A Christmas Romance in the Scottish Highlands (Scottish Highlands #6)

Chapter 1

1

ELLA

Ella McNally took in a deep breath of cold air. Fighting a wave of tiredness, she perused the pretty row of thatched cottages framed by the Mistletoe mountain range, which was glittering after hours of non-stop snowfall.

She pulled on her dog’s leash as her tenacious bloodhound, Wyatt, ground to a halt and dropped to his haunches. The dog usually enjoyed their twice-daily walks, but the wind was glacial, and he was irritated that Ella hadn’t let him run free. Mostly because the last few times she had, he’d vanished until she’d been forced to tempt him back with handfuls of treats.

‘Come on,’ she pleaded as Wyatt refused to budge and she tugged at the lead again. A car revved somewhere in the distance and her pet growled, seemingly echoing its refrain, before sinking lower onto the snowy pavement.

‘Please, Wyatt. It’s cold. I’ll feed you when we get to my stepmother’s house,’ Ella promised and sighed in relief when his dark eyes twitched with interest. ‘Good boy,’ she soothed as he suddenly shot to his feet, his long limbs ramrod straight and his droopy ears fluttering like festive bunting in a breeze.

He woofed hungrily, glaring to his left, and Ella glanced across the road and immediately spotted a cat on the pavement. ‘No!’ she yelled just as Wyatt barked again and bolted forward, making her drop her handbag and dragging her along with him. Ella tugged at the lead so fiercely that it slipped through her gloved hands and the forward momentum made her trip and face-plant in the snow. ‘ Orff !’ she exclaimed as frigid ice stabbed her cheeks.

Wyatt must have heard her yell, because he forgot the cat and spun around just as Ella looked up, swiping snowflakes from her eyes as a silver Volvo did a fast wheel-spin onto the top of the road.

‘Wyatt, run!’ Ella screamed, her heart thumping wildly as the car appeared to speed up. Her whole body stiffened, and she watched dumbstruck as it headed straight for her pet. The bloodhound barked, his eyes widening as he spotted the car – Ella assumed he’d move, but he stood mesmerised as if frozen in place by the glare of its headlights.

The driver must have realised her dog wasn’t going to shift because they simultaneously pressed the horn and slammed on the brakes. But it was too late, because instead of coming to a stop, the Volvo began to skid.

‘ Eejit . Don’t you know how to drive in the snow!’ Ella shrieked, and pushed herself onto all fours, desperately hurling her body forward as she attempted to reach Wyatt’s lead.

The breath left her throat as she caught it and heaved her dog out of the way, mere seconds before the gliding Volvo hit him. She hugged Wyatt tightly to her chest and momentarily shut her eyes as the vehicle skated past, spraying pellets of ice all over them both before it finally came to a stop at a right angle across the road.

Ella let go of Wyatt and sprang to her feet so she could stomp towards it, attempting to hold onto her temper. She rarely lost her cool, but the bampot driver had almost squashed her dog – what sort of person would drive that fast in a snowstorm, especially if they didn’t know the correct way to brake?

Ella heard the car’s engine fire up as she approached. Was the jackass leaving? ‘Wait!’ she yelled as irritation ignited and flared. She broke into a trot and bent on impulse so she could grab a handful of snow. Then she hurled it at the side of the car – intending to capture the driver’s attention before they drove away. Only the icy globe hit just as the window slid halfway down.

As Ella drew to a jerky stop beside the driver’s door, she saw a man sitting behind the wheel wincing as he swiped clumps of snow from his jaw.

‘Um,’ Ella began as she watched pieces of ice slide down his cheeks and onto his chin, before dropping like watery tears into his lap. She gritted her teeth to stop herself from laughing – or worse, apologising.

‘Do you realise you could be charged with assault?’ the man said slowly.

‘For throwing a snowball?’ Ella snorted as he turned to glare at her, and she took a moment to catch her breath.

He was handsome, with a chiselled jawline that he was flexing in displeasure. His hair was the colour of jet, and his chin was peppered with matching snow-speckled stubble that made him oddly endearing. Ella had spent many happy hours of her life sketching – she was usually drawn to things like colourful birds playing in the trees and fluffy cats intent on mischief. But in this instant, she found herself itching for her pad and pencil so she could recreate this man’s gorgeous face. Her reaction to him was ridiculous and no doubt due to the fact that she hadn’t dated at all during the last year.

‘Do you realise you nearly killed Wyatt?’ she ground out, ignoring the way her pulse skipped up as his dark eyes glittered.

‘Then perhaps you should teach him that roads are for cars, and not dogs,’ he shot back, his eyes scouring her face angrily. He heaved out an irritated breath and then switched off the engine and opened the door before climbing out. He was taller than Ella had expected – definitely over six foot because he towered over her.

He wore a navy jumper and dark trousers that were splattered with ice blobs and watery stains which she refused to feel guilty about. His shoes were no more suitable for the weather than his driving, and Ella saw the man’s eyes flicker with annoyance when they sank and were swallowed by a drift. ‘What were you thinking, letting him sit in the road?’ he asked, shaking his head.

Ella blinked, surprised. ‘He wasn’t sitting, he was stalking a cat,’ she explained, instantly regretting sharing that particular piece of information, cursing her openness.

The man’s eyebrow arched as he made a point of looking at the empty pavements. ‘Aye. Well – I suggest you keep a better eye on him. A tip?’ The eyebrow arched higher. ‘Dog restraints work better if you hold onto them; perhaps you should try that next time he spots the Cheshire cat?’

Ella opened her mouth to give the man a piece of her mind, but the accusing look on his face had her stumbling over the words.

Was this really all her fault? Her stomach squeezed with the familiar ache of guilt which she quickly squashed as she narrowed her eyes at his car. ‘Perhaps you should try driving a little slower too?’ she suggested, wondering what had got into her. She normally went with the flow – this was so out of character.

‘Thankfully, he got out of the way just in time – so at least I won’t have to bill you for any damage to my car,’ he continued.

‘Damage?’ Ella echoed.

Wyatt – who’d obviously followed her – let out a low snarl. Ella grabbed his lead and tugged him closer so he couldn’t lunge.

‘I’m in a hurry,’ the man snapped, eyeing her dog warily and then glancing through his open car door at the clock on the dashboard. ‘I’ve got places to be – important places and I don’t want to be late.’ His eyes swept Ella’s face as if he were taking her in for the first time. For an instant, he looked surprised, then he seemed to gather himself and nod. ‘I assume neither of you is hurt?’ he asked brusquely.

‘Thanks for asking finally,’ Ella muttered. ‘We’re not hurt, more upset.’ She glanced down at her soggy clothes and shoved her hands into her pockets because they were shaking and she didn’t want him to see.

‘Then I’ll be on my way,’ he said abruptly, ignoring Wyatt as he let out a warning bark.

‘You’re leaving?’ Ella gasped as he folded his long legs back into the car.

‘I think we’re done,’ he said as he closed the door with a snap and started the engine.

Her mouth gaped as she watched him drive off, feeling helpless and weary.

Their encounter was such a mirror of her life. Her left picking up the pieces and sorting out the mess – and no matter what she tried nothing ever worked or changed.

‘What a horrible man. I hope I never see him again,’ she grumbled as the Volvo accelerated, took a right and disappeared. Although as Ella turned and tugged Wyatt back onto the pavement, the man’s face flashed back into her mind, and she realised she might not be being entirely truthful with herself.