Not Quite a Scot

by Janice Maynard

  Ironically, Finley had given me the confidence to make the hard decisions. It wouldn’t hurt either of us to take stock before we went any farther.

  He put on his pants and gathered the remainder of his clothes. At the door, he paused, his back to the room. At the last second, he turned around and stared at me. “What are your plans for the day?”

  I lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know. If it looks like good weather, I might do some photography here in Portree. Interesting buildings…water shots…that kind of thing.”

  He nodded. “We could have dinner at Hamish’s if you’d like.”

  The visible peace offering lifted some of the burden on my heart. “That would be lovely.”

  * * * *

  The rest of the day passed in a weird sort of limbo. I spent a number of pleasant hours walking the streets of the charming waterfront town. I had a large memory card in my camera. It was already approaching its limit. Tomorrow I needed to spend some time uploading to my computer and deleting the duds.

  Dinner was almost anticlimactic. Finley and I talked about all kinds of subjects. There was no real awkwardness between us, but something had shifted ever so slightly. When we got back to the house, he excused himself to go work in his shop for a couple of hours. I retreated to my room to read and write postcards.

  I finally turned out the light at eleven.

  Finley wasn’t coming to my room tonight. Perhaps never again.

  He was an honorable man. Given what I told him about my feelings for him, it made sense that he would call a halt to our physical relationship if he thought I was a temporary fixture in his life.

  * * * *

  The second morning after I laid my heart on the line, I knew I needed to get out of the house and far away. Physical space might help me sort through my muddled thoughts. I gathered my sturdy walking shoes and sunscreen, preparing to head to the southern part of the island for a hike in the mountains.

  After packing a few snacks from the kitchen, enough to hold me until dinner, I grabbed the keys to the Jeep. Finley had made arrangements to have my rental car towed out of the mud and cleaned up, but it wasn’t ready yet.

  I wasn’t exactly sneaking around, though I didn’t go out of my way to say goodbye, and I didn’t leave a note. Maybe this was for the best. Finley offered me a guest room with no strings attached. It would be up to me to decide if I needed to move on and move out.

  When I stepped out onto the front stoop, I nearly collided with a woman wearing a sunshine-yellow sheath reminiscent of Jackie Kennedy. Large dark sunglasses reinforced that notion. “May I help you?” I asked politely. I was eager to be on my way. I knew Finley rarely answered the door during his work hours. Now, the woman knew someone was home.

  She seemed taken aback to see me. “Is this Finley Craig’s house? Or do I have the wrong address?” The words carried a deep southern accent.

  In her presence, I felt like a scruffy teenager. “It is. He’s in his workshop right now. You could leave a message.”

  “And you are?”

  Her raised eyebrow made me feel guilty for no good reason. “Just a friend. My name is McKenzie.”

  She tapped a foot shod in white snakeskin pumps. “I could use your help, McKenzie. It’s a matter of life and death.”

  Apparently, she wasn’t joking. Her jaw was set, and I wondered if she had put on the sunglasses to disguise the fact she’d been crying. “What can I do for you?” I asked.

  “Will you tell Finley I’m here? He needs to know it’s about his father.”

  I had a very bad feeling about this. “Whom should I say is calling?” Great. Now I sounded like a butler from one of those old movies.

  The woman’s lips tightened. A muscle ticked in her throat. “Vanessa Craig.”

  * * * *

  It’s a wonder I didn’t pass out from sheer panic. It’s also a wonder I didn’t say out loud what I was thinking. Oh, shit.

  Finley’s house didn’t have a formal living room. I tucked the lovely Mrs. Craig beside the fireplace and the television. “Please stay here,” I muttered. “I’ll see if Finley can be interrupted.”

  It’s a good thing I had already been granted access to the inner sanctum, otherwise I think I would have been too much of a coward to bother him. I knocked quietly twice, in case he was in the midst of a phone call. Then I opened the door and peeked in. Finley was standing on the opposite end of the room. A laptop sat open in front of him. Some fancy design program whirled through 3D images of motorcycles.

