Page 14 of Kilt Trip

His breath came out in a gut-punching rush. A fake name to boot. What an utter arse she’d made of him.

Her eyes pleaded with him to keep her secret. It would serve her right if he exposed her and told his dad what kind of trustworthy adviser he’d hired. Logan wanted to, just to see her as twisted up as he was, but if she mentioned how he’d chatted her up... Well, he wasn’t planning to call Neil’s attention to that error in judgment.

“Addie,” he ground out.

Her eyes spewed confetti thank yous, and he pictured snatching them out of the air and lighting the sentiment on fire. At this rate, the whole company was going up in flames, regardless.

If she hadn’t stuck around for a dram, maybe he wouldn’t be so worked up. But she had, enchanting him and fabricating a connection he thought was genuine and rare when she was only sniffing out information.

“And this is Elyse,” Neil said.

“Nice to meet you in person. And thanks for all the coordinating you’ve done.”

Elyse handed her the other cup of tea with a bright smile. “Happy to help.” Next thing he knew, she’d be giving Addie a fern in lieu of a friendship bracelet.

“Are you settled in?” Neil asked, beaming as if Addie was the patron saint of aging tour guides and flustered fathers.

“Yes. All unpacked. Will you thank Gemma again for the soup?”

Logan’s pulse thrummed in his neck. If his mum was making her supper, she was a lost cause, but he wasn’t about to give Addie any opportunity to pull his dad into her charade. “Shall we get started, then?” Logan asked, ignoring the disapproving look his father had perfected over a lifetime of raising three boys.

Addie gave him a thin-lipped smile, her shoulders thrown back in a confident stance as if she could force this to be their first meeting by pretending hard enough. “Of course.” She slipped into a chair at the other end of the table and opened a leather folio.

Neil sat and gripped the edge of the table, rolling his chair closer. “Well, now. I’m nearing retirement—”

Logan snorted. Sure, he was. He’d have to believe in Logan for that to ever happen.

Neil didn’t disguise his stern face. Choppy seas ahead, his eyes warned. “And I’ve been delinquent in changing itineraries—”

“Marketing is our highest priority,” Logan cut in, redirecting. Changing the tours was nonnegotiable. These trips were a map of his childhood. Summer days spent climbing the wild hills, the smell of the lochs, the purple heather blooming in the valleys.

“The website definitely needs an overhaul,” Addie said.

Logan cracked his neck. He’d spent three months teaching himself HTML.

“I’ve wanted to add more pictures for ages,” Neil said, as if he simply hadn’t gotten around to it. His father still hunt-and-peck typed, for Christ’s sake.

“Absolutely. And with a family-owned business, we can sell your story and make the site a great representation of your brand.” Addie spoke with graceful hand gestures like she was casting a spell on his father, and if the happy caterpillar was any indication, it was working.

“Yes. We wouldn’t want to give the wrong impression,” Logan said. “About our tours.”

Addie stiffened. He gave her a decidedly insincere smile and reveled in the pink splotches blooming on her chest. Not that he was looking.

Elyse moved to the cloudy whiteboard and wrote Website followed by Reservation System. “I field far too many calls supporting the booking process.”

Addie took notes as she talked. “I know a number of vendors that could work well.”

“Wonderful. We need all the help we can get,” Neil said, leaning back in his chair. Logan fought the desire to throw a dry-erase marker at his head. He and Elyse were discussing The Heart as if none of them had any business sense at all.

“Our social-media communities are highly engaged and growing quickly,” Logan said. If they could better convert their followers into bookings, they’d be set.

“You know they’re not coming for Folklore Friday, right? The millennials fancy the beard and kilt,” Elyse said with a smirk which morphed into a you’re-no-fun look when she took in his scowl.

“Social media can be a smart place to direct resources, especially in an industry with compelling content. And you’re a natural-born storyteller...” Addie’s eyes went wide. “I’m assuming...since you’re related to Neil.”

The buttons on Neil’s jacket were nearly popping off, he was so chuffed. At this rate, he’d be adopting Addie by the end of the meeting.

“But marketing won’t save you if your product isn’t what people want. From what I’ve seen, I recommend a complete overhaul of your tours.”

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