Chapter 26
Twenty-Six
CALLIE
M ost mornings Callie’s Wee Cakery was open, there was already a queue at the front door, waiting for us to unlock it. I’d spotted Aisla Rankin at the head of that queue, and I somehow knew right away why she’d made the effort this morning.
I shot Mum a concerned look. “I only told Lewis two days ago. Surely, not everyone knows?”
“Who did Lewis tell, other than his family?” Mum and Regan had been calling each other constantly since the news broke. And we were all set to have a family dinner next weekend. I was a bit nervous of that because I was still so early in the pregnancy. In a perfect world, I wouldn’t have told anyone until much later, but the cat was out of the bag, so to speak.
“No one else, as far as I’m aware. Not even the rest of the Adairs.” Lewis had phoned Eilidh yesterday to relay the news, and I knew he’d sworn her to secrecy. She then video called me to squeal hysterically in excitement before dissolving into blubbering sobs about how we were finally going to be real sisters, and she couldn’t wait to be an aunty. I didn’t want to tell her she was jumping the gun a bit with the sister stuff because … well, I didn ’t want to voice that, even if maybe it was technically true.
“Morwenna?”
I nodded. Once Eilidh calmed down, she also told me Lewis mentioned that Morwenna had been feeling neglected by her older siblings and confessed as much when Lewis told her about the pregnancy. “I’ve got a few days before I ship out to Romania, so I’m stopping off at Ardnoch to see you and to check in with my baby sister,” Eilidh said, guilt etched on her expression. “I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.”
I was so looking forward to my friend’s visit home.
The thought that everyone somehow knew about my pregnancy and Aisla Rankin was here to insult me made me want to run and hide in the kitchen. But I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing my anxiety. “Mor wouldn’t have said anything.”
Mum shrugged. “She’s a kid. She maybe told a friend without thinking. Maybe even Harry did.”
“No, we swore him to secrecy.” But we hadn’t sworn Mor to secrecy.
“Don’t worry.” Mum squeezed my shoulders. “I’ll ban her for good if she starts any nonsense.”
“Are we missing something?” Angie asked as she and Cathy exchanged a look.
“Nothing.” Mum covered for me. “Let’s open the doors.”
And I knew the moment that door swung open that Aisla Rankin knew .
She had her nose in the air, sneering down at me as she approached the counter.
My stomach churned. I’d had no sickness this morning, and I’d resent Mrs. Rankin for more reasons than one if she provoked it to make a return. “Good morning, Mrs. Rankin,” I choked out. “What can I get for you?” I made no comment about how last time we’d seen each other, she’d announced she was never setting foot in our establishment again.
“Well, the truth might be nice.”
I felt Mum pass off a customer to Angie and move to my side.
“May we help you?” Mum’s tone held a warning.
Mrs. Rankin raised her voice. “It has been brought to my attention that your promiscuous daughter has seduced Lewis Adair and trapped him with a pregnancy.”
Oh my God, she did not just say that.
Everyone in the bakery went utterly silent.
“Get out,” Mum seethed.
“I assure you I have no wish to be here, but it is encumbered upon me as an upstanding member of this village and a woman of good morals to warn my neighbors against spending their hard-earned money in an establishment run by a girl who would allow multiple men to use her body and then trap one with a pregnancy. Who’s to say it’s even Lewis’s and here you are … you’ve ruined that boy’s future and forced him back to Ardnoch. I see it as my job to make sure everyone knows who you are, so they can be more particular with their money and where they choose to spend it.”
I knew it.
I knew vile people like Aisla Rankin would spread the rumor that I’d deliberately gotten pregnant to trap Lewis. I’d never considered they’d question whether he was the father!
“How dare you, you vicious hag.” Mum’s voice rose to meet Mrs. Rankin’s. “You tried to pull this crap when I first opened my bakery, your daughter tries to pull this crap on anyone she takes a dislike to, and now you’re both trying to do it to my daughter. Well, not this time! Not with my kid.”
“Well, it is clear where she’s learned her sins from!”
“Don’t you dare!” I yelled. She could talk shit about me all she wanted, but she would not say a word against my mother .
My mum pressed a soothing hand to my arm before rounding the counter to face Mrs. Rankin. “I know you like to think that you have some authority in this village, but the truth is, everyone thinks you’re a bitter woman with nothing better to do than sit on your sanctimonious throne of thorns, judging everybody else. So you can spread your little rumors all you want, Mrs. Rankin, because the people in this village who know better, know I have one of the best kids in the world and she’s going to make a great mom … and they also know that Lewis Adair has loved my daughter since he was a kid, and he’d be the first one to boot you out on your ass for talking to her like that. Since he’s not here, that’s gonna be my job.” She leaned into Mrs. Rankin, who gaped comically. “That’s your cue to get the hell out of my bakery and keep my daughter’s name out of your mouth!”
And proving that bullies are just cowards, Mrs. Rankin bolted from the bakery as if the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels.
I gawked at my mum in utter hero worship until clapping broke through my stupor, and I glanced over to find Flora from the café clapping like she’d watched the best show ever. The rest of our customers burst into applause too, some whistling, others laughing, and Mum’s cheeks bloomed a rosy-red as she groaned abashedly.
