She smiled as she looked at him. “I would be too.”
“Could I ask ye somethin’ and not have ye tear my head off?”
Her heart skittered to a stop. She’d made a great impression… “I won’t get upset.”
His eyebrows drew together. “What happened the other night? I thought things had gone well. Next thing I know, yer angry and not speakin’ to me.”
Paige looked away. How could she answer that? “I don’t know,” she said softly.
“Ye dinnae know?”
Paige quickly stood, and Rory stood with her. She didn’t have any idea why she’d lost her cool or her temper. Their evening together had been better than any date she’d been on in recent years. She’d even been on one after she got back from seeing Penelope when she was on the show. There had been zero chemistry, and she’d even been trying.
“Paige, talk to me. I thought…I thought we’d hit it off. I enjoy yer company. I could’ve sworn it wasna one-sided.”
“It wasn’t one-sided, but this isn’t going to work. I can’t move here. And you can’t move to Florida because your family needs you. This is a bad idea.”
“Why are ye talkin’ about movin’? We’ve had one date.”
Why? “I like you, Rory. I don’t want to start something with anyone when I know it can’t go anywhere.” And the idea of starting something with him gave her goosebumps.
Paige’s heart took off at a gallop as Rory stepped closer. She felt as though all the air in her lungs had been sucked out. The desire to run her fingers through his hair to tame it was becoming nearly impossible to ignore. The tension grew thicker. It was all she could do to not kiss him.
“I like ye too, Paige. I’ve felt a connection with ye. Somethin’ I’ve not felt with anyone in a long time. Ye have the most beautiful green eyes I’ve ever seen. Ye make me laugh. By the end of our date, I’d forgotten where all the windows were. I enjoy spendin’ time with ye.” The corners of his mouth quirked up. “How about we slow down a little and just enjoy each other’s company?”
She couldn’t find words adequate enough to respond. If her heart beat any faster, she was afraid it would come right out of her chest.
“Did I say somethin’ wrong?”
“No,” she whispered. “I feel the same way. I think that’s why I reacted the way I did the other night. I enjoyed spending time with you, and it scared me. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way. It was easy to picture a few steps down the road, and I got ahead of myself.”
Rory smiled and leaned in closer. “Would ye have dinner with me tonight?”
Paige nodded. “I’d like that. I promise I’ll be as uninteresting as I can be.”
“I promise to pretend I want to call ye.”
She looked down and couldn’t stop herself from smiling.
He tipped her chin up with his finger. “Now that that’s settled, how about we get dressed for the day. Otherwise, we’ll be dozin’ off instead of keepin’ our promises.”
Without warning, the need to be kissed by him overwhelmed her, but he’d said to take things slow. Sheesh, she was doomed.
“Okay. Although, I suspect dozing off with you wouldn’t be as bad as you think.” Her eyes widened, and if her cheeks got any hotter, they would actually burst into flames. Why on earth would she say that? Out loud? If he wasn’t standing in front of her, she’d be smacking herself in the forehead.
“Naw, I dinnae suspect it would either.” Rory stepped away and opened the back door. “After ye.” He winked.
Paige exhaled slowly and walked to the door. As she passed by him, she looked up. “I’ll see you later.”
CHAPTER 20
“How are things goin’?” asked Rory as he pressed the phone to his ear.
Paige, Penelope, and Sarah were in the Paolozzi Studio section of the Modern Two building in the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art while he stood on the front steps. He’d stepped outside to get some air and check on Angus. The morning had started so nice, and then the clouds had gathered, dumping rain all over the city.
They had a couple more weeks in Edinburgh, and he hoped he’d hear good news from Angus. His row with Taran needed to come to an end. It had been long enough. And if Rory could move on from Alana, Taran could get over his issues as well.
“He still won’t speak to me.”
The disappointment in Angus’s voice snaked through the phone and lodged into Rory’s heart. He wanted them to move past the mistakes Angus had made. “He has to be speakin’ to ye. Yer workin’ together.”
