Against Her Rules (4 page)

  A
s
he shaved the next morning, Cam concocted a plan, even if it was a simple one.
Have breakfast, and go in search of birds. If he happened to see Elsie at some
point, he would be polite—there was no harm in trying that approach—but would
refrain from acting like some horny teenager. That he felt like one was his own
problem. It was a beautiful day to get some work done.

  Cam
pulled on a long-sleeved jersey shirt and tucked it into his grey cords. He
double-checked his coat to make sure there was a hat in there in case it was
colder than it looked, and headed down for breakfast.

  He
wasn’t surprised to find he was the only one there. He doubted other guests had
a reason to be up and about at seven. He grabbed a coffee and a thick slice of
bread still warm from the oven. Today’s breakfast was a savoury quiche loaded
with cheese, bacon, peppers, and mushrooms, and he polished off two pieces in
under ten minutes. In the short time he’d sat looking out the window he’d
spotted dozens of birds dancing in the wind. His favourite way to draw wildlife
was to watch the animal in motion. You got better grasp of its personality that
way. He had a feeling it was going to be a productive day.

  “And
where are you heading this morning, me ducky?”

  He’d
almost escaped the house unnoticed.

  “Good
morning, ma’am. I didn’t think to see you so early.”

  “Oh,
call me Ida. Ma’am makes me feel my age. And don’t go askin’ me what that is.”
She playfully pushed on his arm.

  “And
I’m just doin’ me job. I have to make sure that when all you folks are leaving
for the day I can set you on your journey right. So where are you looking to
go?”

  “Not
too far, really. I’m just going out to draw some birds.”

  “Birds,
is it? Well, you’ll be wanting to head that way,” she said, pointing directly
where he had intended on going. “You’ll see plenty down by young Will’s cabin,
but go past it for about ten minutes and you’ll start to head downhill.”

 
Young
Will’s cabin?
He’d have to find out who young Will was. And if he knew his
cabin was for rent.

  “Half
ways down you can see the cliffs the best,” Ida continued. “Although it’s not
the time for nesting so there’ll be no small ones for you. Still, lots of birds
out that way. Best view, in my opinion. Watch out for the twillicks though.
They’ve been known to dive at a soul for no good reason.”

  He’d
never heard of a bird called a twillick.

  “Oh,
you knows it's them by their long, skinny, yellow legs. Watch out for ‘em, I
warn ya.”

  He
thanked her and put his hand on the door to leave.

  “Oh,
Mr. Scott. One more thing.”

  “Yes?”

  “What
do you think of my niece?”

  “Pardon?”

   He
turned to stare at the old woman. She had a grin that even the Cheshire Cat
himself couldn’t pull off.

  “Elsie.
My great niece. Pretty young thing, isn’t she.”

  “Um.
Yes. Yes she is. Quite pretty.”

  “I
couldn’t help but notice you’ve no wedding ring. Are you a single man
yourself?”

  “I
certainly am.” He couldn’t hold back his smile.

  “So
is she. A single woman, I mean. You've seen her. She's surely not a man,"
she chuckled. "Indeed, she works too much so how can she not be. Anyhow,
just thought you might like to know that. Although she’s a little prickly when
it comes to men. Still, she’s a good girl. That’s all.”

  “Well,
ah. Thank you, Ida.”

  Wonderful.
He was trying to put Elsie out of his mind and here was this woman doing her
best to lodge his own personal temptress firmly back in it.

  “Although
I’m not sure she would appreciate you telling me this.”

  The
old woman winked at him. “What she doesn’t know can’t hurt, now can it. And I
can tell you’re a fine man. If you’re a smart man, well now, that we’ll see
about.” She patted his arm and hobbled off, her cane thumping the floor harder
than her orthopedic shoes.

