Page 6 of Suddenly Single
Edan Mackenzie gave her a look as if he couldn’t figure her out.
Jenny was generally pretty confident in her own skin, but there was something about his steady gaze that made her anxious.She twirled around on the stool to check out the awesome refrigerator.“How long have you worked for the Cassian Inn?” she asked, turning around again when she figured it was safe.
“I own it.”
“Own…the hotel?”
“Aye, the hotel. The grounds. The cottages.” He shrugged.
So “They-Call-Me-Mr. Mackenzie” owned this old mansion.Wouldn’t he make a great movie? Darkly brooding, handsome, and living in a mysterious mansion.A body in room 215...
He looked at her again, and Jenny got a squirmy, not-used-to-people vibe from him.Which was a little strange, because she’d guess that women would be lining up at his door.
Maybe the reason they weren’t was the lack of public transportation to his quaint establishment.It seemed a bit too far out of the way. But put this guy in Chicago or Santa Monica or New York, and sheesh, women would pitch their tents and camp out overnight, hold each others’ place in line so someone could dash off to Starbucks for a round of Frappuccinos—all to get a run at him.
“Do you live here by yourself?”First objective: establish his single/not-single status.
“You’re verra curious,” he said.
It was called making conversation, but okay, he didn’t want to talk about it. “I like your kilt,” she said.“I wish American men would wear them.They look really good and they seem practical to me.”
He began putting the sandwich together.
“I knew a girl once who fell in love while she was on vacation in Scotland,” Jenny said.“He told her kilts are for weddings and funerals.”
Edan Mackenzie arranged leaves of lettuce on the bread. He admired his handiwork.
He was going to make her work for every word. “Sooo…?” she asked, gesturing to his kilt. “Which was it for you?”
“Wedding.”
“I love weddings!”
He slapped some ham on top the lettuce, and then a slice of tomato.“Never knew a lass who didna love them.”
“That’s a gross generalization, sir. I’ve been a bridesmaid a few times and trust me, I didn’t lovethat.I had to wear a hideously pink dress once.The bride said it was champagne, but that thing was so sickly pink the only thing missing was the diabetes warning label.But yeah, okay, I will concede that most of us love weddings. I wouldn’t say I’m such a fan of marriage, however.” No sooner were the words out of her mouth that she lifted her hand. “Wait. That didn’t come out right.I’m notagainstmarriage.I just don’t think you have to have a piece of paper to be committed.” Jesus, more words were leaping off her tongue before Jenny’s central control system could put her mouth on lockdown.
Outlander opened a bag of chips and shook a few out onto a plate.He clearly was not going to discuss his views on marriage with a total stranger becausehiscentral control system was working just fine and had sent everyone home and closed up shop for the night.
Jenny felt a terrible and wholly unnecessary need to clarify.She often felt this need. “Iamfor marriage.I just don’t think everyone has to do it. But weddings! Weddings are the best. It’s the one time entire families can come together and get dressed up, and be happy and just dance.What’s not to love? The last wedding I went to was one of my best friend’s.Bethany and Matt.”
Outlander was slicing the sandwich in half.
“I was a bridesmaid.Butthatwas a beautiful dress.” Bethany would kill her if she ever said anything less about that teal-blue halter dress.Jenny hadn’t loved it. She suddenly laughed, recalling how she and Vanessa and Brooke had all had too much to drink.They sat at a table envying how happy and beautiful Bethany had looked and complaining about their dresses.Somehow, they’d gotten on the topic of relationships.“At that wedding, my friends and I had this ridiculous conversation about marriage and relationships.We decided we needed to have a list of non-negotiables.Do guys do that?”
“I donna know what you mean,” Outlander said.
“You know, your list of must-haves in a partner.”
He shook his head.
“Like, you’re saying that the person you date has to meet your non-negotiable standards, so you’re not just dating someone for the sake of sex.”
Outlander looked terribly confused.
“Because presumably, you’re looking for something more meaningful than a hookup, right?”
He looked even more confused.
