Page 3 of Scotch & Shortbread

“When exactly do ye plan on getting it fixed Ms. West?”

She looked up at him. Why did he have to be such a jerk about everything? Clearing her throat, she tried to keep the snark from her voice as she said as calmly as she could, “I’ll find a shop in Calen, Officer.”

“Sergeant,” he corrected her.

She barely held back an eye roll.

“Bob’s shop. It’s just on the corner of Main Street and 4th Ave.”

“Lovely. Bob’s. I’ll go there tomorrow. Now, can you just give me my ticket or whatever and let me be on my way?” She didn’t even try to hide her impatience this time. This time, it was the cold that made her shiver. She was freezing, and as she pulled her arms a little tighter across her chest, she couldn’t stop her teeth from chattering in the crisp mountain air.

“Ye can get back into yer vehicle.” Mean Hot Cop seemed to finally take pity on her.

“Thank God,” she muttered as she brushed past him to hurry back into her car.

Cranking the heat when she got back in, trying to warm up, she realized she was getting hungry. Looking at her dwindling pile of road trip snacks, she picked up another candy cane, unwrapped it, and popped it in her mouth while she awaited her fate. A moment later, the cop walked up to her driver’s side window.

“Scotland. Not Ireland.” His deep voice sounded proud and strong. Quinn was taken off guard as he bent to look at her. Her breath caught with his face almost eye level with hers. His piercing stormy blue eyes looked downright sexy this closeup. She felt oddly flattered that he’d told her where he was from. Like they’d finally made some headway, and he gifted her by being a real person and not just a jerk cop.

A magnanimous feeling washed over Quinn, and she smiled brightly, “I haven’t been to Scotland either, but I bet it’s amazing. I sawBraveheartyears ago. Such a great movie. I don’t know if it was actually filmed in Scotland, but if it was, the scenery was just beautiful and the castles…” She sighed dreamily thinking about it.

And just as she was about to ask if he’d watchedBraveheart, it all went sideways. Quinn had thought she’d cracked his façade, but no, the moment flitted away into oblivion like steam from a mug of hot chocolate. Completely ignoring that Quinn had spoken at all, never mind complimented the man’s homeland, the cop pulled a ticket from his clipboard and unceremoniously handed it to her.

“Three hundred dollars!” Quinn spat shocked. Apparently, she was wrong, and he was a cold mean jerk cop after all. How could he gouge her like that? She hadn’t been going that fast, and she’d promised to get her tail light fixed. Grinch was too nice to describe him.

“Next time, slow down, Ms. West, and make sure ye get that tail light taken care of.”

“Oh yes, because I’ll have plenty of cash left over after having the tail light fixed to pay for this ticket too.” Her voice was shrill with frustration.

“Something to think about next time you want to blow past the speed limit,” he snapped sternly. He gave her one last look of disapproval before he turned and strode away.

Quinn was incensed. Any heated tingles she’d felt were thoroughly doused.Cocky ass.

She growled frustrated and then hollered out her window to him needing to have the last word, “Oh, don’t you worry, I’ll be a star driver ’cause I definitely wouldn’t want to chance running into you again,Sergeant!”

He stopped but didn’t turn, and Quinn decided not to stick around to see what he’d say or do next. Signalling to pull out, she took one last glance at him in her rearview mirror and breathed a sigh of relief to see that he’d gotten into his truck. As she drove away, she took a deep breath, relishing the Christmassy scent in her car. She wasn’t going to let some grumpy jerk cop ruin her excitement. Cranking her Christmas tunes, she set her focus on getting to Calen to see her girls.

3

Bad Fucking Day

Alexwasinablack mood. For the better part of a year, he’d had the plan to go back home to Scotland for Christmas. When he’d booked the flight, his focus had been on seeing his family again, but since booking, he’d considered cancelling it more times than he could count. It was one thing for him to make that decision, but without his consent or knowledge, his plans had been changed for him andthatpissed him off.

Out of nowhere and only a couple of days before he was supposed to get on a plane, he had been informed that his vacation days were going to be cut short. Instead of two weeks off, he’d have less than a week. Six days. It annoyed the shite out of him just thinking about it. He was given some bullshit story about a clerical error, but he knew better.

Rod had been busting his balls for weeks about Alex getting time off even though Rod had seniority. He had no doubt who’d be getting time off for Christmas now. It didn’t matter that Alex had put in the request last year, and it had been approved. It should have been a done deal. As much as he enjoyed his job, the politics could be infuriating. At least it was not like the politics in Scotland. Canada was a walk in the park in comparison, but the whole situation frustrated the hell out of him anyway.

As he’d sat in his cruiser his mood ever darker, the VW flew past, and he’d wondered why in the hell people thought it was okay to blast over the speed limit like it didn’t apply to them. He wasn’t a traffic cop, but the thought of hand-delivering a ticket to some ignorant arse was an irresistible prospect.

The moment the lass stared up at him with big innocent eyes, he wished he’d left traffic policing to the next guy. It annoyed him that he had to silently remind himself that he was immune to the lasses. Every last one of them. She was work to him, and that was it.

Alex was well aware that he looked dangerous and menacing with zero effort. But when he did try, well, he could make grown men piss their pants in fucking fear. That was never pleasant, but in his line of work, having an edge wasn’t a bad thing.

At six foot four and built like his Norse ancestors, Alex was intimidating to most. Never mind the fact he was in a dark mood this afternoon, but apparently, the lass he’d pulled over was completely oblivious to the danger he knew emanated from him.

When he gave her a direct order to give him her license and registration and she blatantly ignored him, he didn’t know what to think. Alex stared at the lass mystified, wondering what in the hell was happening. Was this tiny innocent thing honestly going to give him grief? With his foul mood, he’d almost relished in it, daring her in his head,Go on little lass, give me yer best. But then she started blethering away like they were old friends having a chinwag over tea, rambling about bloody Ireland! And the entire time, he couldn’t seem to tear his eyes from her too-full lips and her red tongue occasionally darting out as she sucked on a damn candy cane!

Annoyed at his wayward thoughts, his jaw clenched tightly, and the dreamy smile vanished from her lips, leaving Alex to question the strange remorseful feeling that snaked through him. No. He wasn’t here to make her smile or to play nice.

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