Page 38 of Tempted

She frowns. “Not too bad. It’s better than puking my guts out. The worst is the chills. But they’ve calmed down.”

“Aye, can’t say I’ll argue with you there.” I yawn. “That’s one of the reasons why I don’t drink nearly as much as the average Scot. I hate puking.”

“When was the last time you enjoyed a nip, lad?”

“I had a beer with lunch yesterday, but that was just to take the edge off. My Uncle Dougall likes to get us tanked, but it’s been a while since then.”

“In her day, my granny could drink all of us under the table.”

“You drink much, lass?” I ask through another yawn.

She opens up the blankets and pats the bed, noticing me yawning. “If you don’t mind the cooties, that is.” She frowns.

“I think I’ve already got all the cooties I’m going to get.” I tell her, relenting, crawling in next to her. I rest my head on the pillow, completely oblivious to the fact that she’s naked and lying next to me. God, I hope I don’t start feeling like she’s my sister. Then her knee touches me and I feel a twinge in my belly. Nope...not my sister.Phew!

“That’s the one thing I’ll admit to.” She says and then sniffs.

“What’s that.” I ask, and then yawn.

“I hate sleeping alone. When I was little, I always slept with my mama, my granny, or my baby brother.”

“Which one’s the baby?”

“Fergus. He’s five years younger than me.”

“And where is he?”

“In Scotland. He’s a pilot.”

“Aye, I figured, with you being an airline engineer. Are you close with him, lass?”

“Aye. I talk to him at least once a week. I just don’t mention him much because of Moira.”

“Is that because her kin are all troublemakers?”

“Aye. I know that she wouldn’t be jealous. But I don’t want to hurt her. She’s such a good soul and she doesn’t deserve all the shit that she’s been dealt.”

“How come Fergus wasn’t at granny’s funeral?”

“He was out of town. On a flight from Italy. Plus, he’d do anything to avoid our mama.”

“Why’s that?”

“She won’t leave him alone because he’s not married.”

“You’re not married.” I point out.

“Aye, I know. Mama always thought Fergus was meant to marry, but not me. Don’t ask me to explain that one, because I can’t.”

“Mamas are strange creatures sometimes.” I say, snuggling in tighter. The hail slaps on the windows as the glass vibrates from the pressure of the wind. “I can’t explain my own, for that matter.”

“Your mama doesn’t mind that you work for your uncle?”

“Not at all.” I chuckle. “She was afraid that I’d become a ruffian if I didn’t. It was either that or join the military.”

“Really? So, it was your mama that pushed you to do that?”

“Aye, and she did me a favor. I always loved the numbers, but I didn’t have the ambition when I was a wee lad to do anything with it. Once Dougall figured out that that was my strength, he started grooming me with his boys. I didn’t know it at the time, but all the baseball games and beebee gun tournaments we had were all us learning about investments. Dougall was a genius in his teachings. When I went to school for it, it was like a goddamn walk in the park.”

---