I'll See You Again: A Scottish rock star, standalone opposites-attract romance (Reigning Hearts Book 4)

by K. G. Fletcher

  “I love your Good Witch costume. It turned out beautiful!”

  Fiona stepped aside to let Nicky through the door, the long gown she wore decorated in swirling silver thread in a starburst pattern adorned with tiny rhinestones, the pale pink fabric hiding her baby bump. Her crown was impressive atop her strawberry blonde wig, and the magic wand she held was as tall as she was, with a giant, bedazzled star attached to the end.

  “I have a confession to make,” she mused, biting her lip. “I rented it.”

  Nicky laughed. “Of course you did. Well, it’s impressive. You might win first prize tonight – fifty dollars!”

  “Fifty-dollars?” Chris hollered, coming into the room. He was grinning from ear to ear, dressed as the scarecrow in bib-overalls and straw sticking out of his patchwork, felt hat. “Nick! God, I’m so glad to see you!” Grabbing her around the waist, he lifted her off her ruby-red feet in a tight squeeze.

  “Oh!” she squeaked, excited to be spending some quality time with her favorite couple. Settling back into her small-town life had been a challenge, and this was just what she needed.

  The threesome chattered as they loaded into Nicky’s SUV, Fiona having to hold her crown in her lap on the short drive over to the pub. Main Street was teeming with all kinds of costumed locals and tourists, the entire town vibrant and decorated with every possible Halloween theme imaginable. Locking arms together, Nicky and her friends skipped across the street, humorously singing a chorus of We’re Off to See the Wizard, onlookers smiling with delight. It was the perfect autumn evening, and Nicky was giddy – ready to party into the night at Amber’s annual bash.

  The Good Pub was hopping, the place packed with folks drinking and dancing to the music the local DJ played from his setup on the stage. Monica showed them to their reserved table, the perky waitress dressed up in a sexy Wonder Woman costume.

  “Amber’s walking around with a clipboard entering folks into the costume contest. I’ll let her know you guys are here,” she spoke loudly above the rhythmic thump of the music. “What can I get you to drink?”

  “Hillrock for me, and a glass of water, too,” Nicky shouted.

  “A sparkling water for the beautiful witch and I’ll have an IPA,” Chris ordered, helping his wife with the giant folds of her gown as she slid into the booth. Monica nodded and took off toward the bar.

  Nicky noticed Chris’s palm splayed across the pink fabric over Fiona’s belly. She was over-the-moon happy for them, their first child, baby Nicole, due in the New Year. If ever there was the perfect happily-ever-after in the world, Chris and Fiona’s story was it.

  “So, tell me everything that’s going on. I want to hear all about the nursery, and the doctor’s appointments – everything!” she gushed.

  Fiona giggled, her rosy cheeks enhanced by her pregnancy hormones. “I haven’t been sick at all.”

  “Nope – not once,” Chris chimed in. “As a matter-of-fact, she’s been craving all kinds of foods.”

  “Like what?” Nicky grinned as Monica deposited their drinks on the worn wood of their table. “Thanks, girl.” Taking a quick sip of her whiskey, the velvety warmth slid down her throat easily, pooling warmth in her tummy.

  “Sweets. Can you believe it? I never eat sweets, and now I want them all the time!”

  Chris nodded, the painted-on eyebrows of his scarecrow costume comically rising above his wide eyes. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to run to the local bakery to pick up jelly-filled donuts, brownies, and entire cakes.”

  Nicky laughed. “Well, I’ve got you covered in the cake department while you’re in town. I have an entire tier of wedding cake in my fridge leftover from Saturday’s wedding. I can bring it over.”

  “Oh, god,” Fiona moaned, turning to look at Chris with a pouty lip. “Now I want to go to Nicky’s and eat wedding cake.”

  Glancing toward the crowded bar, Nicky could see her parents chatting with Amber, her mother dressed like the Wicked Witch, and her father dressed as the Tin Man. They were good sports going along with Nicky’s last-minute theme idea. Too bad Amber rejected dressing as the Cowardly Lion. Her excuse was a lame one, too, stating she had to run the party and that an elaborate costume would just get in her way. Instead, she wore lime green tights paired with a black mini-skirt and lacy top, her hair teased to high heaven, adding at least a foot to her small stature. Her white heels and wrist loaded with bangle bracelets completed her 80s look, the tiny woman going all out with colorful makeup to match.

