Page 77 of Hold a Candle

“Sure,” Luca replied. “But ye don’t have to take me up there, just drop me off at the house and I’ll grab my truck.”

Jamie cleared his throat. “Luca, ye might have Mica check out yer vehicle before ye drive it since it’s been sitting at yer house for several days...if ye ken my drift.”

Pauley started, her eyes widening. “Thank ye for the reminder, Jamie. Sometimes things aren’t really over until they are over.”

“Better to be safe than sorry,” Jamie murmured.

Peter actually looked at Jamie for the first time. “Aye, yer suggestion is much appreciated. I hadn’t thought of that, but ye are right. Criminals never give up, do they? Mayhap if he goes to America to school, he’ll live longer.” He shot Pauley a bitter look and turned away. “Come on, son. Ella’s in the car.”

Luca gave his mother a sympathetic glance and followed his father. The fact that Peter MacBride had never liked his mother’s job was nothing new. They’d had many bitter fights when they thought he and his siblings weren’t listening, but they’d known.

Seeing things from a more adult perspective than when he was15, he could understand better as to why his parents’ marriage hadn’t worked out. Jamie didn’t seem to mind her being a constable. Maybe that’s why she liked him. He sure seemed protective of her too, which was a good thing. Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all. He glanced back at Jamie and gave him a thumbs up sign. He grinned when the man nodded back.

***

“IT WOULD SEEM YE HAVEmy son’s approval,” Pauley remarked, looping her arm through Jamie’s.

“I see that,” he replied. “I don’t know what changed his mind, but I’ll take it.”

“Maybe the thought of his truck with a bomb in it had something to do with it,” Darro added with a chuckle. “That was a good call, Jamie.”

“Just a precaution. As I recall, things are pretty liquid in law enforcement, especially with gangs. A surplus of hot heads and quick tempers. Ye can never be sure of what someone will do.”

“Well, I’m headed back to Neamh, I don’t like to leave Lucerne too long. Her due date is getting closer every day,” Darro said briskly. “When are ye coming back to work with Sunshine, Pauley?”

“Soon,” Pauley replied. “It’s pretty important to Delilah. She’s really afraid ye are going to put him down.”

Darro stretched his arm behind his head and scratched his neck with a sigh. “Aye...about that. I had a talk with her and we came to an agreement. She drops the attitude and goes back to her usual sweet self, or I’ll rehome Sunshine. Then it will be someone else’s decision as to what happens to him. And ye can continue to work with him, but if all else fails and we can’t trust him, then we’ll find a wildlife reserve where we can turn him loose. Dartmoor National Park of Devon might put him over on Eriskay isle in the Outer Hebrides. He doesn’t like fences anyway, and some horses just want to be free. They will want a donation, of course, but it would be worth it,” he added.

Jamie nodded in surprise. “That’s quite a compromise, Darro. Did she take to the idea of him being free?”

“Aye, she did, actually. If she can’t ever ride him, the idea of him being free and running wild was appealing to her.”

“It’s appealing to me,” Pauley agreed with a huge grin. “I wouldn’t want to see him put down either. He’s a real sweetheart.”

“That remains to be seen,” Darro snorted, “but ye can try.” He glanced at his watch. “Let me know when ye are coming out, ye two. Ye are always welcome.”

They watched his tall figure eat up the ground as he strode off.

“And here I thought Darro was a real hard arse,” Pauley murmured. “If he has a daughter, he’s going to be putty in her little hands.”

Jamie chuckled. “I have to agree with ye. I like that side of him, although the hard business side isn’t to be messed with. He has no problem taking ye to task if necessary.”

“Aye, I’ve heard that too.”

Jamie turned to Pauley and slipped his arms around her waist. “Now that the urgency of the situation is over, how about coming away with me this weekend?” he asked, smiling down at her. “Take the rest of the week off and let’s have some play time.”

She leaned back in his arms and smirked. “Playtime sounds very interesting, but I’m doubting Quinn will let me take any more time right now. Not with the station being down two constables. Can I have a raincheck on that proposition?”

Jamie cocked his head sideways, considering. “On one condition,” he said at last.

“And what might that be?”

“That ye consider taking yer retirement as soon as it’s available and traveling with me. There are many places I’d like to make love to ye all around this world, and we’re going to need time to do that while we still can,” he replied with a grin, brushing one side of her hair behind a delicate ear.

She eyed him suspiciously through half-lids. “Are ye having troubles in that department?” She tried to hide her smirk. “After all, I might have to trade ye in for new stud if ye are.”

Jamie reached down with one long arm and firmly squeezed one of her cheeks, effectively wiping the smirk off her face. Then he smacked the abused buttock. “Ye have no need to worry about me, lass, it’s ye that will need to keep up.”

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