“Oh, Mac,” she cried. “You could never scare me off because…I love you, too.”
Joy erupted in his being and seeped out of the wide grin spreading across his bearded face. “To hear those three words come out of yer lovely mouth...” He embraced her, holding her tight, his whispered assurance into her ear full of longing. “My ‘mo leannan’ – my lover, my sweetheart. I will never let ye go.”
Nicky pulled back from him and held his face in her hands, her jade eyes scanning his features before she leaned into him, pressing her lips to his. The cityscape had morphed into the countryside, whizzing by outside the window in an array of fall colors and vibrant sky, everything newly purposed.
***
Mac helped Nicky off the last metal stair of the train before tending to their luggage with the help of a train employee, unloading the heavy bags onto the sidewalk parallel to the tracks. As he pulled his wallet out of the back of his jeans and offered the guy a substantial tip, Nicky squealed and trotted across the green space toward the parking lot where her parents were pulling into a space. Watching her hug her mother, then her father, he couldn’t help but grin, thankful for the extended stay in Cold Creek with the woman he loved.
“Mac! So good to see you again,” Adam Sinclair bellowed, pumping his hand in a firm shake and slapping him on the back.
“It’s good to see ye, too.”
“Mac…,” Marjorie Sinclair started. There was a hint of a gleam in her eyes as she opened her arms wide to welcome him in a hug. “We’re so excited to have you as our guest.”
“Thank ye. I’m so happy it worked out.”
“Come on,” Adam nodded, grabbing the two largest suitcases and carrying them with ease to the large SUV parked a few feet away. The man was a strong farmer and had no problem hoisting the bags into the back.
Nicky’s dimples danced across her flushed cheeks each time she smiled, her joy evident in the situation. She grabbed her computer bag as Mac picked up his guitar case and another duffle bag, tossed them in the back, and never missed a beat in conversation as her mom and dad rattled on about business.
“I can’t believe it’s already autumn around here,” Nicky exclaimed, looking up into the ancient trees surrounding the station. Mac opened the car door for her, and she slid in.
When all four of them were securely fastened into the seats, Adam backed out. “It’s been amazing weather. I hope it keeps up while your friend is here.”
Mac stifled a chuckle and turned to look at Nicky. When their eyes met, she shook her head with chagrin as they were carried through the small, idyllic town, the word “friend” an understatement. The boutiques and restaurants lining Main Street were already decked out in full autumn décor, the handmade fall wreaths, mums, and pumpkins a welcome site in hues of orange, crimson, and yellow.
“How are things going with the Winston wedding plans for this weekend?” Nicky asked, leaned forward toward her mother in the front passenger seat.
“Good. I’ll need your help with the last-minute decorations. The flowers will be here on Friday, and your father has already harvested several pumpkins he’s lined up along the barn for you to choose from.” Marjorie paused to reach across the space to squeeze her husband’s shoulder with adoration. “The fall weddings are my favorite – the colors of the forest lining the meadow make the prettiest wedding photos, don’t you agree?” Mac watched as Adam glanced at his wife and nodded in agreement. The two were a lovely couple, and he looked forward to hanging out with them while he stayed at their farm.
The SUV navigated the country roads under a canopy of trees dotted with the onset of changing color, the drive taking less than ten minutes. As the car came to a stop in front of the massive white barn on the Sinclair property, Mac couldn’t help but grin, thankful to be back at the special place.
“Let’s get your bags unloaded, then I’ll move the car back over to the house,” Adam instructed.
“Sounds good, Dad,” Nicky replied, giving Mac’s hand a squeeze before exiting the vehicle.
The barn's interior was chilly, the chairs flipped over on top of the tables spread out from the last wedding. Faint traces of sweet flowers and candles lingered in the space mixed with the distinct aroma of cleaning products.
Marjorie stood in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips, the satisfied look on her face apparent. “You’ve trained your staff well, Nick. I barely had to tell them what to do while you were gone, especially with the cleanup after each wedding.”
