Page 29 of Some Like It Scot
The sun blinked behind a few clouds, the sea-scented air fueled my lungs, and a quiet chorus of songbirds lulled me into reminiscing—an act I tried to avoid most of the time. Some memories didn’t need extra space in my thoughts because they’d inevitably make it to my heart.
But Scotland drew out such feelings and memories with more force than other places. Perhaps it was because of Grandpa and his love for this country, or maybe it was the fact that I’d finally reached a point in my career where I could actually consider crazy options like being an editor or publishing children’s books... or dream a little about finding whatever Brett found with Jessica.
Something worth redirecting even the biggest dreams?
I tried to shut down the thought, but a question rushed over me. Where would Ibeif I weren’t traveling?Whowould I be?
I wasn’t sure how long I sat there partly trying to avoid my own introspection and partly mulling it over, but my little rod didn’t gain one nibble. I squinted down into the pool. Like some of the other bodies of water I’d seen so far in Mull, this pool boasted clear water, but its depth kept me from seeing much except shadows beyond my purple toenails.
“You willnae be catchin’ any fish in that pool.”
The young voice pulled my attention to a little figure perched on a rock nearby, as if he’d just appeared out of sunlight.
Very sprite-like, which matched his overall appearance.
The boy stared at me with pale blue eyes, one brow perched high with suspicion. Dusty, strawberry-blond hair brought out the matching freckles spanning his nose from one cheek to the other. I grinned as his young voice curled his vowels and consonants in the most lilting of ways and made me think of a certain grumpy Scot.
Except the Grumpy Scot’s deep voice caused those vowels and consonants to rumble in my own chest. Or, at least, that’s how my pulse responded to the dips and curls of his accent. I ignored the tug to think about him—again—and focused on the little elf in front of me.
The boy’s hair stood in all directions, and he had a smudge of dirt across his forehead. Just as a boy of eight or nine or ten should look. Like he enjoyed living life more than looking a part.
A veritable Peter Pan.
“I won’t catch any fish here?”
“No” came his quick reply along with a shake of his head.
“And why is that?”
His brow scrunched as he examined my face. “There’s no fish to be had.”
I looked back at the pool and my unmoving line. “There aren’t any fish in this pool?”
He released a sigh much bigger than his body should have been able to expel. “That’s what I’m sayin’.”
My grin started getting the better of me. “And why aren’t there any fish in this pool?”
His face sobered even more. “Why, it’s where the merfolk live!”
I felt my eyebrow rise and worked hard to subdue my smile. “Where the merfolk live?”
“Do you know nothin’ at all?” His childish voice took on a great deal of adult frustration.
“I’m beginning to wonder.”
He pushed up from his place on the rock and walked nearer, tipping his chin toward the water. “The merfolk eat the fish.”
“Of course they do.” Just like faux Edwardian lords collect thieving parrots.Perfectly understandable.
He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and studied me so long, I pulled my feet out of the warm pool, drew on my socks, and tucked my toes back into my wellies.
“Ye cannae walk about the island when you dinnae know what you’re doin’, and that’s a fact.” He steadied his hands at his waist. “I’ll show you the way.”
The little boy gave out a much louder whistle than I thought possible from a person his size and then returned his attention to me as I stood to my full height. His freckled nose wrinkled with a frown when he set his focus on my wellies, but he didn’t say anything because at just that time a border collie bounded from where the boy had come, taking a minute to sniff the air before prancing down the hillside toward us. As the dog grew closer, he tilted his head, staring at me with one blue eye and one brown.
Love at first sight may not be real for humans, but it sure was with dogs. Iloveddogs. It was the first thing on my purchase list when Ididfinally settle down one day.
“That there is Witch” came the boy’s faerie-like voice.
