Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95196 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95196 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
“Hi, hello, I’m verra good, thank you,” he called, glee in the undertone.
I didn’t respond or backtrack, just kept going. As I turned here and there, drinking in the ancient architecture blended with modern, I forgot all about the embarrassing encounter. How I adored the sophisticated earthiness here. The hills and castles and cathedrals. The farther I traveled, however, the less populated the streets became. Eventually, I seemed to be the only person left in the world.
Only seconds later, heavy footsteps sounded behind me. I cast a curious glance over my shoulder. Uh. The leather clad blond.
Unease raced along the ridges of my spine. Had he followed me?
Before my trip, my mother had relayed a wealth of horror stories about women who traveled alone. In a blink, my admittedly overactive imagination whipped up a detailed analysis of all the ways I could die before noon. I quickened my steps, my tennis shoes thumping against the pavement.
He quickened his steps, too, drawing closer.
A lump grew in my throat. When thunder boomed, I yelped. What should I do? Shout for help or fish out my cell and phone authorities?
Authorities, definitely. Yes, yes. Hand trembling, I dug inside my travel purse. But a wheel on my suitcase hit a pebble, and I careened, barely able to prevent a face-plant. Did his footsteps quicken again?
I cast another glance over my shoulder. Dang it. He was closer than expected. Worse, he’d stuffed his hands in his pockets. A serial killer pose if ever I’d seen one.
His smile returned and widened, and I gulped. Did he sense the defeat of his prey?
Breath accelerating, I snaked around a corner and scanned the streets up ahead. Oh, thank goodness! People! They milled in front of a fancy hotel with a colorful mural painted on its walls. No need to phone—
“Hello, darlin’.”
The rough and tumble voice filled my ears a split second before I plowed into a hard body. I stumbled back and flipped up my gaze. Leather man! He now towered before me.
I jumped away, my knees knocking. “How…you…I…”
“Thought you should know your zipper is down,” he told me with a wink. Whistling, he strolled off without a care.
My zipper? No. Just no. But I looked down and kind of wanted to die. Yep. The metal teeth meant to hold my jeans together now gaped open, giving everyone in the area the granny panty peep show of a lifetime. A new round of heat seared my cheeks, yet my anxiety lessened. My suspected murderer was actually a good samaritan.
“Thank you,” I called, hurrying to correct the situation.
He raised an arm to acknowledge my words, but he didn’t turn around.
As much as I hated to admit it, this wasn’t my worst encounter with a stranger. To be honest, this didn’t even make the top ten. All my life, I’d excelled at two things. Being socially awkward and attracting drama.
My cell rang, drawing my gaze to the screen. A much-needed smile bloomed when I spotted the ID. Mom. Her superpower was knowing exactly when to reach out.
I eased to the side of the hotel, avoiding the crowd, and answered. “Hey, Momma.”
“Hey, baby. Are you ready to say goodbye to Scotland?”
Despite what had just happened? “No. And yes. But mostly no.” The thought of returning to a predictable life in an ordinary small town struck me as sad. “I wish I could spend another week exploring.” Maybe a month. Perhaps a year.
“I choose to believe you mean yes and only yes. You know I hate being more than five minutes away from my grandchildren. Besides, Scotland isn’t England.”
And there went my smile. Here we go again. “You don’t have any grandchildren. Since I’m an only child, that circumstance isn’t likely to change any time soon.” Freezing wind kicked up, stealing much needed oxygen. Ugh. Maybe I shouldn’t have packed my coat, but keeping track of bulky wool on a trans-Atlantic flight was a pain. Using a pillar as a shield, I dragged my bag closer to the hotel’s entrance.
“Darling, situations can change in a blink.” The delight in her tone caused my stomach to curdle. A truckload of trouble headed my way, no doubt about it. “Oh! I should probably mention your welcome party. The festivities begin as soon as you get home. Are you excited? You’re excited, aren’t you? Because you know how hard I worked to make this special for you.”
A groan escaped. Here was my suspicion in manifestation. “I’ll be in airports and airplanes for the next twenty hours. I’ll be exhausted. There’s no way I’ll make a good impression on whoever it is you’re hoping I’ll meet and marry.”
She continued to set me up with eligible men between the ages of twenty and fifty-five. Men she encountered at the grocery store or doctor’s office. At twenty-seven, I preferred a number somewhere in between, thank you.