Chapter 49
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
CALLAN
“Ithink you’re more nervous than I am.” I tugged on Beth’s hand as we approached her family’s house on Dublin Street.
Beth huffed. “I’m not. I … my family can be a lot, and I don’t know who’s all going to be here today. Don’t … don’t let them chase you off, okay?”
Guilt shifted through me. I hadn’t exactly been sunshine and roses to be around the last few days, and I hated the insecurity in my girlfriend’s voice.
Gavin had really fucked with my head, on top of Braden’s warning to keep him out of Beth’s life.
I despised that I was associated with him.
That there was even a possibility of him contaminating Beth’s life.
“Not going to happen,” I promised her.
“I feel good about it. I haven’t had a Sunday roast in ages,” Baird announced as he strolled at our side up the hill.
Beth snorted. “You can be relaxed all you want. You’re the handsome goalie come to dinner. Our relationship”—she gestured to me—“however, will be under inspection by all.”
“You think I’m handsome.” He winked at her.
“Cool it,” I warned.
“So possessive.” Baird clasped a hand to his chest, dramatically. “I’m affronted you’d even think I’d do more than casually flirt with Beth.”
“How about not flirting with my girlfriend at all?”
My mate considered that. “Sorry. She’s gorgeous. It’s in my nature to flirt with attractive women.”
“Aye? It’s in my nature to smack you in retaliation. See how handsome you are with your right eye swollen fucking shut.”
“Is it just me, or does he mean that?” Baird whispered in mock fear.
“I’m going to kill him before we even get inside,” I muttered.
Beth laughed under her breath as we walked up the steps to the front door.
Baird leaned into Beth. “Will your cousin Maia be here by any chance?”
“She’s engaged. Off-limits.”
“Not until there’s a wedding ring on her finger.”
“You saw her once at a club,” Beth huffed, but a smile teased her lips as she let us into the house. “Are you really that shallow, Baird? I don’t think so.”
“It wasn’t just because she was, like, the most stunning bird I’ve ever seen in my life—”
“Please don’t call women birds,” Beth begged with a groan.
“—there was something about her. I can’t put my finger on it.”
My girlfriend rolled her eyes. “Aye, it’s called wanting to shag someone.”
I snorted and my pal shot me a wounded look.
“It was more than that,” he insisted.
“And who do we have here?”
We jerked our gazes toward the hallway where an extremely attractive woman with Beth’s hair color, eye shape, and lips stared at us.
It had to be her mum.
“Mum.” Beth released me to hug her. Then she turned, gesturing to me. “This is my boyfriend, Callan. And his friend, Baird. This is my mum, Joss.”
Joss wore a small smile as she reached out a hand to me. “Glad to meet you, Callan. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“You too.” I was a bit stunned by how much Beth looked like her mother. My girlfriend was quite a bit taller, and they had different eye color, but there was no denying the relation. And if Beth took after her mum, she was going to age like a fine fucking wine.
“Baird McMillan, at your service.” He shook Joss’s hand with both of his, flirt kicking up his lips. “And can I say, it is very apparent where Beth gets her good looks from.”
“I wouldn’t flirt with my mum if I were you.” Beth shoved Baird playfully. “Not unless you never, ever want to work with my dad. Ever.”
Baird whacked me on the arm. “Oh look, you have something in common with Braden.”
“Oh?” Joss raised a quizzical eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“Callan here is a possessive caveman.”
I glowered at my pal.
But Joss laughed. “Maybe you and Braden will get along after all. Come on. Everyone else is already here.”
As Beth and Joss led the way, I whispered to Baird, “If you still want to be alive by the end of this dinner, remember to filter yourself.”
“I’m not that bad.” Baird gaped as we walked through the hall. “Fuck me. Beth grew up here?”
“Aye. Different world, ay?”
“You’re no’ jokin’. How the other half live.” He nudged me playfully. “Imagine what our kids could have if we get Blantyre Castle up and running.”
Kids.
How could I want a future that included kids with Beth so much, but at the same time be terrified of the thought?
Beth returned to my side, looping her arm through mine as we wandered into the massive family kitchen.
The smell of roast chicken and herbs filled my senses as the noise hit my ears. People. People everywhere. At the island. Sitting around the dining table. Standing sipping on drinks, chatting. It was like a party.
“Oh my goodness.” Beth drew to an abrupt halt. “Almost the whole bloody family is here!”
We were barely in the room fifteen minutes when Beth got pulled away and I found myself encircled by her uncles.
