He’d grinned at her unrepentantly.
She’d hurriedly turned back toward the front, nose in the air.
Unable to resist, Gavin had whispered, “Come, now. My voice isn’t as bad as Rory’s bagpipes.”
Obviously struggling to maintain godly thoughts, she’d replied under her breath, “I wouldn’t be so certain about that.”
A few days after that, when he’d run into Miss Hughes on the steps down to the beach, he’d purposefully misinterpreted which way she was going, continually bumping into her until she was so flustered that she could barely string two words together.
And the following week, when he’d seen her through the window of the town’s small haberdashery, the temptation had proved too great. He’d eased the door open quietly. She’d been talking to Mrs. Weatherspoon near the window display. “I need a good, strong bonnet. One that can withstand the winds here. My other bonnets have already been torn to pieces.”
“I am certain we can find something that will please ye, Miss Hughes. Now let me see—”
Gavin closed the door with a loud bang.
Both women looked up. Miss Hughes frowned. Mrs. Weatherspoon rushed over and greeted him with a smile. “Mr. McKenzie, whatever are ye doing here? Though make no mistake, ’tis a pleasure to see ye!”
Gavin gave her his most charming grin. “And ye as well, Mrs. Weatherspoon. I find myself in need of your help.”
“Certainly, Mr. McKenzie. How can I be of service?” she’d asked eagerly.
“I need your help in choosing a bonnet.”
“A bonnet?” Miss Hughes narrowed her eyes.
Mrs. Weatherspoon blinked, still smiling. “A bonnet?”
“Aye. For my . . . cousin.”
Just as he’d anticipated, Mrs. Weatherspoon had forgotten all about Miss Hughes and her needs and sprung into action, offering poke bonnets and wide-brimmed bonnets and showing him all sorts of possible trimmings. Flowers. Lace. Birds. Feathers.
Miss Hughes had stood across the room, glowering at him.
At which point he’d admitted it was quite difficult to imagine how the bonnet would look on his cousin. “She and Miss Hughes have similar coloring, I think. Do ye mind holding it near her face?”
“Better yet,” said Miss Weatherspoon, “I am sure Miss Hughes would not mind trying it on for ye, if that would help. Would ye, dear?”
“Of course not,” Miss Hughes had said, voice laced with irony. She’d joined them up at the counter and glowered at him at much closer range while Mrs. Weatherspoon tied the bow beneath her chin.
“My cousin smiles a bit more, Miss Hughes,” Gavin hadsaid, unable to help himself. “Do ye mind smiling for a moment so I can get a better idea of how it will look on her?”
If not for Mrs. Weatherspoon’s presence, Miss Hughes likely would have pulled the bonnet off and strangled him with the ribbons.
Even still, Gavin couldn’t help but notice how fetching she’d looked in the wide-brimmed bonnet with a blue velvet ribbon tied beneath her chin.
“Aye,” he’d said. “That will do verra well. Mrs. Weatherspoon, ye are a bonnet genius.”
Mrs. Weatherspoon had blushed and tittered, promising to have the bonnet delivered two days hence. Only after she’d bid him farewell three times did she finally turn back to Miss Hughes.
So maybe he hadn’tquitebeen a saint.
But there had been several times when he might have teased her and hadn’t. And he’d kept his promise to Nan and stayed away for several weeks. That had to count for something.
By the time Gavin had finished his route and made his way to the river, it was mid-morning. He tethered Baird by one of the trees near the bank, then walked down toward the boats. But instead of finding the two he’d expected, there was only one. The damaged boat was gone.
Gavin looked around, but besides the long grass and the reeds, he saw nothing. He frowned. Perhaps Mr. Murray had forgotten to move the leaking boat away from the bank? With all the rain, the river was high, and it might have been carried away by the current. With any luck, the damaged boat had gotten caught in a tangle of reeds along the riverbank and he could retrieve it.
Remembering the skepticism in Mr. Murray’s voice, he set his jaw. He’d find that boat and fix it if it was the last thing he did.
