Me: Nothing. Sorry. What’s up?
The little bubble popped up. Then disappeared. I waited. Then my phone rang. Without paying attention, I answered the call.
Then realized it was a face time request.
Damn!
The camera didn’t lie and I looked like hell.
“Meredith!” Roxi shouted once the line connected.
“Hi?” I gave a sad little wave.
“Whoa… what happened to you? Are you okay? Where are you? This doesn’t look like your hotel.”
“I know, I’m… sightseeing?” It was too early to think of a believable lie.
“Where?” She asked slowly, her gaze raking across the background.
“It doesn’t matter—”
“What the… who is that?”
My heart stopped. No. Anything but—
“Merry! Pull your arse from bed!”
I closed my eyes.
“He’s hot… and naked. Way to go girl! Get some!” Roxi wagged her eyebrows.
“Roxi?” Kirby’s voice took on a strange edge, and I heard him hit the deck. “Merry for the love of all that’s holy tell me you’re doing speaker phone and not face time,” Kirby whispered softly.
“Kirby?” Roxi’s face clouded with confusion. “Why do I hear Kirby’s voice…”
My cheeks heated with anticipation.
Kirby swore.
“Holy. Shit.” Roxi paled, her hand covering her mouth as she turned a pale green accented by her red nail polish.
“Uh…” I started, not sure of how to even begin.
“I think I’m going to be sick.” Roxi croaked. “I just saw Kirby’s—”
“Hey!” Kirby yelled, interrupting her.
“Meredith, why… why is Kirby walking around naked and why aren’t you freaking out?” I could see the pieces falling together.
“I’m not sleeping with him!” I shouted, then promptly dropped the phone.
“Smooth,” Kirby called out from his position on the floor.
“Thanks.” I pointed to the dryer and Kirby nodded and rushed after his clothes.
“Meredith? Are you there? And please tell me if I’m going to be seeing Kirby’s ass again. Give me a chance to close my eyes. Dear Lord I can’t unsee that! Agh!”
“Sorry, I dropped the phone.” I picked it up and took a deep breath. “Roxi, I’m not sleeping with Kirby.”
“Yes you are!” Kirby shouted from his position by the dryer and away from Roxi’s view.
“What?” I shouted, spinning toward him.
“We totally slept together last night. You purred.”
“I-I-I, no. No we didn’t.” I turned to Roxi.
“I’m… really confused.” Roxi blinked. “Not that I’m against it. I actually always kind of suspected something but… you… you hate each other.”
Kirby’s arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me back against him. “Makes the sex that much hotter.” He kissed my head and walked away.
“There’s no sex.” Why was Kirby doing this?
Wait! Had he lied? Had I actually slept with him last night?
Damn it all, stupid whisky I couldn’t remember!
“Well, uh, good for you guys!” Roxi smiled, small at first then it grew. “This is actually perfect. I mean, one of them worked.”
“Huh?”
“You know, the guys. All these guys that were supposed to be perfect, idyllic, the alphas… one of them worked. Never thought it would be Kirby…” She shuddered delicately. “But to each his own.”
“But we’re not…”
“I’m glad for you Meredith. I mean, it’s been at least two years since you had any sort of relationship… and Kirby—”
“See you later, Roxi, I need her right now.” Kirby pressed the red button to end the call and took the phone, tossing it on the bed.
“Care to tell me what that was all about?”
He regarded me, his blue eyes icy, then melting into something softer, warmer. He opened his mouth, took a step toward me. “No.” He tugged my hand toward the bathroom. “Clean up, let’s get some breakfast.” He pushed me into the small room and closed the door, leaving me more than confused.
I glanced in the mirror; thankfully, it was much better than last night after the water fight. I washed my face, brushed my teeth with my finger, and smoothed my hair into a ponytail, all the while distracted by the parallel universe I seemed to have awakened in.
“You done yet?”
“I’ll be done when you quit being annoying.”
