“She’s a loose cannon, more so than Saira.” Mom’s deep-green eyes pierced mine.
My thoughts were doing laps, sprinting nowhere, and stress was the trophy strapped to my shoulders.
“Alistair, have you taken your medication?”
“I don’t miss a day.” I shook my head, grinning as the wind tried to steal Mom’s hat like it was in on the conversation.
“I want the best for you because I love you. I hope you will find a woman whom you can trust. A woman who is honest and strong in the mind and the heart.”
“Vera,” I murmured, hiding behind my shades. I’d caved and sent her a short text—told her I was at the ranch, asked how she was. Like that would fill the space she left.
“Go and see Lady Jane. The grand dame has been expecting you.” Mom gave a small grin as she stood up from her seat and walked to the house with that crazy hat tucked under her arm.
An hour later, I dismounted and gave Lady Jane the attention she’d earned, running the brush along her flank before leading her toward the stable. That’s when I heard a familiar feminine voice call my name.
“Hello, Scotty.”
Turning around, I saw a silhouette of a tall, slender figure blocking the sun’s low afternoon rays. “Erin,” I responded coldly.
The woman looked fresh in a pair of jeans and a collared shirt unbuttoned just above her breasts, revealing a hint of their fullness. Erin was beautiful, no doubt, and I had a weakness for beautiful women.
“Can we talk?”
“Let me get Lady Jane settled in her stable. We can talk at the house.”
“I’ll wait. We can walk back together,” she said, a grin tugging at her lips. “I don’t mind watching.”
I let out a low breath, shaking my head. “Suit yourself.”
Thirty minutes later, Erin and I strolled the path toward the main house. The sun slipped behind the clouds, and she shivered, jamming her hands into her pockets.
“Scotty, I want to talk about the baby and us,” she said.
“We’re not a thing.” My jaw locked. “Don’t fool yourself.”
“Alistair, please. We can still see each other. Oliver doesn’t need to know.”
“You lied to me. You said you were on the pill.”
“The pill doesn’t always?—”
“Bullshit.” My fists clenched, pulse spiking hard in my throat. I forced myself to stop walking, dragging in a breath I didn’t feel. “Erin, what are you doing here?”
“I dropped off some baked goods for your mother. I wanted to make peace.”
“How’d that go?”
“She wouldn’t even look at me.”
“And Oliver?”
“He needs space, but he wants us to stay together. I’m trying, Alistair. I’m trying to love him, but I’m still in love with you.”
“What we had is gone. I can’t love you that way.”
“Wait.” Erin’s hand clamped around my wrist, her grip too tight. Her lips twisted into a sharp smile. “There’s someone else, isn’t there?”
“Don’t start,” I warned, peeling her fingers off. I turned to leave?—
