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“I s there any whisky in this establishment or shall we go elsewhere?” a loud voice called from the doorway of the Thistle & Pig.

Gunn smiled at the voice he would recognize anywhere and turned to greet one of his best friends and his wife.

“Malcolm. ’Tis great to see ye, brother.”

They closed the distance and clasped in an embrace.

“’Tis been too long.”

“Well, ye’ve been busy acclimating to married life. How’s it treating ye?” Gunn clapped Malcolm on the back. “Speaking of which, where’s Lizzie? Dinna tell me ye have frightened her off already,” he jested.

“Nay, she will be in shortly. After being closed up in the carriage all day, she wanted to enjoy the fresh air for a few minutes.”

As if on cue, the door opened, and Malcolm’s wife, Lizzie, walked in.

“’Tis lo’ely to see ye again, Lizzie.” He bent and kissed her hand.

“Keep your lips off my wife, Burnett,” Malcolm growled, but his mouth tipped up into a smile.

Lizzie laughed. “Ignore him. He gets cranky when he hasna eaten. How are ye, Gunn?” She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Ye look well.”

Gunn harrumphed at her attention.

Lizzie looped her arms around Malcolm’s waist and squeezed. “Dinna give Gunn such a hard time. He works hard.”

“Thank ye, Lizzie. Ye both must be hungry. I’ve had Cook prepare a meal. I’ve also invited someone else to join us, if ye dinna mind.”

Lizzie tilted her head as she studied his face, her eyes narrowing. “Ye’ve invited a lady to join us,” she stated with awe.

“Nay. No’ Gunn,” Malcolm chimed in. “He will be fore’er single. The eternal bachelor.”

Gunn sneered at Malcolm. “Since we are in the company of a lady, I willna say what I’m thinking. But Lizzie is correct. I have invited a lady to join us.”

“Do tell,” Lizzie drawled.

“She’s new in town and needs a friend. I believe ye two will get on well. I’d appreciate it if ye would give her a chance.”

“Of course. I would love to meet her.”

“Splendid. She will be down shortly. Shall we make our way to the dining room?” Gunn waved his palm in the direction that would lead them out of the pub and into the inn.

Lizzie started walking and then spun around, holding her hand up. “One minute. Ye said she will be down. Is she staying at the inn?”

“Good catch, love.” Malcolm nuzzled her neck.

“How are ye two still like this?”

Malcolm chuckled. “We havena been married that long.”

“Dinna dodge my question, Gunn. She’s here?”

“Aye. She arrived several nights ago.” His brows furrowed with concern.

“I ken that look. Is there something amiss with her?” Malcolm inquired.

“She’s lovely. Sweet natured, but strong. She has her secrets. That’s what I want to talk to ye about after dinner.”

Lizzie was looking at him, her head cocked to the side as she listened to him talk.

“Ye are interested in her.” Her eyebrows shot up.

“I am no’,” he snapped. Too quickly, and Lizzie picked up on it straightaway.

“Is it happening? Can it be true?” She jested in a sing-song voice.

“What are ye yammering about? Let us go eat.” He tried pushing them toward the inn, but Lizzie stood her ground and crossed her arms.

“Oh my, ’tis.” She clapped her hands together, happily.

“Now I am confused,” Malcolm grunted. “What is happening?”

“Gunn has finally found the woman that’s going to sweep him off his feet.”

Malcolm gave her a look of disbelief and then steered his wife to the door that would lead them to the inn.

Gunn held back for a few moments. Was Lizzie right? Was she seeing something that he wasn’t? Sure, he found Jocelyn intriguing. She was beautiful, smart, strong. Independent.

He groaned, pushing his hand through his hair.

Lizzie was right. Damn her.

*

Gunn, Malcolm, and Lizzie had just sat down at the table when Jocelyn appeared in the doorway. He sucked in his breath at the sight before him.

Standing there like an angel sent from the heavens, wrapped in gold, with a shy smile on her beautiful face.

He stood so quickly to welcome her that his chair nearly toppled over.

“Jocelyn, welcome.”

Her cheeks flushed. “I apologize. It appears I am late.”

“Nay no’ at all. We just sat down. Please.” Gunn pulled out the chair next to him for her to take a seat.

Malcolm stood as well.

Once she was seated, Gunn made the introductions. “Jocelyn, I’d like ye to meet my good friend, Malcolm, and his wife Lizzie.”

“Lovely to meet ye, lass,” Malcolm greeted.

Lizzie covered Jocelyn’s hand with hers. “Finally, another woman to talk to whilst we visit. We will have to share a drink after dinner. Ye are English, are ye no’? I would love to hear all about it.”

Gunn breathed a sigh of relief. Lizzie’s outgoing personality drew Jocelyn in from the start and he was grateful.

