Page 18 of Highlands Summer Wedding

“Max?!”

His eyes widened. “Abby? What are—how did you?—”

“Let me guess,” I said, finding my footing. “You’re the phantom renter who’s been paying for an empty house while gallivanting around the Highlands?”

He winced. “We’ve been shooting north of here.”

“All the hotels were booked.” Then for an extra jab, I added, “Film crews.”

His mouth curved into that familiar half-smile.

“Well, it’s a huge place. We can share it. How long are you here?”

“Well, theplanwas to have a wedding at the MacAlister Inn where they met. A certain filmmaker isn’t allowing that to happen, so we’re looking for a good location on Skye.”

“Location scouting, I see.” Max scratched his stubbled beard. “You know, I don’t know your friend but there’s a really cool spot that I just love. But I don’t know if we’ll be able to use it in the film because it’s kind of fragile, and I don’t want to ruin it.”

“Well, we certainly don’t want to ruin a fragile location either.”

“I think a few people on foot who follow the rules and park in the proper car parks—” he said with a shrug.

“Wow, you’ve really got the lingo down!” I said, smiling.

“I’ve been working on it. No one knows what I’m talking about when I say ‘pop’ outside of the Midwest, so I’ve had practice adapting my word choices to the situation. Speaking of which, this place is officially called The Fairy Glen, but around here you don’t call them fairies.”

I raised an eyebrow. “A fairy glen?”

“You’ll love it. In fact, I’ll take you. Tomorrow’s Sunday, and we’re not shooting. We could go hiking, and I’ll show you.”

So, wait. We’ve gone from no contact in years to living in the same house and going hiking together?

Noticing my silence, Max quickly added, “I mean, if you want to. And, you know what? I can stay somewhere else. You were here first?—”

“But you originally booked it.”

“I booked half of Scotland, or at least the Highlands. So yeah, maybe I can step aside and let you have this place to yourself.”

He was still nice. Damn him.

I bit my lip, considering. “I mean, it’s a three-bedroom place. Two bathrooms. I think we can manage.”

I inhaled slowly.Manage? What am I thinking? We couldn’t manage before.

“Um, so I’m going to go into the bedroom over there, and you can take one of the others.”

“You’re going to bed already? It’s the middle of the afternoon.”

“I was taking a nap when you came in.”

Wrapping myself in the enormous plaid lambswool blanket, I shuffled toward the bedroom, his eyes following me the whole way.

I didn’t emerge until after nine. It was still light out.

After texting Caitlin to let her know I was staying in for the night, I went out on the deck. Max was already there. He’d set up the fire pit and was reading a script next to a small fire.

“Hey.”

He turned, surprised, then set down the script. “Hey.”