Page 28 of Sadie's Highlander (Highland Protector 1)

“Yay! Today’s special is chicken and dumplings.” Sadie’s face lit up as she held up the handwritten index card paper-clipped to the plastic-coated menu.

Alec chuckled. He’d ne’er seen anyone so enamored with that Southern staple. “Chicken and dumplings for the both of us, if ye please. And then extra-large slices of pecan pie with yer homemade ice cream for dessert.”

Miss Martha nodded her approval. “Comin’ up.” As she toddled her way toward the kitchen, she snapped her fingers overhead at the young girl bustling about the cozy dining room. “Two specials, then two MacDara-sized pieces of pie, Mary. I’ve got to check on tonight’s cakes. They should be ready to come out of the oven.”

“Yes ma’am.” Mary bobbed her head, then hurried over to Alec and Sadie’s table with two glasses of ice water. “I’ll fetch y’all some sweet tea here in just a minute. Do you want biscuits or cornbread with your meal?”

Alec smiled over at Sadie, who looked as happy as a child who’d just received a shining new present. Aye. ’Twas good they’d come here. “Whatever the lady wishes.”

“Biscuits, please.” Sadie unfolded the cloth napkin beside her plate and put it in her lap. As Mary turned to walk away, she stopped her. “Oh…and a diet cola instead of sweet tea, please.” The morning’s tension returned to the set of her shoulders as she forced out a self-deprecating laugh. “Maybe that’ll neutralize some of the calories. Delia would be so proud of me.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Mary nodded and hurried away.

“Why do ye allow her to treat ye so?” He couldna stand it any longer. He had to know why Sadie—a lovely lass with the warmest soul he’d e’er seen—would keep herself tethered to one such as Delia. “I ken she’s yer sister, yer blood, but that doesna give her the right to treat ye as she does.”

“She’s not my blood.” Sadie propped her elbows on the table, folded her hands over her plate, and tucked her chin to her fists as though she were about to pray. “I’m adopted.”

“Adopted?” That explained a great deal, but it still didna give Delia the right to behave so.

“I was four years old when my new parents brought me back as a souvenir from an orphanage somewhere in Italy.” Sadie stared down at the table, lightly rubbing her chin back and forth across her knuckles as she spoke. “Delia was twelve, and not exactly thrilled when she discovered that what little time and attention she’d gotten from our parents in the past was now going to have to be shared.”

Mary interrupted Sadie’s revelations with two steaming bowls of chicken and dumplings and a platter of biscuits. “Y’all need anything else?”

He needed her to go away so Sadie would continue her story. Alec smiled up at the girl. “Nothing, thank ye.” As Mary bounded away, he nodded to Sadie. “Yer sister’s behavior seems to be a great deal worse than just a case of sibling rivalry. She’s a grown woman now. She should be over such childish jealousies.”

Sadie took up her spoon, slowly stirring it through the rich, creamy broth as though searching for the right words amidst the fluffy white mounds of dumplings and chunky bits of chicken. “In Delia’s defense, I think she was ‘broken’ long before I came into the picture.” She looked up from the bowl. “Everything our parents did was carefully orchestrated for appearance’s sake. It was very important to them to look perfect to the outside world. I was blessed with four years in the presence of nuns who cared for children because they loved them. Delia never had that. All she ever knew was indifferent nannies and servants who only tolerated her because it was their job.”

That still didn’t explain why Sadie stayed with Delia, working with the unbearable woman and suffering such abuse in silence. “Why d’ye stay with her? Surely, it canna be due to family ties.” Alec pushed his bowl aside. He wasna interested in eating.

“Money.” Sadie scooped up a dumpling and popped it in her mouth, chewing slowly as her gaze traveled about the room. She scowled off into the distance and swallowed. “And she has the keys to my kingdom.”

“Kingdom?”

“I want to be—” Sadie cut herself off and fisted her hands on either side of her plate. “Iama writer—a screenwriter—but I need Delia’s connections. She’s the best chance I’ve got for that ‘big break’ into the business so I can make my dream a reality.”

“Yer dream is to make yer way into the world of movies and such by writin’ yer stories and plays.” It wasn’t a question. Alec was just struggling to understand how Sadie could tolerate such poor treatment. “There’s no other way ye can support yerself and ‘break into the business,’ as ye call it? Surely, there must be other options.”

Sadie drew in a deep breath, sitting taller in the chair. “I’ve gone the route of holding down three jobs, living in a rat’s nest the size of a shoe box, and writing my stories on borrowed computers at the library and in fifty-cent notebooks. Trust me—dealing with Delia isn’t the worst stepping-stone leading to my dream.”

He’d upset her. He heard the defensiveness in her voice. “Forgive me, lass.” He reached across the table and touched her hand. “I meant no harm or disrespect.”

Sadie carefully slid her hand out from under his, saddening him further with a fake smile, then shifted her attention back to her food. “How ’bout if we just change the subject?”

Change the subject. What the hell can I talk about to make amends?Writing. Scenes. Her love of storytelling. “So tell me, how will ye go about writin’ those bits yer sister requested for the movie? Is it difficult to add to a story that was written by others?”

Sadie looked up at him, her smile genuine this time—even forgiving. “I’m pretty familiar with the script already. I read it before Delia ever approved it. It’s a little shallow but not too bad. I’m sure that’s why Delia’s trying to bolster it up with sex.” She plucked a biscuit from the platter, tore it in two, and dipped it in the rich broth left in her bowl. Her brow creased in concentration as though sopping a biscuit were a complicated task. “All I really have to do to come up with the scenes is close my eyes and let my imagination take over.” She looked up at him and shrugged. “It’s kind of hard to explain.”

Delia had said she wanted the scenes to be about sex. He distinctly remembered that part. Alec shifted in the chair, thankful for the white linen tablecloth draped across his lap. “So the people the movie is about—ye must envision them while they are…” His voice trailed off as words evaded him. He’d seen such movies—not many, but enough to wonder how the hell the couple had enjoyed each other as though alone. Whisky had to be involved. A great deal of whisky. Either that or the man and woman had a penchant for bein’ watched. He’d heard of such folk.

A quiet giggle escaped Sadie. She lightly shrugged and winked, leaning back in the chair as Mary took away their plates. “Yes. I must envision them,” she answered with a wicked grin.

“Y’all want ice cream on your pie, right?” Mary politely waited beside the table, balancing the tray of dirty dishes on one hip.

“Nay,” Alec replied softly. “I’ll have whipped topping on mine. The kind ye squirt from the can—and lots of it.”

Sadie stared at him, not blinking or moving. He noted her sharp intake of breath and saw the fluttering pulse at the base of her throat. Her heart was pounding—nearly matching the rhythm of his.Aye.The lass knew what he was thinkin’ and she was thinkin’ it too.

“Lots of whipped topping on mine too,” Sadie added softly without looking away from Alec. “And could we get them to go?”

---