Before Jamaica Lane (On Dublin Street, #3)
Samantha Young
For Tammy Blackwell
Because if it weren’t for you, Olivia might never have
become a librarian … and also because I had to get the phrase
‘Let me Dewey your Decimal’ into this book somewhere …
Dear Readers,
Often I receive tweets and messages from you, including pictures of your travels to the real streets of Edinburgh. Whether you’ve been captured on film on Dublin Street or goofing around beside the London Road sign, the proof of your love for this series, its characters, and its location blows me away. If, after reading Nate and Olivia’s story, you decide to take to the streets of Edinburgh to find Jamaica Lane, I’ll make it easier for you. You see, for the sake of title continuity I took some creative license and changed the street name. Jamaica Lane doesn’t technically exist. It’s really Jamaica Street North Lane, and that’s where readers can find the wee one-bedroom flat where this next ODS couple are about to discover that life, more often than not, can take you where you least expect it …
1
Stirling, Scotland
February
Every time we turned a corner the icy cold wind hammered into us, almost spitefully, like it was mad when a building buffered us. Its icicle-spiked fingers pricked my rosy red cheeks and I wrapped my arms tighter around myself, my shoulders hunching as I braced against the attack.
‘For the fifth and final time … where are you taking us?’ Joss asked, burrowing deeper against her fiancé, Braden. He’d opened his wool coat and huddled her inside it, his arm wrapped around her waist, holding her close. She wore a short, stylish jacket with a red dress that fit her like a second skin. Like all of us, she was wearing stilettos. In fact, the only thing she wore that shielded her against the Scottish winter was a scarf.
Ellie and Jo were in pretty much the same condition – wearing dresses, heels, and light jackets. I was only marginally warmer in a pair of black dress pants, but my silk top and lightweight tuxedo-style blazer were doing eff all to protect me. Not quite as used to walking in stilettos as my girlfriends were, I made slower progress at the back of our group as Jo led us to our mystery destination. ‘It’s not far,’ she promised, glancing over her shoulder at us as she led the way through the city center high street. Cam, her fiancé, had his arm wrapped tight around her, keeping her as warm as possible, and behind them Braden’s sister, Ellie, and his best friend, Adam, were cuddling into each other for heat too. They were also engaged. Very recently, in fact.
I, on the other hand, did not have a fiancé to protect me from the taunting wind. ‘It’s not far?’ I scoffed at Jo. Since my arrival in Edinburgh a little over nine months ago, Jo and I had grown as close as sisters, so I felt it was okay to scoff at her after she’d dragged our asses out of Edinburgh without much explanation. Hence the poor clothing choices. ‘You lost the right to say “it’s not far” when you directed our cabs to Waverley train station.’
Jo’s apologetic smile suddenly wilted into a frown as she stopped us at a street junction. ‘Okay, I think we’re down here.’
‘Are you sure?’ I asked, my teeth starting to chatter.
‘Eh –’ Jo glanced across the street at a road sign and then pulled out her phone. ‘Just a second, guys.’
My friends huddled together and I stood back a little, taking them all in. I realized that despite how cold I was, I didn’t truly mind. I was simply content to be there with them, still surprised, even, by how close I’d grown to them. They’d accepted me so fully into their lives, partly because of Jo, but also because of Nate, Cam’s friend, and my newly adopted best friend.
As I reminisced, Nate turned around from speaking to Adam and Ellie to direct his beautiful smile my way.
I blinked, distracted by the flush of attraction I felt. I’d gotten so good at ignoring the feeling, it had caught me off guard. That was the problem when you were friends with a guy who totally got you and just happened to be the hottest man you’d ever met in real life.
That flutter, that rush of unexpected feeling, sent me reeling back to the first time Nate and I had met. Honestly, I deserved a medal for ignoring my attraction to him …
Seven months ago …