“My business is failing. You’re not the only one stressed here,” he bit out, tugging on the leather band around his wrist at the reminder of what could happen when the sand ran out in the hourglass.
He’d have to sack Agnes, who’d snuck him lemon drops when he came into the office as a child and to this day gifted him a bag tied with red ribbon each Christmas. Or Brandon, who embodied exuberance and dedication.
The thought of calling Alasdair, or Gavin, or Malcolm and telling them they wouldn’t be coming through anymore made him physically ill.
“Hey.” She ran her hand over his forearm. “I’m sorry.”
Her touch—breaking her rule in order to comfort him—soothed the tension threading through his limbs. He hung his head. She had people depending on her, too. “No, I’m sorry, lass. I shouldn’t have snapped.” He placed his hand over Addie’s and squeezed, wishing they were somewhere besides the office so he could reach for her. “It’s hard to reimagine what’s felt like second nature for so long.”
She stole her hand away, but before he could miss the touch, her foot slid between his, curling round his ankle, comforting. “I’ve seen how you are on tours. You know amazing places, and you care so much about giving people an unforgettable experience. These itineraries could be award-winning if we anchored them with famous places. I might have said it sarcastically before, but you can convince anyone of the magic of Scotland.”
He lifted his eyes to hers, and a wry smile tugged at her lips.
“And I also believe you can tailor any experience—even Loch Ness—to make it personal and meaningful. You can do this. I believe in you.”
“Thank you,” he said, his voice low and scratchy. That faith in him made him want to take risks, to be bold. And to make her feel cared for and supported like she did for him.
He wanted to show her a place she might love if she gave it a chance. To push further than the murky stipulations of their fling. All she needed was a little encouragement to feel comfortable and safe and wanted, so she could open up again. So they could get deeper and rekindle that intimacy he craved.
So she could see where she fit.
If she felt tethered here, she might think about staying. Staying with him. His heart beat hard at the recognition of how very much he wanted that.
Addie looked around, as if remembering where they were. “We should get back to it.”
“I’ll work on a list of destinations,” he said. And he would. Soon.
But while Addie opened her computer, Logan pulled up her mum’s picture and searched all the Munro mountains he knew.
The pyramid-shaped peak behind Heather was familiar, but Logan wasn’t big on mountaineering.
After exhausting the list in his head, he searched the famous peaks in Scotland. From what he knew of Heather, there was a good chance she’d been in a remote place, but it was worth a shot.
The drone crashed into the side of Logan’s desk. “Dammit, Big Mac.”
With sheepish eyes under the flop of red hair, he came to retrieve the drone and glanced at Logan’s screen. “Ah, the bonnie Kintails.”
His heart leaped. On Macrae lands. Of course.
“Good man.” He clapped Big Mac on the shoulder, forgetting his earlier annoyance.
Logan could take Addie there. Drive up to Eilean Donan Castle. Show her the land of her people since her first attempt had been a bust.
He started researching Macrae history and points of interest. Fell down a rabbit hole of legends and old clan alliances. One site described the clan’s warlike reputation, and Logan smirked, thinking of Addie’s fighting stance when she first arrived.
He’d love to spend his office time like this—learning about places they didn’t guide, finding ways to show people his land in the most impactful way possible—instead of hunched over the books.
Custom tours weren’t financially feasible. There was too much up-front cost to designing them. He wasn’t suggesting it to Addie or testing out a concept here. This was a one-off thing only for her.
By the end of the day, he couldn’t rein in his excitement any longer. He glared Big Mac out of the room after the rest of the employees had gone.
With the office empty, Logan crossed to the conference room. Addie sat on the far side, white papers spread out across the chestnut table, inky darkness coming through the windows behind her.
But her face lit like sunshine when she noticed him, casting out the gloom and uncertainty that had built up in him all day. Swiveling in her chair when he reached her, that twinkle reentered her eye, her posture loosening.
Logan’s heart thudded. She was dropping her walls, returning to him.
He gripped the curved edge of the table and leaned down to kiss her. “I missed you today.”