Angus sucked in a sharp breath. “We might be working together, but that doesn’t mean he needs to talk to me. He grunts and then points. That’s about the best I get from him.”
Rory sighed. “Eventually, he’ll have to speak to ye.”
“Well, if the fence keeps getting holes, maybe.”
“Holes?”
“Aye. Taran mumbled something about teenagers and developers.”
Rory swore under his breath. “I told him it was more than just stupid kids. I think someone’s doin’ it on purpose.”
“Why?”
“We had a real estate developer sniffin’ around. Rosegail Bridge is becomin’ quite the tourist destination. Our property is just far enough out it could be a nice bed and breakfast. Or at least, that’s what the developer said.”
“I had no idea. Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
Rory rubbed his jaw with his knuckles. “Because when we said ‘nae,’ it was done. He’s not come back, but all these breaks in the fence arenae normal. Pop doesna know, does he?”
“No, I’ve kept it from him. He doesn’t need to be working out here. Old Man Ram is not an animal to muck with. That has to be the orneriest ram in the history of sheep.”
Rory erupted in laughter. “And yer just now figurin’ that out?”
“I guess I’d forgotten. I swear that animal hates me.”
“He hates all of us.”
There was a pause, and Rory heard Taran yell in the background. It was clear he wasn’t happy with Rory’s decision to have Angus take his place.
“That’s the most he’s said in my presence since you left. I don’t think this was a good idea.”
Rory laughed. “It was my idea, so it was a great idea.”
Angus exhaled sharply. “You just make sure you take care of my girl.”
“I’ll bring the lassie back in one piece. No worries. Ye just get that brother of ours to talkin’.”
“That’s a tall order.”
“I’ll see ye in a couple weeks.” Rory ended the call and stuffed the phone back in his jean pocket. When he turned around, Paige was sitting on the top of the stairs, watching him. “Ye didnae like the exhibit?”
“I wanted to sit for a bit. Even in tennis shoes, my feet are throbbing.”
“Ye could have hung out in the café across the hall. It was a great place to grab lunch earlier.”
With a one-shoulder shrug, she draped her arms over her knees. “Yeah, but now it’s a little noisy in there. I think I liked it when stuff was near empty.”
Rory walked up the stairs and sat next to her. “Other than yer feet, have ye had fun?”
“I’ve had a great time, but I think the tour guide is partly to thank for that.”
He chuckled. “Naw. I’m here for directions. That’s all.”
She bumped him with her shoulder. “Well, that’s not true. You’ve gone above and beyond to make this a great trip.”
“It’s easier when ye have company ye want to impress.”
“Oh, is that it?” She chuckled.
Rory nodded. “Of course. Charm only goes so far.”
Paige touched his arm. “I don’t agree with that, especially when it comes to you and charm. You seem to have an endless supply.”
She thought he had charm, but from where he was sitting, she was the one with the charm. Her smile made up for the dreary day. And despite her insistence that she wasn’t a good person, he’d found her to
be nothing but good. Maybe worried about her sister, but surely that wasn’t a bad thing.
She’d gushed about his little detour to play ball in the park, but she’d stepped in when a little lost girl had walked up to her. Paige had taken her hand and walked all over the Craigmillar Castle until she found her parents. She was patient and kind.
“Sweet talker.”
Paige’s mouth parted, and she bumped him with her shoulder. “Look who’s talking.”
Rory leaned in. “I’m lookin’ forward to dinner tonight.”
“Do I need to buy another dress?” she asked softly.
“Ye could wear a sack and be just as beautiful.”
Her eyes sparkled, and her smile lit up her face. “And there’s that charm.”
“I’m glad we have more time here. Plus, it’s given me a chance to put my house on the market.”
Paige’s jaw dropped. “You’re selling it?”
“Aye.”
“Why?” She seemed sad he was selling it.
He shrugged. “I’m needed in Rosegail Bridge. No point in havin’ a house here when I can never visit.”