Nicky looked around and up into the rafters of the barn where the string lights were hung, biting her lower lip as if to stifle a smile. When her gaze landed on her mother, she nodded. “Thanks again, Mom, for everything. I couldn’t have gone to New York without you and Dad making sure everything was taken care of.”
“It was our pleasure,” Marjorie said with a wide smile.
“Well, that’s the last of it,” Adam announced as he and Mac set the final piece of luggage on the floor. “You want some help carrying it all upstairs?”
Nicky quickly shook her head. “No, Dad. Mac and I can get it.”
Marjorie ushered her husband out the barn doors. “We’ll let you both get settled and catch up over dinner. Six o’clock at the house?”
Nicky turned to look at Mac for his approval, and he nodded. “Thanks again – for everything,” he added with a polite wave. With the doors slid shut, Mac moseyed toward Nicky and pulled her in for a hug. “Alone at last.” He could feel her nod into his chest.
When she looked up into his face, her expression was filled with adoration. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Her penetrating gaze made his heart thunder in his chest. There was absolutely nowhere else in the world he’d rather be.
Chapter Twenty-One
For the first two days back at the farm, Nicky and Mac stayed sequestered in her loft, only coming out to share a meal at the main house with her parents or take a walk on the property to admire the fall foliage and skyline. Nicky insisted Mac get some much-needed rest, and they often slept in, having a late brunch in bed watching movies, or reading books in the afternoon side by side. Sometimes, he would pull out his guitar and play around with a melody, scribbling something in a tattered notebook he kept nearby. When he was concentrating, she often watched him – how his tongue peeked out of the corner of his mouth when he finger-picked the strings of his instrument or the way he would close his eyes and let a chord reverberate throughout the room as if he were meditating. His process was fascinating, and she didn’t dare disturb him when he was in creative-mode.
“I’d like to take ye to a nice dinner somewhere in town. Do ye have a favorite place?” His comment caught her off guard as she sat with her legs tucked under her on the sofa going over business numbers on a laptop.
Setting the computer to the side, she looked up at him with a grin. “I’m not a fancy girl, you know that. Give me the best burger in town, and I’m a happy camper.”
“Amber’s place?” he chuckled.
“I’m impressed you remembered. Yes, please.”
The sun had already set by the time they parked and walked along the tree-lined street decorated in twinkle lights. Amber was expecting them, making sure the corner booth of her establishment remained vacant for the famous rocker and his girl, away from prying eyes and nosey tourists. Nicky clung to his arm and snuggled close as they ambled their way to the pub entrance, the temperature taking a dip in the evening hour. Mac was well-rested and content, thanks to Nicky. Their time together was an unexpected gift in his hectic schedule, one he expressed he wasn’t about to take for granted.
“Are ye cold?” he asked, as if concerned she wasn’t appropriately dressed for the evening chill.
“I’m fine,” she replied, snuggling closer while smiling up at him.
His flirty gaze held love. “Yer damn dimples are going to be the death of me.” She laughed as he opened the heavy wooden door and followed her into the pub where Amber stood as i
f waiting for their arrival.
“Hey!” she squealed, darting around the hostess station and flinging her small body into Nicky’s arms, giving her a bear hug. When she was finished with Nicky, Amber turned her attention to Mac.
“How ya doin’?” she asked with a grin, opening her arms wide to offer him the same welcome treatment.
Mac had to lean down to hug the small woman, her short stature apparent next to his tall frame. “I’m wonderful. It’s good to see ye again.”
“You too. I’ve got a booth in the back corner ready for ya. Come on.”
Mac and Nicky clasped hands and followed Amber through the noisy hubbub of the pub crowd to a tall, semi-private booth in the back near the kitchen entrance. The small stage where the cousins had performed weeks earlier was bare and dark, live music scheduled on weekends only since the season's change. Setting two menus on one side of the seating, Amber looked up at them with a sassy grin. “I’ll send Monica over to get your food order in a few. What can I get you to drink?”
