Highland Kiss(7)

Alec, an over-protective big brother, knew he’d do anything to help his sister—provided it was within reason. In fact, he was more like a father to her than a brother since the death of their parents, thirteen years ago. He couldn’t bear to see her suffer. After all, it took her a full year to recover from the trauma, and much longer than that for him to persuade her everything was going to be all right. In return, Susan had always been there for him, even when he temporarily went off the deep end after his divorce. The thought of Amy, his ex-wife, didn’t hurt him anymore. He felt nothing toward her now, thanks to Susan, who helped him climb out of the hellhole. Susan looked after him when all he wanted was to be left alone to suffer the agony of betrayal, rejection, and not being loved.

He knew firsthand the pain of what it felt like to be rejected and unloved. It was lonely and constant, and he certainly didn’t want that for his sister. Not his lovely sister. She’d surely be dragged down into the quicksand, never to re-surface. She was such a fragile thing. Hadn’t he seen it before after their parents’ death? He was sure if Brian, a nice young man and family friend since they were children, were to ask this new young woman to marry him, Susan would, no doubt, suffer.

“We were in the restaurant that night when one of my friends asked to take our photos.” She took out her BlackBerry and showed him the picture. “What do you think?”

Alec glanced at the snapshot on the screen. Brian was standing in the middle with Susan on his right and the mysterious girl on his left.

“She’s half-Asian,” was the first thing he blurted out, right before an odd feeling overcame him. There was something about the girl that bothered him, a strange familiarity as though he had seen her somewhere before.

“I know,” Susan said in exasperation. “And she doesn’t look like she’s from around here either.”

Alec knew what Susan meant by she’s not from around here. The girl was not from their part of the world. She looked out of place, standing there beside Brian with his clean-cut suit, and Susan in her Fendi evening dress and sleek hairstyle. From the photo, Alec somehow could tell the girl was trying to impress Brian by dressing up, but failing miserably. Her long, dark hair was a mess and her girly dress was long out of date and fashion.

“She’s very young,” he commented a moment later. As he looked closer, however, he felt a knot forming in the pit of his stomach. It was she. She was the girl who fainted on the plane a week ago, and he carried her to the empty seat beside him. She was the girl who slept with her head on his chest; the girl with the necklace.

His fingers tightened around the phone; a lurch of emotions erupting inside him. He couldn’t believe it. It was she, his childhood friend from the refugee camp. Brian was dating her? And she came all the way to the UK to be with him? This was more serious than he thought.

“I don’t suppose she’s much older than twenty-two. Do you think that’s why Brian goes for her? Because she’s young?” Susan asked, her fear vibrating in her shaky voice.

Alec glanced at his sister, a knot of dread dropping like cement in his stomach. God, let this all be a mistake. Please, let it all be a mistake.

“Susan, you’re not old,” he commented.

“I know, but most people think I’m older than I look. Maybe it’s because I wear too much makeup. But I am a model, Alec.”

“Hmm.” He glanced at the photo again.

“Will you help me?”

“You know I will do anything for you, but we have to be clear about this. What if this is all a mistake? What if they are just friends?”

“Friends? Alec, she’s staying at his place. Who knows? They might be sharing a room and a bed!” Alec swallowed. Susan hugged him and kissed his hard cheekbone. “Please, Alec, help me.”

He laughed uncomfortably as he moved back, asking, “What devious plan do you have in mind?”

She bowed her head, the blond curls dropping down to rest on her breasts. “You’ll think I’m crazy.”

“Why would I think that?” he inquired, although he often said she was, and knew his sister was quite capable of having a wild imagination. She could come up with the most ghastly plan if the situation permitted, and he was sure this was just another one of them.

“Because the plan is crazy,” she said, standing up, and ambling to the wine cabinet. She took a bottle of wine out and poured herself a glass.

“How crazy can it get?”

She took a sip as she turned to look at him. “Are you really going to help me?”

Alec smiled, with a knowing look. She hurriedly put the wine glass on the Maltese table and rushed over to him. “Oh, thank you, Alec.” She hugged him and kissed him three times on the cheek.