“Thank you, but I think I got the better end of the deal.”
Paige smiled as he shook his head. She could see the blush all over his face. And he was so cute.
He cleared his throat. “I can assure ye, I got the better end of the deal.”
She glanced at him “I don’t know. Today when you helped that lady with her little boy, that was pretty great.”
Shrugging, he said, “Anyone would’ve done it.”
No way. “You stopped everything and played ball with him. We were just walking by the park. We hadn’t even planned on spending time there.”
“She needed to nurse, and the wee one needed a good distraction so Mum didnae pull her hair out.”
“He was a bit of a monkey, wasn’t he?”
Rory leaned his head back on the headrest as he laughed. It was warm and throaty and everything good about a man’s laugh. “Aye, that he was. I thought he was goin’ to break somethin’ or himself.”
“But you were great. He really liked you.” And Paige did too. That little display had put him firmly in her little-more-than-like category.
He laughed. “Kids like me. I look like a hairless bear.”
Paige put her hand to her mouth and snickered. “Now that you mention it…”
Rory poked her in the ribs. “I get to think and say that. Not ye, missy.”
Their laughter filled the SUV.
“So, where are we going?” Paige asked as she tried to catch her breath from laughing.
“At first I was thinkin’ a pub, but with the way yer dressed, I’m thinkin’ somethin’ a little more upscale.”
“A pub is fine.” But the thought of a romantic restaurant with him thrilled her.
“Naw, nae now.”
They chatted a while longer until Rory pulled into a parking space in front of a standalone restaurant. It overlooked a large lake, and the patio on the right side was lit with tea lights.
Rory took her hand as he helped her out of the SUV. “This is a bit different. It’s Scottish cuisine with a modern-gastro twist, or so that’s what I’m told.”
“It looks…”
“Romantic.” His voice was soft and velvety. The date had definitely hit a new level for her.
“Yeah, that sums it up well.”
“Well, this is a date. May as well throw all the charm I’ve got at ye. See what sticks. Since I’ll be lookin’ for a way out by the end.” He grinned.
Paige laughed. “You do have charm. I’ll give you that.”
“Good, I think that’s all I’ve got.”
Not hardly.
They entered the restaurant, and Rory spoke to the hostess. A few moments later, they were seated, and a waiter took their drink order.
“So, you were going to tell me at least one interesting story. One that would explain your whiplash-like turnaround today,” Paige said. She was very interested in that story.
His cheeks turned pink. Could he be any cuter? “Aye. I was hopin’ ye’d forgotten about that.”
Paige smiled and shook her head.
He scratched the back of his neck, but before he could answer, the waiter returned with the drink orders. They thanked him and decided to take a few moments before ordering.
Rory took a deep breath and leaned forward with his arms on the table. “Ye were talkin’ about Tyler and lettin’ go of the past.”
“I was.”
He set his elbows on the table and linked his fingers together. “I guess ye could say I’m still tryin’ to let go of my past. It’s harder than people think.”
“Did she break your heart?” Just the thought didn’t sit well with Paige. He was too likable for anyone to treat him badly.
Nodding, he said, “Yes, but not in the way yer thinkin’.”
“Okay.”
“Her name was Alana Craig. I’d known her since we were kids. Our families grew up together. Her father owns the property Angus is tryin’ to buy.”
Paige stiffened at the thought of Angus buying property with Penelope. She needed to let it go for now. The beautiful man across from her was where her focus needed to be. “What happened?”
“We started datin’ when we were fifteen. Well, if ye call sittin’ on the couch in my livin’ room datin’. And, I dinnae think I can technically call it datin’ since I’d nae actually asked her to be my girlfriend. It took about three years before I got the courage to ask her.” Rory chuckled. “It took another several years to work up the fortitude to ask her to marry me. I’m not what ye would call a fast person.”
“I can understand that. What happened?” she asked.
