“He drew a sword on Guthrie. The sot was drunk and dangerous, lass,” Ethan said, angry.

Guthrie hadn’t intended to explain why he had fought the man. She had to know he had better sense than to pick a fight.

Calla turned her glower from Ethan back to Guthrie. “You broke Ralph’s nose!”

“Aye. He had it coming, lass. He said someone was lying in wait to bed you,” Guthrie finally said. He hadn’t planned to mention that, but it just slipped out, as angry as he still was over the insult.

She closed her gaping mouth. Then she said, “And you believed him?”

“I ignored him for a good long while, Calla.”

“He did,” Ethan said.

Guthrie had lost his father so many years ago that he had never expected his mother to take another mate, but he couldn’t have been gladder that the Texas Scot served as his stepfather now.

“I’m sorry, lass. Had there been some other way, I would never have resorted to it,” Guthrie said.

“They were drunk,” she said, as if that made any difference.

“Which made them all the more dangerous,” Guthrie told her. “Particularly when they were armed with swords.”

“I doubt they had the skill with a sword that you and your kin do.”

“True,” Guthrie said, “but if a man draws a sword, it’s like pulling a gun on another man. You don’t threaten someone with it unless you plan to use it.”

“He didn’t just unsheathe his sword,” Ethan said. “He swung it at Guthrie. Now, lass, a man can’t just let that pass.”

“You broke Ralph’s nose!”

Ethan and Jasper chuckled in the backseat.

“Aye. He threw the first punch,” Guthrie said, now wondering if she’d missed that part of the equation.

She let her breath out harshly. “You’re lucky he’s not pressing charges. And that they’re not asking for a refund for my services. Or you’d be paying for them.”

Guthrie tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel, then said, “Other than that, did the party go as well as you had expected?”

She glowered at him.

He shrugged. “All that’s important is that you remain safe.”

“Aye, but who’s going to keep me—and my business—safe from you?”

***

As soon as they returned to Argent Castle, Calla stormed toward the stairs of the keep. Guthrie figured he should be glad if Ian told her he would assign someone else to watch over her. He knew he needed to get his mind back on financial reports. So why the hell was he following Calla’s sweet, red sweater-covered arse all the way up the stairs?

Calla glanced back at Guthrie. “Where are you going?”

“If you intend to speak to Ian about the affair, I’ll explain what happened since I have firsthand knowledge. You were inside the Rankin manor house and didn’t see most of it.”

“You’ll give your sweet version of it,” Calla said.

“The truth.” He motioned to Ian’s door, and she knocked at the doorjamb. “May I have a word with you?” she asked Ian, who was sitting at his desk.

Ian hung up his phone and set it down.

“Guthrie broke Ralph Rankin’s nose,” Ian said, motioning for them to come in and take seats.

Word always spread fast in a wolf pack.

“How did you learn of it?” Calla asked, sounding astounded.

“Ethan called and informed me of what happened. Anytime one of my pack members is involved in a skirmish, it’s my business to know.”

“Then you know why I don’t want Guthrie to accompany me any longer,” Calla said, casting him an annoyed look.

“They’re not pressing charges, are they?” Ian said, knowing very well they weren’t. Ralph Rankin’s father was furious with Ralph for getting drunk and then, armed with swords, attacking Guthrie and his men. The old man was just glad no one had been wounded at the point of a sword.

Calla looked more than exasperated. “That isn’t the point!”

“Calla, in matters like this, I stand by my men, who are there to protect you—” Before she could counter with the notion that they weren’t protecting her, Ian quickly added, “and themselves. But someone else is going with you to the party you’re in charge of tomorrow.”

“Good,” Calla said, then with a scathing glance in Guthrie’s direction, she brushed past him and out of the room.

“Guthrie, want to close the door?” Ian asked.

Guthrie did, figuring he was going to get a lecture. “What Ethan told you was correct,” Guthrie said, taking his seat. He didn’t know what Ethan said exactly, but he knew the Texan would have told the truth.

“That Calla’s got the hots for you like you have for her?”

Guthrie closed his gaping mouth. Then finding his tongue, he said, “What?”

Ian grinned at him.

Chapter 6

After handling the Rankin family reunion, particularly following the fight that had ensued during it, Calla was drained when she retired to her guest bedchamber that night. Thankfully, Ralph Rankin’s father, John, had been incensed with his son’s and nephews’ drunken actions. Although more than half of the guests loved the short display of unscheduled swordsmanship, Calla didn’t believe that was a good ending to her otherwise successful party.

She did wonder if she could have a clan perform a sword fight, just for entertainment, during a future Scottish family reunion. The problem was that the only ones she knew who could do a superb job at it without injuring their opponents were the MacNeills.