Read Online Married in Seattle by Debbie Macomber - Free Book Online

moment they’d met, Zach had clearly viewed her as spoiled and frivolous, without a brain in her head. And it seemed that nothing had altered his opinion.
    “Listen, I didn’t mean—”
    “It’s obvious to me,” she said bluntly, “that you and I are never going to agree on anything.” She was so furious she couldn’t keep her anger in check. “The best thing for us to do is completely ignore each other. It’s obvious that you don’t want anything to do with me and, frankly, I feel the same way about you. So, good day, Mr. Thomas.” With that she walked away, her head high and her pride intact.
    For the very first time with this man, she’d been able to make a grand exit. It should have felt good. But it didn’t.
    An hour later, after Janine had taken the tourist bus into Edinburgh, she was still brooding over her latest encounter with Zachary Thomas. If there was any humor at all in this situation, it had to be the fact that her usually sage grandfather could possibly believe she and Zach were in any way suited.
    Determined to put the man out of her mind, Janine wandered down Princes Street, which was packed with shoppers, troupes of actors giving impromptu performances and strolling musicians. Her mood couldn’t help but be influenced by the festive flavor, and she soon found herselfsmiling despite the unpleasant confrontation with her grandfather’s business partner.
    Several of the men who passed her in the street were dressed in kilts, and Janine felt as if she’d stepped into another time, another world. The air swirled with bagpipe music. The city itself seemed gray and gloomy, a dull background for the colorful sights and sounds, the excitement of ages past.
    It was as Janine walked out of a dress shop that she bumped into Zach a second time. He stopped, his eyes registering surprise and what looked to Janine like a hint of regret—as though confronting her twice in the same day was enough to try anyone’s patience.
    “I know what you’re thinking,” he said, pinning her with his dark intense gaze.
    “And I’m equally confident that you don’t.” She held her packages close and edged against the shop window to avoid hindering other pedestrians on the crowded sidewalk.
    “I came here to do some shopping,” Zach said gruffly. “I wasn’t following you.”
    “You can rest assured I wasn’t following you. ”
    “Fine,” he said.
    “Fine,” she repeated.
    But neither of them moved for several nerve-racking seconds. Janine assumed Zach was going to say something else. Perhaps she secretly hoped he would. If they couldn’t be friends, Janine would’ve preferred they remain allies. They should be uniting their forces instead of battling each other. Without a word, Zach gestured abruptlyand wheeled around to join the stream of people hurrying down the sidewalk.
    A half hour later, with more packages added to her collection, Janine strolled into a fabric store, wanting to purchase a sizable length of wool as a gift for Pam. She ran her fingertips along several thick bolts of material, marveling at the bold colors. The wool felt soft, but when she lifted a corner with her palm, she was surprised by how heavy it was.
    “Each clan has its own tartan,” the white-haired lady in the shop explained. Janine enjoyed listening to her voice, with its enthusiastic warmth and distinct Scottish burr. “Some of the best-known tartans come in three patterns that are to be worn for different occasions—everyday, dress and battle.”
    Intrigued, Janine watched as the congenial woman walked around the table to remove a blue-and-green plaid. Janine had already seen that pattern several times. The shop owner said that tourists were often interested in this particular tartan, called Black Watch, because it was assigned to no particular clan. In choosing Black Watch, they weren’t aligning themselves with any one clan, but showing total impartiality.
    Pleased, Janine purchased several yards of the