Page 5 of Edinburgh Escape (Brotherhood Protectors International #5)

“I know a great pub that serves an amazing roast chicken not far from here,” Callum suggested. “We could eat first and then walk over to the Tower of London.”

“That would be nice,” Maggie said. “I didn’t realize how tired I’d be after the flight over.”

Callum nodded. “It takes a couple of days for your internal clock to synchronize with the different time zone. Maybe you’ll regain some energy with a hearty meal.”

He led the way to the pub, an old building that had been carefully refurbished, retaining the charm of centuries past.

The waiter led them to a table in the corner.

Maggie ordered a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Callum ordered a pint of beer. “Are you interested in the roast chicken?” he asked. “It’s more than enough for two people.”

“Sounds good,” she said, glad she didn’t have to scour the menu for something familiar that wasn’t a hamburger or fish and chips.

She sipped her wine, staring across the table at the handsome Scotsman. “So, what do you do besides acting as a tour guide to clueless tourists in London?” Her cheeks heated. “I mean, what’s your occupation?”

He stared down into his beer. “I recently left the military. Since then, I haven’t quite settled on what’s next.”

Maggie frowned. “That has to be hard, coming from a very regimented lifestyle. My friend’s husband was in the military.

I’ve met some of the men he works with, all former military.

They all say the same thing. It’s hard to go from military life to the civilian world.

Some don’t handle it well at all. I guess that would account for the high suicide rate among former military folk.

” She blinked. “Not that I’m suggesting you’re headed down that path.

You seem to have your head on straight, even if you don’t know what you want to do next. ”

“I’m not sure about having my head on completely straight, but I’m getting there.” Callum took another swallow of beer. “What about you? Do you have a job back in the States?”

“Nothing as dangerous and exciting as being in the military,” she said. “I’m a preschool teacher.”

Callum’s warm chuckle made Maggie’s heartbeat flutter. “I imagine being surrounded by small children could be dangerous. Is it much like herding cats?”

Maggie grinned. “It’s not so bad. They’re all super sweet. The hardest part of the job is letting them go at the end of the school year. I get too attached to my littles.” She drew in a breath and let it out. “Then a whole new class comes, and I fall in love with all of them.”

Callum shook his head. “It takes a special person to teach. Especially when children that small probably have never been in a classroom before.”

“They’re like little sponges, soaking in all the knowledge. When you think about it, from the moment babies are born, they learn so much. How to laugh, roll over, walk, all the words they acquire and so much more. Children are amazing.”

“Do you have children of your own?” he asked.

Maggie laughed. “No, I don’t. But maybe someday.

” She shrugged. “I’m not in a hurry.” She would like to have a man in her life before she ventured into motherhood.

Not that she was totally against being a single mom.

It was just that having a partner would be easier.

They could share the effort and the love.

“I would think working with small children every day would make you not want to have any of your own.” Callum cocked an eyebrow.

“My mother and I had such a close relationship. We were more than mother and daughter. We were best friends.” Her voice softened.

“I miss her every day. I want that kind of relationship with a daughter or son. Only I’d have more than one.

I was an only child. I would have loved having a sibling to hang with or lean on during tough times. ”

“Like losing your mother?” Callum asked quietly.

Maggie’s vision blurred. She blinked several times before nodding.

“Yes. Thankfully, I have some amazing friends who were there for me.” She pasted a smile on her face and stared across the table at Callum.

“What about you? I didn’t even think to ask if you’re married and have children. Are you? Do you?”

He laughed and shook his head. “No, on both counts.”

“Never married?”

Again, he shook his head. “Didn’t think it would be fair to marry some poor girl and then leave her alone for three hundred and sixty days a year. Other guys tried and ended in divorce and hard feelings. Some had kids split between them. I don’t wish that for any child.”

“Do you have brothers or sisters?” Maggie asked.

Callum nodded and glanced away. “I had a brother.”

