Page 6 of Desiring the Highland Laird
She rose as he extended his hand and they shook. “Have you?”
As they shook hands, though, she got a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. Like something about him was off even though he seemed cordial enough. She, however, had learned over the years to trust her gut.
“Evie, this is Bruce MacDonald.” Chloe clutched his arm and gazed up at him with adoring eyes.
Evie was uncomfortable in their presence. She lowered back down to her chair and scooted closer to the table. Taking that as a cue, Bruce and Chloe did the same.
“Where did you two meet?” she asked, trying to make conversation.
“At the museum,” Chloe said. “One day he came in and, well… the rest is history.”
She sat close to him, her hand still on his arm. He brushed the back of his hand across her cheek, grinning.
“I couldna take my eyes off her,” he said.
Evie shifted in her seat, unsure what to say next. Thankfully, she didn’t have to come up with more small talk when the waitress bustled over to take their orders. He waved her off, but Chloe ordered a pint of Tennent’s.
“Beer?” Evie cut her a surprised glance.
“Bruce turned me onto it.” She grinned at him.
“And for you?”
It took a moment to realize the waitress was speaking to her.
“Oh, water for me.” She was still jet lagged and hungover from her bender on the plane.
“Break time’s over.” He kissed Chloe on the cheek. “I’ll see ye after,” he said, and then returned to the stage.
“Isn’t he dreamy?” she asked as he walked away.
“He is,” she agreed, watching as he picked up his guitar and laughed at something the banjo player said.
“I think he’s the one, Eve.” She said it on a wistful sigh.
Evie peered at the guy on the stage. While he was handsome, and he played a mean guitar, she knew nothing else about him.
“How long have you been dating?”
“A few months.”
“And you know already he’sthe one?”
Chloe gave her a thin-lipped frown. “Yes. What’s wrong with that?”
She shrugged, lifting one shoulder. “I don’t know. It seems…fast.”
“Sometimes true loveisfast, Evie. You’ll get to know him and realize how perfect we are for each other in no time.”
When their drinks arrived, Evie wished she had ordered something stronger.
“I guess so,” she finally said.
“Just because you don’t believe in love at first sight, doesn’t mean I don’t,” Chloe said. She took a sip of her pint.
“It’s not that… it’s…” It was hard for her to tell her sister she thought she was rushing into things a bit.
Perhaps it was because she was in another country and the man had a terrific accent. Who wouldn’t fall for that Scottish brogue? She suspected Chloe had fallen in love with the idea of falling in love with a Scotsman, rather than the Scotsman himself.
