Mending the Billionaire Scotsman: A Clean Scottish Romance Book Two

by Bree Livingston

  “But ye cannae. What ye can do is forgive yerself and move on. Just because Taran is nae willin’ to move on dinnae mean ye have to remain in the past.” Rory dropped his hand from Angus’s shoulder and sat at the table.

  Angus sat in the chair next to him. “How about you? Are you remaining in the past?”

  “What’s that mean?” Rory’s tone was gruff.

  “Alana.”

  Anger swirled inside Rory, turning his insides to fire. The heat raced up his neck to the tip of his ears. “What would ye know of it? Ye have nae been here. Leave me alone about it.” He shook his head. Why couldn’t they just let him be? “I’m sorry. I’m just so tired of everyone bein’ on me about it. It’s nae just lettin’ go of the past. It’s lettin’ go of her.”

  “I know, but you need to. Alana wouldn’t want you alone. She loved you. She’d want to see you happy.”

  Rory’s eyes misted over. “It’s nae that easy. I dinnae blame myself for her death or anythin’ like that. I just loved her. She was the love of my life. Would ye recover so easily if somethin’ happened to Penelope?”

  “No.” Angus leaned back in his chair. “But the MacLachlan’s have a history of holding on to things we ought not to.”

  “Aye. That’s true.”

  “It seems we both have something to work on.”

  “How do I let her go?”

  Angus shook his head. “I don’t know, brother. I can’t say I’d handle it any better if I lost Penelope, but I know her, and I know she’d want me to be happy. I miss Alana too. She wasn’t just your girl; she was like a sister to the rest of us. We loved her. I can feel her absence even now.”

  Rory was aching more than he had in a long time. Sitting with Angus, talking about Alana seemed to open the chasm of longing he had for her. He put his head in his hands, and tears streamed down his face. “I’m tryin’ to let go. I’ve dated. I’ve done all the things I’m told will help, but nothin’ has worked.”

  Angus stretched his arm across Rory’s shoulders and spoke softly. “Maybe you should stop trying so hard to let her go. Maybe instead of running away from her, you can stop and let her walk away from you. It happens when you aren’t looking. Trust me.”

  Rory nodded.

  “Hello?” Penelope called from the living room.

  “In here, love.” Angus stood and greeted Penelope with a bear hug.

  Rory stood and leaned his shoulder against the wall with his back to the women as they entered the kitchen. He wiped his eyes and took a deep breath. The last thing he needed was a gaggle of geese fussing over him.

  Maybe he had been trying too hard. Maybe in trying so hard to show everyone he was fine, he’d stopped being fine and settled for surviving. Surviving wasn’t working. His heart still hurt. His life had come to a standstill. Alana’s memory wasn’t just a memory any longer; it was a weight dragging him down. And he wasn’t sure how he could fix it. All he knew was that he was tired of not living.

  “Hey, are you okay?” asked Paige.

  Rory took a deep breath and turned around. Mesmerizing eyes stared up at him, and he couldn’t keep himself from smiling. “I’m fine. Just needed a moment to myself.”

  Her gaze held his. “Are you sure? You seem kinda sad.”

  “Naw.”

  She touched his arm, and although her fingers were cool, his skin was on fire. “I’m not sure why you’d be sad, but it’s okay to be sad. My sister used to tell me ‘It’s okay to not be okay.’”

  His lungs burned for air, and he took a step back. “Really, I’m fine.”

  She sucked her lip between her teeth and stared at the floor. As she looked back up, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Could I ask you a question? Just between me and you? And you won’t hate me for it?”

  Rory narrowed his eyes. “That sounds like an ominous question.”

  Paige stepped closer. “Do you really think Angus loves my sister? When all of this started, it was to fix his image. I’ve hurt my sister a lot. Done things that probably can’t be forgiven. I figure the best thing for me to do, a way to make up for it, is to make sure she doesn’t get hurt anymore.”

  He paused, trying to gather his thoughts. He didn’t know what to say. “Uh, aye, I do. I believe he loves her.” Rory glanced up and caught a glimpse of his brother. There was no mistaking how Angus felt about Penelope. “Naw, I know he does. Look.”

  Paige looked over her shoulder.

