Fire Maidens Scotland (Billionaires & Bodyguards #6) - Anna Lowe Page 0,12
lovely indeed.”
“Unconventional. You can say that,” Lachlan murmured.
In the best possible way, his dragon hummed dreamily.
Mrs. Baker flipped a light switch, illuminating the garage. “There it is.”
Lachlan stopped in his tracks, following her gesture, and his dragon nearly whistled.
Mrs. Baker laughed. “Men. You’re all the same. Letting a tin box on four wheels turn your head.”
“That is no tin box.”
“Trevor tried convincing me of that, too. To him, it was a 1965 Austin-Healey. To me, it’s a tin box.” She pressed the key into his hand. “Go on, then. I might not see the joy in driving such a machine, but Trevor did.” Then she looked him up and down. “It’s one of the few toys Trevor ever indulged himself in, and I reckon he left it to the right man.”
“How so?”
She laughed. “It might help you enjoy life a wee bit.”
I enjoy life, he nearly retorted, but his dragon fell into a coughing fit, and he never got the words out.
Instead, he stepped to the car and ran a hand gently over the hood. Then he put his bag in the boot and closed it with a soft thump, admiring the vehicle’s sleek lines. The caramel color of the body contrasted with chrome highlights, and the leather interior was spotless. All in all, it was in mint condition despite its age — a little like Trevor had been.
A soft ache set into his chest at the thought of the man who’d been so influential in his life. Throughout the years Lachlan had spent in military service abroad, it had felt as if Scotland would always be there for him, along with the people he loved. But no one was immortal — not even Trevor.
It’s not the number of years, but how you spend them.
Lachlan smiled sadly. Trevor had been full of little sayings like that.
Wink at small faults, for you have great ones yourself. That was another one, as well as Never let your feet run faster than your shoes.
Don’t forget “Follow your heart,” his dragon whispered.
Lachlan stiffened. That was one of the few things Trevor had been wrong about.
Another little saying popped into his mind. Keep your head, and don’t stray off course.
Now you sound like Father, his dragon grumbled.
Lachlan grimaced and slid into the car. Why were memories of Trevor so much nicer than memories of his father?
For a moment, he sat quietly, looking at the instrument panel, gear stick, and steering wheel as memories drifted through his mind. Then Mrs. Baker hit a remote, and the garage door opened with a clatter.
“Take good care, lad,” the housekeeper said softly.
He nodded briskly — twice, because that might clear the lump in his throat — and eased the car onto the road.
He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and hastily ran a hand over his hair. The pickup point he’d agreed on with Holly wasn’t far, and for some reason, his heart beat faster the closer he came.
Where is she? his dragon fretted when he pulled up to the back entrance of White Horse Close.
Lachlan craned his neck, then checked his phone. No messages, and no other streets of a similar name. This had to be it. Where was Holly?
He checked his watch again. Technically, he was ten minutes early, but didn’t everyone arrive to meetings early, just to be on the safe side?
His dragon chuckled. Not Holly.
Time crawled by, but no matter how often he glanced around or how high his blood pressure rose, no Holly. Not even when a nearby church bonged to mark the hour. Several long minutes later, he stepped out of the car and paced the sidewalk.
I’m staying with a friend, she’d said.
He looked around, wondering which apartment that meant. Wondering if the friend was a she or a he.
A she, his dragon growled stubbornly. It had better be.
He grew more and more nervous, which only proved Holly wasn’t a good match for him. The woman was less predictable than the weather in the Outer Hebrides, for one thing. How she got through life without a plan or routine confounded him.
Well, it fascinates me, his dragon hummed. Like a new puzzle to solve, all the time.
Normally, he loved puzzles — but there had to be edges to orient yourself by, not a blur of emotion and energy that distracted you from the purpose of the thing.
The purpose of a puzzle is fun, his dragon pointed out.
Just then, a dog woofed from the far end of the street, and Lachlan turned around.