My Highland Fling

“I’ll leave you here.” Linda hesitated, then gave her a quick hug. “Have fun.” Then, with a wave, she strode away, leaving Gabrielle alone.

Gabrielle bounced on her toes before getting a grip on her excitement. She inhaled and strolled along the street. While she’d slowed her speed, she couldn’t restrain the smile on her lips and the lightness in her chest. Despite the hour, pedestrians wandered the sidewalk, some with an obvious purpose, while others lingered and stared at the contents of the shop windows. Several stores had signs bearing welcome messages for the conference attendees in their windows.

“Oh.” Her steps slowed. This one had a sign welcoming Princess Gabrielle to town. It was a clothing store, and Gabrielle entered. She loved clothes and design, but her mother never allowed her a say in what she wore. If she visited a pub or club, a T-shirt wouldn’t work. Perhaps she could keep the jeans and buy a smarter top. She always wore her long blonde hair up, so this once, she’d leave it loose and ditch the hat. In casual clothes, she’d escape the notice of the newspaper journalists and any of her security detail should they search for her. Plan.

Gabrielle skipped out of the shop twenty minutes later, wearing a pale blue shirt with decorative thistle buttons and tartan detailing on the breast pocket and hem. She carried her T-shirt and cap in the store’s bag, along with a second shirt in tartan plaid. Thanks to the friendly salesgirl, her blonde hair swung in curls after a quick finger scrunch and the judicious application of hair styling cream. Even better, not one person in the store had recognized her. Of course, she wasn’t as important as her distant British cousins, so that wasn’t surprising.

Farther along the street, she spotted a pub sign. A brawny, kilt-wearing man stood outside, his beefy arms folded across his chest. Music spilled from the pub, along with good-humored laughter and shouts.

A pub. Perfect. The handsome Scottish man in a kilt was a sign.

Gabrielle grinned at the man, and he winked in return as she strode into the confusion of noise and bodies. It was like an alien world, and she loved it. When no one tried to stop her, Gabrielle slipped into a space near the bar and watched. Okay, no table service. It looked as if the customers purchased their drinks from the bar. She wanted to try a beer since her parents only allowed a small glass of wine on special occasions.

The men and women didn’t pay her any attention, which suited her fine. Then came the weight of a stare. Slowly, she turned her head and spotted a tall man with black hair studying her. He wore a black shirt that emphasized his broad shoulders and muscular biceps. She couldn’t see much of his lower half, but he had gorgeous green eyes.

“Hey, want to buy a drink?” he called. “You can squeeze in beside me.”

Gabrielle didn’t hesitate. She scooted over to him and stepped into the gap he protected with his larger body. “Thank you.” She peered at the drinks in front of him. “Can you recommend a beer for me?”

“Do you like lager or bitter?” His black hair was longer than the men she associated with and had a slight wave.

Gabrielle shrugged. “I don’t know.” Was his hair as soft as it looked?

“Try this one,” he said, shunting a full glass toward her. “This is lager. It’s cold and has a crisp finish.”

Gabrielle took a small sip and nodded. “I like it.”

“My name is Ramsay,” he said and held out his hand.

Gabrielle hesitated before accepting a handshake. She breathed through the frisson of attraction that struck her unexpectedly and focused on his face. Not a hint of recognition reflected back to her. “Gabrielle.” She’d use the truth where possible.

Another dark-haired man with green eyes tapped Ramsay on the shoulder. “Ramsay, where are our drinks?”

“Here,” Ramsay said, handing him two large beers. He passed three smaller beers to a second dark-haired man.

They all had green eyes of various shades. “Are you related?”

“No, but we live in the same town. A lot of the residents have black hair and green eyes. No idea why,” he said. “Let’s get you a beer. Are you a visitor here, or do you live in Glenkirk?”

“No, I’m here for two days. Just passing through.” Gabrielle couldn’t take her eyes off him. Gorgeous. Those green eyes of his mesmerized her. Her mind went tick, tick, tick, and a smile stretched her mouth. An answering grin bloomed on Ramsay, and her heart beat even faster. One night for an adventure—with Ramsay if she pursued him.

An easy decision.

She dared.