He licked his lips and paused a second. Pain etched his features. “About two weeks before we were to be married, she was killed in a car accident. She was drivin’ back from the town over, and she fell asleep at the wheel. The car ran off the road, and she had a head-on collision with a tree.”
“Oh.” Paige reached across the table and covered her hand with his. “I’m so sorry. That’s awful.”
“Aye, it was and still is.” He rubbed his lips with his fingers. “I can’t seem to let her go.”
Now it made more sense. “So, that’s why you asked and then tried to back out?”
“Aye.”
Paige squeezed his hand. “That is a very good reason.”
He shook his head. “Naw, nae really. It’s been years now. I just feel guilty when I go on dates. On one hand, I know she would want me to be happy, but on the other, I feel like I’m cheatin’ on her. I loved her. I havenae stopped.”
It was easier said than done. That was one thing Paige knew without a doubt. She pulled her hand back. “I don’t think you will. I still love Tyler. Or who I thought he was. I don’t think I’ll ever really be able to not love him.”
“Even after everythin’ he did?” he asked, his eyebrows knitting together.
“That’s the thing. I hate what he did, but who he was before I found out was someone I adored. He was funny, outgoing, loving, sweet, and kind. I felt so close to him. I know it was a show, but I think there is part of me that wants to hold on to the parts of him I loved. It makes no sense at all.”
“Nae really, naw.”
Paige rolled her eyes. She hadn’t talked this candidly about Tyler with anyone. Not even Penelope. Paige wasn’t even sure she knew she’d had these feelings before talking to Rory about it. “What was Alana like?”
Rory sat back. “She was beautiful, of course.”
“Of course.” Paige smiled.
“She was warm, and she loved children. They’d flock to her everywhere we went. Alana is the reason my flat looks like a home and not a bachelor pad. She was smiles, laughter, and sunshine. She was my other half. And I cannae replace her. It feels like that’s what I’m tryin’ to do when I go on dates with anyone. There’s no replacin’ her, and it feels like a betrayal when I try.” His voice broke.
“I can understand that. Well, no, I can’t. I’d like to. I can understand the hurt part of it, though. Why did you tell me all this? I mean, I know you said you’d tell me why, but you could’ve just given me a short non-personal version.”
“I dinnae like secrets. If I’m askin’ ye out, it means I like ye. Or at least I want to like ye and get to know ye. Can’t start somethin’ if all yer cards arenae on the table.”
“Oh.” Paige had no idea what to say after that. The start of something? Her palms became moist, and she slid them down her dress. Maybe this was a bad idea.
An uncomfortable silence settled between them until the waiter returned and took their orders. When he left, the silence had left with him.
“So, now to the uninterestin’ stories that will have ye fleein’ for a window.” Rory chuckled.
His laugh melted all her doubts. She liked him. Maybe starting something wasn’t a horrible idea. “Oh, I’ve got a plethora of those.”
“I’m all ears,” he said and looked around the restaurant. “I’ve even got my window picked out.”
She snic
kered. “Well, don’t tell me which one. It’s not really fleeing if I can see your exit.”
His eyes glinted with mischief, and his smile seemed to only grow more perfect. “Oh, I’ve got my eye on several. There’d be no stoppin’ me.”
Paige laughed. Oh, she was in deep trouble. When he looked at her, her breath caught. The longer they were in the restaurant, the more attractive he became. She wasn’t sure if it was his laughter, the conversation, or the way he made her feel, but she was running out of fingers to count the number of things she liked about him.
It didn’t feel like she’d only known him for a few weeks. He felt so comfortable and familiar that it made her wonder what it would be like to have him hold her and kiss her.
CHAPTER 16
Rory and Paige spent their entire dinner talking and laughing. He couldn’t remember laughing as much with any other woman. Afterward, he took her to a quiet spot he’d found when he first moved to Edinburgh. He was glad they’d dressed warmly. The temperature had dropped considerably while they were in the restaurant, and he’d wanted to continue the date because of how much he enjoyed spending time with her.
