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Playing it cool like my eyes hadn’t fallen out of my head while I ogled him, I went back to snapping pictures of the mountain range around us. After all, I’d come out here to experience the rustic scenery, not flirt with rugged men.
I slowly made a circle around the mountaintop and came upon Spencer off on his own, looking down into the glen. His contemplation of the Cairngorms was less like Duncan’s Highlander and more like a janitor surveying a cafeteria after a food fight.
I took a few steps closer. “Pretty amazing, right?”
The morose look he turned my way said he very much disagreed. “It’s just hills and grass. You can see that anywhere, and for a lot less effort.”
Okay, then.
Leaving him to write his bad Yelp review of the Cairngorms, I joined the rest of the group at the cairn. I lowered myself onto a stone between Harlow and Rupert, wincing every time my leg moved or I clenched my hands too much. As I dug through my pack for my lunch, Rupert stood, dusted off his pants, and sat down again, putting Bea between himself and me.
Across our little circle, Duncan caught my eye. Ever so slightly, he moved his booted foot in a sultry motion in front of him. I guess nobody had forgotten about my tipsy, inadvertent attempt to seduce our companion. His mouth curled up as he teased me, pinning me with his gaze.
I made a show of rolling my eyes, but my cheeks probably flamed bright red. In spite of my protests a minute ago, the fluttering going on in my chest said flirting with rugged men in Scotland sounded like a great idea.
nine
By the timewe hiked down Ben Macdui and returned to the lodge for dinner, my legs were begging for mercy. Shakiness this early in the game didn’t bode so well for my big adventure trip. Still, I gloried in what I’d done. Climbing a mountain ranked infinitely higher than any exercise class back home.
I changed into fresh clothes to head down to dinner when my phone buzzed. I glanced at the bright screen, and my glorying came to a crashing halt.
“Lincoln.”
“Molly, how are things in Scotland?”
“Great.” Details would have been as lost on him as Spencer.
“Good to hear. Look, the design team has some final mock-ups that need approval before going to storyboard. I’ve sent you an email with the specifics.”
Laughter rumbled somewhere downstairs, reminding me I should have been with the rest of the group getting ready for dinner, not taking phone calls from my boss. At least approving the mock-ups wouldn’t take much time.
“I’ll look at them tonight.”
“Thanks, Moll. There are also some change requests I’d like you sort through, and a few bugs in the layout engine to fix.”
“Bugs?” I prayed I’d heard him wrong. Fixing bugs could turn into a massive time suck.
“That’s one of the tasks you’ll be tackling now as Head of Design. You’ve got this, right?”
I didn’t like the note of concern in his voice, as though maybe Ididn’thave it. I hadn’t failed him or this company in all the years I’d been with them, and I wouldn’t have him start questioning my abilities now.
“I’ve got this.”
I tossed the phone on my bed. I considered tossing it straight out the window, but that would wind up hurting me more than Lincoln.
Downstairs, I found two vacant seats at our table, but no way would I pull up a chair next to Rupert and further his belief in my unrequited affections. Instead, I took a seat at the opposite end of the group beside Harlow.
“How’s your leg?” Duncan asked as I sat down across from him.
“Sore, but not bad. I still feel like an idiot.” My one comfort was that since I’d pulled up the rear at the time, nobody had witnessed my actual stumble.
Nobody but the mythical Gray Man.
“I’m sure it’s not the worst injury to befall a person on Ben Macdui.”
“I hadn’t considered that. Is it bad I’m encouraged by it?” The fall could have been a lot worse. I imagined being carried down the hillside on a stretcher while Beatskedover my clumsiness in the background.
“You just need a stronger core,” Harlow said.