  When a familiar song from her high school days thumped from the speakers, Nicky looked up to see Russ approaching their table. He was dressed in his usual khakis and hiking boots, which made her frown. The only thing differentiating him from work-Russell was the Akubra hat on his head encircled with a band of crocodile teeth, a leather vest, and a choker around his neck. She absentmindedly reached for her throat, palming the Celtic pendant.

  “Ello!” he shouted, using a horrible Australian accent. “Wud ya care to dance, Sheila?” Russ was obviously enjoying himself, his cheeks ruddy from one too many pints. When he offered his open palm to her, she shrugged.

  “Why not?” She grinned, throwing back the whiskey in one gulp. Her main goal for the evening was to have fun – tons of fun. She might as well get started.

  “I wanna see that booty shake,” Fiona cajoled, egging her on.

  The two childhood friends strutted their stuff as they made their way to the packed dance floor. Russ was awkward, to say the least, his lack of rhythm obvious in the way he bit his lower lip and thrust his head forward to the beat, looking more like a chicken than a man dancing. Nicky didn’t care – she was finally enjoying herself, and the charm of her hometown.

  Admiring all of the costumed patrons dancing around her, she waved at her mother across the dance floor, who was dancing with a big man dressed in an animal costume with a long tail. Standing on her tiptoes to get a better look over the crowd, she couldn’t make out the dressed-up person, sure it was a local she knew. When Marjorie caught Nicky’s eye, she pointed at the creature and nodded, a big grin taking over her face as she continued to dance.

  Nicky shrugged and mouthed the word “who?”

  When the broad shoulders of the man turned around, she smiled for a second, realizing the costume was a lion – the missing character in their entourage. And then her mouth dropped to the floor when she recognized Mac’s bearded face smiling back at her from the cut-out face hole of the bushy mane. Blinking quickly, she couldn’t quite catch her breath, and stumbled backward, bumping into Russ.

  “You okay?” he shouted, grabbing her by the arm to steady her.

  “I…I think I’m going to faint.”

  “What?” Russ leaned in closer. The smell of his overpowering cologne suddenly wafted under her nose as her entire world went into a spin just like the twister in the 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz.

  And she was Dorothy Gale – her Technicolor world fading to black.

  ***

  Mac hovered over Nicky with his arms stretched out, preventing tipsy dancers from falling over her unconscious, crumpled body on the dance floor. Scooping her up with the paws of his costume, he carried her through the swivel doors into the kitchen heading straight to Amber’s office with an entourage of frantic, dressed up characters following closely behind.

  “One minute, she was dancing, and the next, she was passed out on the dance floor. Maybe she’s had one too many,” Russ relayed over Mac’s shoulder.

  Gently setting her onto Amber’s office chair, he motioned with his palms for everyone to keep their distance. “Stand back and give her some air.”

  “Dammit, Mac! I knew we shouldn’t have surprised her like this,” Amber cursed, rushing into the office.

  Marjorie was right behind her, fretting as she kneeled and picked up one of her daughter’s limp hands. “Is she okay? Is she awake?”

  “Nae,” he muttered, palming Nicky’s pale cheek and stroking her skin. “Wake up. Please, la
ss. Wake up.”

  Her chest rose in a deep intake of air against the blue and white pinafore before her long lashes fluttered. When her eyes finally opened, she looked around the room in confusion at the anxious onlookers standing around her.

  “Wha…what happened?” Peering up into his face, their eyes locked as she uttered his name. “Mac?”

  “I’m here, Nicky. I’m finally here.” As she started to sit up, he held her by the elbow to assist.

  “I don’t understand? When did you get here? When did you…?” Her voice was breathy, her eyes recognizing her mother, which was a good sign. “Mom, what’s going on?”

