hide from him. “Why would I do that?”
“I don’t know.”
She could feel him watching her in the dark, lit only by a tall yard light, when he slowed his steps. “You aren’t nervous about being around the O’Briens without the boys, are you?”
She refused to look at him. “Why would I be afraid?”
“That’s what I’m wondering.”
“You’re imagining things.”
Stopping, he turned and placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s not uncommon to feel ill at ease with your employer, especially when you’re new.”
His touch made her head swim, but she managed to glare at him. “And you know this how?”
“I’ve been a new employee, that’s how.”
“And so have I, several times, so if you’ll please let go of me…”
She felt his hesitation, but he did as she asked and turned away. Squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, she tried to calm herself. Mac’s hands on her had definitely done a number on her heart.
M AC WISHED he’d kept his mouth shut. Let that be a lesson, he thought. Don’t try to help someone who doesn’t want help.
When he turned the corner of the big ranch house to join the others, he could hear the music. “I see you dragged out the oldies but goodies,” he said as he and Nikki stepped onto the patio.
“There you are,” Jules said, greeting Nikki with a warm smile. “I was afraid you were trying to avoid us or were just too tired to come back.”
“The boys weren’t eager to settle down,” Nikki explained. “They’re all sleeping now.”
Mac turned to Jules. “I can’t believe you’re just standing there,” he said, feeling the beat of the music. Walking over to her, he took her hand. “Come on, let’s show them how to party.” When he swept her into his arms, she tipped back her head and laughed. “I’ll bet that cowboy doesn’t dance with you,” he said loudly enough for everyone to hear and nodding at Tanner, who stood watching them with a grin. Nikki, he noticed, was staring, her eyes wide.
“She can two-step with the best of them,” Tanner said.
Mac stopped moving. “Texas Two-Step?”
“Hush,” Jules said. “We don’t call it that here in Oklahoma.”
Mac tried for a sober nod and looked over his shoulder at Tanner. “And I suppose you’re going to tell me you taught her.”
“She’s a fast learner,” Tanner answered with a wink.
Mac laughed and spun Jules in a circle. “Maybe I should take lessons,” he said, handing her off to her husband.
Tanner slipped a hand around his wife’s waist. “If you want to stick around these parts, it’s the only way to survive.”
Turning to Nikki, Mac held out his hand. “Your turn.”
She took a step back. “No, I think—I think I’ll pass.”
“What? You can’t dance?” he asked.
She squared her shoulders and looked him in the eye. “Of course I can.” But instead of taking his hand as he’d thought she would, she moved away and settled on one of the chairs.
The awkward moment was saved by Bridey, who stepped outside with a tray of dessert glasses. Shawn followed and took a seat near his uncle.
“Let me help,” Mac said, hurrying to lend a hand. He took the tray from her and studied the glasses. “There isn’t a tiny bit of the devil in these, is there?”
Bridey laughed and pointed to a table. “It’s one of Tanner’s favorites, but don’t have too much, or there’ll be the devil to pay. ”
Tanner rubbed his hands together. “Irish Jig Dessert! You haven’t made this for years, Bridey.”
The woman’s face colored with pleasure. “I thought it would be a nice way to welcome Nikki. Come on,” she urged everyone, “give it a go.”
Shawn jumped from his chair, but his uncle stopped him. “Shawn, I’m not sure you should be having any.”
Jules joined them. “Oh, Tanner, it isn’t going to hurt him. There’s only a little whiskey in it. Let him have a glass.”
“Better they have it at home than out with their friends.”
Everyone turned to
“I don’t know.”
She could feel him watching her in the dark, lit only by a tall yard light, when he slowed his steps. “You aren’t nervous about being around the O’Briens without the boys, are you?”
She refused to look at him. “Why would I be afraid?”
“That’s what I’m wondering.”
“You’re imagining things.”
Stopping, he turned and placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s not uncommon to feel ill at ease with your employer, especially when you’re new.”
His touch made her head swim, but she managed to glare at him. “And you know this how?”
“I’ve been a new employee, that’s how.”
“And so have I, several times, so if you’ll please let go of me…”
She felt his hesitation, but he did as she asked and turned away. Squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, she tried to calm herself. Mac’s hands on her had definitely done a number on her heart.
M AC WISHED he’d kept his mouth shut. Let that be a lesson, he thought. Don’t try to help someone who doesn’t want help.
When he turned the corner of the big ranch house to join the others, he could hear the music. “I see you dragged out the oldies but goodies,” he said as he and Nikki stepped onto the patio.
“There you are,” Jules said, greeting Nikki with a warm smile. “I was afraid you were trying to avoid us or were just too tired to come back.”
“The boys weren’t eager to settle down,” Nikki explained. “They’re all sleeping now.”
Mac turned to Jules. “I can’t believe you’re just standing there,” he said, feeling the beat of the music. Walking over to her, he took her hand. “Come on, let’s show them how to party.” When he swept her into his arms, she tipped back her head and laughed. “I’ll bet that cowboy doesn’t dance with you,” he said loudly enough for everyone to hear and nodding at Tanner, who stood watching them with a grin. Nikki, he noticed, was staring, her eyes wide.
“She can two-step with the best of them,” Tanner said.
Mac stopped moving. “Texas Two-Step?”
“Hush,” Jules said. “We don’t call it that here in Oklahoma.”
Mac tried for a sober nod and looked over his shoulder at Tanner. “And I suppose you’re going to tell me you taught her.”
“She’s a fast learner,” Tanner answered with a wink.
Mac laughed and spun Jules in a circle. “Maybe I should take lessons,” he said, handing her off to her husband.
Tanner slipped a hand around his wife’s waist. “If you want to stick around these parts, it’s the only way to survive.”
Turning to Nikki, Mac held out his hand. “Your turn.”
She took a step back. “No, I think—I think I’ll pass.”
“What? You can’t dance?” he asked.
She squared her shoulders and looked him in the eye. “Of course I can.” But instead of taking his hand as he’d thought she would, she moved away and settled on one of the chairs.
The awkward moment was saved by Bridey, who stepped outside with a tray of dessert glasses. Shawn followed and took a seat near his uncle.
“Let me help,” Mac said, hurrying to lend a hand. He took the tray from her and studied the glasses. “There isn’t a tiny bit of the devil in these, is there?”
Bridey laughed and pointed to a table. “It’s one of Tanner’s favorites, but don’t have too much, or there’ll be the devil to pay. ”
Tanner rubbed his hands together. “Irish Jig Dessert! You haven’t made this for years, Bridey.”
The woman’s face colored with pleasure. “I thought it would be a nice way to welcome Nikki. Come on,” she urged everyone, “give it a go.”
Shawn jumped from his chair, but his uncle stopped him. “Shawn, I’m not sure you should be having any.”
Jules joined them. “Oh, Tanner, it isn’t going to hurt him. There’s only a little whiskey in it. Let him have a glass.”
“Better they have it at home than out with their friends.”
Everyone turned to
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