Paige’s eyebrows were drawn together, and he could see a bit of a pout. “I’m sorry. It’s so cute. It’s not much bigger than my parent’s house on the beach in Destin. Only, we don’t have the stone fence and greenery.”
Part of him felt sad for listing it. He’d liked staying in Edinburgh, but Taran couldn’t run the farm himself, especially now that someone was ripping holes in their fence. “We do what we have to for family. Even if that means doin’ somethin’ we dinnae want to do.”
Her eyes locked with his, and she smoothed back his hair. “Still, I’m sorry you have to do that.”
The gesture was tender and sweet. Just like her. He leaned in a little. “It’s just a house, nae a home.”
“Why is that?”
“There’s nae one there waitin’ for me when I walk in the door. It has nae warmth or laughter. It has nea heart. Without a pulse, it’s a house, nae a home.”
Her lips spread into a smile that went all the way to her eyes. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“What about ye? What makes a house a home for ye?”
Paige sighed and looked down. “I guess the same thing. Love, laughter, peace. It’s a rock in the middle of quicksand. That’s what my dad used to say. That coming home to us was like a lifeline. The world was big and hurtful, but when he stepped through our front door…it all fell away.” When Paige looked up, there were tears in her eyes.
“What’s made ye so sad?”
“I was angry with my dad for a long time. Something stupid I held on to for years. And now, I’ll never get that time back. I wish I could go back and change it.”
Rory took her hand, rubbing his thumb across the back of it. “I bet he knew ye loved him.”
“I was so mean to him.” With her free hand, she wiped her eyes.
“That might be, but based on what ye said, he loved ye.”
“I just wish I could tell him. One more time. One more hug. Just…one more moment with him so I would know for sure that he knew.”
“I understand that.”
“Alana?”
His eyebrows drew together, and he nodded as he pulled his hand away. “Aye. I think it’s like ye said. I’ll always love her, but lettin’ go is nae betrayin’ her or bein’ unfaithful. Lettin’ go of her is good for me. I cannae live in the past. The only thing that will do is prevent me from havin’ a future, and it’ll only give me more regrets.”
She sniffed. “Yeah, I can see the merits in that.”
He pulled her into a hug, tucking her head under his chin. “It’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to want to change the past. Ye just cannae get sidetracked and live there. Like I have.”
“Hey, guys!” Sarah called from the entrance.
Paige jerked away and put space between them. “Uh, hi. Are you done already?”
Penelope joined Sarah. “I am. Where else can we go?”
Rory looked at Paige. The moment had come to a screeching halt. He was kicking himself for not kissing her, but then again, he was the one wanting to take things slow. Maybe tonight if things went well, he’d have the chance and actually take it.
CHAPTER 21
“Where are we going tonight?” Paige angled herself toward Rory as he drove them to dinner. “I’m assuming somewhere a little different since I’m wearing jeans.”
“Aye, there’s a pub I really like here. They have dancin’ on Saturday nights.”
Paige lifted an eyebrow. “Oh?”
He threw a quick glance in her direction. “Aye. It was part of that movin’-on thing I tried.”
“Did it help at all?”
Shaking his head, he said, “Nae a bit.”
Paige laughed. “That bad.”
In the bit of light they had, she could see his cheeks turn pink. “If I’d known I could look for ways to escape, maybe I’d have had a better time.”
He threw her a quick grin, and her heart melted. She was beginning to crave his smiles. Especially the mischievous ones.
“Here we are.” Rory pulled into a spot in front of the pub. “Nae sure how long we’ll want to stay. It looks busier than usual tonight.”
Paige peered out the window. The pub looked full but not nearly as packed as a Florida club on a weekend night. “This is not packed.”
“For here it is.”
He got out, jogged around the front, and opened the door for her. She took his hand as she slipped out of the SUV. The attraction she had for him seemed only to grow. Maybe this was a mistake. Starting something with him was a bad idea, but she couldn’t help herself. She liked being near him.
They walked into the pub, and the music was lively and cheery. Rory leaned down, and whispered, “Let’s get somethin’ to drink and see if the floor clears a little.”
