“Uhm…we?” She risked opening the door a little wider and barely caught Sam before he shot out onto the porch and attacked.
The Highlander pulled an older man out from behind him. “Aye, my…uncle and me. We need lodging and saw the ad about the room ye had to let over your garage.”
“I see.” She cleared her throat and peered into the clear keen eyes of the older man with a long beard and long white hair that made him look like he’d stepped straight out of a Tolkien novel or movie adaptation. He offered her a polite nod while standing slightly to one side of his nephew.
“Uhm…give me a minute, please,” she said. “I’ll get on some shoes and show you the place, so you can see if it’ll suit you.” Before she could close the door, the big burly Scot caught it with his hand and prevented her from shutting it.
“I am certain the place will be fine. Our needs are meager since we’ll only be working in this area for a wee bit of time.” His deep voice was made all the more powerful by his mesmerizing accent.
Hugging the growling Sam closer, she swallowed hard and stared at the man’s large hand that kept the door open. She hated having to trust him, but he seemed all right. It wasn’t his fault she had dreamed about him. After sucking in a deep breath as if she was about to jump headfirst into the pond, she stepped back and opened the door all the way. “Come in. You and your uncle can have a seat while I get my shoes, and then we can work out the details of the place.”
His smile and something unreadable in those green eyes of his made her catch her breath. “That is most kind of ye, lass,” he said in that voice that reminded her entirely too much about that dream.
The Scottish mountain ushered his uncle inside ahead of him, as if sensing she might not feel as threatened if the older man entered her first.
“I am Rachel Hawkins and you are?” she asked while offering her hand to the bent old man. Something told her he would do her no harm.
“Emrys, lass, Emrys Myrddin.” He gave her another polite nod. “I’m verra pleased to make your acquaintance.” He took her hand in his and cradled it while patting it with his other hand. “Ye can call meEmrys.My last name befuddles most. This here is my nephew, Caelan Foster MacKay.”
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. MacKay.”
“Nay, lass. Call me Caelan.”
Her small hand disappeared inside Caelan’s large one, and the heat of his touch sent a searing jolt of tingling energy through her. With her gaze locked in his, her breathing turned into shallow gasps she couldn’t control.
“And the pleasure is all mine,” he added with an endearingly lopsided smile. He lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed a gentle kiss to it while inhaling deeply as if pulling in her scent. The smug knowing that gleamed in his eyes threw her off. It was almost as if he knew about last night’s dream.
She blinked to break free of his spell and pointed at the well-worn couch across the room. “Have a s-seat, won’t you? I’ll get some coffee started, then we can go over the details of renting the loft. You would like coffee—yes?” Could she possibly sound any more idiotic?Pull it together, Hawkins, she internally scolded.
“Aye, coffee,” Emrys agreed. “That would be most kind, lass.” He ambled over to the couch and lowered himself into the over-stuffed cushions.
Caelan resettled his stance and just stood there, smiling—and leveling a gaze on her that made her want to squirm.
Backing her way into the kitchen, she set Sam on the floor. “Behave,” she whispered with a warning touch of his nose. “Just look at Maizy.”
The yellow lab had already climbed up on the couch and planted her head in the old man’s lap so he could scratch her ears. The dog trusting them gave Rachel a bit of comfort, but Sam being harder to win over made her watchful. Dogs always knew a person’s actual intentions. Sam had always hated David. She should’ve listened to the little dog. It would’ve saved her a ton of money.
The rat terrier slowly circled Caelan as though sizing up his prey. His tiny hackles stood on end as he emitted a low-throated growl.
“Sam!” Rachel tried to hurry with the coffee while keeping one eye on the determined little dog. That’s all she needed—to be sued by a couple of foreigners because Sam bit them.
“Come here, my wee warrior.” Caelan stretched out his hand as he knelt in front of the fierce beastie.
Rachel’s fearless guardian geared up his growl to a faster speed, and his little black and brown body bristled even further.
“I would never hurt your mistress, lad. Ye can trust me.” The Highlander kept his hand outstretched, smiling as he waited for Sam to come closer.
The furry fury risked another step and touched his twitching black nose to the back of Caelan’s outstretched hand. After thoroughly snuffling the man’s fingers, he settled back on his haunches and cocked his little head. Sam studied the Scot as if unable to decide where this individual had come from.
“Well, that was fast—and unusual,” Rachel said as she stepped back into the living room while trying to balance the coffee carafe and three empty cups on a warped tray that only made it more difficult. With her nerves still shot over the coincidence of the dream and the actual man standing in her living room, she tried to fill the cups and spilled coffee everywhere but in them.
She tried to gloss over her lack of gracefulness by babbling, “It usually takes Sam a long time to warm up to strangers. He’s not a very trusting soul.”
“Allow me to help ye, lass.” Caelan took hold of the coffee pot just as she added to the growing puddle of coffee on the tray.
“Thanks—sorry. I’m not usually this big of a mess. I guess it’s a little early for me to be an impressive hostess.” She mopped up the spills with the towel from her back pocket, her cheeks heating even more. She had to be red as a beet by now, and these two potential renters were probably ready to run from her as fast as they could.
Caelan filled the cups, handed one to Emrys, then settled on the couch beside him. After taking a sip from the steaming mug, he gifted Rachel with another disarming smile. “Dinna fash yourself, lass. It is verra early in the day. We should have waited before we came to see ye. But we were afraid we’d miss the room if we came too late in the day. There does not appear to be many places for rent in this area so close to the lake.”
