Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 121460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
Which would be a crazy discount. I flushed at her generosity and the fact that I required it. Pride made me shake my head. “I appreciate that, but I’m fine, really.”
She opened her mouth as if to argue, so I hurried to ask, “May I hold Skye?”
A minute later, I had a warm, sweet-smelling baby in my arms. “How old is she now?” I asked as she made little baby sounds and blew raspberries at me.
“Six weeks, nearly seven. I don’t know where the time has gone.” Arro stared adoringly at her daughter. “Other than waking up through the night, she’s so good. So chilled out.”
“She must get that from you.” I always remembered Arro being laid back.
“And Mac. He doesn’t look it, but he’s very chill.”
“Are you happy?” I blurted out.
Arro met my gaze and answered sincerely, “I wish everyone could have what I have. The world would be better for it.”
Emotion stung my eyes. “I’m glad for you, Arro.”
Concern wrinkled her brow. “Are you happy, Roe?”
I knew what she was thinking. She was one of the few people who’d known my simple dreams of the future. Teaching, marriage, babies.
At least I had one of those.
“I will be,” I answered, hoping it was true.
BRODAN
* * *
Never google yourself. Rule number one.
I broke the rule.
Now, as you’d imagine, what I found pissed me off.
Not at the rumors swirling about my whereabouts, my retirement, “the end of Brodan Adair” as we know it, but at some lying scummy social media influencer called Harriet Blume. She had five million followers, and while I wasn’t the focus of all her gossip and lies, she certainly seemed taken with me. She’d wracked up millions of views on a video of me with a pregnant Robyn that she’d taken while in Ardnoch. Blume had insinuated nothing. She’d let the video do the work.
People thought I’d gone home because I’d gotten someone pregnant. Thankfully, folk who paid attention had rushed to the comments to fact-check and tell others that Robyn was my sister-in-law. But it was obvious the brat had posted this for views.
I tried not to let it get to me.
Blume was no longer in Ardnoch. She could post nonsense about me and other celebrities, and it should not bother me one whit.
A text message dropped onto the screen, so I tapped out of the platform, vowing to delete the apps, and opened the message.
It was from Rachel Wilde, an actor I’d made my first big movie with. We’d slept together during the making of the movie and whenever she wasn’t in a relationship. According to rumor, she’d just broken off her engagement to some nephew of a billionaire businessman.
Apparently, it was true.
In Paris in December for a week. Could use some company.
I would quite like to get laid sometime soon with no complicated strings.
To my indignation, an image of Roe’s face flashed across my mind.
Strings? She was a fucking museum of strings.
Before I could answer, a knock sounded on my door. Perhaps it was housekeeping. “Come in.”
To my surprise, my sister strolled in, her cheeks flushed with the November chill. And she was alone.
I frowned as I stood. “Where’s my gorgeous wee niece?”
“Downstairs with her dad. I just thought I’d pop up and see you before we leave.” Arro looked around my suite, a frown furrowing her brow. “I wish you’d move out of here and in with one of us.”
“This is still home to me, Arro.” I sat on the edge of the bed. “It might be filled with strangers, but this is where we grew up.”
Sighing heavily, Arro sat in a chair across from me. “Speaking of … I bumped into Monroe in Golspie today. We had coffee.”
My pulse picked up. “And?”
Arro studied me carefully. “I didn’t get a lot out of her. It’s hard to catch up on eighteen years over coffee with a baby in hand, but I saw enough.”
Curiosity pricked at me. “I’m not interested.”
“Aren’t you doing the school musical with her?”
I shrugged. “We’re not really interacting.”
Concern filled my sister’s eyes. “She didn’t say it, but she’s not happy, Brodan. I’m worried about her.”
“You speak to her for all of five minutes, and you’ve deduced that much?”
Arro scowled. “We talked for an hour, and she was very good at being vague about her life and her feelings. Something you two have in common.”
“Arro,” I warned.
“Don’t you care? She used to be your best friend in the entire world.”
“Christ.” I pushed off the bed, walking away from her toward the window. “You sound like Arran.”
“Well?”
“Well what?” I spun on her. “Arro, I don’t know that woman anymore. She’s nothing to do with me, and I wish my family would stop trying to make it into something it’s not. I couldn’t care less about her. She’s a stranger to me now.”
My sister stood up, glaring at me. “I’m going to pursue a friendship with her.”