“See for yerself.”
Ami worked her way to the edge of the lake, careful to not step on anything that would get her feet too dirty. She bent down and placed her hand in the water. Too cold for her to ever dare swim in. Not without a wet suit, and probably not even then.
“You Scots must be a tough lot.”
“Of course we are. It’s in the blood.”
Ami rejoined him and they worked their way to the car. When he took her hand, it felt comfortable and easy. And right. Never had she just started holding hands with a guy this soon. With him, it felt natural. As if they belonged together.
He helped her into the car and they drove back down the same road while they worked their way to his favorite place. When they reached the secluded area, Duncan sighed. “Wonderful. There’s no one here. I thought maybe we’d have to share the beach with some other people, but it looks like we’ve got it to ourselves for a bit.”
After he parked the car, he got out, headed to the back of the car, and opened the trunk. Inside rested a little wooden basket and a folded blanket. Under the blanket sat a couple of small padded squares. “Could ye grab those?” He looked at her. “Unless ye’d prefer to sit on the ground for a more authentic experience.”
Ami smiled. “Cushions sound perfect. I can save the authentic for some other time.”
Duncan set the basket down, spreading out the blanket on the pebbled beach. Ami joined him, placing the cushions down and kneeling on one as he opened the basket.
“I hope ye don’t mind me bringing us a lunch. We can stop at a pub on the way back and have a better dinner.”
“Are you kidding? This is perfect.” Besides, it was nice to have him to herself and not have to watch women fawn over him. Everywhere he went, he seemed to attract the eyes of all the women. Being out here in the privacy of the wide open lake was a nice change. And she could pretend he was hers and hers alone for a minute or two. That kind of thinking might get her into trouble when it was time to go home.
But they both knew this was temporary and nothing could come of it.
Duncan served the meal, bringing out breads, cheeses, and fruits as well as a meat mixture he said was a secret family recipe and he’d only tell her what was in it if she didn’t like it.
“Dang it,” Ami said after trying a taste. “It’s good, so now I won’t know what it is.”
“I’ll give ye a hint. It’s not from a sheep.”
“Is it deer?” She paused a moment. “Venison?”
“Very good. Have ye eaten venison before?”
“My grandpa loved hunting. It’s been a while since I’ve had it, but it’s good.”
Duncan watched her for a moment. “I’m glad ye like it.” He offered her more by pushing the basket closer so she could pick out the things she wanted. They enjoyed the meal mostly in silence as she looked out over the calm, peaceful lake.
Even though she knew it was a myth, she could almost imagine Nessie rising slowly out of the lake as she came up for air before returning to the peace of her life below the surface. Even the slow movement of the approaching clouds added to the magical atmosphere.
CHAPTER NINE
She was fascinating, completely immersed in the area and watching the waves as if looking for Nessie herself. He almost wished the creature was real so he could take her out to see it. He knew they’d only have about thirty more minutes before the clouds coming toward them forced them back to the car, but he didn’t want to rush her.
He also didn’t want to speak and ruin her enjoyment. He looked out toward the shoreline, where he and his brother had often played.
As if in tune to his thoughts, she leaned closer and asked, “What did you do as a kid when you came? Would you just run along the beach or did you go swimming?”
“Depends on the weather. On a day like today, we’d be running the shoreline, looking for cool rocks or driftwood that we’d beg our parents to let us keep.”
“I used to do that. My dad would get so annoyed that we always wanted to bring back so much. He finally gave in and allowed us one rock each. I’ve got a shelf at home with my collected rocks.”
“Nice. Do we need to gather one for ye here?”
“Yes, of course we do.” She took another bite of the cracker and cheese she still held. “Will it start raining on us soon? How long do we have?”
“Half hour or so. Are ye done eating? Should we clean it up and go rock hunting?”
Ami grinned at him with a joyful sparkle in her eyes. “Yes, please.”
They gathered up the picnic items, folding up the blanket and setting them in a pile together before heading toward the water’s edge. He watched as she slowly walked along the beach line looking down at the rocks. A few caught his eyes, but she passed over them as if searching for something particular. He was curious to see what she’d settle on.
She squatted and picked up a rock, brushing it off to study it. He moved closer and bent down next to her. She held it out on the palm of her hand. He smiled. It was a simple gray rock, so the shape must have caught her attention. “Looks a bit like a serpent.”
“I know. I think I’ve found her.”
“It is an excellent specimen.” He looked into her eyes, bright with happiness. “How do ye do it?”
“Do what?”
He paused, not sure he wanted to clarify what he really meant or twist the question to something more appropriate. He decided for the simple. “How did ye spot such a great rock?”
“Oh, you know, I used my over-active imagination. I think there’s a magic to this place.”
She slowly stood and he joined her, taking her hand in his. “I believe yer right.” And if there weren’t a magic here on its own, she was definitely bringing magic herself. “Perhaps ye could help me find one for me?”
“I’d love to.”
Duncan felt the small squeeze she gave his hand. They started walking along the rocky shore in search of a souvenir for him, yet he never looked at the ground. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she searched for a treasure for him. She paused a moment to look at him. She must have seen something in his eyes. She stood straight and watched him, making him feel rooted to the ground. She was so close. He longed to pull her closer, but he hesitated. Her hand still in his didn’t move, but she turned her body to face his.
