To Marry McKenzie

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