by JoAnn Durgin
“How thoughtful of Robert. Thanks for bringing it to me.” She brushed one finger over a velvety soft petal, exquisite in its perfection. While she appreciated Robert’s sentiment, a faint twinge of disappointment pinched her. No sense in pondering the reasons why. “Isn’t it illegal to pick a rose from the palace gardens?” she said, inhaling the flower’s lovely fragrance.
Seeing Harrison’s skeptical glance, Shelby hastened to explain. “Take the national forests in California, for example. If you carry pine cones off the protected grounds, it’s considered stealing and an offense punishable by law.” She lifted her shoulders. “Same theory, I should think.” She was only digging herself in deeper.
Harrison widened his eyes and slapped a hand on one cheek. “Don’t tell me you’ve done time for”—he mock-gasped—“pine cone theft? I’m shocked to my very core.”
Shelby couldn’t remember the last time she’d giggled, but it was freeing. Fun. “Guilty, but I paid my debt to society. And you’ve obviously spent time on the stage.”
“Guilty, but I was horrible at it. I’d rather be stealing pine cones. In the case of your rose, since Robert’s the one doing the plucking, I doubt the castle police will hunt us down. I hope you noticed I had the foresight to de-thorn it.”
“I did, and thanks. Smart thinking. Tell me something,” she said, resuming her walk with Harrison by her side. “Why would anyone plant a palace garden on such a slippery slope?”
“I don’t really know, but the castle sits on Castle Rock, an extinct volcano. Its location was very advantageous during military sieges. You should check out the Princes Street Gardens while you’re here. It’s very popular with tourists and a lot less treacherous.”
“I need to catch up on my reading about Scotland, but I have the feeling I could learn a lot from you.” Now she sounded like a tourist? Hopefully that comment didn’t come across like an invitation. Her mistake was sneaking a peek at Harrison’s profile to gauge his reaction. Oh, no. Again, her foot slid forward, catching her unaware. The saving grace this time was stumbling forward.
With a small cry, Shelby landed with her full weight on her right hand, splayed in the grass. “Not one word,” she said. Humiliation burned her from the inside out. It seemed she hadn’t broken or sprained anything. Small consolation.
To his credit, Harrison remained silent as he helped Shelby to her feet and retrieved her purse. After drying it with the bottom of his shirt, he handed it over. “Here you go. No harm done.”
“My pride would disagree, but I suppose a decent fall from grace keeps a girl humble.” Shelby slung her purse over one shoulder and tried to be as discreet as possible as she brushed her damp hand over the side of the skirt. “For the record, these are new shoes. I think they should come with a warning against walking around a castle. In Scotland. On a slope. After the rain.” She lifted her chin. “If you think that was something, you should see what I can do in heels.” She needed to stop talking.
“I’m sure it’d be entertaining, but if it’s all the same to you, I’ll escort you wherever you’re going next.” A speeding train on the nearby railway muffled the last part of his statement, but when Harrison offered his arm, Shelby accepted with a grateful smile.
“My rental car’s parked a few streets over.” Together they crossed the bridge behind a band stand. As they walked, Harrison asked about her work. Relieved for a comfortable subject, Shelby relaxed even while she hoped she didn’t bore the man to death.
“It’s obvious you care about the individuals behind your accounts,” Harrison said. “I hope they understand how blessed they are to have you managing their money.”
“My clients value my services as long as I don’t lose their money,” she said. “I work hard to ensure that doesn’t happen.” To her own ears, that statement sounded borderline pompous and self-aggrandizing.
Harrison had paid her a lovely compliment, and she should act appropriately thankful. When she slid a little, he tightened his hold on her. How long had it been since a man younger than fifty had demonstrated such chivalry? So long, she couldn’t begin to recall.
“I hope you take time to do the things that make you happy, Shelby.” After asking her which direction the car was parked, with a light hand on her elbow, Harrison guided her to a quieter side street. He dropped his hand when they reached more level ground. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t intend to trespass on any personal boundaries.”
