“Suck it up, Becca. He’s like family.”
“But see,” Becca said, slamming her car door, “he’s not. He’s not Collin’s relative, and he’s not ours. He’s like a stray dog that followed you to the States. We don’t even know if he’s had his rabies shot.”
“Did you just equate me to a dog, lass?” Ian asked as she approached the door.
Becca covered the phone with her hand. “If I say yes, will you leave me alone?”
“Nae, I’ve been called worse,” he said, shutting the door behind them both.
“Let him help you, Becca. Ian can be a bit aggravating, and you might want to shoot his balls off—”
“That would be you, Lady Menzie,” Becca argued. The smell of Italian food drifted to her nose. Her stomach grumbled in pleasure. The sound annoyed her even more.
“Oh…you’re right. Look at it this way. It’s either him or I’m calling all the sisters and we’re raiding your house until we figure out how to fix you.”
“I’m not broken,” Becca answered, following the delicious smell.
“Of course you are, Becca. You’re a Thatcher. We’re all broken and a little nuts. It works for us.”
“Speak for yourself.” Becca paused at the threshold to her dining room. The table was set. Candlelight twinkled off the walls, and roses filled her normally empty crystal vase.
Ian slid the phone from her hand and held it up to his ear. “You’re ruining the romantic evening that I planned. She’ll call you later.”
Becca grabbed the phone and pressed it to her ear to tell her sister that she’d rather have her sisters fix her than Ian. Her sisters she could handle, but a sweet, sexy, pushy Highlander was out of her realm of expertise. Quinn had already hung up.
“How did you get back into my house after I locked the door when we left? Did you break in? If so, I need to amend my restraining order.”
Ian slid his hands into his pocket with a sheepish look on his face. “Each of your sisters has a key. I might have talked one into letting me borrow it.”
“You’ve been busy.”
“You needed tending. This is how my ma taught me to tend.”
“I thought you Highlanders beat your chest and carried maids over your shoulder into your chambers.”
Ian’s brows dipped. “Nae, lass. But if you’d rather I do that than eat, I’m willing.”
“Oh no, you aren’t sleeping in my bed again.”
“Yet.” Ian stepped around Becca, pulled the bottle of wine out of the ice bucket and poured them each a glass. He handed one to her. “Donae worry, lass. I dinnae cook, and it is vegetarian lasagna.”
Becca’s lips twitched at the thought. “Did someone tell you I was vegan?”
“No, I just assumed from the tofu and other natural stuff in your cupboards that you probably donae eat meat.”
She patted his chest. “You know what they say about assuming. There’s a reason that stuff is in there. It’s because I haven’t touched it. My sisters and mom keep bringing me that stuff.”
“Thank God.” Ian saluted her with his glass before he drank the entire contents. “I wasnae sure how you’d survive in Scotland.”
Becca sat down in one of the chairs and waited for Ian to sit in the other. She laced her fingers together as she studied his face. He was really a handsome guy.Sweet, a bit overbearing, but most women would find even that endearing. Becca wasn’t most women.
“Ian, I understand your need to want to please your mom. Really I do, and I’ll even help you find the right girl. Grace’s best friend is a matchmaker. I bet we could find you someone in no time.”
“I donae want another girl, Becca. You’re the mind reader, you ken that.”
“And I don’t want to get married, Ian. So we’re at an impasse. You’re wasting your time with me. We won’t ever be more than good friends.”
Ian sat back in his chair. His shoulders deflated. “Becca. I can find an easy lay if this was just about sex. I have access to plenty of woman, including maids who would lie, cheat, and kill to marry me. I’m what you call, in the States, a good catch.”
