The Great Scot (27 page)

“There are only three of them, sir, and they're all—”

He waved a hand. “I don't care about the particulars. Just make it happen. You'll have all weekend to convince him.”

“I'm not sure he'll be—what? What do you mean, ‘all weekend'?”

Tommy stopped as a phalanx of production assistants and crewmen descended upon him as the elevator door opened. He turned to her and took her arms in his hands. “Get him out of here. Take him to Inverness. Leave him there if you have to. Just make sure he's staying anywhere but Glenshire when you return.” He released her and patted her shoulders. “We'll talk about the plans for next season when you get back. Good work, Erin. I knew I could count on you!”

He didn't give her a chance to swallow, much less retort. He'd already turned to Dana and snapped his fingers. “You, with me.” Then he started barking orders at his crew and they quickly disappeared down the adjoining hall, with Dana sending her a weak wave over her shoulder.

Leaving Erin standing in front of the elevators, scrambling once again to figure out a plan. Well, she'd gotten permission to take the trip to Inverness, which was a good thing. But she wasn't taking Dylan with her. All she had to do there was track him down and tell him she'd already told Tommy he'd agreed to be next season's Prince Charming. She seriously doubted he'd want to have anything to do with her after that. There was still the matter of getting him to relocate for the next month and a half, but, well, first things first.

Absently rubbing the tender spot in the center of her chest, she stepped in the elevator and punched the right number, rehearsing what she was going to say as the lift slowly ascended each floor. He'd be understandably angry, or worse, hurt. Her stomach tightened at the thought, or maybe that was her heart. Then it skipped a beat entirely when it occurred to her he might actually try and get her to change her mind by seducing her.

She could handle the first two. Probably. He'd asked for her honesty, after all. But if he tried that last one…well, that's why she'd needed the weekend off in the first place. To build up her resistance. Unfortunately, she didn't have time to build it up before telling him.

She had to jam her key in three times before she could get the door to open. Only to find he'd already vacated the room. Which was a good thing, since her immediate reaction was disappointment, not relief. She missed him.

Not a good sign.

Trying not to think about what had taken place in this room mere hours ago, she quickly stuffed a few things in an overnight bag, grabbed what she could out of the bathroom—while studiously avoiding looking at the shower or the damp towels he'd hung over the curtain rod—then raced back out again. Maybe if she was lucky, Dylan was still somewhere in the village. But if not, she'd head out to Glenshire, deal with him, then get on the road to Inverness. She'd call Dana once she was underway and they could network the site details from there.

Bag in hand, she resolutely marched to the door, but not before giving in and glancing at the rumpled sheets on her bed one last time. Her mind immediately flashed on a very naked, very relaxed Dylan, sprawled on her sheets, coaxing her to join him. A soapy, water-slicked Dylan, tugging her under the hot spray of the shower. She slammed the door shut behind her and almost ran toward the elevator.

Yeah. She definitely needed to sleep someplace else tonight.

She managed to get back downstairs without being waylaid by anyone, and was almost to her car on a side street a block off the square when someone called her name. Dammit. She just wanted to find Dylan, do whatever was necessary to get things over and done with, then get out of town before something else happened to complicate her life.

“Erin!”

She turned to see Daisy MacDonnell jogging across the small lot.

“I've been trying to catch up with you,” she said, her ever present smile creasing her lovely face. “You're one busy lady.” She glanced at the overnight bag in Erin's hand. “And I can see you're headed out. Listen, I won't keep you long, promise, but if you could spare a few minutes.”

Erin pressed her car key deeper into her palm, really wanting to get out of there before Tommy found some other reason to screw up her plans, but the least she owed Daisy for all her help was a minute or two of her time. “Sure. Just let me shove this in the backseat.” She stowed the bag and tossed her satchel on the front seat, then turned to face Daisy. “What's up?”

The wind tossed Daisy's hair about and she fought to keep it smooth while she talked. “I know things are crazy for you, but I was hoping to maybe bend your ear for a minute or two at some point before you left town. I was thinking about the help you'd asked for, for the date sites. I understand some of them panned out for you and you'll be using them in the show?”

Erin nodded. “Yes, yes they did. I can't thank you enough.”

“Well, actually, maybe you can. You see, I was thinking about ways to capitalize on the fact that the show is filming here. When the time comes, I'm going to be updating the Glenshire website, obviously, along with most of the village sites as well, and I was wondering if I could discuss with you the idea of showcasing some of the date sites featured on the show as a way to boost tourism.” She lifted a quick hand. “Of course I wouldn't do that until after it had actually aired. But if we could advertise the idea that our guests could go on the same kinds of fantasy dates as your cast members, well, I thought that might be a fun idea. I wasn't sure who I needed to talk to, so I thought I'd start with you. I was hoping maybe you could share with me some of the other dates you have planned—I'd be sworn to secrecy of course—so I can get a head start on designing the pages for those dates. I know I could wait until the show aired, but I'd like to start advertising them as that happens, really make the most of the exposure, so I'd like some advance time to plan and prep.” She finally ran out of breath, and managed a short laugh. “Sorry to gush all this out at you, but—”

“No, no, not a problem. I think it's a great idea, actually, and I don't see where it would be a problem. Let me follow up with my boss and see if there are any specific kinds of things we need to do to make sure no legal toes are stepped on.”

Daisy beamed. “Thank you, so much. And if there is anyone I need to talk to, I'll be more than happy to do that. I can even do a mock-up of a page or two so they can see what kind of thing I'm looking to do. I really appreciate your help on this.”

“Sure, no problem. I'm heading out of town for a few days, but I'll put it on my list of things to handle as soon as I get back.”

