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An hour beforein the other guest bed in my brothers’ old room and went downstairs to have my first coffee of the day As soon as I walked down the last few stairs, I knew h from the kitchen My dad had always been particular about switching off lights as we hts were off at night

When I walked into the kitchen, he was sitting at the table, reading a newspaper with his hand tight around a coffee

“Couldn’t sleep?”

Dad gave et up soon My body clock woke me up”

“Thank you again for driving us to Logan You knoe could have called a cab” I puttered around the kitchen,soht yesterday He’d been buying it from the British import section in the supermarket ever since I sent hio Over the years, as business had gotten better, I’d been able to afford vacations I usually took one a year, either just before or after the suether, but being alone for so long hadby myself, and I’d been to some wonderful places I’d fallen in love with Scotland And shortbread

Now I knew Dad had too We already had cookies like shortbread in Massachusetts but nothing as good as the imported stuff I munched on as I waited for the coffeemaker to beep

“I want to take you to the airport”

“Have you got work tonight?”

“You know I do” He leaned back in his chair “Who’s picking you up from Philadelphia?”

Our flight was a little over an hour between Boston and Philadelphia There were no coton, but Philadelphia was pretty c

lose to Wil at an almost two-hour drive to Hartwell from the airport

“Vaughn”

Dad nodded “He a good guy? Does he deserve Bailey?”

I smiled, pleased that my whole fauy deserves sohn is usually taciturn, sarcastic, and aloof, but as soon as she walks into the roo and affectionate, and he looks at her like he’s afraid she’ll disappear Moreover, he wouldn’t drive two hours there and back for just anyone”

Grinning, Dad nodded “I’irl”