With her movement, he reached for her, placing his hand on the curve of her hip. Her free hand touched his arm softly. He could feel the warmth of her through the fabric of his sleeve. Their eyes stayed locked on each other. He studied her, trying to decide if she would welcome a kiss or if it would be too soon. She never broke her gaze, building his courage. As he prepared to close the distance, the clouds decided to open, pouring out all the water they carried.
Ami squeaked in surprise and let go of him. She didn’t seem to know what to do. He took her hand once again and pulled her toward the car. He dug his hand into his pocket and took out the keys, but before they got two steps past the picnic basket and blanket she stopped.
“Let’s get this first.”
He was impressed with her thoughtfulness. Instead of rushing right to the car to save herself, she thought of him as well. He grabbed the basket and the blanket. She picked up the remaining things before rushing with him to the car. He opened the boot and shoved the items in, and then unlocked the doors and nearly pushed her inside as well. When he got in on the driver’s side, he turned to look at her. Though she was soaked to the skin, she still looked adorable.
“I should have had the umbrellas out I guess. I’m sorry.”
The laugh she gave him when he apologized for the weather warmed him a little.
“Jessie always told me you could never trust the rain.”
“Tis true,” Duncan agreed. He had never been angry at the rain before, yet he was highly disappointed it chose that very moment to crash down on them.
“Too bad I didn’t listen to her and pack a change of clothes.”
“It’s my fault. I wasn’t watching
the sky better. We’ll get ye to a place where we can dry off. We can even find ye a change of clothes. I know of a perfect little tourist shop that has the most eclectic collection of Nessie shirts.”
When Ami shivered, Duncan reached over to turn the heat on full blast.
“Awesome,” Ami said as she reached toward the warm air.
CHAPTER TEN
Ami shivered as she dripped water on the wood floor of the little shop Duncan brought her to. He held up two shirts: one a lime green with a black snake-like creature rising above a waterline, the other a grayish-white shirt with a cute little green creature that looked a lot like some aquatic dinosaur she’d seen in a book. She pointed to the second shirt and Duncan nodded his approval.
“Good choice. Now help me pick one for myself.” He handed her the shirt they’d picked out for her and moved over to another rack with men’s shirts.
She watched him rifle through the available shirts and chuckled inside at the look on his face. He was taking this seriously, but when he held up two shirts for her to pick from, she couldn’t help the laugh that came out. His options were almost as bad as the choices she could pick from. Deciding to play along, she stepped closer. “It’s a hard choice.” She took the shirts from him and held them up one at a time in front of his chest, pretending to actually consider the options. “Do you have a preference?”
“I’m a little partial to the blue one.”
She held it up once more and studied him a moment. “Brings out the blue flecks in your eyes.” She then looked at the image on the shirt. “But this isn’t the right Nessie. This is too blurry and creepy looking. You need one like mine.”
“True. What was I thinking?” He turned back to the rack and went back and forth between a few shirts. When he found his size, he held it up. “This one?”
The image on it was just like the one on the shirt she had. “We’d be twins!”
“And I can pretend to be a tourist with ye.”
“It would never work. You obviously sound too Scottish to be a tourist.”
“Whatever,” Duncan said, attempting to sound American. “I can do an accent. Even better than you passing for Scottish.” He put some effort into it and could almost pass for a Texan with a bit of a British twist to it.
Ami giggled. “I think we should both stick to where we’re from. But I’m really digging that shirt anyway.”
“Sold.” He put the other shirts back and went to the front of the shop. When he saw a few towels on a rack, he grabbed a couple of them as well. “How about yer trousers? Do we need to find something else for ye, or will the shirt be good?”
“Shirt’s fine. And the towel will help.” As he paid for the clothes, she stepped over to the glass shelves lining the window area. Gorgeous carved wooden figures of varying sizes adorned the shelves. One looked a little like the snakelike serpent on the other shirts, but this one had personality and beauty to it. She picked it up and admired the detailed work on the surface, making it look like it had scales and fins.
As Duncan approached her with the bags from his purchase, she placed the figurine down and turned to him. He pointed to the corner of the shop. “There’s a loo over there where ye could change. I’ll wait for ye by the front.”
“Thanks.” She took the bag he offered and eagerly changed out of the wet clothes into the dry shirt. She wrapped the towel around her head for a moment, trying to tame the mess that had developed. It would be easy enough to twist into a messy bun at the base of her skull, but she wished she had a comb. Instead she used her fingers to sort through what tangles she could and pulled it back. The shirt wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t the most attractive she’d ever owned. At least Duncan would match. The more she thought about it, she hoped he wasn’t going to think she was trying too hard.
Things had almost gotten serious back there on the beach and she wasn’t sure what she wanted to happen. It was a good thing that the rain had stopped them from kissing. And if she told herself that enough, she’d probably be able to believe it.
