Free Irish Eyes (Stolen Hearts Romance) by Annie Jones Page B

whet his greed,” Cameron replied quietly.
    “How?” Fiona wrung her small pale hands.
    “I’ll have to use the shelter as a cover. I wish there were another way.” He underscored his apologetic tone by laying his hand on Julia’s arm. “I don’t know how else to flush Michael out and keep an eye on you.”
    Julia brushed her fingertips over the gold pin he’d fastened to her sweater. “But what will you do at the shelter? I’m too busy to have you underfoot.”
    “Well, when I’m not busy protecting your pretty neck, I think I’d make an excellent volunteer supervisor, strictly on a volunteer basis, of course.”
    Her eyes grew wide at the suggestion. “I supervise the volunteers.”
    “And I wouldn’t mind seeing what I can do to increase donations and contributions as well,” he said, ignoring her response.
    “But I oversee that, too.” A little-girl-lost quality invaded her soft voice.
    “Great, it’s settled then.” He clapped his hands together.
    Julia glowered at him.
    He repaid her with a grin.
    “At least let me do something to help,” Julia insisted. “I have friends in the Kentucky tourism department—we’ve done some things for the shelter just over the river. I can confirm this whole moonbow story with a phone call and get pamphlets and any information you need sent up.”
    “Fine. See to it straight away.” He tore off the page and handed it to her. He watched as she mocked his authoritarian attitude, mouthing his words back to him, but decided he had that coming and didn’t pursue it. Instead, he turned to his sister- in-law.
    “Fiona, this may take some time. Several days, maybe more than a week.” He cradled Fiona’s chin in his cupped palm. “I’m asking you to have faith and I’ll to do my best to end this for our family once and for all. Can you do that, my dear?”
    “I can live on faith for a while, Cameron. But does it make me seem weak to say I’ll pray every minute of every day that Michael will come to his senses and let Devin come home to me?” The petite redhead smiled at both of them. There were tears in her eyes, but she smiled just the same.
    “I think that’s a fine idea,” he said even though he didn’t believe it would do one bit of good. He told himself it was a kindness to Fiona, whom he loved like a sister but somewhere in the depth of his being he knew he didn’t mind that it also made him look good to Julia.
    The dark haired beauty had gotten under his skin. He just hoped that did not compromise his judgment. Too much was riding on him and he must not allow even Julia Reed to keep him from doing what he had to do.

     
     
     
     

CHAPTER FIVE
     
     
     
     
    Cameron took Julia back to the shelter then spent the afternoon trying to find where he was most needed in the scheme of things. Julia sent him here and there, mostly there , meaning any place away from her so she would be free to get some work done without the distraction of… him . She tried to tell herself, and sometimes Craig, that the man was nothing more than an irritation. Another temporary connection in her life brought on by her desire just to help. Craig didn’t buy that but Julia forced herself to pretend that she did.
    But every time she almost convinced herself she’d look up and find those eyes watching over her and her knees would go weak. Julia was not a weak-in-the-knees kind of girl so she used that to stoke her agitation at the man. The gorgeous, built like a Celtic warrior with lust in his heart and a twinkle in his eyes man.
    Yeah. He was a big distraction. When it was time for Julia to head home, he suggested he escort her.
    She soundly refused his offer.
    He followed her home just the same.
    “Now what do you think you’re doing?” Julia slammed her car door and the whole sad-assed chassis shuddered from the vibrations.
    “Can a man help it if he happens to take a drive along the self-same route that a lovely lady motorist is taking?” Cameron cut off the