Page 24

“What do you mean?”

“You two were glaring at each other the other day at the bar. It was pretty obvious.”

“Och. Brodie never really warmed to me when we were kids. Can’t really remember when it started. Always had his nose stuck in a book, that one. S’pose he thought he was better than the rest of us.”

“Or maybe he just knew you’d grow up to be an asshole.”

“Could be,” Lachlan chuckles. He eyes the statue again, still looking entirely too amused on my behalf. “So how did you find Loch Land? Learned a lot, did you?”

“It was about as useful as this…” I gesture to what might be the world’s ugliest statue, trying to find the words. “Whatever this is. I guess I should have known when I passed it what I was in for.”

“You don’t think this is a fair representation?”

Now it’s my turn to quirk an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

“Who knows.” He shrugs. “The beast is a mystery.”

“Youbelieve in Nessie?” I squint at him in disbelief. “Somehow I highly doubt that you believe she exists.”

“Oh, it’s she, is it?”

“Well, yeah? The Loch Ness Monster is canonically known as being female.”

There’s a sparkle of…something in his eyes, and paired with that maddening smirk he’s wearing, I feel my stomach twist with something I can’t quite name. I decide it’s aggravation.

“Canonically,” he echoes. “Well, far be it from me to argue with an expert.” He shoves his hands in his pockets, moving to step past me, but not before leaving me with parting words over his shoulder. “I’m sure you learned all sorts of things in there, after all.”

I feel my cheeks heat moments before the sensation spreads into my ears, shooting daggers at his retreating figure as I try to spit out some sort of retort. My tongue seems to be tied into a knot if the way I sit there floundering is any indication, and I finally let out a frustrated sound, stomping my foot on the sidewalk moments before realizing what I just did and cursing myself.

What is it about Lachlan Greer that makes me act like a twelve-year-old?

I stomp off in the opposite direction of him toward the place where I parked my car, telling myself he isn’t worth my time. I owe the twins a visit at the pub to give them athoroughthank-you for the recommendation of such aneducationaltrip—deciding then and there that I won’t be letting any more Scots poke fun at me while I’m here.

“Don’t slip on the curb, Your Grace,” Lachlan calls after me.

I give him the finger over my shoulder as I climb back into my car.

The rain is coming down harder now, and I scowl at the pitter-patter of droplets colliding with my windshield, already feeling my hair start to frizz up from the weather. Of course, it’s not enough for me to be sent on some pointless wild-goose chase, no, the weather had to be abysmal too. I already know it’s going to make the road back to my grandparents’ a muddy mess, and I can only hope that my tiny car won’t get stuck somewhere along the way. Heaven forbid I need Lachlan to come to my rescue again.

“You could work with me here,” I grumble to the air as I crank my car. “Knock it off with the shitty weather.”

I blink in surprise when the rain starts to slow at that very moment, my hand still lingering on the key in the ignition as I stare out the window with an open mouth. Did I…?

I shake away the thought, given that it’s a ridiculous one.

It’s Scotland, I remind myself.The weather is temperamental.

I cast one last irritated look at the hideous statue outside Loch Land as I pull away from the sidewalk, shaking my head at my own naivete, not knowing what I’m dreading more—another dose of awkward time spent with my “family” or more fruitless searching for some flimsy connection to my dad. Maybe I’m making it harder on myself than it needs to be. Maybe I should be trying harder to connect with my estranged family. Maybe I shouldn’t be making enemies of the locals—namely, one very attractive but infuriating farmhand who apparently isn’t going anywhere.

Not for the first time, I wonder if coming here was a stupid idea.

Stupid, I hear the echo of Lachlan’s voice in my head.That’s what you are.

As I pull away from the curb, I wonder to myself if hitting someone with your car warrants the same punishment here as it does back home.

8

Lachlan