Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91373 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
For the last few years, I’d watched the Adair family women from afar. How other women in the village envied them for their handsome husbands, some of whom were famous. I didn’t envy them for that. Well, not really. I envied what looked to be a tight-knit friendship circle. If I didn’t see Arro Adair out and about with Eredine Adair or Regan and Robyn Adair together, I saw Monroe and Sloane, or a mix of the pairings. Sometimes they were all together. And they looked so close. I wondered what it would be like to have close female relationships. But I’d been too scared to try. Too scared to trust.
Because of my mum.
I was done being afraid.
I wanted to be brave.
Smiling, I nodded. “I would love that.”
Monroe and Sloane thanked me excitedly and then Monroe got up to grab their drinks and bring them to my table. I asked after their kids. Callie was in school, and Brodan had Lennox for the morning. Monroe had been a teacher at Ardnoch Primary but had decided to become a stay-at-home mum until it was time for Nox to attend school. “We’ll see if I last that long, though,” she grumbled. “I do miss class.”
“Can you imagine teaching all those young kids and coming home to be a mom?” Sloane mused. “It must be so exhausting.”
“Which is what Brodan reminds me every time I get broody for my class.”
“And how is Callie coping with the Scottish school system?” I asked. I couldn’t imagine moving to an entirely different country, even if they did technically speak the same language.
“She loves it. She’s best friends with Lewis.”
“Adair?”
“Yeah.”
Lewis was Thane Adair’s son with his first wife, who died not long after giving birth to their daughter Eilidh. Thane was now married to Regan, Lachlan’s wife Robyn’s younger sister. She’d been his nanny, and it had been quite a scandal at the time.
“You know Regan had her baby,” Monroe offered as if she’d read my mind.
I gaped. “No, Jared didn’t say.”
Monroe grinned. “A wee girl. Morwenna Adair. Our clan is growing rapidly.”
“It’s lovely,” I said quietly. “Please give them my congratulations. Family … family is everything.”
Sloane suddenly reached across the table to cover my hand with hers. “How are you doing?”
Knowing what she asked, I swallowed the grief that welled up at the slightest thing these days. “Christmas … our first Christmas without Grandpa is hard. Sometimes it doesn’t feel real that eight months have passed since we lost him, and then other times it feels forever ago. But we’re okay.”
“You know, you’re welcome, both you and Jared, to spend Christmas with us,” Monroe offered. “We’re having a big Christmas at Lachlan’s, and we’d love to have you.”
Sloane nodded her agreement and I melted at their kindness. These women didn’t know me that well and so I was blown away by their invitation.
“She’ll be spending her Christmas with me and her cousin, but thank you, ladies.” Theo’s voice cut between us, and I glanced up in shock to find him standing there.
How had I not even noticed him come in?
My companions gaped up at him in surprise too, and I could only imagine their expressions as Theo bent to brush a kiss against the corner of my mouth. He settled into the empty seat next to me, his legs so long, his knees knocked into mine. Arm casually sliding across the back of my chair, he grinned at Sloane and Monroe. “But we’ll probably see you at the Ardnoch Christmas party.”
What? I frowned at him. He turned to look at me, his expression softening. “Party?”
“Yes. I want you to be my plus-one.”
At the Ardnoch Christmas party?
“So you two …” We turned toward Sloane as she gestured between us, expression unreadable. “Are you together?”
“I don’t believe we’ve met,” Monroe interrupted before we could answer. “I’m Monroe Adair.”
“I know who you are. The tabloids wouldn’t leave you and your husband alone for a while there.” He held out his hand to shake hers. “I’m Theo Cavendish.”
Monroe shook his hand. “Are you a club member?”
“Yes. I’m a screenwriter and director.”
“Oh. Anything I’d recognize?”
Theo leaned into me, his expression tightening for a second. “This and that.”
Sympathy sliced through me. Only a day ago he would have proudly announced King’s Valley. You’d had to have been living under a rock not to have heard of the show. Now, it was tainted by some sick psycho.
“Will you be at the party?” I changed the subject, mind still reeling at the idea of me attending an estate party as a guest after years of housekeeping there.
“Not this year.” Monroe went with the subject change, though she kept glancing curiously at Theo. “But, of course, Lachlan will be there.”
“So, Theo.” Sloane eyed him suspiciously. “You met Sarah at the estate?”
“Yes.”
My lips twitched at his bland response. “We’re working on a project together.”