One Last Chance: Finding Love in Scotland Series Book 1

by Gina Azzi

  “No one else is,” Cam reassures me, patting my hand. “Melanie’s crazy, though.” He adds, spotting Melanie as she walks up to us.

  “Hey bitches, I heard that.” She bumps her hip against my chair. “I’m glad you’re coming with. You could use the drink.”

  “Lead the way.” I gesture, following Melanie and Cameron out of the row of cubicles and

  past Finn’s office door without glancing to see if he’s still in there, pounding away on his keyboard.

  Nope. I’ve got other priorities now.

  Like moving on.

  The pub is loud and rowdy when we enter, the after-work crowd already commiserating over pints of beer and shared appetizers. I thought it would be quieter on a Tuesday afternoon, but the truth is that not much is happening in this brutal cold besides grabbing drinks and a hot soup post working hours.

  A young guy plays his guitar and sings cover songs on a stage in the corner. The windows are still decorated from Christmas with snow-scapes, complete with Santa and reindeer. General cheerfulness fills the bustling space, and I wonder if we’re even going to snag a table when Cam points toward the back of the pub.

  “They’re over there.” he steers me in the right direction and I wave to Dennis and Chloe and a few other people sitting around a table littered with beers, teas, and chips.

  “Hey!” Cam raises his voice over the clatter of plates and clink of glasses. “Everyone, these are more of my work friends, Daisy and Melanie.”

  “We know Mellie.” A guy stands, pulling her into a hug. “How are you, love?” he asks, and I flinch at the term of endearment.

  A chorus of welcomes sounds from the table as I slide into an open chair next to Dennis.

  “You were in the States?” Dennis asks as I wrap the strap of my bag around the back of my chair.

  “Yeah, back home to Georgia.”

  He shifts his chair closer to mine. “When’d you get back to Edinburgh?”

  “Just yesterday. Fighting the jetlag.”

  “Jetlag’s a bitch, but I’m sure a trip home was worth it.” He raises his eyebrows slightly, his eyes focused on mine.

  “Totally. My brother married my best friend.”

  “You’re so lucky. I wish my best friend was my sister-in-law,” Melanie adds. She tilts her head, holding her hand in front of her face. “Want to do manicures this week? A new place just opened right by your flat.”

  “Sure.” I agree, my polish from the wedding already chipping.

  “What’s with the new hair?” Dennis asks, leaning forward and reaching up to twirl a blonde curl around his finger.

  “Just changing things up.” I shudder when he drops his hand, his fingers trailing along my neck before sliding off my shoulder. Pulling back, I duck my head, and let my hair fall forward like a curtain, concealing me from Dennis’s view. Why is he focusing on me so intently? Is he already drunk?

  Dennis lifts his eyebrows as if he doesn’t believe me. “Is that right?”

  I nod, swallowing and offering a small smile.

  “Well, you look hot as a blonde.”

  “Uh, thanks,” I clear my throat.

  The pints flow freely, and Dennis and the other boys toss back two shots that Chloe, Melanie, and I pass on. Across the table, Chloe rolls her eyes at me and I stifle a laugh. The music picks up, playing more traditional, upbeat Scottish tunes that cause the crowd to erupt in whistles and cheers. People clap and sing along in between bits of conversation. Cameron orders a smorgasbord of food for the table, and drinks rolls into dinner.

  “So, are you still with Finn?” Dennis asks point blank, inching closer, until the alcohol dripping from his pores overwhelms me. Woah, how many drinks has he had?

  “Uh, no, I’m not with anyone.” I admit, cursing myself when his eyes flicker with interest. I meant to convey that I’m not dating Finn not that I’m interested in Dennis.

  “Sorry things didn’t work out.” He adds, sounding the least bit sorry.

  I shrug.

  “From what I’ve heard, it’s typical of him.” He bumps his shoulder against mine. “Word around the office is that he’s a hit it and quit it kind of guy. Isn’t that what you Americans say?”

  I nod, seeking out Melanie or Cameron to pull me from this conversation. Disappointment rocks through me that they’re both engaged in chats of their own.