––––––––

  F
our
hours and nine sketches later Cam forced his frozen body up the last few steps
of the “little” hill Ida had told him about. He’d scaled hills in the Highlands
that didn’t have such a steep incline. He hadn’t realized just how cold the
wind could bite, and despite the temperature hovering a few degrees above
freezing, he felt colder than he had in his life.

  “You
look like you could use a hot drink.”

  Had
he frozen to death after all? If so he was thankful for the fates that chose to
send him an angel that so closely resembled Elsie.

  “Aunt
Ida thought you’d need some coffee about now. She also told me to tell you that
the next time you went off for hours you were not to leave without a lunch and
thermos.”

  So
she hadn’t come to rescue him of her own free will. Still, she was here,
looking soft and warm in her down-filled coat. He was appreciating Ida more and
more.

  “If
your aunt was here right now, I’d kiss her silly.” He took the mug from Elsie
and gulped deeply, not caring about the burning in his throat.

  “Well,
she is a bit fixated on all things Scotland right now, so she’d likely be
thrilled with that. Not to mention she does appreciate...” She blushed.

  Cam
had to know why. “What was that?”

  “She
likes men. That’s all. You know, she’s old and there’s not many young, decent
looking men around here.”

  “So
you think I’m decent looking?”

  “Fishing
for compliments is not charming.”

  “So
you think I’m normally charming, when I’m not fishing for compliments?”

  “I
think I’m ignoring you. Other than to let you know that I took the liberty of
moving your luggage to the cottage, and lighting the fire. And now I’m ignoring
you.” She smiled though as she said it, and walked beside him to the cottage.

  When
they reached the path to the door, he wondered if he should invite her in. She
was rather touchy and he didn’t know what he could, or should, say that
wouldn’t touch a nerve.

  Dealing
with her was a bit like trying to get a rabbit to come close enough to draw.
Just as you thought it was ready to chomp on your carrot, the wind might blow
the wrong way and the critter would take off and hide behind a tree. And you’d
have to start all over again.

  “Is
there any point in me asking a question, or are you still ignoring me?”

  “You
can ask. I can’t guarantee I’ll answer.” The wind whipped her hair in front of
her face, and she grabbed it in one hand to keep it back.

  He
couldn’t help himself. He’d tried to not think about her all morning, but had
failed. And if he didn’t try to get to know her better, he’d always regret it.

  “Would
you have lunch with me?”

  “I...”

  “Just
lunch. In your dining room, where there are lots of people around. I’m not some
big bad wolf trying to eat you alive, although you seem to think I am. I just
want to have someone to talk to while I eat, and learn a bit about this place.
It is my first time in Newfoundland, you know. And I’ve heard so much about how
friendly people are here.”

  “I
was going to say yes, before you interrupted me. It is my house, and my dining
room. I eat with guests all the time.”

  There
she went, trying her best to make sure he understood that she had no interest
in him, and certainly wasn’t going out of her way to do him any great favours.
Still, he had to wonder. Did the lady protest too much? He intended to find
out.

––––––––

  S
he
checked her lipstick one more time. The last thing she wanted was to look like
she’d dashed upstairs and put on make-up—even if that’s exactly what she’d
done. She’d also tied her hair back. But that was necessary. She preferred her
hair loose, but after brushing out the tangles it was full of static. As the
saying went around these parts, it looked like a birch broom in the fits.

  Why
am I so nervous? It’s not like I never eat with guests. I share meals with them
all the time. He’s no different.

  But
she was lying to herself. Because never, ever had she gotten butterflies over
the idea of sitting near a guest for a meal. Sure, she’d been a little
star-struck a time or two. She still got that way when a new notable guest
arrived. But she was always professionally friendly, and she tended to get over
her nerves after a few minutes. Being around Campbell—Cam—was different. Her
body kept betraying her sensible mind. There were some hot chemical reactions
firing off all over the place any time she was near him. Hell, she didn’t even
have to be near him. Just thinking about him stirred things in her.

