tricky?”
Smiling gently at her, he wiped a little more batter from her hair. “Well, they’re all the more delicious for the effort,” he said. “And now, would you want me to tidy the kitchen and bake a few more batches while you run upstairs and shower?”
“Who says Scots can’t be charming?” she asked. “Thank you.”
“Ach, my pleasure,” he said, grabbing another muffin from the basket.
“But don’t eat all the muffins,” she called from the stairs.
His mouth filled, he mumbled after her, “Don’t worry, darling, I won’t eat them all.”
Twenty minutes later, it was Mary’s turn to come jogging down the stairs and enjoy the aroma of fresh-baked muffins. The kitchen was neat and tidy and there was a heaping pile of still-warm muffins in the cloth-lined basket.
“Thank you, Ian,” she said. “Everything looks great.”
“Aye, and you owe me a greater favor than you think,” he replied. “Thanks to you I’ll be working out for several hours today to work off all the carbs your wily muffins tempted me to eat.”
“How many?” she asked, trying, but not succeeding in hiding a grin.
“Ach, I ate ten of them,” he said, rubbing his stomach. “I just couldn’t help myself.”
Her smile widened and she stepped up and placed a kiss on his cheek. “That’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.”
He shook his head and winked at her. “Crazy women.”
The door opened as Ian spoke and Stanley walked inside behind Rosie. “Who’s crazy?” he asked.
“Women are crazy,” Ian repeated, joining Mary as they went to the door to greet them.
“I can agree with you on that,” Stanley said, grumbling more than usual.
“Stanley!” Rosie chided, her normal cheery disposition absent. “Women are not crazy.”
Mary looked at both of her friends carefully. “Is there something going on?” she asked. “You both seem awfully tense.”
Stanley shrugged. “I didn’t get much sleep last night,” he said, “that’s all.”
Rosie nodded. “Same here, it was a restless night.”
Grinning, Ian gave Stanley a soft punch on the arm. “Why Stanley you old rascal…,” he began.
“Tweren’t nothing like that, so get your mind out of the gutter,” Stanley interrupted. “Rosie was at her house and I was at my house. And I’m sure what kept me tossing and turning was nothing like what kept Rosie up.”
Rosie glared at him. “How do you know what kept me up?”
“I ain’t saying I know and I ain’t saying I don’t,” he said. “But what kept me up was so far out of the ordinary, I doubt anyone else would have experienced it.”
Shaking her head, Rosie turned to face him. “Well, what kept me up was also out of the ordinary,” she replied. “Quite out of the ordinary.”
“What kept you both up?” Mary asked.
“Ghosts!” they shouted simultaneously.
“Ghosts?” they asked, turning to each other.
“You saw a ghost?” Rosie asked Stanley.
“Didn’t exactly see it,” he said. “But something was there for sure.”
She nodded. “Yes, for me too,” she said. “In my bedroom.”
“Well, I’m sure there’s some explanation,” Ian said. “It’s certainly strange that you are both having similar experiences.”
“I wonder if it’s the same ghost, visiting both of you,” Mary said. “We could investigate...”
“Investigate what?” Bradley asked, coming through the front door. “Hey, are those blueberry muffins I smell?”
Bradley bypassed the group in the living room and headed straight into the kitchen. He picked up a muffin and took a bite. “Oh, Rosie, these are heavenly,” he said. “Stanley is a lucky man.”
Mary turned away from him, disappointed. “So, why don’t you tell me about the ghosts,” she said to Stanley and Rosie. She led them into the front room so they could sit on the couch.
Ian walked over to Bradley, who was helping himself to a second muffin. “You big dolt,” he whispered. “Mary was up at
Smiling gently at her, he wiped a little more batter from her hair. “Well, they’re all the more delicious for the effort,” he said. “And now, would you want me to tidy the kitchen and bake a few more batches while you run upstairs and shower?”
“Who says Scots can’t be charming?” she asked. “Thank you.”
“Ach, my pleasure,” he said, grabbing another muffin from the basket.
“But don’t eat all the muffins,” she called from the stairs.
His mouth filled, he mumbled after her, “Don’t worry, darling, I won’t eat them all.”
Twenty minutes later, it was Mary’s turn to come jogging down the stairs and enjoy the aroma of fresh-baked muffins. The kitchen was neat and tidy and there was a heaping pile of still-warm muffins in the cloth-lined basket.
“Thank you, Ian,” she said. “Everything looks great.”
“Aye, and you owe me a greater favor than you think,” he replied. “Thanks to you I’ll be working out for several hours today to work off all the carbs your wily muffins tempted me to eat.”
“How many?” she asked, trying, but not succeeding in hiding a grin.
“Ach, I ate ten of them,” he said, rubbing his stomach. “I just couldn’t help myself.”
Her smile widened and she stepped up and placed a kiss on his cheek. “That’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.”
He shook his head and winked at her. “Crazy women.”
The door opened as Ian spoke and Stanley walked inside behind Rosie. “Who’s crazy?” he asked.
“Women are crazy,” Ian repeated, joining Mary as they went to the door to greet them.
“I can agree with you on that,” Stanley said, grumbling more than usual.
“Stanley!” Rosie chided, her normal cheery disposition absent. “Women are not crazy.”
Mary looked at both of her friends carefully. “Is there something going on?” she asked. “You both seem awfully tense.”
Stanley shrugged. “I didn’t get much sleep last night,” he said, “that’s all.”
Rosie nodded. “Same here, it was a restless night.”
Grinning, Ian gave Stanley a soft punch on the arm. “Why Stanley you old rascal…,” he began.
“Tweren’t nothing like that, so get your mind out of the gutter,” Stanley interrupted. “Rosie was at her house and I was at my house. And I’m sure what kept me tossing and turning was nothing like what kept Rosie up.”
Rosie glared at him. “How do you know what kept me up?”
“I ain’t saying I know and I ain’t saying I don’t,” he said. “But what kept me up was so far out of the ordinary, I doubt anyone else would have experienced it.”
Shaking her head, Rosie turned to face him. “Well, what kept me up was also out of the ordinary,” she replied. “Quite out of the ordinary.”
“What kept you both up?” Mary asked.
“Ghosts!” they shouted simultaneously.
“Ghosts?” they asked, turning to each other.
“You saw a ghost?” Rosie asked Stanley.
“Didn’t exactly see it,” he said. “But something was there for sure.”
She nodded. “Yes, for me too,” she said. “In my bedroom.”
“Well, I’m sure there’s some explanation,” Ian said. “It’s certainly strange that you are both having similar experiences.”
“I wonder if it’s the same ghost, visiting both of you,” Mary said. “We could investigate...”
“Investigate what?” Bradley asked, coming through the front door. “Hey, are those blueberry muffins I smell?”
Bradley bypassed the group in the living room and headed straight into the kitchen. He picked up a muffin and took a bite. “Oh, Rosie, these are heavenly,” he said. “Stanley is a lucky man.”
Mary turned away from him, disappointed. “So, why don’t you tell me about the ghosts,” she said to Stanley and Rosie. She led them into the front room so they could sit on the couch.
Ian walked over to Bradley, who was helping himself to a second muffin. “You big dolt,” he whispered. “Mary was up at
Similar Books
