Scot of My Dreams (25 page)

Without McKenzie, Willow and I wouldn’t be in Europe at all.

Our plan was to stay together tonight at the hotel adjacent to the train station in Inverness. Then tomorrow morning, we would all three go our separate ways. My mood skittered back and forth between exhilaration and terror.

I tapped the notebook where I had underlined the final piece of our plan. “And remember. Every night at nine o’clock, or as close as we can make it, we’ll turn on our phones and check for any emergency messages from each other.”

McKenzie nodded. “I won’t forget. Willow knows her way around the mean streets, but no offense, Hayley, you’re the one I’m worried about.”

Her remark was fair enough, but it stung nevertheless. “I’ll be fine, McKenzie,” I said automatically. The truth was, I had my doubts. I wasn’t an experienced traveler. Still, McKenzie’s offer had been impossible to resist. She paid for all three of our first-class plane tickets and for three train fares as well. All Willow and I had to cover was lodging and food. Immersing myself in this kind of trip was the opportunity of a lifetime.

McKenzie was Willow’s opposite in almost every way. Her family had money…serious money. Old Georgia wealth that grew even in financial hard times. The impetus for this bucket-list trip was a bequest from McKenzie’s paternal grandmother. Instead of putting her inheritance away for a rainy day, McKenzie decided she wanted to go to Scotland. With us.

Given her background, it wouldn’t be surprising if she were a spoiled brat. But the truth was, she was a sweetheart. A little bossy maybe…and with a tendency to believe she was always right. But a sweetheart. And I loved her.

I loved Willow, too. At the moment, though, I was ready to murder both of them.

Inverness couldn’t get here soon enough…

Photo by Jamie Pearson Photography

USA Today
bestselling author Janice Maynard knew she loved books and writing by the time she was eight years old. But it took multiple rejections and many years of trying before she sold her first three novels. After teaching kindergarten and second grade for a number of years, Janice took a leap of faith and quit her day job. Since then she has written and sold over thirty-five books and novellas.

During a recent trip to Scotland, Janice enjoyed getting to know the “motherland.” Her grandfather’s parents emigrated from the home of bagpipes, heather, and kilts. Janice lives in east Tennessee with her husband, Charles. They love hiking, traveling, and spending time with family.

Hearing from readers is one of the best perks of the job!

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