Page 40 of Of Heather and Thistle
“Miss Campbell?” he asked in a thick Scottish accent, lowering the sign. Heather nodded as she adjusted Byrdie’s carrier on her shoulder again. “That’s me.”
“Welcome to Scotland,” he said warmly, reaching to take her suitcase. “Name’s Alastair. I’ll be drivin’ ye to Glenoran House.”
“Thank you,” she said, handing over the suitcase with a small smile. “I really appreciate it.”
Alastair tilted his head toward the exit. “Car’s just outside. Let’s get ye sorted.”
As they exited the terminal, she glanced up at the sky: a patchwork of pale gray clouds shifting lazily overhead.
Alastair led her to a sleek black car parked near the curb and opened the door for her. “Ye’ll be comfortable in here. Long ride ahead, but we’ll make good time.”
Byrdie let out a soft meow as Heather slipped into the backseat. “Almost there, Byrd,” she whispered, unzippingthe mesh just as Byrdie pressed against her hand and purred loudly, though it was barely audible over the noise of raindrops tapping against the car’s windows.
* * *
Once on the open road, Heather gazed out the window, taking in the rolling hills and quaint stone cottages that dotted the countryside. The city quickly gave way to sprawling fields, their edges lined with dry-stacked stone walls and clusters of trees that looked ancient and wise.
Scotland’s winters were nothing like the ones she’d grown used to in Millhaven. Winter back home was a mere inconvenience with slush-covered streets, gloomy skies, and the rush of people hurrying from one place to another despite the weather. It was brutal in its own way with freezing winds, streets buried under snow, and the kind of cold that stung your skin. But here, in the rugged Scottish countryside, it was different. Winter here felt sharper and less forgiving than the bitter cold of Millhaven. The chill here seeped into everything, damp and inescapable, clinging to stone and earth like a memory that refused to fade.
“Ye’ve come a long way,” Alastair said, breaking the silence.
“I have,” Heather replied, her voice soft. “It’s… a bit surreal, honestly.”
“Aye, I can imagine,” he said, glancing at her in the rear-view mirror. “First time in Scotland?”
“First time,” she confirmed, her fingers idly tracing the edge of Byrdie’s carrier. “But it already feels… I don’t know… different… like I’ve been waiting for this without realizing it.”
The stormblurred the road ahead, turning the countryside into shifting shadows and fleeting glimpses of green. It was disorienting—how quickly the world could change with a little rain. Then again, that’s how her life had felt lately. One minute, clear skies; the next, everything unrecognizable.
Alastair chuckled. “Well, there’s magic in these parts. The kind ye feel in yer bones. Sounds like yer right where ye need to be.”
Heather turned to the window, watching the hills grow steeper and the roads narrower. The steady drizzle that had followed them now swelled into a torrential downpour. Rain hammered against the car windows, blurring the landscape into a gray smear. Heather anxiously shifted in her seat and glanced nervously at the storm outside. Byrdie released a tiny, uneasy meow from her carrier on the seat beside her.
“Does it always rain like this here?” Heather asked Alastair, trying to keep her voice light.
“Aye, it can be temperamental,” he replied, gripping the wheel tightly. “But this is a proper downpour, even for Scotland.”
The car suddenly shuddered, and Heather felt it lurch before slowing to a crawl. Alastair frowned, muttering something in Gaelic under his breath.
“Ò, chan eil seo math—”
“What’s wrong?” Heather asked, her stomach tightening.
“This isn’t good,” he said, easing the car to the side of the narrow road. The engine sputtered once, twice, then died completely, leaving them in near silence apart from the relentless rain drumming on the roof. Alastair twisted the key in the ignition, but the car refused to start.
“Bloody typical,” he muttered, leaning back in his seat witha sigh.
Heather’s heart sank. “Is it… is it serious?”
“Could be the battery, could be the engine,” he said, shaking his head. “Either way, we’re not goin’ anywhere for the time being.”
Heather peered out the window, her eyes straining to make out anything through the rain. The landscape blurred into a mess of gray and green, but she remembered passing a small town not long ago. It had been a blink-and-you’d-miss-it place with just a few cottages, a church, and what looked like a pub, but right now, it was the closest thing to safety she could think of.
“Is there any cell service out here?” she asked, reaching for her phone.
Alastair pulled out his phone and frowned. “Not likely. These roads are remote.” He sighed, running a hand through his damp hair. “I’ll check under the hood and see if I can sort it.”
“Okay,” Heather said, trying to stay calm. Byrdie let out another distressed meow, and Heather whispered to her, her fingers brushing over the carrier. “It’s okay, Byrdie. We’ll figure this out.”