  She’d
just have to find a way to get over it. Because she’d come to the decision that
there was no way she was going to jeopardize her business reputation. Sleeping
with a guest once was a mistake. Twice was habit forming. And she prided
herself on having no bad habits, other than her addiction to marshberry jam.
And perhaps partridgeberry tart. Oh, and if she was to be honest, bakeapple
cheesecake. But that was really all one addiction.

  My
name is Elsie and I’m addicted to berries.

  Could
be worse. Much worse. She could be addicted to tall, hunky, virile Scotsmen.
Yes, that would be a very dangerous addiction for sure.

  L
unch
wasn’t as bad as she’d feared. Cam had been a total gentleman so far. The
conversation hadn’t strayed at all from his work. She’d learned about how he’d
gotten chased by a flock of sheep and nearly fallen over a cliff while trying
to sketch a crested tit. And she also learned what a crested tit was. In fact,
a lot of the conversation was about birds. She didn’t know much about them,
other than the myriad of gulls outside were not all the same. But she certainly
couldn’t name them all. Nor did she wish to.

  This
was just the way she wanted to spend lunch. Vaguely unaware of much of what he
was talking about. It gave her a chance to just sit and listen to his voice.
Like everything else about him, it was the stuff of fantasy. Deep, rich,
commanding. The allure of his accent went without saying. She tried her best to
concentrate on what he was saying, but her mind was doing a curious thing. It was
translating every sentence.

  When
he said, “I have spent hours just studying the way a wing moves,” she heard, “I
could spend hours just exploring your body—with my tongue.”

  Likewise,
“You’d be amazed how many colours there are in his plumage,” turned into “You’d
be amazed how many ways I can make you climax.”

  “I’m
sorry. I’m boring you to death with all this bird jabber.”

  “What?
No. I’m learning a lot.”

  He
laughed. “Liar. You’ve been trying to look polite but I just caught you dazed
and smiling. There’s no way my talking about birds did that. You tuned me out.”

  If
only you knew!

  “I’m
sorry. I was listening. But you did catch me drifting for a second. Your words
gave me some very...interesting ideas.”

   Think
quick. What ideas? How do I get out of this one? Got it!

  “Every month I try and bring the
community here for an event. Would you be interested in hosting a birdwatching
talk? You know more about the birds around here than most of us.”

  “You
really think the local people will want to hear about birds from an outlander?”

  “A
what?”

  “Someone
not from here. In Scotland, we call them outlanders.”

  “Well,
around here we have mainlanders. That’s what we call the people in the rest of
Canada. There’s a couple of families here, mine included, that have some
Scottish ancestry, so you’ll be fine.”

  For
an idea that came on a whim, she was now thinking it might be a great event.
The old-timers, and most of the population of Heart’s Ease was over sixty,
would especially love it.

––––––––

  I
t
also gave her a good reason to join him for supper. And then breakfast the next
morning. It wasn’t until lunch when there was no sign of him that she became
aware of how much she’d enjoyed sharing a meal with him. She had even started
listening to what he was saying, and only sometimes let her mind wander to more
personal musings.

  As
the clock ticked past noon, and then beyond one, she began to worry he might
have had an accident. It was a misty day. Maybe he’d slipped and sprained an
ankle. Or perhaps he’d tripped in the rocks and split his head open. There was
no harm in going to check. She tried not to rush putting on her jacket, but it
seemed that all things Cam made her imagination go into overdrive.

  “I
was hoping I hadn’t missed you. I completely lost track of time.” Cam stomped
his boots on the mat as he closed the door.

  “Oh
God. You’re okay,” she gushed, barely restraining herself from flinging her
arms around him.

  “Ah,
you were worried about me? See, I knew you cared.”

  “Well,
it would be pretty bad for business if you fell off a cliff and died, now
wouldn’t it.”

  “Aye.
It would be pretty bad for me, too. But no worries. I’m as right as rain. And I
should know since I’ve spent all morning out in that horrid wet. I’ll tell you
one thing. I didn’t expect to find a place that could compete with the
Highlands’ unpredictable weather.”

