The last thing he wanted was to hurt Penelope, but if Paige pushed him, he’d tell Penelope everything and let Paige deal with the consequences.
CHAPTER 17
P aige shut the door to her bedroom and silently seethed. She wished she could have slammed it so hard the hinges would have bent. Anger boiled in her so hot she thought she could melt steel.
And things were going so well. She liked Rory. It was crazy, but she was building a house with a white picket fence as they talked through dinner.
The anger melted and turned to tears as she sank onto the edge of her bed. His words slammed into her chest. Her reaction to Rory had been utterly irrational, and she’d had no control. Like a flipped switch, she’d turned into a bull in a china shop, destroying everything in her path.
Was she only looking out for herself and her interests? The tears began as a trickle and then poured down her cheeks. She loved Penelope, but was she being selfish by wanting her to stay in Florida? Not if it kept her from being hurt.
She pulled out the reporter’s business card she’d received while they were at the castle. Paige had been more than happy to pretend to be Penelope with an inside scoop. Once the article was printed, her sister’s relationship, if not over, would at least be on rocky ground. At that point, a little push would be all it would take to end it, and Paige could take her sister home. It sounded like a high school prank, but she was desperate to keep her sister from getting hurt and even more desperate to keep her from moving.
She didn’t think it was possible, but tears poured harder, and she hiccupped loudly.
“Hey,” Penelope said through a yawn. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” Paige jammed the business card back into her purse.
Penelope sat up. “You’re crying buckets. That’s not nothing. What happened?”
Paige waved her off. “We had a difference of opinion. That’s all. I’ll be fine.”
“What kind of difference could you have? It was a first date.”
“And last. I’m not living in Scotland. It was stupid to go out with him in the first place.”
Penelope quickly changed beds and sat next to Paige. She put an arm across her shoulders and hugged her. “It’s okay, Paige. You don’t have to decide on a future with someone on the first date. It was just getting to know someone.”
“But there’s no point in getting to know him. I’m staying in Pensacola. That’s where my business is. It’s where my life is. Rory lives here. He has a life here. His family and his farm. It’s pointless to even try to start something.”
“Why are you so stuck on staying in Pensacola? Or Florida, for that matter? We’re all the family we have left.”
“Because it’s where we belong,” Paige ground out.
“Says who?”
“Me,” she snapped.
“Be honest, Paige. What’s really going on?” her sister asked softly.
“Nothing. I just really like him.” It was the truth. Paige really liked him. But moving to Scotland? No.
Penelope chuckled. “Then like him. Rory is a good man. From what I’ve learned, he’s compassionate, kind, and charming. And on this trip, he’s confirmed it. He’s adorable. Have you seen him blush? It’s the cutest thing.”
Paige couldn’t resist laughing. “It really is. It travels from his neck to his cheeks, and they’re so red. It’s just sweet.”
“Paige, I know you’re dead set against moving here, but why don’t you stop with all the reasons why you can’t like him? Why don’t you stick with the reasons you do like him, and then revisit the moving thing later? Moving for someone is a lot different than moving because of someone. I’m not moving here because of Angus. I’m moving here for him. He misses his brother Taran. They were really close, and his relationship with Clara destroyed it. I want to give Angus a chance to rebuild his relationship with his brother. I can’t imagine being so angry with you that I couldn’t forgive you, but that’s what Angus has been dealing with. Taran won’t even speak to him. Angus is desperate to have his brother back.”
Paige nodded. Would that be what her relationship with Penelope would be like if Paige went through with her plan? The possibility made her cringe.
“Get some sleep, okay? Maybe you and Rory can make up in the morning.” Penelope squeezed her with one arm. “He’s a sweet guy. I’m sure you two can work it out. If nothing else, you can be friends and enjoy the rest of your trip.” Penelope hopped up and then lay down on her bed again. “Just relax and enjoy your time. You’ll see. Things will work out like they’re supposed to.”
