Fire Maidens Scotland (Billionaires & Bodyguards #6) - Anna Lowe Page 0,23

really did care.

She nodded. “Louisa runs the accessibility division at a big publisher. They do audio as a service for the visually impaired and also produce audiobooks for profit.”

She nearly got carried away, talking about all Louisa’s successes and plans to start her own audio publishing company someday. All the backcountry trips they had done together. All the laughs they’d shared, as well as the tears. That, and all about Deshawn. How she was flourishing with Louisa’s guidance, what she had planned for college and beyond…

But did Mr. Efficiency really want to hear about all that?

He sat perfectly still as if the answer was yes, he really did want to hear. But Mungo pulled on the leash, making his tags jingle. Holly sighed and looked at Trevor’s letter. Mungo was right. It was time to do what they’d come here for.

After turning over the envelope a few times, she opened it and extracted the letter. Mungo stuck out his nose, and she let him sniff. Was there something left there of his master?

Perhaps not, because Mungo went back to watching for birds in the churchyard.

She began reading, trying to keep a tremble out of her hand. It was just a letter, right?

“Dear Holly,” she read. “Thank you for bringing me here…”

Her voice cracked. Her eyes stung, and silence had never felt so weighty.

Lachlan leaned in and gently took the letter. “Dear Holly…”

As he read, she leaned in, and they nestled closer, shoulders touching.

Dear Holly,

Thank you for bringing me here and for indulging an old man at the end of his earthly journey. May it be your journey too, though one of an entirely different variety. One at the start of a long, rich life, full of joy and happy memories.

Holly swallowed hard, glad Lachlan didn’t look up to see her tears.

I wish to tell you a story. Some parts you know, whilst others will be new for you. Where should I begin? With this, I suppose…

Years ago, a tired old man traveled to a new country, convinced that life held no good surprises. His mate had died, as well as his only son, leaving that man broken and lonely. But destiny brought him to a fascinating new landscape and guided him to a new family. A family that brought love and meaning back to his life. You, most of all, Holly, with your joy and laughter.

Lachlan paused there, and Holly wiped her eyes. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who’d felt it, then. That special relationship she and Trevor had enjoyed, as if he really were part of the family. She shot a sidelong look at Lachlan. The fond way Trevor always talked about his godson hinted at a similar relationship. She’d bet anything Lachlan’s heart ached as much as hers, even if he didn’t show it except in that little pause.

Then Lachlan went on reading.

There is much you don’t know, but by the end of this journey, you will. Bear with me, dear Holly. You always were an adventurous girl, so I hope you will allow me to give you this one last adventure — and one last indulgence.

We start in Burgess. Why? Because my life started here, in a manner of speaking. It was here, under this ancient yew, that I courted Ava, my true love. And it was here, under this yew, that she agreed to be mine, some time later.

This stop is my tribute to Ava. To love. To the foolish young buck I left behind for the man Ava helped me become.

Did Lachlan’s fingers tighten on the edges of the paper? Holly couldn’t tell through the blur of her tears.

For a moment, silence reigned but for the buzz of a bee and the jingle of a cowbell in the distance. Sounds Trevor and Ava might have heard, back in their day.

“Did you ever meet her?” Holly asked quietly. “Ava, I mean.”

Lachlan nodded quietly. “She died when I was young, but yes, I remember. Little things, from when I visited home.”

“Right. Boarding school.” She remembered him mentioning that back when they’d first met. “How old were you when you left home?”

“Six.”

Her jaw dropped. How could anyone send their child away so young?

A man like his father, her dragon growled.

She’d never met the man, but he was all too easy to imagine.

“Let me guess,” she managed. “Not a Montessori school.”

He laughed, but the sound held no humor. “Military school.”

She stared. Military school? At age six? No wonder the man was so out of touch with his emotional