There were her older uncles, whom she’d introduced as Adam, Cam, Nate, and Marco, and her slightly less older uncles Cole and Logan.
Braden stood in the middle of them next to Marco, admittedly a huge bloke who looked like he could crush even Baird with his bare hands.
“So … you’re the footballer.” Adam broke the awkward and intense silence.
“Aye.” I nodded, taking a swig of the Diet Coke Beth had plonked in my hands before her aunts and cousins whipped her away.
“Did you know Cam, Nate, and Cole here are black belts in judo?” He gestured to the dark-haired gent and two of the three tall blonds in the group. One of them, Cole, I think, had a full sleeve of tattoos.
“Beth mentioned it.”
“And Marco, he’s a big guy, as you can see.”
I saw where this was going.
“True.”
“And Beth’s Uncle Logan, he’s done some time. In prison.”
I tried not to let my surprise show as the bearded blond directly on my left glared at me sullenly.
Adam blew out a breath between his lips. “Aye, between the seven of us, I’d say we’re proficient in knowing how to kill a man, bury the body, and get away with it.” He nodded at the men who all considered this and nodded back in casual agreement.
I tried not to laugh because I knew they were serious and could probably actually kill me. But I liked that Beth had this. All these people who cared enough to want to protect her.
“Duly noted.” I raised my glass to them. “There’s a Dalmarnock player I hate with a fucking passion and one day … knowing you all might prove useful.”
Marco’s lips twitched. “I like him,” he decided before wandering off to slide in beside a tall, curvy blond woman whom Beth had introduced as her aunt Hannah.
“Aye, he’ll do.” Nate clapped Braden on the shoulder and he, Cam, and Cole raised their glasses to me in turn before backing off.
Braden looked at Adam.
Adam apparently was not so easily assured. “We’ll see.”
To Baird’s disappointment, Beth’s cousin Maia was not in attendance, but he still managed to piss off Beth’s uncles by flirting outrageously with all their wives.
He also pissed off Beth’s brother’s boyfriend.
Her brother Luke’s eyes lit up at Baird’s presence.
Turned out Luke played amateur football and was a Caley United supporter.
Baird was his favorite player. And he flirted outrageously with my mate.
Even though Baird only swung one way, he was not averse to compliments. He flirted back for fun.
Afonso looked ready to commit murder, so it was a good thing when Braden approached me and Baird before dinner was about to be served and asked to talk to us in his study.
It turned out he’d been thinking on our plans and was so impressed with our proposal that he wanted to partner up with us to turn Blantyre Castle into a hotel and spa.
It wasn’t what we’d discussed, but I could tell Baird was excited at the thought.
Honestly, it would probably be stupid not to take Braden up on the offer.
Not just because we could use his financial investment, but because we could use his expertise, experience, and contacts taking on such a massive project.
If there was a question mark over my head about whether it was smart to get into business with my girlfriend’s dad, I didn’t let it show. But as we returned to eat dinner, the worry plagued me.
As I took my seat at the table, more than that gnawed at me.
It was crowded with Beth’s aunts and uncles and a few of her cousins.
There were four younger kids, and they were the noisiest. A couple of teens talked among themselves.
Beth said not all the teens were there, only the younger ones.
But her cousin Lily who ran the podcast at the uni was there with her sister January, and the girls were a stunning mix of their parents.
It shocked the fuck out of me that the Lily Beth said was shy with men was an absolute knockout.
I’d expected someone mousier, but the Lily at the table fit the voice behind the podcast better than the person Beth had built up in my mind.
They were close, she and Beth. Beth sat chatting away to her and her sister with ease, and the way the sisters looked at their cousin was akin to hero worship.
I got that. I kind of fucking hero-worshipped my girlfriend too.
Pressure built in my chest.
I’d never had this level of family before, but I’d had a family who sat around the dinner table, laughing and joking. And I knew what it was like to have it abruptly snatched away.
It seemed almost masochistic to let myself be pulled into Beth’s family (and they were doing their best to make Baird and me feel like family, despite the earlier threats from the men), knowing if I lost her, I lost all this too.
I found myself withdrawing, even though I didn’t want to, even though I knew Beth could feel it and I could sense her hurt and anxiety.
Fuck.
Just before dessert, I excused myself to use the bathroom.
I tried to get myself together. To shake off my fears. I slapped cold water on my face and towel-dried it. “Get your shit together,” I snarled at my reflection.