Page 52 of One Hot Deal

"Yes," comes the response.That's Chance Dixon, one of Hugh's buddies."Did you find the missing couple?"

"We did.So tell the Scots they can start the celebration."

"Understood."

Hugh shoves the walkie-talkie back into his pocket, still seeming way too pleased with himself.

Then I find out why.Bagpipe music erupts from the direction of the lawn.First, it's just low droning.But soon, the familiar sound of the pipes blares, playing a traditional Scottish tune—"Scotland the Brave."

If Hugh expected me to bitch about the music, he doesn't know me as well as he thinks.I clap my hands and holler, "Oh, yeah!Now that's more like it.Let's go out there and get dancing."

Hugh gapes at me."You like Scottish music?"

"Sure do.I hung out with the MacTaggarts during Kate and Callum's wedding bash.They even taught me a few dance steps."

"I had no idea you liked dancing."

"Don't look so shocked.Brits aren't the only ones who have charm and sophistication."I slap his arm."Relax, buddy.I won't steal your prized title.You'll always be Lord Sticky to me."

He shakes his head and sighs.Then he leads our little procession out of the garden toward the lawn, which now holds more than a cricket pitch.A horde of wedding guests has gathered there too, and the bagpipe music has stopped.

Dominic jogs over to us just as we reach the corner of the house."Derek, it's time for your crash course.Hugh, join the rest of our team.It's Brits versus Scots with a few Americans to fill out the teams.Since we don't have enough for eleven players on each side, we've settled for ten instead.There will also be only one umpire."

"How could we have ten players?"Hugh asks."The Scots have that many, but I'm fairly certain we Brits only have eight men.Nine if Alex Thorne breaks away from the Scots.But that would mean convincing Catriona that her husband is not betraying her clan."

"Alex is British.Catriona forgives him for defecting to our side."

"Doesn't Alex have American citizenship too?"I ask.

"Yes," Dominic says."But he chooses to play for the Brits in this game.Luke Turner is one hundred percent American, though his wife is Scottish, but he's defecting to our team with Kirsty's approval."

"All the married men do whatever their wives tell them, hey?The ladies really have them by the short hairs."

Diana rises onto her tiptoes to whisper to me, "Won't you do whatever I say and let me take you by the short hairs?"

The sexy tone of her voice makes me cough into my fist.

Dominic and Hugh both smirk.

To change the subject, I ask, "Any other Americans on the teams?"

"Yes," Dominic says."You will fill out the Scots team as their sole American player."

"Me and nine Scots.Awesome.We'll whup you guys so bad you'll need your wives to finish the game for you."

Dominic shakes his head."I'm not married.Neither is Errol Murdoch, a closet MacTaggart, though he is engaged to a beautiful American."

"What the heck is a closet MacTaggart?"

"Errol's mother was born a MacTaggart, but his father belonged to the Murdoch clan."

"Uh-huh."Don't think I'll try to study Scottish genealogy.It sounds way too complicated."Okay, I'm ready for that crash course."

I kiss Diana goodbye, then follow Dominic to the far side of the lawn and around the back of the house.Apparently, he thinks I need to be shielded from view in case I tank this crash course.Cricket can't be that hard.I played football in high school and got tackled once in a while.I doubt this British game is harder than football.

But Dominic reminds me that we're in England now, where football is a different game, what Americans call soccer.I play it cool and don't point out that British football is nowhere near as rough as the American version.Don't want to annoy my coach before the big cricket match.

First, Dominic needs to explain the terminology of the game."When you're the batsman, your job is to stop the bowler from hitting the wicket."

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