  When he heard me, he dragged his attention away from the screen. “Duchess. What’s wrong? Are you ill?”

  Was that the only good reason he could think of to justify my trespassing? “No. I’m fine. You have a visitor.”

  “Tell them I’m busy.” His attention drifted back to the laptop. The man definitely knew how to concentrate.

  “She’s here about your dad. It’s important.”

  Now I had his full attention. His eyes went blank. “Who is it?”

  I had trouble saying the word. I knew how much the woman in yellow had hurt him and I didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news. I had no choice. “It’s Vanessa.”

  I thought he would take a minute to process. Or even refuse to see her outright. Instead, he brushed past me and went in search of his mother-in-law. When he found her where I had left her, Vanessa stood up. “Hello, Finley.”

  I was right about the crying. Her eyes were red-rimmed.

  Finley didn’t acknowledge her greeting. “Is he dead?”

  She seemed surprised. “No. Of course not. Bella would have contacted you.”

  “Then why are you here, Vanessa?”

  If Finley had looked at me with that stony gaze, I would have shriveled on the spot. It was possible he was angry, but if so, that emotion was hidden beneath a thick sheet of ice.

  Silence reigned as the other woman struggled for words. I tried to feel sorry for her. Knowing what I did of the past, she was on my list of top ten bitches. Sadly, Finley had not lied about her resemblance to me. Vanessa was a slimmer, more sophisticated, slightly older version of me. Actually, it was hard to guess her age. She was definitely older than I expected. Maybe even older than Finley by a few years.

  She shot me a look as if wanting to ask me to leave. I started to ease sideways out of the room. Finley took my arm and tucked it through his. His icy calm was preternatural. The man I knew was full of life. Grumpy, sometimes, but vivid and real.

  Where my fingers rested on his forearm, the muscles were rigid. He stared her down. “I’ll repeat my question. Why are you here?”

  Vanessa’s hands twisted at her waist. The diamond solitaire on her left hand had to be five carats at least. I couldn’t help noticing the way it caught the light. Was that how Mr. Craig senior had lured a younger woman into marrying him? Had he showered her with expensive jewelry and gifts?

  At last, she found her voice. “Your father has come to Scotland to make amends with you. I hope you’ll meet him halfway.”

  Finley’s lips twisted. “If he’s so anxious to see me, why the hell are you here? Since when does my father need to send out a scouting party?”

  Grief darkened her eyes. “Since he’s been too weak from chemo to get out of bed most days. He’s dying, Finley. Your father is dying.”

  Finley went white under his tan. “Does Bella know?”

  “Not yet. He didn’t want to worry her. The chemo isn’t working. He has a few months at the most, maybe weeks. I wanted to ask you to come home. He said you wouldn’t. So here we are. He’s back at the hotel. We can go there now if you will.”

  The naked entreaty on her face almost made me feel sorry for her. Still, my first concern was Finley. “How long will you be here?” I asked quietly. I sensed that Finley was in shock. He would need time to absorb this…both the shock of the visit and the news that his father was on the way out.

  Vanessa shrugged. “As long as it take
s. You know Donald. He’s the most stubborn man on the planet.”

  “Not too stubborn to die, apparently.”

  “Finley!” I jerked my arm away, stunned at his callous comment.

  Vanessa was less shocked. If anything, her expression carried resignation. “I know how badly we hurt you, Finley. And I deeply regret my part in it. We should have mended the rift long ago. If it makes any difference, I want you to know that I truly love your father.”

  “Of course you do.”

  Chapter 27

  The situation was deteriorating rapidly.

  Vanessa was made of tough stock. She kept going in the face of Finley’s disgust. “It’s true. I signed a pre-nup. Everything he has goes to Bella. I won’t get a cent when he’s gone. So please…will you see him?”

  The silence built, layer upon layer. I wanted to answer for Finley. Of course he’ll see his dying father. It wasn’t as easy as that.

