Then she, too, was gone.
Once Calan locked the door behind them, she pounced on him. “ What was that all about? ”
“ That was a fact-finding mission. I wanted to know where your granny might have hidden the skin. While you were slumbering, like a princess I might add, I took the opportunity to check every last nook and cranny in this house. The skin isn’t here, Maggie. ”
She tried not to look disappointed. For a moment, she’d fallen for the illusion that Calan was going to whisk her out for a sexy day soaking in the quaint Kirkwall atmosphere, but that wasn’t his aim at all. He just wanted his skin back.
Like all the other men she’d known of late, he had his own agenda.
“ Do those locations match what you knew of your granny’s favorite places? ”
“ Pretty much. ”
“ Good. I suggest we start with the Olde Bookshop. I know exactly where it is. ”
“ Right. Well, I’ll get dressed. ”
He looked awkward, almost as if he sensed her disappointment. “ Maggie, do you mind if we stop at my place before we get started? ” He looked down at his bare chest and grimaced. “ I’d like to put on some fresh clothes. ”
“ Yeah, sure, ” she answered with a dismissive hand gesture as she turned and climbed the stairs to the bedroom. “ Whatever you want. ”
And then she tried really hard not to hate herself for acting like a four-year-old whose ice cream had just fallen on the ground.
* * * *
Maggie had the capacity to dress herself, but beyond that, she barely knew what was
happening. All she knew was that Calan was on her mind and she couldn’t get him out.
When she’d come downstairs, only to find him preparing breakfast in her kitchen, it had filled her with excitement as much as lust. The scene was homey as well as sexy. She couldn’t remember Matthew or any man ever being so solicitous, so kind. God, he’d washed her porridge-encrusted dishes! And it had left her with a nagging, gut-churning sensation.
And she didn’t even know him! It was absurd. She didn’t want this. Was in no way ready for this.
She came back downstairs only to find him locking up the house as best as