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Laughter bursts out of me. “But that’s perfect for the boy. Bullies should never win.”
He stares at me hard, and for a fleeting moment I think I’ve said something wrong, but then my soul is bathed in the sunshine of his smile. Lachlan stares at me. Electricity and awareness spike between us.
“What brings you to Scotland?” He moves toward where a small kettle sits and flicks the switch, breaking the tension between us like magnets.
The adrenaline rush from earlier threads through my veins like sparkles.
“A job. A promotion I’ve worked so hard for. Once I nail the ten days, I’ll be back in Dallas climbing the corporate ladder.” I can’t keep pride out of my voice. “I’ve used all my savings to buy a house, and I can’t wait to get back and make it mine. We moved a lot as a kid. My dad was in the minor leagues in baseball. He got traded a lot.” I shrug, wincing internally at the pain of being the tall, odd girl who liked math over Barbies. “I gave up count how many times we moved. New city, new school, knowing not to put down roots and make friends as they’d only be a memory.” I worry my nail polish. “The next team was going to be the breakthrough.” I shrug. “We never had pets growing up. I’m excited to get a rescue dog called Romeo or Juliet, or both.”
In my head I see a brown mutt racing around the garden, a ball in its mouth that I’ve thrown which he’ll never give up. Juliet, sprawled in the sun, silently shaking her head.
I blink, then blink again.
Did I spurt out my whole upbringing to a guy I’ve just met?
I look at him from under my lashes. He doesn’t look horrified by my vomit of words.
“Everyone needs rescuing.” Lachlan’s voice cuts through my thoughts.
You need rescuing.
My head drops to the side in silent assessment. He’s a puzzle, an enigma. A man who can’t keep still.
He passes me a steaming cup of tea exactly how I like it with a splash of milk.
“How did you know…” I gaze into the cup, sip English Breakfast, and let out a small sigh. “It’s heaven and just what I need.”
Heat rises on my face when his eyes focus on my mouth.
“Just a guess.” Again, that melty smile is pointed my way.
“Everyone drinks iced tea back in Texas. We literally drink it from birth, but I’ve never liked its sweetness, the undertones of fruit. Now this. This is proper tea. My great, great-grandmother back in the day came from Scotland. I guess it’s a throwback to her genes.”
“What’s with the dog’s names?” He quirks an eyebrow and sips from his cup. He’s still shirtless, with that button undone on his fly, which practically winks at me.
“We had to read Romeo and Juliet for English Lit. I can still feel the bruises where I’d pinch myself to stay awake.”
And there it is, a smile that flashes his perfect teeth, but it’s the sparkle in his eye. The crinkle of tiny fine lines around his eyes.
I could die a happy girl with that smile aimed at me.
I can’t help the answering smile that stretches my cheeks.
“Not a fan of Romeo and Juliet?” Lachlan’s voice breaks through my haze. My cheeks heat. I’m so caught up in his smile, I’m staring at him like a stalker.
Go me.
I shake my brain into the room.
“God no. There was no Euler’s formula in literature, sadly. No calculating Pi. Just a really shitty ending for Romeo and Juliet. Poor old Romeo thinks Juliet is dead, and he then kills himself.” I take another sip of tea. “Not exactly a happy ending. I’ll never get that time back, so Romeo or Juliet or both and I will have fun, and there will not be an ending like theirs.” I pull a breath. “For the record, I hate anything literature or—insert shuddering here—God forbid poetry.”
He stares at me intently. His soft voice holds me in rapture.
“Love is depression, suffocation. Never finding your one
Love is darkness, heartache, a bullet in a gun
Love is shit booze and always pushing fate