  Angus pushed Penelope’s hair over her shoulder as he leaned forward, and she giggled as he kissed her cheek. It made Rory want something just like it.

  Paige looked back up at Rory. “But he’s an actor. How do I know it’s for real?”

  “I guess ye’ll just have to get to know him.”

  She nodded and looked down again. “I guess so.”

  Rory stuffed his hands in his pockets. “On a different note, I spoke to Penelope. She wants to postpone my tour guidin’ to go dress shoppin’ here.”

  “Yeah, she has flowers and venues to check out too.”

  “Right, she’s thinkin’ a week It’ll give me time to get a stand-in for my farm chores. Plus, waitin’ will give ye time to love peanuts again, because we’ll be flyin’ in the family plane. Cawdor Castle is nae too far from Edinburgh. We could go there first and spend time tourin’ the area. Ye dinnae have to pack heavy, just enough for two, maybe three, weeks. That is, if yer willin’. We’d be back in time for Christmas and New Year’s.”

  “Are you sure? This is sounding like a lot of trouble.”

  “Naw, nae trouble. In fact, it’ll be my pleasure.”

  The smile she gave him made his heart race and his palms sweaty. He felt a twinge in the pit of his stomach as butterflies nestled in and fluttered. Maybe getting to know her wouldn’t be so bad either.

  CHAPTER 7

  P enelope looked over her shoulder and smiled. “It’s okay.”

  It was the same thing she’d said dress after dress the last couple of days. Paige was positive she’d tried on every dress Rosegail Bridge had to offer. After the third dress shop, she’d set her sights on Edinburgh and hoped the shopping would go faster there than here. Muriell and Annis had bailed earlier in the afternoon, claiming family duties at home. Paige didn’t blame them.

  “If it’s just okay, then it isn’t the one,” said Sarah.

  “What do you think, Paige?” asked Penelope.

  “I think it’s okay.” Paige shifted in the seat she’d occupied for the last few hours. Her rear end had the distinct impression she was still sitting on the plane. Instead of complaining, she suffered in silence.

  Penelope spun on the circular raised floor of the wedding dress boutique and put her hands on her hips. “See. It’s just okay.”

  “Oh, I think it’s more than okay,” said Camden, one of the dress shop clerks. He’d been bringing out dress after dress. None of them had been the one so far. All were either too lacy, cut too low, or just plain ugly.

  “I appreciate all of your hard work, but none of them have felt right. I’m sorry.”

  Camden crossed one arm over his chest. The way he stood there reminded Paige of the guy on the What Not to Wear show. “I completely understand. It’s your day, and the dress has to be perfect.”

  Penelope turned back to the three floor-length mirrors set in a semi-circle. “I wish it was.”

  “Well, I can send you home with the catalogs to look through. If you see something, we can order it in and let you try it on.”

  She smiled. “Thank you so much.”

  “You’re very welcome.”

  “I’m going to get changed. I’m kinda hungry, and I’d like to walk around a little before we go back to the farmhouse.” Penelope walked to the dressing room and stepped inside.

  “And a shoppin’ we shall go.” Paige wiggled her eyebrows.

  Sarah swatted at her. “You stop that. She’s just excited. And you should be excited for her.”

  Paige sucked her teeth. “And you can’t see
that I’m practically bubbling over with excitement? My cup runneth over with blissful excitement.”

  Sarah rolled her eyes. “You think you’re so funny.”

  “I’m friggin’ hysterical.”

  “Taking this dress off is like performing acrobatics,” Penelope called from the dressing room.

  “Well, I don’t think you’re the one that’s supposed to be taking it off.” Paige tapped her foot on the floor and grinned.

  Penelope poked her cherry-red-cheeked face out from the dressing room. “I cannot believe you just said that. Out loud. In this shop.”

  “Really? I’m not the only one thinking it.” Paige glanced over her right shoulder. Camden was nearly doubled over with laughter.

  Penelope shook her head and shut the door. “I’ll be done in a few more minutes. Where do you guys want to eat?”

  “We could go back to the pub Rory took us to,” said Sarah.

  Paige nodded. “That’s fine with me.”

