Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Quinn sat in the front passenger seat next to Angus. She no longer felt right sitting in the back, no matter how much Angus protested. Mavis and he weren’t servants in the castle. They were Collin’s family. “How’s Mavis?”
“As bossy as ever,” he answered with a twinkle in his eye. He reached over to the glove box, opened it and pulled out the replica emerald-encrusted dagger. “She wanted you to have hers.”
“Oh, I couldn’t.” Quinn pushed his hand back.
“I’m no’ telling her that. You can tell her, lass. I did my duty. She willnae be yelling at me. She can yell at you,” he said, laying the dagger in her lap.
“Chicken,” Quinn teased.
“No’ chicken, smart.” He tapped his head to point to his brain. “Where to first?”
“The hospital to check on Johnny.”
Angus started the engine and glanced in Quinn’s direction. “You still plan to leave?”
She nodded, remembering the bomb she’d dropped on Collin. “The sooner, the better.”
“But, lass…”
“It’s for the best.” Quinn smiled, contradicting the ache in her chest. “I don’t belong here, and he doesn’t belong in Florida. There’s no way to make it work.”
“Forgive me for saying so, Quinn, but you’re making a mistake.”
A huge, colossal mistake, but then again, she never did anything small.
She’d told him how she felt, which was more than she would have done a week ago.
Like their attraction, she didn’t fight it, and she didn’t fight her newfound feelings, but acknowledging her feelings, and living the rest of her life in Scotland, were two very different things, and there was no way he’d ever be happy living anywhere else.
Johnny was dressed, sitting in a chair, with a newspaper in his hands when Quinn walked into the room. She’d expected him to be covered in mountainous red bumps like a hormonal teenager, and yet, the few he had were covered in cream.
“They told me you weren’t contagious anymore and you’re healing in rapid time,” she said, glancing around at his accommodations. It wasn’t a five-star hotel, but it was better than the hotel where they’d been staying that first night.
“I’m glad you didn’t come down with it.”
“You and me both.” Quinn walked over to the window and glanced down at the cobbled streets below. “When are they cutting you loose?”
“Tomorrow.” Johnny folded the newspaper and rose. “I hope you’re done with your business. I’d really like to go home and see my family. They’ve been worried sick.”
Quinn clasped her fingers together instead of patting his arm. One couldn’t be too careful. “I’ve finished my business, and I’m ready to leave when you are.”
“Great.” A smile stretched across his lips. “I’ll call your cell when I get to the plane.”
“Uh… My cell died a slow, painful death, and I don’t have Collin’s number at the castle. I’ll call you when I head to the airport, and if you’re not there yet, then I’ll just wait.”
A blush spread across Johnny’s cheeks. “I’m sorry I delayed your return trip home.”
“I’m not.” Quinn did the unthinkable and squeezed his arm. “Well, I am sorry you got sick, but I’m not sorry I was stuck here longer than expected.”
“Noon it is.” He nodded. “If I have to sneak out of this place. I’ll be there on time.”
Quinn left Johnny’s room and rubbed at her aching heart. She’d meant what she told Angus. She didn’t belong in Scotland, but that didn’t make it any easier. She’d miss this place. She’d miss Collin, Mavis, and Angus. Hell, she might even miss fighting with Ian. Nah. Who was she kidding?
Angus was waiting by the hospital entrance for her. The smile on his lips fell into a frown as she approached. “What is it, lassie? Did he take a turn for the worse?”
“No.” Quinn linked her arm through his and led him outside. “Everything’s fine. We’re leaving tomorrow.”
He patted her hand and opened the passenger door. “Everything will all work out. Have faith.”
Faith. She had faith that she’d be leaving. She had faith that her sisters would give her an earful, and she had faith that there would always be ghosts and people who needed her help.
Quinn entered the castle with bags in both hands.
She’d done more than purchase another set of clothes.
She’d bought going-away gifts for everyone who had touched her life.
She jogged upstairs and put most of them on the bed before jogging back downstairs and into the kitchen to find Mavis instructing a new person behind the stove.
Quinn’s smile softened at the way Mavis gently guided the new woman, with words of encouragement. “I brought you a parting gift.”
She turned to Quinn, her lips tilted in a frown. “You’re leaving?”
Quinn gave her the best enthusiastic face she could muster and held out her bag. “One more day and you’ll have me out of your hair.”
Mavis’ shoulders dropped as she took the bag. Reaching in with her good hand, she pulled out two objects wrapped in tissue. The first was her dagger.
“I gave this to you. Why are you givin’ it back?” she asked, perplexed.
“Because it’s your family heirloom. This dagger represents the strong women in your family. The ones the Menzies trust and that I trust. It’s only right that it belongs to you and is passed down to the next generations.”
Mavis pressed the treasure to her chest and smiled. “I’ll make sure they know how the legend ends.”
She unwrapped the second gift, and her eyes sparkled as she met Quinn’s gaze. “Plane tickets?”
Quinn grinned. “Two open-ended round-trip plane tickets to Florida for you and Angus. You deserve a vacation, and I won’t even expect you to come cook for me. Of course, you’ll have to wait until after you teach your new student to cook. You can’t leave Collin to go hungry.”
Tears misted her eyes. “I’ve never been outside of Scotland.”
Quinn winked. “I wish you the best that life has to offer, including amazing Italian food.”
Quinn’s heart clenched as she hugged her. She’d miss Mavis and her fabulous cookies. “Take care.”
She hurried from the kitchen as her eyes misted. Quinn still had so much to do and pack, but she went in search of Collin. She found him in his office with a pile of paperwork up to his chest. He ran his hand through his hair as he read through some document. “I knew I’d find you here.”
His gaze shot up, and the tension from his face softened as he rose. “It took you long enough. I thought I’d have to send out a search party.”
“How bad is it?” Quinn asked, as she crossed the room toward him.
“It could be worse,” he answered rounding the desk. He pulled her into his arms and lowered his head until his lips were a mere inch away from hers. “We should talk about this morning.”
The butterflies, she’d always heard about, took to flight in her belly. The last thing she wanted to hear was if he loved her, or worse, that he didn’t. “No, we don’t.”
Quinn pressed her lips to his to steal his train of thought. His hands on her back made a sensual path down her spine to her ass, and he lifted her in the air. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held on for dear life when he broke the kiss.
“I missed you, and I have something special planned for this evening.”
“I’m leaving tomorrow,” she blurted out and eased down his body. He remained quiet for several long seconds while she watched her words register. They’d both known the day would eventually come, no matter how hard leaving would be.
“Well then.” He nodded and took her hand. “It’s a good thing I planned your surprise for tonight.”
He pulled Quinn out of the room and down the hall, bypassing the stairs where she thought their destination might lead. Taking her to bed apparently wasn’t his idea of a surprise. Pity.
Quinn followed him through the kitchen and out into the courtyard where cell service was as dead as the ghost that hung out in the castle. To her surprise, they kept walking. Her hopes diminished when he turned away from the direction of the bridge and the empty cabin beyond the ridge.
Harness came running out of the barn, and she steeled herself for his attack. Instead, he wound his way around her legs and barked just as Garth, the lumberjack caretaker, walked Collin’s stallion out of the barn by the reins.
“He’s ready.”
Collin grinned, climbed onto the horse and held out his hand. Quinn surprised them both when she took his hand and let him swing her up. He reached behind him for her hands and wound them around his waist. “Just hang on and I’ll take care of the rest.”
Quinn lowered her hands, stroking his jean-covered crotch. “We’ll see who takes care of who.”