The Trouble with Scotland (12 page)

Like she was Ross's girlfriend! Sadie tripped again, this time on thin air.

I
n a flash, Ross caught Sadie, pulling her to him. Chest . . . to . . . chest.
Oh, God!

Grace jumped to her feet, too. “Are ye all right?”

Sadie wanted to disappear. “I'm okay. Just clumsy.” She gazed up into Ross's eyes.

He looked concerned. Sadie hoped he wouldn't question her about her stumbling.

If he did, what could she say?
Midday drunkenness? Uneven floor? Localized earthquake?
The truth was she had a serious hormonal imbalance when it came to a certain excessively gorgeous fisherman. Finally she settled on the perfect explanation, one he couldn't refute. She would lie and tell him it was her kidney disease. Sure, it was dishonest to use her illness as a scapegoat, but at least it would prove good for something.

He didn't ask, fortunately, and she pushed away, trying to act as if she wasn't falling-in-crush with him, and stood unassisted.

Grace seemed amused. “Let me get you some tea.”

Sadie put her hand up, not looking her in the eye. “No,
no. Ross is right. We should get to the store and pick out those books.”

“Aye.” Ross ruffled Dand's hair. “Remember what I told you. If ye aren't the perfect sailor while I'm gone, ye'll be walking the plank when we get home. Ye hear?”

Dand saluted with a biscuit in his hand. “I'll be good, First Mate. Promise.” Crumbs flew everywhere.

Sadie said a quick good-bye, slipped from the kitchen, and headed toward the front door. She'd have to apologize to Ross for being such an addlebrained klutz.

He was right behind her. Sadie raced for the truck and hopped inside before he could hold the door open for her. She was comfortable around Ross, but she wasn't comfortable with her crazy feelings. He slid into the other side.

She laid a hand on his arm to get his attention, but glanced away when he turned in her direction. She bit her lip. “Sorry.” She waited a moment before daring to look at him.

He shook his head, seeming confused. “For what?”

Hadn't he noticed that she had embarrassed him in front of his mom? “For, um . . . for, um . . .”

Ross grinned at her. “We'll stop and get ye a strong ale. That'll fix yere stammer.” His gaze dropped to her hand still on his arm.

She scooted back to her side of the vehicle, taking her hand with her, and faced forward. “Yeah. Right. A strong ale should do it.”

Ross surprised her a few minutes later by pulling into a train station. “It's only a twenty-minute ride into Glasgow.” He patted the steering wheel. “We'd take that long looking for a place to park the truck.”

He bought their tickets as she waited. She couldn't remember ever being on a real train. The train at the zoo when she was five didn't count. When they boarded, Ross pointed out a place for them to sit together. She looked out the window as the train pulled away from the station, ignored his warm body next to hers, and concentrated on the scenery until they arrived in the center of Glasgow. Ross took her hand and helped her step down from the train. He needed to stop touching her and taking care of her every need.

He took her straight to the pub as promised, and filled her with delicious food, not teasing her when she passed on the ale because it wasn't good for her kidneys.

“So what's the plan?” she said after finishing her last bite. “Which bookstore are we going to first?” She was excited to check out the bookstores in Scotland.

“We have to make a detour first.”

“What kind of detour? I promised Deydie a library for Quilting Central, and Oliver's credit card is ready for some action.”

“Did ye notice the shop next to the pub?”

She shook her head.

“It's a little dress shop.”

“Why would you want to go to a dress shop?” Did he want to buy something nice for his mother?

“Ye mentioned you knew nothing about clothes. I thought we could do a little exploring to help ye figure out what you like.”

She stared at him, dumbfounded.

He shrugged. “We don't have to, if ye don't want. I kind of like yere brown dress.”

She glanced down at her old standby. It was
comfortable. It was modest. It was old. “I guess I could take a look.”

“That's the spirit.” He put his hand out to help her up. “Come on.”

This is the last time,
she told herself as she took his hand. But she vowed to find the right moment to talk to him about being such a gentleman. Did he know that when he touched her, it was too much?
Way. Too. Much.

