To Marry McKenzie

She didn't try and stop him a second time, for which he was very grateful.

Logan just wanted to get home now, before anyone else saw him, and

shower off all trace of this sticky mess.

Before meeting Fergus for their one o'clock luncheon appointment.

Unfortunately, he had still been so angry when he'd got to the luncheon

restaurant that the events of the morning had just come tumbling out as the

two men ate their meal. But far from sympathising with him, Fergus

obviously found the whole thing hilarious!

'Oh, come on, Logan, lighten up,' Fergus sobered enough to advise. 'If it had

happened to someone else you would be laughing about it too,' he reasoned.

'But it didn't happen to someone else,' Logan grated, still not in a mood to be

reasoned with. Darcy Simon had humiliated him for the last time!

His cousin shook his head, still smiling. 'I have to say I wasn't particularly

impressed when I met Darcy the other evening. She looked a plain little

thing to me,' he opined as Logan looked across at him, brows raised

questioningly. 'But further acquaintance might be interesting; there's

obviously a lot more to Darcy than initially meets the eye!'

Logan had thought Darcy plain to look at too when he'd first met-'her, but

somehow he did not appreciate hearing his cousin say it. Besides, he didn't

see her like that any more; Darcy's inner beauty shone out of those candid

grey eyes, and when she smiled—!

Logan shrugged dismissively. 'I'm sure the two of you will have a chance to

meet at my mother's wedding.' Although he couldn't say he was exactly

enamoured of the idea of his charming, good-looking cousin becoming

further acquainted with Darcy... 'I have no doubt you will receive an

invitation to the wedding!' he said sarcastically.

He had no doubt that his only other male cousin, Brice, would receive an

invitation too. And Brice was even more rakishly attractive than Fergus!

Damn!

Just the thought of the expletive he had first heard Darcy mutter brought the

woman herself vividly to mind. As he had last seen her. A look of utter

misery on her face, those deep grey eyes dark with despair at what she had

just done.

Whereas, in all honesty, Logan couldn't have blamed her if she had laughed

at his discomfort, as Fergus was doing now; he must have looked a sight,

with that egg- white all over him. In fact, now that he could begin to think

about it objectively, the whole situation had bordered on the farcical.

'That's better.' Fergus nodded his approval as Logan began to grin. 'I knew

your sense of humour would kick in eventually.'

Logan's smile was rueful. 'What do you do with a woman like Darcy?' he

mused.

'I have to admit I've never met one like her,' Fergus agreed. 'She sounds like

a one-off to me,' he said admiringly.

Unique, Logan admitted slowly. Totally, outrageously, adorably unique.

'I think you should go to the wedding, Logan,' Fergus told him. 'If only to

provide the other guests with a sideshow they'll never forget!' he added

mischievously.

Logan was coming to the same conclusion himself concerning attending the

wedding—but not for the reason Fergus stated! He simply didn't like the

idea of Brice and Fergus being anywhere near the emotionally vulnerable—

or did he mean volatile?—Darcy. The two men were com-plete charmers,

and, once Fergus had informed Brice of Darcy's antics where Logan was

concerned, he had no doubt Brice would want to meet her too. Darcy needed

protecting from herself!

At least, that was what he told himself as he drove back to his office a

couple of hours later, seriously thinking of reconsidering his refusal to be a

witness at the wedding. Not that his motives were exactly honourable; they

had absolutely nothing to do with his mother's feelings. He simply didn't

feel he could leave Darcy to the mercy of the lethal charm of his two

cousins.

'Darcy Simon called three times while you were out,' Karen informed him as

he entered her office that adjoined his own.

Logan came to an abrupt halt, turning slowly. 'On the telephone?' he

prompted casually.

Karen gave him a quizzical look. 'Well, of course on the telephone, Logan;

how else could she have called?'

After this morning, he wouldn't put anything past that particular young

lady! 'You might be surprised at what Darcy can do,' he drawled. 'So Darcy

telephoned?'

'Three times,' Karen confirmed.

'And?' he pressed impatiently when she didn't enlarge on the subject.

'And nothing,' Karen replied. 'The first two calls she just aske4 to speak to

you, ringing off without leaving her name when I told her you were out to

lunch. I realised it was the same caller when the third call came in only ten

minutes or so ago, and this time I did get her to leave her name.'

Logan frowned. 'Does she want me to call her back?'