going away at this time would solve nothing. But he'd remained adamant
that was what he was going to do, and nothing Darcy could say would
persuade him otherwise.
And so she had agreed, in his absence, to take over the restaurant. But that
didn't mean she was at all happy about this situation.
Or the part Logan McKenzie had played in it!
'Well, why don't you say something?' she finally snapped, the tension
becoming unbearable.
Logan grimaced. 'I'm not sure I know what to say.'
'That must be a first!' she scorned.
He looked at her reprovingly. 'Insulting me isn't going to help this situation,
Darcy,' he admonished.
'Perhaps not—but it makes me feel better!' she told him forcefully.
'I don't doubt that. But it isn't going to bring your father back. From
wherever it is he's gone to lick his wounds.'
'Wounds that your mother inflicted on him!' Darcy accused defensively, her
cheeks flushed fiery-red now. 'She's the first woman he's really looked at
since my mother died, and she's just thrown his love back in his face as if it
meant nothing to her!'
Logan gave her a considering look. 'Shouldn't you have thought of that
before you threw your ultimatum at him?'
'I didn't—'
'Giving up your job with him here, moving out of the family home, isn't
issuing him with an ultimatum: her or me?' Logan reasoned softly.
The flush in her cheeks faded until they were deathly white, her eyes, a dark
smoky grey, the only colour left in her face. 'I merely—merely—' She broke
off, her bottom lip trembling so badly she couldn't speak any more. 'If you'll
excuse me,' she muttered, before getting up and making her way blindly
back to the kitchen, relieved when she heard the door swing shut behind her,
tears falling hotly down her cheeks now, waving away the concerned
gestures of the other staff working in the kitchen.
But she didn't feel quite so relieved when she felt strong arms move about
her, pulling her in to the hardness of what she easily recognised as Logan's
chest. He had followed her!
'This is becoming too much of a habit,' he said ruefully a few seconds later
as a white handkerchief appeared in front of her face.
Darcy took the handkerchief, her sobs subsiding as she mopped up the tears.
She had tried all evening not to think about her father, and the reason he had
gone away, but when Logan had spoken of it just now she had known he was
right. Her father hadn't just gone away to escape from his heartbreak at his
broken engagement, he had gone away to get away from her too!
And she had taken the easy option and turned her anger at herself round on
Logan...
Okay, so he wasn't exactly in favour of the marriage, either, but Darcy
doubted very much that he was in a position to order his mother to break her
engagement to Darcy's father. No, Margaret Fraser had made that decision
all on her own. Much as she hated to admit it, Darcy's aversion to the
marriage might just have had something to do with that decision...
'Darcy—Oops!' One of the waitresses stood awkwardly just inside the
kitchen, grimacing slightly as she saw Darcy in Logan's arms, and the way
the kitchen staff studiously avoided looking at them. 'I'm sorry for
interrupting,' the girl said uncomfortably. 'Table number ten liked your
creamed spinach so much they wondered if they could have some more,' she
explained.
Logan glared across the room at the poor girl. 'Tell table number ten that—'
'No, it's all right, Logan,' Darcy interrupted his angry reply, pulling out of
his arms to turn and smile at the waitress. 'Give me a couple of minutes,
okay?' she encouraged before turning back to Logan. 'I really do have to get
on with this now. I—'
'I'll go back and finish my meal,' Logan told her. 'Then I'll wait and take you
home afterwards,' he stated determinedly.
She had to admit, she didn't exactly relish returning to her father's empty
house, having moved back there earlier this evening, deciding it would be
fairer to her grandmother, now that she was to take over at the restaurant, if
she wasn't arriving back at all hours of the day and night. But the alternative
of having Logan accompany her home wasn't exactly appealing either!
'This isn't a subject for negotiation, Darcy,' he told her firmly as he
obviously saw the doubt in her expression. 'We still have things we need to
talk about.'
She hadn't intended negotiating; she had been going to say a very firm no
thank you to his suggestion. But one look at his determinedly set features
and she knew she would be wasting her time. And time wasn't something
she had to waste this evening!
She nodded. 'I should be finished here by about twelve-
'Fine,' he accepted briskly before turning on his heel and returning to the
main restaurant.
Darcy drew in a deep breath before turning to smile at the four members of