“Okay.” Paige sniffed and used the corner of her blanket to wipe her eyes. She changed into her pajamas and shuffled to the bathroom. By the time she’d walked back into the room, Penelope was already fast asleep.
Paige slipped under the covers and stared at the ceiling. Sleeping was impossible. She couldn’t stop thinking about Angus, Penelope, Rory, or the reporter. It made her head hurt.
When Penelope’s alarm went off the next morning, Paige was exhausted, and the idea of spending a day with Rory after the fight they’d had didn’t appeal to her at all.
“I don’t feel good,” Paige said. It wasn’t a total lie. The restless night had left her feeling worn.
“What’s wrong?” Sarah asked as she walked in.
Paige curled on her side with her back to the door. “I don’t know. I think it’s all the traveling.” The mix of emotions she had when it came to Rory didn’t make her feel any better.
“Oh gosh, is it your stomach or what?”
“I don’t know. I think it’s all of me. I wish I had some Sprite or Ginger Ale.”
Penelope bent down and touched her forehead. “You don’t have a fever, so I bet it is all the traveling.”
Sarah took Paige’s hand. “Penelope and I can run and get you some Sprite.”
“That sounds great. Wait,” said Paige, looking over her shoulder. “You remember that little bakery shop a couple of blocks from here?” They’d visited it the day before, and everything was delicious. Not too sweet, flakey, and buttery. It wasn’t chocolate, but maybe a pastry could work on her mental state.
“Yeah,” answered Sarah.
“Maybe Penelope can run and get the Sprite and you can go to that little shop and get some little bread thing. Something not sweet?”
“Sure. I’ll go to the store I saw and get crackers and something to drink,” said Penelope. “Sarah can go to the bakery.”
Paige faked a moan and curled into a tighter ball, clutching her stomach. She just needed some time alone. Time without anyone around asking her questions or dissecting her feelings. Since the moment she’d arrived in Scotland, her whole world had been upended.
Everything going on with her sister was enough to deal with, and now she’d added a man into the mix. A man she really liked.
“What’s goin’ on?” Rory asked from the doorway.
“Paige doesn’t feel good. Sarah is going to that little bakery shop, and I’m going to go get crackers. Would you mind getting her something like Sprite or Ginger Ale?”
“Sure. I can do that. Was it somethin’ she ate last night?” he asked.
Sarah sighed. “She thinks it from all the traveling.”
“Okay, well, I guess we’d better be off. Maybe if yer feelin’ better later today, we can do a little more sightseein’,” said Rory.
When Paige looked over her shoulder again, Rory was piercing her with a look. One that said he cared.
Her heart jumped, and her stomach clenched. It was one date. One. Date. But the feeling of comfort came flooding back as Rory stood there. She smiled weakly. “I hope so.”
CHAPTER 18
Exhausted and bleary-eyed, Rory walked out of his bedroom and stopped. Paige sat up quickly and looked just as shocked to see him.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t sleep, so I came downstairs. I’ll go.” She went to stand.
Rory held up a hand. “Naw, keep yer spot. Ye want so
me coffee?”
“It’s 3 a.m.”
No kidding. “Aye, it’s nae whiskey. It doesnae have to be five o’clock somewhere.”
Paige smiled. “No, I meant, won’t it keep you up?”
“I’m already up. I cannae be any more up than I already am.” He chuckled.
“I guess not.”
Rory went to the kitchen and got some coffee brewing. He thought Paige might join him, but she stayed in the living room. He’d hoped to have a moment alone in the quiet to think. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to think about, but now that she was in his living room, all he could think about was her. Once the coffee was done, he fixed them both a cup and walked back into the living room.
“Uh, thanks,” she said as she took the cup from him.
“I dinnae know what to put in it, so I left it black. If that’s not okay, ye can help yerself to the cream and sugar in the kitchen.”
“Black’s fine. It’s Penelope that likes a little coffee with her cream.”