Paige’s gaze roamed over the area. “This is beautiful, Rory.”
He looked around, nodding. “It’s a little place I discovered when I first bought the house.”
“Why do you have that house?”
Chewing his lip, he sighed. “I bought it after she died. I wanted out of Rosegail Bridge. Her memory was a noose at the time. I just needed to be away. I stayed in it for about eighteen months.”
“What made you move back?”
Rory shrugged. “My family needed me. Pop took a bad fall off a horse and broke his hip. He still favors it, so I work on the farm to keep him from hurtin’ himself even more.”
Paige stopped walking. “You are so sweet.”
“Naw.” He shook his head as he stopped and faced her. Even with the sliver of moon, her eyes were just as spectacular at night as they were in full sun.
“I’m glad you asked me out.”
“I am too.”
She took a step and wobbled. Rory caught her by the waist, and she looked up at him. Those light-pink lips were parted in surprise, and he tugged her closer. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do now that she was in his arms, but he sure liked the feel of her. “Has anyone ever told ye that yer beautiful.”
All she did was stare at him.
“Ye should hear it all the time.”
“I’m not a nice person,” she whispered.
He didn’t believe that for a second. “I doubt that. I saw you at the winter festival with my niece and nephew. They took to ye pretty quick.”
“Uh, well, they were easy to like.”
With every sentence, he pulled her closer until his arms were completely circling her. He could feel the heat of her skin and the thrum of her heart through her coat.
“Ye were kind to my mum at the festival too.”
Paige placed the flat of her hands against his chest. “Well, there’s no point in being unkind. She was actually really nice to me, and I enjoyed talking to her.”
“So, yer nae such a baddie after all.” He winked.
Her eyes glistened in the moonlight. “I am to my sister.”
“Ye were. Past tense.”
Paige nodded as he brushed his thumb across her cheek. She closed her eyes, and her breath caught. “I’ve known you all of a week and a half. I think we might be too close.”
“I disagree. I like holdin’ ye.” A lot.
Paige pushed with her arms, putting distance between them, and started walking again.
Rory felt as though his feet were in concrete. When his brain started working again, he jogged until he caught up with her. “I’m sorry. I didnae mean to offend ye or come across too strong. I’m kinda rusty at the datin’ thing.”
“It’s okay. I…well, if I’m honest, I didn’t mind it at all.”
“Then why push me away?”
“Because I have a limited number of days here, and I don’t want to cross a line that both of us will regret.” She seemed to walk faster.
“What makes ye think I’ll regret it?” He worked to keep pace with her.
Paige stopped. “Because when my visit here is up, I’ll be going back to Florida. I don’t need any complications when that time comes.”
He stopped with her. “I see.”
They began walking again. The silence lingered much longer than Rory wanted, but he didn’t know what to say. He knew starting something with her could make things messy, but sometimes the messiest things made life worth living. Besides, Penelope was moving here. Why couldn’t she?
“This place. This country. Everything about it is just so beautiful. I think I could visit a thousand times and never get tired of it. I thought Penelope was high when she suggested I move here.”
“I dinnae see why ye couldna.” The words had tumbled out before he could stop them.
Paige blinked, and whatever moment they’d just shared came to an abrupt halt. “I can’t move here. I have a life in the States.”
“Ye could have a life here.”
“No, I can’t. And neither can Penelope. Both of our lives are back in Florida. If she wants to sell her business, I don’t care. That just means she can move to Pensacola and live near me. Sarah and I wouldn’t mind having her as our partner.”
Rory shook his head in disbelief and drew his eyebrows together. “What?”
“There is no way I’m letting my sister move here. Not for some guy she doesn’t even know.”
Some guy? “That ‘some guy’ is my brother. He loves her.”
“So you say. So she says. I still see the guy so desperate to fix his image that he’d lie about falling in love.” Now her eyes were filled with fire.
Rory stepped back. “Yer really goin’ to try to break up their relationship?” How on earth was he going to stop her?
