6. Baird
CHAPTER SIX
BAIRD
For a while, they made the effort to come into the city to see us, but my gran had a bad fall last winter and wasn’t able to travel as much.
Ainsley and I were driving home for Friday night dinner with them. I couldn’t do the weekend because I had a game, and I needed to tell them about my plans with Maia.
I still couldn’t believe she’d agreed to marry me.
“It’s weird,” Ainsley murmured as I drove along a street we used to ride our bikes on.
The hill below it led down to a huge park near the primary and high schools we’d attended.
The houses here were a mix of council and owned, pre-war and midcentury.
I didn’t remember the parking being so bad, but now I had to slow right down to get my vehicle through the parked cars.
“What’s weird?” I asked as I indicated to turn up the hill and onto the street my grandparents’ house was on.
Our mum had moved us in with Gran and Granddad after our dad bolted.
We didn’t remember him. All we knew was his name (Andrew Mancini) and that he was Scottish Italian.
Mum didn’t like talking about him, and I refused to be curious about the arsehole who fucking abandoned us.
Ainsley was a wee bit more interested than me, but I told her to leave me out of it if she ever decided to go searching.
As far as I was concerned, Granddad was the only father figure I’d ever needed.
“What’s weird?” I repeated as I pulled up to the house. My grandfather had been smart and years ago had the curb dropped so he could turn the front garden into a driveway. It was tight maneuvering, but I managed to reverse the BMW in.
“Everything is so familiar, but it feels like we lived here in another life.”
I switched off the engine. “Aye. That’s a good way to describe it.”
“I wish we could talk them into moving closer to us.”
“I know. I suppose it wouldn’t be fair. They’ve lived here their whole lives.”
My sister sighed. “Aye, I suppose.”
It was tight getting out because we were parked right up against Mum’s car but I managed. It was easier for my tiny big sister.
Ainsley eyed me as we walked up the steps to the front door. “Are you going to tell me why you’re acting shifty?”
“Shifty? When the fuck have I ever been shifty?” I asked this just as Mum opened the door.
Mum was blond and blue-eyed. Unfortunately, both me and Ainsley got our coloring from our dad.
Both dark-haired and brown-eyed. Thankfully, I’d gotten my height from my mum’s side of the family who were Scandinavian.
Ainsley got her height from Granddad’s side.
It annoyed her to no end that she was a foot shorter than me while Mum and Gran were five foot nine.
“Less of the swearing,” Mum said, pulling me into a hug. I gave her a tight squeeze. I’d missed the hell out of her.
“How are you, Mum?” I asked as I released her.
“Wondering why your sister is calling you shifty.” She hugged Ainsley and murmured in her hair, “What’s he up to now?”
“Nothing.” I grunted and walked inside, kicking off my trainers because Gran had never allowed us into the house without taking off our shoes first.
It was an end-of-terrace 1930s home. A small central hallway branched off into the downstairs loo, kitchen, and living room.
The stairs were next to the front door and led up to three bedrooms. Upstairs had been tight living quarters and as I got older, Mum ended up sharing with Ainsley.
There was no doubt in my mind Ainsley took off for Edinburgh Uni to study art history just so she could get some space.
Now I studied those stairs, worrying about Gran having to climb up and down them.
Mum caught my expression. “I know.” She squeezed my shoulder. “I’ve tried talking to them about making a move.”
“I could source a nice bungalow somewhere nearby if it’s the location that’s an issue.”
Ainsley kicked off her shoes. “Maybe we can talk to them today.”
“We’re not deaf, you know,” Granddad called from the living room. “We can hear you plotting our lives out there.”
I grinned, a feeling of home hitting me right in the chest at the sound of his voice.
Striding into the living room, I found Gran in her armchair at the large bay window and Granddad in his by the fire.
He got up to greet me, and I tried not to notice how much stiffer and slower he was.
I couldn’t imagine life without these two, and I didn’t like to think of them as elderly. But they were.
“Granddad.” I hugged him, patting him gently on the back.
“Nice to see you, son.” He gave me a solid pat and a crooked grin. “You finally cut that bloody hair. Looks good. Though you could still take it a bit shorter.”
I chuckled because he’d been good-naturedly taking the piss out of my hair for years. Ainsley had greeted Gran first, so we swapped. I leaned down to kiss Gran’s cheek, noting how soft but thin it felt against my lips.
As I pulled back, I studied how deeply lined her face had grown in the last year. How puffy and dark the circles under her eyes were. She’d aged since the fall. “Beautiful as ever, Granny.”
“Och, away with you.” She gestured impatiently to the couch. “Sit down, sit down. Catch me up on your news. Tell me about the haircut.”
And as I settled onto the couch, I realized Ainsley was right. Being back in Falkirk with my grandparents felt like reliving memories of a past life. It made me sad. And I decided I might try to talk them into moving to Edinburgh to be closer to us.
“So, are you going to tell me what’s on your mind?” Mum asked, closing the kitchen door behind her.
Ainsley and I were doing the dishes after dinner because they didn’t have a dishwasher.
“You noticed the shiftiness too, did you?” Ainsley teased.
“Aye, I did.” Mum took a seat at the small breakfast nook. “Mum and Dad are watching their soap, so we have some privacy. Talk to me, Baird. I know when something is bothering you.”
The thought of explaining my plan filled me with nerves. “Aye, I do have something to tell you.” I turned from the sink, crossing my arms over my chest. “Ains, can you sit for a minute too?”
