Page 54 of Valentine in a Kilt

"If ye do that, I willnae be able to kiss you."

"Good point." I palm his cock, and even through his pants, I can feel it twitch. "All you have to do is nod. Then I'll know the truth."

He picks my hand up and sets it on my lap. "Enough, Rebecca. I told you from the start that I cannae share everything with you. Accept it, or walk away. Those are your choices."

Damn, he's far more stubborn than I expected. His Buddha attitude isn't an act---of that, I'm sure---but he's hiding something big about his time in the military. Maybe I shouldn't pester him for the whole story, but I need to know more about this man in case I...fall for him.

I give in and change the subject. For now. "Tell me about your family, Thane."

He relaxes visibly and audibly, sighing with palpable relief. "What would you like to know?"

"Everything."

"Dinnae believe in starting small, do you?"

"Nope."

He slings an arm around me, holding on to the wheel with one hand. "My parents are Keith and Elsa Buchanan, both in their seventies. I have a brother, Ramsey, and a sister, Iona."

"Elsa doesn't sound like a Scottish name."

"It isn't. Ma is from Sweden. Da met her when she was an exchange student."

"How interesting. Are your parents retired now?"

Thane chuckles. "Retired? Keith Buchanan won't stop working until his body is dropped into a grave. He loves being a leatherworker. Ma stayed home to care for her children, but once we were adults, she turned her needlework hobby into a business. She sells her creations at fairs and at Kirsty MacTaggart's shop."

"I'd love to see her work sometime. And I'd love to meet your dad too."

He throws me a sly sidelong glance. "But not my siblings?"

"Of course I want to know about them too."

"Ramsay is a blacksmith. He forges every sort of metal object you could imagine, even jewelry. Since his wife filed for divorce, he's been rather obsessed with work. Their two children are adults now." Thane's lips curve into a softer smile. "My sister, Iona, is the baby of the family. She's had various jobs over the years, but none stuck until she took over the Loch Fairbairn Daily News, which used to be called the Loch Fairbairn World News. It was a scandal sheet when Graham Oliver owned it. But Iona has cleaned up its tarnished reputation."

"Is your sister married?"

"No. She came close a few times, but journalism has always been her passion." He eyes me sideways again. "Aren't you going to ask the obvious question?"

"What?" I abruptly realize what he must mean. "Oh, I get it. Does your sister have any children?"

"Aye, she has two. They're both adopted."

"I'd love to hear her story sometime."

He pulls me closer. "Later, gràidh. Look, we're just coming into Loch Fairbairn."

Chapter Nineteen

Thane

When Rebecca and I walk into the café, we need to wait for a wee bit since the premises is brimming with customers. I've never seen this place as busy as it is now. While we wait, I entertain Rebecca with a story about the time my brother tried to woo a lass by offering her a handmade sgian dubh. The lass did not appreciate being gifted with a dagger.

"How did she react?" Rebecca asks.

"She skelped Ramsay, and he nearly tumbled over backward."

"Um, what does it mean to 'skelp' someone?"

---