Or hadshebecome so jaded in her career that she’d lost the ability to live in the moment and enjoy the unique and surprising gifts life offered? Like this place. This man.
“I suppose it’s the isolation,” she finally replied. “The very things that make this place special, also make it attractive to people who might have less than honorable intentions.”
His nod was barely perceptible as he seemed to consider her words. “Areyefrightened, Lauren? Of me, or…this?” He swept his arm to encompass their surroundings.
She couldn’t see the details of his face in the dark, but contrary to anything remotely predatory, she only sensed his concern. “No. Not of you. And not of this,” she waved a hand to indicate their surroundings. “Not with you, beside me.”
“I’m glad tae hear it.”
She thought she could hear a chuckle in his voice.
“I confess, I dinnae ken what tae do if ye were. How tae reassure ye, that is.”
“No need to,” she assured him.
He was quiet for a while after that and she wasn’t sure if he slept or watched the sky.
“Lauren, ye do ken I would ne’er harm ye, aye?”
“Aye,” she teased, unable to hold back a chuckle. “Iken.”
“Good.” He sighed, leaned back against the bank and folded his arms behind his head. “So, tell me about these books ye write. Crimes, ye say?”
She leaned back as well, hugging her arms to her chest to stave off the chill and marveled again at the carpet of stars. “Yes. True Crimes. Which, believe me, can often be far stranger than fiction.”
“Aye.” His voice held a touch of irony. “Far stranger. How did ye come tae choose such a subject?”
“Not without difficulty, I assure you. I love my parents, but they are very…umm…sociallyprominent,and that kind of life comes with a certain set of expectations and acceptable behaviors. Unfortunately, even from childhood, the life they wanted for me felt artificial, sterile, and frankly, abhorrently boring.
“Abhorrent, coincidentally, is the word my mother used for my choice of vocation. Along with a few ‘abominables’, and an occasional ‘unfitting for agirlof my station’. And to quote her favorite complaint, ‘a waste of my education’. There’s more, of course, but I’m sure you get the idea.”
As always, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry over the disappointment she was to her mother, who had no trouble lamenting over it, on a regular basis. A major reason Lauren had jumped at the chance to come to Scotland to help Aunt Phoebe, despite the tight deadline on her upcoming book.
“In the end, I decided if I was going to be such a disappointment to her, I might at least be true to myself and live a life that felt authenticto me.Screw-ups and all.” She tried to laugh but it sounded stifled and half-hearted in the stillness. “Crimes—more specifically, the reason people commit them—have always fascinated me. So, I turned my dual journalism and psychology degrees into a career as a writer. Although I like to think of myself as more of an explorer, uncovering the hidden secrets and motivations behind the things we humans do to one another.”
“What ye do, requires a good deal of bravery.”
Startled—and pleased—she turned to him. No one had ever acknowledged that. “I suppose so. At times, anyway.”
The warmth on her cheeks made her grateful for the darkness. She’d assumed he meant the subject matter she explored, but could he have meant defying her parents in order to be true to herself?Thathad taken all the courage she could muster.
Either way, this Scotsman intrigued her. He seemed to trulyseeher and accept her at face value.The real her. The person she’d been searching for her whole life but never felt she’d quite caught up with.
Reggie turned his head and caught her watching him. “Be proud of yerselfandyer choices, Lauren.” His soft tone underscored his words. “Braveandbeautiful. ’Tis rare.” Several seconds passed before he broke the spell with a casual lift of a shoulder. “In my experience, at least.”
Turning back to his study of the night sky, he occasionally took a deep breath and released it gradually, as if engaging all his senses in order to savor the moment. Lauren found the simple gesture oddly touching. Few men she knew would even notice such things, let alone bask in them. Although, to be fair, she couldn’t think of anywhere in New York they could experiencethis. Certainly, nowhere Ben had ever wanted to go.
Her sigh of disappointment drew Reggie’s attention. “Are ye cold, lass? Would ye like a fire tae warm ye? Ye may need one since I’ll be wantin’ tae refresh that cold cloth on yer ankle, soon.”
She winced, wishing she’d been more discreet. “Not just yet. I’m enjoying the evening just as it is.”
“As ye wish.” He settled back; head tilted to the sky. No argument. No cajoling. No inserting his opinion.Definitely notlike Ben.
Why then, couldn’t she be still? Why did she feel the need to fill in the gaps of silence? “I suppose as a soldier, you wouldn’t have had much chance to relax and enjoy a peaceful evening like this.”
Though he didn’t move, she sensed an immediate change in him. Whatever it was, seemed to shroud him as thoroughly as his plaid.
“Nae,” he finally whispered. “No’ such as this.”