Nicky slid across the hard surface of the wooden seat into the corner, Mac sitting beside her. They faced the wall where the kitchen doors were located with their backs to the crowded space.
“I’ll have a cider, please. You know the one I like with the orange-infused,” Nicky requested. Amber nodded.
“The Hillrock for me, neat. Thanks, Amber.”
“Not a problem.” As she turned to fetch their drinks, Mac reached out to grab her by the wrist. Her brows pinched when she turned back around to look at him.
“We were hoping ye could join us later for a drink. Can ye?”
Amber’s face blossomed with a lopsided grin. “I’m the boss of this joint – of course I can!”
A few minutes later, Monica delivered their drinks and took down their food order, both of them ordering the burger and a side order of sweet potato fries.
“I’ll get this in pronto,” Monica promised, scooping up the menus.
“Thank ye,” Mac replied. Monica stole a glance Nicky’s way and wiggled her eyebrows as if approving her current situation.
Raising his glass into the air, Mac toasted. “Slàinte.”
“Slàinte.” Nicky reciprocated, tapping her frosty glass to his.
The two took a sip from their drinks and sighed in unison, making Mac chuckle. “It’s so nice to be free and enjoying a night out for a change, don’t ye agree?”
Nicky nodded, placing her hand on Mac’s thigh and squeezing. “Absolutely. I hope these next few days before the awards show will continue to be restful. I love having you here, all to myself.”
Mac shifted in his seat, turning to look directly at her. The golden glow from the overhead distressed metal pendant light cast a soft shimmer across his handsome features, making her swoon.
“I love being here, mo leannan.”
Nicky’s lashes fluttered and she pressed her teeth into her bottom lip, the mere mention of Mac calling her “my lover” in Gaelic, causing her heart to thump faster. “You mustn’t call me that in public. It does funny things to me,” she confessed in a whisper, leaned closer to his head.
“Oh? What does it do to ye, my love?” Moving his hand under the table, he clutched her thigh. Before she could explain herself further in the private corner of the substantial booth, they were interrupted by a familiar voice.
“Mr. Macpherson! Oh, my god! I knew it was you when you came in!”
Nicky and Mac pulled back from one another and tilted their heads in unison to see who had interrupted their clandestine moment. The young man who had helped them with their rowboat at the marina their first day together stood tall, the look of eager excitement on his sun-tanned face noticeable.
“Drew. Hello. Good to see ye.” Mac smiled, pumping the boy's hand in a firm shake.
“Oh, man. Great to see you, too. I thought you were out on tour already.” The good-looking teen took full advantage of the situation and lowered himself into the bench seat opposite them, his eagerness to chat evident.
“We leave next week, after the American Billboard Awards in Manhattan.”
“Cool!”
Leaned against Mac, Nicky took in the exchange while casually sipping from her cold cider. How many times in Mac’s career had he been interrupted while trying to enjoy a simple night out? The kid was just being a fan, starstruck by the famous Scottish musician hanging out on his home turf. It was remarkable how cool and calm Mac remained, politely indulging the teen by answering a few of his questions. When Monica approached carrying large plates of steaming hot food, Amber was right behind her and scolded Drew for the intrusion.
“Andrew French, you need to be on your way. Can’t you see Mac is on a date?” Waggling her finger at him, she continued through the kitchen doors.
The boy’s face twisted with embarrassment. “Crap, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
“No worries, lad,” Mac soothed, making the young man sigh with relief.
As Drew stood, he hesitated a moment longer, awkwardly running his palms down his denim-clad thighs. “Hey, if it’s not too much trouble, can I, uh, get another picture with you before you leave? I’m having dinner with my girlfriend. It’d be so cool to get a picture together with you. She’s a huge fan too, and she’s sitting right over there.” He pointed proudly across the room at a pretty blonde who excitedly waved back at them. The pair looked like a popular homecoming king and queen.
“Aye. I’ll see what I can do.” Mac smiled.
