Page 39 of Wild Scottish Fortune

“No problem at all. But I’d like to pay for it. You saved my life today.”

“What happened?” Graham and Agnes asked in unison, and I bit my lip, annoyed with myself for saying anything. Small towns and all that.

“Just a small accident that I happened upon and was able to help our girl out of a bind. Hey, cutie, mind feeding my boys too? They eat a lot.”

Graham looked down at the expanse of food on the table and then over to the table where the beefcakes had moved to.

“This is … just for you three?”

“Do you think it’s enough? I can always order more unless the kitchen closes soon?” Miss Elva fluttered her eyelashes and Graham quickly recovered.

“I reckon this is enough for you three. I’ll get more on for the lads shortly.”

“You’re the best.” Miss Elva beamed and then turned to us with a smile. “I love me some good girl time. I have the best friends in the world back in Tequila Key. Althea and Luna—both of whom are powerful too. Just like you ladies. Friendship is everything, particularly when you’re dealing with nasty stuff like that beastie over at the mill.”

Cutting a burger in half, I bit in, my stomach all but singing with happiness now that it knew food was coming.

“Orla, what happened?” Agnes whispered, shooting a glance over her shoulder to make sure Graham was gone.

“I went out to the Auld Mill to check why people said it was haunted. Apparently, a nuckelavee was keeping house in there.”

Agnes sucked in a breath.

“Mm-hmm.” Miss Elva nodded. “Nasty beastie.”

“Tossed me right in the water. And, well, I can’t swim, so that wasn’t an ideal situation.”

“Orla! How scary.” Agnes wrapped an arm around my shoulder in a quick hug and I allowed it, realizing that it was nice to have someone actually care if I lived or died.

“Miss Elva got rid of it though.”

“Wegot rid of it,” Miss Elva corrected, biting into her haggis. She stopped, peering closer at her plate. “Do I want to know what I’m eating here?”

“Nope,” Agnes and I said in unison.

“I’ll take your word for it. Delicious, though.”

“We’ve warded the Auld Mill. The building should be clear now. And get this—a gold vine showed up in my hammer.”

“You passed a challenge,” Agnes gasped, her hand at her throat.

“What’s that now?” Miss Elva looked up from her food.

Agnes surprised me by answering her question. Normally, she would deftly swerve any queries from visitors about the Kelpies or other strange goings-on in Loren Brae.

“Orla’s just accepted a role in the Order of Caledonia. It’s an ancient Order of sorts, meant for protection of a particular thing that shall not be named. She has to prove herself before she’s fully in.”

“Ohhhh.” Miss Elva fanned her face. “I do love an ancient Order. There’s just something so sexy about rituals and traditions, isn’t there? That explains the strong magick. I know what Orla’s is. What’s yours, girl?”

“Mine?” Agnes laughed and shook her head. “I don’t have any. I’m a worker bee. A researcher. That’s it.”

“Mmm, if you say so.” Miss Elva said it in a way that suggested she absolutely didn’t believe Agnes but knew better than to ask questions of people who didn’t feel like being asked.

“Orla, may I speak with you for a moment?” Finlay’s voice at my back caused me to jump. I looked longingly down at my burger.

I suspected I knew what Finlay wanted to ask me—he was the type who wanted to run to the rescue of women, and I could just imagine Graham had relayed to him what I had said about the threat on my life earlier today.

Hunger won out.

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