Page 7 of Edinburgh Escape
The woman gave Maggie an answering smile and hurried toward the family bathroom, probably to change the baby’s nappy.
Maggie carried a backpack over her shoulders and wheeled a small carry-on suitcase. She bypassed the baggage carousels, looking over her shoulder several times as she headed for the exit, a frown marring her pretty face.
Cal hurried to catch up, falling in step a reasonable distance behind her.
When she paused to study the signs, her brow furrowed.
Cal chose that moment to step up beside her. “Looking for ground transportation?”
She nodded and gave him a brief smile. “I am.”
“Rental car, taxi or train?” he asked.
“The least expensive way to get into the city,” she said.
“That would be the train,” he nodded in the direction she needed to go. “It’s that way. I’m heading into London myself if you want to follow me.”
“That would be nice,” she said and fell in step beside him. “Do you come to London often?” she asked.
“I’ve lived here off and on for the past fifteen years.”
“Then you know your way around,” she said.
He nodded. “Fairly well.”
“But you weren’t raised in London…?” she asked as they walked along the long corridor.
“Nae, lass,” he said, laying on his thicker, Scottish accent. “Ah'm a Glaswegian, born and bred.”
Her lips pressed together, and she shot a glance his way, a reddish-gold brow cocked. “Sorry?”
He chuckled and dropped the thick accent. “I was born and raised near Glasgow.” He held out his hand. “Callum McCall.”
As she took his hand, he was distracted by the jolt of electricity that speared through him at her touch. “Aye.” He tipped his chin toward her. “And you?”
“I’m from the US.” Her smile brightened as she pulled her hand free of his. “But I have relatives in Scotland. That’s where I’m headed.”
“Are ye, now?” He jumped in with both feet. “I am, as well, after spending the day in the great city of London. It’s been a while since last I was here.” All of thirty minutes.
“That was my plan as well. I want to see as much of London as I can today. You know, all the touristy things like the London Tower, the Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben.” She raised her hands. “All the things I’m sure you’ve seen a dozen times and now find boring.”
“On the contrary, I love seeing all those things, especially through someone else’s eyes for the first time.” He glanced down at her. “If you’d like, I could show you all those things.” He held up his hands. “And no, I’m not asking you to jump in a car with me. I know the train, the tube and the stops you’ll need to get where you’re going.” He shrugged.
Her brow furrowed. “I don’t want to take up your time. I’m sure you have other things to do rather than play tour guide to a stranger.”
“I wouldn’t offer if I weren’t sincere,” he said. “I don’t catch my train for Scotland until later tonight. It would be nice to see the city with company, rather than alone. Or I can point you in the right direction and leave you to it.” He shrugged. “Your choice.”
Whatever she decided, he’d be with her. Her decision would determine just how far away he’d be.
Chapter 2
Maggie McKendrick walked alongside Callum, mulling over his offer. She would probably have thanked him and refused if she hadn’t had an altercation with a rude man moments before meeting the handsome Scotsman. She’d just come out of passport control and was tucking her passport into her purse when a big oaf of a man had slammed into her.
She’d staggered several feet and almost tripped over her roller bag before she’d righted herself. The man who’d rammed into her hurried away before she could call him out for being rude. What was wrong with people these days?
The woman with the toddler who’d been on the same plane with her had stopped to ask if she was all right. Maggie had assured her she was, but the incident had left her feeling less confident in her hasty decision to fly to London and take a train to Edinburgh. She probably should have taken a transfer flight from London to Edinburgh.
No. She refused to let some bumbling bully ruin her trip. This was her first time in the United Kingdom. Delaying her arrival in Edinburgh by just a day was a good idea. There was so much to see in London, and they had the mass transit to get her around without having to drive. It was a no-brainer to delay arriving in Edinburgh long enough to do a quick tour of London. She’d planned to buy a ticket for one of the hop-on-hop-off buses as soon as she found a place that sold them. But first, she had to get to London via the train.
