“Even now,” she said. “Always.”
“You’re an amazing lass. No doubt about it.”
She shrugged, clearly embarrassed.
“I mean it. I support several charities, but mostly just with money. You actually use your time and care. That’s above and beyond.”
“Money is probably more important to them,” she laughed, “but thank you, Alec. You know most of it from there. I worked my way through graduation at my roommate’s family-owned massage parlor, graduated last year, and landed my first teaching job at Kurt Wright.”
Who knew a simple question would promptthatstory?
“Now, tell me about you,” she said. “Mr. Bigshot.”
I laughed. “Mr. Bigshot?”
“I have it on good authority, by which I mean my roommate Mai, that you’re from one of the richest families in Seattle or something.”
My cheeks burned, and I skirted the truth. “My family isn’t from Seattle, but our company does have its American headquarters here. When my father retired, I took over.”
Lumen showed me her dimples. “Consider my interest piqued. What’s your origin story?”
I leaned back in my chair. “I don’t have much of one. I don’t fight crime, for starters.”
“Come on. I told you mine. Now it’s your turn.”
“I believe I told you I was born in Edinburgh but was raised in California. San Ramon to be specific.”
“Why’d you move?”
I took a sip of my coffee to give myself a moment. “My, uh, my mother died of a pulmonary embolism when I was eight, and–”
“Oh, shit.” She looked horrified. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have pressured you.”
“No, lass, it’s all right. I miss her, of course, but it’s been a long time. The grief is…different now.”
Lumen frowned. “Wait, I met your…the woman with Evanne at the open house…?”
“Da remarried about a year later. A woman named Theresa Carideo he met in San Jose. She was a widow and lived in San Jose with her four kids. Austin, Rome, Paris, and Aspen.”
“And they didn’t want to move to Scotland?”
I shook my head. “Da had been in San Jose scouting possible locations for an American branch of MIRI. When he found property in San Ramon, he decided it would be better to pack up my siblings and me, bring us here.”
“How many?”
“Five.”
“Fivesiblings?”
I chuckled at the surprise on her face. “Four brothers, one sister. All younger. Brody, and twins, Carson and Cody along with Eoin and Maggie.”
She looked down at her clothes. “Are these Maggie’s?”
“Aye.”
“So, with Theresa’s kids, there are ten of you. That’s a huge family.”
“And we’re not done,” I said. “Theresa and Da had three kids of their own. Sean and Xander, another set of twins, and our youngest sister, London.”