“Oh, that's fine. No hurry, really. I just wasn't sure how long you stayed with the production. I knew you were doing more an advance team kind of thing and I didn't want to miss the chance.” She paused for a moment, and there looked like there was something else she was going to say, but instead she stuck her hand out. “Thank you, Erin. I'm glad we had a chance to meet.”

Erin shook her hand, and couldn't help but wonder what she'd opted not to ask her. Daisy didn't strike her as someone who backed away from pretty much anything. “My pleasure. And I'm glad we met, too. You made my job a lot easier when I first got here. I appreciate you paving the way with some of the other locals.”

“We Yanks have to stick together,” she said with a grin.

“Aye, that we do. Well, I need to run.” She opened her car door, then glanced back at Daisy. The question came blurting out before she thought it through. “How long have you been here? In Glenbuie, I mean? Was it hard to adapt?”

Daisy tilted her head slightly and gave Erin a considering look. “Not very long, but it seems like I've lived here forever.” She laughed. “In a good way. As for fitting in, for all it's a small town and the villagers definitely take care of their own, they were very welcoming to me. But then I had the added benefit of being related to one of their own, so they were predisposed to be kindly toward me, anyway. As for the rest, well, I suppose it would depend on the person, but I was very much ready to make a big change in my life. Of course, I wasn't expecting quite as big a change as I got.” She fiddled with the gorgeous engagement ring adorning her hand. The smile that came to her face then could only be described as radiant.

Erin felt an odd little pang in her chest. She'd seen that look before. Over and over again. Every season, in fact. She'd always been thrilled because she knew that meant the show would be a success. Expressions like the one on Daisy's face meant higher ratings and better market share.

At the moment, however, she wasn't thinking about any of that.

“I've been truly blessed since coming here, so I'm probably a bit biased,” she went on. “But I'd already fallen in love with the place, even before I fell in love with Reese, or the rest of the villagers.” She looked at Erin, paused for a moment, then abruptly said, “Can I ask why you asked?”

“I'm not sure,” Erin said, which wasn't exactly a lie. She really wasn't sure. She'd just finished deciding to end things with Dylan, so there was no reason to be wondering about any of it. “I guess it just intrigued me, the idea that you gave up everything and moved half a world away.”

“I didn't have all that much to give up,” Daisy told her. “And I knew I was moving toward something important. Because it was finally something I was doing just for me. At that time in my life, that's what really mattered.”

“Well, obviously no regrets. Which is great. I'm really happy for you.” Erin forced a sunny note into her voice, wanting to get in her car and drive away and pretend she wasn't having this conversation. Because then she wouldn't have to think about Daisy's answers. Or why she'd asked the questions in the first place. “I should be going.”

“Right.” Daisy stepped back to allow Erin to get in her car. “Thanks again for your help with this.”

“No problem.” Before Erin pulled the door shut, she glanced back up at Daisy and asked, “By the way, you didn't happen to see Dylan in the village anywhere this morning, did you?”

Daisy shook her head. “I saw him pulling out of here earlier on my way to Miss Eleanor's. From the direction he was heading, I'd say he was going back to Glenshire.”

Erin swallowed a sigh of disappointment, even though she'd suspected as much. She really didn't want to have their next conversation on his turf, but apparently she wasn't going to be given that option. It was probably the least she deserved anyway. “Thanks.”

Just as Erin went to close the door, Daisy lifted her hand and stopped her. “Wait. I—uh…”

Erin waited, shading her eyes against the sun as she looked up expectantly at Daisy.

Daisy fidgeted a little, then said, “I was just wondering, there's a rumor making the rounds. About you and Dylan and, well, is it true you're—?”

“Considering him for an upcoming season?” Erin hurriedly interjected, knowing that was not where Daisy was headed, but knowing it would certainly derail where she was headed.

Which her surprised reaction confirmed. “Are you? Oh! Well. I guess that explains things then.” She laughed a little. “You two had been spotted together a few times, and well…you know how people are.” She smiled reassuringly, then said, “It's just that…well, never mind.” She shrugged and smiled, as if she wanted to believe it, but Erin could tell she wasn't quite sold on the explanation.

“I'd really appreciate it if you wouldn't say anything, or encourage the talk, either. We're just now starting to film the current season and with the craziness of that, it's best not to add more insanity to the mix. Can I trust you'll keep this between us?” Erin silently swore at her big mouth. She knew better than to do something like that. She'd never once put the show before her personal needs before, but then she rarely had personal needs. Yet, she'd taken one look at Daisy's face and had known full well where she was going with that little talk, and given that she was Dylan's future sister-in-law, Erin really hadn't wanted to go down that particular path. Still, she had no business spilling those particular beans, either. If Tommy found out? She shuddered to think.

“Sure, sure,” Daisy assured her, sincere this time.

Erin breathed a small sigh of relief. “We have a lot of wish lists for future seasons,” she told her, truthfully, “so don't read anything specific into it. It was just that Dylan and I arrived back this morning right when all of this season's contestants were arriving and they all reacted pretty favorably to your future brother-in-law, and of course, why wouldn't they, right? Well, my boss was right there, and there had already been some talk amongst the crew working out at Glenshire about him, and that put the bee in Tommy's bonnet, and, well…” She shrugged and smiled, thinking she'd done a good job of diffusing the situation. But the smile slowly faded as a speculative gleam came back into Daisy's eyes.
What had she just said?
She was mentally reviewing her comments, wishing she'd left well enough alone and not babbled on trying to explain away things that didn't need explaining, when Daisy cocked her head, then abruptly spoke up.

“You know, I know this is totally none of my business, it's just…I'm rarely wrong about these things, so I guess I'm a little confused.”