One-Off (37 page)

Twenty-five minutes later, I turned onto a rural lane west of Bathgate, passing homes in lush green fields. Some were small like ours with only a trace of land, and others were grand with rolling hills or spotted with herds of farm animals. I pulled into Ainsley’s driveway. A low stone wall surrounded her small stone cottage on all sides. Sitting on an acre and a half, the cottage used to be a caretaker’s home for a huge estate that had sustained damage from World War II. In its place, a wealthy London couple had built a sprawling Tudor mansion. They were weekenders mostly, which suited us just fine. It made the land we had seem far more vast than it was.

“Skye, my lass,” Alastair called from the sheep enclosure behind the garage.

I couldn’t help grinning at the sight of him feeding the two sheep I’d talked Ainsley into letting us get. They were very low maintenance and made me feel like we had pets without all the shedding inside the house. I pushed for a small flock like her parents had, but she’d made a good argument for two. Too much tending and not enough land.

“Hi, Alastair. Are you staying for dinner?”

“Elspeth wanted to drop something off for the wedding. I’m taking her out.”

“Date night?” I guessed.

Elspeth’s school let out early every other Friday and Alastair had enough seniority to schedule his own hours at the golf course where he worked. I’d often come home on Fridays to this very sight. If this had been any other woman I dated, I would have despised it, but I loved Ainsley’s parents. They’d always treated me well, but as soon as I asked for their consent to marry Ainsley, I’d become a second daughter to them. Alastair, especially, had appreciated the gesture.

“Don’t ya know,” he agreed, having picked up the term from me. “Is everyone at work excited for Colin and Dallas?”

I nodded. They were coming for a visit over their winter hiatus. I’d talked them into sitting for an interview with our newsmagazine show. It was a huge get for our station. They’d be starting at their new network after the winter break and seemed happy to lend their notoriety to our brand new station. They weren’t even holding a grudge that I’d left on vacation and wasn’t coming back to be their EP. Well, maybe a little grudge. Dallas was still getting used to not having me a floor away. I was, too. The only thing making it bearable was that my new job had time off in both the summer and winter like they had. With Ainsley’s teaching schedule, we’d be able to spend weeks at a time in the States or plan trips with Dallas and Colin.

“I’ll be a minute out here.” He raised a hand filled with hay. “You go on in. The girls have something to show you.”

I opened the back door of the house and entered through the small but perfectly appointed kitchen. Half the counter space I had in D.C., an oven not much bigger than a large microwave, a refrigerator that barely came up to my chin, no dishwasher, and a combo washing machine/dryer in the kitchen. It would shock most Americans out of their shoes, but I loved it. Loved the two small bedrooms, the one and only bathroom, the cozy living room with a gas stove, and a dining nook where Ainsley and Elspeth were currently huddled at the table.

Ainsley’s face looked up when she heard the door and that smile that could stop my heart spread across her face. “You managed to get yourself home in one piece, I see,” she taunted, proving my earlier point about enjoying our clashing of wits.

“It rains here all the time and yet people are confounded by driving in it.” I leaned down and kissed Elspeth’s cheek then switched to Ainsley. “Hi, my beauty,” I whispered and kissed her softly.

“Hello, darling,” she whispered back when I pulled away.

“What have you got here?”

Elspeth spread her hand over a large square of wool plaid. I recognized the pattern of green, light blue, pink, and black right away, but I let them have their moment. “It’s the Baird ancient tartan.”

“I gather it will be playing a part in the wedding?” I asked Ainsley.

“Pink and black, darling,” she reminded me of the colors she’d chosen.

“Beautiful,” I commented, not really caring about the colors because weddings still weren’t my thing. “What about your dad’s tartan? Are you ignoring the Campbell side of your family?”

“That’s my girl,” Alastair declared from the doorway, dropping his wellies on the slate tile next to the door. He stepped into his loafers and went to the sink to wash his hands.

“Dad’s wearing a kilt in his dress colors.”

“I am?” he asked as I said, “He is?”

“Don’t you want to?” Ainsley asked him. “I want everyone to know how proud I am to be a Campbell, too.”

