She pointed at the house. “I’m having that stupid tree cut down.” She then pointed at him, even as she started backing up. “And I better not ever hear about you sitting with one of my residents in that stupid park again, you got that?”
“Yes ma’am,” he said with a nod, turning away and striding toward home before she caught his grin—only to suddenly stop and look back at Birch storming in the house as he finally realized what had her hackles up about that park.
Aye, he thought with a chuckle as he headed toward home again; it would appear Miss Callahan believed in legends.
Chapter Four
Surprised to find Hazel sitting next to the unlit woodstove in the Bottomless Mercantile and Trading Post, since it was the first time Niall had ever seen the woman in town alone, he was even more surprised that Sam Waters was sitting next to her, the two of them engaged in a lively conversation. It wasn’t that the man wasn’t sociable, but rather that Sam’s father and co-owner of the store, Ezra, was usually the one making the ladies laugh and carry on like schoolgirls.
But Niall lost his own grin when he noticed Hazel’s right pant leg had a small tear at the knee and that the jacket lying across her lap was muddy. “Do I need to go find my ticket pad and write ye up for disorderly conduct?” Niall asked as he stopped in front of them and bent down to make a point of examining Hazel’s surprised eyes. “A little early in the day to be falling down drunk, isn’t it, Hazel?”
Those deep brown eyes crinkled with laughter and she swatted his arm as he straightened. “Oh, Niall, you big tease.” She held up her wet jacket, her expression turning fierce. “You want to ticket someone, you chase after that crazy woman who
sped up
the moment I stepped into the crosswalk.”
“From the description Hazel gave me of the car,” Sam said, getting to his feet, “it appears to have been Christina Richie.”
“Are ye hurt, Hazel?” Niall asked.
She lifted her other hand, which was holding a mug, the sparkle back in her eyes. “Sam assured me that hot cocoa cures all kinds of boo-boos, even bruised pride.”
“Why don’t you have a seat and see for yourself that she’s okay,” Sam said, nudging Niall toward the chair he’d just vacated. “Let me go wait on the Drummonds before Dad tries to give them half the store for free again, and then we can have our talk about finding you a jail.” He shook his head with a grimace. “Either Dad’s losing his touch or getting senile, because last week I caught him filling Jason Packard’s pockets with shoelaces when he saw one of the kid’s sneakers didn’t have a lace and the other one was a mess of knots.”
“What did he mean about his father losing his touch?” Hazel asked, watching Sam limp down the aisle.
“Ezra is apparently in the habit of giving half his store away,” Niall said as he sat down beside her. “Only he usually isn’t so blatant about it, instead preferring to simply forget to charge folks for some items. Mostly to those he feels could use a little help making their dollars go further.”
“And they don’t notice?” she asked in surprise.
“Some do. But Olivia or Peg usually takes them aside and explains it would hurt Ezra’s feelings if they call attention to his little deception.”
“The man can afford to just give away his merchandise?”
Niall nodded. “I’ve been told he’s been doing it for over fifteen years and hasn’t gone bankrupt yet. So, Hazel, are ye sure you’re not hurt?” he asked, having noticed when he’d first met her that the woman had a subtly guarded stride, as if she suffered from arthritis or a stiff back.
“Only my pride. Mr. Waters happened to come outside just as I landed in the
only
puddle on the street, and . . . and he picked me up and carried me inside,” she said, sounding a bit breathless as she glanced in the direction Sam had gone. She looked at Niall, her cheeks turning a soft
“Yes ma’am,” he said with a nod, turning away and striding toward home before she caught his grin—only to suddenly stop and look back at Birch storming in the house as he finally realized what had her hackles up about that park.
Aye, he thought with a chuckle as he headed toward home again; it would appear Miss Callahan believed in legends.
Chapter Four
Surprised to find Hazel sitting next to the unlit woodstove in the Bottomless Mercantile and Trading Post, since it was the first time Niall had ever seen the woman in town alone, he was even more surprised that Sam Waters was sitting next to her, the two of them engaged in a lively conversation. It wasn’t that the man wasn’t sociable, but rather that Sam’s father and co-owner of the store, Ezra, was usually the one making the ladies laugh and carry on like schoolgirls.
But Niall lost his own grin when he noticed Hazel’s right pant leg had a small tear at the knee and that the jacket lying across her lap was muddy. “Do I need to go find my ticket pad and write ye up for disorderly conduct?” Niall asked as he stopped in front of them and bent down to make a point of examining Hazel’s surprised eyes. “A little early in the day to be falling down drunk, isn’t it, Hazel?”
Those deep brown eyes crinkled with laughter and she swatted his arm as he straightened. “Oh, Niall, you big tease.” She held up her wet jacket, her expression turning fierce. “You want to ticket someone, you chase after that crazy woman who
sped up
the moment I stepped into the crosswalk.”
“From the description Hazel gave me of the car,” Sam said, getting to his feet, “it appears to have been Christina Richie.”
“Are ye hurt, Hazel?” Niall asked.
She lifted her other hand, which was holding a mug, the sparkle back in her eyes. “Sam assured me that hot cocoa cures all kinds of boo-boos, even bruised pride.”
“Why don’t you have a seat and see for yourself that she’s okay,” Sam said, nudging Niall toward the chair he’d just vacated. “Let me go wait on the Drummonds before Dad tries to give them half the store for free again, and then we can have our talk about finding you a jail.” He shook his head with a grimace. “Either Dad’s losing his touch or getting senile, because last week I caught him filling Jason Packard’s pockets with shoelaces when he saw one of the kid’s sneakers didn’t have a lace and the other one was a mess of knots.”
“What did he mean about his father losing his touch?” Hazel asked, watching Sam limp down the aisle.
“Ezra is apparently in the habit of giving half his store away,” Niall said as he sat down beside her. “Only he usually isn’t so blatant about it, instead preferring to simply forget to charge folks for some items. Mostly to those he feels could use a little help making their dollars go further.”
“And they don’t notice?” she asked in surprise.
“Some do. But Olivia or Peg usually takes them aside and explains it would hurt Ezra’s feelings if they call attention to his little deception.”
“The man can afford to just give away his merchandise?”
Niall nodded. “I’ve been told he’s been doing it for over fifteen years and hasn’t gone bankrupt yet. So, Hazel, are ye sure you’re not hurt?” he asked, having noticed when he’d first met her that the woman had a subtly guarded stride, as if she suffered from arthritis or a stiff back.
“Only my pride. Mr. Waters happened to come outside just as I landed in the
only
puddle on the street, and . . . and he picked me up and carried me inside,” she said, sounding a bit breathless as she glanced in the direction Sam had gone. She looked at Niall, her cheeks turning a soft
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