34. Alistair
ALISTAIR
Fourteen Months Later
“Isee Aisling and Andy!” Kenna called excitedly. She released Madison’s hand and raced off down the pavement. The high street was packed with vendors and food stalls and more tourists than I’d ever seen for the summer festival.
“Oh my God. Look at Andy!” Madison gushed. He ran toward Kenna wearing a toddler-sized kilt.
“I have it on good authority that Andy is joining us in the kilted dash later,” I told her.
“Stop,” she said, taking my hand. “That’s too cute. I didn’t even know they made kilts that small.”
“Smaller, actually.” She glanced down at the sleeping bundle in the sling against my chest, and I laughed. “I can practically see the wheels turning behind your eyes.”
“Hey, you two,” Isla called as we neared. She stood with Locke, Lena, Weston, Cat, and Patrick Lyons, who had been on the Braeburn town council for decades.
Aisling and Kenna weaved between the adults, giggling as Andy stumbled after them. We’d had to stop calling him Baby Andy when Madison gave birth, seeing as there was a new little addition to the group. Now we had Baby Brodie.
“Hey, Mads,” Cat asked, coming to stand next to us. “Any shot at an opening for the Friday night beading class? My sister’s visiting next week, and I really want to bring her.”
“Fully booked, I’m afraid,” Madison said. There was no need to check her schedule—her classes were always booked up. “But for you, I will squeeze in an extra chair.”
Cat gave her a quick hug. “You’re the best! Okay, I’m off to help at the SPCA booth. If you know anyone who’s looking to adopt a cute kitten, send them my way.”
Kenna put her hand up.
Madison laughed. “You’ve got enough responsibilities, missy.”
“But a kitten is small,” she said.
“Yeah,” Aisling piped up. “It can live in my room.”
Madison and Lena both gave Cat a flat look as she backed away. “My bad! Forget I said anything!”
“Alistair,” Patrick said, catching my attention. “I heard you’re interested in sponsoring a refurbishment of the community center?”
I nodded. Over the past year, I’d taken a step back from large-scale angel investing and turned my focus to more grassroots community investment.
Madison had been right when she’d originally questioned me about it.
If I wanted to raise my children in Braeburn, then I needed to invest in their community.
“I’m looking to build a larger, multipurpose space.
I’d also really like for it to host a weekly market to give a more permanent home to some of the small, local businesses.
” I gestured around at the vendor stalls, knowing a permanent space might help them grow and thrive.
Patrick nodded. “We’d be interested in hearing your proposal at the next town council meeting.”
“I’ll be there,” I promised, shaking Patrick’s hand.
Sometimes, I just had to take a beat to marvel at the way things had worked out.
Two years ago, I never could have guessed I’d be where I was now—happy, prosperous, with a beautiful wife, a new baby, and a full community of people who accepted me as one of their own…
and who were more than happy to tell off any rude visitor or stray paparazzo who tried to dig up dirt on me.
Not that there were any of the latter hanging around these days.
After all Jessica’s blustering during our meeting at the police station, it turned out no one really cared what she had to say.
Following my TV interview, other men had stepped forward, admitting that they too had been scammed by Jessica.
And as more of them shared their stories, the public attitude shifted largely to one of sympathy and compassion toward the victims rather than the blame and recrimination I’d dealt with for so long.
These days, when stories about me ended up in the paper, it was about the good I was doing in small communities, and I was more than okay with that.
As Patrick hurried off, Kenna came to tug on my trousers. “Can I see?”
I leaned down carefully, letting her peek in at her little brother.
“How is Baby Brodie?” Lena asked, coming to get her own dose of baby cuteness. At almost six months, Brodie had left the newborn stage behind, but there was still nothing cuter than a sleeping baby.
“Andy, come see,” Kenna said, calling him over. “Look, my brother is smaller than you.”
“That never gets old to her, does it?” Madison murmured to me.
“She likes saying the words ‘my brother,’” I agreed.
Kenna had taken to being a big sister with as much enthusiasm as she had for beading and Princess.
She wanted to spend all day with him, and the fact that Brodie had been a dream so far had me and Madison already thinking about another addition to our family.
We’d often catch ourselves in cute moments with the kids, smirking and whispering “just one more.”
“Hey, you lot!” Jo said as she passed, waving her clipboard at us. “What are you standing around for? There’s haggis to be tasted.”
“Don’t look at me,” Lena murmured.
“I want one of those cheese scones,” Isla said, pointing to a booth.
“Mmm, I’m thinking of that massive slice of Victoria sponge,” Madison said.
“Who says you have to stop at one slice?” Lena said. “Let’s get the whole cake.”
Madison beamed. “I like the way you think.”
I laughed as the women surged toward the dessert stall, the kids scrambling after them, begging for sweets.
I cradled Brodie’s head as he started to wake from his nap, gazing down at my son as he rubbed his nose against my chest, a contented smile on my face. The sight made my heart clench. When I looked up, Weston and Locke were staring after their own families with similar expressions.
“Who would have believed we’d all end up back here in the end?” Weston said.
“And that we’d all be so damn happy,” Locke added. “Your grandad was onto something when it came to how special this place was.”
“It’s not just the place,” I said. “It’s the people.
I don’t think I would have found myself back here without you two to support me.
” When I looked around at my family, I couldn’t express how grateful I was that Weston and Locke had stuck by my side through all my trials.
They’d helped me see reason and come to my senses, and they encouraged me to chase after the things that mattered most in this life.
“I think our friendship helped us survive a lot,” Weston said, reaching out and squeezing my shoulder.
“Isn’t it crazy to think we’ll still be standing here in ten years?” Locke said. “And the kids will be teenagers.”
“They’ll probably want nothing to do with us by then,” Weston laughed. “We’ll be too uncool to be allowed anywhere near them during the festival.”
“Except when they want money for snacks,” Locke said.
I grinned at the thought of that future, but I was in no rush to reach it. I intended to enjoy every one of the days between now and then. Every single second.
“Guess we better enjoy it while they’re not rolling their eyes at us,” Weston said.
“They certainly look like they’re enjoying buying out the entire dessert stall,” I said, laughing as I spied Kenna’s already chocolate-covered mouth.
I came up behind them, and Madison turned, holding her hand out for me.
I reached for it, pressing a kiss to her knuckles, overcome for a moment with just how lucky I was that Madison had chosen me.
Together, we had built a life and a family that went beyond my wildest dreams. All these years after building the Voyages app, I finally knew for sure that I was home.