The Highlander's Hope - A Contemporary Highland Romance by Cali MacKay Page A

it’s been a bit of a long distance thing, and I wasn’t sure how we’d manage it.  But I’m happy to say, we’ve found a way to make it work.” Iain’s loving eyes took her in, and damn if he wasn’t a good liar.  Whether or not they’d fool Angus, however, was another question—especially if she was involved.  Lying was not one of her strong suits, and the way Iain was looking at her had her pulse racing and her cheeks flaming hot.
    “Well then, it’s an absolute pleasure to meet ye.  I di dn’t think Iain would ever bring anyone home.  He must be… smitten.”  Nope.  Angus still didn’t look like he believed them, but he was a good enough sport to not question them openly.
    “Did ye come by for anything in particular?  I hadn’t been expecting ye.”  Iain set the safety and put the shotgun down on a nearby table.
    “ Hadn’t heard from ye, and figured I’d stop by, especially given the talk around town.  Didn’t realize ye had company.  My apologies for interrupting.”
    Iain waved away his concerns.  “Ye know ye’re always welcome, and there’s nothing to interrupt.  Join us for a whisky?”
    “I could do with a drop.”  Angus was still watching their every move, making Cat feel as if every breath, every beat of their heart was under scrutiny. 
    They wandered into the sitting room and Iain went to get them a whisky, while she and Angus grabbed a seat.  He was tall—really tall—and definitely a looker, with black unruly locks and piercing blue eyes.  Add to that the scruffy casual look, and she was sure he had every woman within a twenty-mile radius swooning.
    Too bad he was making her panic.
    Trying to distract Angus from his suspicions, and to keep herself from bolting, Cat tried a bit of small talk. “So, did you guys go to school together?”
    “Aye, we did.  Grew up together, given that our mothers were sisters .  And what about the two of ye?  Tell me about this whirlwind romance.”  The shit eating grin on his face was just more confirmation that he didn’t believe a word they’d said.
    “We met after he n early ran me over while I attempted to fix my flat tire.”  Was her voice sounding high?  Or was she only sounding panicked in her own head?  At least she’d stuck to the truth—for now.
    Angus burst out laughing , easing the tension knotting her muscles.  “Now that I can believe.  He drives like the hounds of hell are chasing him.”
    “Hey!  I’m right here .”  They ignored Iain’s protests.
    Feeling a bit more at ease, Cat launched into her story, making up the rest of it as she went along.  “At least he was nice enough to drive me home, since the walk to Cambridge would’ve taken me half the day.  To repay him for his kindness, I bought him dinner.”
    Iain handed them each a drink, and then sat by her side, wrapping an arm around her shoulder with a smile.  “And then I bought us drinks, hoping I’d have enough time to convince her to see me again.”
    “ Well, I’m happy to hear it then.”  Angus tilted his head in Cat’s direction.  “I’ll have ye know, he’s not brought anyone home since secondary school.  It’ll be good for him to get away from his work and actually enjoy himself a bit.”
    She liked Angus, and was now feeling guilty that they were lying to him.  Yet they had to , so she steeled herself to continue their charade.  Trying to act as natural as possible, she twined her fingers with Iain’s and leaned towards him with a smile she hoped didn’t look stiff, as her gaze lingered on his handsome face while snuggling up to him.  “I think it’s been a good thing for both of us.”
    “ Aye, lass.  Ye both look happy.”  Angus gave her a sweet smile that reached his eyes this time, letting her breath a small sigh of relief.  He then turned to his best friend, the sweet smile gone.  “Now are ye going to tell me what’s up with the shotgun?  I’ve ne’er seen ye so jumpy before.”
    Cat