Heart of the Druid Laird by Barbara Longley Read Free Book Online Page B

was about to take Sidney to lunch. Perhaps you’d like to join us?” He crossed his arms over his chest and sent Sidney a triumphant grin. As expected, her mother’s eyes lit up.
    “Thank you.” Susan patted his arm. “I’ve already eaten. You two go on.”
    Sidney gave him a defiant look. “I just told him I can’t get away for lunch today.”
    “Oh, go on.” Susan turned back to her daughter. “Have some fun. I’ll stay here and help out for a bit. After all, I did work here for thirty years. I do know how to help customers and ring up a sale.”
    “Fine.” Sidney’s face suffused with color as she stomped off.
    He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep the grin off his face. “You used to work here?” He turned back to Sidney’s mother.
    “Yes, only it was a hardware store then. The business supported three generations of St. Georges before it became the boutique it is now.” She sighed and looked around. “This building holds the history of my husband’s family, may he rest in peace.”
    “I’m sorry for your loss.” He watched Sidney emerge from the rear of the store. Something about her drew him in a way Mairéad never had, and yet their souls were one in the same. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. The very way she moved affected him. Susan St. George’s presence at his side barely registered.
    “It’s been two years,” Susan continued. “I wanted to sell the business and the building. My daughter persuaded me to let her turn it into a venue for local artists, designers and crafters. Here’s Sidney.” She turned to smile at him. “Enjoy your lunch.”
    He nodded, and followed Sidney out of the store. He had to quicken his stride to keep up with her pace. The thin, tight line of her mouth warned him to tread carefully. “Where are you leading me, lass?”
    “Thai food.”
    “So, Panache à Trois used to be the family hardware store?”
    “Yep.”
    “Your mother seems very pleasant.”
    “Mmm.”
    Dermot wasn’t sure what the sound she made meant. “You have only the one brother?”
    “That’s right.”
    “Your mother told me your father passed two years ago. That must’ve been difficult for you. I’m sorry.”
    “Of course it was difficult.”
    Dermot racked his brain for something to draw her out. “You’re very lucky to have your mother.”
    She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to frown at him. “I know I’m lucky. I love my mother, even if she does make me crazy.”
    Never having had a mother, he found the dynamics a fascinating study. The relationships between mothers and their offspring were always complex and fraught with archetypes and symbolism. “How does she make you crazy?”
    “She just does,” she huffed. “Whenever we talk, it seems we’re limited to two subjects.”
    “What might those be?” She remained silent, and he wondered if she’d answer.
    “Well, there’s the hardware conversation. Everyone who lives inside a building needs hardware, Sidney. Not everyone needs an original watercolor painting or handmade soap.”
    “Ah, I see. Yet, she agreed to the boutique?”
    “Sure she agreed.” She gave him a wry grin. “Just so she’d have something to torture me with.”
    “And the other topic?”
    “Yes, the other topic.” Sidney pushed her hands deep into her pockets. “She asks if I’ve met anyone. She’s become very determined to see me married and producing grandchildren.” She glanced at him. “Funny, huh? I mean, this is the twenty-first century. Women don’t need marriage to be successful. There’s nothing wrong with being single.”
    “I canna say what women need today. Meeting me should make your mother happy, aye?” He grinned. “She knows you’re on a date.”
    “This isn’t a date, MacMud. This is more akin to a stalking.”
    Dermot chuckled. “If your mother’s nagging is the worst of your burdens, you’re a sight better off than most.” He heard her breath hitch before she turned away.