Page 20 of Wild Scottish Beauty

And I’d be happy to take my grievances out on him.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Willow

“Listen, it’s not like you can hop back on a plane this second. Why don’t you take a few days and learn more about the job and Loren Brae and then you can make your decision?”

Sophie’s words echoed back to me as I finished getting ready for dinner.

Perhaps I had been a touch dramatic announcing my resignation before I’d even started my job, but between the ghost coo and Ramsay’s sudden appearance in my life, I’d been more than rattled. Even so, my typical full-throttle approach to life would have meant that I shouldn’t have been fazed by any of these hurdles.

It must be lack of sleep.

That was the only thing that I could chalk my behavior up to, since my gut was screaming at me to keep this job.The minute we’d driven up the long road to MacAlpine Castle, something had clicked—like that definitive click that comes when you secure your airplane seatbelt—and I’d known I was home.Home. It was that same knowing, that deep-rooted understanding that I needed to be here in this moment, that had me standing in front of a mirror trying on outfits to wear to the local pub for dinner instead of looking up flights to go home.

I wondered if other people had the same internal voice that I did. This sense of knowing, the gentle nudges forward in life, was something I’d had as long as I could remember. Many a time it had saved me from disaster—like the time I’d stopped on a street corner and refused to step forward even though the walk sign had turned green. A car had run the red light, luckily not hurting anyone, but had I stepped out onto the street I would have been a goner. Numerous instances like that through my life had convinced me that when my gut told me to do something, I should listen.

Which is why, currently, I was more frazzled than was typical for me. My gut said “stay.” My mind said “leave.” I was at odds with myself and that was never a comfortable place to be. The reality was that Miles was getting in my head. My impatient, domineering, overprotective brother had been determined to chip away at my impulsive behavior through the years until finally, he’d managed to take a chink out of my freewheeling armor. I liked to believe that every life experience taught me something and led more toward where I needed to go. Miles wanted to control every situation so that the outcome was predetermined.

Was his way better or worse than mine? Consideringthat thought for a moment, I pulled on wide-legged jeans, a fitted crewneck top with a vintage ice cream shop logo on the front, and my Adidas Sambas. I piled a few dainty necklaces together, added my hoops, and pulled back the top half of my hair with a cute bow. Bows were in this season. Grabbing my soft wool camel trench coat, I slipped it over my shoulders, added my black quilted crossbody purse with gold details, and turned in front of the mirror.

Cute, casual, chic.

The threeCs.

What Miles needed in life, I did not. My soul craved adventure and creation, and this job offered both. The needs of the castle shop would stretch my creative energy, all while allowing me a foundation of security to potentially build something of my own. While small-town Loren Brae, Scotland, wasn’t exactly the hotbed of the fashion industry and the place I needed to be to grow a brand, maybe that wasjust fine. There were many roads to the lake, my father had always told me, and I reached for that wisdom now.

I loved new experiences.

I loved designing.

I loved being creative.

I loved meeting new people.

I loved building something of my own.

Loren Brae offered me all of these things, plus the opportunity to live in an actual freaking castle. And the reality was, I really, really, really wanted to build something of my own. I needed to do this for myself, and evenifMiles had manufactured this job somehow, I still could prove myself. I didn’t see how working for Ramsay was going to pan out, but surely Sophie would still be open to medesigning for the castle shop. I’d ask her over dinner and maybe we could come to a resolution that suited both of us.

Since Ramsay clearly didn’t want to work with me either.

Sniffing, I tucked my phone, lipstick, and wallet into my purse and left my apartment.

The rude bastard had simply walked out. Who evendidthat? He’d even been more dramatic than I had been, and that was saying something.

“Moo?”

It was just a whisper this time, like the softest of sighs, and I barely jumped. Schooling my breath, I turned to see Clyde in the hallway behind me, his head tilted, his eyes hopeful.

Could a ghost coo’s eyes be hopeful? Was lack of sleep finally catching up to me?

Bracing myself, I lifted a hand that only trembled slightly.

“Hi, Clyde.”

“Moo!” Clyde bellowed, dancing his little jig while I tried not to have a panic attack on the spot, and then winked from sight.

“You might want to work on decibel control,” I called out, my hand at my chest, as I turned to continue downstairs. Really, how did someoneeverget used to that? At least I didn’t need that cup of coffee I’d been hoping for as my jet lag had been shattered at Clyde’s shout.

---