Without responding, Rory sat down on the end of the couch, leaving a cushion between them. He didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t had a moment alone with her since their date, and sitting alone with her in the living room made their argument hang heavy between them. The only time he’d seen her since then was earlier in the day when he’d walked into her room and found out she was sick. The rest of the day, Sarah and Penelope had kept Paige company upstairs while he’d run errands in Edinburgh.
It had actually worked out well. He’d planned on visiting a realtor while he was in town the next time. Keeping a home in Edinburgh seemed like a waste now that he no longer wanted or could live there. He was needed at the farm more than ever. It wasn’t like he ever got a vacation. Yeah, he had money, but hiring people to take care of the farm took trust. Something he didn’t have a lot of since the thing with the fence started. The fact that Angus was home to give him a break wasn’t a normal situation. Selling the house was the smart thing to do. He needed to start shutting the door on his grief and find a way to move on.
Paige took a few sips of the coffee. “This is good.”
“Aye. I picked it up when I went to the store yesterday. Are ye feelin’ any better?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
He took a sip of coffee. “Good, Sarah and Penelope want to do some more tourin’ tomorrow, and they didn’t want to leave ye behind.”
“Yeah, I know.”
The stillness made Rory uncomfortable. Just as he was about to say something, Paige scooted over and closed the distance between them. Her knee brushed against his as she faced him.
“Rory, I’m really sorry for the way I behaved. I enjoyed spending the evening with you. And then you were holding me, and the realization that I wasn’t staying here hit me. And when you started talking about moving here…I just…I don’t know. Finding out Penelope wanted to move here was such a shock. I wasn’t prepared for it.”
He set his cup down and twisted in his seat. “So, ye arenae goin’ to try to break them up?”
To him, it looked as though she was struggling with an answer. After their argument the previous night, he’d tried to think of anything he could to convince her that moving to Scotland wasn’t the worst thing to happen.
Paige took a deep breath and locked gazes with him. “I just want to make sure my sister isn’t hurt.”
“I know ye dinnae know Angus, but he’s a good man. He’s made bad decisions—I’ll give him nae excuses for them—but he is a good man. I know he loves her. I know he’d never deliberately hurt her. He’s nae just an actor, Paige. He’s a person. Just give him a chance.”
She leaned forward, and a light fruity smell enveloped him. Now that he looked at her, her hair seemed damp and hung limply around her shoulders. The bathrobe she was wearing was dark blue, and it made her eyes darker than the normal bright green he was used to. She was more beautiful every time he saw her.
Paige covered his hand with hers. “I don’t know how. How do I trust him?”
Everywhere her hand touched made his skin tingle, and her nearness made his heart race. “I dinnae know the answer to that. Or how to ease yer worry.”
“It was more rhetorical.” She sighed as she withdrew her hand and leaned her head against the back of the couch. It almost seemed like her heart was broken.
He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. “Why do ye look so sad? Are ye sure yer feelin’ better?”
“I’m feeling better. I think my late-night wake up is sneaking up on me, despite the coffee.”
Rory grinned. “They have a tendency to do that.”
She looked down at the couch and then stood. “I wish I…” Her voice broke. When she looked at him, she had tears in her eyes.
Rory stood. “What just happened?”
“Nothing. Like I said, I’m just tired.”
He hated seeing her so upset, and he felt she wasn’t being entirely honest with him. “I feel like I need to be doin’ somethin’ to help ye.”
Paige stepped closer. “I wish you could help me, but I don’t think you can.”
“Ye could try me.”
“I appreciate the offer, but no.” Paige tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek. “I barely know you, but from the little I do know, you are an incredibly sweet man. Stay away from me, Rory, because at the end of the day, I’m not a good person, and I have no doubt you deserve better.”
