Hero of a Highland Wolf
Page 32
Both Lachlan and Enrick looked on, waiting to hear what Grant had learned about the lass as he tried to come up with something gentler to say to her over the phone, despite his anger and concern about her leaving without a word to him or anyone else.
When Colleen didn’t tell him where she was, he thought he might have upset her even more with his gruff, blunt tone. He couldn’t help it. He’d been frantic to learn where she had gone once he realized she wasn’t in the area. And he’d called several times, unable to reach her. Now that he had her on the phone, he wanted to know where the bloody hell she was.
But with Colleen, he had to temper his approach a bit, he realized.
“Sorry, lass. I’ve had men searching for you all over the place, fearing you’d had a wreck.”
“Oh,” she said coolly. “I’m at Kelton’s Pub.”
“Kelton’s Pub?” He cursed under his breath. How had she managed to drive that far? “Are you lost? Forget it. I’m coming to get you.”
“No. I’m fine,” she said, sounding determined to do this her way.
She had every right to, he knew, yet he didn’t want to worry about her even if he had nothing to concern himself with.
“How did she get there?” Enrick asked.
“Stay in the area,” Grant said to Colleen, ignoring his brother. He could only deal with one conversation at a time. “I’ll meet you at the pub in two hours.”
“Forget it, Grant. I’ll get a room at a local bed and breakfast.”
He ground his teeth. He didn’t like the scenario, but as long as she was fine, he really had no say in what she did or didn’t do. Maybe she’d feel better when she returned home.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay with me?” Archibald asked Colleen in the background.
As soon as Grant heard Archibald speaking with her, he saw red.
The bastard was there? With Colleen? At the same pub? It was a date? What the hell was the deal with a bed and breakfast? Damnation.
Or maybe it hadn’t been a date and she had gotten in touch with Archibald so that she could air her gripes about Grant and his clan. Or cry on his shoulder about her grandmother.
If she needed to talk to anyone, it would be Grant. He knew her grandmother. Not that bastard.
“I’m coming. Don’t leave,” Grant said to her, his voice a pack leader’s command. Not that he had any business ordering her around, but he wasn’t going to let Archibald have his way in this. He hung up on her before she could tell him no again and headed for his car.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Enrick asked, brow furrowed.
“I want you to take care of things here. Lachlan, you come with me. Archibald’s with her at Kelton’s Pub.”
“The same place he used to take her father,” Enrick said. “Bloody hell. That bastard will stop at nothing to win her over.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Grant just hoped she wasn’t drinking to take away the sting of what she’d learned about her grandmother. He could see the man trying to take advantage of her vulnerability.
And he could see Archibald hugging her, consoling her, trying to kiss her. That had Grant growling again.
He and Lachlan climbed into his car and took off. Grant took several deep, calming breaths in an attempt to curb his temper. He was ready to pummel Archibald, because he was certain the man played to Colleen’s sympathies. She needed someone like Grant to talk to her, someone who would be honest with her and not weave a fairy tale to win her over.
“What are we going to do?” Lachlan asked. “She’s a grown woman and American, and doesn’t have to listen to anything you have to say. She’s not one of our clan members, not of our pack. She can do whatever she wants.”
“I’ll bring the lass home. I want you to drive her car back to the castle. She doesn’t know the roads and most likely isn’t used to driving on the correct side of the road, so it would be better if she didn’t drive at night. Tomorrow, I want her rental car returned to the airport. She shouldn’t be paying for the cost of it when she can use my car anytime she wants.”
Lachlan chuckled.
“What?” Grant said, annoyed.
“If you don’t want her here, why are you making her depend on you for transportation? When have you ever let anyone borrow your car willingly?” Before Grant could comment, his brother added, “Oh, I see. You don’t intend to let her drive it whenever she is of a mind to leave. Or you’ll insist you or one of us goes with her. Which brings me back to my original question. Why do you now want the lass confined to the castle? Or is it that you think that will make her feel restricted, and she’ll want to leave?”
“I would think the answer obvious. If she stays, and it appears she is, we don’t want her roaming the countryside when Archibald has set his sights on her.”
“So he invited her to stay the night with him,” Lachlan said.
“Aye. At least, she had the good sense to say no. But if he pressures her…”
“Like if she starts drinking at the pub…”
Grant glanced at his brother.
Lachlan shrugged. “He can be persuasive, like he was with her father.”
“Who was prone to drinking.” Grant rubbed his chin. “The lass couldn’t hold her liquor the other night. I don’t believe she’s anything like her father.”
