Fire Maidens Scotland (Billionaires & Bodyguards #6) - Anna Lowe Page 0,46
what crimes he was trying to outrun. Wondering why he committed them in the first place, because he truly seemed like one of the good guys. A born hero who would stick out his neck for others — even if it meant paying a terrible price.
“Second condition.” He raised up another finger, then rotated his hand to point at the door. “You give him another chance. Correction — you give both of you another chance.”
Holly’s mouth fell open. Wait. What?
Hastily, she brought her teacup to her lips. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Tony rolled his eyes and muttered, “Mamma mia. The games we play with our hearts… I thought one was bad enough.”
She frowned. “One what?”
“One stubborn donkey.” He motioned in the direction Lachlan had gone. Then he took a deep breath, leaned closer, and whispered, “You can’t fight destiny.”
A little shiver went through Holly’s spine, and she put down her teacup before her shaky hand gave her away. “Destiny makes mistakes, you know.”
Tony tilted his head this way and that. “Perhaps. Mostly, she tests us. Madonna, does she test us.” He closed his eyes briefly. A moment later, he gave himself a little shake and whispered, “But amore — it’s worth it, you know.”
Holly’s cheeks flushed. Was it that obvious? And, wait a minute. What made Tony an expert?
“It’s only amore if both donkeys feel the same way,” she pointed out.
“Oh, that donkey feels the same, believe me.”
She furrowed her brow. “And you know this because…?”
“Because I know him. That man is a genius in everything except love.”
“And you are?”
Tony grinned. “I’m a genius as long as amore doesn’t involve me.”
Her eyebrows shot up, but she still managed to retort, “No evidence, in other words.”
He laughed. “Now you sound like him. In your souls, you are birds of a feather.”
Holly did a double take. She was nothing like Lachlan. Was she?
Tony extended one finger. “Evidence? Allora. I’ve never seen his hands shake. Not under heavy fire, not when dealing with people so badly wounded they may or may not survive. But this morning…” He shook his head, then pointed to her. “Again, birds of a feather. I’d bet your hands don’t shake often either. But they are now.”
Holly jerked her hands under the table, out of sight.
Meanwhile, Tony went on. “He always plans five steps ahead. With you around, he gets to two at most. That’s how turned around he is.”
She frowned. Really?
Tony threw up his hands. “Amore. It terrifies him. You terrify him.”
“Me?”
He nodded. “Haven’t you figured him out by now? People like him love routine. They love to plan, to predict. They love planning for every possible outcome. No — they need those things, and they need to control their destiny. But love doesn’t work that way. And that terrifies him.”
She looked in the direction Lachlan had gone. Nothing terrified that man. Did it?
Tony leaned in as if to deliver his greatest wisdom yet. “As my grandfather says, Una casa senza donna è come una lanterna senza lume. A house without a woman is like a lantern without the light.” Tony gestured toward the door. “Lachlan is slowly learning that lesson, but what can I say? A man learns from his mistakes. The problem is, Lachlan hasn’t made enough for his own good. But he’s beginning to put it all together. So, please. Give him a chance. No — give both of you a chance. He’s trying, you know.”
Holly glanced at the tea, the scones, and the jam. Lachlan really had been trying — but it was only a start. Level One, so to speak, in a complex measurement system like something Lachlan might have devised. Level One, trying to stimulate small talk. Level Two, opening the rusty door to his heart, one creaky inch at a time. Level Three, making space for something other than work.
Just thinking about it made her despair. All that was a tall order for Lachlan.
Still, he had made a start. And the whole time, she had been the one shutting him out. But she had to if she wanted to protect her heart, right?
Holly moved her lips a few times, trying to salvage her pride. But all she could get out was, “Corsica, huh?”
Tony laughed. “No. Not Corsican. Not French, except for the passport, courtesy of ten years in the Foreign Legion.” He paused as Lachlan pulled the car up outside. “But to find out exactly where… Well, you have to do your part.”