Page 27 of Gift-Wrapped in a Kilt

Gavin believed her brothers hated him. She couldn't subscribe to that theory. Lachlan, Rory, and Aidan didn't hate anyone. They were the best men she'd ever known, except for Gavin. But lately, he'd turned into a bit of a nutter.

"Ye coming?" Mrs. Darroch asked.

Jamie nodded and followed her down the hallway, through the dining room and into the main hallway. At the entrance to the vestibule, Jamie stopped.

Mrs. Darroch headed up the spiral staircase.

The door to the outside was closed. Mrs. Darroch must've left Trevor standing there, instead of inviting him inside. A silent expression of her feelings for the Englishman.

Jamie glanced down at her clothes — a loose-fitting T-shirt, yoga pants, and fuzzy slippers. Well, what did a man expect when he turned up at her door at nine in the morning? Not that she cared what Trevor thought, anyway. Sighing, Jamie crossed the vestibule and swung the door open.

Trevor Langley beamed at her, though the expression seemed a bit forced. "Jamie, you look lovely this morning."

He looked like an advert for men's clothing. The blue of his polo shirt set off the matching highlights in his gray eyes, and his charcoal slacks featured a modern fit that accentuated his muscular thighs. The sun painted his sandy hair in golden hues until they almost glowed like a halo.

"What do you want, Trevor?"

"No pleasantries, then." He leaned against the doorjamb. "Have you eaten yet? I was hoping to buy you breakfast in the village. I saw a cafe that looked perfect."

Her throat tightened. Loch Fairbairn had one cafe, the place where Gavin had offered her a credit card instead of an engagement ring.

"Thank you, no," she said.

Trevor craned his neck to peer around the jamb into the vestibule behind her. "Are you going to invite me in?"

"Not a good time." With one hand on the door, she eased it halfway shut. "Have a safe trip home."

He chuckled. "I'm not going home, love. Not unless you come with me. Didn't I make my intentions clear last night?"

Unfortunately, he had. Right in front of Gavin.

Jamie might've been upset with Gavin for the fiasco at the cafe, but that didn't mean she wanted to take up with Trevor. Once, she'd found him beautiful and alluring, and his accent had tickled her senses. Now, she felt only phantom sandpaper scraping along her nerves.

"You left me," she said, "because I didn't fit into the posh lifestyle you wanted so badly. Looks like you've found it, congratulations."

His brows lowered, and his lips angled down, but the expression vanished in a heartbeat. "You ended our engagement, Jamie, not me."

"Maybe I was the one who said the words, but you made it clear you wanted out." Her hand still on the door, she clamped her fingers over the edge. "I haven't changed. I still want to stay here in the Highlands."

"That's the best part." He straightened and took possession of her free hand. "As I said last night, I'm buying an old distillery here. We could turn it into a tourist attraction, or anything you like. Say the word and it's yours." He raised her hand to his mouth and skated his lips across her knuckles. "I'm yours."

She stifled a derisive laugh. "Come off it, Trevor. You didnae buy a distillery for me. You bought it to add to your bank balance, as if you need more money. I value family and loyalty, not money and status. I have no interest in your project or you."

"Loyalty?" His lip curled. "How does the American pisser give you that? I heard he broke your heart. Can you honestly say you want him?"

Jamie opened her mouth to remind him he'd broken her heart, but she stopped. Had he hurt her that much? She'd been upset, of course, when he walked away from her. But broken-hearted? No, she couldn't claim that. She hadn't loved him enough to feel half the pain Gavin's non-proposal had caused her.

Maybe Gavin thought she wasn't good enough for him. Why else would he string her along for eighteen months?

She tore her hand free of Trevor's. "My relationship with Gavin is none of your business. I do not want you. We will never be a couple again. Nod if you understand."

He sighed and tilted his head sideways. "I knew it would a hard slog to win you back. I'm in this for the duration, Jamie, and I won't give up."

"There's nothing to win or give up. I am not interested, and that's my final word."

With a condescending little laugh, he chucked her under the chin. "I've always admired your spirit."

He ambled toward the driveway.

---