Page 60 of Highlands Summer Wedding

Mom’s eyes narrowed for a split second before her expression smoothed. She straightened the napkin in her lap. “We’ve got that sorted. No worries.”

“Good.” I gave a tight smile.

We tookthe family on a tour of Culloden, the battlefield near Inverness where the Jacobites met their brutal end in 1746. Dad moved from marker to marker with reverent steps, his voice dropping to a whisper as he explained how we couldn’t possibly leave Scotland without walking where history had turned.

As our tour began, I watched dark clouds gathering and felt the wind cut through my sweater. There was nowhere to hide here. Imagine being without food or sleep for days on end, then standing in this field hoping to defend a dying cause. Watching your friends collapse beside you, knowing you had to continue on. Around me, visitors dabbed at their eyes with tissues and sleeve cuffs.

The gift shop bothered me a little. It felt strange, standing on ground where so many had died, then browsing souvenirs. But it was full of history books, and Dad carried a stack of them to the register like he wasn’t ready to leave the past behind.

As we stepped outside, the wind moved low across the field. Dad cleared his throat and looked back at it. “And to think that was the end—the clans, the kilts, bagpipes… the language. A whole way of life.”

I’d never heard his voice sound like that before.

Caitlin slipped her arm around him. “I didn’t realize this would have such an impact on you, Dad.”

“Well, just because my last name’s Montgomery, and that side of the family wasn’t involved, doesn’t mean your grandmother’s MacGregor side didn’t have a whole chunk of the family die on this land.”

Oh. I’d seen the stone but hadn’t made the connection.

“But it doesn’t matter if we had family involved or not,” he went on. “It’s a sad, sad place to visit. So much was lost…”

For a moment, none of us said anything.

But if Dad was feeling like this just walking through as a tourist with ancestry affected, how did Max feel about it—after months of researching and writing the screenplay, pitching it all over town, being told no time after time, and now, when his dream was finally being realized, it was falling apart? It wasn’t the same scale as what had happened here, not even close—but a dream falling apart was still a dream falling apart. If he could get his story out there, it would mean everything to him.

I took out my phone to text Max, stared at the blank screen for a moment, then slipped it back into my pocket.

Angus cleared his throat. “Well, we’ve got it back now. They’re learning Scottish Gaelic in the schools. You can take lessons. You can even learn to say ‘Look, Granddad, Irn Bru’ in Gaelic on Duolingo.”

Caitlin huffed a quiet laugh. “And as my friend Melissa and I can assure you, there are loads of kilts and tartans available to buy in every shop within…”

“Probably every town in Scotland!” I said.

“They can try to keep us down, but they cannae succeed!” Angus said with a wide grin.

Dad didn’t smile, but he nodded once. “Caitlin, do you think there may be a shop in Inverness where I could get a kilt to wear to the wedding? I think it would be more appropriate than a suit.”

I didn’t know much, but I definitely understood that kilts had been outlawed after the 1746 Dress Act—wearing one meant something about who you were and what you stood for. I was proud of him.

Angus gave Dad a nod. “Aye. I’ll take ye tae the place where my family has shopped for years. They have rentals if that’s what you’re after…”

“No, I want to buy one,” Dad said, shaking his head.

Angus raised an eyebrow, clapped Dad on the shoulder, and said, “Then as your future son-in-law, I’d be honored to help outfit you in your first kilt.”

“Will they be able to make it by the wedding? I thought they were all bespoke?” asked Caitlin, worry furrowing her brow.

“We’ll make it happen,” Angus said firmly, and Dad grinned. “Meanwhile, Caitlin has a special trip planned for the women tomorrow.”

Caitlin looked up at him, confused. “I do?”

“Aye,” he whispered.

CHAPTER 26

The next day, we met at Melissa’s place, then piled into two cars. Our group included me, Caitlin, Melissa, Sydney, Elspeth, Kara, Lindsay, and the moms. Sydney and Melissa drove, since they had the largest cars and were more experienced with left-lane driving.

We drove south from Inverness, not telling Mom where we were going. We dressed nicely, but fairly casual. Everyone was told to bring their outdoor shoes and pack for the weather.