Page 24 of Conail

Maeve nodded, a thoughtful look on her face. She wanted her daughter to get something out of all of it and was daring to hope it would be love and marriage and her own family. She was refusing to look at the money and the fact that Conail McLaughin was a very powerful man. The good Lord made them all equals and not because he had a lot of money, made him better than they were. She and his mother were best friends despite their dissimilarities in status. Stranger things had happened.

This might just be what both of them needed.

"That would probably work. The cooking has been hell on her."

Eleanor nodded in understanding. "Shall I make the suggestion or will you?"

"Let me work on her and then you call."

*****

He glowered into his beer and tried his best not to look at the couple on the dance floor. She was making a spectacle of herself and what the hell was she doing wearing that skimpy skirt. It looked more like a bloody napkin. What the hell did he care anyway? Taking a swallow of the beer, he tried to get it past the knot in his throat.

He should have accepted Bella's invitation to swing by her place after he had finished at the farm. But their last date a few days ago had not gone very well. He had been constantly distracted and thinking of her.

His eyes swung to the dance floor and what he saw had him surging to his feet. Slamming the bottle down, he marched forward and practically dug his fingers into Steve's shoulder. "Take a hike," he ordered.

"We're not finished dancing."

"If you value your face the way it is, you'll get lost. Now."

Steve stewed a while on the decision, but considering the fact that he was fifteen pounds lighter than the furious man standing in front of him, he stepped back – all the way back.

"How dare you--"

"Shut the hell up." Clamping his hand around her biceps, he hauled her off the floor and went to grab her jacket.

"Let go of me." Maddy was seriously steamed even though the excitement was simmering beneath the anger.

Without a word, Colin shoved her against the side of his pickup and pinned her there. His body was vibrating, and it took him a few seconds to get his anger under control. "If you want to gyrate and make an exhibition, you've done a damn good job of it." His hand clamped around her throat as he all but snarled at her. "You were practically having sex with the guy. Have you no shame?"

Anger and humiliation exploded and had her shoving at him. It only made it worse when he did not budge. "I hate you!" Tears burned the back of her eyes as she shoved at him again.

"Welcome to the club." He saw the tears and felt lower than dirt. "I don't like you a hell of a lot either."

"Then go to Bella and leave me the hell alone." To her mortification, a tear rolled down her cheek, followed by another. "Leave me alone."

The tears undid him and had his heart shuddering. Swearing viciously, he took her hand and moving her aside, opened the door and practically shoved her into the vehicle. Coming around, he slid into the driver's seat and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. Without a word, he turned on the engine and backed out of the lot.

"My car--"

"We'll get it later or tomorrow."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," she sniffed.

"You don't have a damn choice," he growled.

They drove in silence, the tension between them palpable. He couldn't shake the image of her with Steve, the way she moved, the way she laughed. It gnawed at him, deepening the ache in his chest. Why did it bother him so much?

She stared out the window, tears silently streaking her cheeks. Her heart was a tangled mess of anger, humiliation, and something she couldn't quite name.

The pickup roared down the empty road, the night swallowing them whole. He glanced at her, his jaw clenched, wanting to say something but unable to find the words. Instead, he drove faster, trying to outrun his feelings.

Finally, he pulled up to a small, secluded cabin. He cut the engine and sat there, the ticking of the cooling engine the only sound.

"Get out," he said quietly.

She hesitated, then climbed out, her legs shaky. He followed, unlocking the door and pushing it open.

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