“Tell me about it. My girlfriend’s family curse might try to kill me via rainstorm.”
“Girlfriend?” I froze at the word and Graham took one look at my face and threw his head back and laughed.
“Bloody hell, Agnes. What did you think was going on here?”
“I didn’t … I don’t …”
“Och, go on then, give us a wee kiss.” Graham brushed his lips across mine.
“Awwww,” Sophie and several others chorused.
“That’s it. The lot of you can go home,” Graham ordered, his eyes heating on mine.
“Agnes? You’ll keep an eye on Graham to make sure he doesn’t?—”
“End up dead in a puddle? Aye. We’ve grasped the theme of the evening.” Graham rolled his eyes, but still, he gave everyone hugs and pats on the back as they all filtered out in twos and threes, calling goodnights, making plans to meet up for research sessions. Lachlan clapped Graham on the shoulder and promised to send over the watch schedule in the morning.
Sophie hugged me tightly and whispered, “We’ve got this,” before disappearing with Lachlan into the night.
Finally, it was just me and Graham in the empty pub.
“Well,” he said, looking around at the scattered glasses and empty chairs. “That was a lot.”
“Are you freaking out?” I asked, worry filling me.
“A little. You?”
“Constantly.”
He laughed and pulled me into his arms. I went willingly, pressing my face against his chest, breathing in the familiar scent of him.
“For what it’s worth,” he said, “I’m glad you told them. I know it wasn’t easy.”
“It was terrifying. But you were right. Carrying this alone wasn’t working.”
“I’m always right. It’s one of my many excellent qualities.”
“Don’t push it.”
He chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest. “Come on. Let’s close up and go home. I need to take a quick shower before the water police decide I’m too fragrant for public consumption.”
“Emphasis on quick,” I reminded him.
“The quickest. In and out. No lingering.”
“Good.”
We cleaned up, then locked the pub and walked across the street to my flat, hands intertwined. The night was cool and clear, stars scattered across the darkness, the loch hovering darkly in the distance.
“Now let’s get inside before Lachlan pops out of ahedge to make sure I haven’t drowned in a rain puddle,” Graham said, nudging me toward the stairs.
“That’s not—” I stopped. “Actually, that’s exactly what he’d do.”
“I know. That’s what worries me.”
I followed him inside, laughing, and let the door close on the night, saving my worries for the morning.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
