What could he say?What comfort could he give?Every cell in his body screamed to find their mate and convince her they belonged together.How could something like that turn his entire world upside down?Shift his focus from the mission that brought him to Colorado?This wasn’t supposed to happen.None of it made any sense but he couldn’t ignore it.Couldn’t just forget the one woman destined for him.Biology or magic, the one thing he realized was that he would be unable to simply walk away and forget her.Once he was divorced, he would make sure his business would run smoothly for a time so he could come back and convince his mate to give them a fighting chance.
****
The cool early morningdew was the first sign that summer was coming to an end.It would be her third winter in the Centennial State, and as chilly as it could get, it still didn’t hold a candle to Scottish winters.
Mairi headed to work the next day, tired and dreading who was going to walk into the coffee shop.She had tossed and turned all night because of that stupid kiss.That idiotic, unsmart whopper of a kiss she had felt down into her soul.Damn it!She had a sinking feeling it would ruin every kiss in her future.
Last night played over in her head, as well as every word Tavish said.Hope was a horrible thing to have.It was only a matter of time until he walked through the coffee shop door and shred her heart to ribbons.Even though they had never lived as man and wife, she was sad that her marriage would come to an end.Made doubly cruel by the fact they were moon-fated mates.Perhaps some romantic thoughts still lingered in her soul, but Tavish had made it pretty clear that he wasn’t staying in the States.He couldn’t.After all, not only was he a laird but he was also Duke of Bellator.He had obligations, as well as a Fortune 500 business to run.The very company he married her for to gain the controlling interest.
Keegan greeted her with a smile as they arrived at the same time.“Ready for another awesome day fixing coffees and selling croissants?”
Mairi rolled her eyes.“Can’t wait for old Mrs.Smyth to arrive and call us stupid again.”
Keegan chuckled as she opened the door.They immediately started prepping in order to open.Mairi’s mind wandered, trying to settle on what she would do after her divorce.After all, it wasn’t like she was in love, and infatuation wasn’t a baseline to build a lasting relationship.Now that she knew she’d never have her fated mate, it settled something inside to know she could find companionship without fearing she was betraying him.Maybe not with Rhodes, because he could still find his, but perhaps with a human.Or a wolf who had already lost his mate.
She told herself she could be happy without Tavish.Without having pups or the sense of belonging to one person.And if she kept telling herself that, perhaps one day she’d believe it.
When they unlocked the door and opened for business, the first customer was, of course, the battle-axe Mrs.Smyth.She never failed to show up to complain about something or someone.
“Why don’t you have a rewards program?”she demanded.
“Like a point system based on what you buy?”Keegan asked pleasantly.
“Exactly,” Mrs.Smyth sniffed.“When I go to the ice cream shop, I have this card that gets punched every time, so I get a free ice cream after buying twelve cones.”
“Bitsy is very clever, isn’t she?”Keegan asked pleasantly, mentioning the owner of the ice cream parlor.
Mairi had to turn away to make sure Mrs.Smyth didn’t see her amusement.That probably wouldn’t go over too well with the notoriously bad-tempered woman.A moment later, after getting her hot butterscotch coffee, she turned to exit.
“Oh, excuse me, young man,” Mrs.Smyth said, in a voice that sounded warm and welcoming.Two things the old woman wasnot.
The moment it hit Mairi what was just said, she smelled him.Her mate.Her soon-to-beex-mate.Bracing herself, she took a deep breath and turned to face her husband.Their gazes met, his in shock and hers in resignation.He held a folder and she knew what it was.What it represented.
“You,” he accused.
“Me.”
“You’re Mairi Monroy?”
“I am,” she replied, switching back to her normal voice.The one that held a slight brogue from her homeland, even though it had faded quite a bit.
“You sounded like an American last night.”
“I’ve been living here for three years,” she pointed out.“I’ve learned how to talk like them.”
“You knew who I was.”
“Aye.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because you’d already established you’re not staying, and I’m not leaving.”She took a deep breath.“Two ships passing in the night.Remember?”
He waved her words away.“I said that to the woman who was my fated mate.Who happens to be you!What are the fucking odds?”
Just then, the door opened and another patron entered.Tavish looked over his shoulder, then marched around the counter to Mairi, where he took hold of her hand and more or less dragged her into a storeroom in the back.Sealed supplies rested on shelves, and the scent of coffee made her yearn for one.
“Let go of me,” she ordered, yanking on her hand.
