thumbs—and could climb into a real y narrow twenty- or
thirty-foot cave a friggin’ mileunderground to get it for him.
Okay. If this wasn’t the most bizarre dream she’d ever
had, then she was tripping out on plumber’s glue or contact
cement fumes or something. Yeah, her house hadn’t burned
to its foundation; she was hal ucinating and just imagining
al this weird stuff—including, she hoped to God, her
beautiful new truck being a mangled wreck.
“Do ye need some help?” Duncan asked way too
pleasantly.
Peg gave a snort just as she final y managed to get the
one-size-too-smal jeans zipped up and fastened. She then
slipped the hooded sweatshirt over her head, only to
discover it came down to her knees and the sleeves hung
six inches past her hands. “Jeesh,” she muttered, rol ing up
the sleeves as she walked over to the backpack and sat
down. “Why would anyone think just because a woman
might be a size twenty that she has goril a arms?”
“Ye look like a kid playing dress-up,” Duncan said,
holding the beam of the headlamp toward her at an angle
that didn’t shine it in her eyes. “I’m real y sorry that I messed
up on the sizes, Peg. Are the pants okay?”
“Sure, they fit perfectly as long as I don’t breathe. I’m just
glad the salesgirl wasn’t a size three.” She pul ed off her
knee-highs and slipped on the wool socks, then grabbed
the boots and pul ed them on and started lacing them.
“What did you mean when you were trying to get me out of
the boat that you need the magic to keep me safe?”
There was what Peg considered an ominous pause
before he answered. “I can’t say exactly, as it’s just a
feeling I have that our little run-in with Dubois tonight won’t
be the last.” He reclined back on an elbow and toyed with
the headlamp even while keeping its beam trained on her
feet. “I don’t like that he’s targeting you, and I have a worry
that an army of sheriffs won’t be able to find him if he
doesn’t want to be found. Ye said he’s a logger, so he
knows these woods better than anyone.”
She stopped lacing. “And you think if you have
whatever’s in the mountain that youcan catch Chris?
Duncan, you can’t just take the law into your own hands like
that.”
“No,” he said, sitting up. “But I can make damn sure the
bastard doesn’t get close enough to harm you—or your
children. And with the magic, I’m fairly certain I can do it in a
way that’s … wel , that’s inoffensive to Providence.”
“Providence?”
“That would be the power of life, lass, the very heartbeat
of the universe.” He grinned. “And ye don’t ever want to piss
off Providence, so you make sure the magic ye work is
always for the benefit of mankind.”
“But didn’t your father tel me you flew helicopters in Iraq?
How do you reconcile the benevolent magic you and Olivia
keep talking about with being a soldier?”
He snorted. “War is completely devoid of magic.” He
grinned again. “But ye may recal I mentioned that a strong
arm is sometimes needed to help benevolence along.” He
started toying with the headlamp again, working the straps
and making the beam wobble through the darkness. “I may
have been raised a warrior, but I’ve never relished the
fight.” He swept the beam through the treetops above them.
“I much prefer to battle the elements in God’s cathedral. Ye
like the outdoors yourself, Peg; I’ve watched you spend
every day at your beach that ye could, and see you teaching
your children to embrace nature.” He dropped the lamp and
rose to his knees in front of her, and clasped her hands in
his. “That’s why I wasn’t worried about bringing ye here to
hike a living, breathing, magical mountain with me, and
have ye sleep on the ground and drink from its springs and
eat the food it wil ingly provides. You and I are kindred
spirits, Peg, and that’s a gift I’d given up on ever finding.
Wil ye give me a chance to prove that together we can be
stronger than a curse? If not for yourself, then would ye do it
for Charlotte and Isabel?”
“What do they have to do with … us?”
“Together we can make sure your girls are given the
chance to grow old with the men they love.” There was
enough light for Peg to see his smile. “And also your mum
and your aunt Bea. Wouldn’t ye like to see them find love
again as wel ?”
“You’re using my familyto persuade me to have sex with
you?”
His smile widened and he nodded, and Peg was sure
she saw a sparkle come into his eyes. “We MacKeages
can be real bastards like that sometimes, especial y with
the women we love.”
His hands tightened on hers when she flinched on an
indrawn breath. He let her go to cup her face.
“Yes, ye heard correctly; I love you, lass.”
“You can’t,” she barely managed to whisper. “We’ve
known each other a week.”
“Nay, more than two.” He pul ed her toward him even as
he leaned closer. “But it’s been two weeks and eleven
years for me,” he murmured just before he kissed her.
And Peg was instantly transported to a mountain forest
where she’d sat crying in the snow—lost and hurt and
scared to death—when this big, strong, and way too
handsome man in a TarStone ski patrol jacket had
appeared out of nowhere and dried her tears, assured her
that her ankle was only sprained, and then pul ed her into
his arms and kissed her. Oh, she remembered Duncan
MacKeage, right down to how he’d made her insides
clench and her mouth go dry and her heart pound so hard
she’d thought she was going to pass out, only to then wake
up to find it had been nothing more than a wonderful y
exciting dream—just like she must be dreaming now.
Had he real y said he loved her? Out loud?
He was kissing her like he loved her more than just
wanting to have sex with her.
She probably should kiss him back. But honestly, she
was terrified that loving Duncan would kil him.
His kiss ended with a sigh and he leaned his forehead
against hers. “I hope ye consider yourself lucky that I’m a
patient man, lass, with a healthy enough ego that your lack
of response doesn’t send me into a hopeless depression.”
“Excuse me. Did you say patient?” she whispered
against his mouth as she fought a smile—because it was
either smile or burst into tears. And hadn’t she already
learned he would pounce on any sign of weakness? Okay,
maybe two weeks waslong enough to get inside a guy’s
head. “This from a man who turned my life upside down
within minutes of arriving in town,” she growled when she
felt his thumbs lowered to the pulse on her neck, “and who
made me sel him gravel too cheap and go on a picnic I
didn’t want to go on, threatened to take the flat of his sword
to my backside, tricked me into buying a truck for my own
good, kidnapped me, bought me size twenty pants and size
four panties but no bra, and … Should I go on, or are you
going to kiss me to shut me up—again?”
“Are ye wearing a bra now?” he asked way too quietly.
“No.”
She was flat on her back and he was settled between her
legs before she even managed to gasp. “I had every
intention of waiting,” he said thickly, “but I can see you’re
quite eager to experience the consequences of my finding
you outside after dark missing some important clothing.”
He brushed the hair back from her face with a gentle hand
and kissed her softly on the lips, then lifted his head. “Say
ye want me, Peg. Give me permission to make ye mine;