It was silent for a moment. “I’m going to need rent then, if you plan on moving in here.”
“Smart ass. I’m done.”
“Finally.”
I opened the door and before I had taken a step Kirby was holding my hand, leading me toward the door.
And of all the weird things that had happened that morning, the strangest was that Kirby was holding my hand.
And it didn’t scare me at all.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“TATTIE SCONES.”
We left the bar, making sure it was locked tight, then strolled down Royal Mile.
“You do realize there are other breakfast foods, right?” Kirby asked in a wry tone.
“All others dim in comparison.”
“Right. Tattie scones it is. Speaking of scones… you owe me a bottle of Speyside whisky.” He tugged my hand, causing me to bump his shoulder as we walked.
“Ugh, that’s right. Stupid haggis.”
“Hey! It’s not stupid. You liked it.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. Put it on my tab.” I winked at him.
“Ha, ha.”
“I thought so. Where are we going anyway, I’m starving and walking is making me even more hungry.”
“Impatient.”
“Always.”
“Somehow, this isn’t surprising.”
“Food, not banter.”
Kirby chuckled and opened the door of a small café. The scent of baking bread, sausage, and potatoes made my mouth water.
“I want it all.”
He pulled out a wooden chair for me at a small table by the window.
“Thanks.”
After he took his own seat, he pulled out menus stuck next to the salt and pepper. “Everything here is good. I used to eat here when I worked at the pub.”
I glanced at the menu, zeroing in on the option with tattie scones and sausage.
“Church!” A woman with gray-streaked hair approached the table. She smacked the back of his head with her pad of paper then pulled him into a hug.
“Hi, Sharon.” Kirby returned her hug.
“’Tis been far too long! How’ve ye been?” Her gray eyes were kind. The lines on her face were etched from far too many smiles and immediately I liked her.
“Good, good. This here is Merry.” He gestured to me.
“Ach! A lass! About time! Since Clairia and all!”
At the mention of the name Clairia, Kirby’s face drained of color, and the smile he wore melted off like snow on a hot skillet.
Sharon didn’t seem to notice. I wasn’t sure if Kirby wanted her to see how the name had affected him, so I stood and pulled her into a hug, turning her slightly so I could see his face. I mouthed, “Are you okay?”
He nodded, cleared his throat and forced a smile — one that didn’t reach his eyes.
“It’s lovely to meet you.” I released Sharon, offering a warm smile.
“American? Well I never thought I’d see the day.” She smiled and patted my cheek with her palm. “Well, I’m thinking you’re a wantin’ breakfast?” She pulled the pencil from behind her ear and tapped her notepad.
“Aye, Merry here will take a plate of your famous tatties and I’ll take the usual.”
“Tatties? Just tatties?” Her gaze flickered from Kirby to me and back.
“And sausage… and bacon too if you have it,” I added.
Sharon leaned in slightly toward Kirby. “I like this one.
” Then she left.
“I like her too. How do you know her?” I asked, burning with curiosity about who the Clairia person was, but knowing now probably wasn’t the time to ask.
Damn it.
“She’s the mother of a close friend.” He cleared his throat and glanced away.
I cocked my head, studying him, watching how he was avoiding eye contact. “I can play that… for now.”
His eyes shot to mine then narrowed. “’Tis a long story.”
“I have a whole plate of tatties with my name on it. It’s not exactly going to be a short breakfast,” I challenged.
“It’s… complicated.”
“I’m best-friends with Roxi. Complicated is my middle name. For pity’s sake, Kirby.” I rolled my eyes.
He took a deep breath. “It’s not important.”
Sharon came and gave us glasses of ice water and two mugs with steaming coffee. “I ken he dinna like milk, but wasn’t a sure about you, lass. Here it ’tis, if ye need it.” And she left again.
I added a bit of milk to my coffee and took a sip. “Better than sex.”
