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Thane's expression tightens the tiniest bit, almost as if he's annoyed. But that look vanishes quickly. He sits up straighter and turns to me. "Good evening, Rebecca. It's lovely to see you again." He aims a teasing half smirk at Fiona. "Even if this was a bloody annoying engineered reunion."
"You'll thank us later. Won't he, Domhnall?"
Her husband sighs and aims a tolerant smile at his wife. "Eventually, he will be grateful. But I'm waiting for Thane to blow his top at last and show us the avenging warrior that's buried inside his Buddha-like exterior. That's when the fun will begin."
Thane sinks back in his chair. "I am no Buddha. That title belongs to Iain MacTaggart."
I really can't keep track of all the Scots I've met and the ones I've heard about. MacTaggarts apparently swarm the Western Highlands, like a benevolent plague of locusts. But that thought triggers a question.
And I look at Thane. "I've gotten the impression that there are a lot of MacTaggarts around these parts. Are there just as many Buchanans?"
"Oh, no, we are not as prolific as Fiona's clan. I believe the Sterlings aren't that prolific either. Are they, Domhnall?"
"No. Only the MacTaggarts breed like rabbits."
Fiona jabs her elbow into Domhnall's ribs. "Careful, mo chridhe. You are insulting a feisty clan with those words."
Whatever "mo chridhe" means, I suspect it's probably an endearment based on Fiona's tone of voice.
He clutches his chest. "Och, my heart breaks at the thought that I might have insulted the MacTaggarts accidentally."
I could listen to these people trade jibes all evening. They're wonderful people, and I haven't had this much fun in a long time. Maybe I should be more annoyed than I am about the blind-date nonsense, but I can't stay mad at Fiona or Domhnall. I believe they honestly want to help me settle in here in Scotland, and I'm positive they believe a surprise date with Thane will help me do that.
But for most of the evening, no one mentions dating. We have normal, fun conversations. Domhnall tells hilarious tales about how the MacTaggarts meddled in his life, twice, to bring about his happy ending with Fiona. And I learn that Domhnall and Fiona met at her sister Catriona's wedding---at a nudist resort in Oregon.
Would I ever go to a nudist resort? Uh, no. Not my style.
"You never know," Fiona says. "I never would have imagined I'd go nude in public either, but I changed my mind. Domhnall even did a nude headstand."
"Are you kidding? You must be."
Domhnall chuckles. "No, lass, it's not a joke. I was showing off to impress Jessica O'Connor, my former girlfriend. She was underwhelmed."
As much as I would love to hear more about what Domhnall did at that wedding, I can no longer hold back my curiosity about another Scot. "How long have you two known Thane? Fiona, I remember you mentioned dating him."
"Oh, aye. But I've known Thane most of my life. The Buchanans and the MacTaggarts have a long-standing tradition of playing shinty together. That's a Scottish sport. It's sort of a fusion of field hockey and lacrosse."
"I've heard of the Highland games, but not shinty."
"You'll learn about it soon enough. The more time you spend with Thane, the more likely it is you'll find yourself sitting on the sidelines cheering him on during a shinty match."
Thane manages to seem annoyed even while maintaining his placid expression. It's something about the way the faint wrinkles around his eyes tighten the tiniest bit. "Rebecca and I are not dating. She works for me, so it would be highly inappropriate for me to have a relationship with her."
"Oh, tosh. The distillery has a sexual harassment policy, but that doesn't forbid employees from fraternizing outside of work." She folds her elbows on the table and stares directly into his eyes. "I should know because I wrote the policy."
Domhnall clears his throat. "Thane, why dinnae ye entertain Rebecca in the sitting room while Fiona and I clear out the dishes?"
Thane squints the tiniest bit. "I will do that, but only to be polite."
Fiona is grinning.
Domhnall shakes his head, but it's an affectionate expression. Then he and Fiona clear the table, and soon, I can hear water running in the kitchen.
Thane pulls my chair out for me and guides me into the sitting room. It has a big picture window, but the drapes are closed right now. I bet this house has fantastic views. It's perfectly situated for that.
While Thane drops onto an armchair, I settle down on the sofa.
"I apologize for this blind-date nonsense," he tells me. "I had no part in plotting that scheme."
