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Authors: Maeve Greyson
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around her waist as he shot a narrow-eyed glance in the direction of the bar.
A shiver of happiness thrilled its way up her spine. Nessa couldn’t resist a heartfelt sigh. “It’s so beautiful here. I feel like I’ve come home. If it were up to me, I’d stay in Scotland forever.” She struggled to ignore the pang of jealously at the obvious bond the married couple shared. She wished she could find the type of closeness Fiona and Brodie had found. Even though friends and co-workers surrounded her, Nessa always found herself isolated…so alone. It was hard to resign herself to the fact that she’d probably be single all her life. Nessa tried to console herself with the knowledge that at least she’d made it to the land of her dreams.
Fiona smiled and snuggled closer to her husband. “By the way, we didna introduce ourselves the other day. My name is Fiona and this is my husband, Brodie. Would ye mind if we joined ye? Sat with ye for a while?” Fiona turned and looked about the pub. “We came here tonight at the insistence of an artisan we’ve been seeking to join our shop. But it looks like they’ve stood us up again. Ye will probably think we’re quite the country couple, but we love listening to the way ye speak and would love to hear more about the USA.”
“Sure, pull up a chair. Trish and I decided to come here tonight with the hopes of making a few new friends.” Nessa and Trish scooted to make room for the couple at their table.
Trish motioned with her glass in Gabriel’s direction as he stood filling glasses at the bar. “I’ve found my new best friend right over there. I’m just waiting until after dinner tonight to make my introductions.”
Fiona’s face paled. She took a deep breath, then took a sip of her ale. “Aye, Mr. Gabriel Burns is plenty easy on the eyes. But take care, Trish. A beautiful veneer sometimes hides something rotten beneath the surface.”
Brodie brought Fiona’s hand to his lips and gazed into her troubled eyes. “Careful now, lass. Ye had best be remembering ye’re a MacKay now and your eyes should no be traveling anywhere but here.”
Nessa worried with the corner of her napkin as she stared down into her plate. She couldn’t help it. Their closeness was really getting to her tonight. She tried staunching her growing envy at the couple’s bond. She hated herself for not being happy for them and the special closeness they had found. Nessa toyed with the food left on her plate and tried to think of something to say. Wait a minute? Did they say their name was MacKay? Nessa fumbled with her silverware and barely kept it from crashing to the floor. That name kept cropping up.
“MacKay? Did you say your last name is MacKay?”
“Aye.” Fiona nodded, glancing over at Brodie as she added, “Do ye know the name? Are ye familiar with any of the family’s history? Or any of the clan legends of lost loves or curses, perhaps?”
Nessa frowned with a shake of her head. An unexplainable stab of uneasiness nagged at her chest. “No. The name MacKay seems to be popping up in a lot of my paperwork of late.”
Brodie almost choked as he drained his glass. He fixed his wife with a warning look as he lowered his glass to the table. “Paperwork? If ye don’t mind my asking, what exactly is your business here in Durness?”
With a theatrical groan, Trish shook her head as she moved her plate and pounded her fist on the table. “I’ll sum it all up in a nutshell. Nessa is a professor of archeology and we’re here on a grant to study the Durness sites and the history around Balnakiel. But I’m begging you, please don’t get her started on Scotland’s history or her career or we won’t hear a word about anything but work tonight. It’s the weekend. It’s time to relax!”
“Excuse me.” Their waitress for the night stood by the table with a gloriously sinful chocolate dessert in her hands. “Mr. Burns asked I bring this to the lovely lady. He said she looked to
A shiver of happiness thrilled its way up her spine. Nessa couldn’t resist a heartfelt sigh. “It’s so beautiful here. I feel like I’ve come home. If it were up to me, I’d stay in Scotland forever.” She struggled to ignore the pang of jealously at the obvious bond the married couple shared. She wished she could find the type of closeness Fiona and Brodie had found. Even though friends and co-workers surrounded her, Nessa always found herself isolated…so alone. It was hard to resign herself to the fact that she’d probably be single all her life. Nessa tried to console herself with the knowledge that at least she’d made it to the land of her dreams.
Fiona smiled and snuggled closer to her husband. “By the way, we didna introduce ourselves the other day. My name is Fiona and this is my husband, Brodie. Would ye mind if we joined ye? Sat with ye for a while?” Fiona turned and looked about the pub. “We came here tonight at the insistence of an artisan we’ve been seeking to join our shop. But it looks like they’ve stood us up again. Ye will probably think we’re quite the country couple, but we love listening to the way ye speak and would love to hear more about the USA.”
“Sure, pull up a chair. Trish and I decided to come here tonight with the hopes of making a few new friends.” Nessa and Trish scooted to make room for the couple at their table.
Trish motioned with her glass in Gabriel’s direction as he stood filling glasses at the bar. “I’ve found my new best friend right over there. I’m just waiting until after dinner tonight to make my introductions.”
Fiona’s face paled. She took a deep breath, then took a sip of her ale. “Aye, Mr. Gabriel Burns is plenty easy on the eyes. But take care, Trish. A beautiful veneer sometimes hides something rotten beneath the surface.”
Brodie brought Fiona’s hand to his lips and gazed into her troubled eyes. “Careful now, lass. Ye had best be remembering ye’re a MacKay now and your eyes should no be traveling anywhere but here.”
Nessa worried with the corner of her napkin as she stared down into her plate. She couldn’t help it. Their closeness was really getting to her tonight. She tried staunching her growing envy at the couple’s bond. She hated herself for not being happy for them and the special closeness they had found. Nessa toyed with the food left on her plate and tried to think of something to say. Wait a minute? Did they say their name was MacKay? Nessa fumbled with her silverware and barely kept it from crashing to the floor. That name kept cropping up.
“MacKay? Did you say your last name is MacKay?”
“Aye.” Fiona nodded, glancing over at Brodie as she added, “Do ye know the name? Are ye familiar with any of the family’s history? Or any of the clan legends of lost loves or curses, perhaps?”
Nessa frowned with a shake of her head. An unexplainable stab of uneasiness nagged at her chest. “No. The name MacKay seems to be popping up in a lot of my paperwork of late.”
Brodie almost choked as he drained his glass. He fixed his wife with a warning look as he lowered his glass to the table. “Paperwork? If ye don’t mind my asking, what exactly is your business here in Durness?”
With a theatrical groan, Trish shook her head as she moved her plate and pounded her fist on the table. “I’ll sum it all up in a nutshell. Nessa is a professor of archeology and we’re here on a grant to study the Durness sites and the history around Balnakiel. But I’m begging you, please don’t get her started on Scotland’s history or her career or we won’t hear a word about anything but work tonight. It’s the weekend. It’s time to relax!”
“Excuse me.” Their waitress for the night stood by the table with a gloriously sinful chocolate dessert in her hands. “Mr. Burns asked I bring this to the lovely lady. He said she looked to
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