He pulls away, his thumbs rubbing soothing circles on my cheeks, as he glances down at my outfit.
“You’re trying to kill me, eh?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say slyly.
I wore a plaid suspender dress with a long-sleeve black shirt and black tights underneath. I brought a cardigan as well in case it gets colder throughout the day.
“It’s a full crowd today,” Lain says, dragging me by the hand and it’s only then that I realize his whole tour bus was watching our interaction.
Fergus is waiting for me in our seat from last time, while the rest of the van is full with excited tourists.
“Alright, everyone ready for today’s adventure?” Lain says excitedly, putting on his headset and beginning the tour.
As he speaks, it’s hard to not fall for his charm, and for his humor to not be contagious. I’ve been so caught up these past twenty-four hours I realize that I’ve let a lot of my bullshit go. I haven’t even thought about my old job, or how much I miss my mom. Though there’s always a sense of her not being here that follows me, it doesn’t feel so heavy.
I pet Fergus the whole ride, and feel a sense of pride when Lain gets his guests to laugh along with him or engage in the history of Scotland.
It’s becoming easier and easier to see why so many people love this place.
Our first stop is a castle and as the clouds grow darker and moodier it sets the tone for Lain’s story as he talks about rebellion, legacy, and charm of the castle.
When the sky cracks open with rain, he brings everyone inside for the guided tour given by the estate. He left Fergus at the front with one of his friends who works here, since he’s not allowed inside the castle.
Lain laces our fingers together as if we’ve been doing it forever. We take the rear of the tour, making sure he doesn’t lose anyone before we hit the road again.
The tour guide talks about the Bonnie Prince Charlie staying at the castle and Lain leans over to whisper in my ear.
“You know there were rumors he was an Omega?”
“You’re lying,” I say back, and he arches an eyebrow at me.
“I’m telling you. Everyone called him the Bonnie Prince for a reason and wouldn’t it make sense for him to hide his designation in order to have respect during the rebellion?”
“Maybe you’re on to something,” I muse and he gives my hand a tight squeeze.
“I’m really glad you came.”
“Me too,” I say, and I lean against his arm, loving the way he provides assured support.
He kisses the top of my head and my heart flutters. I try to put a shield around the feeling and go on for the rest of the tour.
16
lain
The castle tourwent on without a hitch. We’re on one of my favorite hikes, heading toward the waterfall.
Fergus knows the route like the back of his paw and brambles along, basically leading the tour.
Maisie has a smile on her face, and I can’t help but to look down at her every so often. She’s certainly not dressed for a hike, not in that tight little skirt or those boots made to make a fashion statement—not to hike through the mud.
The rain starts slowly, a little trickle through the leaves that give us coverage. Most of the tourists are wearing the plastic human condoms to stay dry and I give Maisie my raincoat to cover herself.
“I feel bad stealing your jacket,” Maisie says and I wave her off.
“Fergus and I are true Scots. A wee bit of rain never hurt anyone,” I say.
We’re nearly at the waterfall. Everyone has their phone out, ready to take pictures as the sky breaks out pissing rain.
