she took a step toward him without thinking.
No. She forced herself to stop. She couldn’t get attached. Iain would end up being too much trouble and prone to wandering just like the dog she’d craved as a child. Soon enough, he would wander all the way back to Scotland. In the interest of self-preservation, she turned on her heel and walked away. With him out of sight, retreat became easier, even though her lungs remained tight.
Returning to her loft without a dinner companion, she made herself a BLT on white bread and ate it while watching reruns of a favorite sitcom to cheer herself up. It didn’t work. Like a hawk on the wing, her subconscious circled Iain. Who was he with? Was it business or a date?
A date. It was none of her business. Iain wasn’t even her type. Typically, she dated artsy guys who understood the energy involved in the creation of something, whether it was intangible like a dance or concrete like a painting. Iain measured and hammered and built utilitarian shapes meant to fence.
She flopped to her back and closed her eyes. She would allow regret to swamp her for a minute and no more. She had to get ready to practice with the Bluegrass Jacobites.
Opening the accordion-style door of her closet, she rooted around for her tartan bustier and a floaty green wrap skirt to match. It was sexy, but not too sexy, and progressive enough for a pub performance. This would be the first year in more than a decade she wouldn’t be competing in the Highland dance competitions during the festival. Not only was it a conflict of interest, but her hands would be full, organizing her dance troupes on top of keeping everything else running smoothly. Anyway, it was time for the torch to be passed along to someone like Keisha or Gabby.
All the little things she couldn’t anticipate going wrong during the festival worried her. She’d had a nightmare earlier in the week about the portable potties never arriving, forcing everyone to squat in the woods. The first call she’d made upon waking was to confirm the date, time, and number of potties with the company. What else was she missing?
Barefoot, she skipped down the outside stairs and let herself in the back door of the studio. After unlocking the front door for the Jacobites, she went to the costume closet to sort through dresses for her dance classes. All her Celtic dance students would march in the parade while the older girls would also compete at the festival. The studio always took home several ribbons, which she displayed in a row along the perimeter of the wall above the doorframes and mirrors.
Her mind drifted to Gabby and her ghosting act. Another problem she needed to tackle, and soon. A cluster of male voices drifted from the waiting room. She slapped a smile on her face to cover her tiredness and turned, the words of welcome withering at the sight of a dark head inches taller than the rest.
“Iain!” His name popped out of her mouth and echoed, stifling conversation for a few heartbeats.
He met her gaze with an inscrutable stare, although seriously, everything about him was inscrutable. He’d cleaned up and was in a different kilt and T-shirt from his work in the barn.
Robert came forward to give her a hug, lifting her off her feet to whisper in her ear. “Based on your drool, you’re partial to our Scottish man of mystery, eh?”
“I’m not drooling; I’m surprised.” Anna slapped him on the arm until he released her.
Robert set her on the floor and moved toward the storage closet, keeping his head close. “I found out the hard way that he’s unfortunately straight.”
“I can’t believe you were brave enough to give it a shot.”
“I calculated my chances beforehand, and they were on par with winning the lottery, but I figured I can’t score unless I take a shot.” Although his smile was wry, disappointment lingered. “He let me down quite nicely after he got over his surprise at getting propositioned by a man.”
“When did you two meet?” Anna asked.
“At lunch the other day. I was eavesdropping, of course, and heard him say he played guitar. We’ve been short one since January.” Robert helped Anna pull folding chairs for the members of the band from behind the frothy skirts of the costumes. “He met the other boys tonight over some warm-up drinks at the pub, and everyone seems to get along