A PIECE OF MY HEART
Irish
Pride series, book two
Kemberlee
Shortland
Cover design by Kim Killion at Hot Damn Designs -- http://www.hotdamndesigns.com.
Mick and Kate thought they were falling in love. Kate hadn't been just
the girl next door. She'd been Mick's life, and he hers. When an unforeseen
force draws them apart they're left with wounds that refuse to heal. Now, ten
years on, Mick's father's will should have been straightforward, except his addendum
was like ice water in Mick's face.
It's essential that Mick and Kate work together to save his family's
farm. Mick doesn't count on his new manager being accused of murder, and Kate
doesn't expect a dangerously seductive woman from Dublin to claim Mick is the
father of her child.
Kate thought she was falling in love with Mick all over again; however
this newest revelation is too much for her. She is determined to finally say
goodbye to her childhood sweetheart forever, but Mick has other plans for Kate's
future. And none of them involve goodbye.
“What are
you doing here?”
“Nice to
see you too, Mick.” She opened one eye to look at him.
He stood
just inside the solicitor’s office door. He’d expected Kate at the funeral
service yesterday, but he couldn’t see any reason for her to be here today.
He scowled
in her direction, then strode to reception. The clerk behind the desk turned a
harried glance his way, continuing to sort folders beside her computer. “Can I
help you?” she asked, not bothering to stop what she was doing.
“Michael
Spillane to see Tighe Lynch,” he grumbled.
Finally
looking up, the clerk said, “He’s expecting you. I’ll let him know you’re
here.”
As the
clerk reached for the intercom, he turned back to Kate. If this hadn’t been his
father’s solicitor’s office and if today hadn’t been the reading of his
father’s will, he would have appreciated the sight of her in her smart dark
blue suit, white blouse with the Irish lace trim, and matching blue pumps. She
sat calmly, her head against the wall behind her, eyes closed. She bent her
shapely legs under her and crossed them at the ankle, her hands folded in her
lap.
Her
emerald eyes hid beneath lids edged with thick dark lashes. He knew the exact
shade of them since he’d looked into them so often in the past. They were eyes
no man could forget.
Her
normally unruly black hair was pulled back in a twist and away from her heart
shaped face.
When they
were kids he used to love it when she left her hair down. The tight curls of it
bounced over her shoulders like springs when she ran. He’d seen her like that
once last year when he’d been home for a couple days during Christmas.
They’d
been invited to join the Conneelys, but he’d convinced his father not to go. He
couldn’t bear being in the same room with her for so long, but she’d delivered
food and he’d suffered anyway.
He
recalled how he’d stiffened just watching her walk across the farmyard. As he
did now. He mentally shook himself. This wasn’t the time or place to get an
erection. The business at hand was the will and what she was doing here now.
Not the fact that just looking at her could make him stiff.
Clearing
his throat, he repeated, “You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing
here?”
Her eyes
fluttered open. The look she gave him made his heart skip a beat. His groin
tightened again watching her tongue smooth its way over her lips. She had no
idea just how erotic that simple act was. She was about to speak when a door
opened behind him. Both of them spun to face Tighe Lynch.
“Mickleen,”
Tighe exclaimed, using the common endearment and thrusting his hand into his.
“Welcome home, lad. I just wish it were under different circumstances. I can’t
tell you how much Donal will be missed.”
Mick could
only tip his head at the man’s kindness. Words were still too hard to come by.
Tighe
grasped Kate by her shoulders as she stood to greet him and kissed her on both
cheeks. “Kate. Lovely as ever. Won’t you both step into my office?”
Not one to
stand on ceremony, Mick strode through the door ahead of Kate and Tighe and
went right into the solicitor’s office. He knew where it was. Was it really
only a little more than two years ago he’d been here to discuss his mother’s
will?
His scowl
deepened when Kate walked through the office door ahead of Tighe. He got the
perfect look at her shapely bum as she was forced to step between him and the
desk to the seat beside him. He shifted in his seat, crossing his legs and
pulling his coat around him to hide his erection. He kept his mind on wondering
why she was at the reading of his father’s will to keep his libido under
control.
Surely,
she’d earned a regular wage for the time she spent cleaning his father’s house
and cooking his meals. She was hired help and would have been paid accordingly.
So there should be no reason why she should be here today. Unless there was
something the solicitor knew and wasn’t telling them. Yet.
“I thought
this was just a formality, Tighe. Why is she here?” He couldn’t even use her
name. Just the feel of it in his mouth would leave him tongue-tied.
Tighe
stopped him with an upheld hand. “If you’ll both bear with me, I will explain.”
The solicitor turned to a folder on his desk and opened it, extracting two
documents. Holding one before him, he said, “This is your father’s will,
Michael. It’s all very straight forward. In it, the farm, the stock, the
land—almost everything is left to you.”
“Almost?”
“We’ll get
to that, lad,” Tighe said.
Tighe
looked at Kate and held up the second document.
“This is
the addendum to the will.”
“Addendum?”
she asked.
“An
addendum means that instead of making up a whole new will, Dad just changed
it.” Mick, not looking at her, directed his statement to the solicitor and
waited for the shoe to drop.
Leave it
to his father to make this more difficult on him than it already was. Wasn’t it
bad enough he couldn’t get rid of the tremendous feeling of guilt for not
spending more time with him? He never wanted to believe—or admit—his father was
that sick. Sure, Kate called him regularly with updates. He heard everything
she’d said, but why the hell hadn’t he listened to her!
“Changed
the will?” she asked. “Is that right, Mr. Lynch?”
“In a
manner of speaking,” Tighe replied. “It means he added something into the
original will.”
“When was this?”
Mick asked.
“If you’ll
allow me, I’ll read what Donal has bequeathed. If you have any questions we can
go from there. Right?”
Both Mick
and Kate nodded agreement. Tighe read the will as it stood and then the
addendum. Mick couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “That bastard!” he
muttered. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the wide glares both Kate and
Tighe gave him at the curse.
“Mr.
Lynch.” Kate’s voice came on a whisper. “What does this mean? I don’t
understand it.” Her eyes were big as she clutched the arms of her chair now,
knuckles as white as her face. Gone was the cool Kate he’d seen in the waiting
room. In a matter of minutes she’d gone from radiant to ashen. He was sure he
wasn’t looking too good right about now either.
“Yes, can
you explain it in plain English?” he asked. Why do will readings always have to
be so damn dramatic?
“In plain
English, your father left everything to you, Michael. However, the addendum
states if you try to sell the farm, I have instructions to give everything to
Kate.”
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