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I could pretend I have no idea what she means, but that would only delay the inevitable. "You want to know about Scotland. First, you should know this will be a short story, not an epic novel. Callum and I have been best mates for years. Nothing and no one could get between us—until Kate Wagner came into our lives and everything went sideways. What happened was mostly my fault."
"Tell me about it."
"How it's my fault?" I grunt. "I'm a blind moron who couldn't see what would've been bloody obvious to anyone else. I swear I'm not as dimwitted as it will sound like I am once I've told you everything. Callum's brother sent him to Inverness to convalesce after a knee injury, but his physical therapist turned out to be a beautiful American woman. I met her when I flew to Scotland to provide moral support for my best mate."
"And the American woman was Kate."
"Yes. Callum swore he had no interest in her, so I tried to win her over. Kate kept insisting she wasn't attracted to me, but being a bloody-minded fool, I refused to believe I had no chance with her." I stare down at my lap because I can't watch the expression on Avery's face while I confess the rest. "I was staying with Callum at his cousin's apartment, so I had ample opportunity to realize what was going on around me. But I convinced myself it was rubbish. Callum could not be sleeping with Kate after he'd sworn he didn't even like her. My best mate wouldn't lie to me."
"But he did."
I nod and pick at the seam of the sofa cushion. "I found out they'd been sleeping together on the day Kate decided to fly back to America. Callum slugged me in the gut because I wouldn't get out of the way. He meant to rush to the airport and stop her. She was already gone, but it turned out the MacTaggart clan had whisked her away to their castle in the back of beyond."
Avery snuggles up to me, her legs tucked under her, and lays a hand on my shoulder.
Though I can see her peripherally, I still can't make myself look at her. "The MacTaggarts and some of my British mates, along with a few Americans, sort of kidnapped me. They and their wives arranged a series of bizarre tests designed to force me and Callum to work through our issues. They called it 'radical intervention.' The tactic succeeded. We're best mates again."
"I hear a 'but' in that statement. Go on, tell me the rest and get it off your chest."
Sighing, I shut my eyes for a moment before I aim my gaze straight at hers. "But I haven't seen Callum since, and I've avoided talking to him on the phone. He called me last week. We did chat to each other, but not for long. I still can't reconcile what I learned about myself in Scotland with who I thought I was."
"What do you mean?"
I shouldn't do it, but I feel a strong need to take comfort from her. So I slip an arm around her waist and pull her closer. "Kate and I had a serious conversation in that castle. She helped me realize that I didn't really want her. I couldn't accept that, for the first time, I had failed to seduce a woman. She's not justanywoman, though. Kate Wagner is quite remarkable. I thought—It's bloody stupid."
"Don't do that, Hugh. Stop hiding from embarrassing truths."
What else can I do? I grimace so hard that I'm squeezing my eyes shut. "I thought she might be the sort of woman I could spend the rest of my life with. Never wanted that before, but with her…I let myself consider the possibility."
"Do you still feel that way about Kate?"
"No. But I think I haven't completely recovered from the shock of realizing I do want to find the right woman and settle down. That will never happen now. No one would want to marry a disgraced viscount who destroyed his company and his family."
Avery kisses my cheek. "Thank you for sharing all of that with me."
"To say 'you're welcome' seems bizarre."
Delicate laughter bubbles out of her. "Yeah, I guess it does. Try not to worry so much about what might happen and focus on doing what you can to fix things today, tomorrow, one day at a time."
"I'll try. Strangely, I do feel better after spilling my guts to you."
"Glad to hear it." She fingers the unhooked button of my shirt. "I have a confession too."
"You don't need to tell me anything personal just because I shared my humiliating story."
"But I want to share things with you." She frees the second button on my shirt. "The truth is, I'm not as satisfied with my job as I let everyone think. I used to love it, back when I had a diverse clientele instead of working exclusively for incredibly rich people. Somehow, that just kind of happened."
"Because you're brilliant at your job. Everyone wants your help."
"And I'm happy to help them. But I feel like I've lost something in the process. My life has become a series of airline tickets and meetings with multimillionaires."
I crush my mouth to hers, but I don't try to slip my tongue between her lips. I only want to feel her skin against mine, the softness of her mouth, and the warmth of her that radiates into me. "I think we have similar problems. Maybe we can help each other."
"How?"
"Not sure yet. Let's both think about it." I rise and offer her my hand. "For now, let's go into the kitchen. You can watch me make dinner for you."
"It's kind of early for dinner."
