by Annis Reid
LEITH
HIGHLAND PASSAGES
ANNIS REID
CONTENTS
Leith
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Afterword
Leith
Book Three of the Highland Passages Series!
* * *
Melissa’s excited. She’s got a wedding to plan. Her own. To her fiancé Jimmy, who is in a band. They have the honeymoon tickets. Venice. Woohoo! So, one night she to surprise him with cooking a nice romantic dinner. She’s even got a special gift for him. The lucky rune he told her he found in Scotland, she’s had mounted and put into a necklace that she’s going to present to him tonight.
She didn’t plan on catching him in bed with a bimbo.
But she still has the tickets. So, she decides to travel anyway, but she’s sure as heck not going to Venice. Plus, she’s keeping the cool necklace with the rune. After scanning the availabilities, she becomes entranced with the pictures of Scotland. And she wouldn’t mind meeting a sexy Scottish guy so she can forget about the cheater. It would so serve him right if she met a hot Scottish guy. And, hey, she’s got a degree in history, and she knows there’s some cool stuff to check out there, so she’s going. In fact, she’s going to the same henge he sent her pictures of. Among many other places.
Leith MacManus, hunky, bearded, Highlander, is a distant cousin of the Frasers on his mother’s side. Leith’s the firstborn son of laird of the MacManus clan. His father’s getting older and wants Leith wed and it’s time for his son to marry the one he betrothed him to secretly, ages ago. But—oops!—good old da never told Leith all this time that he made this arrangement. Happens that Leith can’t stand Flora MacNeill.
Things change when an odd woman, dressed even more oddly drops into his life.
1
Melissa took the necklace from the jeweler’s hand and held it up to the light to admire the work. “It’s beautiful. Just what I had in mind.”
The lady let out a little laugh and mimed wiping sweat from her brow. “I’m glad. I wanted to do it justice. It isn’t every day somebody finds an old rune.”
“He’ll love it.” Melissa took note of the silver setting, tines shaped like claws holding the rune in place, suspended on a silver chain. “I knew this rune would sit in a drawer someplace if we didn’t do something special with it. He says it’s good luck.”
“Really? How so?”
She stared at the small, black rock. So smooth, like time had worn down its edges. Jimmy said he’d found it by a henge not far from where the band had their stellar performance outside Edinburgh, the performance that led to the band being signed by a record label willing to go all-in on making them stars.
And there she was, engaged to be married to one of those stars. It might mean an entirely new life.
“His band signed a recording contract based off the performance they gave the day before he found it,” she explained. “I mean, if that’s not good luck, I don’t know what is. I figured he’d better wear it around his neck wherever he goes if that’s the sort of fortune it brings!”
“You’re so right,” the jeweler nodded, eyes wide. “I’ve seen a lot of older pieces—stones, crystals, you know—but this is unique. Did he inquire as to its age?”
Melissa smiled at the thought of her fiancé doing anything like that. “No. Not Jimmy. That’s not his way. He’s a little superstitious, maybe, but that’s as far as he goes. He might say he’s going to do something, but something else comes his way to catch his attention, and that’s that.”
“Shiny Object Syndrome,” the jeweler mused with a wry grin.
“You would know,” Melissa agreed with a glance around the showroom, and the two of them laughed together.
The cases were filled with other unique pieces—more artwork than jewelry, if one were splitting hairs. Melissa had chosen this artisan in particular because of the nature of her work. She seemed a perfect fit for something as special as this ancient rune.
If it really was ancient. It might have been a piece of junk, something from a gift shop. She had never seen the symbol carved into it before looking it up online. Fehu, it was called. It was supposed to bring money, prosperity—and it had certainly seemed to prove itself. For the first time in his life, Jimmy had a future to look forward to that didn’t involve an office filled with cubicles.
The thought of that day job snapped her back to full attention, as the entire point of this excursion was to run her errands before he got home from work. Melissa happily handed over the money for the necklace and thanked the jeweler profusely. “He’ll love it,” she gushed, shaking her hand. “It’s the perfect way to commemorate a new phase in life, isn’t it?”
The jeweler agreed, but then, of course, she would. Melissa left the shop with a spring in her step.
What was there to be unhappy about, after all? She was finally going to spend time with her fiancé after being apart for most of the past three weeks. Between two work conferences and the trip to Edinburgh, they’d barely had more than a few minutes together. It might as well have been a lifetime.
She wondered as she walked to the cute little artisan shop a few blocks from the jeweler’s how much longer he would stay at his day job now that the band was on its way to something bigger. Selling pharmaceuticals wasn’t exactly his passion, but he’d done well enough with it up until then. It had afforded him a nice little apartment in a desirable Chicago neighborhood and enough money to put toward their wedding planning.
But that wasn’t enough, nor did she expected to be. Not when a person had a dream, as he did.
