Page 90 of Gift-Wrapped in a Kilt

He had no illusions they'd become friends. Yet.

"None of my loved ones," Rory said, "has ever emigrated to another country. Catriona lived in America for a time, and so did Iain, but those were temporary changes. I suppose I can't understand what it would feel like to have one of my sisters move across the pond permanently."

"I didn't realize how much it would affect me until it happened." Gavin drummed his fingers on the arms of his chair. "It was more than Calli emigrating. I came here and met her new family, all these MacTaggarts who have a kind of bond I've never had with my sister, and I realized I wanted that. But I thought it was too late. Seeing all you guys with your parents… Well, I'm never going to have that. I can change things with Calli, though, and that's what I'm trying to do."

Rory tilted his head to the side, analyzing Gavin. "Has no one told you?"

"Told me what?"

"Your sister talks about you incessantly. She regales us with tales of her heroic brother and his exploits in the Marines, not to mention the childhood stories."

Gavin touched two fingers to his brow, struggling to wrap his mind around the idea. No such luck. His brain couldn't encompass it. "Calli… She talks about me?"

"Yes. She worships you."

Sure, he'd told Calli the PG-13 stories about what he experienced during his stint in the Marines and his tour in Afghanistan. He left out the gory stuff. And the ribald stuff. She'd always listened, but he'd thought she was humoring him and really had no interest in his military days.

He'd misunderstood a hell of a lot.

"Your sister may have emigrated," Rory said, "but she hasn't left you behind."

Rory was being nice. Rory. Nice.

Gavin resisted the urge to glance around and see if Rod Serling was standing in the corner about to narrate this episode ofThe Twilight Zone.

One word Rory had said triggered his memory. "Speaking of emigrating, Lachlan said I probably need a visa. He said you might be able to help me with that."

"I can."

"Uh, so, will you give me a hand? I'd really appreciate it."

"Yes, I will."

"Thank you."

Rory smiled for the second time in the past ten minutes. "I can't let my sister's fiancé languish in immigration limbo, can I?"

"Guess not." Gavin waved a finger from himself to Rory and back again. "Are we good?"

The smile faded into an inscrutable expression, and Rory bent forward to rest his elbows on the desk. He steepled his fingers under his chin. "It isn't over yet."

And there went the floor, plummeting away from him into the center of the earth. So much for getting on solid ground with Rory.

Still, Gavin had to ask. "In what way?"

"I love my sister very much." Rory squinted at Gavin, his gaze flinty. "I will take whatever measures are necessary to ensure her well-being and happiness."

"Me too." He didn't know what the guy was building up to, but he sensed he wouldn't like it.Stay cool, he reminded himself,don't let Rory get to you again."What is it you're trying to tell me?"

"How far are you willing to go to prove your worthiness?"

Worthiness? Gavin swallowed a snide retort, clamping his hands on the chair's arms. So much for Rory admiring him.

The guy had said it was only a "wee bit."

And here came the big, honking weight of the rest of Rory's opinion of him.

"Don't assume," Rory said, lowering his hands, "you understand my motivations. Only my wife truly understands me, and she approves of my, as she calls it, 'silly manly nonsense scheme.' In fact, she helped me plan it."

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