He refused to move, which was more than a little bizarre, so I decided to approach—anything to distance myself from the night terror.

"Get back tae yer cabin."

Ignoring his command, I moved closer.

He was dressed in an almost medieval-looking black surcoat, marked by a crimson-colored X that was woven around a heart- shaped emblem.

Splattered across the tunic was fresh blood.

"Mr. MacDonald, are you hurt?"

The old man hurried off, but I quickly overtook him. Grabbing his shoulder, I spun him around, only to be confronted with the business end of a double-edged sword, the gold-plated blade dripping with blood.

"Back off, young Wallace. My business is my ain affair, dae ye ken whit I mean?"

I was in no position to argue.

He stared at me for a long moment, then continued down the mountainous slope to his cabin.

* * *

Several hours later, still baffled by the surreal encounter with the Crabbit, I drove the Harley into the parking lot of the Clansman Hotel, then headed for the wharf to meet up with the old man's daughter.

I was armed with a bouquet of freshly cut flowers and a simple plan: Beg forgiveness, give her the flowers, then ask her to dinner in Inverness, hoping we'd end up in my hotel room.

I hesitated, then walked out onto the pier, the daylight easing last night's feelings of dread. As I approached the Nessie III, Brandy emerged from the wheelhouse, dressed in a gray cotton sweat suit. "Well, look who it is? Thanks for a helluva night, lover."

"Can I at least explain?"

"I've a better idea. Why don't ye go make nice wi' my old man, 'cause I want nothin' tae do wi' you!"

"Brandy, wait!" I climbed aboard, quickly presenting her with the flowers. "For you. I picked them myself"

"Did ye now?" She inhaled the bouquet, then tossed them overboard. "I hate flowers. Flowers are what my bastard ex used tae give me while he banged my nurse."

"That won't ever happen with us!"

"Us? There is no us, now get off my boat."

"I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you. We'll spend the day in Inverness. We'll go shopping, have some dinner—"

"I'm no goin' anywhere. I've a sold-out tour scheduled tae leave in forty minutes. Besides, ye cannae just bribe yer way back intae me heart, there's too much scar tissue." She pushed me toward the rail.

"Brandy, just hear me out. You're the first good thing that's happened to me in a long time, and I don't want to blow it."

"Should o' thought about that last night."

"Give me a second chance, I'll do anything."

She paused. "Anythin'?"

Uh-oh …

"Okay. Like I said, I've a full boat intae Fort Augustus. We do a good job, an' most'll book me for their return trip."

"We?"