Page 20 of Forbidden Desire

That was startling enough that she almost stopped dead. “They’re not engaged. When were they engaged? Did he ask you for Mom’s ring?”

Also known as their grandmother’s ring.

“No,” he said. “But why wouldn’t she want to marry him?”

“Dad, you better not say anything. Don’t upset him.”

“He doesn’t get upset.”

“Just because he doesn’t show you doesn’t mean he isn’t upset. Please don’t get on his case today.”

“The two of you always stand in front of each other.”

“Why shouldn’t we?” Their mother died when she was young. With their father working all the time, Lachlan did more of the raising than the adult men in their family. “He takes too much on himself. You put too much on him.”

“And this,” he said in an annoyed snap. “You don’t have to voice every thought in your head.”

“It’s my opinion,” she said, aware distance was growing between them. “He won’t say it.”

“Does he say it to you?”

“No,” she said. “But I—”

“Then you could be wrong. Your brother is strong. He was raised to be strong.”

Shaking her head, he hadn’t heard her at all. “Dad—”

“That’s where your attention should be. Instead of getting yourself in trouble with the scum of the underworld, you should be looking for a strong partner. A man who will look after you.”

“This is the twenty-first century. I take care of me.”

“I lose sleep over it,” he said like she hadn’t spoken. “You out there without a husband. A real man. Someone strong. Someone with a clear head, smarts, bold. You need to think about the future.”

“My biological clock isn’t ticking yet,” she said, pausing with him, waiting for the light to change. “I date men I’m attracted to…”

The moment the words came out, she wanted to grab them back. What the hell was she doing talking about her love life? Disagreeing with her father seemed rich when she wasn’t exactly making the best choices of late.

“Which is exactly your problem. You make decisions based on your gut.”

Her chin rose as they crossed the street. “Which is what you tell Lachlan to do all the time.”

“That’s different.”

“Because he’s male?”

“Because he has the McLeod instinct.”

“And I have, what? Claiming not to be my father now?”

“Don’t disrespect your mother.” Just rolled off his tongue by rote. “You’re addled like her. She never could focus on what was important.”

“Amazing, look at that,” she said, raising her wrist to check an imaginary watch. “Took you a whole two minutes to call me an idiot.”

“You’re too sensitive.”

Something else he’d told her in the past. Frequently.

“It’s not sensitivity,” she said. “My point of view might—”

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