Despite all these inconveniences, the MacGregor family was determined to make it work. They were not giving up Green Vallis without a fight. And they sure as hell weren’t leaving it to become overrun by those with malevolent intent.
“This is awkward, huh?” Jennifer said, breaking the silence.
“Excuse me?”
“You didn’t have to agree to give me a ride. I know you are being polite because Maura suggested it,” she said. “After taking me to the motel last night and making sure I was unharmed, you’ve done more than enough. I’m fine if you want to take me straight to the Crimson Tavern. Or here. I can get out here and walk.”
Rory realized he hadn’t been talking. His mind had been drifting. He needed to figure out the question of who this woman was and what had happened the night before.
“Who have ya been around, love, that such an idea is even a remote possibility?” Rory demanded, unable to help himself. “Who would drop a woman in the middle of town, blocks away from her destination? And before fulfilling the simple promise of coffee?”
She leaned slightly away from him, her eyes focusing on his face.
“I only meant to say it’s not a very gentlemanly thing to do.” He eased his tone as he tried to explain.
“All right,” she said. Her hands had tightened on the apron.
“Any man worth the name would help a woman in distress,” he insisted.
“All right,” she repeated.
“I said I’d give ya ride, and I meant it,” he continued.
“Thanks,” she answered, her tone a little flat. “The ride is appreciated.”
She looked like he’d been yelling at her. So much for his MacGregor charm. What the hell was wrong with him? He should be complimenting her and making her laugh, not lecturing her about whatever it was he was lecturing her about.
“All I meant was—”
“I get it,” she interrupted. “It wasn’t my intention to insult your manhood.”
“I don’t think ya insulted my manhood.”
“Your gentlemanly-hood then.”
“I don’t think ya insulted me.”
“All right.”
He wished she’d stop saying that. It made him feel like a little kid being tolerated by a tired parent.
“Ya don’t remember anything from the forest last night?” He twisted his hands against the steering wheel.
Since moving to Green Vallis, all of his cousins who’d been born of Uncle Angus and Aunt Margareta had found their true loves—Erik found Lydia, Iain found Jane, Euann found Cora, Malina re-found her luck demon Dar, Niall found Charlotte, and Kenneth found Andrea. Even Uncle Fergus had found the reincarnation of his long-dead wife, Elspeth.
The odds of meeting a fíorghrá, a true love, were astronomical, considering they lived for hundreds of years. But for so many of his clan to have met them here, now? It was almost too much to comprehend. It had to be part of the local magick, or so Rory hoped.
For some stupid reason, he’d convinced himself Jennifer was going to mean something special to him. The second that he saw her he’d felt his world change.
Maybe after seven pairings for the MacGregor family, fate thought it had done enough.
Rory couldn’t help but be jealous. He had no problem finding women to have sex with him, but he wanted more. He wanted a connection, a wife, someone who loved him unconditionally, and who he could love in return with every fiber of his being.
In searching for that dream, that wish, he was afraid he’d start desperately trying to force any women he met into that mold. Was that what happened with Jennifer? Was he taking the fact she’d tried to murder him and twisting it into some sign that wasn’t there?
“Any of these will work,” Jennifer said, glancing out the window to direct his attention to the fast food places he drove past.
The idea of taking her through a fast food drive-thru for a coffee left him a little sick to his stomach. They probably brewed it next to the fryers, and it would taste like French fry grease. This was not how a man treated a lady the first time they went somewhere together. His ma would lock him in his room for a month if she found out. Sure, he was hundreds of years old and a man, but warlocks still knew not to cross their elders.
However, since this wasn’t a date and he was already failing miserably at conversation, Rory turned into the next restaurant. He pulled into line behind a minivan. Someone had affixed stickers of a mom, dad, and three children to the back window. The normality of it made him jealous.
Jennifer dug into her apron. “Can you order me a number two with a large coffee and cream, please?”
She pulled her hand from her apron and tried to give him money to pay for it.
“I got this,” he said.
“No, it’s—”
“I insist,” he cut her off.
“Thank you.” Jennifer sighed and looked out the passenger window. She clutched her money in her hand.
The car again fell into silence. He made his way through the drive-thru, talking only to order her number two and a couple of coffees. After he received their order, he handed the bag of food to her.
“Thanks.” Jennifer was careful not to touch his hand when she took the food from him. She didn’t open it to check the contents as she placed it on her lap with the apron.
Rory took an obligatory sip of the hot coffee and hid his grimace. Just as he expected, the bitter flavor had the underlying taste of a deep-fat fryer.
“Which way?” he asked, coming to a stop sign.
“You can drop me off at the Crimson Tavern. I’ll make my way from there.” Jennifer fingered the plastic lid on her cup, tapping a light rhythm on the top.
“I can take ya home.” Rory wanted to be a gentleman, but she made it damn hard.
“I…” The tapping stopped.
Rory inhaled a deep breath and slowly nodded, understanding her hesitance. “You’re worried about me seeing where ya live? ’Cause I’m a stranger?”
Jennifer nodded.
“If it makes ya feel any better, this is a small town. I can probably figure it out by asking around. I’m pretty sure Mrs. Callister, the local busybody, keeps a record of everyone.” He smiled, hoping to make her at least chuckle once on this drive.
“You’ve seen it?” Jennifer grimaced. “What she says about Kay and me is a lie. We just waitress. We’re not prostitutes. Honestly, my job is hard enough without her blog posts making guys think they can get lucky in the back room between appetizers and the main course for ten bucks. If you think I’m going to blow you for a couple of bucks, you’re mistaken.”
Rory’s hand tightened on the coffee cup and the lid popped off, spilling hot liquid on his hand and leg. “Ow, damn it!”
The car swerved before he managed to apply the brakes a little too hard.
“Oh!” Jennifer braced a hand on the dashboard and lifted her cup in the air to keep it from sloshing around.
Luckily, the coffee mainly landed on his kilt and not the bare legs underneath, even though he could feel the heat of it against his crotch.
“Oh, ouch,” Jennifer acknowledged as she set her cup on the floor and dug into her food bag to pull out napkins. She handed them over. “Did it burn?”