14. Emma

Passing Glasgow on that motorway that was designed by a man with no clue how to drive, with cars whizzing past you on both sides to gain entry, I cling to the steering wheel of the Mini and pray for our lives. We are pretty much in the late morning, coming up to the lunchtime rush, and it's not fun.

Anna stares wide-eyed at the craziness around us, and then it starts to rain.

Flicking on the window wipers with my pinkie, I veer off into the lane, which will take me to the A9, and things will hopefully calm the fuck down a bit.

Relaxing as we pass by the city, I sit back. "About three more hours," I murmur.

"Jesus," Anna grumbles. "You weren't fucking joking when you said ten hours. How are you even still awake?"

"Well, if I weren't, we'd be in a ditch somewhere."

"Yeah, we need to stop," she says. "A proper stop."

"Soon," I say and re-focus. It's been a long journey so far, but having Anna here has helped me pass the time. It would've been unbearable all on my own.

"That Keir guy is all kinds of hot," Anna says after a few minutes. "I might message him again on your behalf and ask him out." She chuckles away to herself as I growl.

"Do not abuse the power I gave you. I didn't want to leave him hanging after he was nice to offer support, even if it was because my dad asked him to," I say, immediately regretting giving Anna control of my phone to reply to him for me.

"Such a shame," she sighs.

Twenty minutes later, we finally pull over into a McDonalds, and I cut the engine with a deep sigh of relief. There are a few shops on this retail park, which will be good to have a proper walk around and stretch my muscles.

Anna practically leaps out of the car as soon as it's parked. "I need the loo," she announces, already heading towards the entrance.

"Get food and drinks," I call after her, stretching my legs and feeling every kink from our long drive. Gathering up the rubbish from our previous meal, I scrunch it up, walk over to the bin, and shove it inside before I take a deep breath of the cool, rain-scented air and glance at my phone.

A new message on Instagram from Lachlan McLeod. Interesting. Wondering what he wants, I open it with caution. All these strangers suddenly messaging me out of the blue is a bit weird. At least Keir had a sort of excuse in that we went to the same school, but for the life of me, I can't remember him.

Hey Emma, Thanks for the follow. Just wanted to say welcome to the madhouse! Hope you're having a safe drive. Let me know if you need anything.

I smile at his message. It's short and informal, but there's something about the way he talks that feels genuine. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.

Thanks, Lachlan. Almost there! Looking forward to meeting everyone.

What else can I say?

A sudden gust of wind whips my hair around my face, but at least the rain has stopped, and I chuckle as I sit down at one of the picnic benches near the door, imagining the chaos that must be preparing itself in Inverness for my arrival. Minutes later, Anna comes striding back, holding two large bags and sporting a triumphant grin.

"Sexy Keir in your DMs?" she teases, peeking over my shoulder at my phone.

"Shut up," I mumble, feeling a blush creep up my neck as I snatch my phone away. "What did you get?"

"Just the essentials," she winks, handing me one of the bags overflowing with fries, burgers, and more Coke.

"Perfect."

We settle down eating while discussing our game plan once we reach Inverness. Anna keeps me laughing with her wild theories about what kind of initiation rituals the team might have planned for me—everything from ice bucket challenges to karaoke nights at the local pub.

"And don't forget your birthday is next week! We need to plan a huge bash—a combined birthday and get-to-know-you thing."

"Hmm," I murmur. "Maybe."

After we finish eating and have a stroll around the shops, it's time to get back on the road. We pile back into the Mini and continue on our way. The rain starts up again, but just a fine drizzle this time. Before I know it, the countryside whizzes past like a painting: rolling hills, open fields, and the occasional sheep dotting the landscape.

Anna fiddles with the radio, eventually landing on a station playing some classic rock. We sing along badly to the hits, our voices mingling with the hum of the engine. It feels good, this easy companionship.

We hit Perth and keep on going, going, going, until eventually, fucking finally, I see the sign for Inverness.

"About fucking time," Anna grumbles, as fed up as I am right about now.

"Pull up the address for that cottage on my emails, would you? We need the SatNav."

She nods and grabs my phone, punching in the passcode and then snickering. "A new message from Lachlan McLeod. Want to know what it says?"

"Sure, but be quick."

Anna reads aloud, "Can't wait to meet you in person. Drive safe, Emma. The team's excited to have you on board."

I roll my eyes but can't help the smile tugging at my lips at the huge lie. I bet they all hate the idea with a passion. "Alright, alright. Now get to the directions before we end up lost in the Highlands."

Anna quickly pulls up the address and inputs it into the SatNav. The automated voice starts giving us directions as we continue our journey into Inverness. The closer we get, the more real it feels, and suddenly, I'm hit with a wave of nerves.

"What if they don't like me?" I ask, glancing over at Anna.

"They'll love you," she says firmly. "You're Emma Thornton. Smart, fierce, and about to kick some serious arse as team owner."

I smile, but I don't believe her.

We follow the SatNav's instructions until we arrive at a quaint little cottage on the outskirts of town, nestled between a row of trees with a clear view of the nearby River Ness. It's charming in that rustic sort of way, with ivy creeping up one side and flower boxes beneath each window.

"Home sweet home," Anna announces, hopping out of the car. She stretches her arms wide and spins around, taking in the scenery. "Not bad for temporary digs."

"I suppose," I agree as I step out and breathe in the fresh air that actually feels like oxygen is entering my lungs. I feel a sense of calm wash over me, despite my earlier jitters. This place might actually turn out to be peaceful after all.

Searching for the key box code, I open it and unlock the front door, pushing it open and stepping inside. Anna is already grabbing boxes to bring inside. "It's a good thing you sprang for a two-bed," she laughs. "I forgot to ask!"

Laughing with her, I return to the car to haul more of our bags and boxes inside. When we're done, we kick off our shoes and flop horizontally on a couch each.

"We've just been sitting down for over ten hours," I gripe. "Shouldn't we be up doing stuff?"

"We've been up since 2:30 AM," Anna counters. "Fuck doing stuff. I want to sleep." She yawns and closes her eyes.

To be fair, it sounds like a good idea and, dragging the tartan blanket off the back of the couch, I do the same.