Drew beamed. “You’re the greatest rocker ever! Enjoy your meal.” He started to walk away before he turned with one last comment focused on Nicky. “I’m sorry about the interruption, ma’am.” With an apologetic grin, he trotted back to his date.
Nicky scowled, watching him leave. “It’s not fair.”
“What?”
“You get to be ‘the greatest rocker ever,’ and I get to be, ‘ma’am.’”
Mac laughed out loud, handing her a set of cutlery rolled up in a napkin. “Well, ye’re the sexiest ‘ma’am’ I’ve ever had the pleasure of taking on a date.”
Taking a fry from the basket, she smiled and popped it into her mouth. “Good answer!”
***
Mac and Nicky wiped laughing tears from their eyes as Amber finished her story. They were several drinks in, and Mac was feeling no pain. After taking several photos with Drew and his pretty girlfriend, and a whole slew of other pub patrons who caught wind of the famous rocker on the premises, Amber came to the rescue, escorting the couple through the kitchen and into her office for some privacy. She was entertaining, to say the least, with various animated bar stories from over the years, the guffaws of laughter permeating the small space.
Tipping back the last dregs of her beer, Amber slammed the thick-bottomed mug on her desk with absolution in a loud exhale. “And that was the last time I ever drank tequila again.”
“I don’t blame ye,” Mac agreed with a chuckle, running a napkin across the whiskers surrounding his mouth.
“Do you guys want another round?” Amber asked, her forearms leaned across the desk, littered with file folders and spreadsheets.
Nicky shook her head. “I’ve switched to water. Remember, I have to drive us home.” Turning to Mac, she affectionately ran her hand down his arm. “You go ahead. I don’t mind.”
“Are ye sure?”
“Positive,” she beamed as she started to stand. “I’ll let Monica know on my way to the restroom. I’ll be right back.”
Mac stood, helping her up from her chair and kissed her cheek before she exited the office, her flawless backside making his tadger flinch in his jeans. When he sat back down, he noticed Amber staring across the desk at him with a cocked brow. “What?” he asked.
Folding her arms across her chest, the energetic woman leaned back in her office chair and nodded. “You two are gonna make it – I can feel it.”
“Oh?” Surprised by her bold candor, he tipped back what was left in his whiskey glass, listening intently
. Amber was a comfortable woman to be around, her no-nonsense approach to life enduring. He was glad Nicky had a friend like her to confide in and drink with on occasion, as long as it wasn’t tequila.
“Just don’t forget to toast me at the wedding, okay? After all, I am the one responsible for bringing you two love birds together. I deserve a little recognition on your big day, don’t ya think?”
Mac coughed, amused by her audacious prediction, and pressed his hand over his heart. “Amber, I’ll be thankin’ ye for the rest of my life. Ye can be sure of it.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Nicky surveyed the dining room table in her childhood home, nodding satisfactorily at the simple, yet elegant place settings she’d arranged for Mac’s farewell dinner. It was their last night in Cold Creek before they were to leave the next morning and head back to Manhattan for the awards show. Even though the show wasn’t for a couple more days, the label scheduled the band to perform in a few prime morning television spots and a popular late-night show in hopes of ramping up the anticipation of the new album release and world tour. Nicky could tell Mac was getting excited by the tone of his voice when he spoke to James on the phone every day, the two cousins heartily congratulating themselves for their good fortune.
As happy as Nicky was for Mac and his band, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of melancholy shoot straight to her heart, especially when she overheard them discussing the brilliant single they’d be debuting in front of millions of viewers the night of the American Billboards Awards show.
“The change in the intro is subtle, but I don’t think it’s a big deal. It will certainly make for a more impressive start to the song,” Mac could be heard chirping happily, sitting on the front porch of the Sinclair farm. The dining room window was open to let in the fresh autumn breeze, and Nicky leaned against the wall with her hands clasped at her chest, listening intently.
I'll See You Again: A Scottish rock star, standalone opposites-attract romance (Reigning Hearts Book 4) Page 15