The shop next door turned out to be perfect. The dresses were classically cut with a touch of whimsy. She gravitated to a rack of dresses and began flipping through the hangers. Finally she pulled out a red one and held it to her chest, checking the length while Ross stood back and watched.

Because the sales clerk was busy, Sadie turned to Ross. “What do you think of this one?” She stepped in front of the full-length mirror.

He came closer, standing behind her, but not too close. “The real question is whether
ye
like it or not.”

“I like the cap sleeves. And it isn't too short.”

“Do ye like it enough to try it on?”

She did.

He took the red dress from her. “I'll keep this while you find some more.”

She picked out four dresses, giving them to him one at a time. Ross pointed at another rack.

“Take the green one there. It'll look nice with your eyes.”

But the green one was fun and flirty, not nearly as conservative as the ones she'd picked out. She started to tell him it wasn't her style, but he'd been so good to her that she couldn't say no.

Sadie pulled the green one from the rack and went to the sales clerk for a changing room.

“Follow me.” The woman guided her through an archway. On the other side was a half-circle couch, facing the curtains to two dressing areas.

The sales clerk hung Sadie's things in one of the rooms. “Ye get started with these while I bring yere boyfriend back to help ye decide.”

“He's not . . .” Sadie tried, but the woman was already gone. Sadie pulled the curtain and stared in the full-length mirror, getting a good look at herself. If she was honest about her brown dress, she should've stopped wearing it two years ago. Maybe three. And burned it. She pulled it over her shoulders and laid it on the lone chair.

The green dress, the one Ross had suggested, called to her first. She took it from the hanger and slipped it on.

She jumped when Ross spoke from the other side of the curtain.

“When ye're ready, let me take a gander.”

She peeked out. Ross was leaning back on the dainty sofa with his hands behind his head, a man at leisure with his legs sprawled. She pulled the curtain shut. This was stupid. He shouldn't be here.

“Why don't you go back to the pub?” she suggested. “I'll meet up with you in a little while.”

“Why don't ye stop stalling and get out here?” He laughed as if he was thinking of a joke. “Or do I need to come in after ye?”

“He wouldn't dare,” she said to the little dressing room.

“Don't challenge me, luv. I never back down.”

Sadie about melted all over the green dress. He'd called her
luv.
Not for the first time, and she shouldn't think anything of it. He'd called no less than three women
luv
since she'd arrived in Gandiegow. Granted, they were all old enough to be his mother or grandmother.

“I'm coming.” She whipped back the curtain and stepped into the waiting area.

He leaned forward with his elbows on his thighs, taking her in from head to toe. He seemed to be schooling his reaction. “Do you like it?”

“I don't know.”

He unfolded himself from the sofa and came to her. He laid his hands on her shoulders and spun her toward the full-length mirror. “Take a look and decide.”

He still had his hands resting on her, and it was hard to concentrate on anything except where he touched. She shrugged away, moving closer to the mirror.

What she saw first was how the green dress made her brown eyes stand out. Then she noticed the angle at which the dress hung, flaring at just the right spot, making her look as if she had hips. Which was surprising, considering her boyish figure. The fabric was light, fairylike, and she felt . . . she felt . . . she felt
pretty
. She gasped.

Ross moved closer, a smile spreading over his face. “Now you see it, too.”

She wanted to hear what he saw, but was too self-conscious to ask, so she nodded instead.

“I think that one's a keeper. Now, go try on a dress that ye picked out.”

The red one had looked interesting on the mannequin, but on Sadie, it looked like a Red Cross tent. She didn't
even have to show that one to Ross though he complained that he wanted to see it, too.

As she tried on each dress, her style became clearer—what she liked, what looked good. In the end, she approached the checkout counter with two dresses, a pair of slacks that gave her a shapely butt, and a white sweater that would go with everything. Ross took the green dress from her.

“What are you doing?” She grabbed for it. “I want that.”

He held it out of her reach. “I picked it. I'm paying for it.”

“It won't fit you.”

