Wink at small faults, for you have great ones yourself. That was another one, as well as Never let your feet run faster than your shoes.
Don’t forget “Follow your heart,” his dragon whispered.
Lachlan stiffened. That was one of the few things Trevor had been wrong about.
Another little saying popped into his mind. Keep your head, and don’t stray off course.
Now you sound like Father, his dragon grumbled.
Lachlan grimaced and slid into the car. Why were memories of Trevor so much nicer than memories of his father?
For a moment, he sat quietly, looking at the instrument panel, gear stick, and steering wheel as memories drifted through his mind. Then Mrs. Baker hit a remote, and the garage door opened with a clatter.
“Take good care, lad,” the housekeeper said softly.
He nodded briskly — twice, because that might clear the lump in his throat — and eased the car onto the road.
He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and hastily ran a hand over his hair. The pickup point he’d agreed on with Holly wasn’t far, and for some reason, his heart beat faster the closer he came.
Where is she? his dragon fretted when he pulled up to the back entrance of White Horse Close.
Lachlan craned his neck, then checked his phone. No messages, and no other streets of a similar name. This had to be it. Where was Holly?
He checked his watch again. Technically, he was ten minutes early, but didn’t everyone arrive to meetings early, just to be on the safe side?
His dragon chuckled. Not Holly.
Time crawled by, but no matter how often he glanced around or how high his blood pressure rose, no Holly. Not even when a nearby church bonged to mark the hour. Several long minutes later, he stepped out of the car and paced the sidewalk.
I’m staying with a friend, she’d said.
He looked around, wondering which apartment that meant. Wondering if the friend was a she or a he.
A she, his dragon growled stubbornly. It had better be.
He grew more and more nervous, which only proved Holly wasn’t a good match for him. The woman was less predictable than the weather in the Outer Hebrides, for one thing. How she got through life without a plan or routine confounded him.
Well, it fascinates me, his dragon hummed. Like a new puzzle to solve, all the time.
Normally, he loved puzzles — but there had to be edges to orient yourself by, not a blur of emotion and energy that distracted you from the purpose of the thing.
The purpose of a puzzle is fun, his dragon pointed out.
Just then, a dog woofed from the far end of the street, and Lachlan turned around.
It was morning, and the sun was shining. But when he spotted Holly, it felt as if the sun rose a second time. Her left arm stretched forward as a tall, wiry deerhound strained at its leash. Her right elbow was tucked in tight as she balanced a parcel, the urn, and a steaming cup of coffee. Her traveler’s rucksack stuck out over her head and on both sides. Lachlan’s unit commander would have thrown a fit at the jacket, spare shoes, and other loose bits strapped carelessly to the pack, but his inner dragon just heaved a dreamy sigh.
Holly.
“Wait, Mungo. I said, wait,” she called as the dog dragged her along.
As usual, his brain filtered out everything but the smooth, silky tone of her voice.
A voice fit for radio, Trevor had once said.
Lachlan shook his head, trying to focus. The voice didn’t matter, and neither did the circumstances. All that mattered was completing this mission and moving on to the next. And the next, and the next…
But bloody hell. She wore big, flouncy pants that danced as she moved. The pant legs were made of four different colored panels, with each leg cut wide enough to fit her entire body. So unnecessary. So overdecorative. So…so…
Mesmerizing, his dragon hummed.
She floated more than she moved, filling his mind with all kinds of dangerous ideas.
“No pulling. Good boy,” Holly told the dog as it dragged her along.
Lachlan looked around, waiting for someone to run out, hug Holly goodbye, and take the dog. But Holly just strode up and handed him the leash.
“Good morning. Whew.” She maneuvered out of her rucksack. “Wow. I forgot what a beauty this car is.” Then her chest rose and fell in a sigh. “Trevor loved this car.”
Lachlan nodded. Indeed, he had — and what an honor it was to be entrusted with its care.
The church bells struck eight fifteen, and Holly fluttered her hands. “Oops. Time flies. We ought to hit the road.” She placed the smaller items on the passenger seat, hefted her bag into the boot, then took the dog’s leash again. “I’ll be right back.”
Lachlan exhaled and circled to the driver’s side while Holly walked the dog back to its master, wherever he or she was.
But Holly only walked to the end of the block and back, letting the dog relieve itself. Then she backtracked to the car, opened the passenger door, and waved the dog in.
“Come on, Mungo. Hop.”
The dog stuck its wiry face in the car and sniffed.
“Go on, sweetie.”
The dog lifted one foot uncertainly, then switched to the other.
Lachlan stared at the dog, then at the spotless leather interior. “Wait—”
But Holly was already clapping and urging the dog in. “Hop. Hop. Go on, Mungo.” The deerhound leaped into the front seat and turned in circles, swatting Lachlan with its tail.
Holly grinned. “Good boy!”
Lachlan held up a hand, warding off that whip of a tail.
“Now, jump in the back…”
“Not the b—” Lachlan started, but it was too late. The dog was already clawing his way over the backrest.
“You all comfy?” Holly spoke to it in baby tones.
Mungo stuck his head over the front seat and panted in Lachlan’s ear.
“Comfy?” Lachlan grumbled.
Holly slid into the passenger seat, buckled in, and carefully set the urn between herself and Lachlan. “Ready?”
Lachlan stared at her, the dog, the urn, and the steaming coffee. Bloody hell. Was she serious?
Holly frowned. “Oh! Sorry. Should I get you a coffee? There’s a nice shop just down the road…”
He waved quickly. “No coffee. Thanks.”
“Then what’s wrong? Oh.” She unbuckled quickly. “You’re right. It would be criminal to drive with the top up on a day like today. Look at that blue sky.”
Lachlan hadn’t noticed the weather, to be honest. The moment he’d laid eyes on Holly, his mind had gone blank. Well, mostly blank, except for foolish, dreamy memories. Like showing her the secret path to his favorite Highland glen. Soaking in the joy of her laugh and the warmth of her smile. Walking her home and kissing her again and again.
His blood heated at memories of giving in to temptation for the most glorious night of his life — a night with his mate. But the next day…
It had been a beautiful, promising morning, waking up holding Holly. Eventually, he’d slipped away for a few minutes to plan what to do next. Could he delay entering the military? Renege on that plan altogether? Perhaps he could stay in Scotland longer to give himself time with Holly…
But reality had come rushing back like a battering ram, and he’d forced himself to bid Holly goodbye in a short, painful exchange.
He clenched the steering wheel, reminding himself of all the reasons he’d had to let her go.