Page 113 of Gift-Wrapped in a Kilt

The intensity in his voice made tears spring anew, and they rolled down her cheeks.

"Wish I could talk longer," he said, "but I have to get to work. Gotta pay the bills while I'm stuck here."

"You shouldn't have to work at a fast-food restaurant. It's what Trevor would want, you beaten down."

"I'm not beaten down." He paused, and when he spoke again, his voice was stronger, imbued with an iron resolve. "I'll do whatever I have to do, even scrub the bathroom floors of a burger joint where kids have barfed up chicken nuggets and fries. This won't be forever, and no work is beneath me. A job's a job. I'm fine with it."

A couple months ago, he'd been ashamed to tell her he lost his job. Now, he gladly took a menial job to stay afloat. He really had changed. Or rather, he'd rediscovered the man he'd been before his fears got the better of him.

Every day after that, she received a new gift from Gavin. He reinterpreted "The Twelve Days of Christmas" to give each day's present a new spin. For day two, he sent her two chocolate turtle candies — the kind with caramel and pecans inside — and taped each candy to the breast of a small, plush dove toy. Three French hens? He gave her three plush chickens wearing berets. Calling birds? She got four more chickadees, each holding a tiny mobile phone. Each gift came with a handwritten note from Gavin.

When she received the box for day five and read his note, she burst into tears and sobbed for fifteen minutes, until Calli found her and insisted she go out to lunch with the American Wives Club.

Five golden rings, that was day five. He gave her gold-colored plastic toy rings. The note said simply, "Only four because you get the fifth on the day we say 'I do.' All my love, Gavin."

Lunch with the girls had to be relocated from a public venue to Erica and Lachlan's house for privacy. Every time someone mentioned Gavin, she started crying again.

Gavin's gifts kept coming, but the days and the presents blurred together. Though she tried not to be a pest, each new gift made her want Gavin back more, and she had to call Rory to ask about the progress of Gavin's case.

"It's progressing," Rory said in that annoyingly even voice he used with his clients. "Relax and enjoy the holidays. All will be settled soon."

She wanted to believe him. She needed to believe him.

Every new day without Gavin eroded her belief that anything could work out.

On day eleven without Gavin, Aidan and Calli dragged Jamie out of bed at six a.m. Calli instructed her to "dress up nice" because she was going to an important meeting. Though Jamie pressed for more information, neither Calli nor Aidan would tell her anything else. They all but shoved her out the door and toward Rory's Mercedes. Rory and Emery had pulled into the driveway seconds before Jamie was ejected from the house.

Once in the backseat of the Mercedes, Jamie began firing questions at them.

They wouldn't crack either. She had no talent for wheedling information out of anyone.

Emery twisted around in her seat to glance back at Jamie. "Take it easy. This is a good surprise."

"Not in the mood for early morning surprises." And yes, she sounded a bit grumpy. Shewasa bit grumpy after getting ousted from her bed with no explanation. Growling out a sigh, she asked Rory, "How is the visa issue coming along?"

"Hush, Jamie."

"Don't tell me to hush, Rory. You haven't wanted to tell me one bleeding thing this whole time, so excuse me for being irritated with you."

"It's better than you crying nonstop."

Jamie sank back into the seat and glared out the window. Kidnapped by her own brother and his wife. If they were taking her for an intervention because they'd gotten tired of her melancholy mood, she'd run them over with this car.

"Here," Emery said, thrusting a plastic cup at her. "Have some coffee. It'll wake you up."

Grumbling, Jamie accepted the coffee and sipped it through the small opening in the cup's lid. Hot but not too hot. With cream. Emery knew how Jamie liked her coffee.

By the time they reached their destination, Jamie had perked up — but only a little.

Their destination turned out to be Dùndubhan.

Jamie sat forward, peering between the front seats at the castle visible beyond the windshield. "Why are we here? If you wanted me to move in with you again, you didn't need the cloak-and-dagger routine."

Rory arched an eyebrow at her.

Emery spoke. "Go inside. Your surprise is waiting in the vestibule."

"Ahmno moving until ye tell me —"

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