Page 12 of Hold a Candle

“Trying to reel in another sucker, Pauley?”

A hateful voice sneered and Jamie glanced sideways to see a man who was clearly a victim of an indulgent lifestyle approaching their table. He was average height, and what little mousy gray hair he had left was giving up the effort of digging in to stay. A well-fed paunch hung two inches over his belt, also a tribute to the amount of beer he probably drank. The red polo shirt was stretched to its limit to cover his fleshy chest and stomach, along with the bomber jacket he wore that wouldn’t meet across the middle of his chest. They both failed to cover the half inch of exposed flesh above his jeans belt on his sides.

“Walk away, Peter,” Pauley gritted between clenched teeth.

“Or what?” he chortled as if amused by her demand.

“Or I’ll see that ye do,” Jamie promised ominously as he rose to his full height, which gave him a few inches on Peter.

Peter eyed him up and down. “Oh yeah? Ye and what friends, pretty boy?”

Jamie could see the man was drunk and probably wouldn’t feel it if he hit him, but he was willing to take that chance if need be. He could see Peter was gearing up to punch him, so he tensed and quickly sidestepped the punch, sending Peter spinning to the floor. His nose connected with the hard wood and blood spurted, but then he was out like a light.

“Someone ye know?” Jamie asked Pauley, his eyebrows crawling up his forehead.

Pauley leaned back in her seat and took a sip of coffee. “My ex,” she replied. “Now ye know why I’m divorced.” With a sigh she picked up her cell and dialed emergency services.

Jamie grinned. “Well, that answers that question.” He sat back down after stepping around Peter’s feet and took another sip of his coffee.

Pauley laid her phone on the table after her call. “Ye really didn’t have to interfere, I can handle Peter easily enough. He’s more annoying than dangerous,” she told him with amusement.

“I’ll no sit by while a woman is forced to put up with the likes of that,” he replied sternly. He was sure she could handle her ex on her own too, he just wasn’t the kind of man to allow that to happen.

Pauley’s eyebrow shot up as she studied him. “He wasn’t always that way,” she replied, her lips thinning. She didn’t say anything else for the moment and neither did Jamie.

When the ambulance arrived, one of the techs grinned at Pauley. “Again, girlfriend? Why don’t ye just find a new place to have a drink?” she asked, shaking her head. Another tech was putting smelling salts under Peter’s nose and helping him upright into a chair at a table.

Pauley shrugged. “I see no reason to give up the pub I’ve enjoyed for the last 25 years,” she mocked. “Let him go somewhere else.”

“Stubborn too, I see,” Jamie chuckled, folding his arms across his chest.

Pauley eyed him. “Ye are quick, aren’t ye? Ye just uncovered another facet of my amazing personality.”

“I’ll be looking forward to discovering them all,” Jamie promised, his eyes gleaming. He was pleased to see the surprised look flash across her face, as if she hadn’t expected that. He hadn’t expected to say it either, but now that he had, he realized he meant every word. Pauley MacBride made his breath pause in his throat when she smiled. He would be a fool not to grab at the chance to get to know her.

Chapter 4

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