  “Finn doesn’t deserve you anyway.” Dennis continues, his speech slurring. “What does he even have to offer?”

  “Dennis, I’m not interested in talking with you about Finn.” I turn to him once more, my voice low but my tone sharp. “What happened between Finn and me is between Finn and me and has nothing to do with you.”

  His head jerks back at my words, a sneer crossing his face before he checks it. He blinks once, twice. “Guess he burned you pretty good, huh?” he finally says cheekily.

  I huff and turn away, catching Cameron’s eyes and gesturing to the door that I’m going to head out.

  Cameron lifts one finger, indicating for me to wait as he wraps up his conversation, before tugging on his coat and picking up his bag.

  Relieved and grateful that he’s coming with me, I ignore Dennis completely and say good-bye to the table. Melanie motions that she will call me later and I blow her a kiss before pulling on my own coat and removing my bag from the back of the chair.

  “Nice meeting y’all.” I tell everyone, falling in step beside Cameron.

  I follow him, weaving through the crowded tables. Just before I push through the doors to the street, I twist my head to the right and my eyes slam into…Finn.

  Sitting with Lachlan and Callum, drinking a beer, his blue eyes search my face, track my movements. His gaze lingers on Cameron for a beat too long before sliding back to me. He furrows his brow, rolling his shoulders forward, as if he’s going to stand up and approach me.

  Worry flashes in his bright eyes and I turn away, severing our connection, not wanting his concern. Or pity. Or compassion.

  Cameron tugs on my hand and pulls me from the pub, the cold air hitting me in the face and clearing my mind.

  “Things will get easier, Dais.”

  “I know.”

  The two of us walk to my apartment in silence, consumed by our own thoughts.

  25

  Finn

  It’s later than I hoped when I finally walk into the pub. Callum and Lachlan left the office nearly an hour earlier, and I’m relieved when I spot them already seated at a table. The place is packed, as it often is, but today the boisterous crowd annoys me. I’m not in the mood for loud voices and drunken brawls. I just want to enjoy a pint and a meal with my cousins.

  “We ordered you a Guinness,” Lachlan greets me as I take the chair across from him.

  “Thanks.” I pick up the lager and take a long gulp, turning toward Callum and nodding my hello.

  “How was the rest of your trip?” Callum asks, having not seen me since the wedding reception.

  “Had to get back early. Things going on with Aaron.”

  Callum sighs, pinching the skin next to his eyebrow. “It’s shit what’s going on. Awful for Livvy.”

  “I know,” I agree, relieved that Aaron has already confided in Callum and Lachlan, so I don’t unintentionally share details he doesn’t want anyone to know.

  “How’s Liv?” Lach asks.

  “She’s all right. Slept over last night and we had fun, building a fort and eating cake for breakfast. She’s a bit torn up at the thought of having two houses. I’m sure it’s difficult for her to understand why all of this is happening.”

  “Divorce is the worst. Especially the bitter ones.” Lachlan’s eyes momentarily glaze over, probably recalling the demise of his parents’ marriage.

  The topic is bloody depressing. I look at my cousins, imploring them to change the subject while I rack my brain for something, anything, to say.

  “Hey, is that Cameron?” Callum asks, his face turned toward a table at the back of the pub. “Oh, and the
re’s Daisy.”

  My head snaps up at her name, and Lachlan snorts across from me. Ignoring him, I crane my neck, and my blood begins to simmer. She’s sitting close, very close, to…Dennis? Furrowing my brow in confusion, I watch her, them, for several seconds. The more I see him shift into her and watch as she pulls away, looking around uncomfortably, tucking and untucking her hair from behind her ear, has my blood simmering for an entirely different reason. Is he coming on to her?

  The thought slams into me unexpectedly, with so much force, my head jerks from the impact. I know Daisy has the right to move on, not that I would be happy about it, not that I want to see her with another guy. But Dennis?

  The scenario is all wrong. The body language between them is incompatible. It seems like he’s…pissing her off. Does she need help? Just then, she turns to Melanie and laughs.