Maggie’s heart squeezed hard in her chest. “Had?”

“Richard and I were as close as brothers could be. We raised enough hell in our town, we had quite the reputation. We got into quite a few scrapes, but we always looked out for each other.” He drew in a deep breath, his gaze shifting to an empty corner of the pub.

“What happened to Richard?” Maggie asked and then held up a hand. “Don’t answer if it’s too personal or painful.”

His gaze returned to her. “It’s okay. It was a long time ago.

He was a year younger than I. When I joined the British Army, he was still in school.

I was so busy learning how to be a soldier and then training for Special Forces, I didn’t realize my little brother had fallen into a bad group of lads.

He got into drugs and dropped out of school.

When his girlfriend dropped him, he committed suicide by overdosing on the drugs he was taking.

” Callum shook his head. “By the time I learned he was in a downward spiral, it was too late.”

“And you feel responsible,” Maggie said softly.

For a long moment, Callum stared at a corner of the room without speaking. Then his gaze returned to hers. “I should’ve checked on him. I should’ve been there for my brother.”

Maggie reached across the table and touched his hand. “You couldn’t have known what would happen.”

He stared at her hand covering his, though he seemed miles, or maybe years, away. “I could have, if I’d stayed in closer contact. A phone call, a conversation with my parents. Anything. But I did nothing. I was too wrapped up in my own world to worry about my brother.”

Maggie curled her fingers around Callum’s hand. “You couldn’t have known. And you can’t spend your life beating yourself up over your brother’s choices. More than likely, he wouldn’t have wanted you to do so.”

Callum nodded, straightened and glanced at his wristwatch. “We’d better get going if you want to see the Tower of London, the bridge and get to your station on time.”

Maggie didn’t push the issue of Callum’s brother and the fact he wasn’t to blame for Richard’s death.

She might have felt the same. Instead, she pasted a smile on her face and strode out of the pub, determined to be cheerful and positive as they continued the tour Callum was surely regretting by now.

As they stood in line for tickets to see the Tower of London, Maggie asked Callum about his favorite sports team.

They got into a discussion about American football versus European football.

Callum explained the sports of rugby and cricket.

By the time they got tickets to get inside the Tower, the afternoon was sliding into early evening and they had little time to spend inside, viewing the Crown Jewels, the Bloody Tower, known for torture and executions and the Green Tower where Anne Boleyn had been executed.

By the time they left, Maggie was ready for something lighter, not so heavy and depressing. Outside, with the sun low on the horizon, casting a lovely glow over London and the Tower Bridge, she breathed in a grateful lungful of air.

“That was depressing,” she commented.

Callum chuckled. “London is full of history, not all of which is in the least cheerful.”

“Hopefully, Scotland will be a little more uplifting,” Maggie murmured, once again nervous about meeting the family she’d never known existed.

Callum walked with Maggie across the bridge, stopping to enjoy the sunset and the reflection of light on the River Thames.

When she asked, he gladly agreed to take a picture of her with the Thames behind her.

She took a moment to send the photo via text to Sadie McClain.

“It’s times like these that I wish I could send pictures to my mother.

Although I’m not sure how she would’ve felt about them.

Whenever I asked her if she’d like to go to Scotland and visit her old stomping grounds, she’d always shake her head.

Why go so far when I have everything and everyone I need right here in Montana, she’d say. ”

Maggie drew in a long breath and let it out slowly. “She was content to stay in Montana, and she did until her dying breath.”

“And you?” Callum leaned against the railing along the bridge. “Were you content to stay in Montana?”

“I was.” Maggie looked out over the Thames. “As long as my mother was still alive. I loved her so much.”

“And now?” he persisted.

“Other than my friends, I have no family holding me back. I think I’d like to see more of the world outside the state lines of Montana.”

“Won’t your wee ones miss you?” Callum asked.

A smile curved Maggie’s lips. “I would miss the littles. Their innocence and excitement lift me up.” She really did love working with the small children in her preschool class.