“Whatever ya want, love.”

They’d probably have this discussion a hundred more times before the wedding seven months from now. We’d already settled on having it in Elspeth and Alastair’s backyard and planned to keep it to twenty people. Her grandmother was baking the cake. Elspeth and Alastair’s sister were making finger foods. Alastair and Elspeth’s brother would trade off behind the bar. Logan was going to be the DJ, and Morgan would be putting together some simple flower arrangements when she arrived. Other than finding a photographer and renting chairs and a tent if the weather didn’t cooperate, we didn’t have much to do in the way of planning. Not that it was stopping Elspeth’s excitement.

“Time to go,” Alastair said to his wife.

“Have fun,” Ainsley told them as we walked them to the door and watched them leave. She turned back to me. “Did you have a good day?”

“Aye,” the term just popped out of my mouth these days. “Did you?”

“Mum and I saw some dresses in a magazine that looked quite pretty. I think she’s having more fun than we are planning this.” She reached up to push her fingers through the hair at my nape. I was once again assaulted by the sensations a mere flick of her fingers could invoke.

It took me a moment to remember what we’d been talking about. “We did it once. I’m happy to turn it over to her.”

She pushed against my shoulder and grinned. “Don’t let her hear you say that. You’ll be in a pink gown for the ceremony.”

“I’m not in a dress, am I?” I never thought I’d ask that question. Never thought I’d have to wonder if I’d wear a dress at my wedding. I should probably think about that because I wasn’t a dress person despite being forced into a bridesmaid dress last summer.

“You looked amazing at Colin’s wedding, but I liked what I wore, too.”

“So did I.” It came out as a husky rasp and Ainsley’s eyes widened. My arms reached around her waist and brought her close for a proper welcome home kiss.

“Mmm,” Ainsley murmured. “Are you trying to distract me with your mouth?”

“Maybe.” I stole another kiss.

“Darling, do you despise this?”

“This?” My head always got a little fuzzy around her.

“The wedding.”

I pulled back and stared into her eyes. I still didn’t like weddings. Nothing about that had changed. But I was in love with a woman who wanted one. I could be a jerk and deny her what she wanted or I could suck it up for an afternoon and grant her wish. Easy choice. “I would despise a wedding the size of Dallas’s, but ours won’t be like that. Plus it makes you happy. That’s all I need. It’ll be wonderful.”

“You’re just saying that to get me naked tonight.” Her eyes danced with challenge.

“I am,” I said only half joking and received another shove in response. “Now, tell me what I’ll be wearing again. I seem to remember saying something about how hot you looked at Colin’s wedding.”

Her smile flashed bright as she pulled me close again. “You might be in something like that. Feminine but not a dress. I’m wearing a dress.”

“Whatever you want,” I agreed because as the person who’d never thought of marrying anyone, I’d never dreamed of a wedding, so I could turn that over to the person who did.

“We have to get the guest list ironed out in the next month.”

“You know my people.” All four of them.

“Are you sure, darling? You can invite more people. I feel awful that everyone will be from my family.” Her immediate family since she wasn’t close to the distant relatives that showed at Colin’s wedding and half of them wouldn’t drive across town to Elspeth’s farm anyway.

“I don’t. As long as my mom and Dallas are there and Colin for you, I’m good.” I’d be crushed if they couldn’t make it. My mom had been worried that I was making the same mistake she had: falling for a charming Scot and letting my feelings cloud my senses. But it only took one video call between my mom and us to assure her that I was making the best decision of my life. She planned to be here a couple weeks before the wedding so she could help out with last minute details and be part of the festivities. Dallas already had her ticket and the dress she’d wear as my best woman, which she insisted on being called MOH. Colin was bringing a suit and his kilt to be Ainsley’s best man. “I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Morgan’s shop doesn’t run into any snags so she and Poppy can take a week off to be here. That makes four slash five with Colin.”

“What about your family here?”

I shrugged, still not used to thinking of anyone from my father’s side as family. With my grandmother gone, I really only had her sister as a close relation on that side. “I’ll reach out to my great aunt, but I get the impression she doesn’t leave the island much.”