  Stop interfering in her life, Anderson.

  The legs of my chair scrape against the floor before I realize that I’m standing. Lach leans over the table, clutching my wrist and tugging me back down. “Let it go, man.”

  “She looks uncomfortable.” I growl, my eyes glued to Dennis and the sour expression on his face.

  “Really? She looks like she’s laughing with her friend.” Lachlan counters.

  Callum’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise before he chuckles under his breath. “You and Daisy?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  Lachlan snorts. “No, it’s not. You like her, she likes you. But instead of stepping up and making her your girl, you pushed her away, and now you’re both miserable.”

  I raise my middle finger at his accurate summarization and Callum coughs on his laughter, hiding behind his pint glass.

  “Why’d you push her away?” Callum asks.

  “It was never going to work.” I mutter. “I thought maybe things could be different but turns out we didn’t have the same expectations. Besides, how do you know that it was just me? That she didn’t do anything to lead to the demise of our…whatever you want to call it?”

  “Did she?” Lachlan asks seriously.

  I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I don’t know, mate. I don’t know how to handle this kind of thing.”

  “Dating? We know.” Callum quips before growing serious. “Finn, Daisy’s a good girl. You can’t play games with her. She’s not some random lass you picked up at a pub after closing hours.”

  “I know that.”

  He raises his hand. “I didn’t mean it as an attack of how you…handle your personal life. I’m just pointing out that it’s different with her.”

  I nod, knowing my cousins, hell that my own brother, are all going to look out for Daisy. Whether she’s with me or not. It’s a comforting realization, but annoying as hell when their questions are aimed at me.

  “You guys will figure it out.” Lachlan picks up the conversation where Callum dropped it. “If not how to be together, then how to be friends. Work together. Exist in the same space without looking like someone just punched you in the throat.”

  “Thanks, mate.” I pick up my beer and take a long pull.

  Lach shrugs. “I’m just pointing out the truth. Anyway, you want to order dinner?”

  “Sure.” I turn in my chair to look for a server when my eyes fasten on…her.

  She’s beautiful. And sad. A faraway look, like she’s lost, flickers through her multi-colored eyes and she ducks her head, unsure whether to look at me or turn away. Seeing her, looking uncomfortable and out of place, bothers me. I miss confident and bold Daisy, who called me out on my bullshit.

  This wounded and…blond version of her is unsettling.

  Movement behind her causes my eyes to jump to Cameron. Another man. What the hell? Couldn’t she be with Melanie or Chloe? Are all the guys in the office going to rally around Daisy now? What are their motives? Friendship…or something more?

  A red blaze of anger clouds my head, blotting out rational thought. My shoulders bunch and my biceps tighten as I move to stand, when Lachlan’s voice cuts through the fog in my head.

  “Let her go, Finn.”

  I pause, focused on controlling my rage even though it rolls through me with the pull of an undercurrent. Cameron reaches out and takes Daisy’s hand, guiding her from the pub and out of my line of sight.

  Staring at the empty doorway for several beats, my cousins order dinner. Lachlan tacks on an order of fish and chips for me. A new song starts and laughter rings out.

  Eventually, I turn back toward my cousins and slump at their sympathetic gazes and downcast expressions. Then I take another pull of my pint and try to push thoughts of Daisy from my mind.

  Guess what?

  It doesn’t work.

  Not even a wee bit.

  I don’t hear anything Lachlan or Callum say for the next hour that I force myself to sit at the pub, drinking my Guinness and eating my fish and chips without tasting any of it. My head is a million miles away, absorbed with thoughts of Daisy. How did everything go so sideways?

  “Alright, Finn. Get it out.” Callum picks a chip off my plate and pops it into his mouth.

  “Get what out?”

  “All the thoughts bouncing around in your head. You haven’t heard a word either of us have said for the last thirty minutes.”

  “Hour, actually.” I admit and Lachlan snorts. “I fucked up. And I hate that I hurt her.”

  “Have you talked at all?” Lach asks.

