Page 40 of The Rescue

“I can deal with that,” I look at Rabbie, and he beams a smile at me.

“That’s settled then, we’ll go this weekend before Dylan wants to host Thanksgiving dinner.” Cam tells the group.

“Dinny forget about the ceilidh for St. Andrews at the parish hall too,” Fiona mentions to the group.

“What’s that?” Dylan and I both ask in unison.

“It’s a wee party to celebrate our patron saint St. Andrew. There will be lots of eating, drinking and Scottish folk music. So be prepared to dance and have a few drams of whisky,” Fiona beams with pride.

“If there’s dancing and whisky involved I’ll be there,” I say.

“Me too, I can wear my MacTavish tartan I bought at the Highland Games in the summer,” Dylan smiles at Cam.

“With all the stuff on, we won’t have time to go to the cabin then.” Hamish steers the conversation back to the cabin.

I find it odd that he doesn’t want to go to the cabin when Cam spoke so fondly of it. Cam frowns at his younger brother, and Hamish shifts slightly in his seat.

Hamish looks less than happy about the group ruling against him, and I can’t quite figure out why. I don’t know him all that well, but from what Dylan told me, he’s usually down for anything.

“Oh come on, Ham. It will be fun, it’s not your week to have Ruby,” Fiona places her hand on his arm and smiles at him. Hamish visibly tenses as he looks down at Fiona’s hand on him, she must notice this because she pulls her hand away quickly.

Fiona shifts uncomfortably in her seat before returning her big brown eyes, she’s giving him the classic puppy dog stare. Hamish looks at Fiona, and runs his hand over his face in frustration.

“Aye, okay then. You’ve twisted my arm,” he smiles at her.

Hamish would camp in the freezing elements if Fiona wanted to. Everyone in the group sees that they both have feelings for each other, but they’ve ingrained themselves in the friend zone so deeply they’re scared to make a move.

“Perfect, it’s my shout. Come give me a hand lads,” Rabbie rubs his hands together. Rabbie, Cam, and Hamish stand from the table leaving us girls alone, all three of us watch them walking away, each of us infatuated with them.

“Oh, girls, you’ll love the cabin. It’s so magical this time of year, lots of deer and stags running around. It’s like a fairy tale,” Fiona smiles at us.

I haven’t really had the chance to get to know Fiona on a deeper level, but she seems nice enough.

“I can’t wait,” Dylan smiles.

I look over to the bar to find Rabbie and the MacTavish brothers surrounded by locals. My heart warms to see Rabbie smiling and greeting each person that he encounters, he’s so loved and he doesn’t even know it.

“Hey, Fiona. Do you speak Gaelic?” I ask her.

Fiona looks at me curiously.

“Aye, I do.”

“I’m sorry if I butcher this, but what doesmo beagmean?”

Fiona frowns, and her eyes dart over to Rabbie standing at the bar. Damn, I was hoping to act nonchalant about this.

“Where did you hear that?”

She knows full well where I heard it, but she’s just digging for the gossip.

“Oh, I heard Rabbie call Ruby it one time,” I lie.

Dylan is watching on with pure amusement because she knows that Rabbie doesn’t call Ruby by that nickname.

“It meansmy little.”

Fiona takes a sip of her beer, and Dylan chokes on hers. I blink in confusion because why would Rabbie would be calling me that if he wasn’t interested in me. Surely it’s just a friendly term of endearment, and nothing more. I look over my shoulder to see the boys returning with drinks. And Rabbie’s eyes lightup when he spots me, and my stomach does that weird flip-flop thing whenever he’s in my presence.

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