“Isle,” Ainsley corrected with a grin.

“Right, isle.”

“Of Skye,” she pushed further. “Your namesake, darling, we must give it proper credit.”

“Right. So important.” I ran my hands up and down her back. “What do you want to do tonight? Should we follow your parents’ lead and have a date night?”

“Aye, but we’ll stay in for our date night.” Her eyes flared seductively. “After thirty years of marriage, I’ll expect you to take me out for our date nights.”

“As you wish,” I agreed.

She beamed and brought her lips in for a kiss that nearly boiled my clothes off. I wondered if I’d get used to this. Get tired of it. Decide her love was old hat and not enough to keep me interested. I’d been convinced of this my whole life. I was finding out every day just how glad I was to be proven wrong.

Quick, name your top three favorite things. Now try it without the Julie Andrews impression. I’ll spark your brainstorming for you—chocolate on anything, finding a free parking spot in the city, houseguests who clean their bathroom before leaving, freshly cut grass, a power outage at work that leads to an unexpected day off, garage sale treasures, good stories that stay with you for weeks, bumping into a friend from home while on vacation in another country, getting a kickass haircut—there are billions more. Pick three. I’ll wait. I’ve got time since I get to enjoy the rest of my life with my very favorite thing.

About the Author

Lynn Galli spent four years as a wedding planner before flipping out and killing a bride. After serving time, she decided it would be less stressful just to write about the incomparable joy of planning weddings.

Other Publications by Lynn Galli

V
IRGINIA
C
LAN

Wasted Heart
(Book 1) – Attorney Austy Nunziata moves across the country to try to snap out of the cycle of pining for her married best friend. Despite knowing how pointless her feelings are, five months in the new city hasn’t seemed to help. When she meets FBI agent, Elise Bridie, that task becomes a lot easier.

Imagining Reality
(Book 2) – Changing a reputation can be the hardest thing anyone can do, even among her own friends. But Jessie Ximena has been making great strides over the past year to do just that. Will anyone, even her good friends, give her the benefit of the doubt when it comes to finding a forever love?

Blessed Twice
(Book 3) – Briony Gatewood has considered herself a married woman for fifteen years even though she’s spent the last three as a widow. Her friends have offered to help her get over the loss of her spouse with a series of blind dates, but only a quiet, enigmatic colleague can make Briony think about falling in love again.

Finally
(Book 4) – Willa Lacey never thought acquiring five million in venture capital for her software startup would be easier than suppressing romantic feelings for a friend. Having never dealt with either situation, Willa finds herself torn between what she knows and what could be.

Forevermore
(Book 5) - M Desiderius never thought she could have a normal life filled with love. She gets all that and more when she marries Briony, including an amazing foster daughter named Olivia. Every wish she’d never allowed herself to voice became real. When someone from Olivia’s past threatens M’s newfound family, can she carry on in the face of loss or will it push her back into a life of solitude?

A
SPEN
F
RIENDS

Mending Defects
(Book 1) – Small town life for Glory Eiben has always been her ideal. With her rare congenital heart defect, keeping family and friends close by preserves her easygoing attitude. When Lena Coleridge moves in next door, life becomes anything but easy. Lena is a reluctant transplant and even more reluctant friend. Their growing friendship adds many layers to Glory’s ideal.

Something So Grand
(Book 2) – A designer for the wealthy, Vivian Yeats doesn’t have time for relationships, yet she longs for romance. She’s had to settle in the past when it comes to women but won’t bother to again. If romance is going to happen for her, it’ll take someone special to turn her head. Natalie Harper, the new contractor on her jobsites, might just be the woman to do it.

Life Rewired
(Book 3) – Two years ago, Molly Sokol decided she wanted to get serious about finding that special someone. She could picture her perfectly—petite, feminine, excitable, adoring, and ultra-affectionate. When the opposite of all that comes along in the form of Falyn Shaw, Molly never thought they’d be anything more than friends. Being wrong has never felt so good.