  Marjorie had taken off her witch hat and held it in her hands, her motherly smile reassuring. “We were all in on it, sweetie. Me, your father, Chris, and Fiona, Amber, and Mac. We wanted to surprise you.”

  “Wait a minute, you’re… Reid Macpherson?” Russ stuttered, eyeing the Scotsman who was mere feet away from him. “Get out!”

  “Come on, Crocodile Dundee,” Amber teased. Using her entire body, she pushed Russ toward the door, her bangles jingling with each step. “Everybody, chop-chop! Let’s give these two some space. The next round of shots is on the house.”

  Mac watched as everyone took the hint and exited the office, Marjorie blowing kisses, and Fiona gushing how happy she was for both of them. As the door closed with a thump, he turned to meet Nicky’s emerald gaze, his chest heaving as his love for her pulsed through his veins.

  “You’re really here?” Her breathy voice held questions as she clutched his pendant at her throat.

  “Aye. It’s me. I’m really here.”

  Pressing her teeth into her lower lip, she hesitated. “But…I thought…I mean, we haven’t talked… are you okay?”

  “Shhh, mo leannan. Let me explain.”

  Running his fingers tenderly across her forehead to move her hair out of her face, he was captivated by the gold flecks in her eyes as she stared back at him. “I wanted to talk to ye, every waking hour of every day. I missed ye so very much.” Laying his chin on her lap, he pulled her hands toward his mouth and pressed his lips to her delicate skin. “I love ye. I love ye more than songs can say…”

  “I love you, too, Mac. I should have believed you. I should have… trusted you when you told me you’d come back.” She started to cry.

  “Don’t cry, lass. I am weary from all the sadness.” Leaned forward on his knees, he pulled back the hooded mane that framed his smiling face and fell heavy into her arms. The irony of the bulky costume he wore wasn’t lost on him. His tethered heart was freed from the ferocious pain caging his mind. He cupped the back of her neck, pressing his forehead against hers.

  “I’m not sad,” she whimpered. “I’ve never been happier in my entire life.”

  She gasped under the sudden move he made when he lowered his mouth and plundered hers in a deep, satisfying kiss. The familiar taste and softness of her mouth sent undeniable strength to his core, reawakening his hibernating soul. When they came up for air, she panted, running her fingers through his hair. “You’re the perfect boyfriend. You even completed our costume theme tonight. How did you know?”

  Mac chuckled, flicking the hoodie of the lion costume back over his head. “Everyone was in on it. They made me the lion because of my hairy face.”

  “No.” Shaking her head, she ran her fingertips across his lips. “They made you the lion because of your courage.”

  He dipped his head in embarrassment before her small hand lifted his chin, forcing him to look at her. Mac’s lip quivered into a lop-sided smile as he shook his head. “Nae. I’m a man in love, and I’m right here where I’m meant to be. Ye make me brave. Ye’re my home, Nicky.”

  “I am?” Her expression held hope and promise.

  “Aye. And…,” he paused.

  “And…, what?”

  He smirked as the words left his mouth. “And…, there’s no place like home.”

  The dimples in her cheeks indented, full-throttle, causing his insides to tingle. “You did not just say that.”

  Chuckling, he helped her to her feet. “Aye. I’m afraid I did.”

  Lunging at him, her life-saving essence surrounded him in a tangle of arms and kisses. His darkest days were behind him, and they were teetering on the edge of something completely beautiful. Reid Macpherson was right where he was destined to be.

  ONE YEAR LATER

  Standing on the red carpet in her bold green Vera Wang evening gown and matching shoes, Nicky clung to Mac’s sturdy bicep. The tuxedo he wore was tailored to perfection, enhancing his muscular frame as he stood next to her, the two posing for a few quick paparazzi shots before the awards show. The bright lights of the iconic marquee glowed in bold blues and reds, running the length of the entire city block, the larger than life Radio City Music Hall thrilling her to her core.

  Dressed to kill in her silk charmeuse gown with her leg exposed in the hip-high slit, she couldn’t help but feel very Old Hollywood, as if they’d stepped through a time machine back to the 1930s. As she looped her wrist encircled with Fiona’s borrowed Cartier diamonds through Mac’s arm, they were escorted through the elegant Grand Foyer under the sweeping arches to their seats. The Great Stage loomed before them, framed by a huge proscenium arch and shimmering gold curtain, taking her breath away.

