A Lucky Magic Collection by Cate Lawley

Author:Cate Lawley [Lawley, Cate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cate Lawley

9

Michael looked surprised enough that I’m guessing he thought the place either unfindable or protected from such incursions.

Forget surprised, I was pissed. “Why are you here? This is a private home. You can’t just pop in wherever, whenever you like.” I could hear the blood rushing in my ears. “You need to leave. Now.”

How could he? All these years, he’d been fine with a few visits a year while I dodged Don and kept on with my life. Now, all of a sudden, he invades my life, my privacy. My pulse ticked up a notch—Michael’s privacy. Michael’s secret shack wasn’t going to be a secret any more. Not if Dad had found it and popped in. And that made my blood boil.

“Leave? I don’t think so. You bronzed Don! What were you thinking? He’s your fiancé, for crying out loud.” His face was flushing an unattractive bright red. “And this…this…” He waved a hand dismissively in Michael’s direction. “A leprechaun? What are you thinking, child?”

And the world stopped spinning for the barest of seconds when Michael stepped in between us and said, “Mr. Smith, why don’t you take a step back.”

I hadn’t even realized how much Dad had encroached on my space. Actually, I think it had been mutual. The unattractive image of two territorial hounds facing off against each other, posturing and growling, came to mind. And that image had me taking a nonchalant step or three backwards.

But I couldn’t believe Michael had just spoken to my father like some kind of referee at a kids’ sporting event. Especially since the mental image I had of the rabid dogs was probably more accurate.

Dad’s eyes glowed a fiery red when he looked at Michael, but he said, “I am calm, focused, and relaxed.” He took a step back, all the while pinning Michael with his glowing red gaze.

My eyeballs about bugged out. Someone, something, had possessed my dad. The glowing red eyes? No problem. The weird uber-calm and following someone else’s lead? Possessed. The bizarre response—calm, focused, relaxed? Definitely possessed.

Looking at my dad, Michael said, “You need anger management, and a little more respect for your daughter. She’s a grown woman, sir.” Then he turned to me. “And you,” he moved to stand next to me and put his arm around my shoulders. That’s all. No admonishments for my own display of temper.

I melted. Not in a panting, I want to have your babies or my ovaries will burst kind of way. In relief.

I was exhausted by the fighting. I hated it. And I hated not knowing how my dad felt about me—but his reaction seemed an indication that Don fell higher on the priority list than I did.

I took an imperceptible step closer to Michael. Michael made me feel safe—whereas my father made me feel like a rabid dog.

“Why are your hands all over my engaged daughter?” Not a peep about the anger management comment. Or respecting his child. Surprising.

“Because your engaged daughter is engaged to me.”

The red in Dad’s eyes flared even brighter.

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