The first number they played was one she was familiar with, its tune easy enough for her to hum along. As the night progressed, the songs got more elaborate and the energy built. She found herself gripping Duncan’s arm more than once at the end of the songs. She pulled back, apologizing briefly before getting completely immersed in the music again.
The acoustics of the stadium worked well, making the bagpipes echo in the perfect way and speeding her heart rate. And the drums? They were something else entirely, giving her gooseflesh as the music built. As the concert came to a close, she clapped vigorously and whistled with her fingers against her lips when she heard a few others doing it. She remained standing for a few minutes, clapping her approval. She then glanced at Duncan, who stood there watching her with a smile on his face.
“I dare say ye liked it.”
“It was wonderful. Thanks for bringing me. I’ve listened to stuff like this online, but never in person. It’s amazing.”
They worked their way out of the noisy stadium through the crowds of people talking without making any comments themselves. When they reached the openness of the entryway, Duncan turned to her and asked, “Since ye don’t have to rush back, would ye be interested in taking a walk around the campus? Ye can see the building I work in and some of the sites of the area.”
“I’d love to.” It was nine-thirty. The sun was close to setting, but the lighting was just right to see the details of the older buildings.
Duncan pointed out a few things and named some of the buildings. She tried to pay attention to the names, but his Scottish brogue took all her attention from the meaning behind the words. Instead she just listened to his voice and took in the beauty of the area.
“This is the building Chris and I work in.”
“Do you like what you do?” Ami asked.
“I do. It’s been fascinating. The grant only covers us for another year, so we’re looking to see where we can go from there.”
“Where else would a biochemist work?” Ami asked.
“Research fields, forensics, medicine, the like.”
“That’s cool.”
“I thought so. That’s why I decided on that for a major.”
“How many hours do you put in with the research?” Ami asked.
“It depends on where we’re at with the different experiments. Some days, we’re here till after dark. Other times, there’s not much to do and we just prep as much as we can for what’s to come. Lately, it’s been pretty laid back as we’re doing more analyzing of data while we wait for our next shipment of chemicals to arrive.”
“That sounds nice.”
“It is. And since I have a lot of free time on my hands, ye wouldna happen to be interested in doing a bit more sightseeing, would ye?”
“It sounds wonderful,” Ami said. “I did come here to help Jessie and Chris out, though, so I’ll have to double check with them.”
“Tomorrow is Saturday. Chris should still be home, shouldn’t he? So what do ye say to taking a day trip to Inverness?”
“Really?” Ami asked. “Isn’t Loch Ness near there?”
“It tis,” Duncan nodded.
“Do you think you could manage to get me a picture with Nessie?”
Duncan smiled at her. “I’ll try me hardest, darlin’, but I canna promise she’ll be in the mood for photographs.”
“As long as we try, I’m good with that.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Duncan picked her up early in the morning so they could make the three hour drive to Inverness and the Loch Ness. He’d packed a lunch. It was something his family had always done and he wanted to be able to relive it a little. The sun was out for a change. He knew it wouldn’t last long and came prepared with umbrellas in the back seat.
When she opened the door, she wore denim trousers and a jacket over the top of a light shirt. She should probably be fine for the weather, but one never knew what to expect. He’d often heard it said if you didn’t like the current weather, wait for a few minutes and it would change. It would be fun to see how she adapted if it did start raining.
“Good morning,” Ami said.
“And to you,” Duncan replied. “Ye ready to head out?”
“Yes. Do I need to bring anything?” She reached back into the house and pulled out an umbrella. “Besides this?”
“That should do just fine. Your shoes look sturdy enough for the hiking we’ll do.” He took the umbrella from her as they walked toward the car. “I haven’t been to the Loch for a few years. I’m glad ye said yes and will be coming with me.”
“Have you gone there a lot?” Ami asked as they started on the drive.
“The family used to go once a summer. Sometimes we’d stay at an inn, but most times it was just a day trip. And with a few of us in the car on the long drive, I think me mum and da were happy to let us out and run once we got there.”
“Sounds like our family,” Ami said.
“Ye mean Americans aren’t different than we Scots?”
“Nope. We would go on long drives to visit places and drive our parents batty.”
“Did yer family ever want to throw ye in the lake and leave ye there?”
Ami giggled at the image. “What did you do to deserve that?”
“Och, not anything any other boy of seven or eight wouldna do.”
Ami waited for him to continue, gazing at his profile as he drove. He glanced at her. “I found a few wee froggies and brought them over to me mum. She wasn’t expecting anything, and she was a little distracted by something my sister was saying, so I put them in her purse while I went searching for more. I didn’t have any room in my own trousers since the pockets were already filled with rocks I’d been collecting.”
Ami smiled. “How long did it take her to discover them?”
“Oh, a while. She’d caught me with the ones in me hands when I came back to the group from the water’s edge and made me put them back. I only agreed to return them because I knew I had the others in her bag. We left that place and drove for a few miles before she had to get something from her purse. The scream she let out as she found those poor creatures startled me and my younger sister, who had dozed off. Nearly caused Da to run off the road too.”