Chuckling, I rounded the counter and threw my arms around my mum. “You are my hero.”
“No one talks to my kid like that.”
When we pulled apart, it was to find Flora at our side. She beamed in delight. “Let me be the first to say congratulations.”
Now I was blushing. “Thanks.”
“You and Lewis have always made a beautiful couple. I’m very happy for you.”
The cat was well and truly out of the bag.
For the rest of the morning, I was congratulated by villagers who stopped by , and I knew that outside our door the whole place must be buzzing, not only about my pregnancy, but about Mum booting Aisla Rankin from the premises in spectacular fashion.
Sure enough, at noon, as we were nearing the end of today’s inventory, Dad strode in with my little brother. The estate was super flexible with his schedule and allowed him to take the mornings Mum and I were working off so he could be at home for Harry during the summer holidays. He usually dropped Harry off at a friend’s house in the afternoons or here at the bakery.
Dad strode through the store, filling up the space with his large presence as he always did. He rounded the counter, Harry trailing at his back. He cupped my nape and bent his head to search my face. “You okay?” and I knew by his concern that he’d heard.
I nodded in reassurance.
Dad gave my nape a squeeze and released me. I watched him as he strode past me to where Mum stood.
“Hullo, what are—” Her words were cut off as Dad swept an arm around her waist and pulled her up onto her toes into a passionate kiss.
Grinning, I looked away as Mum wound her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
I could tell by the disgusted look on Harry’s face the kiss lasted a while.
Then I heard Mum ask breathlessly, “What was that for?”
“Mamma bear” was Dad’s succinct reply.
The news that Dad found Mum’s fighting spirit hot disturbed Harry. He grimaced at me. “Gross.”
“How do you think you’re here?” I teased. “Some girl was bullying me at school, Mum got in her mum’s face, Dad witnessed it, and bam, suddenly, she’s pregnant with you.”
Harry looked sick. “That’s not true, is it? ”
I laughed. It wasn’t, but I was taking too much pleasure in his disgust.
My wee brother rolled his eyes. Then he considered me. “You okay? Obviously, we heard. Mrs. Rankin is an auld witch.”
“You missed Mum verbally drop-kicking her, though. It was worth it for that.”
We shared a grin, and I wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Want a yumnut?”
“What’s a yumnut?”
“A doughnut yum-yum. I made them this morning and kept a few aside for you and Dad.”
“What’s this?” Dad’s ears perked up as he turned from murmuring in quiet conversation with Mum.
I laughed because Mum always said she was pretty sure she won Dad through his sweet tooth. He always said he had to double his daily workouts to burn off all the baked goods she’d tempted him with.
As Angie and Cathy promised to watch the front, I huddled in the kitchen with my family, eating yumnuts and laughing, the ugly confrontation from earlier completely forgotten.
It was a shame, then, when my mobile phone rang in my purse. Seeing an unknown number flash on the screen, I thought about not answering because it was most likely spam.
Yet for some reason, I answered. Stupidly.
“Good morning, may I speak with a Ms. Callie Ironside?” a woman with an American accent asked.
“Uh, speaking.”
“Ms. Ironside, my name is Eva Holland. I’m your father Nathan Andros’s attorney.”
I froze, my heart rate suddenly escalating. “What do you want?”
Hearing my tone, Dad hushed my mum and Harry, scowling in concern at m e.
“Ms. Ironside, your father?—”
“Don’t call him that,” I cut her off.
“All right.” She sighed heavily, as if I was inconveniencing her. “Mr. Andros is eligible for parole. His parole hearing is in a few weeks. Were you aware?”
“No.” I suddenly felt cold. The thought of my birth father out in the world …
“He’s demonstrated remorse and is determined to show the parole board he has been rehabilitated. He does feel, however, that he cannot truly demonstrate that without a possibility of reconciliation with his only daughter.”
Oh, this really had been the day from hell. “Are you kidding me? How did you get my number?”
“Ms. Ironside?—”
“How can my scumbag of a birth father afford an attorney? You’re not a public defender, right?”
“No—”
“In other words, dear old psychopath Nathan has made some connections in the clink and was hooked up with an attorney. Aye, that sounds legit rehabilitated to me?—”
“Ms. Iron?—”
“You tell Nathan I hope he rots in prison forever and as soon as I get off the phone, I’m going to make it my mission to ensure that board denies him parole. Oh, and fuck you, thank you very much.” I hung up the phone and immediately blocked the number.
Mum’s cheeks had lost all color. “Nathan’s up for parole?”
I glowered, my heart pumping wildly. “Something I think we should have known about, no?”
Mum turned to Dad. “I need to call my lawyer.”
Dad nodded. “What did his attorney want? ”
“Nathan asked her to reach out,” I sneered. “So he could reconcile with me.”
“Over my dead body,” Dad warned.
“And mine,” I assured him.
Mum rushed to my side. “I will take care of this. I don’t want you thinking about it ever again. It’s too much stress on the pregnancy.”
Knowing she was right, I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath.
“Just forget about it,” Mum insisted. “I’ll take care of it.”
When I opened my eyes and stared into hers, I knew she would. I trusted her implicitly. After all, she’d saved us from Nathan before.
I nodded and drew her into my arms, more thankful for her than I could ever put into words.