His lips curled in a wry smile. “Mistakes? A MacFinnan spellweaver? I dinna believe it.”
Oh, you’d better, Rose thought.Because my life is full of them.
Thoughts of Dennis suddenly crowded into her mind. She had barely thought about him at all since she’d come here, nor the wreckage of their marriage. But now she couldn’t help herself.
If she could have her time over like Cailean said, would she have done things differently? Would she have given more time to her marriage and tried harder to make it work?
She took another swig of whisky. Already, she was starting to feel a little fuzzy around the edges. She normally avoided alcohol, and she knew drinking strong spirits wasnota good idea. But she didn’t care. The oblivion that drink could provide suddenly seemed very enticing.
Cailean had gone back to staring at the fire. There was something in his hand and he was turning it over and over without even seeming to realize what he was doing.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Hmm?” Cailean looked at her and then down to the object. It was a silver brooch in the shape of a lily, its gilded edges catching the firelight. He didn’t answer for so long that she thought he wasn’t going to speak at all.
“It was my wife’s.”
Rose sucked in a little breath. “Oh. Mable told me what happened to her. I’m sorry, Cailean.”
His lips twisted into a grimace. “Dinna be. It was a long time ago.”
Not so long that it doesn’t still cut you up inside, she thought.
His dark eyes found hers. “How come ye are not married, lass?”
She winced. She fidgeted on her seat. “I was,” she said at last.
His eyebrows rose in surprise. “Ye lost yer husband?”
She shook her head, not wanting to him to misunderstand. “Divorced. He’s still alive—but he’s gone all the same.”
Cailean studied her. She saw no judgment in his eyes, only understanding. “Perhaps that is worse. After all, death is not a choice.”
She nodded, surprised by the insight. “Perhaps. It was all so clinical when it ended. Like closing a bank account.”
Why was she telling him this? She’d not even discussed this with Elise so why was she opening up to Cailean MacNeil as though she’d known him for years?
The whisky, she told herself.You know it wasn’t a good idea.She glanced at the bottle that she still held in her hand.
“Ugh. I’m too old to be drinking this stuff.”
“Old? Hardly. And besides, it’s medicinal.”
“Is that right? Perhaps I’ll add it to my treatments. If nothing else, it will make my patients more pliable.” Rose stretched her legs out towards the fire, warmth curling around her ankles. “Remind me never to drink with a Highlander. You folks don’t know moderation.”
“Or perhaps we just have regrets to drown.”
His words landed heavily between them. Rose took another swig from the bottle then passed it back to Cailean. “I’ll drink to that.”
He took it and raised it to her in salute. “Here’s to regrets.”
“And on that note, I think it’s time I went to bed,” Rose said. She climbed to her feet and staggered, her head suddenly spinning so much she had to steady herself on the back of the chair.
Cailean rose easily, not staggering at all, despite the amount he’d already put away. “Careful, lass. Falling flat on yer face on this floor isnae pleasant. Believe me, I talk from experience.”
“I’m fine,” Rose said, waving a hand. “I’m not drunk.”
Cailean just raised an eyebrow.
