Hero of a Highland Wolf
Page 52
“Got to go and watch my driving,” Colleen said, still uncomfortable driving on the narrow roads and in the wrong lane.
“All right, see you in a bit.”
Colleen glanced in her rearview mirror and swore the car behind her had been following her for the last hour. Having no place to pull over where there was safety in numbers, she continued to drive to Argent Castle.
Suddenly, the car slowed down and some maniac raced around it and sped toward her. She slowed way down also, pulling over as far as she could on the practically one-lane road. He passed, honked at her, and slowed in front of her, flashing his brakes.
“What the…” She couldn’t see the driver through the tinted windows. But he had to be drunk or some kind of nutcase. Her stomach clenched with annoyance.
Then she noticed that the car behind her had sped up to block her in. Panicked, she stopped the car suddenly, and the driver almost rear-ended her. Before she could get out of the car, a furious-looking Grant climbed out of the vehicle in front of her and headed for her.
Oh…my…God. Someone must have told him she had taken his car, and he had not approved it. Just great! She was buying a used car, pronto.
The men in the other car just stayed there and waited.
She opened the car door and frowned at him. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, irritated with his high-handed ways.
“You’re not seeing him,” he said, reaching his car and towering over her—a hot-under-the-collar Highland warrior, and not one ounce of him looked like it could fit into a suit and a tie.
“What are you talking about?”
He hesitated, looking puzzled. “Where were you going?”
“You know, you could have asked me that to begin with in a nice way. A phone call would have sufficed,” she snapped, so irritated that he would chase her down like this and act as though she was the bad guy.
“Reception isn’t always the greatest out here,” he said, trying to talk his way out of this.
She wasn’t buying it. “Where did you think I was going?”
He shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Grant?”
“To see Archibald.”
“What?” She couldn’t help how angry she sounded.
“To ask him if he knew about my father’s death.”
“Oh.” She thought Grant was worried that she’d intended to take up with the man, as in dating and mating, after she had told him she had no intention of letting Archibald get his hands on the estates. She took a deep, calming breath. “I’m on my way to see Julia. And I won’t be home until tomorrow, later sometime. I don’t know when.”
He motioned to the car behind him and both men got out. Maynard and Darby? What was going on?
“Darby, you and Maynard can return home. I’ll take it from here,” Grant said.
Lachlan got out of the passenger side of the car in front of her and waved.
“Go on home, Lachlan. I’ve got this covered,” Grant said.
“Wait, you’re going to walk home?” she asked Grant.
The men looked like they didn’t want to witness this conversation, yet they hung around as if they thought they might still need to give Grant a ride back to Farraige Castle.
“Move over, lass. I will drive you to Argent Castle.”
“We’re having an all-night girls’ party, and all day, too, if you must know.”
“Good, I need to speak with Ian and his brothers. That will work perfectly for me.”
In disbelief, she moved over to the passenger’s side. She didn’t believe he’d had any intention of speaking with Ian or his brothers until she made plans to visit them.
“This is what you meant by letting me borrow the car anytime I wanted?” she asked, scowling at him.
Grant smiled.
She shook her head. “You couldn’t just call Ian?”
“Bad reception sometimes.”
She didn’t believe it for an instant. Well, maybe sometimes, but not this time. “You really didn’t think I was getting together with Archibald for any other reason, did you?” She had to know beyond a doubt that he didn’t think she was interested in the man.
“No, lass. It’s as I said. I was concerned you might think to ask him about your father’s contribution to my father’s death. I didn’t want you getting involved in that. So what brought on this sudden urge to see Julia? I thought you were spending the day studying the financial graphs.”
She was sure her whole body blushed. She didn’t want to reveal that her leaving had all to do with one wickedly sexy wolf who had seduced her last night, abandoned her, and was now trying to take charge of her today. And how she didn’t know how to deal with him when her emotions got in the way.
Grant’s phone rang and he answered it. “Ian, yes, I got word the lass intended to keep my car for longer than we thought. Which is fine. I’m coming with her, so make another place at the table, will you?”
She heard Ian laughing. Grant glanced at her. “Aye, I’m keeping her out of trouble on the way there. What’s the deal with this wild all-day and all-night party Julia’s holding? Is it something we’ve got to be concerned about?” he asked Ian.
Colleen smiled. “Yes, if you’re a man.” That earned her a smile. “Ask Ian if Julia’s had any of these parties since she’s been there.”
