We pull up the lane to a modest and tidy home. A large oak tree sits just off to the right of the yard and flower beds full of spring greenery dot the perimeter. Greg pulls to a stop, with my side of the car facing the house, and we all climb out at once.
My boot hits the gravel with a crunch and before I can settle my other foot on the ground, I’m startled by a piercing yell.
When I look up, a flying object is headed straight at me so I duck and cover. The sloppy wet thing hits my back and falls to the gravel with a plop.
"Give no quarter mateys!" The hollered words come out of nowhere before I'm struck along the back with what feels like a broom.
"Granny! Stop!" Duncan yells.
"Duncaroo?"
"Yes, geesh, what did you think you were being commandeered?" Duncan sounds a little exasperated as he joins me and brushes off my shoulders.
"What was I supposed to think when a giant battle vehicle comes slowly up my drive?"
"We tried to stop her." A pretty woman says as she hands me some paper towel. "Sorry about the beetroot."
I glance down and see a pile of pickled beets at my feet.
"Aye, but they stain so everyone in the village knows you're one to watch out for." Granny says as she leans against the broom handle looking satisfied.
"He didn't need the beetroot for that." Duncan says as he walks past me holding two suitcases. "Granny, Delilah, meet Rhys Reid."
"Holy fuck." The young woman says.
"Nicola and Andrew’s boy?" Granny says as she narrows her eyes at me.
"Aye, good to meet you." I extend a hand. She eyes it skeptically but shakes it anyways and then I turn to where Delilah, I’m assuming Duncan’s sister by the resemblance, is gawking. "Nice to meet you too."
"Right, yeah, umm, sure thing." She fumbles.
"Smooth." Duncan teases as he walks past her to the trunk again for the last of the bags. "Well that's everything."
"Right." My throat clearing serves as punctuation to my sentence.
"Thanks for the ride. Shame we didn't get to explore more together." Duncan smirks as he slides my coat off his shoulders and hands it to me.
I reach for it and the weight of the fabric pulls at my muscles, or maybe it's that I'd rather feel his weight in my arms.
How can I go from heartbroken to smitten in the blink of an eye?
"Well, maybe we can while you're here." I toss up the hail mary.
Delilah’s head whips back and forth between us and I see her fingers fly up to tap against each other over her chest.
The fluttering matches the feeling in my stomach.
"Maybe. If we run into each other again we'll see where it goes." Duncan winks.
The split second gesture stokes the wildfire in my chest.
He nods and takes two steps backwards before turning and pulling his sister under his arm and messing up her hair.
In a daze I get back into the car. I roll the jacket and keep it tucked in my lap as we drive away. My thumb brushes the collar and I swear I can feel the heat of his throat lingering on the fabric.
Chapter five
Duncan