  Vanessa grew impatient. “I need to get back to him. Will you come—”

  Finley cut her off with a sharp slice of his hand. “Enough. I need to think about it. I’ll call the hotel in the morning and let you know my decision.”

  I think even Vanessa realized she couldn’t push him any farther. “Very well.” She picked up her sunglasses and car keys. “I hope you’ll do the right thing.”

  It was up to me to show her out. Finley was a statue, nothing but his blazing eyes suggesting that he was even breathing. Neither Vanessa nor I spoke on the way to the front door. I closed it behind her and leaned against it as my legs gave out.

  Shock and tension had combined to turn my stomach and my limbs to jelly. I peeked out the curtain to make sure she was gone. The taillights of her rental disappeared down the drive. Breathing a sigh of relief, I went in search of Finley.

  Strangely enough, he had returned to the workshop. I found him in front of his laptop, standing exactly where he had been when I showed up with the news that his ex-girlfriend, now-mother-in-law, wanted to see him.

  I hovered just inside the doorway and watched him. “What are you going to do, Finley?”

  “If I’m lucky, I’ll figure out a way to make this muffler fit into the space I’ve allotted.”

  “That’s not what I meant and you know it. Don’t be snitty with me. Don’t shoot the messenger.”

  “You’re the one who let her into my house.”

  Wow. Apparently that was going to be held against me. “I went outside to leave…practically mowed her over. What was I supposed to do?”

  “You could have gone on your merry way. End of story.”

  “It wouldn’t have mattered. She’s a woman with a mission. Vanessa would never have left Portree without talking to you.”

  “This isn’t your business, Duchess. Drop it.”

  “He’s dying, Finley. You’ll regret it for the rest of your life if you don’t make peace with him.”

  His sharp gaze scorched me from across the room. “How the hell do you know what I’ll regret?”

  I tried to tell myself he was upset. That I should make allowances for his uncharacteristic snarl. His attitude hurt. “Fine. Stay in your stupid, isolated hole in the ground. It’s my vacation. I’m going out to have some fun.”

  * * * *

  The whole day was sucky. Ruined completely, to be exact. I blamed that on Vanessa. The woman was a poisonous snake in my Garden of Eden.

  I made myself go for several long walks and take dozens of pictures. Sadly, no amount of gorgeous Highland scenery was going to distract me today. When I finally dragged myself back to Portree, I was hot, rumpled, and depressed.

  It didn’t take a psychologist to see that Finley wouldn’t be so upset if Vanessa hadn’t hurt him deeply. Had she destroyed his ability and/or his desire to fall in love?

  After I showered and changed into clean clothes, my stomach growled. I didn’t know what to do. I had no way of evaluating Finley’s current state of mind, and I didn’t have the courage to invade his workshop again. Everyone knew it was dangerous to corner a wild animal in its lair.

  Finley had transformed from sexy host to wounded bear. I was at a loss as to how I should proceed. I didn’t want to walk down the hill and eat alone, so I rummaged in the refrigerator and found some leftover roast beef. Evidently, the housekeeper had been keeping her boss well fed.

  Before I could reach for a glass and decide what to drink, Finley appeared without warning. “Where have you been?”

  The cranky question was gruff. I counted to ten. “I spent some time in the Cuillin Hills today. Lots of great exercise. Plenty of sunshine. You should try it sometime. Before you turn into a vampire.”

  Something approaching a smile tilted his lips. “I deserved that.” He pulled me close and kissed my cheek before releasing me. “Is there enough of that beef for me?”

  “Sure.”

  I stayed quiet while we ate, not eager to have my head snapped off again. I had spoken my piece. The next step was up to Finley.

  He made me wait a very long time. Thirty minutes to be exact. During that time, he consumed three slices of meat, a thick piece of home-baked bread, and two glasses of milk. When he was done, he carried our dishes to the sink. Then he turned his chair around, straddled the seat, and rested his hands, palms down on the table. “You think I’m an ass.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “Maybe.”

  He drummed his fingers on the table. “I’m not in love with Vanessa. I never was.”