“You didn’t,” she said, wanting to reassure him. “I don’t mind, but since it’s not really a question, I reserve the right not to answer.”
Harrison narrowed his eyes. “Actually, I think you just did.”
They stopped walking and stared at one another for a long moment. Shelby lowered her gaze first and started again toward the car, now within sight. Dissecting her life with a virtual stranger wasn’t on her list of things to do while in Edinburgh. Time to change the subject. “How long have you known Robert?”
“I come to Edinburgh a couple of times a year, and I met Pops in a café on The Royal Mile about four years ago. We started talking and hit it off. Since we share a love of history, architecture, and art—for starters—we can go on for hours. We’ve closed down quite a few pubs, talking late into the night.”
“If I may ask, why do you call him Pops?”
“His neighbor kids call him that, and I picked up on it. Robert doesn’t have kids of his own—none that I’ve ever heard about, anyway—and he seems to like the nickname.”
Harrison moved ahead of her. With one swift kick of his boot, he sent a large pebble out of her direct path, flying into the grass.
Shelby couldn’t hide her grin. “My equilibrium, and my pride, thank you.”
“Always happy to be of service.”
“Well, this ugly metal trap is my rental.” She stopped beside the small white car and clicked the key fob. As he reached around her to open the door, Harrison’s arm brushed hers, increasing her awareness of him tenfold.
“If you’re not already attached to the car, might I suggest the tram, trains, or a cab?” The crinkles around his eyes surfaced when he smiled, making him even more impossibly attractive. “You’ll find Edinburgh’s a very accessible city.”
“Oh, I’ve already learned that lesson,” she said, snapping to attention. She needed to stop staring at him or he’d think she was a naïve, silly schoolgirl with a crush. “You’ll be happy to know I plan on returning the car tomorrow. To protect the fine citizens of Old Reeky, if nothing else. I have enough trouble keeping myself from colliding with the ground, so why chance anything?”
Shelby’s pulse sputtered as Harrison’s smile sobered. What was coming next? This man seemed uncommonly sensitive, but he was also forthright enough to speak his mind. “Shelby, I don’t know your reason for wanting to meet with Pops—and I realize it’s none of my business—but a word of advice?”
She’d started to climb behind the wheel but pulled herself back up, anchoring her hand beside his on the car door. “What’s that?”
“You might want to tread carefully when it comes to talking with him about Kentucky. There’s a sadness there. Regret, maybe. Or loneliness.” He shrugged. “I don’t really know.” When he raked his hand through his thick blond waves, it tousled them even more.
A quick rush of frustration surged inside her, and Shelby concentrated on keeping her voice even. “Robert’s blessed to have such a valiant protector.” Maybe that sounded snippy, but Harrison was right. It wasn’t his business.
“All I’m saying is, a trip down memory lane might not be in his best interest.” He hesitated. “Or yours.”
Shelby dared to meet his gaze. “On the other hand, talking about it might be cathartic.”
“For you or for Pops?” Harrison’s tone sounded more like concern rather than a challenge.
“Maybe for both of us.”
Why was she even having this conversation?
“I hope you find what you’re looking for
here in Edinburgh,” Harrison said, “but I’d hate to see Pops get hurt in the process.”
A bristle of irritation snaked its way up Shelby’s spine. “Trust me, Harry. While I appreciate your loyalty to Robert, I didn’t come here to dredge up unhappy memories or to cause ‘Pops’ any undue pain.” The moment of closeness broken, she tossed her purse on the passenger seat before climbing inside. Harrison closed the car door and waited as she started the engine. Sensing he wanted to say more, she swallowed her frustration and lowered the window.
“Point taken. And it’s Harrison, if you please.” He thumped the top of the car with one hand and leaned close, his face inches away. “By the way, Auld Reekie means Old Smoky.”
“All covered with snow?” Shelby clamped her mouth shut, recalling the song was about courting and false-hearted lovers. Or something like that. Best not to go down that road.
