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Authors: Debbie Macomber
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Walking down the narrow street, she was shuffling her packages in her arms when she caught sight of Zach watching a troupe of musicians. She started to move away, then for no reason she could name, paused to study him. Her impression of him really hadn’t changed since thatfirst afternoon. She still thought Zach Thomas opinionated, unreasonable and…fine, she was willing to admit it, attractive. Very attractive, in a sort of rough-hewn way. He lacked the polish, the superficial sophistication of a man like Brian, but he had a vigor that seemed thoroughly masculine. He also had the uncanny ability to set her teeth on edge with a single look. No other man could irritate her so quickly.
The musicians began a lively song and Zach laughed unselfconsciously. His rich husky tenor was smooth and relaxed as it drifted across the street toward her. Janine knew she should’ve left then, but she couldn’t. Despite everything, she was intrigued.
Zach must have felt her scrutiny because he suddenly turned and their eyes locked before Janine could look away. The color rose to her cheeks and for a long moment, neither moved. Neither smiled.
It was in Janine’s mind to cross the street, swallow her pride and put an end to this pointless antagonism. During the past several weeks her pride had become familiar fare; serving it up once more shouldn’t be all that difficult.
She was entertaining that thought when a bus drove past her belching a thick cloud of black smoke, momentarily blocking her view of Zach. When the bus had passed, Janine noticed that he’d returned his attention to the musicians.
Disheartened, she headed in the opposite direction. She hadn’t gone more than a block when she heard him call her name.
She stopped and waited for him to join her. With an inquiring lift of one eyebrow, he reached for some of her packages. She nodded, repressing a shiver of excitement as his hand brushed hers. Shifting his burden, he slowed his steps to match Janine’s. Then he spoke. “We need to talk.”
“I don’t see how we can. Every time you open your mouth you say something insulting and offensive.”
Only a few minutes earlier, Janine had been hoping to put an end to this foolish antagonism, yet here she was provoking an argument, acting just as unreasonable as she accused him of being. She stopped midstep, disgusted with herself. “I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t know what it is about us, but we seem to have a hard time being civil to each other.”
“It might be the shock of finding each other here.”
“Which brings up another subject,” Janine added fervently. “If Gramps was going to arrange for us to meet, why send us halfway around the world to do it?”
“I used to think I knew your grandfather,” Zach murmured. “But lately, I’m beginning to wonder. I haven’t got a clue why he chose Scotland.”
“He came to me with the tickets, reminding me it’d been almost a year since I’d traveled anywhere,” Janine said. “He told me it was high time I took a vacation, that I needed to get away for a while. And I bought it hook, line and sinker.”
“You?” Zach cried, shaking his head, clearly troubled. “Your grandfather sent me here on a wild-goose chase. Yes, there were contacts to make, but this was a trip any of our junior executives could’ve handled. It wasn’t until I arrivedat the inn and found you booked there that I realized what he was up to.”
“If we hadn’t been so distracted trying to figure out who was to blame for that fiasco at your office, we might’ve been able to prevent this. At least, we’d have guessed what Gramps was doing.”
“Exactly,” Zach said. “Forewarned is forearmed. Obviously, we have to put aside our differences and stay in communication. That’s the key. Communication.”
“Absolutely,” Janine agreed, with a nod of her head.
“But letting him throw us together like this is only going to lead to trouble.”
What kind of
Walking down the narrow street, she was shuffling her packages in her arms when she caught sight of Zach watching a troupe of musicians. She started to move away, then for no reason she could name, paused to study him. Her impression of him really hadn’t changed since thatfirst afternoon. She still thought Zach Thomas opinionated, unreasonable and…fine, she was willing to admit it, attractive. Very attractive, in a sort of rough-hewn way. He lacked the polish, the superficial sophistication of a man like Brian, but he had a vigor that seemed thoroughly masculine. He also had the uncanny ability to set her teeth on edge with a single look. No other man could irritate her so quickly.
The musicians began a lively song and Zach laughed unselfconsciously. His rich husky tenor was smooth and relaxed as it drifted across the street toward her. Janine knew she should’ve left then, but she couldn’t. Despite everything, she was intrigued.
Zach must have felt her scrutiny because he suddenly turned and their eyes locked before Janine could look away. The color rose to her cheeks and for a long moment, neither moved. Neither smiled.
It was in Janine’s mind to cross the street, swallow her pride and put an end to this pointless antagonism. During the past several weeks her pride had become familiar fare; serving it up once more shouldn’t be all that difficult.
She was entertaining that thought when a bus drove past her belching a thick cloud of black smoke, momentarily blocking her view of Zach. When the bus had passed, Janine noticed that he’d returned his attention to the musicians.
Disheartened, she headed in the opposite direction. She hadn’t gone more than a block when she heard him call her name.
She stopped and waited for him to join her. With an inquiring lift of one eyebrow, he reached for some of her packages. She nodded, repressing a shiver of excitement as his hand brushed hers. Shifting his burden, he slowed his steps to match Janine’s. Then he spoke. “We need to talk.”
“I don’t see how we can. Every time you open your mouth you say something insulting and offensive.”
Only a few minutes earlier, Janine had been hoping to put an end to this foolish antagonism, yet here she was provoking an argument, acting just as unreasonable as she accused him of being. She stopped midstep, disgusted with herself. “I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t know what it is about us, but we seem to have a hard time being civil to each other.”
“It might be the shock of finding each other here.”
“Which brings up another subject,” Janine added fervently. “If Gramps was going to arrange for us to meet, why send us halfway around the world to do it?”
“I used to think I knew your grandfather,” Zach murmured. “But lately, I’m beginning to wonder. I haven’t got a clue why he chose Scotland.”
“He came to me with the tickets, reminding me it’d been almost a year since I’d traveled anywhere,” Janine said. “He told me it was high time I took a vacation, that I needed to get away for a while. And I bought it hook, line and sinker.”
“You?” Zach cried, shaking his head, clearly troubled. “Your grandfather sent me here on a wild-goose chase. Yes, there were contacts to make, but this was a trip any of our junior executives could’ve handled. It wasn’t until I arrivedat the inn and found you booked there that I realized what he was up to.”
“If we hadn’t been so distracted trying to figure out who was to blame for that fiasco at your office, we might’ve been able to prevent this. At least, we’d have guessed what Gramps was doing.”
“Exactly,” Zach said. “Forewarned is forearmed. Obviously, we have to put aside our differences and stay in communication. That’s the key. Communication.”
“Absolutely,” Janine agreed, with a nod of her head.
“But letting him throw us together like this is only going to lead to trouble.”
What kind of
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