Page 38 of A Flower for Angus

Angus immediately popped some sweat on his forehead. The lass was entirely too close to a certain part of his anatomy and it was quickly responding. Making a quick decision, he waved at Dal and Henry, who had been angling to the road to meet him, and gunned the accelerator on around the turn into the main road without slowing down. A quick glance to his right showed them just sitting on their horses staring at him as if he’d lost his mind. If he hadn’t yet, he was going to if he didn’t move Poppy.

“Ye can get up now, lass, we left them in the dust,” he choked out hoarsely, pulling on her shoulder.

Poppy popped up just like her name and looked around, her face pink and excited. “That was close. I thought they were going to stop you to talk.”

“It was close,” he agreed, but not for the reasons she thought. He wondered why she wanted to keep their relationship private? He was too old for this nonsense. He liked her and he was pretty sure she liked him. Why hide it?

By the time he reached Thistlewind, his tadger had finally conceded defeat...for the moment.

“Thistlewind is absolutely charming,” Poppy marveled as he drove past two concrete walls and into the courtyard where he parked in front of the house. “I love that the doors are painted with color in some of these old homes,” she enthused as he lifted her out of the truck.

Angus was pretty proud of Thistlewind. “Aye, we’ve always had a blue door. Colors have symbolism, and for us, it represents peace and clan unity.”

Fascinated, Poppy asked. “What does the red door at Neamh mean.”

“Red means yer mortgage is paid off,” he replied dryly, “but it can also mean rebellion and other things.”

“Did you add onto the house?” she asked as he unlocked the door and opened it for her to precede him up the two stone steps and into the home.

“Aye. The front is pretty much the same as it’s always been with the original white and gray stone,” he explained. “I added the blue shutters on the windows on both levels and built a patio in the back made of the same stones. The back part of the house is made of wood and updated with a more modern kitchen and other facilities. My grandfather and my dad did that when we moved into the 21stcentury with electric and indoor plumbin’,” he added with a chuckle.

“We still have a well and pump in the back garden though, that’s been around for lord knows how long. Generations of Sangster’s have lived on Heaven’s Gate for as long as we have records.” He turned the lights on and watched her as she perused his home. He tried to see it through her eyes.

Crofter cottages weren’t very big back in the day. More people were stuffed into them than they could legally get by with under today’s standards. The big fireplace that had once been the crofter family cooking center still took up most of the right wall of what was now only the living room. Just past the living room was his bedroom on the left. His study, converted from a smaller bedroom, was on the right. Then a step up and the add-on began with a staircase on the right. The add on sported a modern kitchen, dining area, and a bathroom. His modern areas weren’t near the size of Neamh, but it had been plenty adequate for his family. The attic above the living room was used for storage and the two second level bedrooms were above the add-on.

“I’m not much of a home decorator,” he explained, “that was Rosie’s department.”

“I think it’s quaint and beautiful,” Poppy replied, running her hand across a gorgeous antique sideboard made of mahogany that held family pictures on the base and delicate blue and white China in the doors above it.

She pointed to the massive fireplace. “I bet that’s nice and warm in your Scottish winters.”

He took her hand. “Come on, I want ye to see the Queen of the Night,” he replied easily, trying to set aside the images of Rosie standing in front of the China and wondering whether to risk using it when the boys were little. Sometimes she had, but most of the time she hadn’t. He never could figure out what China was for if it wasn’t to eat off of, but he’d humored her. The China had belonged to her mother, and her grandmother before her, so that made it precious in her eyes.

He rushed her through the rest of the house and onto the rock patio outside where it sloped gently to the shimmering loch about 200 yards away. “There’s the flower bed,” he pointed off to his right as he led her towards a blooming array of white flowers that were cone shaped with spears of white leading away from the center.

“How lovely,” Poppy gasped, reaching out and stroking a soft petal. “Thank you for showing me your home, Angus. It’s truly beautiful.”

Angus awkwardly ran his hand through his short cut. “I’m glad ye like it.”

She tentatively reached out and took his hand. “Your Rosie must have been a lovely woman,” she said softly. “If you’ve changed your mind about my being here with you, I’ll understand. I might feel the same way if I were showing you around my house filled with memories of the love I’d lost.”

Angus was at a loss for words at that moment. “Walk with me,” he said gruffly, tucking her arm into his and heading for the path to the loch. They were both silent until they arrived at the small bench on a concrete square beside the loch where they could look out at the moonlight highlighting the undulating ripples in the water.

Angus absorbed the serenity of the water, the mountains in the background, and the sparkling ripples when a fish, or perhaps a turtle, popped a bubble up from beneath the surface, until he could formulate his thoughts. “It’s not that, Poppy,” he finally replied.

Poppy turned to face him with an inquiring look.

“I’m no verra good at explainin’ feelin’s,” he said tensely, staring down at her. “We’ve both lost people we love in our lives. Aye, I did love Rosie. I loved her verra much, and she loved me in spite of my many imperfections. I’ll always love her, but I no want to be alone for the rest of my life either. When I met ye that day on the road and held ye in my arms, I knew immediately that ye were someone I could love. Those special feelin’s don’t come along for just any lass.”

Poppy blushed and looked down at their clasped hands, then looked back up. “Angus, I...”

He put his finger on her lips. “Let me finish and then ye can have yer turn. I guess what I’m sayin’ is that I want to court ye. I know that sounds old-fashioned and it is, but I want everyone to know that I like ye. I don’t want to sneak around like I did when I was still tryin’ to grow a beard and meet a lassie after school to steal a kiss. I’m too old for that, Poppy. If ye like me at all, then we can go as slow as ye like. All I ask is that ye be honest with me in return. And if ye don’t like me, then I won’t do this...”

He swooped down and took her mouth under his in a long searing kiss that had his toes curling and his tadger dancing. He didn’t know about her toes.

“...anymore,” he finished as he raised his head and searched her face. She didn’t look repulsed, maybe there was hope yet.

“Is it my turn now?” she asked breathlessly, her grin taunting him.

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