“Now I’m worried. You sound very serious.” She dropped the dish towel and sat on the chair opposite Mum, bringing her knees up to her chest.
“It’s nothing bad.” I tried to alleviate the worry wrinkling my sister’s brow. “At least I don’t think so.”
Mum pinched her lips together but gestured for me to continue.
I quickly but quietly relayed my and Maia’s plan.
Ainsley and Mum exchanged incredulous looks throughout and stared at each other once I’d finished talking, as if silently communicating.
Finally, Ainsley turned to me. “I think it’s a bad idea to fake-marry a woman you have feelings for.”
Both Mum and Ains knew I was head over heels for Maia because, along with Callan and John, they were my confidantes. I hadn’t told Callan the extent of my feelings because Beth was Maia’s cousin and I didn’t want him to have a secret from Beth. John knew, though.
“Or a genius idea. Gives me time to win her over.” I grinned. “And I have every confidence I can do it.”
“She’d be a fool not to fall for you, son,” Mum opined loyally.
“Maybe,” Ains huffed. “But she’s also just gotten out of a very serious relationship. I doubt Maia wants to jump into anything serious with Baird.”
Irritated, I scowled at my sister. “Why are you pissing in my Cheerios?”
“Baird,” Mum muttered, wrinkling her nose in disgust.
My sister pinned me with her bold stare. “Because I love you and I don’t want you to get your heart broken. Plus, you do realize the tabloids will be all over this.”
“That’s the point. Cleaning up my image. Baird McMillan, family man.”
“Family man?” Mum squeaked. “Is there something else I should know?”
I winked at her. “Not yet, anyway.”
Ainsley made a sound like she was going to be sick.
“Okay, I want grandbabies, but twenty-six is too young.”
“Maia is thirty. We can’t leave it too much longer.” I was only half joking.
“She’s older than your sister?”
“Four years is nothing.”
“I don’t know. Maia’s a pretty mature thirty-year-old.” Ainsley studied me, mischief dancing in her eyes. “Maybe you’re not grown up enough for her.”
I pushed off the counter, gesturing to myself. “I am mature. I am fucking Bitto Storico.”
“Language.” That was Mum.
“Sorry. I am bloody Bitto Storico.”
“I give up,” Mum murmured.
Ainsley screwed up her face. “What is Bitto Storico?”
Mum already had her phone out googling it, and she let out a bark of laughter and held the screen up for Ains.
Ainsley read it out loud. “It’s the world’s most mature cheese.” She shook her head while Mum giggled to herself. “One—how do you know these things? And two, cheese? You choose cheese for your analogy? Really?”
“Why not? It’s delicious. As am I.”
“Okay, okay.” Mum stopped laughing and gave me her authoritative face. “If you can’t have a serious discussion about a serious thing you’re about to undertake, do we really think you should be doing it?”
“Och, you know I’m being serious. I’ll prove how serious I’m being.
” I licked my suddenly dry lips. “You said I could have Aunt Sigrid’s ring when the time came.
” I referred to my aunt Sigrid from our Norwegian side of the family.
They stayed in touch with us via Gran, and we’d even visited their home just outside Oslo when we were kids.
And they’d come to visit us. Aunt Sigrid was one of Gran’s four siblings.
She had no children of her own and she’d died a year after her husband.
She’d split her small estate between her nieces and nephews.
Mum was her favorite, and she’d left her engagement ring to her.
Mum had then promised me that I could give it to the lassie I chose to spend the rest of my life with.
I didn’t know much about jewelry, but I knew that ring was cool as fuck and way better suited to Maia than the monstrosity Will the Prick had given her.
“She has violet eyes,” I metaphorically pulled the ace out of my sleeve. “It’s meant to be.”
“Oh my God.” Ainsley gaped at me. “So she does.”
“Really?” Mum pressed her fingers to her lips, eyes wide.
Because Aunt Sigrid’s engagement ring was a sapphire almost the exact color as Maia’s eyes.
The kitchen fell silent for a few seconds. Then Mum grimaced. “I think I’m more worried than ever. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
I shrugged, unable to do my cocky “nothing ever bothers me” act with my mum and Ains. “I think she’s worth the risk.”
Mum shot up from the chair and I’d barely got over the surprise of the sudden movement before I was pulled into her embrace. “I hope it all works out the way you want, son.” She leaned back to clasp my face in her palms. “I’ll go get the ring. And I’ll want to meet Maia. Very, very soon.”
I nodded, a lump forming in my throat at the bright tears glistening in my mum’s eyes.
It hit me that if I didn’t convince Maia to give me a real chance, I’d be breaking more than my own heart.
Mum quietly left the kitchen to get the ring.
I turned to Ainsley.
“I’ll break her face if she hurts you,” she announced, tilting her chin up, dark eyes flashing with protectiveness.
I contemplated my big sister. “Appreciate that, Ains. But I’d appreciate it even more if you’d give Maia a chance.”
“I don’t know Maia well enough to not like her. Do I think she’s a bit aloof? Yes. You clearly see another side to her, so I’m inclined to like her because of how much you like her. But that doesn’t mean I won’t break that gorgeous face of hers if she hurts you.”
“One, Maia isn’t aloof. Far from it and you’ll find that out. Two, you know I won’t let you near her gorgeous fucking face, even if she hurts me.”
My sister’s expression softened. “She better deserve you, B.”
“I hope we deserve each other.” I shrugged. “She’s … Maia … she’s the one, Ains.”
Ainsley couldn’t wipe the concern off her face as she nodded slowly. And again, I hoped like fuck I would prove myself right.