Page 30 of The Grump I Slept With
“What the bloody hell is he doing here?” he blustered, the hairs of his mustache ruffling. Dougal was a sturdy man with a head of thick, brown hair streaked through with gray, and a deep, booming voice. He wasn’t physically intimidating to me at mysize, but he was loud, and I glanced around awkwardly as other diners turned our way.
“Dad,” Isla began patiently. “This is Locke.”
“It’s good to see you again, sir,” I said.
“I know exactly who Mr. Fraser is,” Dougal grumbled, beyond displeased. “What I want to know is what he’s doing here—at my flaming lunch with my daughter?”
I bit my tongue to keep from wincing. Maybe we should have given him the heads-up. “Sir, I?—”
Dougal pointed a stubby finger at me. “I’m not interested in talking to you again. And tell your ruddy secretary to stop calling my office.”
Isla jumped to her feet, grabbing Dougal’s hand before he could march away in a huff. “Dad, wait,” she said, taking his hand in both of hers. Very carefully—very deliberately—angling her hand to show off the engagement ring. I saw Dougal notice it. Frown. Shake his head. When he lifted his chin, I couldn’t tell if he was flabbergasted or murderous. “You know Locke from business,” Isla continued. “But I’m here to introduce him as my fiancé.”
“Fiancé!” Dougal glared at me like I was the gum he’d peeled off the bottom of his shoe. “You’re marryinghim?” He started spluttering again, turning as red as a beet. It was so bad the waiter rushed over with some glasses of water.
“Things are pretty serious, Dad.” She released his hand and sat back down. “But it’s your choice. You can either sit and have lunch with us or you can walk out of here.” She looked up at him, those big brown eyes wide. “I’d just hate the idea of my dad noteven trying to get to know the person I want to share the rest of my life with.”
Oof, she was laying it on thick. And it was working. Dougal’s mouth opened, a disgruntled growl escaping as he glared at me, but his expression softened when his eyes returned to Isla. He finally sat down hard, leveling me with a stare like a knife. “You’re sure you want him?” he asked. “You could do so much better.”
She chuckled, shaking her head. “Of course he’s the one I want.” My chest clenched strangely hearing her say that. “And I’d like you two to get to know each other better.”
“Meaning what?” Dougal asked suspiciously. “That we’ll be spending more time together?”
“Yes,” she said simply. “Marriage makes us a package deal. You know how it is. So if you want me in your life, you get Locke too.”
Dougal lifted his water glass. “Fiancé,” he muttered, taking a sip. I worried Isla hadn’t done enough to convince him, but maybe I’d underestimated how badly he wanted more of Isla in his life. He sighed heavily. “Fine. A toast to the happy couple.”
“You need a better drink than water for a toast,” Isla said. She looked around for the waiter. “Should we order?”
“Yes,” Dougal said as I caught the waiter’s attention. He hurried over with a notepad.
“Can I get you started with something to drink?” the young man asked.
“Actually, I think we’re probably good for food too,” I suggested casually.
Dougal nodded in approval, ordering the lamb rack; Isla got a Cullen skink, and I settled on the chicken Balmoral. “I’ve heard they have an incredible whiskey sauce here,” I said, catching Dougal’s eye across the table.
He grunted.
“So, Dad,” Isla said, “what’s been going on? The Rovers looking strong for the new season?”
“If we’d just get rid of that pish manager,” Dougal said. The drinks arrived, and he scooped up his pint, taking a long swig. “All he has them doing is going backward. It’s all possession, possession. It’s like the whole squad’s forgotten they have to shoot to get goals.”
I gave Isla a flat look. I’d basically said the same thing to Dougal in our last meeting, and he’d taken my head off for it.
She worked to hide her grin behind her water glass. “Well, I saw some of the fans calling to sack the board. I bet you’ll see movement in management before the season really kicks off.”
“I cannot tell you how good some fresh energy will be for the squad. But the board’s being cheap as usual.”
“Sometimes a fresh start is all something needs to revitalize it,” I agreed. “A little investment, a little—” Dougal glared at me, and Isla gave me a look that saidtone it down. “What do you think Scotland’s chances are of making it to the World Cup?”
Thankfully, our food arrived quickly, and I didn’t have to stumble through that conversation for long.
“How is everything?” our waiter asked, stopping the table to top up our water.
“Amazing.” I smiled up at him, completely sincere. The food was as delicious as anything I’d ever had at a Michelin-starred place. “The whiskey sauce is incredible.”
The waiter dipped his head. “I’ll let our team in the kitchen know that you enjoyed it. They’re always happy to hear that.”
