Page 55 of Loched in Love

“Och, before you go, you wouldn’t happen to take credit card payments?” he asks. “It’s true we did lose our luggage on the way here, but I kept a hold of my emergency card and we’d like to pay for last night’s stay.”

Beatrices gaze darts back to my toga, and she grins anew. “Oh of course. Are you not thinking of staying a bit longer?”

“No, we’ll actually need to be on our way,” Lachlan says, glancing back at the old map on the wall. “And we’re going to need travel accommodations down to Margate, in Kent.”

I wonder why we’d need to go in the opposite direction, but know there will be time enough to ask him about it later. If he says we need to get to Margate, I guess we’re going to Margate.

Arthur lets out a loud whistle and gives Lachlan a surprised look. “Margate. Blimey, that’s a proper trek from here. You’re talking a good six to seven hours on the road, or a full day’s shift of trains from Cornwall.”

Beatrice gasps, her gaze lighting up as she swats her husband on the arm again.

“Oh! Arthur you brilliant old fool. What about the tractor being broken down, that tractor part you’ve been moaning over for months now?”

Arthur blinks his jaw dropping as realization hits him. “You’re right, I completely forgot.” He turns to Lachlan, an expression of sheer excitement lighting up his worn face. “Listen lad, I’ve got a vintage tractor I bought at auction and I’ve been waiting on this part in Kent. I’ve been trying to find an excuse to go down there and pick it up since Christmas, but Beatrice wouldn’t let me go alone.”

I glance up at Lachlan. A private trip with an oblivious and incredibly sweet old man is infinitely safer than taking Lachlan to a crowded train station.

“We can settle the cabin fee and fuel costs right now on my card if you fancy it.”

Lachlan looks down at Arthur, his blue gaze tracking the old man’s genuine excitement. “Alright Arthur, the timing couldn’t be better. We’ll be obliged to take you up on the offer.”

“Grand!” Arthur beams a smile and pulls a small card terminal from his deep tweed pocket with a flourish. “Let’s get this sorted then you two can enjoy your proper English breakfast while it’s still hot.”

The moment the lock clicks, Lachlan turns back to me and the playful wicked smirk returns to his face.

Before I can protest about my makeshift clothing, he steps forward and effortlessly bends to hook one big arm under my knees and the other around my lower back.

He scoops me up as if I weigh nothing at all, lifting me off the floor. I could get used to this.

“We need breakfast,” I say, instinctively wrapping my free arm around his thick neck while my other hands scrambles to keep the sheet together.

A low and rumbly chuckle goes straight to my middle, but he leans down and easily grabs the handle of the heavy wicker basket off the counter. Carrying both me and the full English breakfast, he walks us back into the bedroom with slow steps.

He deposits me on the mattress and settles the basket between us.

Crawling onto the bed, his big arms loom over me, his unbuttoned flannel hanging wide so I can see every ripple of muscle his chest makes. I reach into the basket and grab the first thing to distract myself.

“Okay, big guy,” I say softly, breaking a piece of scone in half and handing him a piece. “You shocked me out there with Arthur and Beatrice. Why are we heading all the way in the other direction of Scotland? I thought you wanted to hurry and get to Loch Ness?”

Lachlan takes the bread from my fingers, and chews thoughtfully looking toward the open bedroom door where the map hangs on the wall.

“My cousins,” he says. “They’re selkies, and they have enough magic to get in and out of almost anywhere. It’s what they do. They migrated to the coastal waters there long ago, and they know how to move between worlds to retrieve lost things.”

He leans closer, his heavy chest pressing lightly against my sheet-covered knees effectively holding me to the mattress.

“They’re who can help us get our things back from Vivian’s with her being none the wiser and without a debt needing to be paid,” he explains. “They’ve the means of slipping into places other supernaturals can’t.”

A huge wave of relief and affection rolls over me completely overriding the anxiety of losing my things. I set the scone down, reaching up to frame his jaw with both my hands, completely undone by him. “Selkie cousins, huh?”

Lachlan lets out a rumbling purr from his chest that shakes the bed. “Aye, my flower. We’ll get your things back. But before that we’ll make our way to get Arthur’s tractor parts.” His lips pull into a wicked and hungry grin as he edges closer. “And I believe we’ve still got a few hours to ourselves.”

Chapter 21

LACHLAN MACBETH

The long journey east in Arthur’s car has been quite the ride, stretching across hundreds of miles of motorway, but luckily the vehicle’s wide seats give me just enough space to stretch my big frame and let us travel in privacy.

Elena has been quiet for most of the trip by my side. We’ve not been able to talk as freely since getting in the car, and I find myself glad when the car finally idles to a stop and the deep rumble of the engine cuts off to reveal the distant crashing of the sea waves.