Chapter 28 Arro #2
After we’d settled in, it was wonderful how we fell into a natural rhythm with my family.
Arran and Lachlan told us about the offer they’d made Gordon and how they were waiting for Gordon’s solicitors to contact theirs to see if he’d accepted it.
They had plans to renovate the hotel, bar, and restaurant, with Arran overseeing it all.
I was so happy my brother was staying in Ardnoch, even if he still wouldn’t really explain why his wanderlust had suddenly vanished—or why he hadn’t come home sooner when we needed him.
Lachlan told us Brodan had sent over a digital copy of his new film for us to watch, since the premiere was in Los Angeles. It was too adult for the kids, so we’d wait for them to go to bed before watching.
Conversation was easy. Even when Mac crossed the room to sit beside me, snuggling me into his side after Eilidh vacated the spot.
I’d gotten up to make everyone fresh tea and coffee when Eredine followed me.
“So?” I smiled at her as I moved around the kitchen.
My friend glanced over her shoulder at Mac, who laughed at something Robyn said.
“You both seem happy.” Eredine’s expression was filled with questions.
“We are. We’re taking each day at a time. Though … kind of at warp speed. We’re spending nearly every second together outside of work.”
“That’s nice.” Ery leaned into me. “I’m glad you gave him another chance. Mac’s one of the really good ones.”
“I know that. And thank you again for being there for me when I needed someone to talk to.”
“I’m always here for you,” she promised.
I curled my hand around her wrist and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You know I’m always here for you, too, right?”
Eredine swallowed hard, something grim and unsettling flashing across her eyes. Her lips parted, her breathing increasing a little as she said, “Arro—”
“We need juice!” Eilidh cried out as she rushed into the house. “Energy boost!”
I looked back at Ery, but her expression had closed down. “I’ll get it, Eils,” she said, moving around the kitchen.
Frustration filled me because I suspected my friend was about to tell me something important.
I tried to catch her eye again, but she hurried after Eilidh out into the garden.
Sighing, I forced myself to let the moment go. Once I had the tea and coffee ready, Mac helped me carry everything into the living room.
“Tell us, Mac,” Thane said as he sipped his coffee, “any word on Kilmany?”
Mac shook his head. “In jail until his court date. It’ll be a few weeks yet until we hear.
For now, he’s denying all charges. The police still haven’t tied him to Frickle, Kenny or Jamie, but they have the car tied to Bryan’s murder, plus Arro’s and my witness accounts.
” He looked at me. “I asked to visit him.”
I raised an eyebrow. This was the first I’d heard of it.
Mac shrugged despondently. “I wanted to talk to him. To explain what happened.”
“He’s a murderer, Dad,” Robyn whispered. “You don’t need to explain anything to him.”
“It’s for both our sakes,” Mac said. “But it’s a moot point because he denied visitation as well as the charges. Arro and I will probably be called in to make statements again soon, and then we’ll have to take the stand in court.”
Something I was not looking forward to, but I would do it to put the dangerous arsehole away for good.
“He still denies leaving the notes for Arro?” Thane prodded.
“He denies everything.”
“I still don’t understand why he went after Arro instead of directly after you.”
“We’re talking about someone who is mentally unwell,” Robyn said. “Let’s not look for reason where there is none.”
“And let’s talk about something happier,” Regan suggested.
“Say, for instance, you getting into the MBA program at the University of the Highlands and Islands,” her big sister said with a proud smile.
“Seriously?” I asked Regan.
She shared a look with Thane, who appeared just as proud if not more so than Robyn.
“I want to open a preschool here. There’s only one, and it’s kind of depressing.
The kids don’t really seem to get much stimulation there.
But I thought I better do the work before embarking on something so significant as opening a business. ”
Excited for her, I offered without thinking, “You should do it in Caelmore. We own lots of land here. I’m sure we have the perfect spot where you could build something specifically designed for your needs.
” I stiffened as soon as the words were out of my mouth; I shouldn’t have just willy-nilly offered her Adair land without my brothers’ input.
However, Thane slid his arm around Regan’s waist and glanced between me and Lachlan. “I’ve already spoken to Arran about this, and he’s on board. I just need the go-ahead from you two and Brodan. I want to give Regan a plot of land here, and I’ll help her build the preschool.”
