“Please, go,” I pleaded. “I really don’t want you all to see what I had for breakfast.”
“Get well soon, love.” The woman patted me on the back before she hurried toward the bus. “Come on,” she said to the others. “Let’s go or we’ll miss the ferry.”
A minute later the bus disappeared around the corner.
I got out my phone again and tapped in different numbers. My fingers were shaking. That had been more difficult than I had anticipated.
“Hi! I’ve escaped. Are you ready to pick me up?”
Even through the telephone, the sound of Payton’s voice had me spellbound.
My heart was beating wildly and I was delighted when he promised to be with me in a moment. I giggled. Yes, Scotland was definitely piquing my interest—even if it wasn’t in the way my parents and Mr. Schneider had hoped.
The white SUV came around the corner. The night before, in the dark, I hadn’t realized what an expensive car it was. A tinted window rolled down, and Payton gave me a little smile. He had dark rings under his eyes, and looked almost… well, normal.
“Madain math!”
“What?”
His smile got broader. “I said, ‘Good morning. That was in Gaelic.”
“Oh… Good morning to you, too.”
As soon as I sat beside him, I felt like the air got a little clearer, the sky a bit bluer. He made everything seem so intense.
“Tell me, how does a regular Scot like you come to have a fancy car like this?”
“What do you mean, a regular Scot? You don’t even know me.”
“True, but I intend to change that today. So then… tell me… are you by any chance a billionaire?”
“My family’s been in the wool business for hundreds of years. But don’t be so nosy. And anyway, one doesn’t ask someone about his income. Isn’t that also considered rude in America?”
“Well, at least I didn’t ask for your bank balance,” I said. “It doesn’t matter to me anyway.” His income was totally beside the point.
I looked out the window at the countryside passing by—a pleasant smear of green and sheep and hills.
“Where are we going?”
“So impatient! You’ll have to wait and see.” Payton grinned.
I leaned back and relaxed. As we drove along the road toward the Western Isles, winding through the Highlands, we started to catch glimpses of the spectacular coastline.
My guilty conscience about lying to Alison was beginning to fade. Still, I was surprised by my own boldness. Skipping the two-day excursion meant I would be spending the night with Payton—one way or another—or that I’d have to pay for somewhere to stay on my own. Either way, Alison wouldn’t start missing me for more than twenty-four hours. It was the first time in my life I’d done something so crazy. I knew Kim would freak out when I told her.
I glanced over at my handsome driver. He looked really hot. His hair was tousled from the air blowing through the cracked-open window. Black sunglasses covered his eyes—and those circles. Maybe he was out late partying, I thought.
When he noticed me staring, he smiled and turned on the radio. “Get the Party Started” by Pink was on, one of my favorites, so I turned it up and laughed. Oh yeah, I said to myself. The party was starting.
Payton raised his eyebrows. “You’re in a good mood.”
“Well, yeah. Aren’t you?”
“Yes, but I’m not exactly the get-the-party-started kind of personality. Though, I must admit, my mood has improved since you’ve been sitting next to me.”
We smiled at each other.
We made one more twisty turn, and suddenly, we had left the hills behind us. To the left was the crystal clear Loch Duich. And right in the middle of the lake, to my great surprise, was a castle, accessible only by a footbridge.
“Right, then. Here we are.” Payton pulled into a parking spot and got out. “Do you know where we are?”
I shook my head and shut the door behind me. “No, but it’s amazing!”
“You’ve never seen the film Highlander then?”
“No, when it comes to eighties movies, I’m more of an Indiana Jones fan.”
“Well, anyway, this is the famous Eilean Donan Castle. And some of the movie Highlander was filmed here.”
I stood still and looked around. The scenery was so pretty, it was overpowering. I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful setting for a castle.
“Come on, let’s go in,” I said, pulling my smartphone out of my bag and getting the camera ready. I had to document this day for posterity, for sure. Payton paid the entrance fee, waving off my offer to pay my own way.