Chapter 17 Quinn
I’d just left Aodhan and planned to head over to the Keatons and call my contact at the kit-build company in Inverness at the same time when I heard someone shout my name.
Truthfully, I was used to not being able to walk around town without someone requiring my attention.
Being the only trustworthy builder and carpenter on the island meant my time was often in demand, so I turned toward the voice just as Murray crossed the road from the harbor, waving at me.
I halted at the grim expression on my friend’s face. The closer he got, the more I recognized the worry in his eyes.
Murray jerked his head to indicate for me to keep walking uphill toward the car park behind Main Street.
“What is it?”
“Been looking for you.” A muscle flexed in his jaw. “Eoghan McCall is back on the island.”
The words were like a fucking sledgehammer to my chest. I stumbled to a stop. “What?”
Surely I’d heard him wrong?
Murray muttered a curse under his breath. “Word is his wife died, so he’s back.”
“I was just with Aodhan. Why didn’t he tell me?”
“Maybe he doesn’t know. Eoghan got off the first ferry this morning. He’s staying with his dad in Glenbuie.”
Glenbuie was a tiny village on the south side of Glenvulin. It had one of everything because it was over an hour away from Leth Sholas. “At least he’s not staying here. That’s good.”
“It doesn’t mean he might not intend mischief toward you and Forde,” Murray warned in hushed tones.
I heeded his warning. “Fuck. This is all I need right now.”
“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.”
“Nah, thanks for telling me.” I tried to push this unwelcome information to the back of my mind. “You doing all right?” Murray’s ex-wife Jill was putting him and the company through the wringer.
He shook his head, expression grim. “Jill’s like a fucking leech I can’t rip off without doing myself fatal injury.”
“If there’s anything I can do …”
“Know any trustworthy women willing to marry me just so I can get my company back?”
I winced. “Sorry, mate. I can’t believe the marriage contract stuck. Who knows? Maybe you’ll meet someone.”
“Here?” Murray pulled on his thick beard. “There are very few single women here. Am I going to have to start using those fucking terrible apps? Christ, I don’t even want to get married again. How did I let her convince me a marriage contract was a good idea? That sob story about her mum …”
He referred to Jill explaining to him how much her dad screwed over her mum, leaving them with nothing.
She’d convinced Murray that she just wanted a contract in place for worst-case scenario.
“Because you loved her and wanted to prove to her that she could trust you. Problem is, you couldn’t trust her. ”
“I’m a fool. Who now has to date when I’d rather willingly submit to torture.”
“Aye, mate, you might have to. Date. Not the torture. Or ask Tierney if she’s got any more American friends who would marry a fisherman just to stay in the country.”
“I’m glad you find my predicament amusing.”
“Och, I don’t.” I sobered. “I really don’t, Mur. I’m sorry Jill is making things so difficult.”
He waved me off. “It’s fine. Honestly, I’ll handle whatever happens to the company. It’s Kelly who’s breaking me.”
“What’s happening with Kel?”
“Jill called me up two days ago and told me I needed to come get Kelly sooner for her summer visit with me and that I needed to keep her for three weeks, not two. I jumped on the chance, but then she texted me this morning to tell me she won’t be back until the end of summer.
Kelly is begging me to find a way so she can stay with me permanently.
She says Jill leaves her on her own at night, she’s dating all those different men, she forgets when Kelly needs something for school, and worse, she’s always on Kelly’s back.
She resents our daughter, Quinn. What kind of mother resents their daughter and only wants full custody to claim the child support? ”
Sorrow darkened his light eyes. “It’s fucking brutal knowing your kid would be safer and happier with you and you’re stuck because of a shitty legal system that favors the mother over the father.
All I can do is keep track of everything, talk to the school in Edinburgh, and take it all to my lawyer so we can eventually appeal the custody rights.
But that takes time, and in the meantime, I’m worried sick whenever my daughter is not here with me.
And she’s looking to me to fix it and—” He cut off, letting out a ragged sigh.
“Sorry, mate. I’m just ranting at you. I’m sorry. ”
My gut churned for my friend. I couldn’t imagine having such a toxic relationship with my ex that it affected my relationship with Heather and Angus.
“Don’t be sorry. I’m here anytime you need to chat or even for war counsel.
Jill is so selfish, she is going to give you everything you need to go to war and win.
” I’d never liked my friend’s wife, which was a terrible thing to admit, but she’d treated Murray like a cash machine.
We’d all suspected that her trips off island involved infidelity.
Murray cursed himself for not gathering evidence to prove it because it would have rendered their marriage contract null and void.
“Thanks.” He gave me a gruff nod. “Anyway, I better get to the butcher. I promised Kelly steak pie tonight.”
“Where is she now?”
“At her pal’s house. She misses them too.”
“Divorce is shite.”
“Aye, it is that.” He patted me on the shoulder as he moved to head back to the butcher. “See you at band practice tomorrow.”
“See you then.”
I exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of Murray’s worries on top of the news that Eoghan McCall had returned to Glenvulin.
The part of me that couldn’t deal with any more stress wanted to believe it didn’t mean anything.
But the knot in my gut told me differently.
As if I could feel the specter of the past watching me, the hair on the back of my neck prickled.
I rubbed at my nape before hurrying toward my truck.