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Jamie loves that. She's an outdoorsy girl. One of the first things I learned about her once we seriously started dating was that she loves bicycling through the villages of Loch Fairbairn and Ballachulish. I haven't had the chance to do that with her yet, but I'd love to.
I would go anywhere with this woman.
Chapter Fourteen
Jamie
Oh, I love kayaking with Gavin while surrounded by the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen in America. To be fair, I haven't seen much of this country. I wish I had suggested we do this months ago. Gavin has relaxed and become the man I knew when we first met---strong, clever, full of humor, and ready for anything that I want to try. Flying to America to see him had been the best thing I could've done for our floundering relationship. My surprise arrival had reawakened Gavin---and me too.
We're kayaking along the Chain of Lakes which, as the name implies, consists of three interconnected bodies of water. We visit all of them---Lake of the Isles, Lake Calhoun, and Lake Harriet---while enjoying the scenery and the wildlife. We see multiple species of geese as well as ducks and swans, not to mention land-based birds like partridges, pheasants, hawks, doves, and even eagles.
I just stop myself from shrieking when I see my first bald eagle. Dinnae want to scare it away. We don't have those birds in Scotland, and I love getting such a close-up view of America's most famous eagle species. Gavin even manages to take a picture of the bald eagle so I'll have a memento of our adventure today.
But I don't need a photograph to remember this day.
After enjoying a delicious lunch at a restaurant, we go on a self-guided walking tour of sights along the Mississippi River. I never knew just how wide the river is until I saw it in person. Pictures and films don't do it justice. Gavin suggests we should walk across the Stone Arch Bridge so I can get a better view of St. Anthony Falls. It's impressive, to say the least. The bridge used to be for trains only. Gavin tells me about that, and I try to pay attention to everything he says, but I keep getting distracted by the scenery.
My day with Gavin has been the best time we've ever had together.
The man I adore wants to take me to a posh hotel for the night, but I assure him he doesn't need to do that. I'm happy to stay at his apartment. But I soon realize that he suggested a hotel because he wants that, though he won't tell me that straight out. So, I relent and allow him to spoil me. If it makes him happy, which it clearly does, then it makes me happy too.
But now it's time for me to go home.
Gavin drives me to the airport, but I don't need to go through security. Having brothers who co-own a private jet has its perks, that's for dead sure. Gavin walks with me across the tarmac and even climbs onto the jet with me. Then he pulls me close and simply cradles my head to his chest as if he doesn't want to let me go. I feel that way about him too. The longer our relationship stays intercontinental, the more I feel as if we will never be able to get married and live in the same house, much less in the same country.
"I've got some vacation time left," Gavin tells me. "I could see if I can take four or five days off to go to Scotland."
My head pops up. "You want to do that?"
"Yeah. I mean, it's not like I've never gone there before. But it would be great to have more than two days with you."
"I would love that."
"Then it's settled. I'll find out how soon I can use those vacation days."
"Oh, Gav, thank you." I pepper kisses all over his face. "I love you so much."
Though I would never tell him so, all this traveling back and forth between America and Scotland has become exhausting. Now that Calli has married Aidan, and they live in the Highlands, I cannae see what's preventing Gavin from moving there too. His cousin Tara is married, so he wouldn't be abandoning her. Besides, he's lived away from Tara for a long time. Why won't Gavin even talk about the prospect of moving to Scotland? I know he'd love it there if he stopped worrying about everything.
We have occasionally discussed the possibility of one of us moving so we could be together. But the pain and guilt he still feels, about his parents and the way he abandoned Calli after their death, keeps him rooted in place. I know his military experience left him battered emotionally and physically. But he can't hold on to all that pain forever. Can he?
"We're about to take off," the co-pilot says. He's standing near the doorway, waiting for Gavin to leave.
I kiss him and smile. "Go on. We'll see each other soon."
He stares at me for a moment, then crushes me to his body, kissing me with such passionate desperation that I almost want to cry. Then he touches his head to mine and jogs down the stairs.
I watch out the window as Gavin keeps jogging away from the plane. He pauses only long enough to wave at me before he disappears from view.
Six hours later, I'm back in Scotland. Alone.
Well, all right, I'm not actually alone. I have my extended family to keep me company. I've been staying with Aidan and Calli ever since Rory married Emery, so I expect one or both of them to greet me when I walk out of the jet. But instead, Rory and Lachlan are there.
"What's wrong?" I ask as I approach them. "You look like you have bad news. Did Erica and Emery both boot you out of your homes?"
Rory rolls his eyes. "There is no bad news. And no, our wives have not booted us out of anywhere."
"Then why are you and Lachie here?"
