Legend & Lace

2. The New Normal

Chapter 2

The New Normal

"Yah would think that after almost a year of this, I'd be used to it," Angus's voice grumbled from the door of the office. The clicking sound of it closing gave us our privacy once more, though he was now with us. Hopefully, no one peeked inside when he came in.

"You would, wouldn't you?" Drake grinned as he leaned away from me.

"But I'm not," he continued. "Now, yah wanna step away from her so we can have a chat?"

"Do I have to?"

"Drake, come on," I said, pushing him away as I rolled my eyes. I adjusted myself as I sat on the edge of the desk and Drake leaned back against it beside me. "What's going on?"

Angus, who had continued eyeing the both of us with a stoic look on his face, finally sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Nothin' really. I just wanted to see how tha last week's been goin' with Lorna and the girls. Anythin' interestin'?"

"Without you two there, nothing interesting happens," I smiled.

"Good answer," he chuckled.

"Everything good on your trip? I know there were a few things you had to get fixed."

"Mostly," he nodded. "I'm havin' to order a few new parts for the tractor, so they should be here in about a week. I'll get this guy to help me with it when they do."

"This guy offered to fix it himself, but he still doesn't trust me with the big stuff," Drake grinned. "Even though he taught me everything himself and I knew a thing or two about machinery before..."

"Yeah, yeah, yah might've been helpful on this trip, but that doesn't mean I was gonna let you fix everythin'."

"See." He turned his grin to me. "I told you I was helpful. How about a kiss for a job well done?"

"No," Angus cut in just as he leaned toward me. "I'd rather get home than have to wait around for yah to finish...all this..."

"You know you'll be doing the same thing when you get home to that beautiful wife of yours," Drake laughed.

"You know it, we know it," I continued, grinning. "The girls already know to run after you give them hugs and kisses hello..."

Angus closed his eyes, waved a hand dismissively, and turned toward the door. "Whatever yah say..."

Before he opened the door, Drake leaned over and gave me one more kiss before I jumped off the desk and started behind Angus. Now, it was back to my public annoyance toward Drake, though he was Warren Tyler to everyone else besides me and the MacCrae's. And I, as Laney Conroy, couldn't stand being in his presence. Warren loved to push buttons and joke around with Laney while she liked to backtalk him and give him the occasional and much needed smack on the back of the head.

But while Warren and Laney couldn't stand to be in the same room...well, Hattie and Drake couldn't keep their hands off each other. It was understandable, though, especially after the first few weeks of not knowing whether we would see the next morning.

As soon as I stepped through the office door and headed back toward the bar, my scowl was in place. I could feel Drake's eyes on me and knew he must have had a smirk on his lips. By the look Murray was giving him, he was probably watching me as I walked in front of him and Murray obviously didn't like it. Tam and Colum, however, were grinning at Angus.