“Thank ye,” he mouthed at his best friend’s wife.

She gave a slight nod of her head and turned her attention back to Jocelyn. As they got lost in conversation, Gunn turned his attention back to Malcolm.

“How’s business?” Malcolm asked, looking around the empty dining room.

“Ye have to ask?” Gunn answered with defeat.

Malcolm chuckled, then grew serious. “What’s happened and is this just a recent turn?”

Gunn palmed his face. “Honestly, I dinna ken. All was well when I left. But I came back to my coffers drained, and hardly any patrons. And they havena returned.”

“Is that what ye need me to look into? I’ll figure it out.”

“Nay, ’tis no’ that. Jocelyn is actually helping me with that piece.”

Malcolm raised a brow in question. “How so?” His eyes darted to Jocelyn and then back to Gunn.

Would ye believe me if I told ye she was a bookkeeper?”

Malcolm’s eyes slid over to Jocelyn again and Gunn could tell he was sizing her up before shaking his head. “Nay. I wouldna believe it.”

“She is. Taught by her father. So she says,” he added.

Flora entered, pushing a cart filled with dome-covered plates, to serve dinner, setting a plate in front of each of them.

Malcolm hummed in appreciation. “Your cook is still here, I see. I look forward to her food e’ery visit.”

Scents of roast duck, boiled carrots, and parsnip mash filled the room.

“This looks delicious and smells divine,” Jocelyn cooed. “Flora, give my regards to Cook, please.”

“Of course, my lady.” She curtsied, then refilled their wine glasses before returning to the kitchen.

Conversation flowed easily over dinner. Gunn was pleased to see Jocelyn and Lizzie getting on well. He had no doubt it would be so. Everyone was Lizzie’s friend, and Jocelyn looked like she could desperately use a confidant. He was happy to bring them together.

Dessert consisted of egg custard with a berry compote, once again, cooked to perfection. Jocelyn took a bite and moaned, closing her eyes as she savored the sweet treat. She opened her eyes and caught Gunn staring.

With a hand over her mouth, she giggled.

“I can’t help it. I could eat like this every day and be in heaven.”

Gunn suddenly yearned to be the one to ensure she could enjoy meals like this every day.

Malcolm shot him a look of awareness, but Gunn shook his head. Trying to tell his friend he was reading more into the situation than what was there.

But inside he kenned it was a lie.

The more time he spent in Jocelyn’s company, the more he wanted to ken her better.

*

“So, how did ye come to be at the Thistle & Pig?” Lizzie asked after dinner and she and Jocelyn had settled into a room that had a roaring fire and comfortable chairs to relax in.

“It was a journey,” she answered, taking a sip of sherry.

It looked like Lizzie was waiting for her to expand her answer and when she didn’t, instead of prying, she moved on to more neutral conversation.

“Did I overhear Gunn saying that ye were doing some bookkeeping work for him?”

She bobbed her head up and down. “Yes, though I am not so certain he is happy with my findings so far.”

“Nay? Why no’?”

Jocelyn sighed, wondering if she should divulge such information to Lizzie. It appeared that Gunn trusted her as Malcolm’s wife. And of course, he trusted Malcolm wholeheartedly. “I fear I have uncovered an unsavory plot that includes money being stolen from Gunn’s coffers,” she said quietly.

“Nay,” Lizzie exclaimed.

“Unfortunately, yes. It seems to have started around a year or so after he left to fight in the war. Transactions for large amounts of money, but no inventory acquired.”

Lizzie shook her head and took a sip of sherry. “Wow. ’Tis impressive ye uncovered that. And that ye bookkeep. Where’er did ye learn such a skill?”

She smiled wistfully. She only had good memories when it came to her parents. “My father. When I was young, he wanted me to be able to keep track of the household I would one day be responsible for.” Thoughts of Victor entered her mind, but she quickly willed them away.

“And did ye?” Lizzie asked.

“Did I what?”

“Keep your eye on the books? Or have ye no household to oversee yet?”

Jocelyn shifted in her seat, and took a sip of sherry as she pondered her answer. “I did have a household, yes. However, I was not allowed access to the books.”

Lizzie frowned. “Why e’er no’? ’Twas your house, aye?”

Jocelyn pressed her lips together as she stared into the flames, watching them twist and turn violently together. It reminded her of the violent fights she would have with Victor.

Leaning over, Lizzie patted her arm. “I’m sorry. Ye have no need to answer my prying questions.” She laughed. “Malcolm says I get carried away and ask too much.”

Jocelyn smiled. “It’s not that. I-I’m just not ready to talk about some things yet.”

“Say no more. Let’s move to more pleasant conversation. “What do ye think of Gunn?”