Rory’s jaw dropped. Not a good person? He cupped her cheek. “I have a hard time believin’ that.” And he could see it in her eyes. There was a kindness and a fierce loyalty to her. It was just a feeling, but it was strong enough that he wouldn’t give up on her.
“Give it time. You won’t.”
He stared after her as she walked to the stairs and began to climb them. He was so dumbstruck that he couldn’t get his thoughts in line until he heard her door click shut. He touched his cheek where she’d kissed him. He had no idea what she was talking about. The sadness he felt coming from her seemed to be swallowing her whole.
She wanted him to stay away from her, but he wasn’t sure he could. He’d only known her for two weeks, and the more time he spent with her, the more he felt drawn to her. It wasn’t the same as Alana, but it was just as exciting. And the possibility of something more with her made just surviving no longer acceptable.
CHAPTER 19
T he patio in Rory’s backyard was small but inviting with two cushioned chairs and a table big enough for a couple of glasses in between. Paige had wanted to check it out since she’d spied it from the window in the upstairs bedroom.
She quietly slipped out the back door of the house with her cup of coffee and sat. The chilly morning made her thankful for thermal underwear, warm pajamas, and a thick bathrobe. She yawned and took a long sip of her coffee.
With the late night she’d had, she never expected to wake up just as the sun was coming up. She’d lounged in bed as Sarah and Penelope dressed and left to have breakfast. They’d invited her, but she had no desire to go anywhere without a gallon of coffee.
Unlike backyards in the States, this one was barely bigger than a postage stamp. It was filled with green vines that sprawled over a chest-high stone fence. And because the house was on the outskirts of town, it was surprisingly quiet.
She scooted down and leaned her head against the back of the chair. Her heart hurt, and she had no idea how to keep her distance from Rory. She could still feel the comfort of being in his arms. His scent had lingered on her until she’d showered.
Starting something with him was wrong, even though that’s all she could think about. It’s what woke up her in the night. It’s what kept her from going back to sleep after Penelope’s alarm had gone off.
He was a gentleman through and through. She’d lost count of the number of times he’d helped someone with their luggage or packages. And the park with the little boy. It was the sweetest thing. It gave her a fantastic picture of how he’d be as a father.
He was wonderful. Paige s
ighed. It was just infatuation, though. She didn’t really know him. You couldn’t get to know someone in such a little amount of time. Although, she was in Scotland for twelve weeks. And she was living in his guesthouse. Plus, she was so attracted to him.
“I thought I smelled coffee,” Rory said as he walked out the back door.
Paige jumped. “Oh my gosh, Rory!” She pressed the flat of her hand over her heart and sat up. “You have to stop doing that. You’re going to give me a heart attack.”
“I didnae mean to scare ye,” he said as he sat down.
“I’ll be fine.” She inhaled sharply and let it out slowly. “What are you doing up?”
“I told ye, I smelled coffee.”
Paige threw a quick glance at him as he sat. His hair was mussed up, and his matching plaid pajamas made him look like a lumberjack. The five o’clock shadow he was sporting must have been bothering him, because he couldn’t stop running his hand over the stubble.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“I’ll be fine.” He grinned and winked.
She pulled her bottom lip in, trying to keep herself from smiling.
“Why are ye up so early?” he asked.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“And ye decided coffee was the answer?”
“I was up. I couldn’t be any more up than I already was.” She shrugged.
He chuckled. “Dinnae know where ye got that answer, but must have been a mighty wise person who said it.”
“Oh, they were.” Paige smiled as she picked up her cup and took a sip. “It’s not nearly as good when it’s cold.” She set the cup back down on the table.
“I can get ye some more if ye’d like.”
Paige shook her head. “No, I’m good.”
“Are ye ready to have some fun today?”
Nodding, she said, “Castles and museums. I think I’ll have a lot of fun. There’s so much history here, and it’s so beautiful and green.”
“Aye, but I’m biased.”
Mending the Billionaire Scotsman: A Clean Scottish Romance Book Two Page 9
