Page 35 of Priceless
Another case of love at first sight, was it?
Don’t be silly. I didn’t fall in love with that piper. I was just teasing you.
And relieved I was to hear it.
…
How was the food?
I’ll let you know.
I’ll be standing by.
Her order was ready,but Jacob could only stare at the plates being loaded on the tray. He shouldn’t go out there, shouldn’t bother her again. The notion of absence making the heart grow fonder was foremost in his mind. Besides, he hadn’t liked the look on Laira’s face when she thought he was going to join her for lunch.
He’d overstepped. He’d been far too eager. Already he’d begged her to stay, all but forced her to hold his hand, and led her back to her table. He was lucky she hadn’t fled the moment he’d stepped back into the kitchen!
Vonnie popped back in. She took one look at the full tray, then raised a brow at him. “I suppose ye’ll want to serve her?”
He shook his head and took a step back. “She’s had enough of me, I reckon.” He waved for Vonnie to take the tray and go.
“With the way she’s watchin’ this doorway, I’d lay odds ye’re wrong.” Then she winked and laughed. “Of course, she might just be starvin’ and anxious to be fed.” She picked up the tray and headed out. “Aye, sure that’s it. She’s starving while ye’re standin’ back here coolin’ her porridge.”
Laira was slightlydisappointed when it was Vonnie who brought her food to the table. Instead of a steak pie and dessert, however, she unloaded a few more items, which Laira was quick to point out. “Is my memory bad?”
“Jacob sent ye these others. Said he wanted ye to have the full Jocko’s experience. All on the house. I reckon he wasnae finished apologizin’.”
“He didn’t need to do that.”
“Doesnae matter. It’s done.” She pointed out the additions. “Sourdough loaf with an herb butter infused with rosemary and lemon. Here ye have a scotch egg with two choices of sauce, the tangy tamarind or honey mustard. And this is our goat cheese and caramelized onion tart.”
“I…I… Will you tell him I said thank you?”
“I will.”
“And just between you and me, you’ll let me pay for it?—”
“I willnae. Now stop yer fashin’ and enjoy it. I’ll send O’l Bashful around with a fresh drink in a bit.”
We exchanged smiles that said she knew I hoped to see Jacob again.
When she was gone, though, I dug into the food and wondered what had come over me. Other than with a chat bot, I hadn’t flirted with anyone for seven months. No! It had been years since I’d even flirted with my own husband! What in the world had come over me?
The magic of Scotland—maybe it wasn’t just a line for the tourists. Maybe there was a force at work that kept spirits frommoving on. Maybe that magic was real, because I was starting to suspect that I was being affected bysomething.
And all because I’d decided to make Jocko Scottish…
Vonnie claimedto be too busy to take the American a fresh drink, and since Mary and the other team members seemed equally as busy, Jacob stopped feeding his gob, wiped away the crumbs, and finally came out of his hidey hole to do it himself. It was surprisingly liberating to cross that threshold once again. Too liberating, perhaps, since he took a second Coke for himself and once again lowered his arse into the chair across from Laira Harris.
A bit of food in his gullet had done wonders for his nerves.
This time, she wasn’t so wary about him joining her. In fact, her beaming smile said she was right pleased to see him.
“I tried everything,” she said by way of a greeting. “Couldn’t manage it all, but I can’t even tell you which was my favorite.”
“New menu,” he said, pointing to the mostly-eaten onion tart. “Nothin’ naff, then?”
“Naff?”
