Page 44 of Scotch & Dreams

Violet jumped. She thought he’d fallen asleep. “The only thing I’m gonnadois my bed, like right now. You’re on your own, peeps. Blankets are in the closet in the hall. I’m out.” Violet padded off to her room, leaving her friends to fend for themselves.

Chapter 26

Hangover, Horses, and Him

Violetawoketothewarm sun bathing her face. When she opened her eyes, a dull ache immediately gripped them. “Ugh,” she groaned, not feeling her best. Rolling over she looked at her clock through the slits of her eyelids. Eight-thirty a.m. She was supposed to be at the sanctuary for nine. Shit.

She flew out of bed, past her friends who still lay sleeping in her living room, and into the bathroom to take the world's quickest shower. “Shit, shit, shit.”

She'd just gotten her long hair wet, and with her headache blaring, she realized she’d left her toiletries, yet to be unpacked, in the bedroom. Guess she wouldn’t be washing with soap today. She slurped water in the shower, hoping to ease her massive headache. Tearing back the cute highland cow shower curtain she'd bought, she stepped out, and tossed a towel around her, throwing her wet hair up in a messy bun. No time for full makeup. She put on concealer, mascara, blush, and a new shimmer lip gloss she'd bought, and ran out of the bathroom, towel still wrapped around her.

In her bedroom, she noted the lovely sunlight streaming through as she whipped on her work jeans and a t-shirt—that probably could use a wash—and zipped into the kitchen. 8:59. She grabbed a shiny red apple and bolted out the front door, grabbing her purse as she went.

“See you guys later,” she hollered back before slamming the robin’s-egg blue front door closed.

Violet hated being late. She got to the sanctuary at 9:11. Nobody else seemed to even notice, but Violet was reprimanding herself for her tardiness while her head hammered scolding her for her late night boozing.

“Hey Effie.” She smiled as she walked into the office. She went to her locker, slipped on her rubber boots, and grabbed her gloves.

“Good morning, lassie.” Effie smiled as if nothing pleased her more than to see Violet. But then upon further inspection, her features dropped, and her eyebrows knit with worry. "Are ye feelin' quite well?"

"Just a bit of a late night." Violet wasn't about to divulge the fact that she was hungover.

"Och, right," she said. "Yer eyes are all puffed, and yer hair looks like ye've been drug through a hedge backwards."

Effie was the admin at the Highland Haven and was around sixty years old. On the surface, she was like the quintessential grandma, bringing the staff baked goods most days, always watching out for everyone, but one of Violet's favourite traits was her no-nonsense honesty—the call it like you see it, non-filtered manner that is earned with age. Normally, she enjoyed Effie's blunt assessments, but today, she was more in the market for a warm Grandma hug. Effie must have noticed her wince under her appraisal.

"Och, it's all right, lassie. Yer still as bonnie as ever. Ye remind me of those models ye see on the telly. Ye ken the ones. They'd look lovely even wearing a bin bag."

Violet supposed that was meant as a compliment. "Thanks, Effie."

“I made rhubarb muffins if you’re peckish.”

Violet’s stomach seemed to growl on cue. “You are a godsend." She picked up an oversized muffin out of the Tupperware container Effie offered up to her.

“Did you meet Logan?” Effie chirped.

“Uh, no. Is he new?” Violet answered, biting into the muffin and sweeping crumbs from her t-shirt.

“Yes. Well, no, he’s not new, but it’s the first time we’ve all met him. He’s the owner of Highland Haven,” she said proudly as if he was her son. “Och, he’s just a lovely, lovely man."

Violet noted a flush creeping up Effie's soft, crinkled cheeks.

"I believe he said he’s coming by again today. He says he's keen to meet all the staff and volunteers. Apparently, he’s been away, so he hasn't had the chance to get in here sooner. Och, such a lovely man."

Violet almost laughed at how Effie was gushing. This Logan dude must be something.

"Ye'll like him, Violet. He's the kind of person ye can tell is good, right off the bat.” Effie’s pudgy face had gone as rosy as a spring tulip.

Violet was starting to wonder how this guy could possibly live up to the reputation he was getting. Well, the women seemed to like him, but was he as good a guy as they thought or just a good charmer? She supposed he must be a decent guy if Highland Haven was truly his. She was pretty sure dickheads wouldn't choose a horse sanctuary for kids as their big money-maker.

“Right, well, he sounds…lovely. These muffins are divine,” she said, shoving the last bite in her mouth.

“Oh, lassie, glad ye’re liking them. Bill cut the rhubarb fer me over the weekend. It's a wee bit tart, but I just added more sugar. Here, take another for later.”

Violet did, knowing it was the sugar hit that would likely get her through the day.

"I hope our Logan will like them too. I'm going to save the rest fer him. He's a big man, ye ken." Her eyes widened as if she were spreading some kind of gossip about him.

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