A sudden thump against Eoghanan’s door caused me to murmur a quick, “Hang on just a sec,” before throwing the phone down next to its base. I cautiously rested an ear against Eoghanan’s door, listening for any movement. Obviously, he still slept. If he’d been up, I knew there was a chance he could have heard me. I was literally half a foot away from his door. Breathing a sigh of relief, I stepped away, picking up the receiver once more to continue my explanation. “I didn’t sleep with him. I walked in on him about to take a shower. Jerked away so fast, I tripped over the edge of his bed.”
More laughter. “So…what did he look like? Good, I’m guessing since you flipped out.”
As ridiculous as it was, my knees became a bit watery at the memory. “A-m-a-zing.” My sisters were the only people who could get me to revert from the full-grown mother I was today to the boy-crazed teenage girl I had once been. Of all my sisters, Jane was especially talented at this.
“Well then, get you some of that action. That would be such a great story to carry back with you when you come home.” She changed her voice in a very poor attempt to mimic my own. “You see, I was going to marry Jeffrey, my very best friend in the whole world, but then I came to my senses and fled the wedding. I flew to Scotland the very next day for work. While I was there, I had a wild fling with a native Scot.” She dropped the mimic, back to being Jane. “I’m serious, that’s an awesome story. One to tell your grandkids one day.”
I ran a hand through my hair in exasperation. “No grandkid ever wants to hear about their grandmother’s wild fling, Jane. Ever.” Glancing at my watch, I decided it best that I direct the conversation to the whole reason I called so I could get back to work. “Besides, we seem to have gotten very side-tracked here. I just wanted to check in on Mom and Father. On a scale of one-to-ten, just how angry is he?”
She paused—evidently it was a ten. “I don’t know. Maybe…maybe like an 8.75.”
It was a very ‘Jane’ answer. “8.75?”
“Yeah. I mean, he really didn’t get as angry as I expected, but once we noticed you were gone, I expected that he’d literally turn into some sort of dragon and just burn the hell out of everybody. He didn’t. He’s still human, so yeah, less angry than I expected. He’s still very, very pissed though. It was weird, like a small part of him expected it. That being said, I cannot imagine the earful Jeffrey got from him. Not the best of times to leave him to deal with Father, although I know you had to for work.”
“I know, I know.” I’d been trying my best not to think of what I’d left Jeffrey with. It made my gut twist with guilt. “I really need to get back to work. I just wanted to check in on things. I love you, Jane.”
“I love you too, Grace.” I could envision her leaning her head tenderly into the ear piece, just as she would have done to my shoulder had I been standing next to her. “I’m proud of you, ya know? We all are. Mom, me, everyone except Father, I imagine. The whole thing was ridiculous. I’m glad you didn’t go through with it.”
“Me too.” I couldn’t express just how glad I was. For the first time in my entire life, I felt like I’d truly liberated myself from my father’s ruling thumb. “Talk soon.” I hung up the phone, determined to get at least a little work done.
*
His cheeks hurt from grinning, not accustomed to staying in the lifted position at such length. Though, try as he might, Eoghanan couldn’t relax his smile. Once Grace had ended her telephone conversation, he slumped against the wall in relief. There’d been a brief moment where she almost found him, with both their ears pressed against his doorway while he held his breath in the hopes that she wouldn’t hear him.
Although he could only hear one side of the conversation, Grace had only said good things about him. Wonderful things. She’d said that she liked him, and that Cooper did also. Eoghanan couldn’t be more pleased to hear it. He very much liked the wee lad, and he liked the boy’s mother even more.
She’d also spoken about his naked body. While he was not familiar with the word she’d used to describe it, the tone of her voice held no note of displeasure. Rather, she’d said it breathlessly, and his linen breeches had grown tight instantly. Only one thing gave him pause—the absence of Cooper’s father. He assumed the man was dead, but there was no way to be certain.
Rested and fully alive, Eoghanan peeked outside into the hallway. Finding it empty, he went in search of Jerry. He wished to ask the lass to do something special, but he needed advice on what the times called for and to find assurance that Grace was free to be pursued.
He found Jerry in the back, tending the inn’s small garden with Morna.
“Ach, there ye are, lad. Morna and I have something to ask ye.”
Eoghanan lifted a brow in surprise, nodding in encouragement that they continue.
Morna stepped toward him, placing her hand on the side of his arm. “Jerry and I made a dinner reservation in the city a while back, but I doona think either one of us is up to it this evening. We thought perhaps ye might like to take Grace in our place.”
“Reservation?”