The Secret Agent's Surprises. Tina Leonard

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СКАЧАТЬ question was that?” she demanded. “You two are full of hooks and angles and thorny emotional issues.”

      “About whether you’d live with the old man for a year for a million dollars if you were me.”

      She shook her head. “You’re right. I don’t wish to be drawn in to your squabble. Josiah, I don’t like the way you play kingmaker. Pete, I don’t think you’re being very courteous to your father. Bygones are sometimes best left as bygones.”

      Josiah sat up in his chair. “You mean, you don’t think Pete should have a million dollars?”

      “I don’t care whether he does or not. I’m a tea connoisseur, not a family therapist.”

      “Well,” Josiah said. “I thought she was the right woman for you, but she’s not, Pete.”

      Pete turned to face his father, then looked back at Priscilla. “Was he trying to get you to entice me into marriage? I know it’s not a polite question, but he did it to both my brothers.”

      “Yes.” Priscilla lifted her chin to meet his gaze. “He has every intention of interfering in your life.”

      “And what did you tell him?” Pete asked quietly, feeling his entire body tense.

      “I told him I didn’t think you’d marry me, and that I didn’t think you wanted to be a father to four newborns.”

      Pete blinked, recoiling for an instant before looking at his father. “You’re crazy, you know that?”

      Josiah watched the two of them carefully, his eyes hooded with interest. Then he grinned, delighted to be, Pete thought, playing the role of munificent fairy godfather. “Just hate to see four little babies without parents,” Pop said, his voice all innocence. “At least you four boys had each other growing up. These Wright children will be split up.” He shrugged. “I can’t save the world, I know that. It was just a thought, nothing to get a brave spy like yourself in a lather over.” Picking up the daily newspaper, he shook it out with exaggerated importance. “Just four little babies, counting on someone to save them,” he muttered.

      “I’ll be going now,” Priscilla said. “Welcome home, Pete. Mr. Morgan—”

      “Josiah,” he reminded her.

      “Yes,” she said. “Josiah, it was interesting to see you again.”

      “Again?” Pete looked at her. “When did he see you before?”

      “He visited me at my tea shop.”

      Pete studied her before looking at his father. “You went all the way to Fort Wylie to hatch this plan?”

      Josiah shrugged. “Couldn’t very well do it by phone, could I? Would have been rude.” He chuckled.

      Pete told himself the front door was open. He could leave his father and his shenanigans behind just as easily as stand here. But he had to admit he was hooked by the game. He had a funny feeling Josiah hadn’t shown all of his cards—yet. “So what did you think of my father’s well-intentioned angling?”

      “I think it’s presumptuous.”

      Josiah cleared his throat, looking at Priscilla meaningfully. After a second Priscilla’s face colored slightly.

      “What?” Pete demanded. “Let me in on the private secret you two are sharing.”

      “There’s nothing,” Priscilla said airily, not wanting Josiah to blurt his information about her “little crush” on Pete. “Goodbye, and good luck with your mission, Josiah. Pete, good to see you again. I’ll show myself out. I remember where the front door is.” She hurried down the foyer hall, but Pete wasn’t letting her go that easily.

      “Excuse me, Pop. You and I aren’t finished discussing your plot, but right now, I want to talk to her.” He hurried after Priscilla, catching her in the yard. “Let me apologize for my father,” he said.

      “Why? He’s his own man.”

      Pete nodded. “And everyone else’s. Did he offer you money?”

      “No!” Priscilla frowned at him.

      “Then he was only getting warmed up. He will offer you money.”

      “It doesn’t matter, Pete,” she said firmly. “I’m not interested in getting married, I don’t want to live in Union Junction, and you’re not a man I’d consider. So it doesn’t bother me how many webs he spins. I know I’m safe.”

      “Yeah,” Pete said. “It’s only my neck in the noose.”

      “That’s true,” Priscilla agreed. “I’d be willing to bet you’ll be married in a month to some poor, un-suspecting girl who has no idea what she’ll be getting herself into.”

      “Hey!” He tried not to laugh at Priscilla’s forthright teasing. “Any woman would be lucky to have me.”

      “You forget, I’ve shared a roof with you. You’re fun, but you’re not exactly husband material.”

      Pete took that barb with a pang. “I know. I wish I was. But it’s just not me. So, about these babies, these prize lures he’s thrown out to you—”

      “Don’t ask me about them. You’ll have to get that story from your father. All he mentioned was that he met Ralph Wright and his wife when they came to buy a steer or something. There was a car accident after the quadruplets were born. That’s all I know.”

      He frowned. “Having quadruplets born in Union Junction would be quite an event.”

      “Yes. But I live in Fort Wylie, so I never heard about it. I’m sure your father is itching to tell you everything,” she reminded him. She turned toward her car to open the door. “Josiah is a cute old thing in his over-eager way.”

      “He’s a pain in the butt.”

      “How long are you off?” Priscilla asked.

      “Off?”

      “Off duty? Or whatever your break is called.”

      “I’ve served my country for many years. It’s time to chart a new course in life. And there are things here I need to do.” Pete caught himself staring at Priscilla’s long legs, toyed with some anger with his father, felt sadness for the four babies who had no parents and realized he felt a jumble of conflicting emotions. “Maybe I shouldn’t have retired so soon,” he said. “I didn’t factor in that with two boys down and Jack nowhere to be seen, I’ll now be the sole focus of Pop’s chicanery. I was hoping for some peace and quiet, to collect my million, to not think much about the old man. Now he’s got me thinking about him, and you, and the kids, and his latest scheme.”

      “Don’t think about me, ” Priscilla said, sliding into the car. “You have no idea how unavailable I am.”

      He leaned on her window. “Good. Keep reminding me of that.”

      “You bet your boots I will.” Priscilla СКАЧАТЬ