Page 54 of Highlands Summer Wedding
“What do you think? This band is Scottish. Should we add them to the list?” I said it innocently, but Caitlin shot me a warning glance all the same.
I pushed play, and Angus froze for a moment but said nothing.
I gripped the back of Angus’s seat. “Caitlin said you were honest about everything regarding your former band. But she didn’t know you were inthisband, did she? The one that sold out Wembley in seventeen minutes flat.”
“Aye,” Angus whispered.
He shot a panicked glance at Caitlin, whose face had gone stone-cold. “Christ, should I pull over?”
“I can drive,” I offered sweetly as Angus pulled over. They both whipped around, eyes blazing.
His hands dropped from the steering wheel into his lap. “Yes, that was me. And Caitlin, I swear to God I told you everything that mattered.”
I shifted in my seat. “Maybe I’ll go see if that’s heather or thistle by the roadside—might make a nice bouquet.”
“Stay. It’s fine,” Angus insisted, his eyes still on Caitlin. “We haven’t had the big conversations yet. I was going to tell you.”
“When?” Caitlin asked, her jaw clenched. “We’re getting married. We’ve literally spent days photographing ourselves in wedding attire. Friends and family are arriving. The cake’s ordered and the venue’s booked.”
Angus glanced at the road. “I’ve always hated talking about it, Caitlin. Not just because… she died. But once people know you’re famous, they treat you differently. That’s part of why I moved to the States. Fame comes with assumptions of wealth—sometimes you have it, sometimes you don’t—but it’s never as much as they picture. I had people asking me to finance houses, send their kids to college, throw retirement parties, build apartment complexes… some just wanted straight handouts. It was awkward. I did well—better than most—but it’s not infinite. We stopped releasing albums and touring. I tried to bury the band, but die-hard fans and old DJs never forget. And back home, everyone was so proud they made it the first thing they mentioned. I appreciate it, but it’s a lot to carry when you have to beonaround strangers.”
“You’re a really good person, Angus,” Caitlin said softly. “Remember? You followed us through a snowstorm to return Lindsay’s purse. You didn’t have to, but you did.”
He swallowed. “I do my best.”
Caitlin reached out and stroked his hand. “You do more than your best, Angus.”
“Drew handles everything. Created a whole shell company—Caledonia Investments—to keep my name off the radar. He’s got the only access codes. I’d trust him with my life, and have done for twenty years.” His voice dropped. “The widow whose daughter got into Saint Andrews? Drew transferred the tuition anonymously. The old man facing foreclosure? Drew handled it. And yes, maybe we helped out two tourists stranded in a blizzard around Hogmanay.”
She looked down at her lap, biting her lip. “Should we… I don’t know… draft a pre-nup? You might want to reconsider everything now that I?—”
“Does it change how you feel?” His voice was tight. “Because I’ve staked my entire future on you lovingme, not whatever’s left of my bank account.”
“Of course not!” Caitlin grabbed his arm so hard I saw him wince.
“You’re not the type to embezzle or gamble it away. And frankly, Caitlin,” he said with a laugh, “we couldn’t touch it if we tried. I asked Drew to set it up as an irrevocable trust. I’d have to go to court to get a penny out of it. I live on the pub profits now. Thank Christ we finally broke even.”
Caitlin exhaled like she’d been holding her breath underwater. “So we’re still just… us?”
He stared out the windshield. “Is that enough?”
“It’s everything,” she whispered.
They collided in an awkward half-hug over the console.
I couldn’t help myself. “Not exactly a billionaire romance novel hero, is he, Caitlin?”
She snorted. “Read enough of those. Bunch of controlling megalomaniacs with god complexes.”
“I’m not even close to a billionaire,” Angus muttered.
“Thank God,” Caitlin said fiercely, seizing his face and kissing him hard. “I fell for a bearded musician who smells like pine—not some sociopath building rocket ships to colonize the universe. I wantyou.”
Their kiss deepened until I had to look away, suddenly desperate to identify every wildflower on the Scottish roadside.
CHAPTER 23
Isat in an oversized blue plaid chair in the lobby of the MacAlister Inn, watching guests drift in and out while I sipped ginger tea with honey and lemon. I was avoiding the scones with lemon curd, but my brain wasn’t about to let me forget about them.