She hesitated a second. “No, I’m not going to try to break them up, but I’m not going to pretend everything is roses and sunshine when I know that’s not true.”
“So, what are ye goin’ to do, then?”
“I’m going to talk some sense into her.”
Rory narrowed his eyes. “She told me about yer pranks and whatnot. Are ye sure yer nae goin’ to try one of those?”
Paige remained silent as she looked at him, and alarm bells went off inside Rory’s head. “Ye had better nae try anythin’. Ye said ye’d changed. If ye do somethin’, Penelope will never forgive ye.”
“Yes, she will.”
His heart nearly stopped. Because his brother’s heart and his own were both about to be stomped on. “So yer goin’ to try somethin’?”
“I didn’t say that. What could I possibly try here in Scotland? I don’t know anyone or how to get around. I’m at the mercy of anyone who can drive me.”
Rory narrowed his eyes. “Yer a resourceful woman. I suspect if ye wanted somethin’, ye wouldna let anythin’ get in yer way.”
“Take me to the house. This date is over. I should have just said no to start with. It’s not like I’m staying here. Striking up anything more than a simple friendship is useless. I came here to sightsee.”
“And see yer sister get married.”
Her eyes narrowed as she pointed her face up to him. “We’ll see about that.”
Rory felt as though the wind had been knocked out of him. He liked Paige. Being with her was the first time since Alana that he’d felt comfortable with someone. And here she was, talking about destroying his brother’s relationship.
He raked a hand through his hair. “Paige, are ye hearin’ yerself? Yer talkin’ about yer sister like she has nae say in the matter. Ye say ye love her, but are ye tryin’ to protect her or yerself? Are ye that afraid of being alone that ye would hurt her like that?”
She blinked, looking stunned for a second. “I’d be protecting her from getting hurt.”
“Are ye nae the one that got her in t
his position in the first place? Yer the one that pretended to be her. Yer the one that she was tryin’ to protect.”
She stumbled back. “What are you talking about?”
Didn’t Penelope tell her? “The producer of the show threatened to file charges against ye if she didnae stay.”
“That’s not true. She would have told me,” she said just above a whisper.
He stepped into her, their gazes locking. “Are ye sure? Sounds to me like there are a lot o’things she’d make nae mention of. Penelope was right. Ye dinnae care about her. Ye care about yerself. What ye want.”
Paige’s lips curled into a snarl. “Take me to the house. I’m done with this conversation, and I’m done with you. You think you know me, and you don’t. You don’t know anything.”
“I know ye have a sister who wants ye to be happy for her. I know I have a brother who loves her deeply. Ye are lyin’ to yerself if ye think yer here to save Penelope.”
Paige glared at him. “I’m getting my sister away from this madness. I’ll do it even if it means I don’t have her. At least I know she won’t get hurt by your brother. Because let’s face it, we both know he’s not exactly an upstanding citizen. Penelope deserves better.”
God help him. It was an earnest plea. “Ye dinnae even know him.”
“No, but I know you. I think that’s enough.” She whirled in place and stomped to the SUV. In the distance, he heard the door slam.
How had things gone so wrong so fast? He stood there with his hands on his hips, trying to catch his breath. The night had been wonderful. He’d enjoyed her…all of her. He’d nearly kissed her. And in a blink, they’d been in a full-on argument.
All the uneasiness he’d felt about asking her out settled on him. He’d wasted a date on a woman with nothing on her mind but destruction. How could he have been so blind?
Rory remained outside while he collected his thoughts. His heart hurt. Alana had been walking away. Now she was sitting on his chest, pressing the knot in his stomach into his spine. He shook his head and walked to the car. The rest of his time in Edinburgh was going to be difficult. And without telling Penelope why and ruining the sisters’ relationship, it would be hard to explain the animosity between him and Paige.
Mending the Billionaire Scotsman: A Clean Scottish Romance Book Two Page 8