Paige nodded, and his hand came to rest on the small of her back as he guided her through the restaurant to a booth in the far back. Tingles traveled up and down her spine like fireworks. She peeled off her coat and stuffed it and her purse into the booth before sliding in. “At least it’s not as noisy back here.”
Instead of sitting across from her, Rory sat beside her with his arm across the back. He leaned in. “If I sat over there, we’d both be repeatin’ every sentence. At least this way, we dinnae have to yell.”
His lips were so close she could almost feel them on hers. Her breath caught, and she tried to squelch the thought. But there he was, completely cute and completely kissable. A bead of sweat trickled down her back. Hot fried guacamole and cheese. She fanned herself. “It’s hot in here. Are you hot?”
Rory looked around and shrugged. “It’s a little warm.” His gaze fell back on her. “I think it’s the company.”
Even as hot as it was, her cheeks were even hotter. Paige looked down and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She was at a loss for words. When she looked back up, it was like a scene out of a movie. The one right before the hero and the heroine kiss.
“Can I get ye two somethin’ to drink?” a perky waitress asked.
Paige wasn’t typically a violent person, but she was having a serious Ally McBeal moment—
complete with daydream of launching herself at the woman and beating her to a bloody pulp. She didn’t even have a name tag, so Paige could yell at her properly.
Rory looked just as frustrated as he peered up at the waitress. “I’ll have an AleSmith.” He looked back at Paige. “How about ye?”
“Uh, what you’re having.”
He glanced at the waitress. “Make that two. Thanks.”
“I’ll be right back,” interrupting waiter-lady said.
Rory leaned in again. “She sure ruined that moment, aye?”
“Oh, uh, no.” Dirty rotten liar, and he had to know it, too, with the way her cheeks were burning.
He leaned in further, his lips next to her ear. “I guess yer nae blushin’, then.�
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Goosebumps popped up like a whack-a-mole on speed. Paige hugged herself and rubbed her arms. His breath against her skin made her want to melt into him. It was the second date. What was her problem?
When Rory sat back, he caught her gaze and held it. The corners of his eyes crinkled as his lips spread into a thin line, and her cheeks were as hot as a marshmallow being roasted over an open fire. “Yer downright cute when ye do that.”
Her lips parted. As if a sumo wrestler had slammed her lungs, she struggled to find the breath to speak. “What’s going on with you tonight? You’re using that charm pretty heavily.”
“That’s all I’ve got in my basket. I have to use what I’m good at.”
Before she could respond, the waitress returned with their drinks. Rory looked up at the waitress. “Thank ye.”
Paige took a giant drink of the beer and regretted it. She choked it down and pushed it away from her. “That’s a little more…stout than I like.”
“Well, first, ye arenae supposed to gulp it. Second, yes, it’s an acquired taste.”
Chuckling, she smiled and tried to get the taste out of her mouth. “I don’t think I’ll be acquiring it any time soon.”
“Would ye like somethin’ else?”
Paige thought for a moment. “Whiskey.”
Rory blinked and raised an eyebrow.
“What? I’m in Scotland. Why not try the good stuff?”
“True.”
Rory flagged down the waitress, and Paige ordered whiskey. The waitress returned much faster than the time before and then left them alone again.
“This is good,” Paige said. Maybe now the warmth spreading through her core could be masked with the whiskey. “So, you think all you have is charm, huh?”
“Pretty sure.”
“I have news for you: that is not all you have.”
“Aye? Fill me in, please.”
Paige focused on the glass in front of her and ran her hands down the slick sides. “Well, for starters, you’re extremely good-looking. Leaps and bounds over Angus. You have the best smile I’ve ever seen. I swear it can light a city block. And you’re funny and sweet. I’m sure you’re not perfect, but you’re probably as close as I’m ever gonna get.” She covered her mouth with her hand. There was no way she was looking at him.
Mending the Billionaire Scotsman: A Clean Scottish Romance Book Two Page 10
