Page 76 of Kilt Trip

Addie’s stomach dropped, dots sprinkling across her vision, the ground suddenly unsteady.

He was right. It would be impossible. She’d been counting on more pictures, more time. She felt closer to Heather’s memory than ever before. But she still hadn’t found her.

The moor was the last stop. They would go today, and it would be done.

Fear rooted in her heart like thistles. What if this last place felt like goodbye?

All the small ways she’d had to let go over and over again had nearly crushed her. The dreams were the worst—when she found her mother in the night and woke to a world that no longer held her. How many times had Addie come home to a dark living room and an empty couch? Reached for the phone to tell her mom about a promotion or a terrible flight or the Taj Mahal, like her heart was simply incapable of remembering that she was all alone.

She wasn’t sure she could survive another parting.

Suddenly, Logan was crouched in front of Addie. “Talk to me, lass.”

She blotted out tears with the heels of her hands, pressing her back against the stone wall she’d slumped against. There was one last chance to feel the spark of a new connection with her mom. After, it would be only memories.

And she knew how easily memories faded.

“I’m not ready for this to be over,” she whispered.

“You’re so brave, doing this.” His hands cupped her hips, and his thumbs stroked soothingly across her jeans pockets, but she shifted away from him, pushing the pictures back into the envelope and sliding them into her bag. She didn’t feel brave. She felt petrified.

She wiped her hands across her thighs and stood. “We should get going. Make it to Eilean Donan before we lose the sunlight,” she said, heading for the exit. An actionable objective that had nothing to do with her mom. Anything to keep moving.

Logan grabbed her wrist to slow her down. “We don’t have to take the drone out, lass. Let’s go to the moor.”

She twisted her hair out of her face and into a tight ponytail. The competing desires to hightail it back to Edinburgh or speed recklessly to the site of Heather’s picture shifted and swirled in her stomach. She wasn’t emotionally, physically, or mentally prepared for either option. “Work first, play later, right?”

His eyes were soft but serious. “Addie, we don’t have to work at all.”

“We do. We really do.” She wasn’t sure what Logan thought of this tourist attraction, but she’d lost all sight of why they were here. They weren’t coming up with new itineraries or website content all wrapped up in this mom quest and she couldn’t stomach the idea of trying to sell Logan on the compromise tours she’d sent Marc.

Her anxiety ratcheted up with every passing moment. Maybe she’d pass out, and Logan would drive her home before they could even make it to the moor. One could hope.

“I’ll do the video. My love letter to Scotland. Then we don’t have to rush.”

“You don’t have your kilt.”

“We’ll splice in images from tours back in the office. I’ll do a photo shoot if that’s what you need.” Logan made muscleman arms, posing for her.

“Please never do that again,” she said, but she couldn’t stop the small laugh that escaped. His face lit with a grin, and she relaxed into the easiness of it. How well he could calm her.

Creating authentic and engaging content for the website would certainly lighten the weight crushing her chest. Jack probably had better footage than what they could get from Big Mac’s drone anyway. It wasn’t some high-end piece of equipment; it was a present from Big Mac’s wife. Addie wouldn’t be surprised if it spontaneously combusted.

Letting out a breath, she took the phone from Logan. “Alright, let’s hear it.”

“Welcome to The Heart of the Highland Tours,” he said, looking directly into the camera, the wind toying with his hair. “Join us for an adventure of a lifetime. We’ll visit ancient castles and quaint villages, scenery so stunning you won’t believe your eyes. Explore the majesty of the Highlands or the hidden gems of our medieval capital. Edinburgh has a way of slowly revealing her secrets.” Logan’s eyes found hers. Softened in a way that told her he wasn’t talking about Edinburgh at all. “She will captivate your imagination, make you want to uncover the depths of her past. You’ll fall in love with not just her beauty but also her heart.”

Addie’s pulse flickered wildly through her limbs. When Logan turned to gesture to the castle behind him, she used the distraction to surreptitiously gulp down cold air.

Convincing herself that she didn’t want Logan was getting difficult. Sharing her secrets and her past made her want to tumble headlong into his arms. To accept what he offered in every gentle touch.

His smile seemed to say I’ve got you. Soft and dangerous at the same time.

It was one thing to let him pull her out of the mud or be soothed by his stories, another to rely on him. To not be able to carry on, alone.

Devika was full of shit. This thing between Addie and Logan was always getting too serious, always tangling her up more than she wanted. This was a work trip. With a small amount of exploring and a tentative detour. It was not meant for declarations of love.

Addie ended the video with what would have been sweaty hands if it wasn’t so freaking cold. She shoved Logan’s phone in his direction. “That was awesome. Nicely done.” She moved past him. “But let’s go play tourist at Eilean Donan.” She needed a distraction, to get lost in exploring for a bit and avoid all these emotions threatening to consume her. “It’ll be fun.”

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