car keys out of the vase near the door and tackled the issue of the rental car.
Except it wouldn’t start. Wouldn’t even turn over. I tried every gear, every possible combination. Nothing.
Vicki came out and joined me wearing a rain jacket, the hood up over her head. “I called the car hire for you and told them to pick up this sad sack.”
What a friend! I smiled. “Are they bringing me an automatic?”
She shook her head. “Even better. I have one of my da’s cars for you to use, same as I am. No sense wasting your hard-earned money.”
I followed her to the barn, where she threw open the massive doors. There, beside the blue Citroën I’d ridden in last night, stood what I gathered was the offered transportation.
“What is it?” I asked as we moved inside to take shelter from the rain.
“An old Peugeot that’s been here since I was a bairn,” she told me, beaming. “She’s seen much of the land in these parts, I’m guessing. And with the keys in her ignition, all set to go.”
“Automatic?” I said, ever hopeful.
“Afraid not, but you’ll manage.”
“Does it run?” I said, not wishing to appear ungrateful, but hoping it wouldn’t.
“I couldn’t get it to turn over, but that doesn’t mean much. She might just need a battery charge. We’ll soon find out. Leith will be here anytime now to put the tools to her.”
I couldn’t think of a single tactful way out. “I can’t let you do this,” I said weakly. “You’ve already done so much for me. How could I ever repay you?”
She waved me off, ignored my protests, and went back to the house.
After all my determination not to rely on a man for help, here I was waiting for one to help me. And the same one again to boot. Well, when it came to vehicles, I guess I’d just have to accept any help I could get.
A few minutes later, Leith’s Land Rover pulled up next to the barn.
He hopped out, his border collie, Kelly, right behind him. My heart gave a little involuntary flutter, not a reaction I had expected—but neither had I expected to see Leith climb out of his car wearing a kilt. Not the whole formal getup, like I’d seen on the MacBrides at the funeral or on the occasional bagpiper; Leith wore his kilt paired with a black T-shirt and laced-up boots. A manly look I could definitely get used to.
He headed for shelter from the rain and grinned when he came up beside me, then whispered, his mouth close to my ear. “I see ye staring at my kilt, and I bet yer wondering what’s worn under it.”
I felt my face heating up. Were my thoughts that transparent? Because in a flash I
had
recalled Ami’s airport comment about finding out what was under those Scottish kilts.
“Well, are ye?” he pressed.
I shrugged, willing the color in my cheeks to return to normal.
“Nothin’s worn under my kilt,” he said with a naughty twinkle in his eyes. “’Tis all in working order.” Then he winked and burst out laughing at the expression on my face.
I felt myself continue to blush through the involuntary smile on my lips. He’d rattled me, which I was pretty sure had been his intention.
Thankfully, at that moment Kelly came up to me, and I quickly bent to greet her, hoping to hide my schoolgirl reaction to Leith’s double entendre.
“What’s the occasion?” I asked Leith when I recovered, seeing that he’d opened the Peugeot’s hood and had turned his attention to wires and mechanical parts. “Why the kilt?”
“I promised my girl I’d wear it fer her. I’m on my way tae see her next.”
“Ah,” I said, my stomach dropping involuntarily. But I quickly regrouped. Not only was I not interested in the man—or any man, I scolded myself—but I’d also suspected Leith was taken from the very beginning. I guess the flirting had made me forget.
Feeling embarrassed, I took advantage of a pause in the rain to leave Leith puttering under the hood while I wandered down to Sheepish Expressions.
And, once again, soon found
Except it wouldn’t start. Wouldn’t even turn over. I tried every gear, every possible combination. Nothing.
Vicki came out and joined me wearing a rain jacket, the hood up over her head. “I called the car hire for you and told them to pick up this sad sack.”
What a friend! I smiled. “Are they bringing me an automatic?”
She shook her head. “Even better. I have one of my da’s cars for you to use, same as I am. No sense wasting your hard-earned money.”
I followed her to the barn, where she threw open the massive doors. There, beside the blue Citroën I’d ridden in last night, stood what I gathered was the offered transportation.
“What is it?” I asked as we moved inside to take shelter from the rain.
“An old Peugeot that’s been here since I was a bairn,” she told me, beaming. “She’s seen much of the land in these parts, I’m guessing. And with the keys in her ignition, all set to go.”
“Automatic?” I said, ever hopeful.
“Afraid not, but you’ll manage.”
“Does it run?” I said, not wishing to appear ungrateful, but hoping it wouldn’t.
“I couldn’t get it to turn over, but that doesn’t mean much. She might just need a battery charge. We’ll soon find out. Leith will be here anytime now to put the tools to her.”
I couldn’t think of a single tactful way out. “I can’t let you do this,” I said weakly. “You’ve already done so much for me. How could I ever repay you?”
She waved me off, ignored my protests, and went back to the house.
After all my determination not to rely on a man for help, here I was waiting for one to help me. And the same one again to boot. Well, when it came to vehicles, I guess I’d just have to accept any help I could get.
A few minutes later, Leith’s Land Rover pulled up next to the barn.
He hopped out, his border collie, Kelly, right behind him. My heart gave a little involuntary flutter, not a reaction I had expected—but neither had I expected to see Leith climb out of his car wearing a kilt. Not the whole formal getup, like I’d seen on the MacBrides at the funeral or on the occasional bagpiper; Leith wore his kilt paired with a black T-shirt and laced-up boots. A manly look I could definitely get used to.
He headed for shelter from the rain and grinned when he came up beside me, then whispered, his mouth close to my ear. “I see ye staring at my kilt, and I bet yer wondering what’s worn under it.”
I felt my face heating up. Were my thoughts that transparent? Because in a flash I
had
recalled Ami’s airport comment about finding out what was under those Scottish kilts.
“Well, are ye?” he pressed.
I shrugged, willing the color in my cheeks to return to normal.
“Nothin’s worn under my kilt,” he said with a naughty twinkle in his eyes. “’Tis all in working order.” Then he winked and burst out laughing at the expression on my face.
I felt myself continue to blush through the involuntary smile on my lips. He’d rattled me, which I was pretty sure had been his intention.
Thankfully, at that moment Kelly came up to me, and I quickly bent to greet her, hoping to hide my schoolgirl reaction to Leith’s double entendre.
“What’s the occasion?” I asked Leith when I recovered, seeing that he’d opened the Peugeot’s hood and had turned his attention to wires and mechanical parts. “Why the kilt?”
“I promised my girl I’d wear it fer her. I’m on my way tae see her next.”
“Ah,” I said, my stomach dropping involuntarily. But I quickly regrouped. Not only was I not interested in the man—or any man, I scolded myself—but I’d also suspected Leith was taken from the very beginning. I guess the flirting had made me forget.
Feeling embarrassed, I took advantage of a pause in the rain to leave Leith puttering under the hood while I wandered down to Sheepish Expressions.
And, once again, soon found
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