“I’m a photographer. I travel the world taking photos of people and events.”
“I’m impressed.” And he truly was. It couldn’t be an easy life, but she obviously loved what she did. “The arts run in your family.”
It was the wrong thing to say because a small frown formed on her brow and the smile disappeared. She ran her fingers along the condensation of the glass. “I guess it does.”
Laith gave a nod and returned to his other customers. Several times he caught her staring at him through the mirrors behind the bar.
A little later he saw her with a camera as she scrolled through photos. Somehow he managed to keep his distance until her ale was almost finished.
“Would you like another?” he asked.
She glanced up and smiled. “Please.”
He poured her another ale and placed it before her. Just as he turned to leave, she caught his eye. “What is it?”
“How well did you know my father?”
Laith shrugged. “Pretty well. He came in twice a week every week.”
“I’m having a bit of trouble reconciling who I thought my father was to who he really was.”
“Your father spoke of you often.”
A slight blush stained her cheeks. “You mean you knew I was a photographer?”
“I did. John showed us your work on several occasions. You’re verra good at what you do.”
She took another long swallow of the dark ale. “You seem to know so much about me, and yet I don’t even know your name.”
“It’s Laith.”
“Laith,” she repeated, letting it fall slowly from her lips almost like a caress.
He was instantly, painfully hard.
“An unusual name.”
“It’s a family name.”
Her brows rose. “Do you have family around here?”
“No’ for a long time.”
“I’m sorry.” She turned her glass around. “Can I ask you something?”
He gave a nod. “Of course.”
“This pub borders Dreagan. What do you know of them?”
Laith was completely taken aback by her question. He thought she might ask something about her father, but never about Dreagan. “They distill the best whisky around, and they’re good to the people.”
“And my father knew them?”
“He did. John knew everyone.”
She worried her bottom lip with her teeth. “It’s odd, isn’t it? To think you know someone, only to learn everything you believed was wrong. Scotland isn’t my home. Hasn’t been for twenty years. I don’t want to stay here.”
“You doona find it beautiful?”
Iona smiled. “I took plenty of pictures today to prove that I do, but I don’t have time to take care of land.”
“You inherited your father’s land,” he said, putting enough inflection in his tone so that she might believe he just guessed it.
“I did. I want to sell it, but it appears that I can’t.”
The door to the pub opened and Sammi walked in, her powder blue eyes crinkled from her smile and her sandy-colored hair pulled back in a ponytail. “Hey, Laith.”
“Hey, Sammi,” he called.
She came around the bar and put her purse beneath it, and then flashed a smile to Iona. “Hello there. You must be who everyone is talking about.”
“That’s me,” Iona said ruefully with a lift of the ale.
Sammi stuck out her hand. “I’m Sammi. I work with Laith.”
“Nice to meet you,” Iona said as they shook hands.
“Same to you. We should have a dr—” Sammi began, but was cut off when the door opened again.
Laith had kept his connection to Dreagan from Iona so far, but with Tristan and Ryder strolling in, he wasn’t sure how long that would last.
“Hang on,” Sammi said and rushed around the bar to Tristan who grabbed her against him for a quick kiss.
Iona watched the scene before she turned her head to Laith. “Who is that?”
“That’s Tristan, Sammi’s husband, who just happens to be a part of Dreagan.”
Iona watched the pair carefully. “They seem to really care for each other.”
“They genuinely do,” he said, unable to keep from frowning at her choice of words.
She turned back to him. “I’m usually on my own. I sometimes forget that I say things out loud that I should keep to myself.”
“Doona worry about that here.” He spotted Sammi bringing over Ryder and Tristan so nodded in their direction. “You’re about to meet more people.”
Iona sat straight and swiveled on the stool to face the three.
“Iona,” Sammi said. “This is my husband, Tristan, and our friend Ryder.”
Iona wore a friendly smile as she greeted them. “Hello.”
Tristan bowed his head, but Ryder took her hand and gave her a charming smile. Laith didn’t like the way she blushed in return.
“I was just telling Iona that she and I needed to get a drink sometime.” She turned back to Iona. “I used to be on my own, and then I met Tristan. Now, I can’t seem to have enough friends.”
“You got me, love. Is that no’ enough?” Tristan asked Sammi with a wink.
Sammi pulled on his long brown hair. “You know it is.”