All for the Heiress (21 page)

“I figure since we’re going to be together for at least ten years, ye’ll probably put out eventually. I can wait.” He jumped back to avoid her taking a shot at him, but the mention of the ten years made her sway on her feet. Such a long time. “Ah, forget I said it,” he said, grabbing her shoulders and shuffling her toward the bathroom. “I suppose it’s odd to ye to think about it, but I’ve been wanting to be with ye for so long already, that ten years doesna seem hardly enough.”

She turned around, stunned at his words. He was so honest. He’d always been honest about his feelings. She’d just taken it as teasing before. She saw everything he felt on his handsome, beat up face, and her trepidation slipped away.

“You liked me before? You didn’t just realize? How long, then?” she asked.

He shook his head, still nudging her toward the bathroom. “It’s not important, forget I said it. Ye’ll just think me dafter than usual.”

She dug in her heels and refused to budge. “Don’t make me put down these towels.”

He scrunched up his face and closed his eyes. “I guess I started liking ye when I was about twelve. But I knew ye’d never give me a second look in that way, so I was happy just to be your friend.”

She leaned closer, the towels keeping her from getting close enough. “That’s interesting.”

“Ah, Mel, dinna abuse the knowledge.” He put his hands on her shoulders and tried backing her away again. “Let’s just start fresh and not think about the past or the future.”

She liked that idea, and she wanted to kiss him, but remembered they were alone in his house and she wore only a bathrobe at the moment. He looked awfully tempting, though.

“I should make you wait the whole ten years for that crack about putting out,” she said. “You think you can distract me from your rudeness with sweetness, you’re wrong.”

He leaned down so they were eye to eye. “I can certainly wait,” he said in a voice that made her break out in goosebumps. “But ye know I’m verra persuasive. I doubt ye’ll be able to resist me that long.”

“Oh my God, you’re the worst,” she said, dropping her towels so she could take a swipe at him. “When you say that it makes me want to resist you even more.” It was a lie. She already wanted that floaty, sparkly feeling she got when he kissed her.

He grabbed her hands, grinning wickedly. “Then I’ll just have to work that much harder. It’s a win-win for me, Mellora.”

She knew he wouldn’t have to work very hard and she gave up, putting her arms around his waist, positive she’d never been so ridiculously happy. “Don’t you think if we were on a tv program, we’d be making fun of ourselves right now?”

“Oh God, the telly. I’ve missed it so much. Hurry and get clean so we can watch for ten hours straight.”

She laughed, in complete accord with that plan, but not letting go of him yet. “I’m glad you lasted more than five minutes,” she said. “I’m glad we made it back.”

 “I’m glad of those things and more,” he said.

Piper waved her hands over the neatly labeled stacks and smiled widely. “Look at all this,” she said proudly. “Look at all the decisions we’ve made and the lists we’ve crossed off.”

Magnus sat in his high chair grinding up teething biscuits, and took a moment to crow happily at their accomplishment.

“We’re definitely amazing,” Evie agreed. “All the out of town travel arrangements are done, too.” She shook her head in wonder. “Why did we think this was so stressful? I can’t believe we were freaking out so hard.”

“I think it’s because we already did the real ceremonies, and they were so perfect, it doesn’t matter so much now if a few things don’t fall into place.”

“Yes, everyone should get married before their wedding,” Evie said with a self-satisfied grin. She held out her hand, which sported a shiny gold band on top of her engagement ring. “Let’s see yours again.”

Piper held out her hand and they laughed dementedly as they admired the rings, relieved to have the wedding details nailed down.

“What are ye two cackling about?” Lachlan said, coming in from the back courtyard. He glanced at the clock. “Ye’re not drunk at this hour are ye?”

“We’re excited because Evie’s wedding is officially planned,” Piper said, hopping up and throwing her arms around him. He twirled her around and set her back down, then gave her a ravishing kiss.

