My friend laughed. “Oh, so it’s like that.”
“I tell you, these Ardnoch men …” Monroe wore a secret smile that informed me Brodan Adair made sure she was very, very good too. It did not surprise me in the least. As for Sloane, she’d shared a while ago that Walker liked to tie her up when they had sex. The thought sent a shiver coursing through me. Maybe Jared and I needed to try a bit of that.
“In all seriousness.” Sloane leaned forward, voice lowering. The café was packed with mostly tourists because it was summer, so I had to strain forward to hear her. “The villagehas been rampant with gossip about the sheep and the chickens. Everyone is worried about you two.”
“We don’t want to worry anyone. We’re okay. I’m … I can’t believe how attached I got to my chickens, though.” An aching sadness at the loss of Ginger, Babs, and the rest of my birds still throbbed in my chest. “Jared would usually just buy more chickens so we could keep supplying Morag, but he told me that we’ll do it when I’m ready. I feel like I should buck up and just go get more now, but I keep seeing them …”
“Hey.” Monroe ducked her head to meet my eyes. “Just take your time. You’re grieving them. They were living creatures with personalities. If a person is allowed to grieve their dog or cat, you’re allowed to grieve your birds.”
Grateful, I whispered, “Thanks.”
“So, it’s true, then,” a voice cut through our little moment.
Glancing up, I squinted at the two women who stood over the table. Recognition hit and I tensed. One of them was Sadie Dunmoor. She was an attractive woman in her forties who, up until a few years ago, had been a single mom. She married some guy in Golspie and moved her kid there. But her hair salon was still in Ardnoch. The reason I knew so much about her wasn’t because she did my hair (I was lucky enough to have access to the salon on the estate), but because she used to be Jared’s fuck buddy. I didn’t recognize the blond at her side.
“Excuse me?” I asked cautiously.
Sadie grinned, big and genuine. Gesturing to the wedding band on my finger, she said, “That Jared got married. I never thought I’d see the day.”
“Oh.” I covered my ring and sat back in my chair. “Yeah.”
“Well, congratulations. And will you tell him I said congrats?”
Relieved that she was being cool, I nodded. “Of course.”
The blond at her side, however, snorted. “You must be very confident.”
Sadie shot her a quelling look while I narrowed my eyes. “What does that mean?”
“It means, Jared shagged every eligible woman in Ardnoch.” She huffed, eyeing Sloane and Monroe. “Am I right, ladies?”
Monroe quirked an eyebrow. “I don’t believe he ever touched you with a barge pole, Ursula.”
Ursula? Why wasn’t I familiar with her?
The blond grimaced. “Well, I’m married.”
Sadie sighed heavily and gave me an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I just wanted to stop and offer congrats. Really. He’s a good man. He deserves happiness.”
“I appreciate that.”
“After finding happiness between the legs of a million women,” Ursula cracked.
“Urs!” Sadie hissed. “There are children in here.”
“Och, I’m only joking.”
“No.” Monroe pinned her with a hard look. “You’re being rude to my friend and pushing the feminist movement back fifty years. I don’t know why you’re so obviously jealous of Allegra, a woman you don’t even know, Ursula Rankin, but you’re letting the side down with the cattiness. So quit it.”
Clearly, Monroe knew this Ursula person, so I guessed she was a local I hadn’t been aware of until now. Obviously,shewas aware of me. Honestly, it wasn’t the first time I’d been treated with rudeness by strangers. People saw the wealth and the fame and the pretty face, and they resented me for things they wanted for themselves, without seeing me as a person with my own shit and trauma.
“God, Monroe, you always were a drama queen. I’m not being catty.” Ursula looked at me now. “I’m just saying … Jared even tried to shag Regan and Eredine Adair before the brothersslapped a ring on them. It’s just shocking that he’s finally settled down. Guess the allure of that Howard money was just too much to resist. Everyone knew his farm was in trouble.”
The fact that Ursula was correct about why Jared married me stung. Because as much as our marriage was turning into something real, he probably never would have married me otherwise. But that she would say so to my face was despicable.
“Oh my God.” Sadie glowered at her friend. “What is wrong with you?” She blanched, turning to me. “I’m so sorry. I really did just want to offer my sincere best wishes. We’ll be going now.”
“I appreciate it. I’ll tell Jared.” I gave her a reassuring smile before turning to Ursula. “And Jared didn’t marry me for the money. He married me because the sex is mind-blowing.”