By then, Ami couldn’t stop laughing, especially since Duncan was laughing as well. “So Mum makes Da pull off the side of the road, and she forces me to get the little frogs out of her bag and walk them far enough away from the road so they wouldna get smashed. She threatened that if I ever did something like that again, she’d send me to live with the frogs as a punishment for stealing their babies.”
“Ooh, excellent threat. Did you ever steal frogs again?”
“No. Not so much. I brought home worms and other things now and then, but I left the frogs alone.”
“Do you have any pets?” Ami asked.
Duncan shook his head and glanced at her quickly before turning his attention back to the road. She was leaning toward him, with her face turned looking at him instead of the scenery as they drove. It felt good to be interesting enough to a woman that she would give him her undivided attention. “Not currently. Had a dog when I lived at home, but the place I’m renting now doesn’t allow pets. When I get a permanent place, I’d love to get another dog.”
“I love dogs. But not the little yappy kinds. I wanted a German Shepard when I was a kid, but my parents vetoed that. We had a little schnauzer. He was okay, but I always wanted one I could go running with or take out playing Frisbee or catch.”
“I hear ya. Lap dogs are only a step above cats.” He paused and looked over at her. “What do you think of cats?”
“I’m allergic. I don’t mind them in other people’s houses, but I could never own them. Makes my eyes itchy.”
Duncan smiled. He couldn’t stand cats. He thought they were lazy creatures that were out to get him. If she couldn’t have cats, he’d never have to worry about them. He paused, wondering where that thought came from. She didn’t even live arou
nd here. Why was he making plans for his future involving no cats?
“How long is the drive?” Ami asked.
“About three hours,” Duncan said. “Will that be all right?”
“Sounds fine. I was just curious. I’m excited to see the countryside.” She looked out the window, but kept her body positioned so she still leaned toward him. “Will there be many cities and towns on this road?”
“Off and on for the first little bit. The further we get from Edinburgh, the more rural and mountainous it gets until we near Inverness.”
“I can’t get over how green it is here.” She stared out the window for a while. “Nothing back home gets this color. At least not out in the wild. Only those who pay out the nose to water their lawns and gardens get this effect.”
“Ye’re missing out on a lot back home then aren’t ye?”
“I guess so.”
“Aren’t there places along the east coast that get this way?”
“Yes. But I could never live there. I couldn’t leave my school. I love the kids and the staff is unbelievable. Once you get a network of teachers that work well together, you never want to change it.”
“I can understand that. The research team I’m with now is fantastic. I don’t think I’ve ever been with a group more productive that meshes as well as we do. It will be a bit of a letdown when things change, unless we can get the approval for a grant we’re working on.”
“I hope you do,” Ami said. “I can’t imagine having the uncertainty of what the future holds.”
“I actually don’t mind it much. It gives me a chance to look at my options and the possibilities out there. With my degree, I have quite a few places I could go, so it keeps me on my toes. And I never get too bored of one thing.”
Ami chuckled. “I don’t usually have a chance to get bored. Once I think I’ve got my kids all trained and everything running smoothly, one of the kids does something completely unexpected and we all have to learn something new.”
They chatted comfortably as they drove through the stretching countryside. She asked him questions about the area, and what the different names of the little towns along the way were, then entertained him with her attempt to pronounce them the way he did. Every time she’d try to roll her r’s, she’d end up doing it too long and sounding like a motor.
He tried over and over again to show her the way to do it, but she never quite got it right. “Ye’re getting close, but ye’ve got a bit more work to do.”
“I’ll never be able to pass for a local, but when I go home, you can bet I’ll impress all my friends there.”
“Och now, if ye’re trying to impress them, then we must do better than that.” Duncan cleared his throat. “Now try the alphabet with me.” He pronounced A, and Ami giggled.
“If I do that, then when it comes time to teach my students how to do the right pronunciation while they’re sounding out their words, I’ll get all confused.”
“Nah, lassie,” Duncan shook his head. “Don’t give me that garbage. Ye’re skilled enough ye could keep it all straight.”
Ami patted him on the leg. “Thanks.” She adjusted herself in her seat so she faced him a little more again. “Okay, professor, tell me how it goes.”
“I’m no professor.”
“Don’t they call teachers that here? You know, like in Harry Potter?”
“Well, that’s different. It’s magic. And I’m no wizard.”
“Bummer.”
“I know. Being a wizard was my first hope. I had to choose biochemistry as a backup plan.”
“Well, if that doesna work,” Ami said, trying to say it with a Scottish accent and failing only a little, “ye could always look into teaching.”
“Good to know,” Duncan said. “So here, follow along.” He went through the alphabet, saying each letter and she’d try. Some she got without much difficulty, but others she couldn’t manage without breaking into a small fit of giggles. The more she tried to sound serious, the more she would giggle and the more adorable she seemed.
