Can't Tie Me Down! (Sinclair Sisters 1)

Sean’s fingers stopped over the keyboard and his shoulders became rigid. “No. He didn’t drink that night.”

Exactly what she’d thought. Mairi bit into another chocolate. She hadn’t gone to see him when he’d been arrested; she’d been too hurt and angry to face him. Plus, she’d genuinely believed the whole thing would blow over and he’d turn up at her door with a smile and an apology. Whether she would have let him in was another matter, but he’d never turned up for her to find out what she would have done. Instead, she’d read in the local paper that he’d been sent to prison for refusing to tell the police who’d been with him that night. They’d made an example out of him, even though he hadn’t committed any crimes as an adult. In effect, he’d chosen his loyalty to his friends over his loyalty to her.

She’d been angry, hurt and confused. She’d also been young and selfish. Now, looking at the events of that night from a distance, and being slightly more mature, she might have done things differently. If it happened now, she wouldn’t stay home licking her wounds; she would go straight to the police, demand to see him and not leave until Keir gave her an explanation that made sense. Because now that she was looking at things without feeling hurt and furious, she could see that something didn’t add up.

“Keir hasn’t been in any trouble since that night, has he?” she asked his brother.

“No.” Sean seemed frozen in place, as though terrified of what she might ask him next.

That was one thing she could understand. The McKenzie brothers shared the same deep loyalty to each other that she and her sisters shared. Sean probably felt he was betraying his brother by answering Mairi’s questions.

“You should ask Keir these questions, not me,” he said, confirming her theory.

“Don’t worry, I will.” Because suddenly she had a whole lot of questions about that night. “But answer this—he’d never been in trouble as an adult, until that night, right?”

“No.” Sean was clearly uncomfortable.

Huh. Mairi ate another chocolate. This one was a praline and tasted of nothing, the same as the rest. Apparently Mairi’s taste buds and brain couldn’t work in tandem, and her brain was definitely working hard—probably for the first time in years—as she puzzled over that night with Keir.

He’d been so careful with her; it had been months before they’d finally slept together. She’d been up-front with him early in their relationship, telling him she’d never had sex but very much wanted to jump his bones. He’d laughed, before his eyes turned dark. “We’ll get there, Rusty. Don’t you worry.”

Mairi’s throat tightened, making swallowing the chocolate difficult. For years, she’d thought he hadn’t loved her. That he couldn’t have loved her if he’d slept with her then fled. But what if there had been more to it? What if he hadn’t had a choice?

???

Instead of working on the jobs that were stacking up, Keir had spent most of his day threatening the people outside his garage to keep them from coming inside. It had turned into a street party. Folk turned up with picnics, there was music playing over at the geek campsite, and the reporters interviewed anyone who stood still long enough. The quiet village of Arness had become a mecca for geeks and gawkers. On top of that, the deliveries for Mairi just kept on coming. The latest one was the most worr

ying of all.

“Is that what I think it is?” Hamish said as he wiped his already clean hands on a rag and stared at the large box addressed to Mairi.

Keir could never figure out how the man managed to do a full day’s work in the garage and not get even a drop of oil on him.

“I really hope not,” Keir said.

The box was big, as in refrigerator-sized big, and printed on the front was the name of a well-known adult toy store.

“Looks to me like someone sent her one of those life-sized sex dolls,” Hamish said.

And damned if it didn’t look exactly the same way to Keir, which made his skin feel like beetles were crawling all over it. There were good gifts and then there were funny gifts—this was neither. This was just disturbing.

“In my day,” Hamish said, “we sent flowers. If we were serious, jewelry. I once sent a woman a really nice handbag. She hit me with it when she dumped me.”

There was really nothing to say to that. “I’m not carrying this upstairs. I feel like I need a bath just looking at it.”

“I’ve got a car to fix,” Hamish said as he headed for the Mini Cooper that was blocking the entrance to the garage.

“Coward,” Keir called after him as he pulled his phone from his back pocket and called Mairi.

“That isn’t funny,” she said as soon as she answered.

“What isn’t?” Keir grinned. He knew exactly what she was talking about.

“Setting your ringtone to the ‘Wedding March.’”

“It’s only a matter of time, Rusty. I’m irresistible and you’re backed against the wall.”

“Never give up, never surrender.”