“They tried to intervene. Ron broke Jeff’s nose, and Angela, Jeff’s wife, got a concussion.” She grinned at Robbie, even though he wasn’t looking at her. “They were more than happy to testify at Ron’s trial.”

“Okay,” he said, finally looking at her. “Ron got sentenced to five years in prison, you got a divorce, and he was paroled three years later,” he summarized. “And now you’re here with your children, looking over your shoulder for your ex-husband.”

He started toward her but stopped the moment he saw her stiffen. He walked over to the couch and sat down, his elbows on his knees again and his hands clasped tightly as he leaned toward her. “I admit I had doubts about your revenge theory, but I don’t anymore.”

“Thank you.”

“But you can’t keep running, Cat. For how long? Another year? A lifetime? When does it stop?”

“When Nathan and Nora are old enough to take care of themselves.”

“That’s years away, Catherine. Hiding requires a great deal of energy, and the toll it takes on a person is enormous.” He leaned even closer. “The three of you will be insane by then.”

“Then what do you suggest I do? Wave a white flag and tell Ron, ‘Here we are, come get us’?”

He smiled, leaned back, and picked up his dessert. “Aye,” he said, digging his spoon into the ice cream. “That would work. Or you could simply negate the power he holds over you by living your life as if Ron Daniels doesn’t exist.”

It was anger heating Catherine’s cheeks now. “How simple it is for you to give me advice. You have no idea what it’s like to be helpless, and no idea what kind of monster Ron is.”

He ate his mouthful of ice cream and cobbler, staring at her with unreadable eyes. He swallowed, sat forward again, and smiled. “Aye, but I do, Catherine,” he said softly. “I’

ve dealt with more than one Ron Daniels in my lifetime. Bullies can only bully those who let them. When stood up to, they back down more often than fight.”

“I tried that already,” she snapped, getting so mad she could actually feel the blood rushing to her head. “And it only bought me three years.”

“Aye,” he agreed with a nod. “So maybe it’s time you found another way to defeat your demon.”

Catherine tossed her sewing in the box and stood up, her fists clenched at her sides so she wouldn’t strangle the man.“Defeat him! I don’t have one-tenth of Ron’s strength.”

“But I do,” he said calmly.

“We are not your responsibility!”

Robbie also stood up. Catherine was so mad that not only didn’t she step away, but she actually stepped closer.

Robbie tucked his hands behind his back. “Anyone living in my house, or anyone working for me, is my responsibility,” he said with quiet authority. “Should it be one of the boys, you or Nathan or Nora, or one of my loggers, I have their backs. My parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and Father Daar—they are all under my protection.”

Catherine snorted. “When were you elected king of the world? Nobody takes on that kind of responsibility. It just isn’t done, because no one person can handle it. Besides,”

she said, stepping even closer, “people need to be responsible for themselves.

Otherwise, what’s the point?”

“We are all sitting in the same boat, Catherine, rowing toward the same horizon.

Without helping each other, none of us would get there.”

“Then who helps you?”

“What?”

“Who has your back?”

He looked so confounded that Catherine’s anger suddenly disappeared. Robbie MacBain obviously didn’t think he needed anyone watching his back.

“That’s not how it works. What would I need protection from?”

“From yourself?” she ventured. “From taking on so much responsibility thatyou’re the one who will be insane in a few years? Why did you take in the boys?”

That question seemed to startle him even more. “Because they had nowhere else to go, other than a detention center.”

“But why you?”

He shook his head as if to clear it. “This conversation is not about me,” he whispered. “It

’s about Nathan and Nora going to school.”

“Iwant them to go.”

“Then trust me enough to take a stand here, in Pine Creek, on my turf.”

“I—I’ll think about it,” she whispered, turning and walking around the couch toward the kitchen, her knees shaking from the roller-coaster ride of emotions.

“Catherine?”

“Yes?”

“My cousin Sarah MacKeage teaches at our elementary school. I can arrange for us to take Nathan and Nora in tomorrow, so the three of you can look things over.”

He wasn’t going to give up, she realized. “Don’t think I’m not on to you, Mr. MacBain,”

she told him, shaking her head. “I know why you’re doing this.”

“And why is that?”

She pointed at the melting remains of his second helping of dessert on the side table.

“None of you has quit eating since I got here. You want my kids enrolled in school so I’ll feel committed to stay on as your housekeeper.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. “You’re a suspicious woman, Cat,” he whispered.

“Aye,” she said, feeling brave enough to mimic his brogue because of the distance between them. “And smart, too.”

He let out a bark of laughter and turned and picked up his dessert. “Good night, little Cat,” he said, sitting back down in front of the fire. “Sweet dreams.”

Catherine turned and closed the book Peter had left on the table, then sauntered into her bedroom feeling quite proud of herself. She had just stood toe-to-toe with a giant and had managed to come away without a scratch. This taking a stand thing might not be such a bad idea after all.

Chapter Ten

Catherine woke upto the sound of whispering coming from the kitchen. She squinted at the clock by her bed and saw it was only four o’clock, still hours before sunrise.

She heard a soft, feminine giggle and quickly looked over to see that Nora was still in bed, still sound asleep.

So who was in the kitchen? She recognized Robbie’s voice, low and even-toned, whispering something about a she-devil, which was quickly followed by another quiet giggle.

Robbie had snuck a woman into the house!

Catherine could smell coffee. He’d made a pot of coffee, and now they were sharing a cup before he snuck her back out.

Of all the nerve. It was one thing to have a girlfriend, but to bring her home with four teenage boys sleeping just down the hall was irresponsible.

So, the condoms were his. The man had a lot of brass to ask his housekeeper to buy his birth control and then use it in the bedroom right above hers. The more she thought about Robbie’s indiscretion, the madder Catherine got. She was not living with, or working for, someone who didn’t have the decency to keep his love life private.

Catherine slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb her children, and quietly tiptoed to the door. She pulled her robe off the back of it, shrugged it on, and cracked the door open just enough to peek in the kitchen.

The woman was sitting on his lap. And she was smiling up at Robbie MacBain as if he hung the moon.

Catherine frowned. She looked like a teenager, or maybe early twenties at best. She had thick, beautiful red hair that fell in tight waves down to her waist, a sprinkling of freckles across her porcelain button nose, huge baby-blue eyes that shone like sapphires, and a figure that would make a dead man groan.

Robbie had one arm wrapped protectively around her, his other hand resting on her knee as he leaned down to look her in the eyes and whisper something. He gently lifted his hand, cupped her hair, and kissed the top of her head.

The girl buried her face in Robbie’s broad chest, snuggling closer as he continued to whisper, his lips moving against her hair. He stroked down the length of her arm, his broad, powerful hand a salacious contrast to her tiny, feminine body.