Love Between the Lines ✔️ DRAFT 1 COMPLETE

Chapter 6

"Rise and shine!" A knock at my door and Fionn's voice woke me from a dead sleep.

It had been three days since I arrived in Scotland and we had developed a good rhythm around the bookstore. Ever since that first night at the pub, I felt more like I belonged. But I still had trouble getting a read on Fionn.

I groaned and covered my head with the pillow. "No!"

Fionn laughed. "You know I have a key."

I sat up and clutched the sheets against my chest. "You wouldn't."

"I won't if you come out and help me set up. We have to be ready for the author signing that happens this afternoon."

As he talked, I scrambled from bed and threw on a fresh outfit and added a swipe of mascara to my eyes. When I opened the door, Fionn leaned against the doorframe with a wide grin across his face.

"Happy now?" I asked, taking the cup of coffee from his hands like I had grown accustomed to doing over the last few days.

"Ecstatic." Fionn started down the stairs. "Now, the refreshments will be here during the reading per your request."

"Good." I looked around the bookstore. Displays lined the walls with images of the author who was going to be the guest of honor at the book reading. Chairs lined the open floor and a table sat at the front with copies of the novel for the signing.

I counted. Twenty chairs, probably not nearly enough. Working in a library had taught me it was always better to be safe than sorry. "We need more chairs."

Fionn twirled a key ring around his finger. "I'll go get more from the storage room in the office. Can you finish printing the flyers? Copier is at my flat."

I bumped my knee against the table. "Y-you're letting me see your apartment?"

"Relax, it's not like I'm inviting you inside for a drink at the end of the night." He winked at me.

I crossed my arms over my chest. "What is that supposed to mean?" Although I knew perfectly well what he meant. And I really didn't want to think about it.

"Nevermind." Fionn tossed me the key. "Don't lose it." He walked away and I headed next door to Fionn's flat. It was convenient; live next door to your business so you could come and go as you pleased. And it allowed for quick service if renters needed help.

Was I a renter? I was a guest, sure, but someone else was paying for me to stay and it still wasn't clear who that could be.

It didn't matter, I tried to convince myself. I was here in Scotland, that's what mattered.

Inside the flat, I found the copier down the hall and punched in the code. The machine whirred to life and while I waited, my gaze wandered. A mahogany desk similar to the one at the bookstore sat in the center of the room, stacked high with books. All of them were classic literature.

I ran my fingers over the top copy—Jane Eyre; he certainly had good taste—just as the handle to the front door jiggled open.

"Almost done, Fionn, and then I'll head back over," I called out. "You don't have to come and check on me." Annoyance crept into my voice.

"I wasn't," a new voice responded.

I froze. That wasn't Fionn, but I knew I'd locked the front door behind me. So whoever this was must've also had a key. I ran through the options. Roommate? Brother? How much did I really know about Fionn anyway?

Slowly, I turned around and came face to face with the one and only Angus MacLeod. My eyes widened.

"Mr. MacLeod. I-I'm so sorry. I thought you were Fionn," I said. The copier beeped behind me.