A Scot Like You (The MacLarens of Balmorie, 2) (12 page)

The only thing that had turned out as planned? The article she'd written for Balmorie's castle turned guest house was one of
The Ambler's
most popular to date. Lucy's photograph of the castle had even made the front cover of the magazine.

And Lucy had found love.

Almost seven months had gone by. And now here she was skirting around the enormous hall, through the conservatory, and out into the late November night. The bridesmaid dress offered little warmth—a strapless number with a fitted bodice, empire waist, and flowing knee-length chiffon skirt over satin. The champagne color went perfectly with the white and cream-colored candles and flowers that adorned the chapel. The dress had come with a faux fur shoulder wrap in white, which Riley had left lying across a chair in the hall. With the alcohol flowing through her veins and making her warm, she didn't need it.

The wide patio had been swept clear of snow, but she took her time, being careful in the strappy heels. It was quiet outside—the muted echoes of music from the hall seeming far away—and dark, the sky clear and black, the stars as bright as the moonlit snow. Riley had more than once reflected on how beautiful it was here, how she wished she could live in a place like this. It sure made the hustle and bustle of New York seem like another world. A world and life she was, maybe, getting tired of.

She wrapped her arms around her waist and stopped at the stone wall. While the alcohol helped to keep her warm, it also, unfortunately, made her emotional. And tonight, above all nights, she didn't want to cry. Not at her cousin's wedding.

Sniffling, she drew in an arctic breath and hugged herself tightly.

She was lonely. Lonely and confused and lost.

And she was tired of everyone being gentle and understanding with her, walking on eggshells. She appreciated their concern and thoughtfulness, but she was starting to feel like a charity case. Only James, Ian and Devin's younger brother, hadn't shown her any deferential treatment. Not that he was mean. He just didn't seem to care either way.

"Here, put this on."

Startled, she turned to find James pulling off his jacket.

She frowned. The last thing she wanted was to be in the presence of the gloriously hot and usually pissed-off veteran. James had a chip on his shoulder a mile wide. According to Lucy and Kate, he hadn't always been this way. He'd been something of a wild child, the quick-witted, sarcastic, devil. The kind of man who could smile a certain way at a woman and lustful thoughts instantly filled her mind. He still had a wicked vibe surrounding him, but now it lacked the spark Lucy had told her about.

Couldn't blame him.

No one could.

Riley glanced down at the artificial limb and then away. The guy had stood up as one of Ian's best men, in a kilt with the slick-looking carbon fiber leg replacing what he'd lost below the knee. Riley couldn't begin to imagine what he'd gone through and how he struggled to re-adjust to life outside of the military and then to life as an amputee. He'd only been back at Balmorie for a month or so, having spent the last several back in the States recovering, going through therapy, and finally being fitted for his prosthetic. Shortly after Kate had fallen in love with Devin, word had reach the MacLarens that James had been wounded in combat. Both brothers had flown to Germany to be with James, and then Devin had accompanied him back to their mother's home in North Carolina, where they'd grown up.

From what Riley knew, the entire family had rallied around James.

And, apparently, according to what Lucy had told her, he'd become a different man.

James MacLaren radiated a hardness, even when he was smiling. There was an edge about him. A determination, a stubbornness. And every time Riley was around him, it made her uncomfortable. His energy, the sharp, accessing blue eyes—like two hot lasers that cut through anything and everything—made her blood pressure rise. She didn't like him. Didn't like the way he towered over her and filled wherever he was with an all-consuming presence.

When she didn't take the jacket, he put it around her shoulders. "You're welcome." His deep voice made goose bumps rise on her arms.

"Thanks," she replied tightly, wishing she was alone and that his jacket didn't smell so freaking good. How she missed the smell of a man... "What are you doing out here?"

He stared over the wall at the white landscape and the black loch beyond. "Same as you, I reckon." He tossed a glance back to the house, the windows glowing with warm light. "And escaping your Grammy Lin. She keeps asking me what's under my kilt."

Gotta love Grammy Lin! :)
The Trouble With Kilts
is now available in the Kindle store.

The MacLarens of Balmorie

MAD ABOUT PLAID
(Lucy & Ian, Book 1)

A SCOT LIKE YOU
(Devin & Kate, Book 2)

THE TROUBLE WITH KILTS
(James & Riley, Book 3)

ANY SCOT OF MINE
(Harper & Ross, Book 4)

Kam's Links

WEBSITE

FACEBOOK
NEWSLETTER

REVIEW THIS BOOK