Page 13 of Of Heather and Thistle
The bell over the door jingled, and Heather glanced up, expecting a customer. Instead, Ivy strolled in like a storm in heels, her scarf trailing dramatically and her expression locked in determination.
“Oh, no,” Heather muttered, already bracing herself.
“There she is!” Ivy announced loudly, striding straight toward the counter. She slapped both hands down as if presenting an official proclamation. “Heather Mackenzie Campbell, how dare you not tell me you have a date withSam-freaking-Ashford!”
Heather froze mid-step, her stomach twisting. “It’s not a date!” she said quickly. “And I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d make a big deal out of it.”
Ivy gasped, pressing a hand to her chest like she’d been personally wounded. “Me? Make a big deal? Please.”
Heather shot her a knowing look.
Ivy huffed. “Fine, maybe. But still! You should have told me. I mean, Sam Ashford?” She leaned in conspiratorially. “I didn’t even know hespoketo people. He’s certainly never spoken tome.”
Heather hesitated for half a second. Ivy had never spoken to Sam? Then… how did she even hear about it?
Heather froze, her cheeks flushing. “Ivy, keep your voice down!”
“Don’t ‘keep your voice down’ me,” Ivy said, wagging a finger in her face. “Marky,here, spilled the beans.”
“What? …I didn’t spill!” Mark called from the counter, popping his head up from behind a stack of books he was sorting. “I casually mentioned it when Ivy came in and interrogated me when you were on your lunch yesterday!”
Ivy spun around to give him an approving thumbs-up. “And you did the right thing, Mark. You’re a man of the people.”
“I try,” he said, grinning.
Heather groaned in mock exasperation. “Mark, I trusted you!”
He shrugged, completely unbothered. “You didn’t say it was a secret. Besides, it’s Sam. You can’t expect me to keep that kind of information to myself.”
Ivy turned back to Heather, her hands on her hips. “Howcould you not tell me? I thought we were best friends! You’re withholding critical information from my entertainment pipeline!”
“I was going to tell you,” Heather muttered, her face a shade of deep crimson. “I just… haven’t had a chance.”
“Well, lucky for you, I’m here now, and we have a crisis to address,” Ivy declared, her voice full of mock seriousness.
Mark wandered over, crossing his arms. “Crisis? Is this about the fact that Heather called this date ‘nice’? Because if so, I agree. That was an outrage.”
Heather shot him a glare. “Are you two seriously teaming up right now?”
Of course,” Mark said, completely deadpan. “This is a team effort. We need to get you prepped, polished, and ready to make Mr. Darcy over there fall at your feet.”
Heather groaned, covering her face with her hands. “This is mortifying.”
“It’s a public service,” Ivy said, pulling Heather’s hands down. “Look, Sam is this town’s Holy Grail of eligible men. And somehow, by somemiracle, he asked you out. We can’t afford to let this opportunity go to waste.”
Mark nodded sagely. “I second that. You’ve got the potential for a fairy tale evening, Heather, but you’re going to need some backup. Lucky for you, you’ve got the dream team.”
Heather raised an eyebrow. “The dream team?”
“Ivy and me,” Mark said, gesturing between himself and Ivy. “She’ll handle the hair, makeup, and wardrobe. I’ll take care of moral support and witty one-liners. You’re in good hands.”
Ivy grinned. “After work, you’re going straight to my place.I’ve got the perfect dress for you. Trust me, you’re going to look incredible.”
Heather hesitated, biting her lip. “I don’t know, Ivy. Maybe I should just—”
“Nope!” Ivy cut her off, grabbing her shoulders. “You’re not talking your way out of this. You deserve to feel confident, gorgeous, and unstoppable tonight. Let me do this for you. Besides, you need a win, Heather. Between… everything,” she gestured vaguely, “and now inheriting some big fancy Scottish castle—you need to feel good about yourself for once.”
Mark smirked. “And honestly, who inherits a castle? You’re like a Disney princess—just with significantly fewer talking animals and a lot more renovation costs.”
