The Duke She Wished For Page 10

  The next few days went by slowly. Jaime had packed her things that night and called a cab to take her home. She told Chris to not come back to the apartment for the next few days, and she spent countless hours sitting silently in the chair facing the street. A lot of nothing floated through her mind as Jaime sat expressionless in the light from the window. Her parents were dead, her relationship was definitely over, she would have to move from the apartment because it was in Chris’s name, and there was no way she was going back to her job. She hadn’t told her boss, but facing him was not in her plans. She didn’t know who to turn to. She had fallen out of touch with many of her childhood friends back home, and the friends she had made here in Boston were, for the most part, more like acquaintances. And even after everything that had happened, she had not shed a single tear. She just felt numb.

  As the clouds filtered across the sky, the day changing into night, back into day, and then once again the bright moon taking to the heavens, Jaime opened her mind and allowed all the thoughts she had suppressed to enter back in. Though the situation seemed dire, Jaime knew she couldn’t sit in this living room forever. She had money from the sale of her parents’ house, so she wouldn’t be destitute, but the enormity of moving her life overwhelmed her at the moment. She thought back to the last time she had been happy. Really, truly happy, not the artificial perfection she lived with Chris. It was her childhood, on adventures with her parents. That family kinship that had always played such an important role in her parents’ lives. And the place that felt like home, besides Massachusetts? The family land and cottage in Scotland, near Crieff.

  Jaime realized what she needed to do, where she needed to go. Her heritage was there, waiting for her. The land was hers, and while she may never again be physically able to connect with her mom and dad, when she thought of where she should go next, it was the only place that seemed right. She would leave this life behind for a few weeks and immerse herself in the culture that seemed to be calling to her from the pit of her chest.

  With that she was decided. Scotland was where she was meant to go. Jaime couldn’t figure out why she felt this way, but she wasn’t going to ignore it any longer. Little did she know, across the seas, across the unbreakable timeline, and into the flowing fields of Scotland, an adventure, and maybe her true destiny, was waiting.

  Chapter 1

  Jaime 2017

  The water beaded up on the plexiglass windows separating the people from the planes. Jaime stared out through the running droplets at the jets landing and departing on the runway. The clouds swirled around in the sky, and the wind feverishly blew the runway’s bright red windsocks in all directions. Jaime was lost in her thoughts as people boarded flights around her. She had made sure to get to the airport extra early. While the gate for her flight to chilly Scotland was fairly empty, there had been a rush of families and romantic couples in their beach wear heading for sunny destinations.

  Before she left, she had given her friend, Lily, the keys to the apartment so she could pack her things for her. Chris was coming home, and Lily thought it best if she took care of the dirty work. She would take her boxes over to her own home until Jaime decided what she wanted to do. The apartment had looked so unfamiliar as Jaime had stood in the doorway, making sure she had her tickets and passport. She was more than happy to be in the cab on her way to the airport when Chris returned to the apartment. She hadn’t told him she was leaving. Her phone buzzed, drawing her attention back to the real world. It was Chris.

  Hey. Where are you? I thought we were going to talk?

  Jaime rolled her eyes, put her phone on silent, and tossed it in her purse. Why would he think there was anything to say? Jaime looked back towards the window, catching her reflection. She looked terrible. Her long strawberry blonde hair was pulled back in a messy bun, her blunt cut bangs tickling her forehead, and her oversized sweater and yoga pants were at least ten years old. Sure, she had packed some nice clothes, but she figured jumping off a plane where it was, at the most, forty degrees, and riding a train from Edinburgh to Crieff meant comfortable and warm.

  The loudspeaker crackled and cracked above her as an attendant stepped up behind the desk and turned on the phone. She typed on the computer for a minute before actually speaking. Jaime stared at her, feeling like there was something just a bit odd about the woman. She had bright red hair, matching lipstick, and thick-lensed glasses that she kept pushing up her nose every few seconds. She looked, Jaime thought, out of place more than anything.

  “Abernathy. Jaime Abernathy. Would you please come to the front desk,” the woman’s nasally voice called out.

