Chapter 25 Brodan #2
“Thanks,” I murmured as I gently pulled Roe tighter against my side.
The woman didn’t take the hint. “You know, I’d love to sit down and have coffee with you, talk about your movies.”
I glowered at Walker.
He had the decency to look apologetic. Then he turned to her. “I’m sure you would, but as his bodyguard, that’s a hard no from me.”
“No need to be jealous,” she purred.
“Aye, okay, this is done,” Walker muttered and then handed Sloane a few notes. “Put aside a box for me, whatever this gets me. I’ll come back for it.”
Sloane took it, not meeting his eyes. “Sure.”
“Right, you, let’s go.”
“But I wanted to see the rest of the fair,” she grumbled as Walker led her away.
Roe grimaced. “Was she for real?”
I shrugged. “Happens.”
“That was rude to you and to Walker.”
Sloane snorted, but it wasn’t a cheerful sound. “Walker wasn’t exactly Mr. Manners either. He didn’t even introduce her to us. Is that how he treats women?”
Looking at Callie, I hedged my words, not knowing how to say this in front of a nine-year-old. “She, uh … is a casual acquaintance he made last night, and I think she invited herself along today.”
“Then he should use better judgment.” Sloane stuffed the money into her apron and angrily placed cakes into a box for Walker.
More people crowded around her stall, and she was clearly in a bad mood, so Monroe told her we’d circle back and we strolled away. As Roe bit into her Santa cheesecake, I said, “So, Sloane has a thing for Walker.”
Roe squeezed my arm and swallowed a bite. “She told me it was just a crush.”
“Seems like it’s more than that.”
She shrugged. “I couldn’t tell you.”
“You wouldn’t even if you could.”
Roe grinned up at me, a dollop of cream cheese on her lip. “Girl code.”
I smiled fondly down at her and wiped the cream cheese off her lip with my thumb before sucking it into my mouth. Her eyes widened, and then she swallowed. Hard.
Very, very good.
“She’s lucky to have you as a friend. Anyone would be,” I told her.
Roe shoved me playfully. “Should I expect to be flattered all day, Brodan Adair?”
“That was my plan.”
“I have a better one.” Her expression lit up upon seeing a burger van. “It’s almost lunchtime, and that cheesecake wasn’t enough. I’m starving.”
“Well, we can’t have that.” I tugged on her arm, pulling her into the queue for the burgers. “What do you want?”
She studied the menu board, and I could practically see her salivating. “What are you having?”
“Preferably you, but I’ll take a cheeseburger in the meantime.”
She let out an exasperated laugh. “You are indefatigable.”
“Ooh, good word, Ms. Sinclair.” I wrapped my arms around her waist, drawing her back to my chest as I murmured in her ear, “And you have no idea just how indefatigable I can be.”
Tilting her head back, Roe snorted. “Oh my God, stop it.”
I shook with laughter against her. “I can’t help myself.”
“Holy shit, you’re Brodan Adair.” The male voice cut through my moment with Roe, and she pulled out of my arms.
Facing the intruder, it took everything within me not to snarl at the young man. He stood with a young woman, and they blinked at me like two deer in headlights. Swallowing my irritation, I nodded hello.
The guy raised his hands to his head and then spread his fingers as he made an exploding noise. “How cool! I mean, we knew we might see someone famous while we were here, but Brodan Adair!” He pulled the woman at his side tight to him. “You’re on both of our lists.”
I didn’t ask because I already knew what they meant. This wasn’t the first time someone had said it to me.
Still, he acted like I asked. “Our sex lists,” he explained.
Shit.
I shot a look at Roe. She stared in astonishment at the couple.
“You know, like, if we met you, we give each other permission to fuck you.”
“Excuse me?” Monroe stepped forward, anger staining her cheeks red.
The young guy looked surprised by her reaction. “Oh, oh, like, it’s a compliment.”
“Is it?” Roe said sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s a compliment to tell a complete stranger that you have permission to fuck them? Because in my world, that’s called sexual harassment.”
“Roe,” I murmured, tugging her gently back. “It’s fine.”
The couple stared at Roe like she was insane.
She was right. But some people thought because they’d seen me in a bunch of movies that they knew me.
Boundaries they normally wouldn’t cross no longer existed for them.
Not wanting the situation to become an ugly anecdote online, I said to the couple, “Would you like an autograph?”
They grinned broadly. “Can we get a selfie with you?” They shoved a phone at Roe before I could comply.
Roe stared at it in her hands like it was a bag of dog shit.
I rubbed her back. “It’s fine,” I repeated.
