she was in his arms, winding her hands into his hair and hiking her leg up on his hip. Their kiss was combustible and charred her worries to ash. As soon they hit the mattress upstairs, she went up in flames and didn’t think about anything except the next kiss.
Chapter Fifteen
With only two days until the Friday kickoff parade and whisky tasting, Highland was filling up with tourists. Not a parking space was to be had on the street, a line of customers snaked out of the Brown Cow Coffee and Creamery, and dodging families on the sidewalk was a given.
The Bluegrass Jacobites, with Anna as the guest dancer, were performing at the Dancing Jig pub as the evening’s entertainment. Anna’s body hummed with expectation tinged with nerves. It had been months since she’d danced for an audience. Having Iain there was an added shot of excitement.
The mowers had sheared the field of flowers and grass, and workers were setting up the vendor stalls and the stage where the pipers and dancers and the band would perform. In five days, the festival would be over. The field would empty, and Iain would return to Scotland.
Neither of them had mentioned the approaching expiration date, but the seconds were counting down like a doomsday clock. Every moment took on an urgency, from the personal stories they shared, to the sex they had every night after falling into bed. And once in the barn, bent over a sawhorse. And another time on the couch.
Regular classes at the studio had been canceled for the week to allow the girls competing extra practice time. It also freed Anna up to tackle any last-minute issues. Iain had finished the enclosures and was organizing the barn to handle the influx of tourists who would be wandering through. He was also coordinating the athletic events with Dr. Jameson.
Anna thought she worked hard, but Iain put her to shame. Even more, he seemed to enjoy the work. When he wasn’t building fences or helping townspeople with odd jobs, he was carving wood for fun. His animals had a cartoon quality that made her smile, and she’d encouraged him to commission with Loretta to sell them at All Things Bright and Beautiful.
Anna dressed for the performance in the studio, throwing a tartan shawl around her shoulders. She flicked the lock, whipped the front door open, and gasped. Gabby stood with her hand up to knock. They froze for a moment, then Anna pulled Gabby into a hug.
“How are you feeling?” Anna leaned back and grinned.
“Bored.” Gabby’s smile was small and disappeared entirely as she tucked her hair behind an ear. “You’re not mad at me?”
“What? Of course not.” Anna bit her lip. The last thing she’d wanted to do was make Gabby feel any guilt over not dancing. It held shades of Anna’s mother, which made her shudder. “I wanted you to dance for you, not me. I’m sorry if I put pressure on you or made things difficult with your dad.”
“He told me he ran into you the other day.” A slow smile curled her lips. “I don’t know what you said, but he changed his mind about me dancing.”
“That’s great!” Anna tempered the excitement in her voice. “As long as it’s what you want.”
“I want to compete so bad. Is it too late?”
“It’s not, but even if it were, I happen to know the lady in charge pretty well.” Anna winked, and Gabby giggled like any other teenager. Anna’s heart swelled, and she fought the urge to pull Gabby into another hug. “We need to make sure your costume fits, though. Can you come by in the morning?”
“I can be here around nine after I finish my chores.”
“Perfect.” Anna gestured out the door and joined Gabby on the sidewalk after locking up the studio. “I’ve got a performance of my own down at the pub with the Jacobites.”
“Sounds fun. Wish I could come watch, but the girls are waiting for me. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Gabby waved then skip-ran down the street, disappearing into the Brown Cow. Keisha’s head popped out, and she gave a thumbs-up. Anna returned a crisp salute. With a dad who wanted her to be happy and friends like Keisha at her back, Gabby would be fine. Anna would make sure of it.
She stepped into the Dancing Jig pub and took a deep breath of whisky-soaked air. Dark wood covered every surface and swallowed the light, leaving the space dim and intimate. The bar