  “And yet when she shows up on your doorstep you morph into an evil villain.”

  “Was I really that bad?”

  “Do you want my honest answer?” I gave him a wry smile.

  He shook his head. “Okay. I’ll cop to overreacting. A little bit.”

  “A lot.”

  “You’re a hard woman, Duchess. I suppose I owe you an apology.”

  “Don’t knock yourself out.”

  He reached across the table and grabbed my wrists. “I am sorry I hurt your feelings. Forgive me?”

  No woman should be expected to resist Finley Craig’s blue eyes and sexy smile. Still, I gave it my best shot. “Tell me you’re going to see your father in the morning.”

  The sexy smile faded. Finley let go of me and retreated to his side of the table. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”

  “I think I do. He’s the monster under the bed. The man who should have protected you and stood by you and instead manipulated you.”

  “Why do people have to be dying to regret their life’s mistakes?”

  That was a rhetorical question, so I left it alone.

  Finley glowered. “It’s emotional blackmail at best.”

  Still I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t make him do this.

  He paced off the kitchen, over and back. It was a small room, so the circuits were quick. His body language shouted his unease.

  At last, he slumped against the wall and scrubbed his face with his hands. “I can’t decide this tonight.”

  It hurt me to see the defeat in his posture. The Finley I’d come to know and love while here in Scotland lived life on his terms. Now his past had caught up with him. “Okay,” I said. “I’m sorry if you think I’ve pushed when it’s none of my business. I care about you, Finley. And I have something of an objective outside viewpoint. I don’t even know your father.”

  “Will you do something for me?” His eyes were bleak and shadowed.

  “Of course.”

  “Will you let me sleep with you tonight? Just sleep?”

  His question took me by surprise. “Of course I will. I think you know it would be more than that.”

  “Not if I make a promise to you.”

  I had to smile, despite the bleak situation. “I don’t want that kind of promise. We can sleep or make love, or both. I don’t think you should be alone tonight. I’m here for you, Finley. In every way.”

  * * * *

  There was only so much hea
vy stuff a person could talk about at one time. After my self-revealing statement, we ended up taking Cinnamon for a walk. I felt very much at home in Scotland now, though I knew that my days were numbered. Somehow I had to find the courage to say goodbye to this complicated, sexy, fascinating man.

  In the midst of my turmoil, Cinnamon found a dead mouse and dropped it at my feet.

  Finley belly laughed at my look of horror. Poor Cinnamon obviously didn’t understand why I wasn’t praising her. I couldn’t even bring myself to stoop and pet her with the mouse at my toes.

  “Ick and double ick.” Even paradise had its nasty bits.

  We walked all the way down the hill and over to the waterfront. I suppose Finley didn’t have to worry about running into Vanessa and his father. I assumed they would be eating at the hotel, probably in their room if Mr. Craig was so weak. It said a lot about the older man’s motives that he would attempt this trip in his condition.

  Was it possible to make up for a decade of bad blood in one week? Or even two? I didn’t know. It’s true I still remembered the hurtful things my parents had done or not done when I was a child. Everyone wants his or her mom and dad to be perfect. In the end, they’re only human. And humans mess up. A lot.

  We found the bench where we had spent some time the night of the ceilidh. Cinnamon’s leash was long enough for her to play without doing any real damage. The air was cool, but not uncomfortable.

  A wave of melancholy swept over me as I counted the days I had remaining. Though I was eager to see Willow and Hayley again, I couldn’t imagine walking away from Finley and his adopted hometown.

  I would anyway, because that’s what grownups do.

  Finley bumped my elbow with his. “Penny for your thoughts?”

  “There not even worth that,” I said. “I was thinking about Willow and Hayley and hoping they’ve had as much fun as I have.”

  “You’ve given them the trip of a lifetime. You’re a good friend.”

  “I hope so. I imagine we’ll spend hours when we get home sharing pictures and stories. Soon enough, Hayley will be back at school. I know Willow will be eager to return to her salon.”