Puzzled and still infuriated I snapped, “For what?”
“Making me laugh on a day I didn’t think I could.”
“Oh.” That warm feeling cut through the anger.
“She’s not getting the house, Eils. I told her to get out of Ardnoch.”
I slumped back onto my sofa. “Good. But that doesn’t take away from the damage she inflicted today.”
“No,” he replied quietly. “It doesn’t.”
Tears burned my eyes. I hated that she could make him feel so unworthy and unwanted. “She’s a selfish fool, Fyfe. Shedoesn’t deserve to be your mother. She doesn’t deserve someone as special as you.”
“Eilidh …” His voice was hoarse around my name, his tone grateful, like I was salve on an open wound.
“She’s not your family, anyway. We are. The Adairs. You’re ours. We’re yours.” The urge to clarify thatIwashisthe second he woke up to what could be between us was strong. But I held back.
I heard the smile in Fyfe’s voice as he replied, “I’m a grown man. Been on my own since I was a boy. And yet … I needed to hear that, Eils. Thank you.”
“Anytime, honey.” The endearment slipped out before I could stop it. “I’m always here for you.”
Five
EILIDH
Eighteen months ago
Despite my well-known sassy attitude, I had never fought with a director or producer or writer before in my life. I was a professional hired to do a job, and while I’d had careful discussions about script and direction if I wasn’t entirely happy with something, I’d never had an out-and-out barney with a director before.
The movie we were filming in Romania was a sci-fi romance. My costar was an up-and-coming actor, and I was grateful he was down-to-earth, easy to work with, and utterly devoted to his childhood sweetheart, so there was no weird sexual tension between us beyond the chemistry we brought to the screen.
That made being in Romania away from all my friends and family a wee bit easier. Especially because I was merely going through the motions of the movie. I’d realized over the last few that I’d begun rewriting parts of the scripts my manager sent me, and this movie was one of them. No one knew, but I’d startedwriting my own pilot script to pass the time when we weren’t filming. It was based on my family, on the Adair family and my uncle Lachlan’s members-only estate. I’d planned to write multiple episodes for a TV show.
I didn’t know if it was any good.
If I was talented enough.
But itfeltbetter than the drivel they had me doing and spouting on this bloody film.
The truth was I was already on edge being “alone” in a Romanian forest for three months. I was missing Callie’s pregnancy and her and my brother falling back in love (or at least admitting they’d never actually fallen out of love). Lewis had bought a house, and I was the only one who hadn’t seen it yet! Moreover, Lewis had told me Morwenna confessed she felt neglected by both of us. That made me feel like utter crap, so I was trying to connect more with my wee sister but she wasn’t making it easy. I needed to be in her physical presence. And this stupid film contract was standing in my way.
Fyfe was my saving grace. Our daily texts and biweekly calls kept me sane.
When my father called to tell me Callie’s cottage had been broken into, I cracked. I had to get home. I had to check in on my brother and Callie.
My director said no.
When I threatened to walk away from the film entirely if he didn’t let me leave, he’d bellowed at me, so I’d yelled back, and Liz, the producer, had to step between us. She was calm, collected, and amazing. Somehow she managed to convince my arse of a director to do without me for the weekend. Look, I wasn’t stupid. I knew delays equaled money. But sometimes people were more important than a budget.
We got straight on the phone to Uncle Lachlan and he gave us permission to land a chartered plane on the private airfield on his estate.
I’d deal with the tension between me and the director when I returned. I was only in Scotland for two nights, and I was like a kid at Christmas as the plane landed, desperate to deboard.
Uncle Lachlan greeted me as soon as I bounded off the plane. After hugs and reassurances, he gave me the keys to one of the vehicles in his estate fleet and sent me on my way to the village. I’d called Mum and she’d told me I could find Lewis at the Gloaming. I needed to reassure myself he was all right. I knew he had to be sick with worry over Callie. It made sense to pop into the pub first since it was on the route home. When Mum mentioned he was meeting Fyfe, I experienced a mass fluttering of butterflies in my stomach.
I couldn’t wait to see him. We’d been chatting every day for months either via text or call, but this would be the first time I’d seen Fyfe in person in a few years.
Pulling the SUV into an empty spot outside the Gloaming, I jumped out and locked it, anticipation fizzing through me. So many emotions. Plus exhaustion. I was a jittery mess as I hurried into the pub, not making eye contact with anyone in the hopes of getting to Lewis and Fyfe without interruption.