Thankfully, she took the photo without another word, but the easiness between us was gone.
Once we’d grabbed a couple of burgers, it became obvious that any privacy we might have was blown.
The tourists at the fair had gotten word I was here.
We stood to the side, eating our burgers, but we both felt public attention on us.
“How can you be okay with them talking to you like that?” Monroe asked.
Shrugging, I explained, “It’s easier to ignore it, give them a photo or autograph, and just walk away. It comes with the job. To them, I’m not a stranger.”
“But you are. And they talked to you like you were some inanimate sex toy.”
I snorted at her words. “You are very sexy when you’re angry. That might be a problem for me.”
“Shut up,” she said without heat.
“You’ve always been like this.”
“Like what?”
“Just as protective of me as I am of you. Remember when Michelle Kingsley kept shoving me in the quad? You came running to my rescue.”
“She’s lucky I didn’t break that perfect nose of hers,” Roe muttered, clearly still agitated by the young couple at the burger van.
“Admit it.” I nudged her. “You still care about me.”
Monroe eyed me seriously. “It was never a question of that, Brodan.”
Fuck, I wanted to kiss her so badly.
“Mr. Adair.”
I squeezed my eyes closed in frustration but pasted on a smile as I turned to face our latest interrupters. It was a family of four, all staring at me with shy excitement. I widened my smile. “Hullo.”
The mum said, “Mr. Adair, we’re such big fans. Could we bother you for a photo?”
And so it began.
By the fourth group that asked for a photo, I turned to see if Roe was okay and found the space where she’d been standing empty.
My gut twisted. I conjured my acting skills to smile for the camera with the fan. Just as he nodded his thanks and walked away, two older women eyed me like they wanted to approach. Just as they got up the courage to do so, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out and found a text from Roe.
Sorry for leaving you. Just feel a bit sick and didn’t want to interrupt. Have a good day.
I scowled at the formal tone of the text.
This was what I’d feared.
That even if I could convince Roe to give me another chance, my fame might be too much for her to handle.
Giving the approaching women a quick nod of hello, I hurried past them to Sloane’s stall. She was cleaning up for the day. Word had obviously gotten around about her amazing baking. “Hi,” I said.
“Oh, hey. We’ve got your boxes. Can you carry them all?”
“Pile them up.” I held out my arms.
Sure enough, they towered right up to my nose.
I could just see over the top, and I left with Callie giggling at how ridiculous I looked as I tried to walk carefully down the street.
The upside was that the boxes disguised me as I slowly made my way down Castle Street to Monroe’s.
I had to kick her door in lieu of a knock.
What felt like forever later, she opened it.
“What on earth?” Roe asked from beyond the boxes.
“Grab your stuff and come with me.”
“Brodan—”
“I know you’re not sick, Roe. I’m sorry about the fair.” This was ludicrous. “Look, I can’t talk to you when I can’t see you. Just get your stuff. Please.”
To my utter relief, Monroe did as I asked. “Now to my car.”
“Let me take a few of these.”
“Nope. They’re hiding me.”
She chuckled as we skirted the fair to get to my SUV that I’d parked outside the Gloaming.
It was a miracle I hadn’t dropped any of the boxes.
Once they were loaded, I pulled out a bunch of notes from my wallet and handed them to Roe.
“I’ll wait here. You go back and buy some mulled wine and as many hot chocolates as you can carry. ”
“Where are we going?”
“My family hasn’t shown up yet, so we’re taking the market to them.”
“Brodan—”
I stepped into her. “It’ll be like this for a while. But the fame will die down now that I’ve retired. It won’t be as bad as this.”
Roe sighed. “Brodan—”
“Just … today we were supposed to spend time together as friends. I don’t want it to be ruined. So let’s just go bring a wee bit of Christmas cheer to some very exhausted new parents.”
She considered this and then nodded. “Okay.”
I deflated with relief, watching her walk away before I climbed into the Range Rover. Then I called Regan to tell her to gather everyone at her place. She loved the idea because she loved being surrounded by family. The two of us had that in common.
Not long later, Monroe returned with an impressive load of mulled wine and hot chocolate.
“Your family knows we’re just friends, right?
And they’re good with that? Eredine is good with that?
” Monroe fired at me as I swung the car out of the space and took the side road that would lead me out of Ardnoch.
“They know, and they’re good with it. Eredine is good with it. She just wants me to be happy, and being your friend makes me happy.”
Roe groaned. “You are a silver-tongued devil, Brodan Adair.”
I grinned. “Oh, there’s—”
“Do not make an innuendo about your tongue.”
Laughter shook through me. Because damn, she knew me so well.