To Marry McKenzie

Her father shrugged. 'That depends on what the provocation had been. In

your case, I believe it was quite severe. It would also depend on whether or

not I had a sense of humour,' he added critically. 'You're probably right,' he

instantly conceded heavily. 'I haven't seen any evidence of a sense of

humour in that particular young man, let alone the ability to laugh at

himself!'

'The restaurant door was unlocked, so I let myself in,'the young man in

question drawled as he strolled arrogantly into the kitchen. 'I believe you

were discussing the merits—or otherwise—of my sense of humour...?'

Logan said in a dangerously soft voice, looking from one to the other of

them, dark brows raised challengingly.

Was that a pig she had just seen fly past the window?

She might just as well have; the thing she had thought would never happen,

Logan once again seeking her out, had actually happened—but it couldn't

have been at a more inopportune moment. It took only one glance at Logan's

coldly set features to know that he did not appreciate walking in here to hear

himself being discussed between Darcy and her father in this way. In fact, it

felt as if he were emitting shards of ice from the coldness of those deep blue

eyes!

'Lack of it is a better description,' Darcy's father was the one to scathingly

answer the young man. 'It's going to break your mother's heart when she

knows you won't attend the wedding.'

Logan's mouth twisted. 'You have to be in possession of a heart in the first

place for it to be able to break!'

'No, Daddy!' Darcy just had time to shout before her father made a lunge at

the younger man, moving quickly to put a restraining hand on his arm

before he could actually reach Logan.

Logan who had remained completely unmoving as the older man had

lunged at him!

Maybe he just didn't believe her father would really have hit him? Although,

after her own behaviour, he should have known better! Darcy had certainly

believed her father was going to strike the younger man.

Logan eyed Daniel Simon coldly now. 'It's easy to see where Darcy gets her

hot temper,' he said.

'Verbally reasoning with you doesn't seem to make any impression,' her

father retorted angrily.

Logan shook his head. 'At least Darcy doesn't leave her marks on me where

they can be seen,' he murmured dryly. 'And I very much doubt my mother

would appreciate it if one, or both, of us were to arrive at the wedding with a

black eye!' he taunted the older man.

Darcy was too busy still reeling at Logan's remark about leaving her marks

on him where they couldn't be seen to be able to take in the rest of what he

had just said, deliberately not looking at her father as she sensed his sharp

interest at the other man's remark. Damn Logan, he made it sound as if

she—as if the two of them—

'Do I take it from that remark,' her father began slowly—disbelievingly,

'that you have reconsidered your previous decision not to be present at the

wedding...?'

It did sound as if Logan might have done exactly that, Darcy also realised

dazedly. Unbelievable as that might seem!

Logan gave an abrupt inclination of his head. 'After further thought, I have

decided it would be churlish not to be your second witness,' he bit out with

economic harshness.

Darcy's hand slowly dropped from her father's arm as she turned fully to

look at Logan. Had he had further thought, or had the woman he'd had his

over-three-hour lunch with pointed out—in a less dramatic way than Darcy

had earlier—that she thought he ought to reconsider his decision, and attend

his own mother's wedding? Somehow Darcy thought the latter was probably

nearer the truth. And the realisation, in view of her own recently realised

feelings towards Logan, that some other woman had this much influence on

him made her feel thoroughly depressed!

'Well?' He was eyeing her closely now.

Darcy stiffened defensively, her own emotions making her far too

vulnerable where this man was concerned. 'Well, what?' she challenged.

'Are you expecting congratulations for doing what you should have done in

the first place? Because if you are—'

'Darcy!' her father cut in sharply, warningly. 'I think this is very decent of

you, Logan.' He held his hand out to the younger man.

Logan shook that hand briefly. 'Just be happy, hmm,' he said gruffly.

'Oh, we will,' Daniel assured him with certainty. 'If the two of you will

excuse me, I think I'll just go and tell Meg the good news.'

Neither Darcy nor Logan attempted to stop him. Logan, no doubt because,

having made his decision, it was no longer of interest to him what Daniel did

about it. And Darcy because—because she was still smarting from the

knowledge that there was a woman in Logan's life somewhere who had this

much influence over him!