Page 2 of Dear Kilted Scotsman
2
COLIN
When I heard a woman scream, I thought that it was my mind playing tricks on me. And with the storm coming, I didn’t want to take a chance. But I couldn’t have imagined the beauty I'd find out there.
When the sky lit up, and I first saw her standing by the loch, I’m embarrassed to admit that I thought for a moment I saw a ghost. Growing up, there wasn’t a wee child in the village that hadn’t heard the ghost stories of The Lady of Loch Greer. She appears when she senses her lost true love is near. And when this woman ran, something just came over me, like I couldn’t let her disappear. But she is flesh and blood. I should know. I ate a face full of earth, tripping over her.
“Do you live here?” she asks as the few lights lit in the castle appear in the darkness.
I glance over at her. A wee bit of light from the windows illuminates enough of her so I can see her this time. My eyes trace the dark shadows cast over her face and down to the soft curves of her body. My body instantly reacts to the gorgeous woman standing next to me. And I have to take a moment to think of anything else to help calm all the blood rushing to my cock.
Before I can answer her, the front door opens, and my younger sister, Ainslie, walks out. She, too, is dressed in our period costumes for tomorrow’s event. She insisted I try everything on tonight instead of waiting until the last minute, so she can make any adjustments needed.
“So, you did hear a woman scream.” Ainslie smiles, looking her up and down. “I was sure that you were going mad.”
The woman looks at Ainslie’s clothes in confusion like she did mine. I forgot that I was dressed to look like I was about to set off a fight in the Jacobite Rebellion and not in my regular shirt and trousers.
“I’m sorry to intrude,” she says.
“And she’s an American too.” Ainslie’s smile widens. “I’m Ainslie McTavish.”
The woman looks from Ainslie to me and back again. The wheels in her head are turning wildly as she tries to understand what is going on here. “I’m Brianna.”
Brianna.
I say the name over and over again in my mind. My tongue rolling with each syllable. And suddenly, my mind wanders to what else my tongue can do.
Focus!
“And that’s my eejit brother, Colin, standing next to you.” Ainslie gestures at me with a look of annoyance on her face. "Normally, he's much friendlier than he is at this moment.”
"It's fine." Brianna smiles at me and then looks back at Ainslie. "He found me down by the loch and was nice enough to offer to let me stay here for the night until tomorrow when I can get back to my camper van.”
Ainslie’s wide eyes swing over to me. “You found a woman down by the loch?”
“I’m sorry.” Brianna suddenly looks nervous. “I didn’t realize that I was trespassing on your land. I didn’t think anyone even lived in the castle.”
I meet Ainslie’s gaze, and I already know what she's thinking without her saying a word.
“Don’t worry yourself, Brianna.” Ainslie reaches out and takes her hand. “We need to get you inside before the storm hits.”
We all go inside just as the rain starts to fall. I watch Brianna’s reaction as she takes in the old castle that’s been in my family for as far back a any of us can remember. I don’t know why, but the urge to have her like it here is strong.
“This place is amazing.” She looks around.
Ainslie takes the blanket and book out of Brianna’s hands and gives them to me as she gives her a bit of a tour. Showing off the relics that my family has collected over the years and paintings of our ancestors that lead up the family portrait painted just months before our parents’ accident two years ago.
“And that makes Colin the current Laird of Castle Greer.”
Brianna’s wide eyes swing back to me as I stand off to the side. I don't like the title I inherited, but I didn't have much of a choice. I couldn't let my father and mother down and not keep our family name's legacy going after all they did. They’d spent so many years working hard to repairing the castle to its former glory and setting up a trust that would allow for future generations not to have to worry where they’d find the money to maintain the estate.
“You don’t look like a Laird,” Brianna says, looking me up and down.
I straighten. “And what do I look like to you?”
“You look like you are about to head off to battle,”
“I forgot we were even wearing these things.” Ainslie chuckles. “We were trying on our outfits for tomorrow’s festival.”