If only she could have been there with him in Scotland. It still irked her that she hadn’t been able to take time off from work at the museum. From everything he told her, it’d been a stellar experience.
While she’d helped visitors find the nearest restroom. There was that history degree, paying off.
It was with their long-awaited reunion in mind that she picked up a basket at the shop and searched for ingredients to make one of his favorite meals. Fresh fettuccine served with cacio e pepe—cheese and pepper—just like they’d shared in Rome when they first met. She was a history student running around Europe, researching during summer break, while he’d been at his first work conference after accepting a position straight out of college.
For somebody who shredded hard, thumping rock at night and on the weekends, he knew how to put on a suit and tie and pretend to be a professional when he had to.
They would definitely have to revisit that little restaurant on their honeymoon. While the bulk of their time would be spent in Naples, probably her favorite city in Italy, it wouldn’t seem right if they didn’t revisit the spot where they’d shared their first meal.
A block of Parmigianino Reggiano, a package of fresh pasta, bread and fancy olive oil for dipping. She found a box of dark chocolate truffles for dessert and tucked it in with the rest before heading for the produce section.
It had been a
long time since she’d cooked a surprise meal for him, the three years of their relationship having settled them into a rut. That was all going to change. Now that he was home, there was nothing left but to finish planning their wedding and look forward to the rest of their lives together.
She chanced a look at herself in the window outside the shop just as she left and took note of her wide smile. Sunshine caught the golden highlights in her light brown hair, making it shine. Wide, oval sunglasses hid her blue eyes, but she had the feeling that if she could see them, she’d find them full of light. It wasn’t every day she got her fiancé back.
And she could hardly wait to give him the necklace. He wasn’t typically much for jewelry, but it was unassuming enough that she thought he could at least wear it during gigs. Or maybe it would become part of his everyday wardrobe. She hoped so, hoped he would always wear a symbol of his dream coming true. He’d worked hard and held out hope when a lot of people would’ve given up.
By the time she reached his building in Lakeview, she was juggling shopping bags and an arm full of fresh tulips while fishing for the key to the apartment in her oversized purse. Her fingers brushed up against the box holding the necklace, giving her a little thrill. Just like she had before taking the stone to the jeweler, there was a funny feeling in the back of her mind of there being more to it than just an old, carved stone.
But that was silly, wasn’t it?
The apartment was quiet, just as she expected it to be. Jimmy would be at work, probably stuck in one of a million meetings after the conference and up to his eyeballs in emails. The thought of him coming home to surprise meal and a gift made her smile from ear to ear as she placed the bags on the kitchen counter with a happy sigh.
Soon, this would be her home, and this would be the sort of thing she did for him whenever possible. For her, cooking was a way of showing love, especially on a hectic day.
When the bedroom door opened, breaking the silence, her smile faltered.
“Who’s there?” She heard Jimmy’s voice a moment before she saw him walk barefoot into the kitchen, wrapping a towel around his waist. He’d just gotten out of the shower, water beading on his shoulder and chest, his dark hair combed back by his fingers.
For a second, the fact that he was home rather than in the office threw her off-kilter. But then she smiled and held her arms out. “Oh, you ruined my surprise.” She pouted, ready for a hug. “Why aren’t you still at work? Are you feeling okay?”
Just before she reached him, a noise from inside the bedroom froze her in place.
It wasn’t the sort of noise a person just imagined, and it wasn’t random noise from another apartment next door or downstairs. It was the sound of the door between the bedroom and the bathroom closing, followed by footsteps.
Her eyes met Jimmy’s, and the way his widened in surprise before softening in shame stopped her heart. He knew he was caught. There was no explaining his way out of it.
Especially when a redhead wrapped in a towel padded out into the hall. She was wet, too, long hair dripping on her chest and shoulders.
Jimmy stammered, hands held out in a defensive gesture. “Mel, let me explain—”
He thought there was an explanation. That she needed this spelled out for her like she was a child who couldn’t put two and two together.
It was so ridiculous, she burst out laughing before she knew what she was doing. “You’re kidding me. You are freaking kidding me! Do you think you can talk your way out of this? I’m your fiancée, James!”
The redhead gasped. “You didn’t tell me you were engaged,” she hissed, glaring at Jimmy and wrapping her arms around herself like she was embarrassed.
She turned to Melissa, her face a mask of surprise and shame. “I’m so sorry! Seriously, if I’d known—”
Melissa held up her hand, shaking her head. “I don’t want to hear it. Honestly.” Not when her entire world was falling to pieces around her. Knowing that the girl involved had no idea she existed didn’t exactly make things better.
And there he was, looking embarrassed and pained and ashamed. All of which he deserved to feel, no question. “I’m so sorry,” he murmured. “Mel, I love you. I’m so sorry.”
There went that laughter again, bubbling up from inside her and making its way out of her mouth before she could stop it. It seemed like there was no controlling her reactions, but then again how did a person react to something like this? How was she supposed to react to her world falling apart?