Ami folded her wet shirt and jacket and placed them in the bag, then put the towel on top in case she’d need it again. When she joined Duncan at the front, he smiled and modeled his shirt for a moment. The tight fit helped show off his physique. “How do I look?”
“Almost as good as I do,” Ami said, holding the front of her shirt out straight to see the cute little Nessie.
“Impossible,” Duncan said. “I don’t think anything can compare to yer beauty. Ye’re a rare find, even more so than Nessie.”
“Ah,” Ami said smiling. “What a sweet talker you are. I’ll bet you say that to all the girls.”
Duncan shook his head. “Only the ones who truly deserve it.”
As he led her out the door, Ami once again wondered about his dating past and how many women he had told they were beautiful.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The day was over too soon. They drove around the loch while he explained a few of the features of it to her, and they went to dinner at a quiet little pub tucked into a small alcove of the loch. It was nice and quiet, without a lot of tourists. Duncan enjoyed having her undivided attention as they ate and talked.
After the rain, they went for a walk down another section of the shoreline. Though they held hands, he knew it wasn’t the right time to try to kiss her again. She seemed a little more reserved than before. The magic of the moment had gone, but he hoped there would be a right time later.
As he drove home, he glanced at her to see she had fallen asleep with her head propped against the back of the head rest. He couldn’t help himself and reached for her hand. She didn’t wake completely, but stirred a little when his hand cupped hers before she relaxed again in peaceful slumber.
He was getting too comfortable with this girl, but he didn’t care. She was something else. He began to wonder if there were any way he could convince her to stay, though the impermanence of their relationship was what he liked most about spending time with her. No pressure to move further than just friends. Or even friends who kissed, if he were lucky.
He tried to distract himself from those thoughts as he drove so he didn’t push things too fast when they reached her house. His coworker’s house. It would look really bad if he took advantage of her right in front of Chris and Jessie’s place. When they reached Edinburgh and he slowed down to deal with the busier traffic, Ami woke. She sat up, looking around as if trying to get her bearings.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t very good company for the ride home.”
“Not to worry. I must have tuckered ye out. Wandering all across the loch would take it out of ye if ye’re not used to it.”
“Are you saying I’m lazy?”
Duncan paused a moment, trying to decide if she was teasing or serious. “No, I’d never say ye’re lazy, just perhaps not used to hiking around a lake. Especially getting chilled to the bone.”
“Yeah, nice save. Blame it on the rain.” She patted his knee. He knew he was okay when her hand lingered for a moment before she stretched her back and shifted position in the seat.
When he pulled up in front of Chris’s place, he shut the car off and turned to her. “Don’t open the door just yet. I’ve got something for ye.”
Ami blinked and looked expectantly at him. When he reached in the back seat for the bag he’d hidden under the towel and wet clothes they’d brought out of the little shop, she tilted her head in confusion. Duncan took the wrapped figure out of the bag and passed it to Ami. She looked at it, back at him, and then unfolded the paper to reveal the little wooden Nessie she’d admired at the shop.
“Oh my goodness,” Ami said. She looked up at him and back at the figurine. “How did you know?”
“I saw ye looking at it,” Duncan said. “I figured ye needed a better souvenir than that sorry-looking tee-shirt.”
“You are too sweet for words.” Ami leaned forward to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. She moved so fast and unexpectedly, he didn’t have enough tim
e to react and take advantage of the opportunity. “Thank you so much.”
“My pleasure.” He reached for the door to the car and opened it before he made things awkward by waiting for something more from her. When he opened her door, she had the bag from the back seat with her wet shirt.
“Do you want me to leave you the towel?”
“No, that’s part of the memories. You’ve got to take it home with you and frame it on your wall.”
“Awesome,” Ami said with a grin.
Duncan took the bag when she reached in the car to grab her purse and the useless umbrella. She offered to take it back, but he wanted to be sure he could walk her to the door so he kept hold of it. When they reached the door, he was pleased to see she paused and didn’t immediately try to open it. He didn’t know if she had keys, or if she’d knock and have Chris or Jessie answer. He hoped they weren’t anywhere near because he wanted time to be with her before she disappeared for the night.
It was crazy that he felt that way, especially since he’d picked her up more than fourteen hours ago.
“Thanks for enduring me for the full day. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.”
“Me too,” Ami said. “It’s the best trip to any lake I’ve ever experienced.”
“For me as well.”
“Even better than with your family?” Ami asked.
“Absolutely. You don’t whine like my little brother used to. Not even when ye got drenched. And Da used to sing along to the oldies on the radio. Ye’re hands down a better companion.” He took a step closer to her. She moved closer as well.
He told himself he would just kiss her cheek. After all, she had done that in the car, and it was perfectly natural to say goodbye with a kiss on the cheek. When she looked up at him, offering her mouth to his in an unmistakable gesture, he didn’t hesitate to oblige.
Her mouth was perfect. Soft and warm and welcoming. He wished his hands weren’t currently occupied holding her bag because then he could reach for her and hold her, but it was probably best to take things slow. He allowed her to end the kiss, wanting to give her control of the situation, but hating the fact that it had to come to an end.
Never Trust the Rain (Destined for Love: Europe) Page 6