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I should have told Jensen about the guy who took me up into the sky, then convinced me to go for a ride and have breakfast, then conned me into meeting his beautiful sisters, all the while opening my heart to them all. It’s been six weeks, and I never once mentioned Tucker, knowing deep down Jensen was still interested in me beyond just friendship, although I have not led him on in any way.
I’ve been unintentionally cruel to Jensen while receiving animals and gifts from Tucker and having hot dreams.
There is a soft double knock on my bedroom wall. My door was left open.
“Ophelia, Gwen’s put yer flowers into a vase, may I come in?” Shamus is leaning against the doorjamb.
“O-okay.” I hurriedly wipe my face and sit up straight—nothing to see here, folks.
Shamus enters. “Hey, what’s up, lass?” And then he crouches down level with my eyes, in his kilt, looking all Brave Heart without the savage roar, blue makeup, and wavy locks blowing in the wind, but he’s rocking that highlander look.
The inner babble helps calm me because I am embarrassed for him to see me like this. The only problem is that I get graced with the Rudolph-the reindeer-nose-effect when I cry.
“My nose is red,” I state the obvious.
“Aye, it’s glowing.”
“Bugger, I thought I could get away with crumbling for a minute without turning on my nose light, but the thing is solar-powered. It will stay lit for a while.”
Shamus shakes his head, chuckling with me, not at me. “Tucker has got himself a fine woman. I didn’t think he was going to make ye cry, though.”
“He knows,” I whisper, hoping not to spook the dam wall into shattering. “He wrote nice things and gave me sunflowers because he remembered they are my favorite. He likes me a lot.”
Shamus lets out a breath he is holding in. “Aye, he’s got a good memory on him. Man is smart. I suppose that could bring a female to tears buying the flowers she loves.”
“But it is thewhy.” I am barely hanging on to the dam.
“Oh, aye, the why is important.” Shamus looks confused.He doesn’t know.“I hope the letter settles yer mind, even though Tucker must stay quiet on his location.” He changes the topic. Diversion tactics will keep my wall from exploding.
I float with the current. “I understand what Tucker’s doing is dangerous, and I won’t mention anything to anyone.”
“Ye know, he hasn’t taken a job since his parents went to live in Alaska. He will stay safe. An immediate emergency had him packing and leaving us with twenty minutes’ notice on Christmas Day. The team he has worked with needed a pilot and bodyguard. Tucker is the man for the job. I am not sure how much he has told ye about his past, but he asked me to keep an eye on his family until he thought it was safe to move his sisters, then he made sure my brothers watched over you and Gwendoline. Tucker wouldn’t be able to concentrate on the job at hand if you all weren’t in safe hands.”
“I already caught on; we have been seeinga lotof the MacDougall brothers. Tucker and your brothers have been so kind, and we haven’t known each—”
“Ye gotta quit with that talk, lass. I haven’t seen Tucker wanting after a lass since high school, and then it wasn’t as real as he thought it would be. She played him, and it took a long time for my friend to wake up.”
“Jillian?”
“Aye. Tucker has told ye about that time,” he murmurs.
“In the short time we have known each other, yes, he talked about Jillian.”
“The lass grew wilder the older she got, and then she died. It was sad.Realsad. I am glad he has done that for ye, reinforcing what I am telling ye. He likes you a lot.”
I swallow, braving to say the following words out loud. “I like Tucker… a lot, but—”
“Och, there are no buts. I know ye do, and he is the real deal. Tucker took ye to meet his sisters. He wanted to see if they connected with ye as he has. I can see his sisters mean somethin’ to ye.”
“Alice is a beautiful soul, and Teagan is funny and smart. I love how she cares for Alice. I would never have picked the Tucker I met in Peace Café with—”
“He’s a guy who puts his family first, who spends quality time with his Down syndrome sister, employs her to work for him. He made sure they were both safe and protected under his bachelor’s roof. He is a man with integrity and is fiercely loyal. A man who will drop everything when his friends call out for help. He is as solid as a rock underneath for all his cocky-ass ways. Ye can depend on his loyalty, even if he shows the world he’s a smartass, but I know ye have seen underneath the surface layer. Hell, right now, he is probably mouthing off to somebody with his quick wit. Those he lets see underneath that layer mean something more to Tucker. He is letting ye into his inner sanctum. Would ye like to use my burner phone and send Tucker a message or get me to pass anything along?”
“I will give you a reply to that later. Thank you for being you, Shamus.” I swing my legs over the end of the bed, lean across and hug him.
When I’m about to let go, he says softly in my ear, “Tucker made sure his sisters were here for you today. I am so sorry for your loss. You are such a brave lass.”
There goes the dam wall. Not enough to flood a creek bed, but enough to warrant makeup.