For a long moment, Maggie stared out at the setting sun, glinting off the calm waters of the Thames. If she had all the money needed, she might consider traveling the world, seeing all the countries, visiting different cultures, tasting foods and life so foreign to Eagle Rock, Montana.

After a long silence, Callum straightened and glanced at his watch. “We should get you to your train station before your train leaves. Where did you say ye’ll be leavin’ from?”

“Euston,” Maggie said. “But you don’t have to go with me. I’m sure I can figure out the tube, now that you’ve shown me how.”

Callum shook his head. “I wouldn’t be much of a gentleman if I didn’t see you there safely.” He glanced down at her. “Ready?”

She fell into his deep, brown eyes, forgetting for that second they were relative strangers.

A lock of his dark hair dipped low over his forehead.

Maggie fought the relentless desire to brush it back with her fingertips. She fought and lost, reaching up to sweep the hair back. It refused to stay and fell over his forehead again.

Callum raised his hand and ran it through his thick, dark hair, a smile twitching at the corners of his lips.

He pulled his cell phone from his pocket.

A moment later, he held it up. “The nearest underground train entrance is across the bridge and a block over. We’ll head back to the station where we left our things in the lockers then on to Euston Station. ” He held out his arm.

Though she was in no hurry to end their time together, Maggie curled her fingers into the crook of Callum’s elbow and walked with him across the bridge and to the nearest tube entrance.

They paid their way through the turnstiles and stepped onto the next train headed to where they’d stashed their bags. Then they hopped on another train to Euston Station.

Surrounded by so many people, Maggie couldn’t think of anything to say. She stood beside Callum, her tongue tied, her thoughts spinning through options of comments she could make, but didn’t want to, given the density of commuters in the rail car.

When they arrived at Euston Station, Callum exited the train car, held out his hand to Maggie and helped her to alight onto the platform as well.

Minutes later, he stood with her in front of the attendant directing her to the waiting room for the train heading for Edinburgh that night.

Another couple approached the attendant.

Maggie stepped back and stared up, letting them get situated with the attendant.

She turned and stared into Callum’s eyes.

“Thank you again for the guided tour of London. If you’re ever in the States, let me know.

Depending on where you land, I could take you on a tour of my hometown, Eagle Rock, Montana.

That’ll take about five minutes.” She gave him a weak smile, knowing how lame her words sounded.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye.” Maggie held out her hand.

Callum engulfed her slim fingers in his and squeezed gently. “I don’t think it’s goodbye. I’ll see you soon is much more positive.” He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the backs of her knuckles. “Thank you for spending the day with me. It was quite lovely.”

Maggie stared down at where his fingers still held hers. “It was a lovely day.” A day made infinitely better with Callum in it. Her heart pinched hard in her chest. This couldn’t be their last goodbye. She might never see him again. For someone she’d just met, it hit her harder than she’d expected.

The fact that she might not see him again made her do something she’d never have dreamed of doing in a million years.

Maggie rose on her toes and pressed her lips to his in a brief kiss, as terrifying as it was electric.

Rather than bringing closure to their short time together, the gesture only made her want more.

As she lowered her heels toward the ground, his arm came up behind her, lifting her and pressing her body against his. His mouth descended on hers in a hungry, sensuous kiss that left her breathless, her blood raging through her system, molten hot.

When he set her back on her feet, he stepped back. “You’d better go.” His voice was husky, as if he was just as affected by the kiss as she was.

Maggie pressed a hand to her mouth and nodded.

Words were beyond her. She met his gaze once more, then turned and hurried away in a swift walk.

She had to focus on not breaking into a run, convinced that if she stayed another moment in the man’s presence, she’d beg him to come with her, make love to her and show her all the treasures of Scotland.

For a lone female who hadn’t been far from her small town of Eagle Rock, Montana, how pathetic would it be to fall for the first Scotsman to kiss her?