Page 25 of Edinburgh Escape
“I could, but after what happened in Crewe, I’d rather face the snakes in their den than be surprised on the streets of Edinburgh.” She shrugged. “If they are truly snakes. There is a chance the attack was a random, crazy dude who saw an opportunity to do bad things to a clueless woman standing alone on a platform.” She smiled weakly. “I should’ve been paying attention.”
“I should’ve been beside you, not hiding in the shadows.”
“You were there when I needed you,” she said. “That’s what counts. Now, have you decided if you’ll be my travel companion, boyfriend or fiancé when we arrive at the Drummond estate?” She shook her head. “Hard to believe my relatives live on an estate. I imagined I’d meet my half-brother at some quaint little thatched-roof cottage, not a Lord’s estate.” She tipped her head, her brow puckering. “Since Ewan’s father, mine too, has passed, does that make my half-brother a Lord?”
Callum couldn’t help but smile at Maggie’s rambling train of thought. “I believe Ewan, as the oldest son, will assume the title, barring any issues with the crown. As for what role I’ll play, I think it's best if I arrive as your fiancé. That way, they won’t question why I came along. A boyfriend might not be as committed to traveling so far.”
“But you’re obviously Scottish,” Maggie said. “They might ask how we met and why you didn’t fly with me from Montana?”
“You have a valid point,” Callum said. “We need to agree on a story.”
“First off, when and where did we meet?” Maggie asked. “Since this is my first time out of the States, you would have to have come to Montana. You could have come on vacation after you left the military and stayed in Eagle Rock, where I live. We met at the Blue Moose Tavern.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Blue Moose Tavern?”
Maggie nodded. “It’s where everyone goes to get a decent meal and a beer.”
“Why did I pick Eagle Rock, Montana?”
“It’s got some of the best fly fishing in the country.”
He shook his head. “I’ve never been fly fishing.”
“You came to Eagle Rock to learn how.” She frowned playfully. “Work with me here.”
“Okay. Let me get this straight.” He dipped his head toward her. “After I left the military, I went to Eagle Rock, Montana, because an American I met during special operations in Afghanistan told me how peaceful it was to go fly fishing there. I stopped at the Blue Moose Tavern for a meal and a beer. I was instantly smitten by a fiery-haired beauty and never took a fly fishing lesson.”
Maggie smiled. “Now, you’re talking.”
He went on to say, “It wasn’t love at first sight for you. I had to woo you over the two weeks I was there with flowers and chocolates.”
She shook her head. “I don’t like flowers, they remind me of funerals, and they die. And I’m not a chocolates kind of girl. I’m more impressed by actions than gifts.”
“When a drunk got too friendly with you, I stepped in and told him to leave my girl alone. When he didn’t, I escorted him out of the building.”
“Good. I like that.”
“Did I break his arm?”
She tilted her head. “No. You didn’t have to. You were firm but kind.”
“Then I put him into a taxi so he wouldn’t drive home drunk.”
Maggie laughed. “The town of Eagle Rock is really small. We don’t have taxis there. But Sheriff Barron showed up in time to take him to the jail where he could sleep it off.”
“Why didn’t he take him home?”
“Sheriff Barron didn’t trust him to stay home. He was safer in the jail cell, sleeping it off. And the town was safer with him in the cell.”
A smile pulled at Callum’s lips. “You know this guy, don’t you?”
Maggie nodded. “Ed Knowlton. Ever since his wife died, he comes to the Blue Moose on Saturday night, drinks too much and wants a female hug, usually from someone who doesn’t want to give him one. Sheriff Barron always shows up to haul him to the jail, where he lets him sleep it off.”
“Sounds like a lonely man,” Callum noted.
“He and his wife, Lois, were high school sweethearts. It broke his heart when she died.” Maggie tapped a finger to her chin. “We have how we met. How did we end up engaged?”
“I walked you home that night and asked you out for coffee the next morning.”
