arms and planted himself in front of her on the sidewalk. When she tried to go around him, he shifted one way and then the other to match her evasions.
“Our dance lesson doesn’t start until tonight, Highlander.” Her joke garnered a tiny smile, but he didn’t move. She tossed up her hands. “If you must know, I have a student who is an excellent dancer, but her father is strict and doesn’t approve of her dancing in front of crowds even though she could win a ribbon this year. Maybe even Lass of the Games.”
“Doesn’t her dad have a say in what she does? Why are you inserting yourself in their business?”
Anna performed a faux pearl-clutch. “Are you insinuating that I’m a busybody?”
“‘Busy’ is not the word I would pick to describe your body.” Was that sexual innuendo hiding behind the tease in his voice?
“What word would you pick?” She immediately regretted her question and held her hand up. “Don’t answer that. This is not the time or place.”
“What will going to talk to your student’s da accomplish?”
“It’s what Gabby wants. To dance, I mean.”
“She told you this and asked you to intervene on her behalf?”
“Not in so many words.” Anna hoped her strained phone conversation with Gabby was a fluke. “But Gabby’s talented. She deserves to be up on that stage.”
“So, your plan is to inform her da that he’s a bad parent if he doesn’t allow her to compete?”
“Of course not. I’m going to tell him how gifted his daughter is and explain how much she loves to dance.”
“You’re going by yourself?”
“Yes, by myself. What could possibly happen?”
“As I don’t know the bloke, I can’t predict his reaction. I’m coming with you.” Iain looked like a man no one would want to meet in a dark alley. No one who had pissed him off anyway.
Anna didn’t buy into the alpha male stereotype. She had successfully taken care of herself all her life without a Y chromosome in the vicinity. “I can handle Gabby’s dad. I’m a big girl.”
His gaze dropped to her feet and meandered back up to her face. She knew exactly what he was thinking. “Not muscly big like you, but I’ve got a big mouth that can jaw with the best of them.”
“Jaw?”
“Talk trash. Rubbish. Whatever you Scots call smack talk.” She waved his confusion away, hopped off the sidewalk, and into the street to bypass his bulk. “I can handle myself. Don’t worry.”
He fell into step beside her, obviously not buying what she was selling. She shot him an assessing side-eye glance. He might actually prove useful if she needed backup. If Iain wanted to play knight-errant, who was she to deny him? “If you’re going to be stubborn about it, you can come, but you have to wait in the car.”
When he looked like he was ready to mount a protest, Anna held up her hand. “That’s the deal. Take it or leave me to get my business done.”
His jaw twitched even as he gave a brusque nod.
She led the way to her VW Bug and opened the passenger door and gestured him in. He stood in the opening and stared.
“I’ll never cram myself in that bloody tin can.” He pointed down the street. “The truck’s right there.”
“I’m not showing up sweaty. It would put me at a disadvantage.”
“The windows lower.”
“Then I’d show up sweaty and windblown. Not happening.” She circled around her car and slipped behind the wheel.
Teasing Iain was too much fun. How determined was he to play her protector? She cranked the engine and revved the gas pedal to add some urgency to his decision.
“Are you my wingman or not?” She dipped her head to meet his gaze.
“The devil take it!” He mumbled in Gaelic as he levered himself into the seat, first one leg, then the other, all while adjusting his kilt so as not to flash her or any passersby. His head touched the roof, and his knees were forced wide and brushed the dash. He was wedged in so tight, he wasn’t going anywhere, but he struggled to snap the seat belt into place anyway.
She pressed her lips together to stem her laughter and pulled out onto the road. The glare he aimed in her direction would have melted her spine if she didn’t know his tough demeanor hid something sweeter and more vulnerable than he cared to admit or even recognize.
“You’ll have to translate all that for me. I’m ready for another lesson,” she said lightly.
“What