Page 15 of Accidental Irish Daddy

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Grant

Aisling has decided to take Ma for a walk around the rose garden out back.

I can see them from where I’m sitting on the lanai.

This morning, Aisling’s wearing a yellow sundress, and her long red hair is up in a ponytail, displaying a beautifully elegant neck. Her bare shoulders are covered in freckles like the ones across her nose…and I can’t seem to stop myself from wondering where else they might be on her body.

I’m having my coffee out here today. I hadn’t really planned on doing that, though. When I woke up this morning and saw how beautiful it was outside, I merely had the thought that it might be a nice change of pace to enjoy my morning coffee out here.

Well…that’s only partially true.

Over the last two weeks, I seem to keep running into Aisling in the kitchen in the mornings. I’ve told her that she doesn’t have to be here until ten, but she’s always here at least a half an hour early. Always in my kitchen making tea and arranging store-bought biscuits on a plate for my mother.

Every morning, I do my best not to notice her, but it’s hard.

The sunlight from the outside windows shines on her in a way that almost makes her glow. Something about the light catching in her red hair always draws my attention. Or maybe it’s the way her eyes just seem to look more emerald in the mornings…

I can’t deny it. She isbeautiful. Distractingly so.

I’m no stranger to beauty, however if it were just her beauty, I think by now, I’d be over it. The thing that makes it worse is her personality.

She’s always got a smile for me or for Ma, and she has a sharp wit about her as well.

A couple of times when Martha has come over, I’ve heard them laughing from the next room. The sound of her laugh is like silver bells, and it strangely reminds me of Christmas morning.

When we do talk in passing, she has a way of making me relax. I do my best to keep things professional…but she just cuts right through all that.

If she wasn’t working for me, I’d reciprocate more. Hell, I’d have asked her out by now.

I don’t date my employees in any capacity, though. It’s something I picked up from Da.Never shit where you eat.

Right now, she and Ma are walking back up the path to the lanai.

I should go inside. Maybe get going to the office before she gets up here.

When I start walking toward the back door, Martha comes across the lawn. She waves at me and at Aisling and Ma. They wave and call out to her as she approaches.

Great.

Martha makes it to me first. “Morning, Grant,” she says. She’s carrying another basket. Whatever she has in there smells really good from under the tea towel.

“Morning,” I smile. “More sweets?”

“Well, have you had something other than coffee this morning?”

I sigh and she goes on to add, “Right. I got some scones today. More for your Ma than you, though. She’s the tea drinker.”

“She is,” I say with a slight frown. “You didn’t have to do this, though.”

“I asked her to,” Aisling answers before Martha does as she helps mother up the stairs. “That’s not a problem, is it?”

“No, of course not.” I open the back door and all three of them file in.

In the kitchen, Martha sets down the basket as Aisling helps my mother into one of the chairs.

Ma immediately reaches for the basket, pulling out one of the scones and biting into it.

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