The Accidental Scot by Patience Griffin Read Free Book Online Page A

the process, the bells on his sweater jingled. He rolled his eyes and seemed to struggle with regaining his composure. “Amy mentioned her auntie had made the thing.” He shrugged and the sweater jingled another
tinkle, tinkle
. “I didn’t want to hurt her feelings by not wearing it.”
    â€œVery giving. We should call you
Mr. Christmas
.” Pippa waved him farther into the house. Up to this point, she’d done pretty well feigning her indifference, but Max was so genuinely nice that it was getting harder and harder for her not to like him. And so good-looking, too. But how could she be drawn to the man who might rob NSV of her da’s patents for the subsea shutoff valve?
    Pippa couldn’t help but inhale Max as he walked by. No trace of dead fish on this one. Nothing but
clean, attractive man
. It was disarming.
    Back in Edinburgh as
Alistair
, she’d made sure from the beginning her colleagues saw her as a serious engineer and just one of the guys. No one could get through her armor. But here in Gandiegow, she was
Pippa
. The fishermen’s sons still remembered her at eight when she sobbed at the death of the beached baby whale at their water’s edge. To her credit, she’d toughened up. She’d made sure those boys regretted their ruthless taunts. She could swear with the best of them now and knew how togut each and every one of them—not with a knife but with her wicked tongue.
    Damn Max McKinley.
He made her five-ten frame feel delicate. But she had bigger worries than some fleeting attraction.
    She focused at the spot just beyond his shoulder. “Stop for a second. There’s something I must tell you before you meet my da.”
    The doorbell rang. Impatiently, Pippa turned and answered it.
    Freda Douglas stood in the entryway with a sheepish smile on her face, holding one of her pots of soup. Freda was as interesting as the worn wallpaper in the hall, but had been a part of Pippa’s life for as long as she could remember.
    â€œâ€™Tis for you and the McDonnell.” Freda started to step in.
    Pippa stopped her by taking the soup tureen. “I’d ask you to stay but we’re busy right now.” She rolled her eyes in the direction of the Yank behind her.
    â€œAye. Tell yere da I’ll call on him tomorrow.”
    â€œThanks for the soup.” Pippa closed the door, feeling a smidge bad for the look on Freda’s disappointed face, but she had bigger fish to fry right now.
    She set the tureen on the foyer table and turned back to Max.
    â€œAs I was saying”—she chewed on her lower lip—“there’s something you need to know. My father isn’t well. He’s had an accident.” She wouldn’t tell Max everything—there was no need.
    His eyebrows cinched in concern. There was also ahint of
why wasn’t I told before
written across his face. “What kind of accident?”
    It was none of his damn business. She glowered at him. “Don’t say anything to upset my da, do you hear?” She picked up the soup and marched away toward the parlor. She didn’t give a crank that she hadn’t informed MTech beforehand about the McDonnell, and that she was running NSV now. If they’d known, the vultures would’ve sent ten executives to pick away at her father’s carcass instead of just one.
    Max grasped her arm. “Hold on a second.”
    Pippa stopped and glared at him.
    â€œWhat’s going on? Am I here under false pretenses? Does NSV want a partnership or not?”
    She wanted him to unhand her. His touch was unnerving and it sent a warning sensation down to her very bones. She had to be careful with this one. She needed to keep MTech interested without NSV appearing weak. She couldn’t let on that they were the only firm willing to work fast . . . fast enough to save the factory. All the other potential investors wanted to wait until after next