“Verra funny.” He stopped and stared at her, as serious as a storm forecast. “Let me do this.” He paused for a second. “With no argument.”

“Fine,” she grumbled. But why would he want to spend his hard-earned money on her?

By the time they were back outside, it was four o'clock.

“Will we have time to get the books and be back at your mother's for dinner?”

“Nay.”

“I'm sorry.” She lifted the one small sack that he'd allowed her to carry. “I shouldn't have taken so much time in there.”

“Are ye really in that big of a hurry to get back to Gandiegow?”

She thought about it for a moment. “Well, no. But we are expected.” Oliver was probably tallying every second she was gone.

“My mum will want the extra time anyway.”

“To spend with Dand?”

“No.
To interrogate you
.” He nudged her. “How about a stroll before heading back to the train station?”

“Sure.” She shifted her sack.

He put out his hand. “Here. I'll take it.”

“No. I'm fine. But tomorrow, I promise to let you carry as many of the books as you can handle.”

They walked around the city and he shared the sights with her, having an irresistible way of telling a story that kept her completely enthralled. Too soon, they were headed back to the train. But once they took their seats, she realized she was spent, worn out in a good way. She closed her eyes and tried to prop herself against the window. The train jolted forward, making her hit her head.

“Come now.” A giant arm sank around the back of her shoulders and pulled her close. “Lie yere head here. I won't tell a soul.”

With her eyes still closed, she smiled and leaned into Ross's warm, strong body. He relaxed her, but she was too aware of him to actually doze. Before she knew it he was squeezing her shoulder.

“We're here.”

“Thanks,” she mumbled, scooting away from him. She thought about her plan, how she was going to help him find a woman. It didn't sit well with her, but she would, no matter how wrong it felt. “Are you looking forward to tonight? Do you think your mother will mind that you're going out again?”

“I'm sure she'll grouse a little. It's her way. But she'll be fine with Dand to keep her company.”

“Is that why you wanted to bring him along?”

“One of the reasons.” He didn't elaborate.

When they got back to the house, Grace and Dand
were sitting in the parlor with Glynnis, who was lying on the couch with pillows propped under her legs.

“Rossy,” Glynnis said a little weakly. “Come here and give yere favorite auntie a
scwunch
.”

Ross grinned and walked toward her. “First of all, ye're my only aunt. And secondly, I'm too old to be called
Rossy
.” He leaned down and gave her a tender hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“Ye'll never be too old to be my Rossy, and don't you forget it.”

He took her hand. “I think ye're right, Auntie.” He motioned to Sadie. “This is my friend, Sadie. She's from the States.”

“Oh, I've heard,” Glynnis said, a sly grin on her face.

“Mum, have ye been gossiping?”

Grace raised an eyebrow as if he dared to lecture her.

“Do ye have something to hide, Rossy?” Glynnis laughed hoarsely. “It wasn't Grace who told. Dand had quite a bit to say about Sadie.”

She and Ross turned to the boy.

Dand continued folding a piece of newspaper into a hat, not looking up at them. “I just said that Aunt Sadie was yere new girlfriend now that Pippa married Max.”

“What?” Ross and Sadie said together. Except Ross's
what
was a boom, and Sadie's was a squeak.

“We're just friends,” Ross declared.

“Friends,” Sadie said quietly, though she felt a little hurt by how adamant Ross was.

Dand turned to them. “But ye two ran off together. I thought when two people run off together that they're getting married.”

Sadie wanted to be anywhere but here.

With a frown etched on his face, Ross sat on the recliner and motioned to Dand. “Come here, lad.” He patted his knee.

Dand ambled over and crawled into Ross's lap. The women were captivated.

Ross stared the boy in the eye. “Ye can't jump to conclusions without knowing all the facts.”

“What are the facts?” Dand asked sensibly.

Yes, Sadie wanted to know them, too.

“The fact is that Sadie and I are friends,
grand friends
. The Almighty must've wanted me to meet Sadie and for us to get along so famously, because we've become good friends awfully fast. But just because we took a little trip doesn't mean that we're getting married.”