Page 80 of A Flower for Angus

Angus’s eyebrows crawled up. “I’m no due to leave until midnight.”

“Ernie is trading shifts with ye,” Darro replied. “He needs to take his wife in for an eye appointment in the morning, so I’ve moved some shifts around.”

“She can’t drive herself?”

“They will have to dilate her eyes, so she’ll no be able to drive home,” Darro supplied. “Come on, ye can ride back with me on the 4-wheeler to get yer truck.”

Angus nodded wearily. He climbed onto the 4-wheeler with his back to Darro and his feet in the carrying rack at the back of the seat. They didn’t go around behind the barn like usual though, Darro pulled right up in front of the house.

When Angus glanced towards the house, he froze in place. Was he so tired that his eyes were deceiving him? Or was he having hallucinations from wishing so hard? Whatever it was, the vision coming towards him on the flagstone path had him stealing carefully off the four-wheeler without taking his eyes off it lest it disappear. He stood up straight and took a few steps forward. “Poppy?” he asked gruffly.

She moved closer, a vision of loveliness in a pink summer dress that flared around her waist and left her arms bare. Pretty white sandals hugged her delicate feet, and he remembered when she’d painted her toenails bright pink before he’d left. She smiled at him and the sun refused to go down.

“I hear ye have need of a wife, housekeeper, or personal financial assistant, in any order or choice,” she spoke in a velvety, teasing voice. “I thought I might apply.”

Angus cleared his throat. “For which position?” he croaked, taking another step forward, his heart racing. Joy was beginning to fill that dark hole inside him like water flowing into a watering can and bubbling over.

“Maybe we could start with housekeeper and work up from there if an opening comes up?” she asked, batting her eyes at him.

Angus took three steps forward. “Ye’re hired, lass, even if ye can’t cook. Ye can fill any of the other positions any time ye’re ready.” He wrapped his long arms around her slender body and lifted her off the ground to hold her close.

Poppy leaned down and kissed him long and hard before Angus set her back down and took over the kiss. His tadger was dancing with the most excitement it’d seen in months. Finally, he raised his head and palmed the side of her face. “I love ye, Poppy. I’ve missed ye these last days.”

She lifted her arms and grabbed the sweaty towel and went up on her tiptoes. “I love you too, Angus Sangster. And Icancook,” she added.

Angus roared with laughter, his heart soaring among the stars at that moment until someone cleared their throat.

“So, ye finally managed to hire away my housekeeper, ye old coot.”

Angus looked over Poppy’s head to see Darro and Lucerne watching them with smiling faces. “Aye, I did. And I’ll no be returning her either.”

Poppy turned to Darro. “I’m afraid I’ll have to give notice, Mr. MacCandish.”

“It’s Darro,” he growled. “Ye really are family now, Poppy, so don’t call me Mr. MacCandish.”

“Darro,” she agreed happily. Then she looked up at Angus. “Are ye ready to go to Thistlewind and show me my duties? I need to unpack.”

“More than ready, wee one,” Angus growled tenderly, “More than ready.” He winked at Darro and put his arm around Poppy to guide her to his truck. “Where are yer bags?” he suddenly asked, stopping for a moment.

“Already in your truck,” she replied with a caroling laugh.

“Ye must have been awfully sure of being hired,” he teased, holding her close to his side and enjoying her laughter. He’d missed that too.

“You said I love you in the note you left,” she replied simply, slipping her arm around the warm skin of his waist as they walked.

At the truck, Angus opened the door and lifted Poppy up on the step. Then he lifted her skirt and landed three pops on her rounded buttocks before he turned her around and let her sit down.

“What was that for?” she grumbled.

“For takin’ so long to get here. I wasna sure ye would come...” he trailed off uncertainly, his eyes searching her face with a hunger that had nothing to do with food.

Poppy placed her hands on Angus’s bare shoulders. “I’m sorry I took so long, honey. I was angry at first for the way you left, and that first day I was so lonely and miserable I was ready to do bodily damage if you dared to show your face again.

“Then I got a wakeup call from my very smart daughter. I knew I didn’t want you looking for another housekeeper because I hadn’t made it clear how very much I love you,” she whispered. “Whatever it takes, we can make this work, can’t we? Because I already know I want to be where you are, even if it can’t be all the time.”

“Ye’re the only housekeeper fer me,” he assured her, “and aye, we will make it work. I don’t want to be away from ye for a single minute that I don’t have too. We may be complicated, but we will figure it out together.”

Poppy ran her palm over his bare stomach with her tongue between her lips and a longing in her eyes. “I hear there’s a fairy glade and waterfall near here with flowers that only bloom at night. It sounds like a perfect place for a couple in love to exchange rings. Have you heard of such a place?”

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