Page 76 of A Flower for Angus

“Nay, lass, I don’t think that’s a good idea tonight. I’m no sure I could control myself with the sight of yer beautiful bottom starin’ up at me beggin’ to be kissed and spanked. This isn’t the right place or time for us. Ye are my weak spot and I have to protect ye, even from me.”

Strangely hurt and suddenly shy, she backed out of his arms. “Well...goodnight then, Angus. I-I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight, honey.”

Poppy returned to her bedroom, hurting and unsure of herself. There was no way she could just up and leave right now. After leaking a few tears into her pillow, she finally fell into a troubled sleep.

***

IN HIS BEDROOM, ANGUSwas staring up at the ceiling, but sleep refused to come. Glancing at his watch, he realized it was going on 3:00 in the morning. His bags were already packed and Vince was picking him up soon. His flight to New York left in one hour. He got up and finished dressing, then let himself out of the bedroom and went to the study to leave Poppy a note. It was better this way. He wouldn’t be able to leave her behind if she took him to the airport, and he didn’t want to influence or guilt her into coming with him. It had to be her decision.

He let himself out the front door and met Vince’s vehicle coming up the drive. He climbed into his car, the blue color reminding him of joking with Poppy about Vince’s choices of car color.

“Thanks for pickin’ me up, Vince. I really didn’t want a taxi runnin’ me around half of Chicago before droppin’ me off at O’Hare,” he joked lamely.

“I’m amazed Poppy isn’t taking you to the airport,” Vince replied curiously. “I was surprised to get your call. Too bad I can’t go with you; I’d like to go back to Scotland one day. I can’t afford it right now though. Is Poppy joining you soon?”

“Poppy has work to do here,” Angus replied simply. He turned to gaze at Vince. “Anytime ye want to come back, just let us know. We can always use a good man at Neamh.”

“Shearing sheep? I don’t think so,” Vince said with a chuckle. “I prefer the work I do, but I wouldn’t mind doing it away from Chicago. Scotland really touched something in me.”

“Aye, she has a way of gettin’ to a man. Once ye have a taste of her, ye can’t resist her. Kind of like some women,” he teased, but his heart wasn’t in it.

Vince didn’t say anything else, as if he could somehow feel Angus’s regrets. It wasn’t long before he dropped him off at the airport.

“Good luck to ye, Vince,” he said, shaking hands with him after they retrieved his bag from the trunk. “The offer at Neamh is always open.”

“Safe travels, Angus.” Vince replied.

Angus checked in and boarded his flight feeling very alone. He loved Poppy, but Scotland was a mistress that demanded he remain faithful. Born and bred in her bosom, he would forever remain loyal to her and Heaven’s Gate.

As he stared down at the lights of Chicago disappearing below him when the plane was airborne, he wondered what, if anything, the future held for him and his Poppy flower? Would she change her mind about them and stay in Chicago?

He began to get an inkling of what Jamie MacNamara, Lucerne’s father, had gone through. Rhonda Descant was Louisiana born and like Jamie, she loved her American homeland as much as he loved Scotland. She and Jamie had married and stayed fiercely devoted to one another, although they had spent many months at a time apart during the course of their marriage. Rhonda had died a few years back and Jamie hadn’t met anyone else who could ‘hold a candle to his Rhonda’, as he had put it.

When he’d first met Jamie through Lucerne and learned his story, Angus had been positive he could never endure a long-distance relationship like that. A man would be a fool for even trying. A lass belonged in her man’s bed and keeping him warm at night, not off gallivanting halfway across the world.

Now, he wasn’t so sure.

At this point in his life, you’d think falling in love would be simple without the hot passion of youth clouding your judgements. Had he put Poppy in the position of having to choose between him and her family? He hadn’t meant it that way, but maybe that’s the way she would see it.

Brooding, he stared out at the inky blackness of the night sky. Perhaps the real root of his problem was that Poppy had never actually said she loved him. He wasn’t sure she’d truly loved either of her first two husbands, and that worried him. He didn’t want to fall into the category of just being needed. If his flower didn’t love him the way he did her, then he didn’t want to just be a convenience in her life. Someone to keep her from being lonely again now that Julian was gone.

He shifted restlessly in his seat. No, Angus wanted more than that. He wanted to love and be loved in return.

The real question was, what did Poppy want?

***

POPPY FOUND ANGUS’Snote and was furious. Why had he just left like that? She’d had so many things to say to him...like goodbye, for one. She’d been going over it all in her head while she was getting a shower this morning. She didn’t know what time his flight was, but she knew he’d let her know before they had to leave for the airport.

She stared at the note in her hand. It was short and simple.

‘I love you, Poppy. Let me know when or if you are coming home.’

Home? She crumpled up the note and threw it in the trash can while she paced back and forth trying to think of different ways to skewer him. She was home. Granted, she thought of Scotland and Neamh as home too, but the way she read the note, his home would never be here. Was there an ultimatum hidden in that note?

Her text notification went off and she could see it was from William. What did he want now? Honestly, she was beginning to wonder if she’d made a mistake if the man had to consult her for every decision. Ignoring it, she dropped the phone back in her pocket.

---