Page 83 of Wild Scottish Beauty

Had I misread him all along? Was his invitation to the cèilidh an actual date? Maybe he’d been looking forward to the dance as our first date for a while now and I’d managed to hurt his feelings by accepting a date with another man. Confused, I mulled over my thoughts.

“Tough day?” Andrew asked, returning to the table with a fresh pint for himself and my wine.

“Thank you,” I said, accepting the wine with a smile. Taking a sip, when I actually wanted to gulp the wholeglass, I tapped the rim against his pint. “Sorry, I should have cheersed you first.”

“Slàinte.” Andrew saluted and took a drink. “So, tell me, how are you settling into Loren Brae then?”

“I think okay? I mean, it’s a wild change from where I’d been.”

“And that was?” Andrew leaned in, interested, and I swallowed a sigh. He seemed like a perfectly nice man, and yet my brain couldn’t seem to focus on him, or this date. I was back in the shop with Ramsay, that moment hung suspended between us, and I had to force myself to stay in this conversation.

“Ah, I was in New York City, actually.”

“Och, that’s a huge change, isn’t it? A lot quieter here. Boring.”

At that, I raised my chin at him, the comment surprising me.

“You don’t like Loren Brae? I thought you said it was a great town.”

“Don’t get me wrong, it is. Just a bit small.” Andrew sniffed and looked around the room, shrugging. There was something about his mannerisms that seemed familiar to me, but I was still so distracted from Ramsay’s kiss that my brain couldn’t make the connection.

“I’m learning that maybe small is a good thing.” I looked over to see Agnes had entered the bar and that she and Graham were having a heated discussion about something. She slapped her hand on the surface of the bar.

And then they both looked directly at me.

What the hell? Were they arguing about me?

Andrew followed my gaze.

“Oh, those two. Same old thing, you know? Nothing ever changes here.”

“How long have you lived in Loren Brae?” I took another sip of my wine, forcing myself to focus on the date.

“Grew up outside here, lass. But I don’t come here often anymore.”

“Oh, so you’re just passing through?”

Why had he asked me for a drink then?That seemed weird. Unless he was looking for a quick hookup. Did I look like the type? Maybe I had? I’m not sure what about me with my arms full of crisps at the grocery store, had signaled a quick hookup.

“That’s the plan.” Andrew tipped back his pint and I arched an eyebrow at him.

“So…what was this exactly?” I waved my hand between us at the table.

“A pint with a bonnie lass.” Andrew tilted his head at my expression. “Do you Americans plan your marriage on the first date then? Or do you keep it casual for a bit and get to know each other?”

What he said made sense, but there was just something in his tone that put my back up. I leaned back, tapping a finger against my wine glass.

“Fair point. Tell me, Andrew, where do you spend your time then if not in Loren Brae?”

“I like to travel as much as I can. In fact, I just got back from a trip to Hong Kong.”

This was a topic I could warm to at least. I’d always loved to travel as well, even though I’d had to do so on a limited budget. Either way, I loved exploring new places and discovering new experiences, seeing how fashion changedwith different cultures, and so I leaned in to ask him about his travels, enjoying learning about someplace I hadn’t visited before.

“Not sure if you have trouble walking a lot or not, but if you don’t, the Great Wall is well worth it.”

“Why would I have trouble walking?” I raised an eyebrow at Andrew, confused at his words.

“Um, I just know, a lot of Americans prefer to drive.”

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