winked, then sauntered off into the back row.
Graham, unaware of what had just passed between me and Jamison, hopped inside, and I followed him. The whole ride back to Edinburgh, we bounced along the way, our knees and thighs brushing. And all I could hear was Jamisonâs voice, telling me ÂGraham liked me.
He liked me.
ChapterEight
I had to admit, I was kind of sad to pack up my belongings and leave this hotel room. It had been my Edinburgh home for the last few days. But we were on to the next portion of our tripâour weeklong travel through the Highlands. I could hardly wait.
I folded my clothes and tucked them back into my two suitcases. When that was done, I put my camera bag and sketching materials in my backpack, so I could have them handy for our photo-op stops. Then I sat on the edge of the bed and watched as Mom and Dad finished gathering their stuff. Steaphan had told Dad heâd pick us up in half an hour. Naturally, my stomach had been one big knot of excitement since Iâd gotten up this morning.
âIâm going to miss Edinburgh,â Mom said with a sigh as shewalked over and peered out the hotel window. âI canât believe how this place has grown on me, even in a short period of time.â
âI was just thinking that too,â I said.
âStill, Iâm sure sightseeing in the Highlands will be unbelievable,â Mom said as she turned around and leaned back against the windowpane. Her brow quirked. âNot to mention the âlocal attractions.â â
I squinted at her. Subtlety wasnât one of her stronger traits. âVery funny.â She was right, though. It had taken me forever to fall asleep last night, since I was eager to spend more time with Graham. This thing between us was a heady rush I didnât want to shake off. Plus, I couldnât stop thinking about Jamisonâs words to me.
A bus tour with him through one of the most romantic places ever would be a memory of a lifetime.
Dad went to unplug his computer, and I jumped up. âWait!â I said as I plopped into the desk chair. âCan I please send Corinne a message?â
It was only a little after three a.m. back in Cleveland, since they were five hours behind us, so she wouldnât get it for a while, but I wanted to at least say hi. I hadnât written to her much after my first day or so around Scotland, and I wasnât sure what cell phone or Internet reception would be like where we were going. Somehow I didnât imagine the Highlands were covered with an extensive network of cell phone towers.
He nodded. âOkay, but make it quick, princess. We need to be in the lobby in fifteen minutes.â
I gave him a grateful smile, then logged on to the chat Âmessenger.
AvaBee: Hey! I know youâre snoozing right now. Are U having sweet dreams about a certain hunky guy we both know? ;-)
Before Iâd left for Scotland, Corinne had expressed more than a little frustration at her current situation. Sheâd been chosen by her art teacher to represent her classroom in a prestigious nationwide art competition. Only catch was she had to do a joint project with Matthew, a guy she thought was just a jock. But to paraphrase Shakespeare, Corinne was protesting a bit too much. I could tell that Matthew was really getting under her skin. Sheâd never been this rattled by someone before.
My fingers hovered over the computer keys, and a flash of guilt hit my chest. I hadnât talked to her about Graham yet. I mean, what could I really say? This was just a crazy vacation crush, after all, something she and I would giggle about at our next sleepover as we studied pictures of his face. Even as I thought that, something in my heart throbbed. My past crushes hadnât been this intense this fast. They didnât compare.
Well, I just needed time to figure things out before I talkedabout it. He and I were still so shy around each other in some ways, and