“That’s a relief,” Lachlan said. “I thought it may have finally driven ye both mad.”

“It almost did,” Evie admitted. “The only thing left is getting Mel to choose a bridesmaid color.”

“Where is Mellie?” Lachlan asked, getting an apple from the fridge. He frowned at it before taking a bite. “How long will she be at that interview? I’m fairly starved for her cooking.”

Piper thought about it and double checked her calendar. “That’s odd. She was actually supposed to be back two days ago.” She tried to call her, but her phone went straight to voicemail. “I could swear she said she’d be back from her interview by now.”

“Interview?” Evie asked. Piper explained, but Evie shook her head, the gleam of gossip in her eyes as she continued. “Padma told me she went camping with Shane Brodie. I just assumed you knew.”

Piper searched her memory, wondering if she was confused, but she felt sure that Mel had told her she was going to Glasgow, then spending the weekend with her childhood pen pal. That little minx had lied to her.

“Aye, she did say something about it, remember, love? Ye were distracted no doubt by the proper color pixie dust to sprinkle over the wedding guests, but I recall her saying something now.”

“I can’t believe it. Why would she go camping with Shane? They barely speak to one another.”

Evie almost choked trying to get the rest of her story out. “Nuh uh. Padma said they used to be thick as thieves before he dated Bridget. She made him stop hanging out with her because she’s a jealous little cow.”

“Come to think of it, I havena seen Shane about the grounds in the last few days either,” Lachlan said, taking a seat. “But that’s madness. He was mooning over my sister like she was the love of his life.”

Piper got a sinking feeling. “You don’t think Mel had real feelings for Oliver do you?” She grabbed her phone and punched in a number. “I’m calling Archie, see if they’re out there.”

“Archebald has a phone in the historical camp?” Lachlan said with disdain. “That’s not verra realistic.”

“I made him have one. It’s too dangerous if someone gets hurt or sick. I can’t have people dying on my property. Oh, hey, Archie. Fine thanks. You?” Piper rolled her eyes and listened to Archie tell her everything they’d done for the last few days before plowing forward with her question. “Did Mellie and Shane spend the weekend out there? Er, they wouldn’t happen to be out there now, would they?”

She put the phone on speaker while he went to check, and the three of them waited for him to return. After several long minutes he told them they weren’t there now, nor had they spent the weekend.

“Shane came round a few days ago and borrowed some things, though. He said it was for you. I hope that was all right?”

“What kind of things?” Piper asked, making shushing motions to Evie, who looked like she might start making teakettle noises any second.

“Some knives, and a couple packs, a map, that sort of thing.”

Lachlan looked grim as Piper thanked him and hung up. She sat in silence, going over all the reasons why her suspicions couldn’t be true.

“You don’t think they tried to go back, do you?” Evie asked. “Mellie’s way too superstitious to do that.”

“It’s that lad. I knew he was trouble, I knew it.” Lachlan stood up and ran his hands through his hair. “It’s no wonder we couldna find any documents saying if Catie had married. He’s gone back and toyed with her affections, just as he did in this time.”

“What if they never come back?” Evie sniffed.

“Oh, they’ll come back, if I have to drag them by their wee necks,” Lachlan thundered.

“Stop, both of you.” Piper got up and forced Lachlan to sit back down, then gave Evie a jar of olives, her latest pregnancy related food obsession. “We don’t know that’s what happened. The historical camp isn’t the only place to camp around here. There’s miles of forest, after all.”

“Then why would Shane borrow the things, and why would Mel get clothes from Padma?”

Piper didn’t have a reasonable explanation for that. If they weren’t going to camp with the historical re-enactors, there was no reason to get historical clothes. Her head started pounding. Even though they’d just put the finishing touches on the wedding plans, they still had to have the damn wedding. In less than two weeks, people from out of the country would start pouring in for the week long festivities leading up to the big day. Now that Evie was safely and legally married, she didn’t think she’d pull a runner, but any number of things could still send her into a tailspin, so she needed near constant monitoring. How could she go back for Mellie and Shane at a time like this?