“Ye’re cracking me up. I think this is the best trip I’ve taken in ages.”
“Me too,” Ami said. “This whole trip to Scotland is awesome. And lucky me, I’ve found my own personal tour guide.”
“Ye are one lucky lass.”
“That I am.” She patted his knee again, and then looked out the window with a sigh. “I still can’t get over how peaceful and beautiful it is here, but I don’t think I’ll miss the rain when it comes time to go home.”
“Oh come now, we havena had much rain since ye’ve been here.”
“It’s drizzled almost every day,” Ami said.
“That’s not rain. It’s the sea breathing. Just wait until ye get yerself caught in a good downpour.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“Not to worry. If I’m around, I’ll save ye.”
“Ah, what a sweetie. My own knight in shining armor.”
“No, we don’t wear armor. We wear kilts.”
“Ah, my own knight in…” Ami paused. “What color’s your clan’s plaid?”
Duncan smiled at the thought of her knowing enough about their history she’d even know to ask that. She was definitely someone he wouldn’t mind spending a lot of time with. And since it was completely temporary because she’d be returning home after the summer, he could relax. In fact, he felt more easy-going with her than he’d ever been with most of the women he’d dated. He could get used to this.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Ami loved every minute of the drive to Inverness. She asked him everything she could think of and then some. She enjoyed trying to pick up an accent. Although she knew she was failing at most of the words, he patiently tried over and over to help her. When they neared the city, he asked if she wanted to stop and tour some of the things there. “Or would ye rather head right to Loch Ness?”
“I’m fine for either,” Ami said. “What do you suggest?”
“Well, as the official tour guide, I’d say we head to the Loch. Give us more opportunity to see Nessie.”
“Then let’s do it.”
“Yer wish is my command.” He exited on a road and the name of the sign caught her eye.
“Culloden. Isn’t that where a big battle happened?”
“Aye. We’d need to head right to see it. The loch is on the other side.” He looked at her. “Would ye like to go see Culloden?”
“Is there time today to do both?”
“Depends on how much exploring ye’d like to do at each place. It’ll be near an hour to get to either place from the other.”
She thought for a moment. “I think I’d rather spend time searching for Nessie.”
“Well, it isn’t like ye’ll be leaving the country tomorrow. We’ve got time we could come again. Perhaps next weekend if ye’re interested.”
“Really?” Ami asked. “You won’t get sick of taking me places and being at my beck and call?”
“I doubt I’d ever get sick of ye. Yer unlike any lass I know.”
“That’s a little scary.”
“Aye, but in a good way. And I dinna think it’s only to do with yer being American. Yer just extra excited and easily entertained.”
Ami chuckled. “That’s too funny, because all the guys I dated back home thought I was too demanding and never easy to please.”
“Well, ye’ve obviously been dating the wrong guys. Stay here long enough and I’ll show ye how ye should be treated.”
Ami watched him for a moment as he drove down the road. She wasn’t sure how to take his comment, but very pleased that he was interested in spending more time with her. And he was easy to be with. She never felt pressured or even on display with him. Nothing like how she’d felt dating at home. Was that because at home, there was always the underlying potential that it could turn serious and permanent, while here it was all temporary and she was free to be herself and have fun?
Whatever it was, she enjoyed it immensely.
> “We’re getting close. This is the river Ness. In a few, we’ll be able to see the loch.”
The roads had become narrower. Thicker trees and bushes hid anything in the distance when they weren’t in a dip in the road, winding through the hilly terrain. Few cars traveled this way, and it was a good thing because in places it seemed too narrow to share the road. She glanced through the trees and caught glimpses of water.
“Is that it?”
“Almost. It’s still technically considered the river here, but we’re getting close.”
“How big is it?”
“It’s the second largest loch in Scotland.”
“Most famous though, huh.”
“All because of Nessie.”
“And you know where to find her, right?”
“Sure do.” He winked and kept driving. In a few minutes, he pulled off the road on a little trail and drove a little bit further. As they passed the trees, the lake came into view.
The sky was partially clear, and the blue above made the lake brighter than she’d expected. “It’s gorgeous.”
“That it is.”
“Can we get out?”
“Absolutely.” He put the car into park and shut off the engine. She got out of the car and took a few steps forward, but waited for him to join her before approaching the water’s edge.
Ami took a slow deep breath, enjoying the freshness of the air. A hint of wood smoke from one of the little houses they had seen added to the primitive, other-worldly feel. Nothing at home came close to this kind of quiet and peace. She listened to the sounds of nature around her, smiling when she heard Duncan’s slow and steady breathing next to her. She took his hand. “Thanks for bringing me here.”
“My pleasure. This isn’t even the best spot. I just wanted to let ye see it as soon as possible. When ye’re ready, we can head out to the place my family would always go.”
“Did you ever swim the lake?” Ami asked.
“I did.”
“How cold is it?”
Never Trust the Rain (Destined for Love: Europe) Page 5