Free A Highland Home A Contemporary Highland Romance Book Two by Cali MacKay

needed was to look like she’d been crying, her eyes bloodshot and lids puffy. With several deep breaths, she got a hold of herself. “We should go in.”
    “Are ye sure?” He looked so worried.
    “You’re a sweet man, Angus.” She leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “Now let’s get going before they start wondering what we’re up to.”
    “Och, well, if we’re going to give them something to wonder about, then shouldn’t we at the very least be doing something awfully depraved while out here?”
    She shook her head with a laugh, amazed at how he could melt her worries away with his humor. “You’re so bad, Angus.”
    “Aye, love. Bad to the bone.”
    She found him looking at her, his gaze holding hers, the air between them charged. She could easily kiss him, then and there-and if she was reading him right, the same thought was crossing his mind at that very moment. It’d be so easy to just lean in a little more, to brush her lips against his. Yet her racing pulse had her breaking away, not wanting to muck things up between them. With the moment gone, she gave him an uneasy smile and made her escape, leaving him to follow.
    He took her hand as he led her up the walkway. The house was traditional in style, not too unlike her mother’s cottage, but much larger in size. Angus didn’t knock, but rather opened the door and wandered into the sitting room, where his father was sitting by the fire, reading a book. “Da.”
    “Och, there ye are.” Hamish Macleod got to his feet. Nearly as tall as Angus, Rowan could see the similarities not only in their height but their unruly curls and bright blue eyes.
    “This here is Rowan.” Angus ran a comforting hand down her back, making her grateful to have him right there by her side.
    “The name’s Hamish. It’s a pleasure to finally meet ye.” When he gave her a hearty handshake and a smile that reached his eyes, the butterflies in her stomach settled a little. Just like Angus, his father was tall and handsome-and like she’d been warned, kilted too.
    Feeling more at ease, she felt some of the tightness and anticipation in her chest slip free. “The pleasure’s mine.”
    A petite woman walked into the room behind them. “There ye are. Rowan…” Angus’s mom, Anne, took both Rowan’s hands in hers and gave them a squeeze, not letting go, her eyes sparkling with emotion. “Ye look so much like yer Ma did back in the day. I was so sorry to hear of her passing.”
    Rowan blinked back tears, not wanting to get emotional in front of everyone, but having a hard time of it. She forced a smile to her lips. “I know she missed you, even if she seldom talked about home.”
    “Why don’t ye come into the kitchen and keep me company while I finish up dinner.” Leaving the men behind, they headed to the kitchen. “Grab yerself a seat. I’m just waiting for the apple pie to finish baking.  We can have that after dinner with our tea.”
    “Is there anything I can do to help?” She hated sitting there while others worked.
    She took a seat near Rowan at the kitchen table. “Och, no, love. The pie’s the only thing left, and there’s nothing to do for it but wait.”
    Unsure of how much time they’d have alone to discuss her father, Rowan decided now was as good a time as any. Her pulse picked up its pace, and her breath quickened as she fought through her unease. “Did Angus mention that I want to speak to you?”
    “Aye, he did, though I’m not sure I’ll have many answers for ye, my dear.”
    “I’m looking for my father-do you know who he is?”
    Anne’s demeanor slumped as she looked at Rowan with sadness in her eyes. “No, dear. Yer mother ne’er did say. I’ll admit, it was a bit of a sore spot between us. We’d been the best of friends since we were bairns, and I couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t tell me about him. I knew she must have had her reasons, and I eventually came around. The circumstances were hard… she