Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
E lla sprawled across her bed, phone pressed to her ear, watching shadows from the street lamp dance across her ceiling. The sounds of the pub across the street drifted through her open window—laughter, the occasional burst of Scottish brogue, the faint strains of what might have been bagpipes.
She hesitated before dialing, knowing exactly what Bella would say about her week. But she needed her friend’s particular brand of chaos right now.
Bella answered on the second ring. “Please tell me you’ve either fallen madly in love or discovered the MacGregors are actually immortal highlanders. I’m planning a Sweet Sixteen that’s driving me insane, and I need entertainment.”
“Hello to you too.” Ella smiled despite herself. “And neither, thank you very much.”
“Liar. I can hear it in your voice. Spill.”
“Hear what in my voice?”
“That thing where you try to sound casual but you’re actually bursting to tell me something. You’ve got news, bestie. Give it up.”
Ella sighed, rolling onto her stomach. “It’s not news exactly…”
“Is hot security guy showing up everywhere?”
Sometimes she swore Bella was a mind reader. “He’s not showing up everywhere,” Ella protested. “He’s doing his job. The school has a new security system.”
“Mm-hmm. And does his job require him to help you with planetary models?”
“How did you?—”
“You mentioned it in your text about the field trip forms.” Bella’s grin was audible. “Very casually, I might add. Like, oh, by the way, the hot brooding security expert just happened to help me carry the entire solar system.”
“It was on his route!”
“Sure it was, honey.” Bella giggled. “So what’s really going on? And don’t say nothing, because you have your ‘something’s happening but I’m pretending it’s not’ voice.”
Ella flopped onto her back. “The MacGregors are... watching me. Like they’re waiting for something. Today, Tom said they’re ‘protective of their own.’ Whatever that means.”
“Ooh, maybe you’re the chosen one, destined to break an ancient Highland curse!”
“This isn’t one of your romance novels.”
“No, but it’s starting to sound like one. Mysterious Scotsmen, family secrets, a handsome security expert who keeps finding excuses to run into you...”
“He’s not finding excuses,” Ella insisted. “If anything, he’s avoiding me. Except when he’s not. But I’ve only met him twice. And seen him around town. It’s confusing.”
“Honey,” Bella’s voice softened, “you know it’s okay to be interested in someone, right? Jacob would?—”
“Don’t.” Ella cut her off. “Please.”
A moment of silence passed. Then, “You’re allowed to be happy, El. You’re allowed to be interested in someone. Even if he is a brooding security expert with boundary issues.”
“He doesn’t have boundary issues,” Ella protested automatically. “He’s just... complicated.”
“Ha! You didn’t deny being interested.”
“I’m hanging up now.”
“No, you’re not. You still haven’t told me about your students. How’s the teaching going?”
The change of subject was transparent but welcome. Ella found herself smiling as she described her class’s solar system project and their upcoming field trip to the planetarium. Talking about her work was safer than examining her complicated feelings about Tom or the MacGregors’ strange behavior.
“You sound happy,” Bella observed. “Teaching-wise, at least.”
“I am. The kids are great. The town is... growing on me.”
“And the mysterious security expert?”
“And we’re back to that.”
“Of course we are. Someone has to keep you from hiding behind work forever.” Bella paused. “Which is why I’m coming to visit next month.”
“You’re what?”
“Already booked my ticket! Someone has to witness this romance novel in person.”
“Bella, no.”
“Bella, yes! Also, I might have googled Tom Dalton. Did you know he has a security company in Seattle? Very impressive.”
“I’m definitely hanging up now.”
“Love you too! And El?”
“What?”
“Stop fighting the magic. Small towns have their own kind of charm. You’re just too stubborn for your own good sometimes - you need to get out of your own way and let it work its spell.”
After they disconnected, Ella sprawled across her couch, the familiar noises from the pub drifting through her window—laughter, music, the occasional burst of Scottish brogue. Bella was ridiculous, of course. This wasn’t a romance novel. There was no magic, no destiny, just a small town with some admittedly unusual residents.
But as she sat there in the quiet of her apartment, she couldn’t quite shake the feeling that Bella might be right about one thing.
She was fighting something. She just wasn’t sure what—or if she should stop.
The Harvest Moon Café smelled like fresh coffee and cinnamon, its Saturday morning rush just beginning to ebb. Ella had claimed a corner table, spreading out papers to grade while she nursed her second cup of coffee. She’d discovered that grading math tests required significantly more caffeine than reading assignments.
The bell above the door chimed, and she glanced up automatically. Tom Dalton stood in the doorway, his tall frame blocking the morning light. Their eyes met, and for a moment, neither moved.
Then someone behind him cleared their throat, and Tom stepped inside, letting other customers pass. He ordered his coffee—black, two sugars—and Ella pretended to focus on her grading while actually watching him from underneath her lashes.
“Mind if I join you?”
She looked up to find a beautiful woman with striking copper-colored hair standing by her table, holding a steaming mug. The stranger’s smile was genuine and warm.
“Of course not.” Ella gestured to the empty chair, grateful for the distraction from Tom’s presence. “I could use a break from this anyway.”
“I’m Zoey MacGregor,” the woman said as she settled in gracefully. “Aiden’s wife. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Oh! It’s nice to meet you.” Ella set aside her red pen.
“It’s nice to meet you too.” Zoey smiled warmly. “You know, I used to sit at this exact table when I was in high school. Old Mrs. Henderson would give us free cookies if we promised to actually do our homework instead of just pretending.”