Jocelyn choked on the sip of sherry she just took, making her cough and sputter, as she tried to catch her breath.

Lizzie hurried over to her, patting her on the back. “Are ye well? Gunn will no’ be happy if he finds out I killed ye from choking.”

Jocelyn heaved in a shaky breath and smirked. “Excuse me for that. I must have swallowed wrong.”

“Hmmm. I think it had more to do with the question I asked. I saw the stolen looks between ye two o’er dinner.”

Jocelyn scoffed. “Whatever are you talking about?” But she knew what Lizzie asked about. Though she didn’t think they were being obvious. Apparently, they were.

“Ye ken exactly what I speak of, but ’tis fine. I will leave the subject alone for now. Though, he is handsome, is he no’?”

“You have a husband,” Jocelyn said quietly, looking around the room to make sure no one had entered and overheard their conversation.

“I do. And I must say, in his group of friends, there isna an unattractive one in the bunch. All five of them are handsome. Caring. And love hard. Gunn is no exception.”

She did agree that Malcolm was handsome.

Not as much as Gunn. Gunn’s gruff exterior and teddy bear interior appealed to her.

For what reason, she couldn’t comprehend.

Someone who looked perpetually irked wasn’t someone that she would normally find attractive, but for Gunn, it worked.

Mayhap because she kept seeing glimpses of the kind and caring man break through his gruffness.

Lizzie waggled a finger at her. “I see ye thinking about it. I canna blame ye one bit. Gunn is a great man. He deserves a great woman in his life. He’s long overdue.”

With a sigh, Jocelyn crossed her legs. “I don’t think I can be the woman that he needs.”

“Balderdash,” Lizzie blurted. “As I said, I saw the looks. Malcolm, too. If he had no interest in ye, he wouldna have invited ye to join us for dinner. One thing about Gunn, he’s pig-headed.

Stubborn. Ne’er wants to admit to aught.

No’ e’en to himself. His tell is in his gestures.

So him asking ye to dinner? That was a big step for him. ”

“I, I don’t know what to say.”

“Ye needna say aught. Just keep watching him and the things he does. That will tell ye e’erything ye need to ken.”

Would it? Jocelyn wasn’t sure. Of course, Gunn had been nothing but kind to her, but kindness didn’t mean anything more than that. Lizzie herself said he was a nice man. A caring man. His actions so far just seemed to fall in line with his personality.

“Och, has he asked ye to join him on holiday?” Lizzie asked. “Gunn handed us an invite to spend some time at his home. He invited his other friends and their families as well.”

“Gunn doesn’t live here?” She was confused.

Lizzie laughed. “Nay, of course no’. He has a home. A castle actually.” She cocked her head to the side. “Has he not been back home since ye’ve arrived?” She nodded her head slowly. “See, I told ye. He has his own way of showing his feelings.”

“I don’t know where he has been staying at night. Just that I have seen him every day since I came to town. Both early in the morn and late at night. So, I just assumed he lived here.”

“He owns multiple houses. He has a country house as well.”

Jocelyn thought about that. If he had so many homes, why the concern over the pub and inn. Granted, she realized that no one wanted to be stolen from. But she was under the assumption that if he didn’t turn the pub and inn around, that he would lose everything. Obviously, that wasn’t the case.

“I had no idea. But, also, no. He hasn’t asked me anywhere.”

“I’ve a feeling it will come about shortly.”

Jocelyn chuckled. “You seem to have a good understanding of Gunn.”

“Wait until ye meet e’eryone else. All of us wives understand them better than they understand themselves.”

“You’ve met them all?”

“Och, aye. Ye will like them. There’s Gwen who is married to Nicholas.

Clarissa who is married to Alexander, and Willamina, who’s married to Finlay.

All of them are busy making bairns and raising wee ones, which is lovely to see.

’Tis been awhile since we’ve all been together under one roof, so the gathering is long overdue. ”

She would have to make note of the names and try to remember them all. She scoffed. What was she thinking? Why would she need to know all of their names? It had nothing to do with her.

“I’m actually surprised the invite came from Gunn. In the time I have kenned e’eryone, we’ve ne’er gathered at Gunn’s house.” She leaned into Jocelyn. “See? Just one more thing he’s doing out of the ordinary. Because of ye.”

Shaking her head, Jocelyn reminded Lizzie that she had not been invited.

“No’ yet,” she stated in a singsong voice. “But ye will be. I’d bet my right hand on it.”

Could it be? Did she want it to be? Did she want an invite? When she’d left Victor, she had no direction. No person that cared for her.

Once she’d arrived here, she’d immediately got the feeling that she’d arrived home. It was odd and didn’t make sense, but it was true. She felt more at home here in the short time she’d been here than the whole time she’d lived with Victor.

And that said so much.