49. Chapter 49
Chapter 49
The Lads
Lachlan and Drew headed to one of their old favourite pubs near town, The Coo’s House. It was a larger pub out in the country. It was rustic casual, like a good ol’ family barn party, but it had a certain urban trendiness that was more typical of the gastro pubs in Glasgow.
When the pair walked in the door, their friend Kian hollered out, “Nooo, it cannae be! Tell me I’m not seein’ things!”
“Ye better open the good stuff, Kian. We’ve got some celebrating to do!” Drew hollered back.
Lachlan and Drew spent the rest of the afternoon catching up and reminiscing over good memories and laughing over some of the bad ones. It was like the wall that had been built up over the last few years came crumbling down. As soon as the one piece of brick fell loose, the rest easily tumbled down. It was so good to reconnect with Drew. Lachlan had forgotten how good it was to talk with his brother and to share a good dram. He’d missed him more than he’d realized. When Helena died, it was like Lachlan and Drew's relationship died, too.
It sounded as if Drew had really turned his life around. He had quit doing drugs and quit hanging around with the crowd that had helped him in his downward spiral. Drew had come back wanting to start back up with the band he'd once played in. The day he’d arrived home, he’d run into the old crowd at Craggy’s—and things instantly went awry. He told Lachlan how much he'd regretted the way he’d acted that day.
That wasn’t the life he wanted. He didn’t want to be that guy anymore. He wasn’t that guy anymore. The way he treated Lachlan and his friend that day felt all wrong. He was showing off for the old crowd. Even as he spat crude words, he'd already felt the regret and almost welcomed the punch Lachlan threw. He didn’t want it that way. It didn’t feel right. It wasn’t right.
Lachlan listened to his brother intently and felt so much relief. He apologized for that day, too.
Drew laughed. “Dinnae apologize. I ken I deserved that punch.”
“Aye, ye did, ye numpty.”
The two men laughed and clanked their glasses before taking a slug.
"I was impressed ye actually hit me, though. I didnae think ye had it in ye."
Lachlan knew exactly the reason he'd let it fly with his brother that day, and her name was Violet Munro. Even then, he'd have done anything to protect her, even from his own brother. Lachlan looked at his phone. Six p.m. already. He should text Violet. He really wanted to talk to her. There was so much to say, and he’d promised her dinner.
“So who was the lovely lass anyway?” Drew asked, waving to their friend Kian to bring another round.
Lachlan smiled, just thinking about her.
"What lovely lass?" Alex strode up.
"Alex, where the hell did ye come from?" Drew stole the words from Lachlan's mouth.
"Och, I ken I'd find ye two here huvin' a dram. Looks like I need to catch up," he said, gesturing to the empty glasses on the bar top in front of them.
"Oi, Kian," Alex called to him over the bar, where he stood with a bottle in each hand, pouring whisky into a row of a dozen or more glasses. He finished his pour, bringing four full glasses over.
"Wonders never cease. I huvnae seen the Mackenzie clan here in years. Welcome back, lads," he said, raising a glass with a wide grin spread over his face.
After sharing a dram with Kian, Alex turned back to Lachlan. "So who's the lovely lass, then? Tell me ye arnae talkin’ about that MacDonald woman—the one has always wanted to get her nasty claws into ye.”
Lachlan wondered how he’d been so blind to Anna when his family obviously couldn’t stand her. How had he not seen it sooner? His mam was the only one who had encouraged the relationship, but thinking on it, he realized his mam never actually knew Anna, only her family.
“Fuck no. He dumped her arse and then gave her a right telling off at his gala event. It was brilliant,” Drew quipped.
Lachlan didn’t relish having to do that, but there was no way in hell he’d let her speak badly about Violet and get away with it.
“Aye?” Alex raised a brow to Lachlan as though he couldn’t quite believe it.
“He was defending the ‘ lovely’ lass,” Drew explained.
Alex was still looking at him in disbelief. He knew what he was thinking. Lachlan was always the gentleman, the diplomat. He didn’t ruffle feathers. Which was true, but at the same time, he’d fucking tear the devil a new one to defend his woman.
“Aye,” Lachlan said, taking a hearty sip of his whisky.
Realizing Lachlan wasn’t going to say any more about it, Alex asked again, “So who is the ‘lovely’ lass then?” He looked between the two men.
"Och, she's a bonnie one," Drew said as if he were an authority.
And Lachlan gave him a warning look.
Alex laughed. "Lachlan, ye look like ye might like to kill the lad. What gives?" He slapped Lachlan on the back.