  “Not really. Not about anything that matters. Just her hair.”

  Callum cracks a smile. “Finn, what the hell happened?”

  I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I was going to do it. Make things between us official, tell the family, the whole thing. And then, everything went to shit. Things with Aaron and Kate imploded. I saw Daisy dancing with some bloke at the wedding and she looked happy, carefree. I started thinking, why am I going to do this to her? It’s never going to work out in the end, it never does. When I tried to talk to her about it, we ended up arguing and she said some things that in the moment, brought me right back to Cassie. I lost it. Said a bunch of things I wish I didn’t.” Dropping my shoulders, I sigh heavily. “I messed up.”

  “Daisy isn’t Cassie.” Callum says. “What that girl put you through was bloody hell. She played with your head, purposely lied to you. Did Daisy do that?”

  “No, she messed up even worse.”

  “Then Cassie? How?” Lachlan asks, surprised.

  “She told me she’s falling in love with me.” I admit, miserable to the core.

  “You got scared.” Callum points out, his voice direct.

  “Bloody terrified.”

  “Jesus, Finn. You need to talk to her.” Lachlan says, his expression sympathetic but his tone hard.

  “Yeah.” I knock twice on the table and stand up, signaling the end of this conversation. Suddenly, I’m desperate to leave the noisy atmosphere of the pub and breathe in the frigid air outside. Anything to clear my head. “I’m going to head out.”

  “Take it easy, mate.” Callum says kindly, “Let us know when you decide to come down to London. You could use a weekend away.”

  “Aye, Aaron and I both.” I lift my coat from the back of the chair.

  Lachlan takes a swig of his beer, jutting his head toward the door. “Talk to Daisy.”

  “Safe travels back to London.” I call out over my shoulder, already nearing the exit. Stepping outside into the freezing cold, I button up my coat and pull my scarf tighter around my neck. But while the cold weather normally irks me by March, tonight, I welcome the clarity the dip in temperature provides.

  The farther I walk away from the pub, the more my mind clears, my breathing slows, and my heartbeat regulates.

  I pushed her away. I hurt her. Why? Because of my own insecurities? Because of what’s going on with Aaron and Kate? Because of what happened with Cassie so many years ago?

  Or a compilation of all three?

  I clung to my anger because of Daisy’s confession. I
thought you would come around.

  Is she really so wrong in wondering that? I imagine most women would think that eventually, a guy like me, any guy, would want to engage in a meaningful relationship, have a partner to navigate life with.

  I huff, my breath blowing cloudy, white air into the cold.

  My life is lonelier without Daisy. Colder without her infectious laugh and dancing eyes. Quieter without her banter and quips to look forward to.

  I miss her.

  And I’m miserable without her.

  Walking aimlessly for several streets, I find myself in Stockbridge, near Daisy’s flat. It’s like my body knew where to take me even as my mind wandered, questions and doubts occupying my thoughts.

  Is this how the rest of my life is going to be? Me, intentionally sabotaging any chance of happiness with a woman, because I’m hung up on the past, on the experiences of others, on my own insecurities?

  My hands are frozen in my pockets, and my cheeks are numb by the time I stop in front of her flat and look up at the window.

  I sigh, rocking back on my heels.

  What the hell are you doing, Finn?

  Let the girl be.

  Or be with her.

  Her shadow flickers in front of the window before her light goes out.

  She’s home.

  And safe.

  As much as I want to see her, to knock on her door and apologize for being an arsehole, pull her against me, and hold her until morning, I don’t move. I don’t deserve her forgiveness after everything I dragged her through.

  Instead, I force my feet to move in the direction of my flat, ignoring a call from Roger.

  Moments later, my phone pings with a message.

  Roger: Stop being a bawbag. Pick up the phone.

  Me: Not a good time.

  Roger: Because you’re sulking alone?

  Me: What are you psychic?

  Roger: Saw Lachlan at the pub. Meet for a pint and a moan?

  Me: Aye. This week.

  26

  Daisy

  When I wake up the next morning, it’s with resolve. Intent. Purpose.