  Upon
closer inspection she saw that he was soaking wet. “You need to get those
clothes off right now.”

  “Well
now, that’s a turn of events. I thought you’d never suggest it.” His grin was
enticing.

  Still,
she was getting used to his banter by now.

  “I’m
sure Aunt Ida would appreciate it. You want me to call her in? She stayed home
this morning.”

  “Would
you? A man has needs, after all.”

  “Ew.
You are a dirty man.”

  “You
don’t know the half of it,” he said, moving closer to her.

  She
backed away. “Go to your cabin and get warm. I’ll pack a lunch and bring it
down. I have some posters made up that I’ll show you as well. If you’re fine
with them, I’ll get them put up in the post office and at Mercer’s Store.”

  “You’re
an angel,” he said before leaving. “And I’m not joking about that, my sweetheart.”

 
Sweetheart.
Her heart quickened. But she was okay. She had learned to control herself.
The danger zone was a thing of the past.

––––––––

  T
wenty
minutes later she wondered if she’d been too rash in her assertion. Cam had
answered the door in jeans and an unbuttoned flannel plaid shirt. His hair was
wet, and the cottage had a warm, damp smell only a steaming shower could leave
behind. Sandalwood clung to the air.

  “I
hope whatever’s in that basket is hot,” he said, bending down to toss a few
pieces of birch on the fire. His jeans, which didn’t look that tight when he
was upright, stretched taut over his firm butt. It was a thing of beauty.

  Reluctantly
she pulled her gaze from his rear-end and laid the basket on the counter. Cream
of potato and bacon soup, grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches, and a
still-warm partridgeberry tart soon covered the small table.

  He
tore into the meal as if he hadn’t eaten in days. “Mmmm,” he mumbled. There was
more to the sentence but all she could pick out was hot, and good. She also
thought she heard something about trout. Or he might have said clout. It was
anybody’s guess.

  “I
don’t know what you were thinking, coming here in November to do this. Most
people who need to do anything outside wait until it’s warm—like July. Or
August. Although this has been a weird year for weather. We almost had a real
spring, and summer.”

  He
mumbled something else as he stuffed a sandwich dipped in soup into his mouth.

  “There
is no point talking to you right now, is there?”

  A
dopey smile was all she received in response. Well, at least the man
appreciated a good meal.

  “Are
you going to eat all that?” He nodded towards her sandwich.

  “Help
yourself,” she laughed.

  “Tell
your chef this is the best lunch I’ve ever had,” he said as he stuffed the
entire remainder of her sandwich into his mouth.

  “Thanks.”

  “You
made this?”

  “I
sure did. I’m not just a pretty face, you know.”

  “That’s
more than evident. And for the record, pretty isn’t the correct adjective for
your face.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin.

 
Ignore
him
, she commanded herself.

  “Would
you like to see the poster for your talk?”

  “You
can try and change the topic all you want, but that doesn’t mean I will. I’ve
spent a lot of time these past couple of days trying to come up with just the
right word to describe you. I’ve got it narrowed down to a short list.” He
pushed his plate away, all indications of hunger—at least for his meal—gone.

  “I’m
no graphic designer or anything, but I think they look good. I’ll get the
mock-up. You should keep eating.”

  She
got up from the table to get the paper she had folded in her pocket.

  “Stunning.
Alluring. Captivating.” He drew each word out, pausing between them, making
each one sound more wicked.

  His
chair scraped on the floor. She didn’t turn, but could tell he was moving
towards her.

  “Mischievous.
Secretive. Mesmerizing.”

  What
was she going to do? The room seemed much smaller than it had a scant few
moments ago. The air was thick with that ever so irresistible scent of him.

  “So
many words and yet none of them really do you justice.” He was standing behind
her now. She could feel his breath on her neck.