For the first time in his life, he actually understood his brothers and their love of the lasses, although there was only one lass that he loved. Love. He was caught off guard by his own thoughts.
"I think she must be someone special, aye?" Drew said more seriously.
“Aye, she is. Verra special.”
“Sounds serious.” Alex eyed him. Lachlan rolled the whisky in his glass and took a sip. The concept of being in love was taking up residence in his mind.
“Aye.” He felt his lips tug in an almost smile while both his brothers stared at him as if they'd seen a ghost.
A wide grin cracked on Drew’s face. "I ken it. I ken it that day! I've never seen ye so fired up about a lass. For the record, I am truly sorry for what I said that day. I ken I was an absolute shite.”
"What did ye say?" Alex asked, brow arched. He nodded to Kian to bring them another round.
Lachlan interjected before Drew said something that would make Lachlan have to deck him again. "He was a crude arsehole, and I punched him fer it."
Alex's eyes widened as his glass paused midway to his mouth. “Aye?” he asked as though he’d never heard anything more outlandish in his thirty years on this earth.
"Aye, I was," Drew admitted. "And he did.”
"Well, the crude arsehole part doesnae surprise me, but ye punched him, Lachlan?" There was also a twinkle of pride in his eyes when he looked at his twin.
"He did. It was a good one too—knocked me out." Drew boasted, proudly.
“Impressive, Saint." Alex grinned, slapping him on the back—apparently proud of him too. "She must really be something."
"Christ, ye two," Lachlan snapped. "Ye ken I'm no' really a bloody saint."
“She is so bonnie, though,” Drew added as if it needed to be said.
Lachlan glared at him and then took another sip of his whisky. “Aye, she is verra beautiful. Fucking perfect if ye really must ken. And ye both better keep yer traps shut if ye ken what’s good fer ye.”
His brothers stared at him as if he'd grown highland cow horns.
"Right, well, I am glad that ye arenae dating the MacDonald woman anymore. Am I allowed to say that?” Drew ribbed him.
"Aye, I agree. I never liked that one," Alex said, scanning the bar that had suddenly become crowded. Not a surprise on a Saturday night. Lachlan only nodded. He still wondered how he'd been so blind as to date Anna at all.
"I'm proud of ye, too, for telling her where to shove her damn money," Drew added knocking back the rest of his whisky.
"And just how do you ken about that anyway?” Lachlan shot him a look.
"Rolo told me. At the gala.”
"Ye were at the gala?" Lachlan eyed Drew, who'd gotten distracted by a group of lasses at a nearby table.
"Aye, I only popped in briefly. I wanted to find a date for the night." He winked. "Speaking of which, I'll be right back." He stood and swaggered over to the table of lasses—the master of flirting.
"Same old Drew," Alex echoed Lachlan's thoughts.
Always the flirt. Lasses on the brain non-stop. Although he did seem different. He'd grown up a lot. That chip on his shoulder was no longer there.
"So it would seem. But I confess, I like him better now. He’s not that angry kid anymore.”
“Aye, thank God.”
They sat in companionable silence before Alex asked, “Did ye really tell off Anna MacDonald?"
"Perhaps not my proudest moment, but she had it coming.”
"That's no' like ye, Lachlan." Alex eyed him.
It was true. Lachlan was usually easygoing and let things roll off him. This time was different, though, and he didn't regret it for a moment. "Rolo overheard Anna talking down to Violet, trying to make her feel bad. I think she was just jealous, though. Violet is everything Anna is not.”
"Violet? The ‘fucking perfect’ one?" Alex arched a brow, mimicking his brother’s words.
"Aye, the fucking perfect one.”
"Ye are protective over the lass.”
"Aye," Lachlan admitted.
Drew shoved himself back on the stool beside Lachlan, leaning his elbows on the bar behind him, facing out to the crowded room.
“Christ, it's good to be home." He grinned.
"Got a phone number?" Alex asked nonchalantly.
"Two." Drew winked.
"What are ye boys bletherin' about?”
"Violet." Alex grinned.
“Och, right, Violet. The one we are no’ allowed to talk about,” Drew teased and turned to Lachlan, who was less than impressed with his brothers' ribbing. “Ye love her?” Drew asked, with Alex standing nearby, listening intently.
Lachlan rolled the amber liquid in his glass, not needing to contemplate the question. “Aye, I do.”
“Aye?” Drew laughed heartily, slapping his brother on the back, and Alex smiled like he found the whole thing amusing. “Bloody hell! Another round, Kian,” he smacked his hand on the bar top.