Page 47 of Scotch & Dreams

“Hey, it's me. Sorry to wake you.”

“You should be." Violet could hear the ruffle of bedding. "Kidding, I'm always happy to hear from you. How’s the new place?”

“Amazing. You need to plan a trip. Now I have room, and seriously, it is so awesome here. How are you, my friend?”

“Great, good. I'm meeting Matt for brunch this morning.” Violet could practically hear her grin through the phone.

“OOH, still going strong with Matt, eh?” Violet teased.

Sierra laughed. “Yep, still good. He’s a sweetheart.”

“I’m glad. You deserve that.” Violet ran her finger over a little knot in the fabric of her navy chair. “So, I found out who the owner of Highland Haven is today.”

“Yeah, who?”

“It’s him.”

“Him?”

“Lachlan.”

“What? No! Shut up!” Violet could imagine her friend’s wide expression.

“Yep, I ran into him there today.”

“Oh my God, and how was it? Are you okay?”

“Oh God, Sierra. The man is just so damn perfect. Physically, he is unreasonably hot. Worse than that, though, is just that he is honestly just such a good guy. Everybody over there is already singing his praises. It’s going to be torture. I wish he could be an asshole so I could hate him.”

“He is an asshole. He didn’t phone.”

“He’s not an asshole. He actually apologized for not getting in touch.”

“Big whoop. Easy for him to apologize now. He could have connected if he wanted to, and he didn’t, plain and simple. So don’t you go letting your imagination run away with you. You know he can be a flirt with you, and you also know it doesn't change anything—he is not interested. Youknowthat. Don’t torture yourself, Vi. Keep that door closed. Move on. He did.”

Lachlan definitely had a way of making her knees weak, whether he meant to or not. Thank God for Sierra. She didn’t mince words. That was exactly what Violet needed to hear. He didn’t deserve her, anyway. He could have at least gotten in touch with her to make sure she was doing well—just something friendly—but not a word. He'd totally ghosted her. It was actually rude. Sierra was right. She would not let him back into her heart and mind.

“What about that Andy guy?” Sierra quipped.

“Andy? What? To date? No, no, he’s sweet, but just a friend.”

“The best relationships start as friends, just sayin’.”

“You make a good point, but not in this case. No, just no.” Violet couldn’t think of Andy that way. He was one of the girls, and that was that.

“All right. Well, I gotta go get ready, but it’s good to hear from you. Stay strong, my friend. Love you.”

“Love you too. Thanks. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Chapter 28

Guinea Pig and Dirtbag Pig

Violetwasgratefultohave some time to work on her styling business, even if it wasn't with clients per se. She and Fiona spent a full day on “research." They headed down to Glasgow's west end and hit up as many trendy clothing shops as they could. Fiona was Violet's guinea pig as she worked to create different looks for her, and Fiona was pissed at all the clothes she hadno choicebut to buy. Violet couldn't have talked her out of the shopping spree if she'd tried. Fiona couldn't resist the outfits Violet had put together for her.

"Suppose I'm going to be eating canned tuna for the next month," she said, shifting the shopping bags weighing down her arms.

---