“I maintain that y’all could make it work. The best things aren’t always the easiest or the most convenient.”
“I know that. Believe me. But I don’t want ... no. I’m not going through this with you again. And just becauseI’mmopey doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be enjoying your trip. I may not be fine right now, but I’ll get there, so don’t worry about me. Enjoy these ruins.” I extend my arms toward the castle and give her the best smile I can manage.
“Fine. But I’m here for you anytime.”
“Me too,” Micah calls over, not looking our way.
My brother-in-law truly is the best. He’d been around while I was telling Val what had happened, and the only thing he contributed was that he would have gladly given up anything to be with Val. If Alex said he would give it all up for me, he might have been serious, and I shouldn’t dismiss the offer out of some noble idea that I’m giving him what he actually wants.
His words almost had me reaching for my phone, until I remembered how it felt to be surrounded by the paparazzi. It’s not that simple.
“I’m hungry,” Juniper bounds over and informs us.
“Let’s go find some lunch,” Val says.
I bite into my scotch pie and know it should be delicious, but I can hardly taste it. It’s the restaurant itself that brings me up and out of my cloud a bit. It’s a seamless mix of old and new. So beautiful.
“I’m ready to get home to the restaurant. My contractor’s emails have been very encouraging, but you know I’d rather be there overseeing things in person.”
“The whole time leading up to the trip, I was sure you were gonna cancel on us and stay to see about the restaurant,” Val says.
“I’ll have you know that never crossed my mind. I did wish the timing was different, or you know, that the fire hadn’t happened in the first place, but nothing was going to stop me from coming on this trip.”
“But now you’re ready to go back home? I don’t think people on vacation usually say that,” Juniper says before taking a huge bite of her chicken tender.
“Yeah. I want to stay forever,” Peter adds. “Or go home but go to the beach.”
“You’ve got to get home and back to swim team,” Micah says.
“I can swim in the ocean.” Peter shrugs.
They continue discussing swimming and vacations, and I’m not sure what else because I retreat into my brain, where I begin to stress. What if things aren’t going as well in the restaurant as I think they are? I’ve been getting updates every other day with design items to choose, and vague updates about what they’re working on.
It occurs to me that I might just be allowing myself to get stressed as some sort of twisted coping mechanism to deal with missing Alex. Should I do that?
I think I choose the stress.
“I’ll be right back.” Unable to eat any more, I leave my family at the table to go to the restroom. Not that I need to. I just want to move.
I’m looking down at the beautiful floor tiles as I walk, and bump right into someone very strong and sturdy. He’s not wearing a kilt, but it’s clear he’s a local as soon as he opens his mouth.
He gets a hand underneath my elbow to keep me from bouncing off of him. “Whoa there, lassie. Ya nearly knocked me down.” I look up and up, and find a gorgeous, ginger,bearded man. He’s even taller than Alex. He smiles, and that in combination with his deep Scottish burr would have made me pass out a couple of weeks ago. I would have eyed him and said something about how there isn’t a person on the earth who could knock him down. I would have engaged with him, been thrilled to talk with a local about what it’s like to live in Scotland. I would have been so excited.
Not today.
“I’m sorry about that. I need to pay better attention.”
He takes his hand from my elbow, waving off my apology. “Ah. An American. You’ve got a braw accent. From the southern part, I guess?”
Myaccent is braw? Good grief. “You are correct. I’m from North Carolina.” Why did I offer that? I should be back on course to the restroom by now.
“North Carolina,” he says with the beautiful rolling r’s. “I’m Malcolm, by the way.”
“Ivy.” What am I doing? This man is captivating. Whoever ends up with him, I have a feeling, will be a lucky girl. But it’s obviously not going to be me.
“Ivy. A bonnie name for a bonnie woman.”
I smile and shake my head at him. “I could be married, you know.”