Shock numbed her, and she was glad of it, or else she might’ve made a fool of herself in front of a naked, dripping stranger and the man she’d only just been fantasizing about spending her life with.
She barely noticed the way her right hand fumbled with her left, working the diamond solitaire off her ring finger before slamming it onto the counter, where it sat with the shopping bags and the flowers she’d intended to put in water. “If you loved me, you wouldn’t have done this. Congratulations on the band’s success.”
Jimmy was frozen in place.
Melissa then looked at the redhead, who was now near tears. “And good luck with him,” she spat, pushing her way past Jimmy and practically running for the front door. She managed to escape before he caught her—he wouldn’t come chasing after her wearing nothing but a towel, she knew that much.
It was only when she reached the sidewalk outside the building that she realized she couldn’t breathe. She leaned against the wall, one hand to her chest, deliberately drawing air into her lungs before forcing it out again. Slowly, as carefully as she could.
What was she supposed to do? What did a person do after having their entire future destroyed? All the plans, all the hopes, the dreams. The fantasies about what life would be like once they were married, all of the happy days they had before them. All of it crushed, because he couldn’t keep it in his pants.
How long had he been lying to her? How long had she been a fool? And exactly what else was he doing in Scotland when he wasn’t performing on stage?
Her stomach churned as she stumbled to the curb, signaling a taxi to take her home. To think, if she hadn’t cut out of work early to pick up the necklace and go to the store, she would have completely missed bumping into Jimmy’s little girlfriend. If she’d only waited an hour, she might have been blissfully unaware, thinking her life was completely on track.
What an idiot she was. There must have been signs she’d missed! Weren’t there always clues in situations like this? How many times had she told herself girls who’d been cheated on this way must have been willfully ignorant of what was going on right under their noses?
Here she was, one of those girls. Wondering when everything had gone so wrong. And how she could’ve missed the whole thing. How long he’d been sleeping around behind her back. How many close calls there might’ve been. One afternoon of infidelity had set her imagination on fire and cast doubts over the last three years.
It wasn’t until she got home that it finally sank in, the shock wearing off. That was when the tears started, falling hot and hard, stealing her breath. She screamed into a pillow, punched her mattress, before curling up in a ball and weeping brokenly.
The wedding. The wedding she’d been planning for six months. It was a good thing that most of it was still only in her head, scattered along Pinterest boards and written down on her phone. Thank goodness she hadn’t spent any money yet.
Except for the honeymoon, and the tickets they’d bought to fly to Naples.
It was full dark by the time she crawled out of bed and washed her face, aching all over. The reflection over the sink in her tiny bathroom looked nothing like the girl she’d seen only hours earlier, reflected in the window outside the shop. That girl had been vibrant, excited, her life full of promise. She had something to look forward to, that girl. Marriage, maybe kids if they were lucky. A fiancé whose music career was poised to take off. A honeymoon on the horizon.
Now? Now she had puffy eyes and a frown which tugged down
ward the corners of her mouth. She had worry lines between her brows and a red, chapped nose from all the tissues she’d used.
What was a girl supposed to do when the world caved in? What was the first step?
Should she call her friends? No, the wound was too fresh. She couldn’t go through it all again so soon. Besides, none of them had ever liked Jimmy very much in the first place. Now she understood why, of course, but she was hardly in the right mental state to hear I told you so. Not that any of her friends would be that rude, but she would imagine them thinking it just the same.
What else was there?
Within ten minutes, she was seated in front of her laptop with a bottle of wine on the coffee table while she logged into her account with the airline to cancel their tickets. Funny how a tiny voice in the back of her mind asked whether she was jumping the gun by canceling the trip. Even then, even after knowing he had betrayed her in the worst way possible, she still wondered in some tiny part of her heart and mind whether this was the right thing to do.
How ridiculous.
She canceled the tickets, accepting a credit with the airline. What a relief that she had reserved the flight on her credit card, though she now had a choice to make. Should she go someplace on her own? Maybe leave the credit sitting there for a rainy day, so to speak?
Or should she just throw caution to the wind, take some of the money she’d saved up for the wedding, and go on a vacation of her own? She’d been saving all of her time off from the museum for the days leading up to the ceremony and ten days after that, but now?
She wasn’t sure she could stomach visiting the entire country of Italy, or even anything too close by. What a shame, the thought that her ex-fiancé had ruined her favorite country. Maybe time would soothe her wounds, but for now, she couldn’t bear the thought of being near where they’d met, and where they’d planned to celebrate their marriage.
What about Scotland?
She blinked, staring over the laptop screen and out the window. Wondering at that sudden thought and the impulse behind it. Maybe it was a sense of tit-for-tat, getting back at him by going to the country he’d just left and meeting a hunky Scotsman to have a fling with.