Page 28 of Kilt Trip

Their unique itineraries left a lasting impression on their guests. All he had to do was let her experience it for herself. “Come on a tour with me.”

A surprised huff escaped her lungs and a crease between her brows appeared, but he couldn’t decipher her silence. She might have been intent on his directions as they navigated the streets of Edinburgh back to the office or not planning to answer at all.

She parked the van behind the building and turned in her seat. “You have a financial deficit that, in my professional opinion, cannot be rectified with a pretty website.”

Logan’s chest pinched at the reminder of their money problem. The one he’d caused.

“And I have explicit instructions from my boss to design profitable tourist-trap extravaganzas. Grandpa McHann’s Shetland Pony Stable may be an absolute delight, but it doesn’t instill confidence in prospective clients that I have any idea what I’m doing. If I don’t recommend golf trips, I better have good reason and sound numbers to back me up.”

Despite the dismissive way she talked about an imaginary tour stop that did sound like a delight, it somehow made him feel better knowing she had a stake in this, too. That this stubbornness came from loyalty to her boss, not that her mind couldn’t be changed.

“Give me a chance to convince you to keep the tours the way they are. If you don’t fall in love with Scotland, if you still think we should add tourist attractions, I’ll take them sailing to find Nessie myself.”

“If I agree and get swept away by your tour—” her tone made it clear how unlikely that would be “—then we have two people placing bets on a sinking ship.”

“No, then we use your expertise to market the tours better.”

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” she muttered to the windshield and rolled her neck, finally turning to him. “Fine.”

“That’s it?” He’d mentally cleared his schedule to debate this until sunset.

“I’ll go on your tour. If you come on mine.”

“Ah, there it is.” Never easy with this one. “Just one small detail.” He held up his thumb and pointer finger pressed together. “You don’t have a tour.”

“I can build one. You could, too.” She arched an eyebrow. “The possibilities are endless.”

His heart kicked with a twinge of longing he didn’t recognize. But she was goading him, and he wasn’t taking those kinds of risks anymore. He had a business to save and a legacy to protect. “You’ll give it a fair chance?” he asked.

“As long as you will.”

Logan nodded.

“I’ll go first, then. We can start after Christmas.”

He held out his hand. “Deal?”

Still holding the van keys, Addie gripped his hand, and the pipes of the abhorrent keychain dug into his palm. He fought back a wince and didn’t miss the glint in her eye.

“Deal.”

10

Logan had avoided the Torchlight Procession his entire life. People only thought they liked parades. If he wanted to aimlessly walk the Royal Mile until he made it to Holyrood Park, he would do it on a day without so many people.

And in better weather.

He stuffed his hands farther into the pockets of his green puffer jacket, bunching his shoulders against the frigid night air. Elyse shook a cowbell directly in Logan’s ear, and he clamped his hand over the broken eardrum. As if he needed more misery tonight. She grinned before raising the bell to torment Jack.

Most of the shops and restaurants along High Street were closed for the night, the buildings hidden in shadows. The crowd, maybe twenty people across between the barricades, shifted and stamped against the cold.

“Ready for the itinerary?” Addie asked, the red pom-pom on her hat bouncing. Her face was flushed, maybe from the cold, but he’d put his money on revelry. The smirk she sent him seemed to hold in the word checkmate. His jaw clenched at her bold assumption that she would win him over. She was so confident in her abilities to design a tour from scratch, so relentless in pursuing what she wanted.

He chased away the flutter of admiration in his chest that he refused to recognize.

Elyse blew into her gloved hands. “Gee whiz, that sounds boring.”

Addie laughed. “Nobody says gee whiz, Elyse.”

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