I snorted and my pal shot me a wounded look.
“It was more than that,” he insisted.
“And who do we have here?”
We jerked our gazes toward the hallway where an extremely attractive woman with Beth’s hair color, eye shape, and lips stared at us.
It had to be her mum.
“Mum.” Beth released me to hug her. Then she turned, gesturing to me. “This is my boyfriend, Callan. And his friend, Baird. This is my mum, Joss.”
Joss wore a small smile as she reached out a hand to me. “Glad to meet you, Callan. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“You too.” I was a bit stunned by how much Beth looked like her mother. My girlfriend was quite a bit taller, and they had different eye color, but there was no denying the relation. And if Beth took after her mum, she was going to age like a fine fucking wine.
“Baird McMillan, at your service.” He shook Joss’s hand with both of his, flirt kicking up his lips. “And can I say, it is very apparent where Beth gets her good looks from.”
“I wouldn’t flirt with my mum if I were you.” Beth shoved Baird playfully. “Not unless you never, ever want to work with my dad. Ever.”
Baird whacked me on the arm. “Oh look, you have something in common with Braden.”
“Oh?” Joss raised a quizzical eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“Callan here is a possessive caveman.”
I glowered at my pal.
But Joss laughed. “Maybe you and Braden will get along after all. Come on. Everyone else is already here.”
As Beth and Joss led the way, I whispered to Baird, “If you still want to be alive by the end of this dinner, remember to filter yourself.”
“I’m not that bad.” Baird gaped as we walked through the hall. “Fuck me. Beth grew up here?”
“Aye. Different world, ay?”
“You’re no’ jokin’. How the other half live.” He nudged me playfully. “Imagine whatourkids could have if we get Blantyre Castle up and running.”
Kids.
How could I want a future that included kids with Beth so much, but at the same time be terrified of the thought?
Beth returned to my side, looping her arm through mine as we wandered into the massive family kitchen.
The smell of roast chicken and herbs filled my senses as the noise hit my ears. People. People everywhere. At the island. Sitting around the dining table. Standing sipping on drinks, chatting. It was like a party.
“Oh my goodness.” Beth drew to an abrupt halt. “Almost the whole bloody family is here!”
We were barely in the room fifteen minutes when Beth got pulled away and I found myself encircled by her uncles. There were her older uncles, whom she’d introduced as Adam, Cam, Nate, and Marco, and her slightly less older uncles Cole and Logan. Braden stood in the middle of them next to Marco, admittedly a huge bloke who looked like he could crush even Baird with his bare hands.
“So … you’re the footballer.” Adam broke the awkward and intense silence.
“Aye.” I nodded, taking a swig of the Diet Coke Beth had plonked in my hands before her aunts and cousins whipped her away.
“Did you know Cam, Nate, and Cole here are black belts in judo?” He gestured to the dark-haired gent and two of the three tall blonds in the group. One of them, Cole, I think, had a full sleeve of tattoos.
“Beth mentioned it.”
“And Marco, he’s a big guy, as you can see.”