  They waited for Penelope to finish and then walked toward the pub. It wasn’t far from the dress shop. On their way there, they stopped at a couple of shops and browsed. Once they reached the pub, they found a booth. They each ordered a drink and decided to look over a menu a moment.

  “Everything looks so good,” said Sarah.

  “Weren’t you here before?” asked Penelope.

  Paige looked up from the menu. “Yeah, but Rory ordered for us. Honestly, we were so tired that even if we had looked at the menu, I doubt we would have remembered.”

  Sarah giggled. “True. So, are you feeling more like a bride-to-be now that you’ve tried on dresses?”

  Penelope blushed. “A little bit, yeah. Trying on those dresses, I could picture Angus at the front of the church and me walking down the aisle. I could see the beginning of our life together.”

  “How did you go from hating him to loving him?” asked Paige.

  “I never hated him. After we got to Hawaii, I left and had a few drinks. He found me on the beach, and from there we just started talking.”

  Paige held up her hands. “Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. You had drinks? You’re diabetic. You can’t drink.”

  “Well, I did. I regretted it, and I’ll never do it again. It was such a weird situation. I mean, my relationship with Tom had come to a head there. I hated Hawaii, but by the end, I loved it.”

  “And him.” Sarah grinned.

  “I did. Or I was falling for him. I think I was doomed from the start.”

  Paige cackled. “Red hair, blue eyes, and tall.”

  “Shut up.” Penelope smacked her shoulder.

  Laughter erupted. As Paige laughed, she remembered how much fun the three of them used to have before she’d started being so hateful to Penelope. Sarah was right. The camping trip right after high school started it all. Paige had let go of Tyler, and now she was beginning to think it was time to let go of that. Maybe during this trip, she and Penelope could be sisters again. Maybe she could come clean about what she’d overhead during the camping trip and they both could get some healing.

  “Paige?” Penelope bumped Paige with her shoulder.

  Paige blinked. “What?”

  Penelope smiled. “The waiter is waiting to take your order.”

  Clearing her throat, she said, “Sorry. I’ll take fish and chips.”

  “Way to be spontaneous,” Sarah said through a chuckle.

  Paige glared at her. “I was so tired that I’m thinking they’ll taste even better now that I’m awake.”

  The waiter whirled on his toes and left.

  “What were you so deep in thought about?” asked Penelope.

  Paige shook her head. The pub setting wasn’t the right place, and the timing felt off. She wanted to enjoy the moment with her best friend and her sister. She’d find a better time to come clean. “Nothing really.”

  Sarah wiggled her eyebrows. “Maybe Rory?”

  “What?” Paige shook her head. “No.”

  Sarah gave her a pointed look. “You know what. He’s cute. Talk about a type. Penelope has hers, and he’s yours.”

  Paige huffed. “I’ve come here to sightsee and watch Penelope get married. I have no time for any of that business.”

  “What are you talking about?” Sarah sighed. “You’ve got plenty of time. We’re on vacation.”

  Paige rolled her eyes. “Why would I start something with someone when I’m leaving the country in eleven weeks?”

  Penelope shrugged. “I’m not a good gauge of time.”

  “That’s true,” Sarah said.

  “Hush, you!” Penelope popped her on the arm.

  A bubble of laughter popped out from Sarah, and Paige couldn’t keep herself from joining in. “She does have a point.”

  The three of them sat in the pub, talking for hours. The feeling of nostalgia filled Paige, and part of her wanted to cry. She’d lost so much time holding on to something Penelope didn’t even know about. Memories of their childhood filled her. Before and after the camping trip. It was like a switch had been flipped in Paige. She’d missed Penelope and their friendship.

  Hopefully, by the end of this whole affair, their friendship would be restored and she’d have her sister back.

  CHAPTER 8

  “T here’s another break in the fence. Are ye really goin’ to tell me there’s nothin’ goin’ on?” Rory had his hands on his hips as he surveyed the damaged section of fencing. “This one’s at least ten feet long. That’s nae a prank. Nae anymore.”

  Taran rubbed his mouth with his hand. “Naw, it’s nae. I’ve nae seen that developer at all. Last I heard, he’d flown back to London.”