He asked Ian, listened, and then he said, “Okay, so you don’t know what this is all about, either? Well, between your pack and me, we should be able to manage them all right.”
“All right, see you in a bit.”
Colleen glanced in her rearview mirror and swore the car behind her had been following her for the last hour. Having no place to pull over where there was safety in numbers, she continued to drive to Argent Castle.
Suddenly, the car slowed down and some maniac raced around it and sped toward her. She slowed way down also, pulling over as far as she could on the practically one-lane road. He passed, honked at her, and slowed in front of her, flashing his brakes.
“What the…” She couldn’t see the driver through the tinted windows. But he had to be drunk or some kind of nutcase. Her stomach clenched with annoyance.
Then she noticed that the car behind her had sped up to block her in. Panicked, she stopped the car suddenly, and the driver almost rear-ended her. Before she could get out of the car, a furious-looking Grant climbed out of the vehicle in front of her and headed for her.
Oh…my…God. Someone must have told him she had taken his car, and he had not approved it. Just great! She was buying a used car, pronto.
The men in the other car just stayed there and waited.
She opened the car door and frowned at him. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, irritated with his high-handed ways.
“You’re not seeing him,” he said, reaching his car and towering over her—a hot-under-the-collar Highland warrior, and not one ounce of him looked like it could fit into a suit and a tie.
“What are you talking about?”
He hesitated, looking puzzled. “Where were you going?”
“You know, you could have asked me that to begin with in a nice way. A phone call would have sufficed,” she snapped, so irritated that he would chase her down like this and act as though she was the bad guy.
“Reception isn’t always the greatest out here,” he said, trying to talk his way out of this.
She wasn’t buying it. “Where did you think I was going?”
He shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Grant?”
“To see Archibald.”
“What?” She couldn’t help how angry she sounded.
“To ask him if he knew about my father’s death.”
“Oh.” She thought Grant was worried that she’d intended to take up with the man, as in dating and mating, after she had told him she had no intention of letting Archibald get his hands on the estates. She took a deep, calming breath. “I’m on my way to see Julia. And I won’t be home until tomorrow, later sometime. I don’t know when.”
He motioned to the car behind him and both men got out. Maynard and Darby? What was going on?
“Darby, you and Maynard can return home. I’ll take it from here,” Grant said.
Lachlan got out of the passenger side of the car in front of her and waved.
“Go on home, Lachlan. I’ve got this covered,” Grant said.
“Wait, you’re going to walk home?” she asked Grant.
The men looked like they didn’t want to witness this conversation, yet they hung around as if they thought they might still need to give Grant a ride back to Farraige Castle.
“Move over, lass. I will drive you to Argent Castle.”
“We’re having an all-night girls’ party, and all day, too, if you must know.”
“Good, I need to speak with Ian and his brothers. That will work perfectly for me.”
In disbelief, she moved over to the passenger’s side. She didn’t believe he’d had any intention of speaking with Ian or his brothers until she made plans to visit them.
“This is what you meant by letting me borrow the car anytime I wanted?” she asked, scowling at him.
Grant smiled.
She shook her head. “You couldn’t just call Ian?”
“Bad reception sometimes.”
She didn’t believe it for an instant. Well, maybe sometimes, but not this time. “You really didn’t think I was getting together with Archibald for any other reason, did you?” She had to know beyond a doubt that he didn’t think she was interested in the man.
“No, lass. It’s as I said. I was concerned you might think to ask him about your father’s contribution to my father’s death. I didn’t want you getting involved in that. So what brought on this sudden urge to see Julia? I thought you were spending the day studying the financial graphs.”
She was sure her whole body blushed. She didn’t want to reveal that her leaving had all to do with one wickedly sexy wolf who had seduced her last night, abandoned her, and was now trying to take charge of her today. And how she didn’t know how to deal with him when her emotions got in the way.
Grant’s phone rang and he answered it. “Ian, yes, I got word the lass intended to keep my car for longer than we thought. Which is fine. I’m coming with her, so make another place at the table, will you?”
She heard Ian laughing. Grant glanced at her. “Aye, I’m keeping her out of trouble on the way there. What’s the deal with this wild all-day and all-night party Julia’s holding? Is it something we’ve got to be concerned about?” he asked Ian.
Colleen smiled. “Yes, if you’re a man.” That earned her a smile. “Ask Ian if Julia’s had any of these parties since she’s been there.”
He asked Ian, listened, and then he said, “Okay, so you don’t know what this is all about, either? Well, between your pack and me, we should be able to manage them all right.”