  “Pinch me,” she mumbled closely to Mac’s ear. As of late, she seemed in need of many pinches, her life with Mac like something out of a fairytale.

  Squeezing her hand, he turned with a grin and gazed at her as numerous congratulations from well-known celebrities swirled all around them. Reid Macpherson was back, sure to win Best Album at the annual American Billboard Awards.

  When he’d first come back from Scotland after the devastating loss of his beloved band, it took Mac a few months to settle into his new home in Cold Creek with Nicky. The two of them found a comfortable routine while he figured out his next steps as a recording artist, and she continued to plan weddings. The album that was set to release in tandem with the band’s first world tour eventually went public, staying in the number one position on the Billboard charts for months. With Mainstream Records owner, Donald Lamont’s blessing, Mac took some time off to work on a new project, writing and recording songs for an acoustic album he titled, After the Fall. The unplugged work featured him playing his acoustic guitar as he sang original songs he wrote about love, loss, and new beginnings. Nicky treasured the time, watching him heal through the power of his music those weeks and months at the farm, the entire process cathartic, for both of them.

  They’d visited his homeland over the Christmas holidays, and she was touched to finally meet his darling uncle. They spent time with Shannon and other family members of his band, reminiscing and crying, laughing, and loving. Holding hands in front of James’ grave, the winter air swirled around them as he sang the traditional Scottish farewell song, “The Parting Glass”, acapella. His mature voice echoed across the countryside, the heartwarming song about remembering a departed one a powerful choice.

  On Christmas Day, with the backdrop of breathtaking views of Scotland’s spectacular mountain ranges dusted with snow, Mac dropped to one knee and proposed, asking her to be his mo leannan for life. She was now the wedding planner of her own dream nuptials, something she had fantasized about since she was a young girl. Of course, they would have to plan something at her family farm in Cold Creek – and maybe even a second celebration in Scotland, in a castle near the ocean. The walls of their loft space were covered in photos and dream boards as they made their wedding plans together.

  Staring at her diamond engagement ring while listening to the incredible orchestra start the intro to the live television broadcast of the show, Nicky didn’t hear Mac when he asked her a question. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

  Mac chuckled, pressing a tender kiss against her temple. “I said, I’m so glad ye’re here with me tonight.”

  She nodded, laying her head against his shoulder. “If I forget
to tell you later, congratulations.”

  “For what?” The calm pools of blue in his eyes were full of shimmering warmth and love as he stared back at her.

  “For already being a winner. I’m so proud of you, Mac. You’ve created something wonderful that’s helped a lot of people. And don’t forget, you broke all records with this album release.”

  It was true. When After the Fall was completed and released, the acoustic album sold close to six million copies in the first week alone, making Mac the fastest-selling artist in music history. He broke the record surpassing Adele and even the Beatles, dedicating the album to his bandmates. And when he took it a step further and gifted all royalties from his work to their families, Nicky’s heart swelled with immense pride. It was an unprecedented move on his part, and one the entire world applauded, and supported.

  “I was a winner the minute ye walked into Amber’s office that night at the pub. It was love at first sight.”

  “Yes, it was,” she agreed, snuggling closer to him.

  Camera crews kept panning the audience and landing on them, making her self-conscious, but Mac took it all in stride, grinning and waving as if he were enjoying himself. Later in the broadcast, when his name was finally announced among the list of nominees for Best Album, she held her breath.

  “And the winner is…,” The presenter grinned, ripping the envelope open. “Reid Macpherson.”

  They stood among the crowd already on their feet, applauding and congratulating him. Through a shimmer of tears, all Nicky could do was nod her head like a bobblehead doll as she stared back at him. From his humble beginnings as a self-proclaimed pale, gangly ginger growing up in the shadow of his strapping cousin, James, and raised by his uncle, this incredible man who insisted he wrote terrible love songs in his youth was a shining superstar, blasting off into the stratosphere. He absolutely took her breath away.