  Jaime sighed, figuring the nearly empty flight to Scotland was cancelled. She piled her purse on her carry-on and wheeled it up to the front. She stood there for a moment waiting for the woman to notice her. Jaime cleared her throat, catching the woman’s attention.

  “I’m Jaime Abernathy,” Jaime scowled. “Please don’t tell me this flight has been cancelled.”

  “Ticket?” the woman happily chirped, ignoring her complaint.

  Jaime slid her ticket across the counter and watched while the woman, whose name tag read Fiona, held the ticket close to her face and then began to type on the keyboard. Minutes later, the woman finally looked up at Jaime and smiled.

  “You have been upgraded to first class. Here are your tickets. We board shortly,” she chirped without skipping a beat.

  “Really?” Jaime said with disbelief. “There must be a mistake.”

  “Nope,” Fiona smiled and leaned forward. “Broken hearts need better seats.”

  “Pardon me?” Jaime felt like she was in the twilight zone. How did this woman know she had a broken heart?

  “You just seem like such a sad person,” Fiona explained. “Thought I’d brighten your day!”

  “Oh,” Jaime laughed at herself. “Thanks.”

  She lugged her bag back over to the chairs and plopped down, looking at the seat change on her ticket. Jaime shook her head. She felt like she was losing her mind. She looked back up to the desk, but the woman had disappeared. Jaime shrugged her shoulders and shoved her jacket inside of her carry-on. She looked through her purse to make sure she brought her tablet and iPod since it was almost a nine-hour flight from Boston to Edinburgh, and she could never sleep on planes.

  After another few minutes, the plane began to load, and Jaime climbed on board, happy to see her seat was near the front and at the window. She put her carry-on in the carriage overtop and plopped down in the cushioned seat. Much better than coach, she thought to herself. An older gentleman sat next to her and smiled as he took off his large brimmed hat and sat it on his lap. I could get used to this, Jaime thought.

  She leaned her head against the window and watched as the plane made its way to the end of the runway and into the air. The flight was smooth despite the crappy weather, and Jaime decided to have a few drinks — five to be exact. About three hours into the flight, against all the odds, Jaime was passed out, fluffy first-class blanket and all.

  By the time Jaime woke up the plane was starting its descent, and she couldn’t believe how quickly the time passed until the alcohol induced headache hit her in the face. Once the plane landed and pulled into the gate, the older gentlemen pulled her suitcase down from above and handed it to her. She smiled and wiped the dried drool from the side of her face. As she passed the flight attendant on the flight, she noticed Fiona standing near the door smiling at her.

  “Enjoy the flight?” Fiona chirped.

  “Yes, thanks for the upgrade,” Jaime said with the happiest tone she could muster.

  “Enjoy your stay in Scotland and make sure to really take in all that history,” Fiona said, smiling as Jaime walked off the plane and into the tunnel leading to the terminal.

  The bus to the train station was very easy to find, which took some stress off Jaime’s shoulders since she had a tendency to get lost. The airport to the train station was only a few minutes ride and Jaime climbed onto t
he train and let the conductor punch her ticket. It would take about an hour to get from Edinburgh to Crieff, so Jaime leaned back in her chair and watched the beautiful scenery fly by. It was just as she had remembered from her childhood, very green with small castle-like buildings and lush forests everywhere.

  Between the train ride and the cab to her family’s house, Jaime’s spirits were lifted by the sheer beauty of the landscape around her. Her family land was just five or six kilometers outside of the actual village of Crieff but felt worlds away from civilization, so she had the cabby stop by a store for some groceries before heading over. Cabs were few and far between out there, so she paid the cab driver extra to wait for her. By the time she reached the drive to her family’s home, the sun was starting to go down, and jet lag was setting in.

