Connor hands me a glass of wine, which I accept gratefully.
“Seen Jamie?” he asks with a sly smile. “Apparently he’s back.”
“Yeah, I ran into him this morning. Helped him with an injured horse. It was nice seeing him again.”
Cameron and Connor exchange a look I don’t understand.
“What?” I ask suspiciously.
“Nothing,” Cameron says innocently.
At that exact moment, Maggie rises at the far end of the table, surveying the crowd with a deeply satisfied smile. She’s wearing a tartan shawl and a brooch sparkling in the lantern light.
Gradually, conversations fade into silence.
“My dear friends!” she calls in a voice that carries across the entire lawn. “Welcome to McGregor Castle for our annual Highland Games!”
Applause and cheers erupt. Someone yells something in Gaelic that makes half the crowd laugh.
Maggie launches into a speech about tradition, clan honor, and the importance of these Games that connect us to our ancestors.
I listen distractedly while glancing around every few seconds.
Still no Finn.
The speech ends in another wave of applause. Servers begin bringing food to the tables—lamb stew, roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables. The smell is incredible, and my stomach growls loudly.
My grandmother settles near us.
“Where is our good doctor?” Maggie suddenly asks, leaning toward me.
My heart skips.
“I… I don’t know. Maybe he’s finishing something at the medical station?”
Maggie studies me with that intense look that always makes me feel like she can read my thoughts.
“Hmmm.”
I force myself to smile innocently—or at least I hope it looks innocent—and stab my fork into my food.
“He’s probably exhausted,” I add lightly. “We’ve all been awake since five this morning.”
Maggie nods slowly before returning to her own dinner, but I can feel her watching me off and on for the rest of the meal.
Conversation flows around the table.
Lachlan tells some story about bagpipe competition preparations. Emma laughs while describing emergency repairs she had to make to traditional costumes. Callum and Jane sit quietly together with their fingers intertwined across the table.
Everyone seems happy.
Relaxed.
Excited for tomorrow.
And meanwhile, I keep searching for Finn between bites.
Where is he?