  “Then who could it be? Gemma’s Pop is nae gonna do it. Neither is she.” Gemma was Alana’s stepsister. Gemma’s father had married Alana’s mother, and they’d moved into Rosegail Bridge his first year of primary school.

  “Have ye talked to her recently?” Taran asked.

  “Naw, she called a few times after she got to Glasgow, and after that, nothin’ since. I’ve nae seen her visit her father since then either.”

  Taran shrugged. “I dinnae know what to think.”

  “I dinnae either, but thinkin’s not gonna fix that fence. We’ve got the Rosegail Bridge Winter Festival to attend, remember?”

  “Ye can attend it. I’m stayin’ put,” his brother grumbled.

  “Yer goin’.” Rory shot him a pointed look.

  Narrowing his eyes, Taran stiffened. “Who’s gonna make me?”

  Rory puffed out his chest. “Me.” He grabbed Taran around the neck and rubbed his knuckles on his head.

  “Cut that out, Roars,” Taran said as he tried to get free.

  “Dinnae call me Roars.”

  Taran broke free and fussed with his hair. “Dinnae grab me and ruffle my hair.”

  “Yer goin’. That’s final. I’ll tell Annis if ye really want to get into trouble.”

  Taran muttered something under his breath and started working on the fence.

  “Need some help?” asked Angus as he slowed the horse he was on.

  “Nae from ye.” Taran stood, jaw tightened.

  Angus dismounted and stepped forward. “I’ve apologized over and over. I know I made a mistake, but you can’t hold that against me for the rest of my life.”

  “Dinnae be so certain of that,” Taran growled.

  “What will it take? What do I have to do to stop this?” Angus’s voice broke.

  Taran stepped forward, facing off with Angus. “Nothin’. I want nothin’ to do with ye.”

  Rory watched as Angus balled his fist, and he stepped in between Angus and Taran. “Both of ye stop.” He looked at Angus. “Turn that anger down a notch.” Then he looked at Taran. “Ye cannae just take a mistake and hold it over someone forever.”

  “Watch me,” Taran snarled.

  Angus gritted his teeth. “Do you have any idea what I went through with Clara? Do you have any idea what she was like? I had a contract with her. Even after she broke things off
, I was still bound to her. I wanted to get away from her, and I couldn’t. Yes, I should have listened. It’s a mistake I’ll take to the grave, but I can’t go back and change it. I would if I could.”

  “Get away from me, Angus. I dinnae care what she did to ye. Ye deserved whatever she dished out, just like ye deserved her. Ye both deserved each other. The only thing I’m sad about is that she’s not able to make ye suffer a little more.” Taran mounted his horse and rode off.

  Angus looked at Rory. “You still think it’s a good idea to have me work with him?”

  Rory had to admit, the way Taran had behaved had him a little worried. The venom he spewed toward Angus wasn’t something he’d expected. But they had to work it out. It was the only way to get his family back together. “I dinnae know, but I made a promise, and I’m keepin’ it.”

  “Aye. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t know how to make amends. I don’t know how to fix this. I’m—” Angus’s voice cracked, and he rubbed his fingers over his lips. “I’m sorry. It’s all I’ve got.”

  Rory grabbed his brother and hugged him. “I know. I know yer sorry. He’ll come around even if I have to beat him into it.” Rory let him go. “He doesnae know I’m goin’ to Edinburgh yet. In less than a week, I’ll be gone. He’ll have no other choice. Just dinnae come on too strong, okay? Come out here, work, and keep yer thoughts to yerself.”

  “Okay.” Angus chuckled. “How about the two of us fix that fence? Penelope’s dying to go to that winter festival in town, and I promised her we’d go.”

  “Aye, let’s get it done.”

  One fixed fence section and many hours later, Angus and Rory stopped inside the barn to take care of the horses. It had taken them the entire day to fix the fence. They’d ridden in with a little over an hour to get cleaned up and dressed for the night’s activities.

  This was the first year the town was putting on a festival of this kind. Granted, it was supposed to be cold, but whoever was in charge was determined to have it outside. The full moon was a perfect setting, and Rory wondered if it hadn’t been planned on purpose.

  Dressed in a button-up shirt and jeans, Rory stepped inside the farmhouse just in time to see the entire family gathered.