Page 81 of Scotch & Dreams

It sounded as if Drew had really turned his life around. He had quit doing drugs and quit hanging around with the crowd that had helped him in his downward spiral. Drew had come back wanting to start back up with the band he'd once played in. The day he’d arrived home, he’d run into the old crowd at Craggy’s—and things instantly went awry. He told Lachlan how much he'd regretted the way he’d acted that day.

That wasn’t the life he wanted. He didn’t want to be that guy anymore. He wasn’t that guy anymore. The way he treated Lachlan and his friend that day felt all wrong. He was showing off for the old crowd. Even as he spat crude words, he'd already felt the regret and almost welcomed the punch Lachlan threw. He didn’t want it that way. It didn’t feel right. It wasn’t right.

Lachlan listened to his brother intently and felt so much relief. He apologized for that day, too.

Drew laughed. “Dinnae apologize. I ken I deserved that punch.”

“Aye, ye did, ye numpty.”

The two men laughed and clanked their glasses before taking a slug.

"I was impressed ye actually hit me, though. I didnae think ye had it in ye."

Lachlan knew exactly the reason he'd let it fly with his brother that day, and her name was Violet Munro. Even then, he'd have done anything to protect her, even from his own brother. Lachlan looked at his phone. Six p.m. already. He should text Violet. He really wanted to talk to her. There was so much to say, and he’d promised her dinner.

“So who was the lovely lass anyway?” Drew asked, waving to their friend Kian to bring another round.

Lachlan smiled, just thinking about her.

"What lovely lass?" Alex strode up.

"Alex, where the hell did ye come from?" Drew stole the words from Lachlan's mouth.

"Och, I ken I'd find ye two here huvin' a dram. Looks like I need to catch up," he said, gesturing to the empty glasses on the bar top in front of them.

"Oi, Kian," Alex called to him over the bar, where he stood with a bottle in each hand, pouring whisky into a row of a dozen or more glasses. He finished his pour, bringing four full glasses over.

"Wonders never cease. I huvnae seen the Mackenzie clan here in years. Welcome back, lads," he said, raising a glass with a wide grin spread over his face.

After sharing a dram with Kian, Alex turned back to Lachlan. "So who's thelovelylass, then? Tell me ye arnae talkin’ about that MacDonald woman—the one has always wanted to get her nasty claws into ye.”

Lachlan wondered how he’d been so blind to Anna when his family obviously couldn’t stand her. How had he not seen it sooner? His mam was the only one who had encouraged the relationship, but thinking on it, he realized his mam never actually knew Anna, only her family.

“Fuck no. He dumped her arse and then gave her a right telling off at his gala event. It was brilliant,” Drew quipped.

Lachlan didn’t relish having to do that, but there was no way in hell he’d let her speak badly about Violet and get away with it.

“Aye?” Alex raised a brow to Lachlan as though he couldn’t quite believe it.

“He was defending the ‘lovely’lass,” Drew explained.

Alex was still looking at him in disbelief. He knew what he was thinking. Lachlan was always the gentleman, the diplomat. He didn’t ruffle feathers. Which was true, but at the same time, he’d fucking tear the devil a new one to defend his woman.

“Aye,” Lachlan said, taking a hearty sip of his whisky.

Realizing Lachlan wasn’t going to say any more about it, Alex asked again, “So who is the ‘lovely’ lass then?” He looked between the two men.

"Och, she's a bonnie one," Drew said as if he were an authority.

And Lachlan gave him a warning look.

Alex laughed. "Lachlan, ye look like ye might like to kill the lad. What gives?" He slapped Lachlan on the back.

For the first time in his life, he actually understood his brothers and their love of the lasses, although there was only one lass that he loved.Love.He was caught off guard by his own thoughts.

"I think she must be someone special, aye?" Drew said more seriously.

“Aye, she is. Verra special.”

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