A small grin tipped the corners of his mouth. “It’s a nickname from the days when Edinburgh was full of smoke from coal and wood fires. The more flattering nickname is Athens of the North. I hope I get the opportunity to show you why.”
When he straightened and pushed away from the car, his eyes never leaving hers, something inside Shelby shifted. Harrison was a charmer she didn’t need in her life. A handsome, alternately compassionate and irritating man. With a great accent and equally terrific hair that seemed to have a personality all its own.
“So I can fall in love...with the city?” She ignored his obvious amusement. Sad fact was, she was falling over her own two feet and blabbering like an empty-headed fool.
“Exactly.”
What were they even talking about? This conversation was as strange as it was exhilarating. Shelby’s pulse revved faster. “I guess we’ll see about that, Harry.”
“Until tomorrow then.” With a wry chuckle, he waved and started to walk away.
Driving away from the curb, Shelby resisted glancing in the rearview mirror. Why risk anything? With her track record, she just might have an accident.
3
Saturday Morning, Day Two
Shelby spied Harrison immediately after she stepped off the elevator. Dressed in a medium blue polo tucked into well-fitting jeans and wearing the same leather boots, he caught the attention of several women as he strode across the hotel lobby. Confidence most likely had a lot to do with it, and he seemed no stranger to that arena. Although she’d never really liked facial stubble, it worked well for him. No “pretty boy,” this man. He practically oozed the kind of raw masculinity that attracted any female within range. Precisely why she needed to resist him.
As he approached, Harrison’s admiring gaze made Shelby thankful she’d left her hair in loose waves falling over her shoulders instead of pulling it back into a bun like she normally did for work. Nothing bothered her more than her hair falling around her face when she needed to concentrate on spreadsheets and reports. Conversely, she loved how her long hair whipped behind her in the breeze while riding a powerful thoroughbred—free and uninhibited. How she cherished those moments.
After going through her rather sparse travel wardrobe, she’d finally decided on a light blue, sleeveless blouse with white cropped pants and low-heeled, comfortable sandals. She’d splurged on a last-minute pedicure—her first ever—before leaving Chicago. A pretty, dainty silver necklace and her insanely expensive silver watch—given to her by the firm when she’d achieved senior level status the previous year at age twenty-seven—completed her ensemble.
Surprising her, Harrison planted a quick kiss on one cheek and then the other. Again, she caught the soap-and-water clean scent of him.
Oh, my. She needed to keep in mind this meeting was only lunch, not an invitation for romance. Not a date, although they’d flirted a bit in between the more serious talk about Robert the day before. Of course, he’d also saved her from falling flat on her bum on that slick walkway.
Harrison was well-traveled and sophisticated. How could a man like this not have female “friends”—the polite way of putting it—in any given city of the world? He’d most likely greet any woman in the same manner. She needed to stop analyzing everything like it was a stock trade.
As they walked the short distance to Abernethy’s, Harrison kept the conversation light and told her he worked for a private family foundation. “I have meetings in Edinburgh and Glasgow this trip before moving on to London. Although it’s an American foundation, my work takes me all over the world.”
“Do you ever tire of traveling?” she said as they reached the restaurant, and he held the door for her.
“I’m starting to.”
She puzzled over his answer as the buzz from the noonday lunch crowd engulfed them, lively and mixed with the clatter of silver and glassware. A young hostess greeted them with a bright smile, and Robert rose to his feet and waved from a table by a side window.
“This is charming,” Shelby said as Harrison helped with her chair. A small bouquet of purple and pink flowers sat in a crystal vase in the middle of the white linen-covered table. “Is that thistle?”
“Aye,” Robert said. “The national flower of Scotland.”
Harrison nudged her arm. “Catch up on your tour book reading last night?”
“A bit.” She grinned. “Truthfully, I spent more time writing in my diary about a chivalrous hero named Harry who saved me from falling off an extinct volcano to certain death.” Where did that come from? Something about Harrison apparently brought out her inner flirt from wherever it’d been hiding the last few years. Well, make that pretty much her entire life.