Kirby coughed. “Now if I’d actually slept with you, I might be offended. Since that’s not the case, I’ll leave it alone.”
I waved his words away dismissively, but I most assuredly caught the fact that we didn’t actually sleep together.
Whew.
But oddly, the relief wasn’t that it hadn’t happened, rather it was relief that it didn’t happen and me not remember it. I mean, if I actually had sex with Kirby, I wanted to damn well remember it.
“Back to your long story…” I took another sip of coffee.
He leaned back in his chair, dragging his fingers through his hair and then wiping his hand down his face. “Sharon is Clairia’s mum.”
“Okay. And who is Clairia?” I held my breath. Some strange emotion close to jealousy swirled in my chest and I pushed against it, waiting. I lifted my mug and took a sip, trying to distract myself.
“She was my wife.”
I choked on my coffee. The tickle in my throat kept me from breathing, but all I could think was holy shit Kirby’s married!
And that he couldn’t be.
Because he was mine.
“Say what?” I choked out.
“Was, Merry. Was.” He handed me a napkin and took my coffee away. “You can’t be trusted with this.”
“Give. It. Back.”
“Take. A. Breath.”
“Wait. What do you mean was?” Were they divorced? Separated? Did she die? Holy shit, did Kirby have kids? My heart started to pound far too fast.
“Saints above, Merry you look like you’re going to pass out.” He dipped his fingers in his ice water and flicked it at me.
I glared.
But it worked, slowly my heart slowed down and I tried to listen.
“Clairia died about a month after we were married.” He shifted in his seat then played with his fork, pulling the tines back and forth.
“I’m sorry.” My heart sank. How did someone survive something so heartbreaking? “How did she pass?”
Don’t let it be cancer. I know it’s selfish, but all I could think of was “A Walk to Remember,” or “The Fault in our Stars.” And seriously, who wanted to compete with that?
“Car accident.” He nodded once. “She was, uh…” He took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck again. “She was with someone else.”
“Someone else?” I could hear my own heartbeat.
“One of my friends.”
“Okay. Was your friend injured?”
He tapped the table with this finger; tap, tap, tap.
And Sharon came out of the kitchen with two plates, one piled high with sausage, bacon and tattie scones.
And I was anything but hungry.
“Thanks.” I tried to smile but I knew it didn’t make it to my eyes. Sharon gave me a curious glance but left after everything was settled.
I toyed with my food, but I couldn’t make myself eat.
“Are you going to finish the story?” I finally asked, trying to be considerate when really I just wanted to know the end!
“She was with Bryon, they spent the weekend together and got in the accident on the way back to Edinburgh. Neither one made it out alive from the crash.”
“When you say together…”
He met my gaze with a wry one of his own.
“Oh… that sucks, Kirby.” My heart hurt for him, and I wanted to bitch slap Clairia — dead or not.
His laughter broke through my tension like a hammer on ice and I slowly felt my world right itself again. “’Twas more than five years ago, Merry. I don’t exactly like to talk about it, but I’m not bitter. I was… but not anymore.” He shrugged and picked up his fork, attacking his food with abandon.
“Wow, that’s great.” I cleared my throat, glanced to my food then back to Kirby.
“It is what it is.” He glanced up and met my gaze. “Life is what you make of it, Merry. I’ll not let someone’s stupidity ruin my life.”
His clear blue eyes were completely transparent to his soul, and I knew he meant every word he said. But how did a person move past something so crippling? I mean, I’d been all butt hurt over the stupid millionaire guy — what was his name? It made my problems seem pretty small.
“That’s really great, Kirby.”
“You know you said that already.”
“Yeah, but—”
“I ken I shocked you a wee bit, but it ’twas nothing you wouldn’t have found out sooner or later. I’m just glad you heard it from me — so you can see that I’m truly, as you put it, great.” He reached across the table, stealing one of my tattie scones.
“Men have died for less,” I muttered.
