Page 14 of Gift-Wrapped in a Kilt

"Uh…"I dumped her, after she'd already dumped me, and she dumped me again. So, fantastic, yeah.His gaze zipped to the unknown man standing beside Calli. "Rather not talk in front of a stranger. No offense, man."

"None taken," the stranger said. His lips spread in a low-key smile that revealed a glimpse of his teeth. Although they were nice and straight, they weren't perfectly white like he'd had work done on them. No, they struck Gavin as natural teeth — unlike Trevor's laser-bright smile. The man had a hook nose that somehow looked rugged on him instead of harsh, and his eyes were as pale blue as Lachlan's. His brown hair resembled Rory's and Jamie's, though with a few strands of gray in it. The man stood almost as tall as the three MacTaggart brothers.

Gavin drew his head back, surprised by a revelation, so surprised he blurted it out before thinking. "You're a MacTaggart, aren't you?"

"Aye," the man said, seeming surprised in return. He proffered a callused hand to Gavin. "Iain MacTaggart, first cousin to the Three Macs."

"The who now?"

Iain chuckled. "The Three Macs. That's what I call the three brothers — Lachlan, Rory, and Aidan. They're a family unit all by themselves. And of course, they think they're the bosses of all the other MacTaggarts, even those of us who are considerably older."

The glint in his eyes and the way one side of his mouth kicked up slightly told Gavin the guy had a sense of humor.

Gavin shook Iain's hand. "I'm Gavin Douglas, Calli's brother."

"Oh, I know all about you." Iain winked and smirked in a very Aidan-like way. "Calli told me you need a place to stay."

She laid a hand on Gavin's arm. "Iain has graciously agreed to put you up for a while."

"Long as ye need," Iain confirmed.

Gavin studied his sister, struggling to figure out her game here. Because, yeah, his sister definitely had an ulterior motive. He hadn't figured out what it was yet, but he'd bet a million bucks he didn't have that Emery was the instigator.

Rory's wife had a whacked-out plan for Halloween, and she'd called Gavin to pester him until he'd agreed to cooperate. He knew only his part of the cockamamie scheme, though he was pretty sure Emery had gotten Jamie involved too. A recipe for disaster, he thought, but desperation made him, uh… desperate.

"Can I talk to you alone, C?" Gavin asked.

Iain waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry, Gavin. I'm a neutral third party."

"How can that be? You're related to the three guys who hate me."

The Scot made a dismissive noise rather than flapping his hand again. "The Three Macs are their own little mafia, yes, but don't take them seriously. Everyone in their branch of the family tree sees it as their right and duty to suffocate poor Jamie with overprotectiveness. I play shinty with the Three Macs, but I have no particular stake in Jamie's personal matters."

Gavin glanced at Calli, who smiled a little too brightly. If his red ears gave away his lies, her phony smile gave away her ulterior motives. "You're working with Emery on this, aren't you? Moving me around like a pawn on your chessboard of meddling. What's Iain got to do with it? Is he supposed to report back to you and Emery about what I say and do?"

"No," Calli said, trying a little too hard to sound offended. "I'm helping you find a place to crash, that's all."

Iain raised a hand. "Told ye, I'm a neutral party."

The Scot seemed sincere, and Gavin couldn't blame him for the shenanigans of the American Wives Club. Erica would be involved soon too, no doubt, if she wasn't already. Rory and Lachlan must love this turn of events. They were probably apoplectic over it.

The thought of Rory's response to his wife's meddling made Gavin's lips tighten and inch upward a smidgen.

"Your bags are already in Iain's car," Calli said, pointing at the rusty Range Rover.

"Jeez," Gavin said, "you packed my stuff? Way to be bossy, C."

A baby cried inside the house.

Calli pecked him on the cheek again and turned to go back inside. "Have fun at Iain's. I'll see you Wednesday night at Dùndubhan."

The castle. Where Rory and Emery lived. Where Jamie was staying.

In two days, the castle would host a wacky scheme dreamed up by his sister and her sisters-in-law. Yep, things just kept getting awesomer.

"Let's go," Iain said, clapping Gavin on the shoulder. He led Gavin toward the Rover, to its passenger door. "Relax, laddie. I have no intention of murdering you in your sleep."

"Gee, thanks." Gavin sighed, his shoulders flagging. "I really am grateful for this. Thanks, Iain."

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