“It doesn’t mean she won’t drink to make herself feel better if we’ve upset her.”
When Colleen didn’t tell him where she was, he thought he might have upset her even more with his gruff, blunt tone. He couldn’t help it. He’d been frantic to learn where she had gone once he realized she wasn’t in the area. And he’d called several times, unable to reach her. Now that he had her on the phone, he wanted to know where the bloody hell she was.
But with Colleen, he had to temper his approach a bit, he realized.
“Sorry, lass. I’ve had men searching for you all over the place, fearing you’d had a wreck.”
“Oh,” she said coolly. “I’m at Kelton’s Pub.”
“Kelton’s Pub?” He cursed under his breath. How had she managed to drive that far? “Are you lost? Forget it. I’m coming to get you.”
“No. I’m fine,” she said, sounding determined to do this her way.
She had every right to, he knew, yet he didn’t want to worry about her even if he had nothing to concern himself with.
“How did she get there?” Enrick asked.
“Stay in the area,” Grant said to Colleen, ignoring his brother. He could only deal with one conversation at a time. “I’ll meet you at the pub in two hours.”
“Forget it, Grant. I’ll get a room at a local bed and breakfast.”
He ground his teeth. He didn’t like the scenario, but as long as she was fine, he really had no say in what she did or didn’t do. Maybe she’d feel better when she returned home.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay with me?” Archibald asked Colleen in the background.
As soon as Grant heard Archibald speaking with her, he saw red.
The bastard was there? With Colleen? At the same pub? It was a date? What the hell was the deal with a bed and breakfast? Damnation.
Or maybe it hadn’t been a date and she had gotten in touch with Archibald so that she could air her gripes about Grant and his clan. Or cry on his shoulder about her grandmother.
If she needed to talk to anyone, it would be Grant. He knew her grandmother. Not that bastard.
“I’m coming. Don’t leave,” Grant said to her, his voice a pack leader’s command. Not that he had any business ordering her around, but he wasn’t going to let Archibald have his way in this. He hung up on her before she could tell him no again and headed for his car.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Enrick asked, brow furrowed.
“I want you to take care of things here. Lachlan, you come with me. Archibald’s with her at Kelton’s Pub.”
“The same place he used to take her father,” Enrick said. “Bloody hell. That bastard will stop at nothing to win her over.”
“My thoughts exactly.” Grant just hoped she wasn’t drinking to take away the sting of what she’d learned about her grandmother. He could see the man trying to take advantage of her vulnerability.
And he could see Archibald hugging her, consoling her, trying to kiss her. That had Grant growling again.
He and Lachlan climbed into his car and took off. Grant took several deep, calming breaths in an attempt to curb his temper. He was ready to pummel Archibald, because he was certain the man played to Colleen’s sympathies. She needed someone like Grant to talk to her, someone who would be honest with her and not weave a fairy tale to win her over.
“What are we going to do?” Lachlan asked. “She’s a grown woman and American, and doesn’t have to listen to anything you have to say. She’s not one of our clan members, not of our pack. She can do whatever she wants.”
“I’ll bring the lass home. I want you to drive her car back to the castle. She doesn’t know the roads and most likely isn’t used to driving on the correct side of the road, so it would be better if she didn’t drive at night. Tomorrow, I want her rental car returned to the airport. She shouldn’t be paying for the cost of it when she can use my car anytime she wants.”
Lachlan chuckled.
“What?” Grant said, annoyed.
“If you don’t want her here, why are you making her depend on you for transportation? When have you ever let anyone borrow your car willingly?” Before Grant could comment, his brother added, “Oh, I see. You don’t intend to let her drive it whenever she is of a mind to leave. Or you’ll insist you or one of us goes with her. Which brings me back to my original question. Why do you now want the lass confined to the castle? Or is it that you think that will make her feel restricted, and she’ll want to leave?”
“I would think the answer obvious. If she stays, and it appears she is, we don’t want her roaming the countryside when Archibald has set his sights on her.”
“So he invited her to stay the night with him,” Lachlan said.
“Aye. At least, she had the good sense to say no. But if he pressures her…”
“Like if she starts drinking at the pub…”
Grant glanced at his brother.
Lachlan shrugged. “He can be persuasive, like he was with her father.”
“Who was prone to drinking.” Grant rubbed his chin. “The lass couldn’t hold her liquor the other night. I don’t believe she’s anything like her father.”
“It doesn’t mean she won’t drink to make herself feel better if we’ve upset her.”