“If you can eat that whole plate, I’ll…” He leaned back in his chair. “I’ll strip naked and sing ‘God bless America.’”
“Worth it.”
“Wait — I didn’t actually mean—”
But it was too late. The banter had brought back my appetite. Just knowing that Kirby was over it, made me okay too.
Plus, seeing Kirby naked — again — and hearing him belt ‘God Bless America’? Yeah, I’d probably sell a kidney for that.
“Merry! Slow down.” He shook his head and leaned forward across the table. “If ye want to see my naked glory lass, all you need to do is ask.” He gave me a confident grin and leaned back, crossing his thick arms and watching me in amusement.
I chewed and swallowed. “Actually, it’s the singing part. You hated that song growing up.”
“Damn, you remember that, eh?” He glanced away in annoyance.
I took another bite. “Yup.”
Kirby simply shook his head and resumed eating his own breakfast, all the while casting calculating glances toward me. The tattie scones were incredible, but I was pretty sure they were deep fried and if I finished the whole plate — which was considerable, especially when I included the strips of bacon and links of sausage — I was going to be one sick girl.
“You give up?”
I lifted another scone. My body revolted, and I almost gagged.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
I shook my head and held up a finger. “Wait.”
“Waiting.” He folded his hands over his plate and smirked.
The scones were so good, but I was at my limit.
As it was, I didn’t think I’d eat for a week.
But to lose? To Kirby?
Shit.
I had already lost to him in gin rummy — my pride could only take so much!
“If you eat that, the only thing you’ll be watching is the toilet flush as you lose your breakfast.”
I sighed, unable to take a deep breath because my stomach was so full. “I know. But I hate losing… so much.” I lifted the scone. Then with a sigh of defeat, I tossed it onto the plate. “You win.”
“What?”
“You win,” I repeated, reaching for my water and hopin
g it did something to calm the storm in my stomach.
“Yeah, I get that… but what do I win? We never set up a proper wager.”
“Nothing. The satisfaction of winning — again — should be enough for your ego.”
He seemed to consider that. “Nah, not enough. I need something more. What’ch ya got?” He patted the table with his hands expectantly.
“Indigestion?” I answered with a weak smile.
“That is all your fault — and as such does not exclude you from paying your dues.”
“Ugh! I don’t know! What do you want?” I leaned back in my chair, not caring that my stomach was oddly round.
“IOU.”
“Huh? Another one?”
“Ah ha! That’s right! I already have one. Yes, I want two.”
“Why? Why did I remind you?” I lamented.
“Because you’re honest.”
“Because I’m an idiot.”
“That too.”
“Are we done?”
“Since you tried to eat your body weight in potatoes, yeah, I think we should have been done a while ago. But I must say it was very entertaining watching you stuff yourself sick.”
“I need to walk.”
Kirby’s laughter echoed in the still sparsely populated restaurant. Sharon must have heard it and she approached us with our bill. “Here ye go. I gave you the usual discount.” She winked a Kirby.
“Sharon, you canno—”
“I did and will. Now go and take this lovely lass out somewhere with some fresh air.” She leaned in slightly and whispered. “She looks like she needs it.”
Kirby snickered.
I glared.
“I’ll be seeing you soon, now, won’t I?” Sharon speared him with a gaze that warned against argument.
Kirby nodded and pulled her into a hug.
“Let’s go, lass.” He reached for my hand and started toward the door.
“Wait, Merry, is it?” Sharon took a few steps toward me, then paused, her gaze darting between Kirby and me. “You, give us a moment.” She shooed him away with her hand.
He narrowed his eyes but gave us some distance.
“Lass, I dinna know you… but I thank you. ’Tis been a long while since I’ve heard him laugh like that. ’Twas good for my heart, it was. And I thank ye.” She pulled me into a tight hug that smelled of tattie scones and vanilla, then released me. She gave me a watery smile before she ducked away toward the kitchen.
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