Regan opened her mouth to protest, and Thane hushed her.
“We have the land,” he told her sternly, then looked at us. “You can say no, though.”
“Why would we say no?” Lachlan frowned. “Of course, Regan can have it. Arro clearly just offered it.”
“And his wife would withhold sexual favors if he denied her little sister this request,” Robyn added.
Lachlan raised an eyebrow. “As if you could last a day without me.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“Aye, why not?”
“Lachlan,” Thane warned.
“Fine.” Robyn held out a hand. “Shake on it. No sex until one of us breaks, and the person who breaks does all the cooking and grocery shopping for three months.”
“Lachlan—”
“Done.” Lachlan shook her hand.
Thane groaned. “You’re a right prat.”
Our eldest brother shrugged cockily. “I will not break first.”
“Does it matter when this deal means you’re not having any sex for the foreseeable future?”
Lachlan considered this and then glowered at his chuckling wife. “Funny, is it? You’ve got a stronger sex drive than me, woman.”
“Can we not discuss my daughter’s—” Mac choked on the thought, looking green. “Let’s change the subject.”
And so we did, but I noticed Robyn didn’t look so cocky anymore.
Note to self: never make a no-sex deal with Mac.
We talked more about Regan’s plans for the preschool, and then Thane called for takeout. The bulk of the evening was spent eating dinner and playing with the kids. After, the kids showered and Thane put them to bed.
It was late by the time Lachlan set up Brodan’s new film, connecting his laptop to Thane’s TV. We switched off the lights to make it more cinematic, and I rested against Mac’s chest as we lounged back to watch the movie.
Pride filled me at Brodan’s portrayal of a man who wakes up in what seems to be a dystopian outback with no recollection of how he got there.
The film was about him piecing together his memories as he tried to survive the desert and find his way back to some manner of civilization.
It was by far Brodan’s best piece of acting.
So good, I almost forgot he was my brother.
As the credits rolled, a stunned silence fell over my family.
Then Lachlan said gruffly, “Well … he’s a talented son of a bitch.”
We all immediately started talking over each other in excitement as we discussed which bits we loved best, where he stunned us with his performance, when we forgot we were watching Brodan and just saw him as the character.
We shot him texts to tell him how much we’d loved it, but I made a note to video-call him tomorrow so I could tell him to his face.
After that, we said our good-nights, and Mac led me out to his SUV, opening the passenger door and placing an unnecessary but welcome palm on my arse to help me in. He rounded the bonnet, hopped in, and once he was pulling out of the driveway, I commented, “They didn’t make it weird. Us.”
“Did you think they would?”
“I wasn’t sure. But it wasn’t weird. Not at all.”
Mac grinned in the dark of the car, the headlights beyond us illuminating his face. “Eilidh certainly put us in our place.”
I groaned, but smiled. “God, we must have been so obvious.”
His chuckle warmed me from the inside out.
But then he sliced through the amiable mood with, “Do you want kids, Arro?”
The abrupt question shocked me into silence for a few seconds. My heart raced as I fought through the fear of the outcome of this conversation and answered honestly, “Yes.” I swallowed hard. “Do you?”
“You know, Lachlan asked me the same thing when I told him how I feel about you.”
“And?”
Mac looked at me as he slowed on the narrow country road that led away from my brothers’ homes. “I want kids with you. I used to think it was too late—”
“You’re still young, Mackennon,” I huffed.
“I know I’m not old,” he said, laughter in his voice. “But to be a father again … forty-five is a wee bit later than usual.”
“But you want kids?” I hung on to that vital part of what he’d said.
“It scares me,” he said. “I don’t want to hurt another child like I hurt Robyn—”
“You would never,” I cut him off again.
“I know.” He shot me another look before turning onto the main road. “Anyway, I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. Not that … well, we’re not anywhere near there yet.”
I deflated a little, coming back to reality. Of course we weren’t. I couldn’t even tell the man I loved him yet.
“Right,” I whispered, lecturing myself about sticking to my plans to take things slowly. “We’re not there yet.”
Feeling more than a prickle of glum disappointment, I ignored why that was and prattled on about Brodan’s film to alleviate the sudden tension between us.