Men in Kilts by Katie MacAlister

Author:Katie MacAlister
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Publisher: Penguin USA, Inc.

Chapter Thirteen

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me . . .

. . . news about the arrival of his firstborn.

Iain popped his head into the sitting room. “Eh, love, Archie’s here.”

“Lovely,” I smiled at him, thinking all sorts of foul things about this news bulletin. I held the smile until he went out to greet the prodigal son. Joanna, sitting next to her mother, grinned as if she could hear my inner thoughts.

“If you’ll excuse me a moment, Bev, I’ll just go out and say hello to Archie. You’ve met him, right?”

“Oh, yes, at Jo’s wedding. Nice boy, very quiet.”

“Er . . . yes.” I gritted my teeth and marched out to the kitchen, where the men had just come in from a visit to the barn. Archie and his lady friend Susan were removing their coats.

Iain told me he had a little talk with Archie prior to inviting them up for Christmas. While I’m sure he did, I didn’t have the slightest confidence that it would do any good, not after witnessing the venom Archie had poured out at me in Manchester. I was instantly wary.

“Susan, how delightful to see you again. I hope you had an easy drive up? Yes? Good. Archie, welcome.”

OK, maybe using the word welcome was the wrong thing to say to a man arriving at his childhood home, but the stick-up-his-behind manner in which he turned and surveyed me set my teeth on edge.

He opened his mouth to say something, something incredibly nasty, I was sure, but slammed it shut when Iain moved up behind me and put an arm around my waist.

Ha! The little twerp. I kept the smug out of my smile and explained the sleeping arrangements. Archie immediately took umbrage at being assigned the attic lumber-room.

“Sorry,” I said with a rueful smile. “We’re full up, that’s the best we can do. You’re welcome to find digs in town if you think you’d be more comfortable.”

Iain’s hand tightened around my waist. Damn. I guess I wasn’t allowed to bait Archie, either. I patted the hand and added, “But I’m sure you’ll be just fine. Your father unearthed an electric heater for you, and there are plenty of blankets.” And a whole lot of damp, as well as spiders the size of golf balls, but I wasn’t about to mention them. Given Archie’s character, it was the spiders I was worried about.

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me . . .

. . . .two requests to stop sniping at Archie.

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