Page 2 of Kilts and Kisses at Highland Hall (Kilts and Kisses #1)

‘You have to be joking? Scotland, for two months? Why?’

Bex had gone straight from the office to Wildflower Lock to visit her friend Daisy on her narrowboat.

She’d sent a single message before she left: ‘Have drink ready.’ And Daisy had clearly taken note as a variety of wines were now open on the table in front of them.

Bex had also called their other friend, Claire, to say that she was needed too, and now the three of them were sitting together on the boat, jaws hanging loose as Bex relayed the meeting to them.

‘I mean, the good thing is, if I do this, then apparently I can choose whatever jobs I want from now on. And I assume that means the associate director role.’

‘But why do you have to go?’ Claire said. ‘Surely you would have to apply for a job like this. You can’t just be sent there.’

Bex pursed her lips. This wasn’t like in the office with Nigel, where she had to bite her tongue and appear appreciative and say she was grateful for the opportunity. She was here with her friends. She could tell them the truth.

‘I’m single,’ she said with a shrug. ‘Meaning, from the firm’s point of view, I don’t have anyone who’ll miss me when I’m up there for two months.’

The anger that flashed across her friends’ faces was the exact confirmation she had needed that it was okay to be furious at the situation.

‘What? That is not true!’

‘Did he say that? That’s discrimination.’

She was grateful for how riled her friends had become on her behalf. Unfortunately, it didn’t change the situation.

‘Of course, he didn’t say it like that,’ Bex said. ‘He used the word “committed” a lot. Other people had personal commitments… family commitments. I don’t. God, there’s nothing like being reminded how painfully single you are than being sent hundreds of miles away because no one will miss you.’

‘We’ll miss you!’ Daisy and Claire spoke in unison, and for the first time since she’d received the news, Bex felt a flutter of warmth fill her. She smiled weakly.

‘I know, but it’s not quite the same.’

‘And what about your flat? You have a home here.’

‘I know, but apparently there’s enough accommodation at this place that I won’t need to pay rent, so I won’t lose out financially.

It’s just frustrating, you know.’ She let out a long groan.

‘I’m not wrong to be annoyed by this, am I?

’ she said, trying to keep the focus on her initial grievances rather than being sidetracked by the reminder of her perpetually single relationship status, but it was difficult given how intertwined the two were.

‘I get that I can’t keep a relationship going for more than two months, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a life.

I don’t want to just pack everything up and move there.

But I can’t complain about it, because generally speaking, Nigel’s great, and I actually think he believes he’s doing me a favour by giving me this position.

Besides, he’s right. I am the one without “commitments”. ’

A deep aching sat heavily in her chest. She’d always thought that playing the field was a sensible thing to do, that waiting until Mr Perfect finally showed up would be the key to having the perfect ever-after marriage like her parents had.

But her last four relationships had lasted less than three months each, and here she was, over a year older, feeling no closer to finding that happily ever after.

‘You just need to think of it as an adventure,’ Daisy said, bringing Bex out of her thoughts. ‘There are some beautiful areas up in Scotland. All the islands and things. And you won’t be working all the time, will you? You’ll have time to get out and explore.’

‘You haven’t actually told us what you’re needed to do up there,’ Claire said before Bex could respond. ‘Why do you need to be up there?’

‘It’s some friend of Nigel’s dad,’ she said, though the thought alone was enough to worry her.

Nigel was in his late fifties, so she could only imagine what this man was like.

‘Apparently, he’s got a large estate, with land and various businesses and things, but he hasn’t done a great job of keeping on top of all his accounts.

It sounds like he’s still stuck in the days of paper and wants someone to go up there and sort it all out.

Digitalise it, that kind of thing. It’s more bookkeeping than accounting.

Not my area of expertise at all.’ Well, it was beneath her area of expertise – that was what she actually wanted to say, but she kept that to herself, just like she had done in the meeting with Nigel.

‘That’s all I know. I mean, I’m hoping it’ll take less time than Nigel thinks, but I won’t know until I get there.

And I got the feeling that Nigel expects me to stay up there the full two months, or longer than that if that’s how long it takes. If I want the promotion, that is.’

Silence fell among the girls, and Bex reached for her drink, only to find the glass was empty.

She’d googled the place Nigel was sending her, and it seemed to be a little village in the middle of nowhere.

The chances of them having a decent wine shop felt next to nothing. She would need to stock up.

‘You never know,’ Daisy said. ‘Maybe you’ll find your Scottish Prince Charming up there? I have always liked a man in a kilt.’

Bex arched an eyebrow. ‘Let’s make one thing clear. I have zero need for a prince, and my one aim is to get the job over and done with as quickly as possible. But I’ll be sure to let Theo know about the kilt thing when he gets back.’

As the girls chuckled, Bex’s mind drifted back to thoughts of the next two months.

Maybe Daisy was right. Maybe she could turn this into an adventure.

And what was the worst-case scenario? If she hated the place, then she could lose herself in the work, get it sorted as quickly as possible, then come back to London to the promotion she’d been working her butt off for, and her friends would still be waiting for her.

She would do this. She would go to Scotland and do what had been asked of her. After all, it wasn’t like she had a choice.