Page 27 of Refuge for Ailsa

“Oh, no. No, you stay right where you are. I’m not dating her. Not dating her at all. Bridget, you’re psycho. Did you follow me here?”

“What? No! I did not! Boy, you’re really full of yourself, aren’t you?” she yelled loudly enough that the whole restaurant could hear her.

“I’m just going…” He reached for Ailsa, but she was too quick, and in a hot second, she was on the move toward the front door.

“Bridget, I swear to god, if you?”

“If I what? Tell the world what a supreme cheater you are, you’ll what?”

“I’m not a cheater. I never even slept with you! I’M NOT DATING YOU! Why can’t you get that through your thick head? We’re. Not. Dating. End of discussion.” He looked up just in time to see Conor jet out the door, and he hoped like hell the Texan was headed out to catch Ailsa.

“Yeah, now that you’ve found that cunt,” Bridget snarled.

“Bridget…” Tavish took a second to compose himself. “I have never in my life hit a woman, but if you say something like that about her again, I’m not sure I can control myself. Get out of here. Leave me alone. I swear to God, I’m filing a restraining order against you tomorrow. Don’t come near me, don’t call me, text me, send me a card or letter, flowers, chocolate, beer, bourbon, nothing. I meannothing. Do you hear me?” His venomous words were escaping through his clenched teeth, and he didn’t care. Then he turned and found the whole restaurant staring at him. “Sorry, folks. You didn’t deserve this, but neither did I.” As he ran out the door, he handed the hostess a one-hundred-dollar bill and kept moving.

Conor was standing in the parking lot?alone. “I’m sorry, man. I tried to stop her, but she tore outta here, laying rubber as she went.”

Tavish leaned up against the nearest car and dropped his head into his hands. “Great. Just great. She was my ride. And my… Damn it, my dog’s at her place. I’ve got to go get her. I hope to god she doesn’t do something to Starlight because she’s mad at me.”

“Do you really think she’d do that?”

“No.” Tavish lifted his head and shook it. “No, she’s more likely to tell me I can’t have the dog back because I don’t deserve her.”

“Who the hell was that crazy woman?”

“I went out with her twice. I never slept with her. Didn’t even come close. After the first date, I thought there was something a bit off about her, but I wasn’t sure what. She talked me into a second date. Didn’t sleep with her then either. A week later, a fucking wedding planner called me. Awedding planner!”

“Wow. That’s ballsy.”

“Yeah. I’ll say. She won’t leave me alone. I swear to god, if she’s ruined things with Ailsa, I’ll…” He stopped and looked at his new friend. “Conor, what the hell do I do?”

“First off, come in here, have a drink, and try to calm down. We’ll take you back to her place to get your dog. I guess your truck is there too?” Tavish nodded. “Okay. Why don’t you try to text her, get her to listen to you? I’m sure she’s a reasonable person.”

“After that little display in there? No reasonable person would want to be anywhere near me.”

“Come on.” Conor headed back toward the restaurant, and Tavish reluctantly followed him.

The instant he stepped inside, Bridget headed straight for him, pushing people out of the way and knocking over tables. “You son of a bitch! I’ll?”

But Morris grabbed her around the waist as she flew past and lifted her off the floor. “Oh, no you’re not. You’re coming outside with me. Right now.”

“Who says?” she shrieked, wiggling in his grasp, but he wasn’t turning loose.

“I’m an officer of the law, and you’re coming outsideright now. Conor, call the police.”

“I’m on it,” Tavish answered instead and pressed nine-one-one. “Hey, this is Conservation OfficerTavish Stewart, badge number one five two eight three. I need to report a disturbance at Sacred Lotus Thai. There’s a woman following me and harassing me, and I need somebody to pick her up, an officer to take my statement, and the forms to fill out for a restraining order, which I’ll be asking for tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir, officer. They’ll be there in just a couple of minutes. Is she contained for the moment?”

“Yes. She’s being detained by an LEO visiting from Texas.”

“Roger that, officer. There’s a cruiser en route. ETA four minutes.”

“Thanks, dispatch. Have a good evening.” As soon as he hung up, he called Ailsa’s number, but she didn’t answer, so he left a message. “Babe, it’s me. Look, it’s not like she said. Not at all. She’s been harassing me for months. She had to have followed me here tonight. There’s no other way she could’ve been here. Morris is keeping her busy and the police are on the way. I’m having her arrested for stalking and I’m taking out a restraining order tomorrow. Please don’t be mad at me. I’m not dating her. I only went out with her two times, and I never slept with her. She’s nobody, babe. Please, Ailsa, please talk to me? Conor and Morris are bringing me to get the truck and the dog and I’ll leave you alone. But please believe me, you’re the only woman in my life. Well, other than my sister and my mom, but… Oh, and OfficerPepper, but she’s a lesbian. Guess you didn’t need to know that, huh? Maybe you did. I dunno. Okay, um, there’s nothing else, so please, Ailsa, please answer the phone? Please? I’m sorry for all of this. I really am.” He quieted for a minute and realized he was just rambling. “Okay, I’m going now, but I’m going to text you in a few minutes after the cops pick her up, okay? Please? Okay. Um, bye, babe. I… Bye.” He’d caught himself before he saidI love you. Maybe he should’ve said it anyway.

Because as he’d watched her walk out the restaurant door, he realized it was true. He was in love with Ailsa. She was everything he’d ever wanted in a woman, and he couldn’t just give up on that.

Blue and red lights lit up the sky, and in minutes, two Lexington Police Department officers were talking to him, taking his statement, and stuffing Bridget into the back seat of a cruiser. He talked to them about the restraining order, and they gave him the name of the judge there in town who would be charging Bridget the next morning. One of the officers urged him to be there, and he decided he wouldn’t miss it for the world.

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