“Mrs. Henderson? The previous owner?”
“Yes, she retired about five years ago. Though she still reminds Sarah to make her gingersnap recipe every Christmas.”
“So you grew up here?”
“Born and raised.” Zoey’s eyes took on a distant look. “Though sometimes it feels like I’ve known this place much longer.
The café door chimed, and before Ella could puzzle out Zoey’s odd statement, the young woman’s eyes suddenly widened, focusing intently on something just above Ella’s head. A warm smile spread across Zoey’s face.
“Your aura - it’s the most beautiful shade of yellow I’ve ever seen,” Zoey said softly. “Bright and warm, like sunshine through honey. Perfect for a schoolteacher, really. Shows your love of learning and how you inspire your students.”
Ella shifted in her seat, unsure whether to feel flattered or unnerved when the café door chimed again. Tom was still at the counter, and Ella watched him tense slightly as two women entered, deep in conversation.
“Oh good,” Zoey said brightly, waving to them. “These are my sisters-in-law, Lissa and Amber MacGregor.”
The two women approached their table, and Ella found herself being introduced. Lissa, she learned, was married to Gareth, while Amber was Liam’s wife. Soon the table was full of chatter about town events, local gossip, and plans for the upcoming fall festival. Despite meeting them for the first time, Ella found herself relaxing. The MacGregor wives were nothing like their intense husbands—or at least, they were better at hiding it.
“Tom!” Amber called suddenly. “Stop lurking by the pastries and join us.”
Ella’s head snapped up. Tom stood frozen, coffee in hand, looking like he’d rather face down an armed intruder than join their table.
“I should get to work,” he said, but Lissa was already pulling out a chair.
“Sit,” she commanded. “That scowl isn’t fooling anyone.”
To Ella’s surprise, Tom sat. He took the chair between her and Amber, his arm brushing hers as he settled in. The contact sent a ridiculous tingle up her spine.
“How’s the security business?” Amber asked innocently. Too innocently.
“Fine.” Tom’s tone suggested he knew exactly what they were doing.
“And the school system?” Lissa turned to Ella. “Everything working properly?”
“Yes.” Ella matched her casual tone. “Though there was an incident with the science lab door yesterday.”
Tom’s head turned sharply. “What incident?”
“The lock stuck.” Ella hid her smile at his immediate concern. “But Mr. Whitaker fixed it with a paperclip and some creative language.”
“I’ll check it today.”
“It’s really not?—”
“I’ll check it,” he insisted, and Ella felt that ridiculous tingle again.
“Well, isn’t this cozy?” A new voice joined them, and Ella looked up to find all three MacGregor brothers standing by their table.
“Pure coincidence,” Gareth said, though his grin suggested otherwise. “We always get coffee around this time.”
Lissa rolled her eyes at her brother-in-law. “No, you don’t.”
“We could start,” Liam suggested cheerfully.
“Where are the children?”
Liam grinned. “With Zoey’s mom and dad.” At a look from his wife he said, “They insisted!”
The brothers pulled up chairs, and suddenly the small table was very crowded. Ella found herself pressed closer to Tom, who had gone notably still beside her.
“Don’t you all have jobs?” Tom asked pointedly.
“Aye, but nothing that can’t wait for coffee with friends.” Gareth’s grin was unrepentant.
“Speaking of jobs,” Zoey cut in smoothly, having observed Ella’s interaction with the children at school, “how are the planetarium plans coming along?”
Grateful for the redirect, Ella launched into an explanation of the upcoming field trip. She was midway through describing the interactive exhibits when she realized Tom was watching her, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
“What?” she asked quietly, as the others debated the merits of various lunch spots near the planetarium.
“Nothing.” But his smile grew. “You just... light up when you talk about teaching.”
Heat crept into her cheeks. “I enjoy it.”
“I can tell.” His voice was soft, meant just for her. “It suits you.”
Before she could respond, Liam’s voice cut through their moment. “Well, would you look at that? They can actually talk to each other.”
Tom’s expression shuttered. He stood abruptly, his chair scraping the floor. “I need to get to work. That door won’t fix itself.”
“Tom—” Ella started, but he was already heading for the exit.
She turned to find six MacGregors watching her with varying degrees of satisfaction and sympathy.
“That went well,” Amber said brightly.
“Did it?” Ella gathered her papers, suddenly needing to escape. “Because from where I’m sitting, it looked like an ambush.”
“We prefer to think of it as creating opportunities,” Gareth offered.
“For what?”
The brothers exchanged glances, but it was Lissa who answered, her tone surprisingly gentle for someone she’d just met. “For people who deserve happiness to find it. Even if they’re both too stubborn to look for it themselves.”
Ella wanted to be angry at their meddling, but something in Lissa’s tone gave her pause. There was genuine care there, underneath the manipulation.
“I should get to school,” she said finally. “Those fractions won’t grade themselves.”
“Of course.” Zoey squeezed her hand, the gesture feeling natural despite their new acquaintance. “But Ella? Sometimes the best things in life come from unexpected places. Even if those places include nosy Scotsmen and their equally nosy wives.”
Despite herself, Ella laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
As she left the café, she couldn’t help but smile at the sound of Lissa berating her husband for his lack of subtlety. She’d only just met them, but there was something undeniably endearing about the MacGregors’ determined matchmaking.