  Jaime paid the cab driver and stood in the front yard with her luggage looking at the cottage. It was just as she had remembered from when she was here as a child. She had only been about eight years old, but it still felt like a house from a fairytale with its jagged shingles, red shutters, and wooden arches. She smiled and was happy to find her key worked with no issue as she let herself in. No one had stayed at the cottage in years, so she had hired a cleaning service to come the day before to prepare everything. It wasn’t something she would normally do, but she wanted this time to be simple and relaxing. Fighting through cobwebs and doing laundry was the last thing she wanted to face when she got there. She unloaded her groceries before plopping down on the overstuffed bed in the back bedroom. She was exhausted, but she forced herself off the bed and into the kitchen to make some dinner.

  The kitchen was set up just as she had remembered and Jaime stood for a moment looking around, thinking of the last time she was standing in this kitchen. She had been so small, but she remembered her mother’s smile and laugh so perfectly. Her mom was excited to be there, and her red hair and green eyes shone vibrantly against the Scottish sun. That trip was all laughter and exploring, and she hoped she could leave there feeling the same way she did so many years ago. Jaime wiped a small tear from her eye and walked over to the sliding door.

  She looked out the glass pane at the patio set and decided it was the perfect night to bundle up and enjoy her dinner on the deck. She pulled out the steak, vegetables and red wine and went to work making herself the meal she knew she deserved. Jaime struggled to get the cork from the bottle but after a few grunts and choice words, she was taking a swig straight from it. When her dinner was finally made, she beamed with pride, gathered her plate and bottle of wine, and turned towards the patio doors. She stood looking out at the rain-soaked deck, and wondered how in the world she missed the apparent typhoon that went through while she was cooking.

  Jaime shrugged her shoulders in defeat and sat down at the large dining table in the center of the cottage. The sounds of bugs outside echoed through the house, and she was reminded how rustic this place was without television or radio. Jaime was determined to enjoy the silence and a good meal. When she was done, she grabbed her bottle of wine and plopped down on the floor in front of the fireplace. It had been years since she had started a fire and she looked confusingly at the stacks of newspaper, old wood, and long matches set in front of the fireplace. She took another swig of her wine and started balling up the paper, replaying her father starting a campfire over in her mind. Once that was done, and on fire, she threw a few pieces of wood into the fireplace and leaned back, feeling triumphant. Her victory lasted until the newspaper burned out and the wood wouldn’t catch fire.

  Jaime scowled at the dying fire, picked up her bottle of wine, and headed to the bedroom where she knew there was a soft bed and really warm blankets. She unpacked her suitcase and threw on her plaid PJ pants and button-up flannel before sitting down in the bed and pulling the covers up to her chest. She set the bottle of wine on the nightstand and inched down further, rubbing her feet across the flannel sheets.

  As the sun sank lower in the sky, Jaime snuggled into the warm down comforter and drifted off to sleep, leaving all the drama of the past month behind her, determined not to think of it while she was in her temporary home. Instead, she was finally ready to dive into her heritage and figure out why this place, of all places, was calling her name. She told herself before falling asleep that she would do some exploring the next morning. Jaime was hoping to find whatever it was that she was looking for, and she thought a good walk through the woods, connecting back with nature, was the perfect place to start.

  Chapter 2

  Jaime

  The bright sunshine beamed through the windows and straight into Jaime’s face. She groaned and smashed the extra pillow over her head, forgetting for a moment that she wasn’t at home. The smell of lavender laundry soap reminded her where she was, and she sat up straight in bed, excitement taking over, a new emotion she welcomed. Quickly, however, the drag of morning took back over, and she threw the covers to the side, shivering from the cold air in the house. Jaime grabbed her slippers from her suitcase and shuffled into the kitchen, stopping to shake her fist at the fireplace, which she now referred to as her arch nemesis.

  She opened the fridge and grabbed a Danish from the package, started the coffee maker, and stood half-awake, staring out at the field behind the house. The hiss of the machine snapped her out of her trance, and she poured herself a cup of Joe, grabbed the quilt from the couch and headed out to the deck. The morning air was crisp, and she stopped to throw the blanket over her shoulders before sitting down and taking a sip of her steaming black coffee. Jaime closed her eyes as the warm liquid flowed down her throat and heated her entire body. The sounds of birds chirping and the smell of nature calmed her nerves.

