32. Malcolm
Malcolm
We pull up to the treehouse and it’s as bonnie as the photos online. Makenna is bouncing in her seat. I’m so glad nobody had booked this place after she’d canceled.
“It’s magical.” She pulls her eyes from the property and looks at me. “Can you believe we get to stay here?”
I grin at her and pull into the designated parking area. “Ready to explore?”
“Oh, aye.” She laughs and gets out of the car.
The light in her eyes when she’s excited gives a new purpose to my life. I never want to see it go out.
Below the treehouse, there’s a picnic table, a hammock, and hiding where it’s hardly noticeable is the hot tub. It’s been styled to blend into the environment. It looks like a hot spring. I hate that Makenna’s not going to be able to use it.
“Holy guacamole!” She’s spotted the hot tub. “It’s settled. I’ll have to come back here sometime.”
“You definitely should.”
Her smile radiates and draws me in like a kid to a sweets shoppe. “Ready to go up?”
“Oh, aye,” I say, trying to imitate her use of the phrase before.
She laughs, then leads us up a metal, spiral staircase, and onto the porch.
She punches in the door code, and we step inside.
It’s certainly smaller than it looks online.
It’s one room, apart from the bathroom. A tiny kitchen and couch where we’re standing, and a bed on the other side. I eye the couch. It is not large.
“Oh no.” Makenna caught the direction of my eyes.
“I’ll be fine.”
“Yes, you will, because you’ll be on the bed.”
“Oh, no, lass, I’ll be taking the couch.”
She starts to object, but I bring my finger to her lips. The surprise in her eyes tells me I might have gone too far, but she doesn’t step back and away.
“I’ll be fine. I sleep like a rock.” I pull my finger from her lips.
“It did take quite a bit of knocking to wake you yesterday,” she concedes.
“See. I’ll be fine.”
“But the guest bed made your back hurt.”
“Because it was too hard. This looks soft.” I sit down and sink into the couch. It might be a little too soft. I didn’t know how high maintenance I was about bed texture.
“You look ridiculous,” she says, and I hop up and chase after her. There isn’t far to go, but she laughs as she runs and stops at the top of the stairs. “Let’s go get our stuff.”
We curve back down the stairs, and Makenna gets sidetracked by the hammock. I pull our stuff out of the boot and carry the first load toward her.
“You brought your guitar? I didn’t see you put it in the car.”
“Being in nature always makes me want to play. I didny know if there would be a chance, but if there was, I wanted to be ready.”
“I love that. Will you play for me?”
“I’d love to.” I set everything on the picnic table and pull open the guitar case. I sit and check the guitar’s tuning.
Makenna settles back into the hammock, hanging her face over the side, so she can see me. Oh, she’s bonnie curled up in the netting.
I begin to strum, The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond, because if Makenna knows any traditional Scottish tune, I’d bet it’d be this one.
I begin the song by myself, but I’m not three lines in when I hear a soft voice join me. I look up and catch her eye, and hope my smile encourages her to continue.
Singing like this is like nothing I’ve ever experienced.
Our eyes never leave each other as we sing.
Makenna’s voice gains strength, and then she starts adding harmonies, and I’m blown away.
I very nearly stop singing, but I can’t.
I want to memorize this moment and play it over and over in my mind.
When I’m happy. When I’m sad. When I’m at work, missing her.
Because that’s the only time I’ll have to miss her. I have to be with her.
It’s not just the sound. It’s the intimacy. The way she’s matching my gaze and never faltering. It almost feels like I’m holding her, and our voices are swirling and intertwining around us.
The song comes to an end and Makanna’s turquoise gaze still has me enraptured.
"How come nobody has snatched you up?"
Her question jerks me out of my stupor. My first thought is … how come nobody has snatched you up? But instead, I decide to answer and see where things go.
“I’ve dated. I was actually engaged for a while. She called it off a bit over a year ago.”
“She called it off?”
The look of shock on Makenna’s face makes me laugh. “Aye, she did. She didny want to live in Scotland anymore, and she didny even ask me if I’d be up for moving with her.”
“Would you have moved to stay with her?” Makenna moves to sit up in the hammock, using her feet to set herself at a gentle swing.
I set my guitar back in its case. “You know, I’ve asked myself that a lot.
I think with things happening as they did, and knowing that she didny even ask me, it’s easy for me to say that I’m glad things didny work out.
But had she asked me? I don’t know. I might have.
I certainly would, for the right woman.”
She nods, and I can tell she didn’t pick up on what I’m saying. And do I know for certain she’s the right woman? Maybe not yet, but the potential is there, and I hope she feels it too.
“How come you’ve not been snatched up.”
“Well, I …” she begins, and I can see her face reddening.
“I’ve only had one serious relationship, and he ended up being a pretty terrible guy.
Before him, the guys I was interested in weren’t interested in me, and the ones who were interested in me, well …
I didn’t share their interest. Since Ross, though, I haven’t been interested.
He turned me off to the idea for a long time. ”
Do I need to find more information on this Ross? Like his address.
“I’m so sorry you had a bad experience with that guy. You know we’re not all like him, right?” I’m not going to press her for more. Whatever he did, I’m sure not to do because I would never leave her feeling like I’m a pretty terrible guy.
“I do know that.” The smile she gives me feels meaningful, and the hope within me grows.