Page 28 of A Flower for Angus

“I don’t know, lass. I guess ye will get to ask him that. We’ll be there in another few minutes.”

“I don’t like it,” Poppy retorted, her eyes flashing. “I feel like knocking him out instead of talking to him.”

“Were ye a boxer in another life?” Angus asked with a chuckle.

Poppy snorted. “For all you know, I might be a Taekwondo black belt.”

“I’m looking forward to getting’ to know ye, Poppy. Hopefully, you’ve given up yer prickly pear belt. Black belt I can handle—prickly pear not so much.”

“Aren’t you ever serious?” she asked, trying to keep from laughing.

“When it comes to food, I’m as serious as a judge waitin’ on a jury so he can eat dinner,” he assured her.

She cocked her head sideways, her pretty brown eyes bright with interest. “You are an interesting man, Angus Sangster.”

“Does that mean ye are ready to move in with me?” he asked hopefully. “The offers always open and able to be upgraded with a ring. Just say the word.”

She turned pink and punched him in the arm. “Dorothy’s right, you are a jobbie.”

Angus laughed and squeezed her hand, but he was keeping track of her punches. Maybe it was her nerves, maybe it was a habit with her husband, maybe she just wasn’t sure what else to do, but it wasn’t going to continue for long. Right now, he wanted to take her mind off her worries and troubles. He’d deal with her sassy habits later.

He did love the way she snuggled into his side, she fit him perfectly. He wondered how much she was actually worth in money? And would she be keeping the housekeeper’s job if it turned out all her troubles were getting taken care of? Trying not to wish for miracles like rich girls falling in love with a lowly sheepherder from another country, Angus turned into the long drive leading up to the front door of Neamh.

“Would you look at that,” Poppy observed. “He has a blue rental car. Do you think that’s a coincidence?”

“I’d say the man likes blue,” Angus responded dryly. “Was the car followin’ ye in Toronto a rental?”

“I don’t know, I never thought about it. I just know it was blue and it made me really nervous.”

Angus could feel her hand squeezing his and he knew she was still nervous, and probably angry. He didn’t blame her, but how would she react to the man?

He pulled his pickup in behind the blue car after noting Dal on the porch. A few of the other men were standing around the area with a piece of grass hanging off their lips. He knew they were armed; you just couldn’t see anyone’s weapon but Dal’s. That was for intimidation purposes.

“Ye ready?” He turned to Poppy and she nodded, her lips pursed tightly. He helped her down from the cab of his tall truck.

When they walked past the blue car, the stranger on the porch stood up and Poppy gripped Angus’s hand tighter.

“Just stay where ye are,” Darro ordered the man as he stood up. “Ye can talk when she gets on the deck—provided she wants to talk to ye.”

When they reached Darro, he turned to Poppy. “This man says he’s here to talk to ye, Macy. Or is it Poppy?”

“It’s Poppy, yes,” she replied, her eyes narrowing.

“Mrs. Condoloro, I came here to warn you that you may be in danger,” Vince quickly inserted.

Poppy took two steps towards him. “That’s a laugh. I think Adrian put you up to following me,” she bit out, temper creeping into her cheeks with a red wash. “Did you mess with the brakes on my car in Chicago? And did you come into my house in Toronto and move my things around? Were you following me everywhere I went in a blue car?”

He frowned. “My name is Vince Gallo and I’m a private detective. Yes, I drove a blue car. No, I did not mess with the brakes on your car.”

“Who hired you, Mr. Gallo?” she shot back.

Vince flushed. “Your stepson did hire me to find you when you left Chicago, then asked me to stay up there and observe you. It was easy money so I took it. Now I wish I hadn’t.”

“Why?”

“When I returned from Toronto, your stepson was furious. He insisted I track you down and figure out where you had gone. I wanted to say no, but he made me nervous because he was armed and seemed so manic. So, I agreed to track you figuring I’d stay out of the country for a while once I found you and gave him your location.”

“Howdidyou find me?” Poppy asked through gritted teeth.

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