Surprised delight flickered in Harrison’s eyes as servers brought three glasses of water that Robert must have ordered.
“Fair warning. You keep calling me that, I’ll find a way to retaliate.” Harrison’s tone was light and teasing, but that all-too-dangerous smile seared straight through her.
“Call you what? Hero? Last time I checked, it was a flattering term.”
He chuckled. “Harry.”
“I’m shaking in my flats.”
“Then I’d better stick around to catch you if you fall down a slope.”
“Yes, well,” she said, “been there, done that. Next time, I’ll try to do something more original.”
Both Harrison and Robert laughed.
“Your sense of humor is infectious,” Harrison said, raising his glass in a toast, and Robert followed suit. “Wry and borderline British in your employment of sarcasm. It’s difficult to do well. They’ll make a local out of you yet.”
“Don’t know about that.” She watched as Harrison swirled the ice in his glass. “But what you’re doing now is making what little ice you have dissipate faster.” She took a sip of her tepid water. Ugh, although it was better than nothing.
“Now, you see?” Harrison laughed. “That comment is exactly why I find you so fascinating, Shelby. Why say melt when you can say dissipate?”
The way Harrison looked at her, it was as though he could see everything about her—the good parts as well as her many faults—yet he liked her in spite of them. For a woman known for her tenacity and forthrightness, she was quickly becoming absentminded and fanciful. From across the table, Shelby glimpsed Robert’s obvious approval of their unabashed flirting.
Boisterous laughter came from behind the swinging kitchen door, and a woman nearly as wide as she was tall navigated her way toward them, weaving among the scattered tables. A grin stretched across her round, pleasant face. “Why, it’s me American friends and their bonnie guest.” Wearing a neatly pressed tartan plaid apron over a puff-sleeved, white cotton dress that skimmed her knees, she blew a wayward wisp of graying hair away from flushed cheeks. “What strikes yer fancy today?”
“We haven’t had a chance to check the board yet,” Robert said. “Nessie, this is Shelby Harmon.”
Nessie? When Shelby raised a brow, the middle-aged woman laughed. “Me parents named me Vanessa, but some of the hooligans call me Nessie and find it amusin’ because of that ole legen
d of the monster in Loch Ness. But me guid frein here”—she patted Robert’s shoulder—“is me protector.” She tweaked his chin. “Aye, the handsome fellas are always comin’ ‘round for me guid eatin’.”
“True enough, but that’s not all.” Robert chuckled when Nessie gave his shoulder a light shove.
“Enough of ye flirtin’ with an auld hen now,” the woman said with a wave of her hand. “Got to feed this lovely young lass.” Nessie’s gaze, rich and warm as roasted chestnuts, fell on her. “It’s your first visit to oor braw toun, is it now?”
Shelby smiled. “I was here as a little girl, but it’s good to be back.”
Nessie beamed. “Where in America are ye from?”
“Kentucky.” Harrison gave her a curious look. Probably because she hadn’t answered Chicago. Even though she lived in the Windy City now, she’d forever be a girl from Kentucky. No matter where in the world she lived, that would never change.
“Frae what I know, Kentucky’s like oor Scotland except ye’d be tradin’ oor sheep for yer horses.” Nessie focused on Robert. “Wud ye like a round of bannocks and crowdie to start?”
“Sounds guid,” Robert said. “Did Laird make his famous hotch-potch or cock-a-leekie soup today?”
“Aye, he made them both.” Nessie smiled. “I’ll bring ye some samplings.”
Shelby listened as Robert and Harrison ordered, but it might as well have been in a foreign language. In a way, it was. Nessie wrote nothing down but listened and repeated each request.
As they waited for their food, Robert told her more about the castle. “It’s the most popular attraction in Scotland. In medieval days, it served as the seat of royalty but then transitioned into a military center down through the centuries.”
Harrison offered a few comments here and there, and she enjoyed the banter between her two companions. She’d always envied the ability to make friends easily, to share that kind of warm, natural camaraderie.
