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drill?” she asked halfway through their meal. “Switch plates with me if you dare.” With the impish grin she gave him, he’d agree to anything.
    How could this woman survive as a stockbroker? Perhaps she repressed her sense of humor at work and needed the outlet this trip provided. Most women seemed ruled by time and were obsessed with how they looked, what they wore, and what others thought about them. Not Shelby, and he couldn’t be more thrilled.
    “Come on. Let’s trade.” Shelby’s coaxing tone brought him out of his musing. “Cabbage and beans are meant to be shared. Equal opportunity and all.”
    “Sure. Here you go.” He chuckled as they exchanged plates. “Don’t know why I’ve never done this before. You must have been a lot of fun at the lunch table in school. I’ll tell you something else”—he gently clinked his water goblet against hers—“I like your style and sense of adventure.” That wasn’t all he liked. In the case of Shelby, she charmed him to the point where he was hoping for a kiss.
    A man threw open the doors from an adjacent room and burst into the dining area with a huge smile, lifting a champagne glass filled with liquid that threatened to overflow its sides. “Me bonnie Elspeth said aye! She’s agreed to be me bride. I am the luckiest man in all of Scotland and the world!”
    Cheers rang up all around them, and Shelby clapped with enthusiasm as the man drained his glass and shook the hands of well-wishers. An older woman seated behind Harrison explained what they’d witnessed.
    When the excitement died down, Harrison beckoned Shelby closer. “Seems the room from which the newly betrothed man emerged is called the Halo Room. It’s well-known as a place where a guy takes his special girl to ask for her hand in marriage.”
    “So much for spontaneity and surprise, but it’s very romantic,” Shelby said. “I hope the luckiest man in all of Scotland and the world and his Elspeth will be very happy together.” Her expression appeared wistful as she sipped her sparkling water. A twinge of envy pierced Harrison for that ebullient guy from the Halo Room.
    Shelby lowered her glass. “You’re awfully quiet, Harry. Did I say something wrong?”
    “On the contrary.” Completely enamored, Harrison leaned close. He hesitated, hoping she could read what was in his mind, praying she wouldn’t deny him the pleasure.
    When her eyes lit, he interpreted it as encouragement. “That man might be the luckiest man in the world, but I’m the most blessed,” he whispered as he touched his lips to hers.
     
    ****
     
    “That was so much fun. I’m glad we were able to get a table,” Shelby said. Since they’d departed Angels with Bagpipes, she’d rambled a bit. Maybe being kissed made her a little giddy. Listening to her observations as they made their way farther down The Royal Mile, Harrison appreciated the opportunity to view Edinburgh through fresh eyes again. The city held a lot of charm, none more so than with Shelby beside him.
    “Stop right here.” After he lightly tugged on her hand near St. Giles Cathedral, Shelby turned back toward him. Those blue peepers would either be his undoing or his greatest fulfillment in life. “Look down, please. See the heart on the sidewalk?”
    For once, she complied without question. “Aye,” she said, batting her long eyelashes. “If you’re declaring your love for me, Harry, perhaps we should go back to the Halo Room?”
    “Sorry to disappoint you but not this time. This is the famous Heart of Midlothian.”
    A grin twisted her lips. “What am I supposed to do now? Is it tradition to fall on my knees and kiss the ground?”
    “Nope. We spit on it,” he said. “For good luck. It’s only a superstition. Humor me. Play along and do it for fun.”
    “Right. I’ll bet you say that to all the girls.” Moving closer, she stood above the iconic emblem, studying it.
    Her sense of humor tickled him. “No other girls, Shelby