Charmed by His Love by Janet Chapman Read Free Book Online

she sped past him in a blur of blinding tears.
    Duncan stood with his feet planted and his hands on his hips, scowling at Peg Thompson fleeing from him. “What in hell is up with that woman?” he growled when Mac walked over. He pointed at the cloud of dust trailing in her wake. “If that’s your idea of a good friend, Oceanus, I’d hate to meet your enemies.”
    Instead of answering, Mac arched a brow at Olivia as she walked toward them. “Mind telling me what that was all about?”
    “Peg quit her job,” Olivia told him, though she was glaring at Duncan.
    “Because of me?” Duncan asked in surprise.
    Olivia turned her glare on Mac. “Fix this,” she said, gesturing toward the knoll. “She needs this job even more than I need her.”
    “Then why did she quit?” Mac asked.
    “Because she can’t afford daycare for the twins.” Olivia went back to glaring at Duncan. “After what happened Saturday, Peg doesn’t dare bring her children to work with her anymore.” She looked back at Mac. “So fix this.”
    “How?”
    “I don’t care how.” She stepped in the shadow of her husband, out of Duncan’s line of sight. “Pull a rabbit out of your hat or something,” he heard her whisper tightly. “Better yet, pull out a nanny. Because I’m not getting on that bus until you fix this.”
    Duncan smiled, realizing Olivia was asking her husband to use his magic. And even though she was upset and obviouslydesperate, she was also acutely aware that she had an audience.
    “You don’t have to whisper, wife,” Mac said. “Duncan knows who I am. All the MacKeages and MacBains and Gregors do.”
    “Then
fix this
,” she growled loudly.
    “I’m sorry,” Mac said, slowly shaking his head. “It’s not my place to interfere in people’s lives.”
    Duncan didn’t quite manage to stifle his snort.
    After glaring over his shoulder at him, Mac looked back at his wife. “Peg’s journey is one
she
must walk, Olivia. And for me to magically clear the obstacles in her path would in essence be robbing your friend of her free will. It’s the trials and tribulations people overcome and how they deal with the ones they can’t that define a person.” Mac smiled tenderly. “Just as you are empowering Sophie by letting her save her half brother’s life, you must also allow Peg to empower herself.”
    “Yeah, well, that may be how they do things in mythological Atlantis, but in Maine we
help
each other through our trials and tribulations.” She stepped around Mac and went back to glaring at Duncan. “So
you
fix this.”
    “Me? Why should I be expected to fix something I didn’t break? She’s your friend; you fix it.”
    “I can’t,” Olivia snapped, pivoting away. “Because I have to go spend the next two months in a bus with my ‘divine agent of human affairs’ theurgist husband, who can turn an entire state upside down but apparently can’t help my friend find daycare.”
    Duncan actually took a step back when Mac turned on him. “By the gods, MacKeage,” the wizard said quietly—which sure as hell contradicted the wild look in his eyes. “I have no intention of traveling across this country and back with an angry wife. So fix this, dammit.”
    “But I didn’t
break it
. I only just met Peg Thompson two days ago.”
    Mac glanced at Olivia stomping up the stairs to the lodge, then turned back to Duncan with a heavy sigh and scrubbed his face with his hands. He dropped them, the wild look having been replaced by desperation. “Then help me fix it.”
    Holy hell; the wizard was asking him—a mere mortal—for help?
    “Only we have to find a way that doesn’t involve the magic,” Mac continued. He folded his arms over his chest, looking thoughtful. “It’s my guess that Olivia is mostly concerned that Peg needs the income, as Olivia’s father, Sam, is more than capable of looking after Inglenook while we’re gone. So I believe if we can find some way for Peg to earn a decent living and