“If she did do something so stupid, I’ve a good mind to let her rot back there,” Piper said, looking at the fabric swatches. “But then we’d be down a bridesmaid and the sides will be uneven.”

“And she could get hurt!” Evie said.

“And the upheaval she could cause,” Lachlan said at the same time.

“Er, yes, that too,” Piper said contritely. She looked at Lachlan, who’d gone a bit green. “I guess we could think of it as a honeymoon.”

“Have you decided on where you’ll go for your honeymoon, then?”

They all whirled to see Mellie standing behind them, Shane standing sheepishly at her side. Piper had been so distraught she hadn’t heard the door open.

Evie rushed forward and hugged Mellie. “You’re here,” she said.

“Aye, but why are ye so excited to see me?” Mellie asked nonchalantly, but Piper had lived with her long enough to know something was up.

“We haven’t seen you in days,” Piper said. “Nobody has.”

“We were getting a bit worried,” Lachlan said.

Piper laughed when he too hugged Mellie in his great relief at not having to go back to the eighteenth century.

“Where were you?” Piper asked. “I thought you were only going to be gone for the weekend.”

Mellie blinked innocently a few times. “Sorry, did I forget to tell you I went camping as well?”

“Aye, we were camping,” Shane said.

“We called Archie and he said you weren’t out there,” Piper said doggedly, determined to get to the bottom of Mel’s odd behavior, and taking note of how close she stood to Shane.

“We were going to go to the historical camp, but just set up a tent in the woods instead,” Mel explained.

“Okay, love, ye can leave off interrogating her now. She’s safe and sound and that’s what matters.”

Piper nodded to Evie to take over the interrogation and she jumped in without missing a beat. “The two of you? Together?” she asked, eyes wide.

“Merciful heavens, I give up,” Lachlan said. “Ye wee gossipmongers have no shame.”

Mellie stood up straighter and grabbed Shane’s hand, causing even Lachlan’s mouth to drop open in disbelief.

“Aye, together. We’re together now. Me and Shane.” She kissed him on the cheek and turned red.

“So much for easing them into it,” Shane muttered.

After the initial shock wore off, Piper found she wasn’t surprised in the least. All the cute exchanges she’d seen them have since Shane started working at the castle, all the times Mellie had complained about him, which now seemed just excuses to talk about him. It all added up.

“Are we the first to know?” Evie asked, and Piper could see her practically shaking in her need to tell Sam. Her hand snaked into her pocket and surreptitiously brought out her phone.

“But surely not the last,” Mellie said in a resigned voice. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to my room to watch some telly.”

“Is that what the kids are calling it these days?” Evie asked, cracking herself up as she tapped away at her phone.

“Wait, pick a bridesmaid color first,” Piper said. “It’s the last thing on the list.”

Mellie spread out the sample boards and for the first time appeared to give it some serious thought. Piper watched Shane sidle up behind her to look over her shoulder, resting his hand on her waist. Being an old married woman now, her heart swelled at their young love and she grabbed Lachlan’s hand, nodding over to how cute they were together. It took a series of pained looks before he finally gave in and settled a warm smile on them.

“This one would look verra nice on ye,” Shane said, reaching around Mellie to point at a pale coral shade.

“Do you think so?” she asked with a blush, and Piper saw her rosy cheeks were almost the same shade as the fabric sample.

She didn’t think she could handle how adorable Shane was, with that small sweet example of how he felt. If they didn’t leave the room soon, she was going to be a mess of sentimental waterworks. If Evie hadn’t been so bent on spreading the news, she’d be bawling for sure at the tender display.

“I guess this one,” Mellie said, pointing to the color Shane liked.

Evie nodded her approval. “Yep, looks good. You’ll have your first fitting in a couple days so don’t disappear again.”