Page 47 of A Flower for Angus

Finally, Angus turned her around and landed a spank on her backside. “Let’s get goin’, wee one, before the sun sets and it gets as black as the lake out there.”

Poppy hopped to it with a mocking salute to her forehead. “Sir...yes, sir!”

Angus chuckled in those rich deep tones that she loved.

“I like that. Ye can call me sir anytime ye want.”

She arched an eyebrow as she folded a blanket and handed it to him. “Don’t get used to it.”

They did stop for seafood at The Waterfront, which was everything Dorothy and Angus had promised it would be, and they arrived back at Neamh with Poppy feeling satiated, and in a much better mood.

“Ye are looking more relaxed,” Lucerne noted with approval as they made their way into the kitchen for a nightcap of tea. “Ye need to take more time off.”

Darro was sitting at the table and he leaned forward as Poppy and Angus sat across from them. “We were just discussing exactly that and I’m afraid I agree with my wife. After all, it’s not like ye need to work, Poppy. What would ye say if I hired another housekeeper? Ye are free to stay here as long as ye like as our guest, but it would give ye breathing room to consider yer options instead of blocking everything out by focusing on working yerself into the ground,” he added sternly.

Poppy gawped at him. Guest? That meant short-term. Options? That equated to they didn’t need her anymore which equated to the bottom falling out of her safe haven. Where had this come from out of the blue? Didn’t they like the work she was doing? She’d thought they were happy with her. Why were they trying to get rid of her?

“Y-You don’t want me as a housekeeper anymore? I’m being fired?” She finally stuttered, unsure of what to say.

“Ye could always be my housekeeper, Poppy,” Angus inserted cheerfully.

Like a lightning bolt of revelation, Poppy gave Angus a very suspicious side eye. Had Angus asked Darro to fire her so she’d move in with him? “Did you put Darro up to this?”

“Up to what?” Angus looked genuinely confused.

He looked completely innocent and Poppy felt a twinge of regret and confusion. Was she just being paranoid?

“It’s not like that, Poppy,” Lucerne replied in concern.

“No?” Confused, Poppy stood up, knocking over her cup of tea as she did so. It ran right towards Darro and he jumped up as Lucerne went to grab a towel.

Darro growled. “Look, Poppy...”

Poppy waved her hand to stop him, her feelings suddenly overwhelming her. “I don’t know what’s going on, but if I’m not wanted here, I need to find someplace else to be,” she sputtered.

She didn’t want to make accusations that might not be real, but she couldn’t help feeling that the bond between the two men could have Darro trying to push her and Angus together. Did Angus really not know about it? Or was he just good at pretending innocence?

She liked Angus, more than a little, but she wasn’t ready to move in with him. Angus tried to grab her hand but she shook him off. Her entire life had been controlled by men and although she might be falling in love with Angus, this time she wanted life on her terms. “Just leave me alone,” she cried as she climbed over the bench seat and ran to her bedroom. She needed to be alone and think this out.

As she sat on the bed, her new cellphone rang and Andrea’s name popped up. “Hello, Andrea,” she said in a wobbly voice after sliding the green button aside.

“Mom? I’m sorry to be bearer of bad news, but you might want to come home. I’m putting you on speaker so Morgan can talk.”

Poppy’s heart dropped and her mouth immediately resembled a day in the Sahara Desert. Home was the last place she wanted to be. If they didn’t want her at Neamh, then she’d move back into Inverness now that she was supposed to be safe.

“Why? What’s happening now?” she asked bitterly. Her head was already starting to ache again and her body tensed as she waited for the next announcement of never-ending bad news that had seemed to take over her life for the last year.

Morgan’s voice came across the line. “Poppy, the FBI did start an investigation of Adrian and his activities over the last year. His alibi has fallen through. The secretary who vouched for him the day Julian died said he paid her to do so. Sarah Solano said she was afraid of Adrian before, but now that he’s dead, she’s coming forward with what she says is the real truth. I’m not going to lie to you, Poppy, it’s looking more and more like he’s responsible for Julian’s death.”

“Oh my God,” Poppy whispered. The nightmare was nipping at her heels again. Would she get dragged back into court for repeated testimonies? Would she be subpoenaed as soon as her feet landed on Chicago soil? Would they try to charge her and say she was complicit if Adrian had done it?

Edna might jump at the chance to implicate her in any wrong doing. Her mother-in-law hated her and would do anything to get revenge over the way Julian had negated the prenup.

And the media vultures—they would be circling once again wanting more flesh. They never stopped hunting her.

Morgan’s voice droned on. “And the audits Mack has been doing are starting to filter in and it looks like the corporation is nearly broke. The only ones that are healthy are the ones Julian left to you.”

Poppy could feel the big red target on her back as if Morgan had reached through the phone and painted it on her. The media would have a field day when this came out.

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