  “Cam,
please stop. Really.” All she could do was plead, because she didn’t trust
herself to be the stronger of the two. If he touched her she was as good as
gone.

  “Stop
what? I’m only talking.” Which was true. He hadn’t so much as brushed against
her. “It’s okay to talk, isn’t it? They're just words.”

  Words
spoken by the sexiest voice on the planet.

  “It’s
not...I just...Damn it, I can’t.” She turned to face him.

  “Cam,
don’t think for a second that I couldn’t make a similar list about you. Because
I could. But I run a business. I’m a single woman. Single men stay under my
roof all the time. And in a town this size my reputation would be ruined by
even the slightest rumour of anything happening between me and one of my
guests.”

  Her
voice quivered as she laid her biggest fear out to him. “I’ve worked hard to be
successful. And I can’t risk throwing it all away just because I find myself
drawn to you.”

  “I
can be discrete, Elsie.”

  “It’s
not you I’m worried about. Or me. It’s just... Can I be honest?” She backed
away and sat down.

  He
sat on the floor in front of her.

  “I
made the mistake of getting involved with a guest before. Broke my own rule.
And I’ve beaten myself up about it time and again these past three years. In
retrospect, it was a poor lapse in judgement.” She paused and looked out the
window. It was easier not to look at him. “Several lapses in judgement,
actually. But it eats away at me. The only thing I think is that I’ll never let
it happen again. And I can’t. That’s all there is to it. As much as I like you,
there’s nothing going to happen between you and me. And the more you flirt, or
say things that no sane woman should be expected to resist, the harder it is
for me.”

  “You
shouldn’t tell me things like that.”

  “Why
not? Isn’t it better that you understand where I’m coming from?”

  He
laughed. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I’m a man. I’m hard-wired to overcome
challenges.” He was smiling as if her concerns were nothing. Treating her like
a child who just needed to be reassured.

  “Elsie,
you sit there and tell me that the only thing stopping you from falling into my
arms is a rule no one knows about but you, and expect me not to try and find a
way to convince you otherwise?”

  The
nerve! The gall!

  “Yes! That’s exactly what I
expect. I’m not issuing you a challenge. I was being honest. And just because I
have expectations of how I should behave, doesn’t mean that it’s trivial. It’s
not trivial to me.” She stood.

  “Look,
you might have a string of casual relationships, but I don’t.” Her heart was
beating a mile a minute. She could feel her face turning red.

  “It’s
not my nature. In a couple of weeks you’ll be gone, and then what? I’ll either
never hear from you again, or every now and again when the mood hits you you’ll
drop by for a quick weekend visit and then you’ll take off again, expecting me
to be waiting here for you, ready to drop everything just because you’ve
decided you’d like to have a go at Elsie again. Been there, buddy.”

  She
jabbed him in the chest. “And I don’t intend to revisit the past. It’s number
one on my ‘Big Mistakes Never to Make Again’ list.”

  Oh,
she was angry. Angry she’d opened up to him. And madder still that he’d dared
laugh at her, as if her self-respect and reputation meant nothing.

  “Elsie,
I’m sorry. I wasn’t making fun of you. I was being honest. That was the first
thought that ran through my mind.” He strode toward her.

  “Oh,
I’m glad you were honest. Because now I know what a mistake it would have been
to... Oh, never mind.” She pushed open the door.

  “You’re
not leaving.”

  “Really?
You’re now going to tell me what I can and cannot do? That’s great.”

  “You’re
not leaving this room until you let me clarify.”

  “Oh,
I have all the clarity I need, thank you very much.”

  They
were standing outside now, where the mist from earlier had turned to cold, hard
rain.

  “Elsie,
please come back inside. Let’s talk.”

  “You
go back inside. Don’t dare follow me into the house and cause a scene or I
swear I’ll never forgive you. Enjoy your stay here. Draw lots of birds. Do the
talk if you want. But unless you have a problem with your accommodations, or
need something none of the staff can help you with, leave me the hell alone.”