  Jaime’s family owned several hundred acres, but when she was a child, her father led her only so far. Directly behind the house was a well-landscaped area with a bonfire pit, some lounge chairs, and shrubbery. Beyond that was a large field with tall waving grasses that led to the edge of the woods. The giant fir trees loomed in the distance, and the streams of light shining through the canopy were warm and inviting. Though leaf season was over, there was no more magical place on earth than the forests of Scotland.

  When Jaime had finished her makeshift breakfast, she shuffled back inside and grabbed her bag, looking for her toothbrush. She pulled her phone from the front pocket and clicked it on. Once it was on the home screen, it began to buzz loudly, notification after notification of text messages appearing on the screen. All of the messages were from Chris; six to be exact. They ranged from, “please talk to me,” to “why can’t we work this out,” to the ever annoying, “I messed up, please forgive me.” She clicked through each message, deleting as she went. When all messages were clear, she triumphantly nodded her head but then scowled as the phone buzzed in her hand.

  Are you awake? Let’s talk.

  Jaime immediately regretted getting the international calling plan for the trip and angrily tossed her phone into the air, getting up from her chair before it even hit the ground. That was it — she needed to get out of the house and take in some nature. She pulled a pair of jeans, a Henley pullover shirt, and a sweater from her suitcase and got dressed. She laced her hiking boots up and pulled her hair into a tight ponytail. In the case of a hunger emergency Jaime quickly packed a bag with fruit, a couple bottles of water, and a couple of Danishes because, hey, she was on vacation. She flipped the light switch off and headed out the back door, making sure to leave it unlocked since she left the keys inside and didn’t feel like walking back past her phone again.

  Once outside, Jaime almost instantly felt better. She took off towards the field and waded through the tall grasses that came up past her waist. She was only five foot six, but the reeds were higher than she remembered. As a child, she had visited during the summer, and the fields were covered in flowers. She could remember chasing her father through the field, laughing and running as he tried to scare her. They picked a ton of flowers that day and brought them back to her mother, who separated them into
five different vases and placed them all over the house. Jaime’s mom loved flowers and her home, even in Massachusetts, was always fragrant with fresh cut bouquets.

  As she made her way through the reeds and to the tree line, she looked back at the small cottage in the distance and thought about how she wished she could live here all the time. It was a possibility, but what would she do for work? Would she get lonely on her own after a time? Jaime turned back and started along the trail, thinking it was best she stayed in a familiar line of sight, with her tendency to get lost high on her mind. The sunlight streamed through the tree limbs and lit up the forest bed. There were birds chirping everywhere, and Jaime paused as three small deer bolted from the path in front of her. It was like something out of a fairytale and Jaime half expected to see a gnome or fairy playing in the ferns on the edge of the trail.

  The further she walked into the woods the less attention she paid to where she was going, as she just followed the meandering trail. The cold air brought her senses to life, and the scurrying of furry animals made her feel the wonderment of a child. As she walked, Jaime looked up at the canopy above her, wondering what it would be like to jump from tree to tree. As she imagined her monkey antics, she tripped over a log and tumbled to the ground. She looked down to make sure she was still in one piece and then picked herself from the ground, laughing. Leave it to her to embarrass herself when no one else was around. As she dusted the front of her sweater off, she looked around for the trail but realized it was nowhere to be found. That was odd. She could have sworn the well-worn path was just steps behind her.

  Jaime turned in circles trying to figure out how she got so far off the path. She tried to retrace her steps each way, but the ground was covered in wet leaves, and she couldn’t find her footsteps to follow back to where she started. She looked up at the sun in the sky and decided to walk in the other direction to try to find her way back to the field. Every tree looked familiar, but every tree also looked exactly the same. Jaime’s level of frustration shot up from zero to a thousand very quickly as she rounded the corner and tripped over the same log she had tripped on an hour before. She was back where she had started and yet no closer to where she was trying to go. She took her bag from her back and propped herself up against a tree. She pulled out an apple and a bottle of water and rested for a bit, trying to come up with a plan.